HOW TO OBJECT TO A PLANNING APPLICATION.
Anyone has a right to object to a submitted planning application. There are a number of issues that should be considered before doing so.
Every objection of supportive comment should show the Planning Application number of the relevant application. The response should show the name and postal address of the writer, even if the comment is made by email.
Certain locations, such as Conservation areas or land within the Green Belt, require the planning authority to exercise stricter control over any development or alteration taking place within them. Green Belt land precludes ‘inappropriate development’ from taking place within its boundaries. It does, however, allow such things as small developments of affordable homes and traveller sites, particularly if there is evidence of an unmet need that cannot be accommodated elsewhere, or there is a particularly pressing identified need. Many other conditions will also have to be met.
Material Planning Considerations.
These are the only issues that the Planning Authority or Planning Committee will consider when making their decision on a planning application. They include:
- Loss of light or ‘overshadowing’
- Loss of visual amenity (note, this does NOT INCLUDE loss of view)
- The ‘amenity’ can be defined as the ‘pleasantness or attractiveness of a place’
- Adequacy of parking/loading/turning
- Highway safety
- Traffic generation
- Use or storage of hazardous materials
- Unpleasant smells
- Loss of trees
- Effects on listed buildings or a conservation area
- Layout/density f buildings
- Design and appearance of buildings, or material used in construction
- Landscaping
- Road ccess
- Planning policies – local, regional, national or strategic
- Government circulars or orders
- Disabled access
- Proposals in the Local Development Plan
- Previous planning decisions
- Nature conservation
- Archaeology
- Specific use of solar panels.
Matters that will not be taken into account by the Local Planning Authority include:
- Loss of property value
- Private disputes between neighbours
- Loss of a view from your home
- Impact of construction work or competition between companies
- Restrictive covenants
- Ownership disputes over rights of way
- Fence lines
- Personal moral comments or views about the applicant.
Whilst anyone may wish to supply a personal/historical perspective to their comments it is unlikely to be considered relevant unless the issue falls within one of the Material Planning Considerations.
There are many websites containing advice on how to challenge a planning application. If you put ‘Material Planning Consideration’ into your search engine a variety of documents will give much food for thought, including sample letters of objection from the CPRE site.