Duty Planning Officer

One of the Council’s planning officers is available by telephone Monday-Friday to discuss general planning queries. 

House

Information a Duty Planning Officer can provide:

  • General advice on permitted development
  • Advise on site constraints and the relevant policies of the Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan 2016 that would be applicable
  • Explain the planning application process, including the application and appeals process
  • Explain planning conditions generally
  • Explain the Council's procedures including providing information on the Council's 'Delegated' and 'Committee processes'

Information a Duty Planning Officer cannot provide:

  • Confirm whether planning permission is required for a proposal - please refer to the Planning Portal for advice. For written confirmation on whether planning permission is required or not you will need to apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness for a Proposed Use or Development. 
  • Discuss the specific merits of a current or recently determined planning application or appeal.
  • Research a proposal for you or undertake a detailed planning history search.
  • Provide advice or an opinion on whether a proposal is likely to be acceptable. The Council has a separate pre-application advice request service for this.
  • Advise on the authorised use of a particular property or site.
  • Advise on whether information submitted in relation to a planning condition or for amendments to a planning permission is likely to be acceptable.
  • Provide written advice. 

If your enquiry relates to planning enforcement, please contact the enforcement team. 

If your enquiry relates to a specific planning application or appeal, please contact the case officer. 

If your enquiry relates to a planning application that is in the process of being registered, please contact the registration team.

All of the above can be contacted on 01264 368000

What information does the Duty Officer require? 

  1. Your name and contact details and your preferred method of contact (phone/email)
  2. Address of the site including postcode
  3. Brief explanation of what you would like to talk to the Duty Officer about. 
  4. Confirmation that you have visited the Duty Planning Officer webpage before requesting a call back to see whether the information required is available there first. 

Process of contacting the Duty Planning Officer - what to expect 

Call 01264 368000 - you will be put through to the Council's Customer Service Department and explain that you would like to speak to the duty planning officer. 

You will be asked for some details including your contact details and a breif explanation of your query. 

A Duty Planning Officer will call you back either on the same day or the next working day to discuss your query.