Petitioning a Planning Application

A petition is one way of making representations on a planning application. A petition will be taken into account as part of the assessment of the application in the same way as other relevant planning representations.

A petition does not, by itself, mean that the application will be considered by Planning Committee. Under the National Scheme of Delegation, an application

will only be considered by Planning Committee where it is referred in accordance with the national rules and the Council’s Constitution.

Where an application is being considered by Planning Committee, a valid petition that is contrary to the Planning Officer’s recommendation may give the Lead Petitioner, or a nominated representative, the right to speak for up to five minutes. The speaker must attend the meeting in person, even where the meeting is being run on a hybrid basis.

How to submit a petition

You can submit either:

• a paper petition by post; or
• an e-petition online.

Paper petitions

A paper petition must:

• contain at least ten signatories from different households;
• state the planning application reference number and full address of the property or site on every page;
• clearly explain the reasons for the petition;
• contain the full name, full address and signature of each signatory;
• be the original document, as photocopies are not accepted; and
• identify the Lead Petitioner and provide contact details.

If the application is already due to be considered by Planning Committee and the petition is intended to secure public speaking rights, the petition must also be contrary to the Planning Officer’s recommendation and received by 3pm at least three clear working days before the meeting.

E-petitions

An e-petition must:

• contain at least ten signatories;
• be signed by people who live, work or study in the Borough;
• state the planning application reference number and full address of the property or site;
• explain the reasons for the petition and the action or decision sought;
• identify the Lead Petitioner and provide contact details; and
• normally be submitted within 21 days of the application first being publicised. Signatures cannot be added after that period.

If the application meets the gateway test and is to be considered by Planning Committee and the e-petition is intended to secure public speaking rights, it must also be contrary to the Planning Officer’s recommendation and completed by 3pm at least three clear working days before the meeting.

After a petition is submitted

We will acknowledge a valid paper petition or e-petition within 10 working days. A paper petition will be added to the planning application file. A link to a valid e-petition will be added to the application file.

If the application is referred to Planning Committee, the Lead Petitioner will be notified of the meeting date and whether public speaking rights apply. Only the Lead Petitioner and applicant will be notified directly that the application is to be considered by Planning Committee.

Speaking at Planning Committee

The Lead Petitioner or a nominated representative must attend the meeting in person to speak. If no representative of the petition is present when the item is considered, Planning Committee will still determine the application. The applicant or agent may speak in response. Each speaker may speak for up to five minutes and may be asked questions by Councillors.

Representations become public documents. Signatures, email addresses and telephone numbers will be redacted, but requests for confidentiality cannot be accepted. Racist, abusive or otherwise offensive comments will not be accepted.

Planning Committee Dates

The dates of planning committee meetings can be viewed on the meetings, agendas, reports and minutes area of the website and are available 5 working days before the meeting takes place.

Planning matters taken into account

Only relevant Planning matters can be taken into account by the Council when reaching a decision.  Matters which can be taken into account when reaching a decision include:

• the appearance and character of the area or street, including the design and materials of buildings, landscaping and tree loss
• other environmental issues (for example, noise)
• traffic generation and road safety
• employment and the local economy
• impact on public services
• effects on the landscape and the need to protect open land in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or land use for agriculture; impact of a building on its neighbours, (for example, privacy or the physical effect of the building)

Planning matters not taken into account

You should also be aware that in reaching a decision, the Council cannot normally consider the following matters:

• the personal circumstances of the applicant as sometimes put forward in support of an application. These will seldom outweigh the more general planning consideration
• the fact that development may have already begun
• 'trade objections' from potential competitors
• moral arguments, (for example, opposition to betting shops or amusements arcades)
• the belief that an application is submitted with the intention of selling the property at an enhanced value
• the loss of an attractive view from private property
• the fear that an objector's house might be devalued
• the fact that the applicant does not own the land
• allegations that a proposal might affect private rights, such as restrictive covenants, rights of way, or 'ancient lights' - these are usually private matters on which objectors may need legal advice
• the fear that a building may be used for a different purpose in the course of time - decisions have to be made on applications as submitted
• matters covered by other legislation (for example, Building Regulations or the Health & Safety at Work Act)
• public safety on telecommunications masts where the installation complies with ICNIRP guidelines

Template Paper Petition

The below document can be used as a template for a paper petition.

Template planning paper petition.doc

Independent advice

Planning Aid provides independent planning advice, you can call them on 0870 850 9806.

They give some advice to all callers and if you meet their eligibility criteria you may be given extra help by one of their professional planning staff or volunteers.