UDC Guidance for
Planning Comments

Commenting to UDC about local Planning Applications

If you received a direct notification of a Planning Application which is deemed to affect your property this guidance information forms part of that letter.
If you did not receive a letter your are still entitled comment on the application.  Following the guidance below will ensure your comment is accepted. 

The information below is taken directly from a UDC notification of an planning application which may affect a nearby property.  This Parish Council only reproduces it here for information.

Generally these notes also apply to Applications published by The Planning Inspectorate under Section 62A of the Town and Country Planning Act (1990).  However, in this case all comments must be made directly to the the Inspectorate, see the details in the any announcement about applications made under Section 62A or click  Making a Representation 

Viewing Applications Online.

All documentation submitted with the application is available online, via our website https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/4863/Comment-or-search-for-a-planning-application You should also comment on the application via this website. Please note that representations can take up to five working days to be uploaded to the website.

Making your comments - please see below for what you can and can’t comment on:

Any comments should be made via Public Access at the above address by the by the date specified. You will need to register and / or log in to make comments. You should be aware that any comments you make will be a matter of public record and shall be available for public inspection.

Due to the number of comments received by this office we do not respond to them or you individually. If your comments are relevant to the decision (please see guidance on the back of this letter), the officer will consider them as part of their recommendation.

Please note that if you would like your comments taken into consideration you should include both your name and address which will appear on the Public Access website.

If you are commenting about a householder application which subsequently is refused permission, any appeal will be held under written representations procedure. Any comments you have made will be forwarded electronically to the Inspector. You will be unable to make any further comments at the appeal stage.

If you are not the owner of the property you occupy, please inform the owner and any other person who may have an interest in this application.

What you can and cannot comment on when telling us about a planning application.

When a planning application is available for comment, you can tell us what you think about it. We will take your comments into account when we make a decision about the application.

We also have a statutory obligation and duty to take into account the provisions of the Local Plan and any other material planning considerations.

What you can comment on

We can only take planning issues into account when deciding on a planning application. The type of issues varies depending on the proposal and also the location of the site and its surroundings such as:

• technical advice (including road safety and traffic)

• loss of light, overshadowing, overlooking, privacy

• design and appearance

• character of the local area

• case law and previous decisions (both delegated and at appeal)

• local, strategic, regional and national planning policies

• government circulars, orders and statutory instruments

• adequacy of parking/loading/turning areas including access

• highway/pedestrian safety

• traffic generation

• noise and odour

• loss of trees and landscaping

• impact on listed buildings and conservation areas

• archaeology

• around (sic) contamination 

This list is not exhaustive.

What you cannot comment on 

We can't take some issues into account, such as:

• private property rights including land/boundary disputes, damage to property and covenants

• land ownership

• issues covered under building regulations (structural stability, fire precautions etc.)

• applicant's morals, motives or past record;

• effect on property prices

• the fact that development has already commenced or completed

• trade objections based on competition

• loss of a private view

• unproven health implications

• inconvenience or other problems caused by building works

• type of resident

This list is not exhaustive

Comments we won't accept

 We won't take your comment into consideration or publish it if:

• your comment is anonymous (you haven't given a valid name and address)

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