Section 38 Pre-submission offer
Have you or are you close to gaining planning permission for a new development?
Did you know we offer section 38 pre-submission meetings to discuss your development and offer advice on the section 38 process. So far this year, we’ve held nine of these meetings.
Hi, my name is Richard Ashton, a Senior Development Management Officer here at Lincolnshire County Council and for over a year myself and colleagues of the Development Management team have undertaken S38 pre-submission meetings with developers and their design consultants to have early S38 discussions about their upcoming development, this service is offered free!
These meetings are fully flexible both in terms of their format and content. For example we have held these meetings at developers offices, design consultants offices (both subject to travel distances) LCC’s office and on Microsoft Teams. This offers flexibility to suit all developers and their consultants regardless of where they are based. As for the content nothing is off the table for example, for the smaller developer it may be beneficial to discuss the requirements for a successful S38 submission. Discussing the financial and legal commitments as well as the documents that are required can really help a small developer understand whether a S38 is achievable for them.
For the larger developers it’s usually more beneficial to discuss the design proposals in more detail giving us the chance to highlight more technical design points that require attention before they formally submit a S38. For example, looking at the proposed adoptable area, kerbing arrangements, standard details, drainage/SuDS design, long/cross sections including horizontal/vertical alignment etc. That way the designer can make tweaks to the design drawings before a formal S38 submission making the S38 process as smooth and efficient as possible..
“All I can do is applaud LCC on their openness to hold discussions with developers through the planning and s38 process, it allows all parties to understand the scheme and how it is best detailed to enable the s38 approval process be as smooth and efficient as possible, I only wish other authorities offered similar services and have equally amenable officers who know what they need from us but are also open to discussions. From my point of view faultless.”
“LCC are by far the most proactive and willing authority we deal with. Your team welcome the opportunity to open dialogue on schemes. From my perspective the early engagement actively improves the relationship between developer and authority, not to mention I think the schemes look fantastic as a result of this ‘team effort’.”
-Technical Director & Technical Manager of Gleeson Homes Ltd
