Planning Objections

Occasionally planning development applications may be made which could significantly affect not only your residence but also the character of West Park. IF you feel that this is indeed the case PLEASE contact the Association.

Residents should visit the Council website - Planning Applications - for a full account of procedures associated with planning applications.

The following information provides a snapshot of some of the issues associated with planning applications.

Generally, if you are concerned about a particular planning development, you can write to the Chief Planning and Development Services Officer or you can use the Public Access facility - Public Access Planning - to submit your comments electronically. You can also use Public Access to monitor the progress of any application you are interested in.

Submitted comments will be acknowledged within 10 working days. If you use Public Access you will receive an immediate acknowledgement. All comments received about an application are made public.

What is a valid objection?

The relevant issues in a planning application vary from case to case but the following matters may be included:

• Conservation of buildings and the natural environment.
• Trees.
• Design, appearance and layout.
• Character of an area.
• Noise, disturbance and smells.
• Highway safety and traffic.
• Previous planning applications.
• Compliance with Unitary Development Plan Policies, Supplementary Planning Guidance and other planning policies.
• Compliance with government guidance and legislation.
• The effect of a proposal on sunlight and daylight.
• The effect on the privacy of neighbours.
• Whether the proposed development will have an overbearing effect on neighbouring properties.
• Visual impact, where applicable.

Although you do not have a right to a view over someone else's land, if a proposal is thought to be unreasonable

regarding impact on your outlook an attempt will usually be made to negotiate changes to help overcome this shortcoming.

What matters are not valid objections?

These will vary from case to case but the following matters are usually NOT relevant:

• Issues covered by other laws e.g. Licensing, Building Control, Health and Safety Regulations.
• Private property rights (e.g. boundary or access disputes).
• The developer's morals, motivation or activities elsewhere.
• Perceived impact on property values.
• Competition between businesses.

The planning officer dealing with the application will form a professional view on the acceptability or otherwise of the proposal. This may involve assessing specialist comments from colleagues in other Council departments, town and parish councils and other community bodies as well as comments from local residents. He or she will then weigh up all of the issues arising from the proposal before making a recommendation on it. An objection, even if made on good planning grounds, may not necessarily result in refusal of planning permission.

Most decisions are made by a Senior Officer. Larger, more complex or controversial applications may be decided by a panel of Councillors. There are three Plans Panels - one covering the east side of the city, one the west side and one the City Centre. Each meets every three weeks. Meetings are held in a meeting room in the Civic Hall and usually take place on a Thursday, commencing at 1.30 p.m.

An account of the work of PLANS PANELS can be viewed in the Newsletter for Winter 2006.

Once a decision has been made on the application, if you have made written comments, you will be notified of this in writing within 15 working days of the decision being made. You will be given details of who to contact if you wish to know more about the decision.

Every effort has been made to try to ensure that the information provided on this website is correct. If it is felt that any detail is incorrect, please contact us at chair@westparkresidents.org.uk