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