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The charity making life better by water

Planning applications

We are consulted by local planning authorities and developers on applications near to our waterways.

Local planning authorities (LPA) need to consult us before making a decision on planning applications for:

Development likely to affect:

(i) any inland waterway (whether natural or artificial) or reservoir owned or managed by the Canal & River Trust, or

(ii) any canal feeder channel, watercourse, let off or culvert, which is within an area which has been notified for the purposes of this provision to the local planning authority by the Canal & River Trust.

We have a statutory duty to respond to the consultations and pre-application consultations we receive as a statutory consultee. We have to report to government on how we perform against the timescales set out for responding. In 2016-17 we responded to 97% of consultations within the required or agreed extended timeframe.

We encourage pre-application consultation from developers and local planning authorities - and do not charge for this.

Prior to sites being granted a Permission in Principle, local planning authorities are required to consult us on applications where we would have been consulted in relation to an application for planning permission.

Local planning authorities also need to consult us on certain applications for advertisement consent and prior approvals of certain permitted electronic communications apparatus (including mobile phone operator masts).

We're also a statutory consultee in the Welsh planning system as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012. For information on the duty to consult and respond in Wales please contact us. We make our Welsh performance reports available on our performance reports page.

Last Edited: 19 November 2020

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