East Staffordshire is a largely rural borough in the county of Staffordshire, covering Burton upon Trent (Burton), Uttoxeter and villages such as Tutbury, Barton-under-Needwood and Abbots Bromley. Planning applications across the borough are determined by East Staffordshire Borough Council as the Local Planning Authority (LPA). Part of the borough is also located within the broader National Forest.
East Staffordshire’s largest town is Burton, which sits on the River Trent and large parts of the town lie in recognised flood zones. A large part of the borough, centred on Burton and the Needwood area to the south, also lies within The National Forest. The LPA’s development plan, the East Staffordshire Local Plan 2012-2031, has remained consistent for some time and many parishes have their own neighbourhood plans.
The Planning Application Process in East Staffordshire
Applications are submitted to East Staffordshire Borough Council (often through the Planning Portal), who will review the application documents against the authority’s validation requirements. As well as the national application requirements, which our general guide to applying for planning permission covers, the council publishes its own local validation requirements setting out the documents a valid application must include, scaling with the size of the proposal.
The Process in East Staffordshire
Once validated, the LPA will publish the application online with consultees and neighbours given 21 days to comment before determination by a planning officer or the Planning Committee. You can follow progress on the council’s online register, the planning explorer. Most decisions are delegated to officers, with larger or more contentious schemes going to the Planning Committee instead.
Timetable for a Decision
The council works to the national statutory targets: 8 weeks for householder and other minor applications and up to 13 weeks for major schemes (16 weeks for EIA development). Whilst East Staffordshire does not publish information on typical timescales you can consult the planning register itself to gain some idea of how long recent comparable applications have taken. A grant of planning permission will typically come with conditions to satisfy before work starts listed on the decision notice, and a refusal can be met with a fresh application or an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
Planning Constraints in East Staffordshire
All sites are different and an assessment of constraints should be undertaken prior to a planning submission. Common local constraints include flood risk along the river corridors, The National Forest, and the Green Belt.
Flood Risk in East Staffordshire
Burton upon Trent stands on the River Trent and has flooded repeatedly through its history: more than 5,500 properties in the town are at risk from flooding. Since 1932 flood defences have been constructed and extended, and whilst around 9km of defences and an Environment Agency scheme protect the centre, parts of the town and riverside, with Branston, Stretton and Barton-under-Needwood, sit in Flood Zones 2 and 3. The River Dove brings comparable risk to the north of the borough, and surface water adds to it in places.
The Lead Local Flood Authority (Staffordshire) and the Environment Agency will be consulted on proposals and in areas of higher likelihood of flooding you will be required to submit a flood risk assessment. Before submitting an application or purchasing a property near rivers in the borough it is sensible to check the flood risk of the property on the government’s flood map, and budget for the assessment work if it falls within a higher risk flood zone.
The National Forest
A large part of the borough, centred on Burton and the Needwood area, lies within The National Forest. Larger developments sited within The National Forest (residential development over 0.5 hectares and commercial development over 1 hectare) must include planting and landscaping, covering a minimum of 20% of the site, rising to 30% for the largest schemes, with a financial contribution where this cannot all be provided on site.
Green Belt and Strategic Green Gaps
East Staffordshire holds only a small pocket of Green Belt, on the eastern fringe of Burton. More relevant locally are the Strategic Green Gaps in the adopted Local Plan, maintained to prevent Burton, Uttoxeter and the neighbouring villages growing into one another. A site located in one of the designated green gaps, or in the small Green Belt may at a minimum face significant consent challenges.
The Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans
The starting point for any decision is the adopted development plan, which in East Staffordshire remains the East Staffordshire Local Plan 2012-2031, adopted in October 2015. It set a target of 11,648 new homes and directs most growth to Burton and Uttoxeter. Although the plan was adopted some time ago, the council resolved in 2020 to defer a full replacement, so it still carries full weight in decisions. Neighbourhood planning is a factor across the borough, with plans currently in force covering parishes such as Anslow, Branston and Abbots Bromley.
Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings in East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire has a number of heritage properties across the borough, with particular clusters in areas such as Burton’s brewing townscape, the medieval heart of Tutbury and the older streets of Uttoxeter. The council’s conservation and listed buildings pages include extensive detail on conservation areas, listed buildings, and Article 4 Directions within the borough, with a mapping tool to check an address.
If your property is located in a conservation area, you will have fewer permitted development rights, face restrictions on demolishing properties and carrying out works to trees. If your property is adjacent to a conservation area, your application may still face additional scrutiny, so it’s worth checking the status of your property on the council’s mapping tools prior to applying for planning permission.
Article 4 Directions in East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire Borough Council has made Article 4 Directions relating to conservation areas in parts of the borough, among them the King Edward Place area of Burton and at Tutbury. These particular Article 4 directions remove some permitted development rights within the given conservation areas, meaning a planning application is required instead.
The council has also made an Article 4 Direction covering Burton on Trent that removes the permitted development right to change the use of a building from a Class C3 Dwellinghouse (family home) to a small HMO (Class C4). This latter direction is particularly relevant for property investors operating in the Burton area.
Check the Following Before Applying for Planning Permission in East Staffordshire
For planning applications in East Staffordshire, it is advisable to check the flood risk map for your property’s location. Awareness to The National Forest and relevant policies within the the development plan, as a requirement for tree planting and timber elevation treatments will likely be requested.
Prior to applying you should also review whether your property is covered by a neighbourhood plan in addition to the council’s local plan, and whether the planning history of your property has altered permitted development rights, which our guide explains. If you expect your application to be sensitive, contacting the council’s pre-application service may be advisable.
How a Planning Consultant Can Help
Successfully applying for planning permission in East Staffordshire requires an understanding of both the national planning system and the borough’s local constraints. An RTPI chartered planning consultant can assess your site and assist you with every step of the planning application process, including liaising with East Staffordshire Borough Council on your behalf.
Holland Lloyd has significant experience assisting with planning applications in East Staffordshire, including a major residential scheme on behalf of St. Modwen Homes in Branston, as well as schemes across the villages and the wider area. From householder extensions and new homes to conservation area work and larger schemes, our Planning Support Service for Homeowners and Developers and Landowners Service can help your application succeed. Contact us today for advice.
FAQs
How long does the planning application process take in East Staffordshire?
East Staffordshire Borough Council follows the statutory guidelines of eight weeks for householder and minor applications and up to thirteen weeks for major schemes. Our experience has found applications take longer than this.
Is flood risk an issue for planning applications in East Staffordshire?
Burton has a long history of flooding from the River Trent, and parts of the town and the riverside lie within Flood Zones 2 and 3. The River Dove also has associated flood zones.
Do I need to plant trees if I build in The National Forest?
Within The National Forest, residential development over 0.5 hectares and commercial development over 1 hectare must include woodland planting, typically about 20% of the site, or a financial contribution where it cannot all go on site. Householder schemes are not affected.
Does East Staffordshire have conservation areas and listed buildings?
The borough has conservation areas in Burton, Tutbury, Uttoxeter and several villages, a large number of listed buildings, and scheduled monuments including Tutbury Castle. Article 4 Directions in parts of Burton and Tutbury also remove some permitted development rights.