Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
Application overview
Construction of a replacement 4 metre high berm adjacent to the existing 100yds range; planting of the berm to increase biodiversity.
Proposal details
- Reference
- PA25/2505
- Alternative references
- PP-14175490
- Ward
- Ham, Petersham & Richmond Riverside Ward [HMP]
- Agent
- Wright
- UPRN
- 10002248979
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Sign in to view collected detailsDocuments 22 of 22
| Document | Published | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Application FormApplication Form | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| Application Form - Without Personal DataApplication Form - Redacted | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| Location PlanSubmitted Drawing | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| Berm Height IncreaseReport | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| Wildflower and Native Tree Planting PlanReport | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| PLANNING STATEMENTReport | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENTReport | 18 Jul 2025 | View |
| site planSubmitted Drawing | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| open space assessmentReport | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| Heritage statementReport | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| survey planSubmitted Drawing | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| Fire safety strategyReport | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| CIL formApplication Form | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| Design and access statementReport | 29 Oct 2025 | View |
| Existing and Proposed SectionsSubmitted Drawing | 28 Nov 2025 | View |
| Existing Berm PlanSubmitted Drawing | 28 Nov 2025 | View |
| Proposed Berm PlanSubmitted Drawing | 28 Nov 2025 | View |
| Landscape PlanSubmitted Drawing | 28 Nov 2025 | View |
| Arboricultural Implications Assessment and Method StatementsReport | 23 Jun 2026 | View |
| Tree Protection PlanReport | 23 Jun 2026 | View |
| Officer ReportReport | 16 Jul 2026 | View |
| DecisionDecision Notice | 16 Jul 2026 | View |
Documents open on the council website. Browse council documents if a link has changed.
Application timeline
Council milestones and published deadlines. A deadline passing does not confirm a decision.
Publicity end date
Past published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council sourceSite notice end date
Past published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council sourceDecision due date
Past published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council sourceExtension date
Past published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council sourceConsultation expiry date
Past published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council sourceStatutory expiry date
Past published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council sourceDecision expiry date
Published deadlineA published target or deadline. It does not confirm an outcome.
Council source
Decision & conditions
DecisionPlanning conditions
- Open Space Assessment
- You are required to complete the Community Infrastructure Levy form (CIL) Please find the link below to the form and additional information guidance. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/1app/forms/cil_questions.pdf http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/1app/cil_guidance.pdf
- Heritage Statement is required for properties where the proposal affects designated and/or non-designated heritageassets or their setting (Listed Buildings, Buildings of Townscape Merit, fall within a conservation area or have an Article 4 direction attached to it) http://www.richmond.gov.uk/make_a_planning_application (Step 3) http://www.richmond.gov.uk/media/13312/heritage_statements.pdf
- existing/proposed plans, elevations and sections, landscaping plan
- Open Space Assessment - demonstrating impact on Green Belt, Metropolitan Open Land or Other Open Land of Townscape Importance
- REASONABLE EXCEPTION STATEMENT (RES) Fire Safety Strategy (which also incorporates requirements of the evacuation lift guidance where including a lift). All developments The London Plan 2021 - Policy D12 (A) and D5 and D5 draft_guidance_sheet _d5_b5_evacuation_lifts_070720_web.pdf (london.gov.uk) London Plan policy D12 requires the submission of a Fire Safety Strategy on all planning applications. The Fire Safety Strategy should be presented as a standalone document with a clear structure that addresses the criteria set out in London Plan Policy D12 part A. The submitted drawings should address the requirements set out at paragraphs 3.12.3 and 3.12.4 of the London Plan. Where the applicant considers parts of or the whole policy do not apply, this should be justified in a Reasonable Exception Statement (RES). Draft guidance on Fire Safety Strategies is available at: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/london-plan-guidance-and-spgs/draft-fire-safety-guidance-pre-consultation-information Where the proposal includes a lift, the applicant should address the requirements of London Plan policy D5 within their Fire Safety Statement. Please note; This item has recently been added to our local validation checklist. https://richmond.gov.uk/media/18491/local_validation_checklist_for_all_applications.pdf
- Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is now mandatory for all new planning permission applications. This has been the case for major developments since 12 February 2024 and small sites since 2 April 2024. For Statutory Biodiversity Metric calculation tool and to find out what BNG is for, please use the link below. https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/planning/make_a_planning_application/biodiversity_net_gain
- It is unclear from the submitted drawings where the existing and proposed berms are to be. There are no existing/proposed elevations/sections as previouslty requested. New plans show many trees and shrubs. Is tree removal proposed? Tree Survey should be submitted to confirm. Preliminary Ecological Appraisal to determine impact on wildlife. Design and Access statement refers to a preliminary assessment on BNG - can this be submitted with BNG metric if necessary. A Landscaping plan should be submitted.
- The development to which this permission relates must be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date of this permission. REASON: To conform with the requirements of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
- The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans and documents, where applicable. Location Plan; received 18 July 2025; Topographical Survey drawing 01, 02, 03, 04; received 29 October 2025; and Existing Berm Plan, Proposed Berm Plan, Existing and Proposed Sections; received 28 November 2025. REASON: To accord with the terms of the application, for the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.
- During onsite construction of any phase of development, all non-road transportable industrial equipment or vehicles which are fitted with an internal diesel powered compression ignition engine between 37 and 560KW and not intended for transporting goods or passengers on roads are required to meet Stage IIIB of EU Directive 97/68/E and be NRMM registered. Such vehicles must be run on ultra low sulphur diesel (also known as ULSD 'cleaner diesel' or 'green diesel'). 'Ultra low sulphur diesel' means fuel meeting the specification within BS EN 590. Where these standards are succeeded, they should be applied when reasonable. Exemptions to these standards may be granted for specialist equipment or for equipment with alternative emission reduction equipment or run on alternative fuels. Such exemptions shall be applied for in writing to the local planning authority in advance of the use of such vehicles, detailing the reasons for the exemption being sought and clearly identifying the subject vehicles. Exemptions that are granted will be in writing and such vehicles must not be used until written exemption has been issued by the local planning authority. No vehicles or plant to which the above emission standards apply shall be on site, at any time, whether in use or not, unless it complies with the above standards, without the prior written consent of the local planning authority. Reason: To protect the amenity of future occupants and/or neighbours.
- (A) Prior to the completion of the replacement berm hereby approved, full details of soft landscaping works and tree planting shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority such details to include: • Planting plans, written specifications (including cultivation and other operations associated with plant and grass establishment) • Specification of the quantity, density, size, species, position and the proposed time or programme of planting • Details of earthworks. These details shall include the proposed grading and mounding of land areas including the levels and contours to be formed, showing the relationship of proposed mounding to existing vegetation and surrounding landform. (B) All tree/plant/shrub planting included within the approved specification shall be carried out in accordance with that specification and in accordance with BS 3936:1986 (parts 1, 1992, Nursery Stock, Specification for trees and shrubs, and 4, 1984, Specification for forest trees); BS 4043: 1989, Transplanting root-balled trees; and BS 4428:1989, Code of practice for general landscape operations (excluding hard surfaces). (C) All soft landscaping works and tree planting shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and in any event within 3 months of the completion of the replacement berm, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority. REASON: To ensure that the proposed development does not prejudice the appearance of the locality and to preserve and enhance nature conservation interests.
- A. The development hereby approved shall not be implemented other than in accordance with the principles and methodology as described within the approved Arboricultural details ‘Arboricultural Impact Assessment, Method Statement and Tree Protection Plan for Ham and Petersham Rifle and Pistol Club, dated 22/06/2026’, unless otherwise previously agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority. B. Prior to commencement of works, confirmation of the appointment of a retained Arboricultural consultant to conduct and submit an auditable system of site supervision and monitoring shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority Arboricultural Officer. C. Monitoring reports shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority Arboricultural Officer upon completion of works hereby approved. REASON: To ensure that the tree(s) are not damaged or otherwise adversely affected by demolition, building operations, excavations and soil compaction.
- (A) Following the implementation of the Tree Protection, and no later than 14 days prior to the commencement of development (or any materials or machinery being brought onto the site), the Local Planning Authority Arboricultural Officer shall be invited to attend a 'pre-start meeting'. Key stakeholders (including site manager, project arboriculturist and other key site personnel) shall attend the pre-start meeting. (B) Minutes from the meeting must be prepared and submitted to the Local Planning Authority Arboricultural Officer prior to the commencement of development. REASON: To ensure that sufficient tree protection is in place and to prevent the tree (s) from being damaged or otherwise adversely affected by building operations and soil compaction.
- Prior to commencement, an ecological enhancement scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The details should include the specific location (including proposed aspect and height) on a plan in context with the development. The ecological enhancements should be completed as part of the berm creation, unless previously agreed in writing with the local planning authority. REASON: To enhance nature conservation interest
- a) No development shall occur until: i) a preliminary risk-assessment has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. ii) a site-investigation has been conducted to consider the potential for contaminated-land and submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. iii) a remediation method statement, described to make the site suitable for, intended use by removing unacceptable risks to sensitive receptors, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. b) The remediation shall be completed prior to the completion of the replacement berm hereby permitted, then a verification report produced, and then that submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. REASON: To protect future users of the site and the environment.
- Approval of a Biodiversity Gain Plan will not be required before development commences Biodiversity Net Gain The effect of paragraph 13 of Schedule 7A to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is that planning permission granted for development of land in England is deemed to have been granted subject to the condition ('biodiversity gain condition') that development may not begin unless: (a) a Biodiversity Gain Plan has been submitted to the planning authority, and (b) the planning authority has approved the plan. The planning authority, for the purposes of determining whether to approve a Biodiversity Gain Plan, if one is required in respect of this permission would be the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. There are statutory exemptions and transitional arrangements which mean that the biodiversity gain condition does not always apply. These are listed below. Based on the information available this permission is considered to be one which will not require the approval of a biodiversity gain plan before development is begun because one or more of the statutory exemptions or transitional arrangements in the list below is/are considered to apply. Statutory exemptions and transitional arrangements in respect of the biodiversity gain condition. 1. The application for planning permission was made before 12 February 2024. 2. The planning permission relates to development to which section 73A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (planning permission for development already carried out) applies. 3. The planning permission was granted on an application made under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and (i) the original planning permission to which the section 73 planning permission relates* was granted before 12 February 2024; or (ii) the application for the original planning permission* to which the section 73 planning permission relates was made before 12 February 2024. 4. The permission which has been granted is for development which is exempt being: 4.1 Development which is not 'major development' (within the meaning of article 2(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015) where: (i) the application for planning permission was made before 2 April 2024; (ii) planning permission is granted which has effect before 2 April 2024; or (iii) planning permission is granted on an application made under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 where the original permission to which the section 73 permission relates* was exempt by virtue of (i) or (ii). 4.2 Development below the de minimis threshold, meaning development which: (i) does not impact an onsite priority habitat (a habitat specified in a list published under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006); and (ii) impacts less than 25 square metres of onsite habitat that has biodiversity value greater than zero and less than 5 metres in length of onsite linear habitat (as defined in the statutory metric). 4.3 Development which is subject of a householder application within the meaning of article 2(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. A 'householder application' means an application for planning permission for development for an existing dwellinghouse, or development within the curtilage of such a dwellinghouse for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse which is not an application for change of use or an application to change the number of dwellings in a building. 4.4 Development of a biodiversity gain site, meaning development which is undertaken solely or mainly for the purpose of fulfilling, in whole or in part, the Biodiversity Gain Planning condition which applies in relation to another development, (no account is to be taken of any facility for the public to access or to use the site for educational or recreational purposes, if that access or use is permitted without the payment of a fee). 4.5 Self and Custom Build Development, meaning development which: (i) consists of no more than 9 dwellings; (ii) is carried out on a site which has an area no larger than 0.5 hectares; and (iii) consists exclusively of dwellings which are self-build or custom housebuilding (as defined in section 1(A1) of the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015). 4.6 Development forming part of, or ancillary to, the high speed railway transport network (High Speed 2) comprising connections between all or any of the places or parts of the transport network specified in section 1(2) of the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013. * 'original planning permission means the permission to which the section 73 planning permission relates' means a planning permission which is the first in a sequence of two or more planning permissions, where the second and any subsequent planning permissions are section 73 planning permissions. Irreplaceable habitat If the onsite habitat includes irreplaceable habitat (within the meaning of the Biodiversity Gain Requirements (Irreplaceable Habitat) Regulations 2024) there are additional requirements for the content and approval of Biodiversity Gain Plans. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must include, in addition to information about steps taken or to be taken to minimise any adverse effect of the development on the habitat, information on arrangements for compensation for any impact the development has on the biodiversity of the irreplaceable habitat. The planning authority can only approve a Biodiversity Gain Plan if satisfied that the adverse effect of the development on the biodiversity of the irreplaceable habitat is minimised and appropriate arrangements have been made for the purpose of compensating for any impact which do not include the use of biodiversity credits. The effect of section 73D of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 If planning permission is granted on an application made under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (application to develop land without compliance with conditions previously attached) and a Biodiversity Gain Plan was approved in relation to the previous planning permission ('the earlier Biodiversity Gain Plan') there are circumstances when the earlier Biodiversity Gain Plan is regarded as approved for the purpose of discharging the biodiversity gain condition subject to which the section 73 planning permission is granted. Those circumstances are that the conditions subject to which the section 73 permission is granted: (i) do not affect the post-development value of the onsite habitat as specified in the earlier Biodiversity Gain Plan, and (ii) in the case of planning permission for a development where all or any part of the onsite habitat is irreplaceable habitat the conditions do not change the effect of the development on the biodiversity of that onsite habitat (including any arrangements made to compensate for any such effect) as specified in the earlier Biodiversity Gain Plan.
- In accordance with paragraphs 38-42 of the National Planning Policy Framework, Richmond upon Thames Borough Council takes a positive and proactive approach to the delivery of sustainable development, by: * Providing a formal pre-application service * Providing written policies and guidance, all of which is available to view on the Council's website * Where appropriate, negotiating amendments to secure a positive decision * Determining applications in a timely manner. In this instance: * The application was acceptable as submitted, and approved without delay
- The ecological enhancement should consist of 2 logs to be partially submerged horizontally in the bund to provide habitat for invertebrates and reptiles. How to make a log shelter | The Wildlife Trusts or a small stag beetle loggery How to build a log pile - Stag Beetles
