Planning & Environment

The local planning authority for South Woodham Ferrers is Chelmsford Council and it is responsible for drawing up the Local Plan which sets out the planning policies for the area and provides the framework for assessing planning applications. Chelmsford City Council receives all planning applications and decides if permission can be granted. The planning officers liaise with the applicant, visit the site and gather the views of local and regional, interested parties i.e. neighbours, Natural England, Essex Highways and the Town Council (as a statutory consulted). The Town Council receives notice of all planning applications which are considered by the Planning and Environment Committee. The Town Council are consultees on all applications only. The Committee look at the plans and its comments are then forwarded to Chelmsford City Council. The comments are taken into account when the decision on the planning application is made. The Committee also considers all matters relating to highways, access roads, parking and highway signage. The Committee is also responsible for all matters relating to licensing, land use policies and its own planning policies. The Committee considers and comments on selected large scale consultations or public/private infrastructure proposals for some projects around South Woodham Ferrers or in areas that could affect us. You are welcome to come along to our meetings and give your views, but to be clear we are only a consultee. Our committee also deals with local environment matters, which can be anything from our local green spaces to how we help protect the planet. Please note that latest minutes remain a draft until approved at the next meeting.