A to Z of planning

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Annual Monitoring Report 2022 - 2023

Appeal a planning decision or an appeal enforcement notice (external links) - The Planning Inspectorate handle planning and enforcement appeals, employing independent Inspectors who act on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Applications Register - use our Citizen Portal - to search our register of planning applications for minerals and waste developments, and planning applications made by Staffordshire County Council for its own developments, dating back to 1995. Alternatively search via our mapping.

Appeals - use our Citizen Portal - Planning to find records of appeals against decisions on planning applications determined by Staffordshire County Council.

Applications making the headlines

Application forms, fees and advice about making a planning application to Staffordshire County Council.

Applications for any other types of development such as housing, shops, offices, industry - contact the relevant Staffordshire Borough or District Council or Stoke-on-Trent City Council

A to Z of all County Council services

A to Z Guide to planning applications submitted to us, together with accompanying validation checklists, are available from our  Making an application web page.

B

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - see the Government's Biodiversity net gain planning practice guidance (external link)

Building Control - contact the relevant Staffordshire Borough or District Council or Stoke-on-Trent City Council

C

Charges and fees for planning related services

Citizen Portal - Planning to search our register of planning applications, permissions and planning consultations, and to track and comment on planning applications.

Citizen Portal - Pre-applications to submit a pre-application advice enquiry.

Citizen Portal - Planning Regulation to report planning concerns about quarries and waste sites.

Coal - Summary of recent coal bed methane, coal mine methane and natural gas sites

Commenting on an application - Frequently Asked Questions

Contact us - the Planning Development Control and Regulation teams at Staffordshire County Council.

Consultees - a checklist of the persons and organisations we may consult on planning applications.

Copyright - see 'F' for Freedom of Information

Councils - contact the relevant Staffordshire Borough/District Council/Stoke-on-Trent City Council

County Developments - the County Council's own developments. For guidance on making a county development planning application refer to the following:

Guidance on making a county development planning application (72 KB)

Guidance note for schools and private architects (641 KB)

Transport information requirements for school transport assessments (246 KB) 

D

Data Protection - see 'F' for Freedom of Information

Delegated Powers -  the powers available to officers to make decisions without referral to the County Council's committees. The powers are set out in the delegation scheme which forms part of the County Council Constitution. The Economy Infrastructure and Skills sub-delegation scheme contains the powers available to planning officers to make day to day decisions without referral to the Planning Committee.

Derelict land - contact the relevant Staffordshire Borough/District Council/Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Designing waste facilities - a guide to modern design in waste - published by Defra - October 2008 (external link)

Development Control - see Contact us - the Planning Development Control team

Development Plan provides links to the planning policy documents prepared by Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the 8 Staffordshire Borough/District Councils.

E

Employment and Skills Plan Strategic Framework

Enforcement - see Planning Regulation Team

Environment Agency should be contacted about the day to day operation of waste management facilities.

Environmental data is available via Staffordshire County Council's 'Environment and countryside' web pages which provide access to landscapes, biodiversity, archaeology and historic built environment data and advice.

F

Fees - see 'C' for Charges

Find us - the Planning, Policy and Development Control team and Planning Regulation team are based in Staffordshire Place in Stafford.

Flood Risk Management - the County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority and has produced a Flood Risk Management Strategy.

Fracking in Staffordshire - frequently asked questions.

G

Glossary - see Glossary of planning terms (external link) - provided by the Planning Portal.

Great crested newt - a European protected species. The Staffordshire District Licence Scheme has been introduced as an alternative approach to Natural England's mitigation licensing for planning applications submitted to the County Council to develop sites which could affect great crested newts.

H

Heritage England - guide to the range of information required by them (external link)

Highways Development Control

Historic Buildings and Archaeology - professional advice and guidance provided by our environmental specialists.

Housing - any queries contact the relevant Staffordshire Borough or District Council or Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

I

Infrastructure Funding Statement (Financial year - 2022/23)

Infrastructure Funding Statement (Financial year – 2021/22)

Infrastructure Funding Statement (Financial year – 2020/21)

Infrastructure Funding Statement (Financial year – 2019/20)

L

Land Charges - County Land Charges hold detailed records of all information on highways related matters affecting land ownership in Staffordshire.

Landfill in the West Midlands (2019) - produced by the West Midlands Resource Technical Advisory Body.

Landscape - professional advice and guidance provided by our environmental specialists.

Lawful Development Certificates (external link) - national guidance.

Local Aggregate Assessment for Staffordshire 2023 (with 2022 data) - this provides an analysis of local aggregate supply; a statement on forecasted demand for aggregates; and an assessment of the balance between demand and supply (860 KB).

Local Monitoring and Enforcement Plan - July 2012 (1.1 MB).

Local Planning Authorities - other than ourselves - contact the relevant Staffordshire Borough or District Council or Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Local Transport Plan (LTP) - prepared by Staffordshire County Council as the Highway Authority.

M

Mapping to search for the location of planning applications, mineral and waste sites and information we take in to account when determining planning applications.

View planning map

Minerals and Waste Development Scheme.

Minerals Local Plan - the adopted minerals planning policies for Staffordshire.

Mineral search - see 'S' for Searches.

Monitoring - minerals and waste planning permissions - see Planning Regulation Team.

N

National Planning Policy Framework and Guidance (external link) is used to inform our planning decisions and the preparation of our planning policies.

Natural England - provides information and advice on the natural environment.

P

Performance - Planning Committee - Half Year Report - 7 December 2023 - see agenda item 16.

Plain English Guide to the Planning System - January 2015 (external link).

Planning Aid (external link) - access to free planning advice.

Planning Committee role, responsibility, public speaking procedures, membership, committee dates, agendas and minutes.

Planning Development Control - we deal with planning applications to do with quarries, landfills, composting and recycling sites, and, prepare, monitor and review the County Council's minerals and waste planning policies; and, county developments - planning applications relating to the County Council's own developments e.g. schools, social services and new road schemes.

Planning for Landscape Change - supplementary planning guidance.

Planning Obligations - see 'S' for Section 106 Legal Agreements.

Planning policy in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent provides an introduction and links to the various development plan documents, contacts and useful links to related information including transport policy and landscape guidance.

Planning Portal (external link) - to submit a planning application to us, other than a minerals planning application - see Applications

Planning Practice Guidance (external link) - national planning guidance.

Planning Regulation Team aim to ensure that operators comply with the conditions attached to planning permissions for minerals and waste development.

Pre-application advice services.

Privacy Notice - explains who we are, what we do, and how we obtain and use information in the course of our work.

Protected species survey and assessment guidance gives access to landscapes, biodiversity, archaeology and historic built environment data and advice.

R

Regulation - see 'P' for Planning Regulation Team.

S

Searches -  Minerals and Waste Search Enquiries

Also see highway record enquiries, land and property enquiries, local authority searches, and personal searches in respect of highways.

Section 106 Agreements - The Staffordshire Local Planning Authorities, including the County Council, have come together to produce a standardised template for Section 106 Agreements across Staffordshire relating to planning applications made to the Staffordshire Borough and District Councils.

Staffordshire Borough and District Councils should be contacted about all planning applications and planning policy unrelated to mineral/waste/county developments, for example residential, industrial and commercial development in their areas.

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) - Adopted September 2019 explains how we will consult with people and organisations when we are handling planning applications and preparing new planning policy documents.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council - Planning should be contacted about all planning applications and planning policy matters in Stoke-on-Trent.

T

Transport Development Control - see 'H' Highways Development Control.

Transport Assessment and Transport Statement Validation Form (January 2008) (21 KB)

Transport information requirements for school transport assessments (246 KB)

Transport planning - strategies and policies prepared by Staffordshire County Council as the Local Highway Authority, including the 'Local Transport Plan' - see 'L'

Trees - Tree Preservation Orders (TPO's) are not dealt with by Staffordshire County Council. Please contact the relevant Borough or District Council or Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

V

Validation of planning applications - the national list and local list of information requirements are used to validate planning applications submitted to Staffordshire County Council for determination. The requirements are explained in our 'A to Z Guide', together with accompanying validation checklists, which are available from our Making an application web page.

To ensure that applications are valid first time we strongly encourage applicants to seek pre-application advice well in advance of submitting an application - see our pre-application advice services.

W

Walleys Landfill Quarry: Planning - Frequently asked questions

Waste collection - is the responsibility of the Staffordshire the relevant Borough or District Council or Stoke-on-Trent City Council as they are the Waste Collection Authorities.

Waste management should be contacted for information about Staffordshire County Council's role as the Waste Disposal Authority, which includes the operation of the Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Waste Local Plan - contains the currently adopted waste planning policies for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.