East Suffolk Council
Comment on a planning application
You can view and comment on a planning application via our Public Access system.
You can search Public Access for a planning application, including applications that are currently being considered, and applications that have been decided. You can also submit a comment on a planning application.
Please be aware that all comments submitted on applications are a matter of public record and will be published online via Public Access, so they will be visible to the applicant and the wider public. Therefore, prior to submitting comments on applications it is recommended that you read the guidance on this page including the ‘Recording and publication of comments’ section, which explains why any comments you submit along with your name and postal address will be published online via Public Access.
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.
What to look at before commenting
Before writing your comments, it is recommended that you view all plans and documentation for the application. These can be viewed online via Public Access.
You may also wish to look at Local Planning Policy, and whether the property is a Listed Building, in a Conservation Area, in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Broads National Park, and/or if there is any relevant planning history.
Please note that the comments that you submit will be published on the council’s website via the Public Access system.
What should be included in comments on applications
Comments on applications should be made in writing and you should include:
- the application reference number (this will be in the form DC/21/****/***)
- the address of the application
- your contact details
Tell us whether you:
- object (i.e. are against the scheme),
- have no objections (you wish to make comments but do not object or support)
- support the scheme (i.e. you are in favour)
Provide your specific views/comments on the proposals.
It is recommended that you explain your issues clearly, organising them in a logical order and do not make your comments overlong.
You should try to limit comments to those which are ‘Material Planning Considerations’ in the determination of planning applications. These can include:
| Access/traffic (parking and road safety issues) | Affordable housing |
| Amenity – daylight, sunlight, privacy | Conservation Areas/Listed Buildings |
| Consultee responses | Cumulative Impacts |
| Fear of Crime (s17) | Government policy (e.g. NPPF and NPPG) |
| Layout, density, design/appearance, character | Local economy |
| Local planning policy | Noise, smell or other disturbances |
| Outlook | Prematurity |
| Previous similar decisions | Site History |
| Fall back Permitted Development Position | Local Economic benefits |
| Protected trees | Ecology and wildlife |
You should try to avoid matters which are not Material Planning Considerations, and therefore cannot be considered in the determination of applications:
| Commercial competition | Impact upon property values |
| Your personal views of the applicant/agent | Matters covered by other Legislation |
| Moral objections | Private access rights |
| Loss of view | Restrictive covenants |
| Profit | Work already done |
Further guidance on Material Planning Considerations can be found on the Planning Portal.
How to submit comments
Comments must be made in writing and be received by the deadline given. You have 15 working days from:
- the date of registration of the application, or
- the date of the application details being officially advertised (where this is necessary), or
- the site notice being displayed, or
- the date of any letter sent to your asking for comments
(Whichever is the latest date – this can be viewed in the ‘Important Dates’ tab via Public Access)
It is recommended that comments are submitted online via Public Access. This enables you to submit comments online direct from the webpages relating to that application. They will be immediately published on the website.
As part of using the online system, you will have the option to receive notifications when status of an application changes and/or a decision is issued.
Alternatively, comments can be submitted by email or post to our Planning Team.
Please note that comments submitted via email or post will also be published to the website, however, due to their nature they will not be published immediately. They may take a few days to be published online.
Recording and publication of comments
Please be aware that all comments submitted on applications are a matter of public record and will be published online via Public Access. Therefore, they will be visible to the applicant and the wider public. Comments can only be considered in the determination of the application if they are added to the public file (i.e. on public access) alongside other representations.
In order for the context of comments to be fully understood, and which property is considered to be affected within the consultation responses, the address from which those comments have been received has to be known (for example, if an objection is received raising concerns regarding loss of light, those assessing the application need to know which property is the subject of the objection, in order to fully assess its relationship to the proposals and any potential impact upon light levels).
Therefore, all comments are published with details of who has submitted the comments, and the postal address to which they relate. Other personal and confidential data, such as telephone numbers, email addresses and signatures are not published. Further details regarding our policy on redaction and what happens to your data can be found in our Privacy Statement.
Planning Law requires that planning applications are determined in accordance with the development plan (the Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans), unless material planning considerations indicate otherwise.
In determining the application, the Local Planning Authority will consider the material planning considerations raised within comments submitted on the application, and any other material planning considerations that officers and/or elected members identify through the process.
Therefore, if you wish an issue to be considered, it is recommended that you include it within your comments. If it is a ‘Material Planning Consideration’ it will then be considered when the application is determined.
The weight given to the ‘Material Planning Considerations’ is a matter for the decision taker (i.e. the Local Planning Authority). However, the decision taker is required to demonstrate that in reaching their decision they have considered all relevant ‘Material Planning Considerations’.
The Local Planning Authority publishes reports for all applications that it determines. In the case of items delegated to officers, they are published on Public Access once the decision has been made. Committee reports for cases that are going to committee will be published online a week prior to the meeting.
Speaking at Planning Committee
Those wishing to speak at a Planning Committee meeting have to register prior to the meeting, in accordance with the requirements of our constitution.
Copyright: Please note that plans, drawings and other material submitted to local authorities for planning applications are protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the data, planning information contained within the site is at present incomplete. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for carrying out a formal land charge search and should not be used as such.
The information contained in this site may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. No responsibility will be taken for any errors or omissions in the planning history information obtained from the public access system. Similarly the information contained within public access system does not constitute in any way a formal notification of a planning decision, and as such any actions taken as a result of information displayed on the site are undertaken entirely at the viewer’s own risk.
Privacy: The current version of Public Access introduces elements to satisfy UK GDPR legislation regarding the safe handling of personal and sensitive data. During the registration process, new users are now informed what personal information they are providing and how that data will be used in Public Access. Existing users of Public Access also need to provide consent for the storage and use of their personal data.
If you register as a user of the Public Access system and wish to submit comments then your comments will be immediately published on the website. However, personal telephone numbers and email addresses will not be published for comments on the documents uploaded.
Please note that the name and postal addresses of those submitting comments are published on the website to enable the context of the material planning considerations to be understood.
Further details regarding our policy on redaction and what happens to your data can be found in our Privacy Statement.