Reopen the Jolly Anglers

In order for The Jolly Anglers premises to be used for another purpose, planning permission will have to be applied for and granted. The new owners haven’t made an application yet, but we’re already getting prepared so that if they do, we can make sure that we get as many valid objections from as many people as possible.

One of the problems is that if an objection is considered invalid by the council, it will be disregarded. This happens a lot. So what makes an application valid? We’ve put together a quick guide for you below. You can find more information at http://www.planning-applications.co.uk/objection.htm.

To stand a chance of being taken seriously by the Council any objection or support must be rational, impersonal and directed principally to the planning issues raised by the proposal.

All too often objections are submitted which are based on an incorrect understanding of the application. The first step must be to inspect the application and understand it. You may review the application at your Councils’ planning department or increasingly review the application online through the Council’s website. In the case of Reading, you can find more information and online details of applications at http://www.reading.gov.uk/business/planning/planningapplicationservice/.

Review the Local Plan policy. The Council will have copies of their Local Plan available either to view or purchase. This may take a bit of reading but will almost certainly contain policies that have a bearing upon the application. Do they support or deter the proposal? You may wish to refer to relevant policies in your letter of objection / support. Again, in the case of Reading, you can find lots of useful infomation at http://www.reading.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/planning/localplanningpolicy/.

MAKING YOUR OBJECTION / SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Next step is to write down your concerns / supporting points and send them to the Council Planning Department. There is usually a Case Officer or Area Group allocated to deal with the application.  Again, some authorities now accept online submissions via the planning pages of the Council’s website.

• Set out your comments logically and in a straightforward manner.
• Keep it brief. Long or rambling commentary is unhelpful. Why not use sub-headings to illustrate each point.

You will usually be asked to make your objection within the 21-day consultation period established at the outset of the planning application. However, you can submit objections / supporting statements right up to the moment the application is considered. The later you leave it though the less chance there is of the Council really giving your comments due consideration.

ATTENDING THE PLANNING COMMITTEE

You are entitled to attend any planning committee meeting to hear the applications being considered by the Committee.
 
Increasingly the public is being allowed to speak at committee meetings and each Council adopts their own procedure for this. In most cases you will need to notify the Council in advance of your intention to speak. Check with the Planning Department or Committee Clerks office about the procedure adopted in your particular Council.
The Chairman will invite those who have registered to speak to address the committee from a suitable position in the Council Chamber. Two or three minutes are common time periods allowed for individual public address to the committee and are strictly controlled. This is not long and therefore it is a good idea to read a pre-prepared (and timed) statement or have a series of bullet points to make sure you remember all the points you wish to make. Here again, keep your comments simple, keep them to the point and avoid personal jibes. The committee is only interested in the planning merits of your comments and how they relate to the application.

In my experience as a planning consultant the most effective objector is always the cool, calm and collected representative of personal or local opinion, who has done their homework and presents a logical planning case against (or for) the proposal under consideration.

• If you are representing other people you should ensure you have their permission for you to speak on their behalf. This may be requested by the committee to prove you have other people’s permission. A letter of authority would be useful.
• Group objections / supporters wishing to say much the same thing are generally encouraged to group their comments together with one or two speakers only, but you may be able to negotiate more time per speech as a result. This should be discussed with the Clerks office or planning officer well before the committee date.

If you’ve any more suggestions, please add them below.