Guidance for making a comment on a planning application
Comments (also known as a representation) for current applications can be submitted online, by emailing planningcomments@northdevon.gov.uk or by post to Strategic Development and Planning, North Devon Council, Lynton House, Commercial Road, Barnstaple, EX31 1DG.
Please quote the planning application number in all correspondence.
Due to the large number of representations received by the department it is not possible to respond to individual comments. You can track the progress of the planning application using our online planning tracker.
Comments should be submitted during the 21 day consultation period in order that they may be fully considered. However, they may be submitted up until the day the decision is made, although this is not recommended because it gives our officers very little time to consider any comments made. If the application has been scheduled to be heard at the Planning Committee, in order for the information to be made public and to be given weight at the meeting, it should be submitted by no later than before 12 pm on the Monday preceding the meeting of the committee at which the specific application will be discussed. Any additional information submitted after this time may only be referred to as part of a verbal update at the Planning Committee by officers but, as other interested parties may not have seen this material, it will be treated as information only and will carry only very limited weight.
All representations received in respect of planning and other related applications and matters will be processed in accordance with the following legislation:
Your name and address and comments will be available to the general public via the website. Any signatures, personal email addresses and personal contact numbers will not be viewable online but will be recorded on our planning database.
Any medical information submitted will be redacted unless there is exceptionally a legitimate reason for this special category of data to be processed.
Your information will be used for planning related reasons including but not limited to:
Only planning related matters can be considered and any comments which we consider to be inappropriate will be removed before publication. Inappropriate comments include those which are racist, sexist, xenophobic, defamatory, prejudiced or otherwise likely to cause offence to the subject of the comments or any other reader.
If an application attracts, or is likely to attract, a lot of inappropriate comments we may publish a summary of comments on our website instead of individual letters. However we may still share the full comments on request.
Planning related comments include:-
Comments which cannot be considered include:-
Your personal data including your name, address, personal contact number and email address will be held internally on our database and will be available to North Devon Council staff.
Your personal data (excluding personal contact numbers, email address and signatures) will be placed online and be available to view by the general public.
We will process the information provided at the time of your application. If your information is not accurate then you should contact us on planning@northdevon.gov.uk
Currently your data is held on our database and letters on our website indefinitely but we are working with our IT provider to enable all data to be removed 12 months after the date of the decision unless an appeal is received in which case it will be removed after the appeal has been determined.
Your information will not be transferred outside the EU, however the information is accessible to the general public online.
If you think a lot of people agree with you about a planning application you can organise a petition.
If you decide to organise a petition, please make sure that:
Petitions can support as well as oppose planning proposals and will be published on our website. Please note however, individuals appearing on the petition will not be recorded separately on our records.
Most applications are determined by the Chief Planning Officer under delegated powers. All representations received are reviewed alongside relevant planning policies and guidance, prior to a decision being made. It is possible that the Case Officer may request further information from the applicant as a result of comments and as part of the assessment of the proposal.
An individual response to comments and representations on an application is not able to be provided because of the amount the department receives. However, you can track the progress of the planning application using our online planning tracker.
Planning applications which are not dealt with under delegated powers go before the Planning Committee for determination. Planning Committee is held once a month and is open to public attendance. If an application is to be determined by Planning Committee and you have made a representation, you will be notified and given the opportunity to speak should you wish - a maximum of six supporters and six objectors of the application may speak at committee. The applicant or agent and representative of the parish council are also invited to speak at committee.
In the event of a Planning Appeal, any representations made in respect of the planning application will be sent to the Secretary of State. Householder planning applications are dealt with under a fast track process however and there will be no further opportunity to comment. For all other appeals you will receive notification of how to comment further.