The Peak District National Park Authority is introducing a new pre-application advice service for people considering development of their property or land.
The service, which includes appointments with allocated planning officers, will improve on previous ‘drop-in’ sessions when only general information could be given. People who need advice should initially contact the Authority’s Customer Service Team on 01629 816200 or customer.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk Customer service advisers can answer general planning queries, but for more detailed enquiries about specific ideas, a planning officer will give pre-application advice and normally see the application right through the process. Director of planning John Scott said: “We want to communicate more effectively with our customers so that they understand what to expect and what is expected of them. They will also be advised about any fundamental problems with the proposal and how they could be resolved to give the application a better chance of success. The new advice service is also hoped to raise the quality of developments by giving time at an early stage to negotiate changes to proposals that would enhance the national park setting. To find more information go to www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/planning .