We have a high number of planning applications currently awaiting decisions and a shortage of planning staff. This means that determination of some applications is taking longer than the targets of 8 or 13 weeks. 

In order to create capacity for us to deal with the applications, phone lines to contact planning officers are only open:

Tuesdays 10am to midday

Thursdays 2pm to 4pm

Planning officers are not available to take calls outside of these times.

Please do not contact the planning department for an update on your application. If a planning officer has any questions about your application, they will contact you.

To speed up determination of your planning application:

• Please ensure your application includes all the necessary information.
• Please do not submit updates or revisions to your application unless requested to do so by the planning officer. 
• Please submit current photographs of the site and surroundings to help your case officer assess the application.
• Please put up a site notice if asked to do so and send us additional photographs if requested.  If you cannot do this, please let us know promptly - failure to display a site notice correctly will cause a delay in processing the planning application.

You can monitor the website for comments and consultation responses on your application using the online search facility. See: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/view-and-track-planning-applications. 

We are trying to recruit temporary staff to assist us.  If your application is not showing a named case officer currently, we will assign one as soon as staffing levels permit. 
 
Thank you for your patience while our officers deal with a heavier than usual workload.