Guidance for making comments on planning applications
The Council welcomes your comments and will give them careful
consideration, but your comments must be:
- In writing - all letters are placed on file and can be seen by
any member of the public when the file becomes a public
document.
- By E-mail - using the online
form or e-mail the Development
Control Section.
- Prompt - if you do not write within 21 days you may be too
late; the decision may have been made.
- Relevant - to planning.
Any comments made will be publicly available on the planning
application file and may be published on the internet.
Relevance
The Council has to decide the planning application in
accordance with the Development Plan and any other relevant
factors, such as road safety, noise or smells from the development,
the loss of trees or open space, damage to wildlife, the appearance
of the new buildings, loss of light or privacy and the benefits of
the proposal in providing homes of jobs. For further advice see the
Development Control Practice
Notes.
Planning Committee Meetings
Details of Planning Committee and relevant documents and
agendas are available.
Lobbying
Your Councillors will be happy to listen to your point of
view. However, in order not to prejudice their objectivity they
will need a full picture of the facts, and to listen to opposing
arguments and consider the planning officers comments and
recommendations before they can make a decision.
Site Visits
A planning officer will visit the site and may need to make
arrangements to view it from private property. The Committee will
also sometimes need to visit a site. On these occasions,
Councillors cannot become involved in discussions. They are there
only to look, and debate must be left until the meeting.
For more information see the
Development
Control Practice Notes.