Planning applications on Crown land and other sensitive
locations
There has been extensive news coverage yesterday and today (5
and 6 January 2012) concerning planning applications relating to
Kensington Palace.
That coverage focuses on alleged security concerns arising from
the availability to the public of the planning application
files.
The Council is required by law to maintain a publicly available
planning register with details of all planning applications on
it.
It is also required by law to publicise every planning
application and to allow the inspection of the application.
In dealing with sensitive applications by the Crown or sovereign
governments, all local planning authorities must have regard to
detailed government guidance.
Kensington and Chelsea follows this guidance closely:
- it does not put such applications online
- people who wish to view the files must first apply to the
Council and viewing is strictly by appointment
- they must produce photo ID
- their perusal of such files is supervised and no copying will
be allowed
Subject to those requirements, the planning files are available
for a period that is determined by the planning authority.
In the case of Kensington Palace that period has now expired.
When the Palace file was available, just one person, a journalist,
took the opportunity to inspect it. The person’s identity was
verified and they were supervised.