View and comment on planning applications

Comment on planning applications

An important part of the planning process is the involvement of local people, organisations and businesses making their views known about planning applications.

You can support, object or make general comments about an application. The formal consultation period will normally last for 21 days.

Under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) we are required to inform you how your comment is logged. Your contact details and comment are recorded on our secure planning system. In accordance with GDPR, we do not publish any neighbour comments on our website. Our online planning register records numbers of objections, in support and general comment received only. No neighbour addresses are published. You can choose not to provide your name and address when submitting comments. If you choose not to provide your name and address, or you provide these details but request to be anonymised, only your comment will be logged. We will be unable to consider the harm or otherwise from a scheme to the representor's property or amenities where the representation is anonymised, and the location of the property is not disclosed. This means we will not be able to assess the impact of the proposed development in relation to your property and will not be able to update you about progress with the application, although this information will still be available to view on our website.

View our planning privacy statement.

Only certain issues can be taken into account, which are known as 'material planning considerations'.

This page provides information on neighbour consultation and what constitutes a valid material consideration and issues that are not considered relevant to the decision making process for planning applications. 

Publicising planning applications

We publicise planning applications in a variety of ways, including site notices, neighbour notification letters and in certain circumstances, press adverts, depending on the location. During the consultation period, which is shown on the planning register, a planning application decision notice cannot be issued.

Who can comment

Anyone can submit a representation on a planning application during the consultation period.

We are unable to record or consider comments if they:

  • are made verbally
  • are made in person
  • are made by telephone
  • are posted onto any social media web pages, including our own pages
  • contain offensive, defamatory or discriminatory language

Representations can be statements of support, objection or general comments about an application. However, if the representation is a statement of objection, only certain issues (known as material planning considerations) will be taken into account in deciding the planning application. When making a representation, please avoid making any statements that could compromise the security of your premises, such as holiday dates or details of when the property is left empty.

Material planning considerations

Issues that can be considered to form a valid objection to an application and be taken into account include the following. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list and other material planning considerations may exist.

  • local, strategic and national planning policies, plus emerging new plans that have been through at least one stage of consultation
  • government circulars, orders, statutory instruments, guidance and advice
  • previous planning and appeal decisions, plus principles of case law held through the courts
  • overshadowing and loss of light based on Building Research Establishment guidance
  • overlooking and loss of privacy
  • highway issues, including traffic generation, vehicular access and highway safety
  • noise and disturbance from proposed use, including operating hours
  • smells and fumes
  • storage and handling of hazardous materials
  • effect on listed buildings, conservation areas, scheduled monuments and archaeology
  • loss or effect on trees
  • adverse impacts on nature conservation interests and biodiversity
  • layout and density of building design, visual appearance and finishing materials
  • landscaping and means of enclosure

In the course of reaching a decision on the application, each relevant material consideration is given weight according to its seriousness and relative importance. In dealing with issues raised, if a suitable planning condition can be used to overcome problems, we are required to consider this option as an alternative to refusing the application.

Non-material planning considerations

Issues that are not relevant to the decision making process and cannot be taken into account include the following (please note, this is not an exhaustive list and other non-material planning considerations may exist):

  • loss of view
  • negative impact on property value
  • land and boundary disputes between neighbours and/or damage to property
  • private rights of access and covenants
  • the impact of construction work
  • opposition to business competition
  • personal morals or views about the applicant
  • opposition to the principle of development if this has been decided by an outline planning permission or appeal decision.
  • matters controlled under other non-planning legislation, for example, building regulations

Making representations on a planning application

Neighbour consultation letters are issued against planning applications. If you are in receipt of a consultation letter, you can follow the link directing you to our online comments portal.

We receive thousands of comments on applications each year, so it is not possible to acknowledge receipt of, or to respond to, your comments directly and it is our policy not to do so. You can, however, be assured that all valid comments are considered.

Due to the amount of comments we receive, our preferred method of receiving comments is via our online portal (by following the link below, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.)

Comment on planning applications

What happens to my comments?

Your contact details and comment are recorded on our secure planning system.

If you have requested to be entirely anonymised, only your comment will be recorded.

We operate a policy where we do not publish any neighbour comments on our website. Our online planning register records numbers of objections, in support and general comment received. No neighbour addresses are published.

If an application is decided by the development control committee, you will be advised of the date, time and location of the meeting and whether you have a right to speak at it, in line with the current policy. If you have not provided any contact details or submitted an anonymous comment, we will not be able to inform you of any committee and / or appeal details.

Details of the important dates relating to the application, including the target date for its determination and the outcome, can be found on the online planning register so we will not formally notify you of the outcome of an application.

All written responses and comments on planning applications will be recorded. Specific reasons as to why you gave this response are useful with the decision making. Multiple responses from the same individual will only be counted as 1 response.

If the application goes to appeal, the Planning Inspectorate will need sight of all comments. These will be redacted (personal details removed) and provided to the Planning Inspectorate. They will also be published to our website once we have received confirmation by the Planning Inspector that the appeal is valid.

We understand that it is sometimes useful to view comments but, unfortunately, due to the volume of comments we receive, we cannot provide this as a general service. Contact the case officer in the first instance, who will provide a summary of the comments. If redacted copies are required, please complete the form below for decided cases only and a timescale will be advised. For live cases please liaise with the case officer.