Broadland & South Norfolk Custom and Self-Build Housing SPD

The advice in para 5.9 is not consistent with that in para 8.25 in respect of applications for outline consents and the eligibility criteria. Para 8.25 correctly states that where an application for outline planning permission is made, conditions in respect of eligibility will be applied to the permission, and the eligibility test in respect of the criteria used for Part 1 of the Register must be met at reserved matters stage.

This could avoid potential situations where outline applications submitted by landowners or promoters of a scheme are refused purely on this issue.

The wording of para 5.9 should be amended along the lines of "If an application is initially submitted in outline and the end occupier is not known then conditions will be applied to the grant of outline permission and detailed information about the end occupier will need to be presented at the reserved matters stage so that eligibility for Part 1 of the register can be checked."

The use of conditions and s106 agreements is understandable, and within the context of the comments of appeal Inspectors, wholly appropriate to meet the objectives of the GNLP Policy 7.5. However, as the SPD is intended to “expand upon policy and provide further detail to support the implementation of policies in the local plan” (para 1.1) it is considered that examples of the stipulations should be provided in an appendix, with an overview provided within the body text of the DPD. This would be particularly helpful to custom/self builders researching the situation, without recourse to the LPA.

As mentioned in our comments in relation to para 5.9, the wording of the condition should apply to the end occupant, not the applicant. The use of conditions and S106 agreements ensure the end occupant of a property will meet the occupancy criteria for a custom or self-build home. This is particularly necessary in the case of applications for outline planning permission, where the applicant may not be the end occupant(s), and/or where more than one plot may be proposed.