The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Hammersmith & Fulham occupies a strategic location within west London. It is the fourth smallest of the 32 London boroughs (excluding the City of London), both in geographical area (1,641 hectares) and population (166,200 at mid-2000). The borough measures five and a half miles from north to south and is one and a half miles at its widest. It has excellent communication links to Heathrow and the West, especially via the A4/M4 and the Piccadilly Line. It is just outside the central London area, but the region has the third highest property prices in the country. Lower rents and land prices than central London have made it an attractive location for international companies moving from central London into office space within Hammersmith town centre in particular.
Development Control Service
The Council seeks to provide a quality service to all those involved in the planning process. In particular providing for improved quality of environment, economic development and regeneration without negatively impacting upon the amenities of the Boroughs residents. The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) forms the basis of much of the development control work of the Council. The delivery of the plan is through the development control and enforcement work undertaken in the division. All determinations on planning applications and enforcement matters are based upon an assessment of compliance with the relevant policies and standards in the UDP as well as published supplementary planning guidance. Officer reports, both at committee and delegated level state the relevant UDP policies and clearly show how the development meets, or fails to meet, these. Decision notices include reference to relevant policies in the Unitary Development Plan in reasons for conditions or reasons for refusal. The development control and enforcement work of the Council has helped to deliver the following important policy aspects of the UDP: - Preservation and Enhancement of Conservation Areas and Protecting the Historic Interest of Listed Buildings-The Council has a dedicated design and conservation team within the Development Control Service, who provide policy guidance on design and conservation matters, and are consulted on relevant planning applications, in accordance with an officer procedure note. This adds value to the planning process by promoting improved design to proposed developments. - Designing Out Crime - The police crime prevention officers receive the weekly list and are consulted on all major planning applications. At pre-application stage, applicants are encouraged to liase with the police. - Ensuring that all planning applications, including householder applications protect the amenities of adjoining residents by compliance with relevant UDP standards - Road Traffic Reduction - By allowing high density development in areas of high public transport accessibility and refusing applications for traffic generating uses in areas of low accessibility - Preventing Loss of Housing - Enforcement action to prevent loss of housing, including liaison with Environmental Housing to protect houses in multiple occupation in accordance with UDP policy - Securing Affordable Housing - Preventing Loss of Employment Land - Protection and Enhancement of Town Centres - Regeneration through SI 06 benefits for the local community - Giving more prominence to the importance of good design - Protection of residential amenity The Development Control service provides an efficient customer focussed service, providing quality decisions. With any decision for planning approval conditions attached to any planning approval comply with Circular 1/95, while any reasons for refusal of planning permission are clear. All those who commented on planning applications are notified of the decision. The service identifies and promotes quality beneficial development through pre-application contact and negotiates optimum development and planning benefits through the development control process. All planning application and enforcement decisions, whether committee level or delegated are based upon a detailed officer report. The report is available for public inspection The Council has a detailed scheme of delegation, based upon the type, size and complexity of planning applications or enforcement cases. At delegated level, a minimum of two officers have scrutinised the proposed plans and the officer report. Quality is built in to the planning application process by seeking revisions to proposals both in response to concerns raised and to optimise the effect of development on the built environment and the quality of peoples' lives. Planning enforcement work is co-ordinated with the licensing activities of Environmental Protection Division and with the Building Control Division.
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