Planning

Where a parish council elects to be consulted by the Planning Authority on a planning application for development which is proposed within the parish boundaries, the law requires that Authority to submit the required documents to the parish council. Whitwell Parish Council has made such an election and planning applications are considered at each council meeting.

It should be noted that the responsibility of a parish council extends only to making comments and whether it does or does not object to the development, giving its reasons if an objection is being made. It cannot grant or refuse permission for the development. Whitwell Parish Council, as a body, will never comment, or endorse any statement, on the support or otherwise of a particular planning application until that application is submitted to it for comment, although this does not prevent individual members of the Council from making their own views known in the public arena.

Most planning applications are considered and decided upon by the district council (in our case by Bolsover District Council) but some are submitted to the county council (Derbyshire) where, for example, the application refers to the processing of minerals etc.

Anyone who wishes to comment on a particular planning proposal must contact the Planning Authority and, If an objection is being made, giving their reasons for the objection.

The following are valid and invalid reasons to object to a planning proposal:

The most common valid objections (although not an exhaustive list) are shown below:

  • Loss of light or overshadowing
  • Overlooking/loss of privacy
  • Visual amenity (but not loss of private view)
  • Adequacy of parking/loading/turning
  • Highway safety
  • Traffic generation
  • Noise and disturbance resulting from use
  • Hazardous materials
  • Smells
  • Loss of trees
  • Effect on listed building and conservation area
  • Layout and density of building
  • Design, appearance and materials
  • Landscaping
  • Road access
  • Local, strategic, regional and national planning policies
  • Government circulars, orders and statutory instruments
  • Disabled persons’ access
  • Compensation and awards of costs against the Council at public enquiries
  • Proposals in the Development Plan
  • Previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
  • Nature conservation
  • Archaeology

The following are invalid reasons to object:

  • The perceived loss of property value
  • Private disputes between neighbours
  • The loss of a view
  • The impact of construction work or competition between firms
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Ownerships disputes over rights of way
  • Fence lines etc
  • Personal morals or views about the applicant.

Please note: it is important to understand that the material considerations relevant to any particular application will need to be weighed in the final decision process according to their seriousness and relative importance.