Get a quicker planning decision: fast track service
Our fast track service allows you to have eligible planning applications determined more quickly than the statutory 8‑week period.
This option may be helpful if your project has time‑sensitive construction requirements.
Types of applications you can fast track
You can fast track:
- Householder applications for planning permission
- Certificate of Lawful Proposed Development – householder development only
- applications for the discharge of a condition – only for a single condition that doesn't require consultation with external parties
- applications for a non-material amendment to an existing permission
You can't fast track an application for works to a listed building or within a setting of a listed building or if the property is in or adjacent to a conversation area.
We do not currently accept fast track NMA and discharge of conditions applications that relate to developments of 10 or more houses, 1000sqm or greater floorspace, or where the site area of the original application is in excess of 1 hectare.
Guaranteed decision times
We will issue a decision within a guaranteed timeframe, subject to the caveats below in relation to delays.
Householder applications for planning permission
- Validation: up to 3 working days
- Site visit assessment: up to 10 working days from valid date
- Request for agreement to pre-commencement conditions: Up to 15 working days from valid date
- Decision: up to 20 working days from valid date
Certificate of Lawful Proposed Development
- Validation: up to 3 working days
- Site visit assessment (if required): up to 10 working days from valid date
- Decision: up to 15 working days from valid date
Discharge of conditions applications
- Validation: up to 3 working days
- Decision: up to 10 working days from valid date
Non-material amendments
- Validation: up to 3 working days
- Decision: up to 10 working days from valid date
Fees
The fast track fee is:
- £1000 for householder applications for planning permission
- £1000 for certificate of lawful proposed development applications
- £250 for discharge of conditions applications
- £500 for non-material amendment applications
This fee is in addition to the standard application fee and must be paid the same day as you submit your application. You must provide your planning portal reference number.
You need to pay the fast track fee directly to us, you can’t pay it via the Planning Portal.
Information on how to pay the fast track fee and the payment portal is detailed below
How your application will be considered
Due to the enhanced speed for dealing with fast tracked application, we will determine the application as submitted and will not request amendments, further information or clarification. You should ensure that your proposals are complete and acceptable from the outset.
If additional information is required for your application to be valid, please email any correspondence with FAST TRACK in the subject field to ensure the information is assessed promptly. If you submit amended/additional information via the planning portal in order to make your application valid, you must also send an email to planning@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk on the same day, labelled FAST TRACK, with your reference number and the site address, advising us that you have done so.
This means:
Householder applications for planning permission:
- We strongly advise seeking pre-application advice before submitted your application.
- You should carefully consider the development proposed and take into account the policies in the Council’s Development Plan together with other planning policy and guidance, such as the NPPF and PPG.
- In some circumstances, a pre-commencement planning condition may be necessary to make your proposals acceptable. Where the case officer has requested your agreement to a pre-commencement planning condition your response must be received within 2 working days.
Applications for certificate of lawful proposed development
- The onus rests with applicants to submit sufficient information to demonstrate, on the balance of probability, that the development proposed is lawful. It is therefore important that your application is accompanied by sufficient information to do so.
Applications for the discharge of conditions
- It is important that you include sufficient detail for the condition to be discharged. Incomplete details will be likely to result in your application being refused – within the guaranteed timeframe
Applications for non-material amendments
- It is important that the details on your proposed drawings match the description set out on the application form, and that it is clear from the details submitted precisely what is proposed. If the drawings or other information provided are ambiguous, it is likely your application will be refused.
Delays and refunds
In the unlikely event that we don’t make a decision within the guaranteed decision times, we will give you a full refund of the fast track fee, except if the delay was caused by any of the following (in which case we will not issue any refund):
- fee payment delay – the fast track fee was not paid at the same time as the planning application payment was submitted with an incorrect reference number
- submission error – incorrect information was provided, requiring amendments or re-consultation
- call-in request – a valid ‘call-in’ request was made by ward councillors and the application had to be determined at the next available committee meeting
- applicant response delay – the applicant failed to respond within 2 working days to a case officer’s request regarding pre-commencement planning conditions
- Incorrect labelling - additional information submitted by email was not correctly labelled with FAST TRACK in the email subject field
- Site visit delay – the case officer was unable to visit the site due to delays in response from the applicant/agent
- Lack of email notification- failure to email notifying us of the submission of additional/amended details via the planning portal
How to submit and pay for your fast track request
You can submit your fast track request via the link below
Make a fast track request payment
Please note that this is a discretionary service and can be withdrawn or amended for operational reasons.