Comment on a planning application

You can comment on a planning application on the public access system.

View guidance on how to comment.

All comments need to be made within the consultation period - you find the  consultation dates in the 'important dates' tab on the system.

A planning application is a public document. Any comments you make will be available to others and published on our website. Your name and postal address will also be published. 

Your comments will be uploaded to the application as soon as we receive them.

If you share a boundary with the development, you'll receive a neighbour notification letter. You will not receive a neighbour notification letter for listed building applications.

Your personal contact details will be removed before publishing. We'll also hide any sensitive personal information - medical details, for example.

If there's an appeal, we'll send your representation to the Planning Inspectorate and the appellant. The Planning Inspectorate may publish appeal documents (including copies of representations) on the Planning Portal website. If you object to your name and address being published for any appeal, you need to contact the Planning Inspectorate directly and give them details of the appeal reference.

Issues we can consider

We have a statutory duty to consider the provisions of the Local Plan and any other 'material considerations'. The most common "material considerations" include (the list is not exhaustive):

• local, strategic, regional and national planning policies
• Government circulars, orders and statutory instruments
• previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
• design, visual appearance, and materials
• layout and density of buildings
• loss of daylight or sunlight
• overshadowing/loss of outlook (but not loss of view)
• overlooking/loss of privacy
• noise and disturbance from use
• smells
• light pollution
• highway safety issues
• traffic generation
• vehicular access
• adequacy of parking
• loss of important trees
• landscaping
• nature conservation
• intrusion into the open countryside/ Green Belt
• risk of flooding
• effect of Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• archaeology
• hazardous materials and ground contamination
• disabled persons access

Issues we cannot take into account

Many concerns cannot be addressed through the planning process, these include:

• loss of view
• loss of property value
• breach of restrictive covenant
• loss of trade to a competitor
• the level of profit a developer might make
• personal circumstances of the applicant (in most cases)
• moral objections e.g. to uses such as amusement arcades and betting offices
• matters controlled under Building Regulations or other non-planning laws, e.g. structural stability, drainage, fire precautions etc
• private issues between neighbours e.g. land/boundary disputes, damage to property, private rights of way, covenants etc
• problems arising from the construction period of any works, e.g. noise, dust, construction vehicles, hours of work etc.
• the development is already completed

If you have any questions, you can email our planning team: planning@rutland.gov.uk.