Northumberland

A Northumberland property programme needs a clear brief for each building, especially where sites fall under different planning responsibilities. Record the address, proposed changes and existing approvals together so a county-wide maintenance schedule can account for the requirements of individual premises.

Sites within Northumberland National Park have a different planning route from other parts of the county. The National Park Authority’s planning guidance identifies the Park Authority as the planning authority within its boundary, while building control and environmental health remain with Northumberland County Council.

For an estate that includes several Northumberland addresses, record whether each site is inside the Park before preparing an alteration brief. Keep the relevant authority and any existing correspondence against that building, alongside drawings and the proposed scope. This gives the person authorising work a clear starting point for any further enquiry.

Treat planning and building-control questions separately when setting project dependencies. If the location or approval position is uncertain, identify that in the programme before agreeing a start date. A county-level service schedule should leave room for those site-specific decisions.