Search and Comment on Planning Applications
Please read the following information before entering our online planning system (link below).
How and when can I comment on a planning applications?
For most planning applications, a period of 21 days is given for comments to be sent to the Local Planning Authority, from the date the application is advertised or site notice displayed. All comments need to be submitted in writing. Comments should be submitted using our Planning Online facility (http://www3.threerivers.gov.uk/online-applications/).
All comments must include:
- Planning application reference number
- Site address
- Your address
For guidance on how to comment on planning applications please visit Planning Aid.
Anonymous comments cannot be accepted, and all comments should therefore include a name and address. Comments cannot be treated as confidential and all representations are published on our website and available for inspection on computers at our office. Please do not include any information that you would not wish to be made public. When comments are published online, names, contact details and signatures will be redacted. Your address will not be redacted.
For the purposes of General Data Protection Regulations, your personal data will be processed to enable the Local Planning Authority to comply with a statutory obligation as set out in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) and the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015 as amended. Details of how your data will be processed and retained can also be viewed on the department’s privacy notice available at www.threerivers.gov.uk/privacy-notice.
Please ensure your comments are not offensive, inflammatory or libellous. If they are, they will not be considered by the Case Officer and your representation may be returned to you, or edited by us prior to publication.
Contributions must not:
- Contain any personal names (other than the author’s name, which should be provided). Please use words such as applicant, neighbour etc
- Contain any personal information such as you are living on your own, you are on holiday next week etc.
- Contain any information relating to medical data for yourself or others; this is unlawful for us to process.
- Contain any material which is defamatory of any person.
- Contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory.
- Promote sexually explicit material.
- Promote violence.
- Promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age.
- Infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person.
- Be likely to deceive any person.
- Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
- Promote any illegal activity.
- Be threatening, abusive or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
- Be likely to harass, upset, embarrass or alarm any other person.
- Be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person.
- Give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case; or
- Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.
What should my comments include?
You should include your name, email address (if you have one) and postal address with your comments but no other personal details. Your address will be published. If you email your comments, we will redact your personal details but your address will be published. If you submit online, you should only include personal details in the relevant section of the online form and not within the main ‘comments’ box. Please note if you do not submit your name and postal address, your comments cannot be considered. Please also identify which application your comments relate to. You can read our privacy notice to understand how your personal information will be processed.
Planning Officers will use your contact details to get in touch if they consider it necessary to make a site visit from your property.
Please be aware that Three Rivers District Council is subject to requirements under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and representations may be available to view on request.
Why will you not consider anonymous comments?
In the absence of a name and postal address being included with a comment, the Local Planning Authority is not able to authenticate the comment. In addition, often the address from which a comment originates is important to evaluate the impact on that particular property.
What will be considered?
The key point to remember is that you can only comment on ‘material considerations’ that affect the application. These include matters such as;
- National Planning Policy Framework and Guidance
- Local Planning Policy, Development Plan Documents
- History - previous decisions including appeals
- Comments from consultees
- Amenity e.g. privacy, visual impact, sunlight, daylight, noise and smell
- Highway safety
- Nature, archaeology, conservation and landscape
- Impact upon adjacent land use
- Design and impact on the character of an area
- Human Rights Act
What cannot be considered?
We cannot consider matters that are not material to the application as these are outside the boundaries of the planning process and are likely to be civil matters between parties. These include;
- Loss of value
- Loss of view
- Matters relating to party walls and structures
- Private rights (access)
- Moral issues
- Restrictive covenants
- Land ownership
- Competition
What happens if an appeal is lodged?
Please note that in the event of an appeal against a refusal of planning permission, copies of any representations made will be sent to the Secretary of State.
Please note the following:
Copyright
Plans, drawing and material submitted to the Council are protected by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (Section 47). You may only use material which is downloaded and/or printed for consultation purposes, to compare current applications with previous schemes and to check whether developments have been completed in accordance with approved plans. Further copies must not be made without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
Limitations
The online planning history is incomplete and must not be used as a substitute for carrying out a formal Land Charge Search. No responsibility will be taken for any errors or omissions in the planning history information obtained from Planning Online.
The Public Online system is only fully functional with Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.
Please note that comments received will be available for public inspection. However, comments that would place the Council in breach of our legal duties may not be published.
Available information
Only planning applications from mid-2005 to the current date are available to view online. However, if you wish to view plans electronically before mid-2005, you can do so by using the facilities available at the Council Offices via the CD View programme.
Planning Online is available online between 4am and 11.30pm each day.