Planning

How to Find Planning Information: A Simple Guide

Understanding local planning can feel overwhelming, but it becomes much easier when you know where to look and what you’re looking for.
This guide explains how anyone can find planning applications, planning policies, and important national documents that shape decisions in Teignbridge and beyond.

1. Where to Find Planning Applications (Teignbridge District Council)

If you want to check what’s being built, changed or proposed near you, the best place to start is the Teignbridge Planning Portal.

What you can find there

  • Current planning applications
  • Decisions on past applications
  • Site plans, drawings and supporting documents
  • Deadlines for comments
  • Constraints (trees, flood zones, conservation areas)

How to use it

  1. Go to the Teignbridge District Council Planning Search.
  2. Enter:
    • An application number (if you have it),
    • A postcode,
    • A street name, or
    • A map search.
  3. Open any application to see details, documents and how to comment.

What to look for

  • Planning Statement – explains what the applicant wants and why.
  • Design & Access Statement – describes design choices.
  • Supporting surveys – ecology, flood risk, transport etc.
  • Officer report – the council’s assessment before a decision.
  • Conditions – rules attached to approvals.

2. Where to Find Local Planning Policies

These are rules and policies Teignbridge must follow when deciding planning applications.

Teignbridge Local Plan

The Local Plan sets out:

  • Where new homes and employment sites will go
  • Environmental protections
  • Design standards
  • Sustainability and climate policies
  • Infrastructure planning

You can usually find:

  • The adopted Local Plan
  • Proposed updates (e.g., Local Plan Review)
  • Maps showing site allocations
  • Evidence documents (housing need, environment, transport)

Why this matters
Every planning decision must align with the Local Plan unless there’s a very strong reason not to.

3. Important National Planning Documents

Even local decisions must follow national policy. The most useful documents for visitors are:

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

The main national policy guide for all planning decisions.
It covers:

  • Sustainable development
  • Housing delivery
  • Biodiversity and nature recovery
  • Heritage protection
  • Climate change
  • Green Belt
  • Transport and design

Other national or regional documents that help

  • Climate/energy strategy
  • Flood risk maps and guidance
  • Biodiversity Net Gain rules
  • Local transport plans
  • Conservation area appraisals

4. Check local constraints

Tree protection orders, wildlife sites, flood zones and conservation areas.

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