Town and Parishs
 
 
 

The Role of Town and Parish Councils in Development Control

 

Town and Parish Councils are notified of planning applications at an early stage in the process, often in advance of an officer site visit taking place and sometimes before directly affected neighbours have been notified. This should not be seen to represent a problem or difficulty for the Town and Parish Council. It is not being asked to make a decision on the application, but to provide comments and views from its own perspective as a local elected representative body. These comments will add to the wider emerging picture, when other affected individuals and agencies and groups contribute.

 

It is the quality of what is being said and the reasoning and evidence behind this, which often makes a difference to the outcome of a planning application, rather than simply the number of comments received or who has made them.

Making Town and Parish Council comments on planning applications useful

Town and Parish Councils are not obliged to respond to all planning applications which they are notified of. If comments are not submitted this does not mean that officers of the Council will have any less regard to the planning issues involved, or be any less rigorous in their approach. Officers are trained and experienced enough to consider potential problems, effects on others, etc. without being prompted. It is hoped that this gives reassurance. Town and Parish Councils are encouraged to focus on applications which genuinely affect their community and let the planning process take care of the more routine applications.

Some residents may have had the benefit of neighbour notification letters and the opportunity to respond directly to the Council. If the proposal is one which only potentially impacts on a small number of residents, without wider community effects, then it would be perfectly legitimate for the Town and Parish Council to leave it to these individual neighbours to make appropriate responses if any are needed.

The question of if, when, and in what form, responses or comments to applications are to be made, rests solely with each individual Town and Parish Council. Some may wish to consider adopting a detailed written policy or protocol on the matter.

Local Councils can be assured that their comments are properly considered by the Committee and Officers when determining planning applications. However, in order to be properly considered the comments must be based on material planning grounds. Material planning grounds “on the ground” vary from one type of development to another. Some of the factors which can be taken into account are:

- Visual Impact

- Privacy/overbearing

- Daylight/sunlight

- Noise, smell, etc.

- Access/traffic

- Health & Safety (in some cases)

- Ecology

- Crime (and fear of)

- Economic Impact

- Planning History

- Related Decisions

- Cumulative Impact

- Personal factors (rarely!)

Other factors cannot be taken into account when determining a planning application, such as:

- The applicant

- Land ownership

- Private rights (e.g. access)

- Restrictive covenants

- Property Value

- Competition

- Loss of View

- “Better” site or “better” use

- Change from previous scheme