Planning objection questions

Mrs_Imp

If someone was to object to a planning application, is it normal for them to receive a letter informing them of the outcome of the decision?

Is it normal for the council to remove the letters of objection from their planning website? They had been available to view previously, but now they're not.

We're just asking out of curiosity really, as an objector appeared to have become aware of a planning decision before the applicants.

Thanks

anselld

They may or may not have received a letter but the decision is usually posted quickly on the council's website so they may have just been watching there. Normally there is some record of the objection though the actual letter may not be there, however each council has its own website so this will vary.

Why does it matter?

Mrs_Imp

They appeared to know the day before the decision was posted up on the website.

We're just a bit curious to know how they found out first.

Our council used to display objection letters on their website, but now they don't. They don't even seem to display the fact that there were objections. I know that it's possible to go and view them in person, but I was just wondering if there might be a reason for their removal.

seven-day-weekend

Maybe the person who appeared to know beforehand rang up the Council to find out the outcome and was told something like 'it's been recommended for refusal', but the actual formal decision was not made until later by the Planning Committee. They may have taken that to mean it had already been refused.

When I worked in Planning this happened a couple of times.

anselld

Don't know then, my council still display them although not allways the full content, just "objects" or "supports" or "neutral".
Perhaps it went to committee and the objector attended in person.
But again why does it matter, beyond curiosity?

Mrs_Imp

It didn't go to committee.

The decision was due on the Tuesday and the objectors knew on the Monday. It's just curiosity as they wonder if the objectors know someone within the Council, which is why they found out sooner.

Sevenday - that's a more preferable reason than them knowing people in the right places!!

seven-day-weekend

Mrs_Imp wrote: »

It didn't go to committee.

The decision was due on the Tuesday and the objectors knew on the Monday. It's just curiosity as they wonder if the objectors know someone within the Council, which is why they found out sooner.

Sevenday - that's a more preferable reason than them knowing people in the right places!!

It almost certainly is the reason If it didn't go to Committee, then the same scenario can still apply - just that the Planning Officer had not yet documented the formal decision, although had actually made the decision.

In the Council where I worked as a Planning Technician, if someone came into the office to ask about the outcome of a Planning Application, if it was coming close to the time when a decision was to be made, quite often I would ask the relevant Planning Officer how close they were to making a decision and they would say something like 'it's going to be refused/granted' and I would then go back to the customer and relay that information, even though the formal paperwork might not yet have been drawn up.

Something like this has almost certainluy happened in your case.

Fuzzyness

the decision is normally made before the decision notice is put up on the council's website. sometimes it can take a few days for this to happen. the person could have known what the decision was because they phoned the planning department. they would have been able to tell them whether it had been passed or refused at that time.

Fuzzyness

Mrs_Imp wrote: »

The decision was due on the Tuesday

what do you mean by this? was it on your letter that you recieved follwoign the submission of your application that says a decision will be reached by a certain date? if so, a decision can be made before then if everything is ready by then. its only a target date that the council aims to try and determine an application within.

Fire_Fox

You can have acquaintances in a position to give you a heads up without being able to influence the decision. I used to be an active member of a community group and was aware a couple of times that Planning were intending to refuse and on what grounds before the closing date for submissions. Ward councillors sit on committees, for example, they could tell their constituency members what outcome is expected when it is a fairly clear cut case.