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Customer Service Standards


Tendring District Council is committed to improving the quality of development within all the communities in Tendring. We aim to preserve and enhance the character of our built and natural environment by encouraging high design standards, improvements to the public realm and the conservation of historic assets.

What you can expect from Tendring District Council's Planning Services

We will aim to:-
• Provide easily accessible forms and information that is comprehensive, accurate and timely and is clear and easy to understand.
• Provide easy access to helpful and professional guidance and advice.

• Keep the Planning Service's website updated in a timely manner, including easy access to planning advice and the Development Control Committee Agenda.
• Be punctual, polite and helpful and respond effectively and sensitively to your needs.
• In all our professional activities as a Planning Authority we will not discriminate on the grounds of race, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, disability or age and shall seek to eliminate such discrimination by others and to promote "equality of opportunity."
• Be responsive to the special needs of any of our customers.
• Have published policies and standards and be accountable and open about how well we perform against these policies and standards.
• Listen to your comments, respond to your complaints and learn from them.
• Respond to your e-mail using plain language within five working days.
• Respond to your call or voicemail message on the same day or the following morning if your message was received after 4pm.
• Respond to your letter using plain language within 10 working days.
• Keep the reception area clean, tidy and manned from 09.00 until 17.00 (16.30 on Fridays).


Our Service Standards for Development Control


We will:-
• Provide a response to a Householder Enquiry within 10 working days providing we receive the relevant information. Please click here for further information

• In the event of a pre-application enquiry aim to contact you within 10 working days to advise you when you will receive a full response. Please click here for further information

• Determine your planning application within:
13 weeks for a 'major' application and;
8 weeks for a 'minor' and 'other' application.
For more information regarding determining planning applications please click here
• Enable you to track the progress of planning applications and view the relevant documents, including plans and decision notices, as well as submit a comment on a planning application through Public Access on the Council's website. Please click here for further information
• Discharge a condition(s) in relating to a planning application within 12 weeks of receipt of request and fee. Please click here for the discharge of conditions form
• Keep all relevant persons informed and consult as appropriate with regard to planning application appeals. Please click here for further information


Our Service Standards for Heritage and Conservation


We will:-
• Provide timely and relevant guidance leaflets.
• Provide advice on listed buildings, conservation areas and trees.
• Work with our partners to preserve and enhance the character of our natural environment.
• Work with our partners to conserve our historic buildings.
Please click here for further information


Our Service Standards for Enforcement


We will:-

  • Investigate alleged breaches of planning control, including works to listed buildings, trees, hedgerows and advertisements and where necessary use the formal powers available to the Council to:-
  • Find out whether a breach of control has occurred;
  • Identify what harm has been caused;
  • and Remedy the situation.
  • Enable you to track the progress of an open enforcement case through the key stages using Web site report Click here for the stages and report
    Please click here for further information


Our Service Standards for Planning Policy


We will:-
• Seek to preserve and enhance the natural and built environment of the District through the Local Development Framework.
• Engage with stakeholders and the public and understanding of planning in accordance with our Statement of Community Involvement.
• Provide accurate and timely plan and land use monitoring information.
Please click here for further information

 

You can help us by:

  • Being punctual for any pre-arranged appointments.
  • Informing us in advance if you are unable to keep a pre-arranged appointment.
  • Being patient if you are waiting to see an officer for an appointment which was not pre-arranged.

How will we be judged on these standards?

We will regularly check our performance against these standards and we will ask you for your views. The results will be published here or on our consultation pages.

Complaints

A complaint is "An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by or on behalf of the Council or its staff affecting an individual customer or group of customers."

We take all complaints very seriously and will always accept them as an aid towards bringing our service up to satisfactory standards. In all instances complaints should be addressed to the contact identified below in "contacting us". Alternatively you can view our Complaints page.

Compliments

Just as poor performance needs criticising, being informed of good performance by our officers is also very important to us. Please let us know if a service we provide or a particular member of staff impresses you as we can use their example to train other staff members.

Contacting us:
Please contact us in the following ways:

By Post: Martin Forth
Customer Services Manager
Tendring District Council
Council Offices
Thorpe Road
Weeley CO16 9AJ
By Phone: (01255) 686123
By E-mail: Planning.services@tendringdc.gov.uk

The document above is provided in adobe acrobat pdf format and you will need the free adobe acrobat reader software to open it.

 



Page Last Updated
13 November 2009