Application
Your council
Set these once. They carry over to every application you assess in this browser.
The application
Site constraints
Tick each one that applies. A ticked constraint flags the topic in Assess, and the checks will warn if you rate it not relevant.
Assess
How ratings and the suggestion work
- Supports: meets a policy or gives a clear benefit.
- Neutral: relevant, but no policy issue.
- Concern: harm that conditions or changes could resolve.
- Objection: harm that conflicts with a named policy and that conditions could not resolve.
Suggested response: any Objection suggests Object. Three or more Concerns, or Concerns whose weights add up to 6 or more, are treated as cumulative harm and also suggest Object. Any other Concern suggests Support with conditions. With no Concerns, Support if at least one topic supports, otherwise No objection.
The weighted balance gives each assessed topic a score (Supports +1, Neutral 0, Concern −1, Objection −2), multiplies it by the topic's weight and divides by the total weight. It is shown for information and does not change the suggestion. The council always makes the final decision in step 3.
A reason carries weight with the planning authority when it names the harm, points to a policy, and says how the council knows. Leave out opinion about the applicant or the principle of development as such.
Decide
Meeting record
The council's decision
Representations from residents
Numbers of letters do not decide an application, but specific planning points raised by residents can be relevant.
Raised in discussion but left out
The planning authority cannot take these into account. Tick any that came up so the record shows they were set aside.
Checks
Respond
Before you send
Response
Paste into the planning authority's online comments form or an email, and quote the reference. The decision rests with the planning authority.