Planning conditions: what to check before building

A planning condition can require further details or control the sequence in which development proceeds. Check the individual wording and the stage at which it applies. Where approval of details is required, submitting them alone is not the same as having them approved. [1]

Read every condition in the decision notice and record the action, responsible person and trigger. Avoid assuming that every condition needs the same type of response. Some regulate how work is carried out; others require information to be submitted and approved.

A condition may depend on information from another consultant. Establish the scope and likely programme before fixing a site start. Drawings, specifications and specialist reports need to describe a consistent proposal.

Where written approval is required, retain the decision alongside the information it approves. Submission alone is not confirmation that a condition is discharged. Share the relevant requirements with the people undertaking the work so the approved details are followed.

Requirements depend on the property and the work proposed. For project-specific advice, the relevant drawings, site information and professional scope need to be considered together.

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