Planning Processing Agreements

What is a formal agreement

East Lothian Council encourages the use of processing agreements. A processing agreement is a formal agreement between the council and the developer for processing a planning application. It should set out the roles and responsibilities of all the parties involved in the application process, and can deliver a number of benefits:

  • more effective and earlier engagement of key stakeholders
  • clarity early in the process about information requirements and any matters to be addressed by legal agreement
  • clearer lines of communication
  • greater predictability and certainty over the timing of key stages
  • greater transparency in decision making for everyone involved in the process
  • faster decision making through effective project management with a focus on delivery