Service availability

The Public Access service is typically available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except during scheduled maintenance, which usually occurs overnight to accommodate system backups.

Data Protection

Stevenage Borough Council complies with the Data Protection Act 2018, which implements the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Disclaimer

While we strive to ensure that all information on our website is accurate and up-to-date, it does not constitute legal or professional advice. The Council accepts no liability for any losses resulting from the use of its website. Additionally, the Council is not responsible for the data policies, procedures, or content of any external websites linked to from its site.

Copyright notice

Materials such as plans, drawings, and documents submitted to the council are protected under the Copyright Act (Section 47, 1988 Act). These may only be used for consultation, comparison, or verification purposes. Further copies or reproduction without the copyright owner’s permission is prohibited.

Maps provided by the Ordnance Survey are published under their Business Use Publishing conditions. Unauthorized use infringes Crown copyright and may result in legal action.

Viewing documents and plans

• Documents related to planning applications are available in PDF format for consistency with their paper-based originals. To view these, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free on the Adobe website.
• You can access application forms, site plans, drawings, decision notices, and other documents for planning applications submitted since December 2005.
• Electronic copies of applications from 1987 onwards can be made available upon request, which may take up to 10 working days.
• Efforts are ongoing to digitize applications submitted before 1987, but this is a long-term project. Updates will be shared on our website.
• For enforcement cases, only enforcement notices and appeal decisions are published.

Limitations

• The online planning history is not comprehensive and should not be used as a sole resource for property transactions. For formal inquiries, please request a local land charges search through the Council’s Local Land Charges Section.
• New planning application information is typically available online within 5 working days of receipt.
• The Council reserves the right to remove or withhold certain application information for confidentiality or other reasons.

Agreement to terms

By accessing the Public Access service, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.