Publication of comments

You should be aware that if you write about an application, the Council is obliged to make your letter available for inspection by the public. This will include its publication on the internet whilst the application or any subsequent appeal is being considered.

Publication will include your name and address. This detail is required if we are to take your comments in to account. Your signature, telephone number and e-mail address, if included in your comment, will not be published. Personal data may be retained for up to 3 years and used for further consultation should revised /new applications for the same site be submitted in future. For more information on your rights, please see the council’s privacy statement.

Although the council reserves the right to remove inappropriate comments from the web site as necessary, such comments may still be viewable prior to any removal and viewable by visitors to the Civic Centre. It is therefore your sole responsibility to ensure you do not include defamatory remarks in your comments as you could be held legally responsible for them in the future.

Why do you need to know my name and address for my comment to be counted?

The location and proximity of the commentor to the application site is particularly relevant when considering the impact of any proposal. It is therefore critical for us to understand this detail to assess the relevant weight of comments accordingly.

Where on the website will my comments be published?

There are two locations comments on applications can be viewed:

The majority of comments, including those received via the online commenting tool, will be visible on the relevant application under the 'comments' tab. Please refer to our guidance below on how quickly these will be visible.

Comments that have been submitted in document format will be added to the 'files' tab.

How quickly will comments be published?

Whilst comments submitted using our online comments facility are received directly in to the back office system for the relevant application and due consideration by the officer, they are not published immediately. 

This lag time does not impact the planning process in any way. Officers receive a copy of the comments as soon as they are received via the online comments facility.

Comments are currently published for ease of public viewing but it is not a mandatory requirement. We therefore make them visible as soon as is reasonably possible once the content has been reviewed, specifically for data protection purposes.

Comments are usually processed and visible on our website within 5 working days of receipt but at peak times, it can take longer.

Please allow at least 10 working days before contacting us if you are concerned your comment is not visible online or has not been received.

What happens to all the comments received?

The case officer will prepare a brief report on the case and will summarise any representations received in making a recommendation. 

Further detail about how a decision is made can be found here:  How a Decision is Made