Does the Development Control officer have to check every single justification?
Not unless they wish to – but the fact that they (or others) could, provides impetus for the Checklist to be completed accurately. We expect that the Development Control Officer will use their experience and judgement regarding the site and the Developer to decide which questions need to be fully audited. This is similar to the current situation in applications without the Checklist, but the process is made easier by having a standard Checklist format so that issues are not inadvertently forgotten or overlooked by either Developer or Planning Authority. The Overview Report will also suggest areas where performance is unexpectedly weak – or strong – which may require a closer check.
