Making changes before a decision is made

Once you have submitted your planning application, we are not legally obliged to accept any amendment to your plans. This is because amendments require us to carry out additional work that an applicant has not paid for such as:

• Reassessing the proposed development
• Updating the officer report
• Managing new plans and documents
• Carrying out more internal and public consultation

The submission of amendments means that it takes longer to assess your application and to provide you with a decision. For this reason, we have introduced a charge for changes made to a planning application after it has been submitted.

We strongly encourage applicants to prepare their applications to a high standard by first seeking pre-application advice. To help prepare a high quality application, the Council provides a pre-application advice service

Planning Permission - Ask us for advice before you apply for Planning Permission

Further pre-application advice can be sought from Kent County Council as the Highways Authority and the Lead Local Flood Authority at:

Highway pre-application advice - Kent County Council

Sustainable drainage in planning - Kent County Council

The Council will exercise its discretion whether to request or accept amendments to a planning application under consideration.  If an amendment is required in order to make the proposal acceptable in planning terms, you will be obliged to meet our fee requirements.

If there is a substantial objection to your proposal which officers consider could not be overcome by amendments, you may be sent the refusal notice (giving reasons) without an opportunity to submit amendments.

Changes we will accept with the applicable fee:

• We will accept simple amendments for a scheme that is unacceptable as submitted but can be made acceptable subject to very minor amendment.
• Where further analysis of the case means more information or clarification is needed.  It must be needed to complete the assessment of the scheme.  For example, cross sectional or levels details drawings and supporting evidence.
• Amendments of a minor nature that would improve the scheme.  This must be considered by the Council to be a necessary improvement.
• Amendments to applications to discharge conditions and for lawful development certificates (proposed) without pre-application advice having been sought.
• Requests by the Council for corrections or very minor points of clarification will not be charged.

We will not accept amendments where the scheme is unacceptable and one or more of the following applies:

• No pre-application has been sought – A charge may still be applied if the pre-application service was used but the advice provided was not followed
• Making it acceptable would require a large amount of additional information
• It would require the initial submission or further marketing or wildlife surveys or any other information that may take a matter of months to obtain
• The amount of change required would result in a very different proposal
• The principle of development cannot be supported
• It would result in an increase in size of or material change to the red edge site boundary (unless requested by the LPA)
• It would result in a significant move or relocation of footprint and/or volume and mass of built form
• It would result in the introduction of materially different uses
• It would result in conflict with development plan policies
• The application is time sensitive with consent being deemed to have been granted automatically if a decision is not made within the original statutory timeframe (some prior approvals). Exceptions may be made at the officer's discretion where timescales will not be affected.

Note: This list is not exhaustive.

We will:

• Only accept one round of amendments to a submitted scheme, unless incorporated into a Planning Performance Agreement
• Only accept the amendment if an extension of time is agreed at the outset
• The amendments must be submitted within the timescale given by the named planning case officer

Please note, if you fail to submit any amendments, or fail to submit them by the agreed deadline; or refuse our request for an extension to the statutory determination period, to allow more time for us to consider amendments; or fail to respond to it by the agreed deadline your application will be considered based on the information previously submitted. This could result in planning permission being refused, without additional discussion.

What to include:

• A completed form (PDF 126KB) which includes, your name, contact email, the application reference number and a table of the amendments /additional information and what is superseded
• Updated plans where necessary and make sure plan reference numbers are updated to refer to a different version
• Updated documents where necessary and make sure document reference numbers are updated to refer to a different version

How long does the process take?

Your case officer will discuss how much longer they think it will take them to assess your application based on the amendments to be made. You should expect all amendment requests to add at least 14 days to the assessment time of your application (from the date that the amended information is submitted and payment is received, whichever is the latest).

Your case officer might need to reconsult neighbours and statutory consultees. This will add at least a further 21 days to the assessment time.

A new determination date will have been set in advance of using this service and agreed with the case officer as an extension of time.

How to apply and pay

The charge for using this service is dependent on the type of application and is set out in the relevant fee schedule. The charge has been calculated on the basis of one set of amendments being submitted. Please complete the relevant form emailing it to planningapplications@swale.gov.uk and pay via our website. Do not send the amendments to this email address.

Alternatively, you can make a payment by cheque, payable to Swale Borough Council. If you pay by cheque, you should send it to Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3HT. Please ensure you enter your planning application reference and site address on the online payment form so that we can match the payment to your current application.

The relevant fee set out below will apply for each submission.

Note: The Council reserves to the right to review whether a further amendment will be allowed for exceptional, complex proposals.