All posts in the topic Planning comments (Short link)

Jul 30 14:35 UTC

A separate topic just to keep it away from the specific issue of the
mast at Rock Edge, but people often refer to the "comment date" on
planning applications.

And I just thought it worth mentioning that whilst it is obviously
best to get comments in before the date on a notice (and especially
in the case of telecomms applications that can be dealt with quickly
once the formal consultation period has closed) it's not that they
will reject all comments after that particular date.

In fact you can make your opinions known right up to the issuing of
the permission or refusal notice.  Indeed it is technically legal for
a planning authority to change its mind after having made a decision
but before the permission or refusal notice as well - which is what I
tried to get in the case of the Islamic Centre on Marston Road in
2001 or whenever it was.  If your comment materially changed the
circumstances of the application for example it might still be
important.

In particular if something is likely to come to committee, planning
officers will try and take into account whatever they receive up to
the committee meeting, and especially before they actually write the
report for that committee.  And will often verbally report any
further comments to the committee anyway.

The influence of later comments obviously diminishes slightly, and
you have to remember that on applications being dealt with under
delegation by officers they *could* make a decision immediately after
the comment period ends if it appear an open and shut case - though
unless they've changed a lot that is quite rare.

But there's no harm done in trying to have your say after the date on
the notices.  As people have remarked, sometimes the notices appear
haphazard, and people often don't know there's an application in
until after the comments.

A news feed or email reminder of applications in a particular area
will help with this, but only if people actually sign up to it, and
let's face it, if it's not of immediate concern to you as an
individual planning can get a bit "anoraky" to bother to sign up to
hear about every little conservatory or porch in your neighbourhood!

This has been a public service announcement...:)

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