How we use your comments
If you submit a comment through the website or via email you will receive an automatically generated acknowledgement. If your comment is submitted by post it will not be acknowledged.
Due to the large number of responses received it is not possible to respond personally to matters/questions raised. Your comments will be summarised in the officer's report and any significant and relevant matters will be addressed in the appraisal.
We have to make comments available to the public. The exception is in cases where someone may have breached planning rules, in which case we keep the identity of complainants confidential.
Taking your comments into account
We'll only come to a decision after taking your comments into consideration.
If the application is forwarded on to the Planning and Licensing Committee, all comments will be included in a report to them.
You can also speak at the committee meeting considering the case. We'll let you know if the application is going before the committee and when the meeting is.
If there are enough objections will an application be turned down?
We're constrained by law and precedents set in the courts. We can't turn down an application just because there are a lot of objections to it.
Local opposition or support for a proposal is not grounds in itself for refusing or granting planning permission.
We'll keep you updated
You can search the planning application database to keep informed of an application.
If you comment on an application, we'll let you know what our decision is. We'll also let you know if an application that was refused then goes to appeal.
Only applicants can appeal against a planning decision, which means that as an objector or supporter you can't appeal against our decision.