Ipswich Borough Council is proposing to ask residents, developers, and planning professionals to take part in a public consultation on its Draft Local Validation List 2025, which outlines the information required when submitting planning applications within the Borough.
A report will be presented to the Council’s Executive Committee for approval at its meeting on Tuesday 5 August, for a consultation to run throughout August 2025.
As part of the Council’s commitment to delivering a high-quality, efficient, and transparent planning service, the Local Validation List is a vital tool for ensuring planning applications are complete, accurate, contain the necessary documentation and are ready for assessment by planning officers.
By clearly setting out both national and local requirements, the list helps reduce delays and streamline the planning process. It also addresses common issues that lead to invalid application submissions, such as unclear development descriptions and incorrect fee payments.
The Local Validation List is reviewed every two years in line with national guidance and reflects recent changes in planning legislation, including updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published in December 2024. The Council’s revised Draft Local Validation List 2025 aims to improve the quality of planning applications, reduce delays, improve clarity and transparency for applicants, reduce the number of invalid applications, and support high-quality development.
Key changes in the 2025 Draft are a clearer distinction between national and local validation requirements, an emphasis on accurate descriptions to avoid delays, guidance on correct fee payments using the Planning Portal calculator, and encouragement of best practice documentation to reduce pre-commencement conditions. Public consultation on these updates and improvements will offer an important opportunity for the community and stakeholders to help shape the planning process in Ipswich.
Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Planning and Museums, said:
“This consultation is an important step in maintaining a high-quality, responsive planning service. We want to ensure that our validation requirements are clear, up-to-date, and reflect the needs of our community and planning professionals.”
The report to Executive confirms that consultation will be conducted in accordance with the Ipswich Borough Council Statement of Community Involvement 2025. Residents and stakeholders will be able to view and comment on the Draft Local Validation List via the Council’s website. To encourage participation, there will also be direct communication with registered consultees, hard copies available at key public locations, and notices in local press.
Following the consultation, feedback will be reviewed and incorporated into a final version of the Local Validation List 2025, which will be presented to the Executive and Full Council for formal adoption.
Full details of the report to Executive for agreement can be found at: Agenda for Executive on Tuesday 5th August 2025, 6.00 pm | Democracy Online | Ipswich Borough Council