Planning duty planner service

Planning duty planner service

Informal advice on some planning issues

A duty planner service operates from the Environment Services Department Reception, 1st floor Hammersmith Town Hall Extension, King Street, W6 9JU. A planner will be available to give informal planning advice in person, on the telephone or by email.

The duty planner can be contacted by telephone on 020 8753 3440. 

General planning enquiries can be made by email at dutyplanner@lbhf.gov.uk The service is available during the following hours:

Monday  – Friday: 10am – 1pm: Drop in and phone advice.

Monday - Thursday 2pm - 4pm; Appointment and phone advice, subject to availability.

When the Duty Planner is not available to give advice to telephone callers, you may leave a message which will be returned.

This service is not a statutory service and may not always be provided subject to the availability of planning officers. During these hours, a planner may be available to give informal planning advice to personal callers as well as telephone callers.

The duty planner will be able to advise you on:

• permitted development rights;

• extensions and alterations to domestic dwellings; 

• small-scale commercial developments;

• small-scale advertisements;

• minor physical alterations to commercial properties;

• the council’s planning policies, standards and guidelines

For some meetings with the duty planner or where a fee is payable it will be necessary to arrange an appointment. Appointments are between 2pm - 4pm Monday to Thursday for 30 minutes.

The duty planner will not be available to:

• give written advice;

• discuss with applicants or agents the technical merits of current applications, recently refused applications or appeals;

• decide minor amendments to planning permissions. 

Advice on the last two items should be sought by arranging a meeting with the case officer who has dealt with the application or appeal. 

Any advice given by the duty planner does not indicate any formal decision by the Council as local planning authority. Any views or opinions expressed are given in good faith and to the best of ability, without prejudice to the formal consideration of any planning application following statutory public consultation, the issues raised and evaluation of all available information.