The Council acts as the local planning authority (LPA) when considering planning applications it receives from homeowners, housebuilders, businesses and landowners.

The Council does not normally carry out the works or uses approved, and it remains the responsibility of the person or organisation carrying out the development to follow the plans approved and any conditions specified upon the decision notice.

The Council is required to notify interested parties on certain types of application. It is also required to consult with specified organisations depending on the type and scale of application, as well as when certain constraints are affected, such as the Environment Agency in areas at risk of flooding.

Most parties notified of applications are not obliged to provide a response. This includes ward councillors, town and parish councils, and owners and occupiers of neighbouring property.

Planning decisions must be made on their merits and relate to matters to do with the development of land and property. Development is defined, generally, as the carrying out of building or engineering operations, or the material change in use of land or property. This control extends to the display of advertisements and works to protected trees.

The Council will primarily consider the policies of the development plan before taking into account material planning considerations, including national and emerging local policy. The Council’s development plan can be viewed online.

The type of application is also a key factor in what the Council may consider when assessing an application. In addition, the procedure in which a decision must be made, or whether an automatic permission arises in the event the Council fails to issue a decision, can vary.

Comments raising concern over the ability for the proposal to comply with other regulatory control, private covenants and land/boundary ownership, as well as the character of the applicant, are not material planning considerations. We will reject any comments containing racist, offensive or libellous views.

All representations on planning applications must be made in writing to the Council. This ensures that comments are not misunderstood or misrepresented when making a decision. Comments made on social media will not be considered.

All parties having an interest in the application have a right to read the concerns or support for a development proposal. Therefore, in the interests of transparency, your comment, name and address will be made public, but we will take steps to ensure personal phone numbers, personal email addresses and signatures are removed. Further information is available in our privacy notice.

When making comments on our online planning register you will receive an email with a copy of any comments you have made. These comments will be published, as set out above. Your comments will be taken into consideration in reaching a decision on the application, in so far as they are material to the development proposed, the type of application and the site concerned.

We will not respond individually to comments or questions raised. This is in line with the Planning Customer Charter.

If you are notified of an application and/or submit written comments, we will let you know if an appeal is made against the Council’s decision. We are required to provide the Planning Inspectorate with a copy of your comments.

You can track the application and receive email notifications of progress and key milestones being reached, with further details set out below. If you wish to be notified that an application is to be decided by the Committee or Panel, you must track the application.

This is specified online and in notification letters, as well as on site and press notices. The latest published date will take precedence. 

The Council encourages that all comments are made by the specified date, as the application may be decided shortly afterwards. We will not accept requests to extend publicity periods. However, all comments received before a decision is made, even those received after any specified deadline, will be considered.

These are changes or supplemental information to an application that has not yet been decided. If received, amendments will be published online.

You may receive a notification asking for your comments on any amended plans and information. Please let us know in writing if any concerns you have are addressed by the amendments, or if the amendments create new or altered concerns. If we do not hear further from you, we will assume any previous comment(s) still apply.

Sometimes a development proposal is revised following a previous decision on, or withdrawal of, an application. The proposal may be similar, but likely modified in some way or supported by extra information. Such applications will be assessed afresh, on their merits, but with regard to the outcome of any previously decided scheme(s). However, we will not carry forward any comments made on previous applications.

Sometimes, applications will be made to vary or remove conditions attached to a previous approval. The Council can only consider planning matters relevant to that condition(s). It cannot reconsider the principle of development, and the previous permission remains intact irrespective of the decision made.

Sometimes two similar development proposals are submitted for the same site, or one application may be accompanied by another (such as listed building consent alongside a planning application).

Each application will be assessed on its merits and in so far as what is relevant to the application type. We will not copy across comments made on one application to another.

Most applications are decided by senior officers under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation. Where certain thresholds are met, or the application has been called-in by a ward councillor or town/parish council, it will be decided by the Planning Committee or Panel.

Anyone can attend the Committee/Panel meeting to observe. You can also watch the meeting live on the Council’s YouTube channel. A recording is also normally available the day after the meeting has taken place.

The Council also operates a scheme of public speaking on planning items scheduled for consideration at the meeting, details of which are set out in the agenda pack. Agendas are normally published a week ahead of the meeting, and update papers around 24 hours before the meeting opens. Applicants, their agents, and interested parties must not lobby members of the Committee ahead of the meeting.

On rare occasions, the application may be decided by the secretary of state. Sometimes the applicant will decide to withdraw the application, meaning no decision will be made on it.

The decision notice and officer’s report will be published online. In the case of Committee and Panel items, the report is published in advance. The report acts as the Council’s response to concerns raised and demonstrates how comments have been taken into account.

Conditions can be attached to most types of permission. These usually define the approved plans and scope of the permission given, the time in which the works or use must start, require further details to be submitted for approval, or control the manner in which the development is carried out or occupied.

Informatives alert the developer to other regulatory controls which may apply or suggest how to address requirements of specific conditions attached. They are not enforceable under planning legislation.

Only the applicant has a right of appeal, so it is important that you voice any concerns before a decision is taken by the Council.

If you consider that the Council's decision failed to follow procedure or the law, then you may make a complaint. However, this process will not reconsider the planning merits or professional judgement reached in reaching a decision on the application.

You should let us know if you believe works are not following approved plans, or the land or property is not being used for its approved use. You can find out more about Planning Enforcement and how to report a possible breach here.

You can view planning applications on our online planning register. We recommend that you view all relevant plans and information before you provide any comments.

The important dates relating to the processing of the application and the anticipated date for making a decision are available against each application, along with further relevant information.

If experiencing any difficulties with our online planning register please contact us here.

Anyone can comment on a current planning application, expressing support or objection if you wish. However, you should read the above guidance first, as this sets out what may or may not be relevant to the Council’s decision on the application.

Multiple responses from the same individual will be counted as a single response.

You can view the application on our online planning register, using the reference number or address of the application.

All material submitted to the Council is protected by the Copyright Act 1988. You may only use material which is downloaded and/or printed for consultation purposes, to compare current applications with previous schemes, and to check whether developments have been completed in accordance with approved plans. Further copies must not be made without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

The Council will not be liable if it unknowingly displays any material submitted in breach of copyright and will seek to remove any such material once brought to the Council’s attention.

The Council seeks to comply with all statutory requirements including the Data Protection Act 2018 in all its transactions. Further information about how we use your information is available in our privacy notice.

We take steps to ensure personal phone numbers, personal emails and signatures are not viewable. If you identify any such data which has not been removed, then please let us know and we will endeavour to remove that information as soon as possible.

To best protect against providing personal or sensitive data to the Council, we recommend:

• Not including personal information about yourself or third parties in your comments;
• Contact details should only be placed in the specified boxes on the webpage or positioned together at the top of an email or letter;
• Not providing a signature as this is not necessary for our consideration of your comments.