Planning

If you wish to: 
  • construct a new building;
  • alter the external appearance of an existing building;
  • extend a property;
  • change the use of a building or land or
  • modify a tree on your property, 
then it is very likely you will need planning permission from Greater Cambridge Shared Planning. This may even be true of repair work on existing structures if you happen to live within a conservation area.

Role of the Parish Council in the planning process
The planning authority notifies the Parish Council of new applications in Great and Little Chishill. In response, the Parish Council scrutinises applications as one among several consultees (Environmental Health, Local Highways Authority etc). Its vote counts as a single response, on a par with other consultees or individual local residents.

The Parish Council:
  • receives local input from parishioners regarding the application; 
  • discusses planning applications at public council meetings and
  • comments on applications in accordance with minuted council meeting decisions.
Parish Council statements are entered as consultee comments in the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning online register.

What do I need to do to obtain planning permission?
The planning authority - Greater Cambridge Shared Planning - has a new digital portal which contains useful information for prospective applicants in the form of a Step-by-Step-Guide, from entering an application via the public consultation period to the decision making stage.

Before you apply for planning permission, make sure you:
Applications need to be made via the Planning Portal, an external government-funded portal that is used by all planning authorities in England and Wales. This portal provides some additional guidance, e.g. an interactive online tool (the Interactive House) that lists information on planning permissions and restrictions that apply to common home improvement projects.

Where can I find out which planning applications are active in my area?
The new Greater Cambridge Shared Planning homepage has a search-by-postcode function that will show you planning applications and tree preservation orders relevant to your postcode. You can set the search radius of those lists wider to include properties in the wider neighbourhood. Greatercambridgeplanning.org includes a guide on how to view and comment on applications.

If an appeal is lodged against a refusal, the process moves to a higher governmental tier. Appeals are open for householder comment on the Planning Inspectorate Appeals Casework Portal (ACP), searching by site address or the appeal reference number.

Historic planning applications
It can be useful to see which planning applications have been granted or denied permission in the past; the best way to find out about them is through the advanced search facility of the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning website. 

We cannot advise on planning applications.
The decision on planning applications rests with Greater Cambridge Shared Planning.
Planning permission does not equal building regulation approval

You will require Building Regulation approval if you intend to carry out any new structural work or alterations to your home.  Some common examples are:
  • new houses and barn conversions; certain outbuildings, garages;
  • home extensions and some conservatories;
  • structural alterations e.g. widening window or door openings, removing walls or chimneys;
  • re-covering a roof with different roofing materials;
  • conversion of loft, garage or basement into a room;
  • alterations of drains below the ground or laying new drainage.
There are, of course, some exemptions. If you are unsure whether your project needs Building Control approval, contact building control at 3C Shared Services, the building regulation service provider for South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridge City Council and Huntingdonshire District Council.

The Building Regulations 2010 (full text)
Action with Rural Communities (ACRE), Cambridgeshire Cambridge 
mailed a housing need survey to parishioners in early 2025. This was commissioned by a housing association. Below is the report from this survey.
hns_public_report_great_little_chishill.pdf
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