Advice please for objecting to planning

uk_american

elsien wrote: »

How many people does it affect who may also wish to object.
For a larger development, we found that getting local councillors on board and doing individual objections more effective than the petition route.

*this*

A neighboring property to mine put in planning permission to convert an unused garage from the 1950s into active use along with a new car wash and taxi waiting area.

I noted the names of those who lodged objections on my Council's website and went to have a chat with them.

I then approached the other nearby neighbors (previously unknown to me) with a printed out letter where they only needed to fill in their name, address and signature in case they didn't want to create their own letter.

I had a side word with a local Councilor later, he explained that each individual letter counts as 'one.' So where the local pensioner flats considered sending one joint letter with 40 signatures, they also went the 'template letter' route to deliver 40 votes against the development.

Our main objection was 'noise' but we also cited the Council's regeneration plan for the area which was to make it a destination for independent restaurants and shops, not an industrial estate.

In the end we lost mainly due to the site originally being a garage earlier but the Council did implement some restrictions and specifically cited community feedback as the reason. In particular the application had asked for operating hours from 7-7 each day, instead they were granted curtailed weekday hours with only half day Saturdays and no Sundays.

Whilst you might not be able to stop the development, you may be able to impact the extent of it through joining forces with your neighbors.

getmore4less

tortoiseshellcat wrote: »

Hello I hope I am posting in the right section...
Has anyone successfully objected to planning and if so is there anything key that will help?
The planning proposed will have an impact on parking, traffic and pedestrian safety so that will be my start but I wondered what other things hold weight with councils?
I would appreciate any advice.
Thank you.

post a link to the planning app.

There will be plenty of applications refused on the local area just plough through them.

if there really are traffic and pedestrian issues the relevant departments will block the application.

there will be a local parking requirement often less than one space per property.

what is on the site now?

martin1959

Find out who the Ward Councillors are for the area and contact them and ask them to call the application into a planning committee meeting where the members will vote on it.

Even if the planning department has suggested approving the application, experience has shown me that the committee is normally made up of geriatric old gits who take pleasure in overriding planning officers.

Bear in mind that even if the committee votes it down, the applicant can appeal to the Government planning appeals service, and they may override the committee..

dont_use_vistaprint

If the development of the land has been approved on a local development plan, which each council has to publish, most of the objections above are already dealt with and will be ignored, the time to object to the development plan has passed if planning applications are being received. You are better of trying to influence the design. If not then drainage and impact on local services are your best bet as most schools and surgeries are over-subscribed and school run traffic is already causing accidents.

AlexMac

I assume you've read the detailed guidance, above, so I won't repeat it, but as regards

tortoiseshellcat wrote: »

...Has anyone successfully objected to planning ...

Yes. We (as a residents' association, or as a bunch of individuals) only object if the proposal really is unreasonable, have objected about five timesin the past 3-4 years and have won some and lost some.

But in our Council, NUMBERS MATTER. The Council Officers agree most proposals via "delegated powers" because they can't be bothered with appeals, unless 8 or more objections come in. So stoke up yer neighbours/ Look up the Planap and objection deadline; give 'em the URL or link to where they can object online (most Councils post plans, etc on their Planning Website and accept online comment- I assume you've googled yours?) In my borough, if we can get at least 8 objections the matter tends to go before a Committee of elected Councillors (not just Planning staff), where we can object in person, so check what the rules are in your area; ring the duty planner.

And as regards

tortoiseshellcat wrote: »

.. is there anything key that will help?... parking, traffic and pedestrian safety.

As well as the advice above, look at the simpler checklist of what are "material considrations"- for example by one London Council
https://www.richmond.gov.uk/what_is_a_valid_objection_to_a_planning_application

All good short bullet points

And ultimately, and if you don't win, remember it probably won't be as bad as you fear after construction; the 2-3 year buiild period passes quickly and even if you lose, the Council will impose conditions on hours of work, etc

Good luck

tortoiseshellcat

uk_american wrote: »

*this*

A neighboring property to mine put in planning permission to convert an unused garage from the 1950s into active use along with a new car wash and taxi waiting area.

I noted the names of those who lodged objections on my Council's website and went to have a chat with them.

I then approached the other nearby neighbors (previously unknown to me) with a printed out letter where they only needed to fill in their name, address and signature in case they didn't want to create their own letter.

I had a side word with a local Councilor later, he explained that each individual letter counts as 'one.' So where the local pensioner flats considered sending one joint letter with 40 signatures, they also went the 'template letter' route to deliver 40 votes against the development.

Our main objection was 'noise' but we also cited the Council's regeneration plan for the area which was to make it a destination for independent restaurants and shops, not an industrial estate.

In the end we lost mainly due to the site originally being a garage earlier but the Council did implement some restrictions and specifically cited community feedback as the reason. In particular the application had asked for operating hours from 7-7 each day, instead they were granted curtailed weekday hours with only half day Saturdays and no Sundays.

Whilst you might not be able to stop the development, you may be able to impact the extent of it through joining forces with your neighbors.

Thanks we did have a petition which we submitted as well. We also let each person who signed the petition know that the plannng was submitted so they could object individually if they wish to. Not many people were sent a notification of the plans, just the ones who are losing their back gardens and who would directly back onto the site. I’m sure the plans will go ahead but at least the council will have it on record that many aren’t happy about it.

tortoiseshellcat

AlexMac wrote: »

Yes. We (as a residents' association, or as a bunch of individuals) only object if the proposal really is unreasonable, have objected about five timesin the past 3-4 years and have won some and lost some.

But in our Council, NUMBERS MATTER. The Council Officers agree most proposals via "delegated powers" because they can't be bothered with appeals, unless 8 or more objections come in. So stoke up yer neighbours/ Look up the Planap and objection deadline; give 'em the URL or link to where they can object online (most Councils post plans, etc on their Planning Website and accept online comment- I assume you've googled yours?) In my borough, if we can get at least 8 objections the matter tends to go before a Committee of elected Councillors (not just Planning staff), where we can object in person, so check what the rules are in your area; ring the duty planner

Good luck

. Thank you! And well done on the ones you won! We submitted online comments last week as have a few neighbours. Unfortunately they aren’t showing on the planning page and when i queried the council over this they said they are having a problem loading comments on the website. Personally I think that’s a shame as people won't be able to see the objections. We’ve got less that a week left before the deadline so time will tell. I do think its probably a done deal anyway and I think submitting over Christmas was a deliberate ploy but we will see.

moneyistooshorttomention

tortoiseshellcat wrote: »

. Unfortunately they aren’t showing on the planning page and when i queried the council over this they said they are having a problem loading comments on the website. Personally I think that’s a shame as people won't be able to see the objections. We’ve got less that a week left before the deadline so time will tell. I do think its probably a done deal anyway and I think submitting over Christmas was a deliberate ploy but we will see.

"Inefficiency" - a frequent tactic by anything governmental - be it Councils, Civil Service Departments or whatever else.....:rotfl::rotfl:

Visions of some enormous black hole underneath the Arctic where all those "lost" papers Council/Government/etc wish they didn't have have been "safely stored":cool::cool: (at the last count some of my papers have been "safely stored" there for over 20 years - but I'd taken the precaution of having a copy of them before they "got lost" LOL).

AdrianC

tortoiseshellcat wrote: »

Not many people were sent a notification of the plans, just the ones who are losing their back gardens and who would directly back onto the site.

There are definite - and tight - rules on who has to be notified. But there should be site notifications posted visibly.


Who is "losing their back gardens", and how?

I’m sure the plans will go ahead but at least the council will have it on record that many aren’t happy about it.

Lovely, an' all, but it doesn't matter a jot whether there are 200 objections or none, once the application has been approved. They cannot be taken into account on future applications.

Davesnave

AdrianC wrote: »

There are definite - and tight - rules on who has to be notified. But there should be site notifications posted visibly.

Who is "losing their back gardens", and how?.

Site notices should be displayed in a 'prominent position,' which is a phrase open to interpretation.

When plans affected me, I found the prominent display was in a road where I never went.

"Losing their back gardens" shouldn't be a throwaway line here. OP, stop teasing and say exactly what you mean.