Planning history and conveyancing queries
Planning history
You may wish to view the details of planning decisions made on a property or site in the past. This may be to inform future development proposals or you may need it if you are buying, selling or conveyancing a property. You may need to get a copy of a planning permission that has shown up on a local land charges search.
View a current or past planning applications online.
Please see the relevant section below if you are searching for the original permission for when a property was built.
Searching
You can search for planning applications by address (including by ward or parish), date, reference number, keyword, application type, status and decision, postcode or map. You can also look at applications received by week or month.
A search will bring up all planning applications with the same address as the one you have searched for. The description of the application will be in red with further information including the address, its reference number and the relevant dates underneath.
Select the red description to select a particular application and then go to the 'documents' tab to view documents associated with it such as the application form, plans and decision notice.
Please note, if you have a pop-up blocker on your computer you will need to allow the site to open pop-ups for the documents to open.
Search using our mapping system
One of the easiest ways to search is using our mapping system which shows applications received on a certain piece of land, rather than a specific address. This allows you to carry out a search for applications if you have limited information about a property or application or the name of land or buildings may have changed over time.
Our records
The planning history for the whole borough is held back until 1974 when Chorley Borough Council was established.
Reference numbers for planning decisions from 1974 onwards always start with the year in which they were submitted for example, application reference 78/00942/FUL was submitted in 1978.
Please ensure you have the correct number of digits when searching the system including any necessary zero(s). If you have a reference number with a 9/ at the beginning, for example 9/78/00942/FUL omit the 9/ from the search.
For most areas we also hold records back to 1948 (when the modern planning system was established) as we still hold the records from some of the precursors to the Borough Council. If a search on a property reveals records with a reference number starting with either 5/1, 5/2, 5/4 or 5/5, for example 5/1/00123 these are pre-1974 applications. The date of the decision will be detailed on the decision notice.
Original permission for when a property was built
If you are trying to find the original planning permission for a when a property was built, the application address will probably be different to how it is known today.
For example, a property today called 2 Hill Crescent, may have been submitted for planning permission under the address 'Land off West Road'. The application will not therefore show up if you search on the current property address.
For such searches, it is advisable to undertake a map search so you can identify applications received on a certain piece of land, rather than a specific address.
Other documents
Section 106 Agreements
If you are conveyancing a property you may also wish to get copies of other documents associated with past planning permission such as Section 106 agreements (or older section 52 agreements). These are legal agreements associated with planning permissions and often cover things such as affordable housing, open space, education etc.
For more recent applications these agreements are normally available to view on the planning application file to which they relate.
If they are not, then please e-mail dcon@chorley.gov.uk to ask for a copy. Please quote the planning application reference number they relate to if possible, or if not as much information as you have to help us find it. There may be a charge to provide copies of these documents in some cases. This will be advised before the document is provided.
Section 278 or Section 38 Agreements
Please note that copies of some documents associated with a development are only available from Lancashire County Council as the Highway Authority for the area (they are not held by us).
These include Section 278 agreements (a legal agreement between the County Council and a developer to make alterations or improvements to the public highway) and Section 38 agreements (a legal agreement between the County Council and a developer to adopt a highway).
These can be requested by e-mailing Lancashire County Council at S38andS278copies@lancashire.gov.uk
Section 104 Agreement
A Section 104 Agreement is an agreement made between a housing developer and a Sewerage Undertaker under section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991, for the adoption of sewers the developer intends to build to serve new houses. In this area these are between a developer and United Utilities. We do not hold copies of these.
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