View and comment on a planning application

What to know before you comment

Comments are recorded on the application and considered by Planning Officers. If the application goes to the Planning Committee, we will pass them on. Please note defamatory or racist comments could leave you open to legal action and will be disregarded by us.

We do not enter into individual correspondence about representations on applications. We take account of your comments as part of the process of assessing the application.

Where appropriate, we will seek changes to the planning application to overcome concerns. If changes are made to the application, we may consult you again. In all cases, we will let you know the decision.

When you comment

To comment on an application on the online planning register: 

• find the applicable planning application following the instructions on the planning portal
• once you have found the application, click on the comment(s) button
• enter the required details and your comments on the application

To guarantee that your comments are considered, we need to receive them before the deadline set out in the notification letter, site notice or press advertisement. These documents can be viewed by finding the application on the planning register and clicking on the Documents tab.

We will still consider comments received after this deadline, provided that the decision has not already been taken.

After you have commented

We prepare a report to inform the decision-making process. The report can be for Committee decisions or an officer delegated decision. It summarises all the representations and assesses the issues raised in the context of relevant planning policies.

The report can be viewed on the Planning Applications Register once it has been prepared. We will inform you in writing of the decision that has been reached.

We are unable to share comments not previously published after a Decision Notice has been issued.

We aim to deal with these requests within 20 working days. However, if there is a high volume of comments on the requested application, a bespoke timescale to respond will be given.

You may comment on material planning considerations and relevant facts relating to a planning application.

What may be taken into account

Some examples of material planning considerations and issues that may be taken into account include:

• the environmental impact of the development
• the impact of the development on the highway network
• any policy in the Council’s Local Development Framework, or the relevant Local Plan for your area
• central and regional Government planning policy guidance, circulars, orders and statutory instruments
• planning laws and previous decisions
• noise, disturbance and/or smells
• residential amenity
• design, appearance and layout
• impact on trees, listed buildings and conservation areas
• public open space

What will not be taken into account

Issues that will not be taken into account include:

• boundary disputes
• private rights of way, private covenants or agreements
• the applicant’s conduct, private affairs or how a business is run
• the applicant’s motives (including profit)
• the impact on property values
• suspected further development
• loss of views over other people’s land
• land ownership

We were unable to offer this service before 24 January 2022. If you require copies of comments submitted before this date, on applications that are still to be determined, please request these in writing by email to planning@westnorthants.gov.uk.

Please make sure you quote the application number and site address so that we can find the correct application.