ABSTRACT
It is of fundamental importance to recognize that practical control of the planning process is undertaken at local level by local authority planning departments. Applications for planning consent are submitted to the relevant planning authority, whose officers consider it in terms of the pertinent specific local planning policy (which, as discussed above, is led by national planning policy). Planning applications generally require to be advertised and to be notified to owners and tenants of adjacent properties. Consequently, public consultation is an inherent part of the process.
