Planning applications
ORR is a statutory consultee for planning applications ‘likely to affect the rail transport industry’.
Consultations directly related to railway buildings, land or infrastructure
If you consult us on an application that relates directly to railway buildings, land or infrastructure, we aim to respond to you with our comments within 20 working days of receipt.
Consultations not directly related to the railway
For planning application consultations not directly related to the railway, we ask that you set out in a covering email the specific questions you would like us to consider, providing references to relevant parts of the documentation.
If you do not do this we may not respond.
Local plans
ORR is a prescribed body in relation to the duty to cooperate set out in the Localism Act 2011.
Where consultation is required under Section 110 of the Localism Act 2011, we will only respond to specific questions set out in a covering email to us referencing relevant part(s) of the documentation.
We will nevertheless record the receipt of all consultations received.
All planning consultations
What we can consider
We can consider issues of railway safety, land disposal by Network Rail or other matters falling within ORR’s remit.
Including railway infrastructure managers in your consultation
If the application or plan relates to or is likely to impact the railway, you should consult Network Rail or the relevant railway infrastructure manager as part of the planning process.
Do you need to consult ORR
If there are clearly no implications for the railway you do not need to consult ORR and you should remove us from your mailing list for that project or plan.
Planning – ORR’s role as statutory consultee and prescribed body under duty to cooperate
This guidance relates to consultations on planning applications and local plans.
Please read the information in the table below before contacting us at contact.pct@orr.gov.uk.
| Planning applications | Local plans |
|---|---|
| ORR is a statutory consultee for planning applications ‘likely to affect the rail transport industry’. | ORR is a prescribed body in relation to the duty to cooperate set out in the Localism Act 2011. |
| Consultations directly related to railway buildings, land or infrastructure If consulting us on an application that relates directly to railway buildings, land or infrastructure, we aim to respond to you with our comments within 20 working days of receipt. We understand that plans often include a great amount of information in relation to various aspects of a project. To allow ORR to concentrate its efforts, you should clearly state which parts of your submission concern transport matters. | Where consultation is required under Section 110 of the Localism Act 2011, we will only respond to specific questions set out in a covering email to us referencing relevant part(s) of the documentation. We will nevertheless record the receipt of all consultations received. |
| Consultations not directly related to the railway For planning application consultations not directly related to the railway, we ask that you set out in a covering email or letter the specific questions you would like us to consider, providing references to relevant parts of the documentation. If you do not do this we may not respond. | |
| What we can consider We can consider issues of railway safety, land disposal by Network Rail or other matters falling within ORR’s remit. | What we can consider We can consider issues of railway safety, land disposal by Network Rail or other matters falling within ORR’s remit. |
| Including railway infrastructure managers in your consultation If the application or plan relates to or is likely to impact the railway, you should consult Network Rail or the relevant railway infrastructure manager as part of the planning process. | Including railway infrastructure managers in your consultation If the application or plan relates to or is likely to impact the railway, you should consult Network Rail or the relevant railway infrastructure manager as part of the planning process. |
| Do you need to consult ORR? If there are clearly no implications for the railway you do not need to consult ORR and you should remove us from your mailing list for that project or plan. | Do you need to consult ORR? If there are clearly no implications for the railway you do not need to consult ORR and you should remove us from your mailing list for that project or plan. |