This is what completely destroys the planning process. When I was a district councillor I threw away all and every communication I received that said "I won't vote for you if you decide X". I made planning decisions based on planning law and not based on electoral popularity. A planning decision that is seen to be based on electoral considerations can be seen to be subject to maladministration and refered to the ombudsman.
I once had to be restrained from accusing my electors of being bigoted racist ignoramuses.
I later refused to sit on planning boards specifically /because/ it sat in public and so members pontificated to the gallery instead of sitting down and getting on with the work. I remained on Licensing which made all its decisions in private.
Its not quite automatic. If the parish objects, the parish clerk has the power to request (i.e. instruct) a district councillor for the ward to call it in. At the same time the parish submits its grounds for objection to the planning dept and these details will later appear at the planning committee meeting.
The Parish Clerk has no powers whatsoever to instruct anyone in this context and indeed in most others. The Parish Clerk is an employee of the Parish Council and their function is to carry out Council's wishes. The Parish Councillors may make an objection to a planning application and the Parish Clerk will send it to the Planning Department. The application is usually only referred to the committee if the Parish Council's view differs from those of the planning officer. Any application can be referred to the committee if the councillor wish but in practice only a small percentage are.
the number of objections should have no bearing on the outcome. its what the objections are for that matters. you need a good reason for them not to grant it. one good reason is enough, 30 minor reasons probably isn't.
You could try and get the building listed if its of any real significance.
I think you have already picked up on good points made by Matt & Colin but just wanted to add that you need not sorry too much about the posted deadline, it is usually posted really early and the planning officer will accept all objections up until just a few weeks before the planning meeting.
Also, take a look at the published local plan for the area and take particular note highlight development details that conflict with their designs for the area as they will be the ones they take most notice of.
So, I've got to ask: who exactly did you think you were there to represent? Obviously not the people who felt strongly about local issues. Maybe you were above all that and didn't have to answer to the people who put you there.
Well OK, the clerk is a mere functionary of the parish council. However in my experience if the parish council objects mildly to a planning application it is *not* automatically called in and the decision may still be delegated. The only way to ensure it is called in, given a major objection, is to request a district councilor to call it in, and this is done by way of the clerk, on behalf of the parish council, (unless its done verbally with the D.C. present) communicating with the relevant district councilor.
Planning is a minefield. People here are correct to say that they can only turn down an application for planning reasons but planning regulations are complex and I have seen many inconsistent decisions being made. Therefore there is hope but you really need to research the regulations thoroughly and you might find something to use.
Find out your local policy. In my council most decisions are made by the planning officers (delegated powers) and the planning committee don't consider them. Large developments and controversial issues will be referred to the committee, which is one way objections do count.
However developers are very good at gaming the system and will often keep submitting applications until one is granted. Developers can appeal if the planning applications is turned down but objectors cannot appeal if the application is granted. Therefore there is a tendancy to let cases through, since it is less costly to the council and no-one can reverse the decision.
Objections will be noted until virtually the decision day, there is no other time limit AFAIK. Appeals are often held miles away by people who have no local knowledge also.
Publicity is a good thing though. Hopefully the local paper would run the story which should make the councillors take note. Our councillors are usually helpful about planning matters but decisions have so often being overturned on appeal.
And then there's the case where a similar application was refused and the old buildings were mysteriously demolished over a weekend by parties "unknown".
Well OK, the clerk is a mere functionary of the parish council. However in my experience if the parish council objects mildly to a planning application it is *not* automatically called in and the decision may still be delegated. The only way to ensure it is called in, given a major objection, is to request a district councilor to call it in, and this is done by way of the clerk, on behalf of the parish council, (unless its done verbally with the D.C. present) communicating with the relevant district councilor. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Planning applications are only called in by central government. Referring them to the planning committee is what happens locally if the councillors feel that having the application dealt with under delegated powers is not approprite. Parish Councillors have no power to dictate what District councillors do. Furthermore Parish Councils have very limited powers generally, but often have a very over inflated view of their own importance. They can ask for an application to go to the planning committee, but ultimately the decision is for the Distinct Councillors. The problem is that Parish Councils often come under pressure from local residents to object to applications when there are no lawful grounds to do so. Parish councils have a legal obligation to make any objections on planning grounds alone. Unfortunately they often raise objections that have no basis in law which means their views often, quite correctly, don't carry much weight with the planners.
Yes. Developers can put in a stream of applications if they feel like it, as each one is refused. At ?150 a time or so it's cheap.
The appeal is done by a planning inspector put in by DEFRA or the Foreign Office or whoever it is. If they allow the appeal because they disagree with the Council's aesthetic view it wouldn't surprise me if they can award costs to the appellant. And there'll be barristers involved at ?100/sec, too.
Many people here seem to think that councillors can do what they like. They can't. If you want a planning system that's more local, or that allows locals to object successfully "because they don't like it", you better put the pressure on your MP to get the law changed. No point in going after the councillors.
As a /member/ of the planning board I was there to represent planning law. Councillors who attended the planning board as a /representative/ and presented objections, support or comments to the decision-making members of the board represented either themselves or local residents or a combination thereof.
If someone wants to replace what may be an oversized building for the area and replace it with two smaller dwellings, what are your concerns? If there are aspects of the proposal you don't like (being overlooked, demolition of a historic building, more cars, residents etc.), then fair enough, but you appear to be opposing it for snobbish reasons, i.e., "replacing a Victorian cottage with a pair of ticky-tacky 3 beds".
This is demolishing one small cottage circa 1890 with a drive at the side and replacing it with two larger dwellings with space for 4x4s at the front.
what are your
All those things really
but you appear to be opposing it for snobbish
This is a road of primarily Victorian terraced houses, so "out of character" is putting it mildly. In a sense I suppose all preservation is a form of snobbery
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