Comment on a planning application

Public Access user guide

Guidance for town and parish clerks

Privacy notice

Please note the Public Access system will timeout after 30 minutes of inactivity. If a user is still typing a comment after the 30 minute time out period, they will not be logged out until they perform an action which will cause the page to refresh. While drafting a comment, if a user is logged out, due to a time-out after clicking the submit button, the comment will be retained when the user logs back in. This comment will be retained by a user’s browser’s cookies for up to two days on the same device until its submission.

Consultations on applications

Consultation on applications is undertaken in accordance with our Statement of Community Involvement and the National Regulation requirements, which are set out in various legislation including the General Development Procedure (England) Order (as amended).

However, as set out below, you do not have to be formally consulted in order to comment on an application.

Commenting on a planning application

The determination of planning applications is not a referendum. It is not the number of comments, but the content of the comments received that is considered and relevant to the determination of the application.

For example, a large number of objections will not necessarily lead to the application being refused, and vice versa if a large number of representations of support are received the application will not necessarily be approved.

As explained below and on our planning application process page, applications are determined on the basis of planning policy and material planning considerations.