Praise for West Oxford Planning Department!

vigman

I have heard so many horror stories about our local planning department in West Oxfordshire, I was full of trepidation when having to apply for change of use from an office to residential.

I had good telephone advice and it happened to be the first day that the new relaxed 'prior approval' rules came in to force.

They sent me the new form only available that day and I added the necessary info plus a site plan, a block plan (purchased through their recommended websites) and drew up a floor plan myself using a free program Sweet Home 3D !

I sent these off with the new £80 fee on June 4th. I was looking online at local planning applications and saw that prior approval had been granted on June 6th!

I have the formal letter of approval whcih followed about a week later.

No hassle at all and a big thanks to the WODC Planning Department!



Vigman

peter_the_piper

You are very lucky, well done. Down here Rother charge £48 for a letter and £96 for a letter and meeting, that's in advance and before planning is asked for.

dacouch

It's nice that a government department are on the ball and providing the type of service the public expect in the 21st century

vigman

peter_the_piper wrote: »

You are very lucky, well done. Down here Rother charge £48 for a letter and £96 for a letter and meeting, that's in advance and before planning is asked for.

Actually for 'normal' planning enquiries WODC charge £100 for postal or online and £200 for a site visit.

However, I got hold of the Head of Planning's phone number and he gave me the steer on the new, simplified 'prior approval' procedure and £80 cost!

Vigman