Planning performance agreements

Planning performance agreements (PPAs) help people apply to build major developments. We have a tailored project management framework to help people apply. We also help people follow any conditions attached to the planning permission.

We offer agreements to major applications for residential or commercial projects. The application has to involve one of the following:

• the winning and working of minerals or the use of land for mineral-working deposits
• waste development
• the provision of properties where
  • the number of properties to be provided is 10 or more, or
  • the development is to be carried out on a site having an area of 0.5 hectares or more and it is not known whether the development will provide more than 10 properties
• the provision of a building or buildings where the floor space to be created by the development is 1,000 square metres or more, or
• development carried out on a site having an area of 1 hectare or more

These conditions are taken from Article 2 of the Interpretation Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015/595 (Part 1 Preliminary).

Both parties need to agree on a PPA. They include:

• a dedicated Development Management Specialist for the project
• meetings to help develop the proposal
• help from other teams or officers where necessary

For bigger projects, we also collaborate on:

• developing ideas
• developing local plan documents which support the project's delivery
• considering any reserved matters or conditions in the application

A PPA does not guarantee your project will be approved, but it gives you the best chance of a positive outcome. It removes some uncertainty and helps keep communications open throughout the planning process.

Other benefits of a PPA are:

• you'll know the timescale for reaching a decision on your application
• we'll give you the key dates and elements in writing and may also give you a specific planning committee date
• Guildford Borough Council officers can share their expertise through the application process
• both parties can agree on changes to the timescale or extensions to the deadline
• you can discuss and solve issues as they arise and make changes to your application if needed
• we can tell you some of the costs up front
• you can discuss planning applications with council officers and consultees
• you'll have a named officer contact, who can discuss your application at any point during the process

You'll need to pay for a PPA in advance. The fees cover:

• any required meetings and/or site visits
• a project plan

We can also offer flexibility as long as the committee do not have a specific deadline for making a decision. We might agree to have any extra meetings and/or hire any other consultants. In this case, you'll need to make an extra payment before anything goes ahead.

You can contact our Customer service centre on 01483 505050 for payments.

You can pay by credit/debit card, or bank transfer upon request.

Service fees

Before you can sign up for a PPA, we need to agree a project vision and set development objectives. We'll also work out key dates, timescales, and responsible parties. Finally, our team will assess the resources needed for the project.

To apply, you need to:

Read and complete our template PPA and resourcing agreement. (You can also make any amendments you want, but both parties will need to sign the updated document)

• submit the PPA template form
• pay the £500 deposit
• complete a Planning Performance Agreement Proforma (Word doc) [50KB]

Select a Platinum service level and pay the £500 deposit. Remember to submit your planning performance agreement proforma. You can either upload it with your submission or email it to planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk.