Making the planning process easier for homeowners...

People are being asked to have their say on new rules that should make it easier to navigate the planning process when extending or altering a residential property.   Planners at Northampton Borough Council have written a new guide for home owners, architects and developers looking to make significant changes to a property. The draft Residential Alterations and Extensions Design Guide is now available for consultation before councillors make a final decision on the document later this year.   The new easy to follow guide has been written to show people the types of extension and alteration will be accepted, and which are likely to be refused. The guide also supports the advice available from the Council's planning team when preparing a planning application.   The guide deals with a range of issues to ensure that any new extension or alteration does not negatively affect neighbours or the local area. This includes making sure any changes do not block natural light, interfere with privacy, or damage the character of the area with large or unsightly modifications.   Councillor John Yates, Northampton Borough Council's cabinet member for planning and environment said: "We want to make the planning process as easy as possible. For most people they will only encounter planning legislation when they want to make an extension or alteration of their home. So we want to make sure everything is as straightforward as possible and there is no confusion about what can or cannot be done. So, we want people to tell us what they think of the draft guide."   The Design Guide, which will be a Supplementary Planning Document, and accompanying consultation documents are available from Thursday 15 September.   The consultation documents are available on-line at: www.northampton.gov.uk/consultation or in local libraries within the Borough. All consultation responses must be received before Thursday 27 October 2011.