Advice please. Planning application, comments/objections not showing on Council's website.

[gilchrist168]

New neighbour has a planning application in to put a flat roof dormer on the rear of their bungalow, with French windows and a glass Juliette balcony. It will look into our very small garden a metre from the boundary. Another privacy etc issue.

Thanks to the excellent advice on Morley's balcony thread, I drew up an objection, did pictures, and hand delivered it to the Council Offices ten days ago. I went to the Parish Council, who were very supportive, and they were submitting comment, again, about ten days ago. Ward councillors contacted. I'm not optimistic, but at least l have done my best.

My concern is that: when you search the application on the Council planning website the comments don't show up. The application is there, the plans are there, but the comments are still not there. I have no idea why.

I sent a polite email to the Planning Department asking if comments were to be published online prior to the closing date, no reply. I managed to get through, finally, by phone to a very kind planning admin, who was really patient given my speech difficulty.

She could not see why the objection/comments were still not online. She said that she would ask the case work officer to ring me, but no joy on that so far, and I've been waiting in so haven't missed them. I'm beginning to feel a bit paranoid about it tbh.

The closing date for comments is next week.

Does anyone know what the rules are regarding putting comments online, prior to the closing date, on the Council's planning application site? I've stuck to the planning issues, so nothing personal etc about the applicants. Is it ok not to put them online? Why would they not be there?

Really appreciate any advice on this.

I don’t think there are rules as long as they go up. What does the councils policy say about posting objections? They might post at the same time as receiving other objections, support or statutory responses instead of one at a time. With a week to go I would not be too bothered but check every day. I’m sure they will end up being posted. Why wouldn’t they?

If they have been hand delivered they can take up to 3 days as they go through the internal post then the letter needs to be redacted (any personal information removed like a signature) and then uploaded and finally made public. As it’s been 10 days I would just send an email to the case officer saying that you sent an objection to the application and please can you confirm that it has been received as you can’t see them online.

I’ve just checked with my council. They have an on line posting service where comments are displayed immediately. Does your planning dept have that? If so, just post. Mine also says if they have a high volume to deal with there can be a delay. I can see your objection won’t be part of a huge development and likely objections but the council could be snowed under because of volume generated elsewhere. This doesn’t mean your planning Officer isn’t looming at your objection and cannot follow planning policy. If there are lots of objections it will have to go to committee anyway. So, post online?

Thank you Bubbles and Zarara.
I thought it would take some days for mine to go on the site as the Council site does say it checks for personal information/ comments etc. So of course, calm myself down, there will be lots of other planning applications competing for time too.

It gives a list of what you can comment about, traffic, parking, appearance, overlooking or disturbance, loss of light privacy, impact, proposed use etc.

Bubbles I gave it in by hand, as I was having trouble with my broadband last week. It does say on the neighbour notice, that comments can be done by email attachment in pdf form or in writing. I'm not that great I.T. wise either, so I wasn't too sure about the photos I wanted to submit. It just felt a bit safer giving it in by hand.

The Council's site is silent as to when the comments go on, or if they wait for everything to come in, and then put them on all together.

The Parish Council responded directly online ten days ago, and it still is not on there. So there must be some policy of waiting till everything is in.

There is only one email address that is public for the planning department and that is the one I used Friday afternoon, still no reply. The case work officer hasn't returned my call, but they are stretched to hell these days. I'll wait a few more days and see if an email or phone call turns up.

So your comments do make sense re the delay. I think anxiety is overwhelming me, because they are ripping out and have chopped down a lovely tree early Sunday morning. Fast workers and quite intimidating people.

Thank you for your kind replies, really appreciate it.

In my area, comments from the neighbours, general public are not shown online. Official departments i.e. roads, council officers, planning officers, and anyone else the planning officer has contacted are the only ones displayed. I had to go to the council office to view them in person. I was the one applying for planning permission, if that makes any difference.

Thanks Absolutepowercorrupts that's handy to know. I suppose that saves a fair bit of neighbour confrontations.

Wish it would just be clearer on this planning site I am looking at, it would make life easier for the planning officers too if the policy was on there.

I must say I've been bracing myself for an angry knock at the door when/if my comments go online.

Feeling a bit more rested about it now, glad I posted, thank you.

Many councils use a standard planning portal and ours says if you respond on line it’s posted immediately. That sounds odd if it should be checked and redactions needed - but that’s what it says. You should be able to see the officer’s report too when it’s been decided.

I’m afraid, whatever you think, the officer must follow planning policy and you have to trust them to do that. If the overlooking is too great, and they have angles of new building windows in relationship to neighbouring property, in their policies so they will stick to this.

All my local councils show comments on line. It’s very lazy and poor not to run this service in this day and age.

I’m really sure their policies should be on line.

In my case, I live in a National Park and we have a National Park Authority above the County Council who appear to be a law unto themselves. So it's possible that ever other County Council in England and Wales is required to put everything online but the NPA where I live don't do that.

every

What you need is a confirmation, in writing, that your response has been received.
Which any good council should be doing.
But we can't axe 50%of local government spending, and expect things to work.
Did you keep a copy?
If so, hand deliver, or failing that signed for postal, a couple of days before closing date.

And email daily, asking for simple confirmation of receipt.

Did you know that planning files are open to view by members of public? By appointment. You can take notes, but not copies. ( unless you're left alone and have your phone.......)

This can be crucial if the matter goes to planning committee, as you can see what arguments you need to overcome. But many applications don't get to committee, they just get decided by officers.

If this goes to committee, @me, and I'll bore on for as long as you like about how to handle that.

Here they are all in line. No appointments needed. It’s called open access. Not MSN’s it as difficult as possible and make the public pay for transport to see public documents. They are public documents. I’m finding it hard to believe councils are in the dark ages and don’t publish documents on line. How grossly unfair. My district councils have not lost 50 per cent of funding. The planning departments have recruited. Which councils have lost 50 per cent of their budget?

They don’t make it as difficult as possible .... that should read.

Hi gilchrist168

When I submitted my objection I had to email the planning department a few days later asking why it wasn’t showing online. Ten mins after my email it appeared online

I know exactly the same happened to at least 3 other objectors. The planning department needed a prompt from them a few days after submitting the objections for them to appear online

Nothing on my two page neighbour notification of planning application letter, but I've searched the council website and finally found this under a section to do with planning advice:

"You have 24 days to comment on an application from the date notification was made and can only comment on an application that has not yet had a decision.....
Comments on planning applications form part of the statutory register and the local planning authority has a duty to make this information available. The Council will therefore publish on its website a copy of your comments including your name & address"

So definitely it should be published online. No indication of time. I checked that I put my name and address on my objection.

Good advice all, thank you. I've been waiting for them to reply to the Friday email. I will do as suggested, and keep emailing asking for an acknowledgment.

No idea what has happened to the Parish Council response, unless that is being held back until the other consultees are in. I've emailed the PC Clerk to see if they have any idea why nothing has appeared regarding their response.

If nothing appears online in a few days, and if the case work officer still hasn't called back, or no email replies I'll take in a hard copy again on Friday and put it online. I'll look totally batty probably, but needs must.

Will update as soon as I hear anything. I'm very grateful to people for taking the time to reply.

Nothing on line.
Have emailed again. Planning officer has not returned my call. Again.
Just been in the garden. They are telling the builder they want a pergola under the upstairs French windows, and a hot tub underneath. Long term they will make the pergola roof into a balcony to the bedroom.
Not on the plans of course.
This is going to be so awful.

A balcony DEFINITELY needs planning permission.

I would even go so far as to speak to the council and tell them what you have heard and that you are very worried as there is nothing in the plans about a balcony!

OP our architect advised that all reasonable comments have to be taken into consideration and that they will still consider any that come in after the consultation period has ended.

I wouldn’t stress too much - our decision has been weeks later in coming than the required deadlines, so they will still consider your comment.

Thanks Morley and LondoNQT
Casework officer still not returning calls, no reply to emails.
Nothing on the website still

A brief update on this and I'll start another thread soon.
The closing date for neighbour responses has been and gone.
No replies to my emails and phone calls from the officer designated the case.
The l.a. planning site has never been updated apart from a notice now from my local councillor asking for it to be called into planning committee. That was thanks to the support of a kindly parish council who are a bit bemused also at the lack of information and responses from the case officer.