ABSTRACT
Bargaining, or ‘to come to terms’, is a long established principle. The submission of a planning application may be preceded by the developer seeking the advice of the planning officer as to the likelihood of a proposal gaining planning consent. This approach was recommended in Circular 22/83, ‘Planning Gain’ (now superseded by Circular 1/97 ‘Planning Obligations’). Changes suggested by the officer to the form and content of the application may make it more acceptable to the local authority, but there is no certainty. As explained earlier, the council is the decision making body, and the officer’s role is normally that of offering professional advice to the elected members.
