There is a lot of confusion among clients over the roles of Planning Officer and Building Inspector

(Yes, I know 'Planning Officer' is used quite freely by everyone outside the Authority to describe any planner whatever their actual role and 'Building Inspector' similarly, but it's what clients and contractors still call them - sometimes interchangeably :)

 

A Planner, within the National Park, works for the Lake District National Park Authority and is mainly interested in the 'use' of your land - i.e. what are you going to do on this land - also in the design and appearance of any building or other structure you are going to place on the land. The ones you will meet in the course of an application will be members of the Development Management Team (yes, I know - it used to be called Development Control - it stems from changes to planning back in 2004, and apparently isn't just a whim :)

 

A Building Inspector works for the District Council (several District Council's areas overlap the National Park ) and is only interested in technical matters such as, is there adequate drainage, will any building proposed stand up and will it meet thermal insulation and other standards laid down in the 'Building Regulations'. (Once UK-wide Regulations these are now increasingly different in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)

 

For details of the Building Regulations and guidance documents try the Local Authority Building Control site or the Planning Portal

 

The official UK government site for Building Regulations online at the Dept of Communities

 

Planning Applications within the National Park are made to the Lake District National Park Authority on forms supplied by them  or from the Planning Portal (See Park Issues)

 

Building Regulations Applications are made to the District Council on forms supplied by them - which can be South Lakeland DC in Kendal, or Eden DC in Penrith or Allerdale BC in Workington or Copeland BC in Whitehaven.

 

Confusion arises to some extent because each District Council also has a Planning Department which handles planning applications outside the National Park boundary but within their District.

 

The Park boundaries do not coincide with those of the District Councils.

 

Further confusion arises because District Council planning committees make recommendations to the National Park Authority on applications within the National Park that fall within their area - the local press often include these in lists of decisions. (South Lakeland DC have stopped commenting on applications with the National Park - some other DCs too)

 

Just to complete the picture the Parish Council covering the Parish where a planning application has been made also comment to the LDNPA - and often County Highways, the Environment Agency and sometimes English Heritage are consulted as well.