|
This letter may turn out to be worth thousands of pounds to you. It is odd there seem to be so few sources for help and advice to try to get it right. One reason is that it is the council planners job to try to make the best of what you put so that you shouldn't need a degree in planning. You may want to object outright or may be more successful if you are just trying to modify certain aspects of the plans.
"The planning system does not exist to protect the private interests of one person" [PPG1 sect 64] so if development will affect the value of your property then tough, don't moan about it.
What you need to be covering in writing, when worrying about the affect on your property, are the issues which are affecting your property value such as,
overlooking
loss of views, ( visual amenity )
affect on property access
noise
garden wildlife loss ( pictures?)
loss of sunlight
drainage ( rain water and usual building services )
night time light pollution
fumes
appearance of the area, (historic site?)
car parking
This way the planners can judge if it is worth saving some aspect of your property, estate, community or village for the public, (not your), good.
The planners also have to ignore who it is who owns the land, or the system would quickly become corrupt. So don't, for example, go on about how you hate what the particular developer has done before. Or why, because he owns or controls other land, he may have some devious plan for it all!
It makes it easier for the planners to turn your letter into points for and against particular planning policies if you separate issues out and deal with them one at a time in headed sections. An index at the start of the letter would help them too.
Other essentials are that the letter must be on paper, ( not e-mail ), signed and addressed from you, so the planners know who it is from. It has to be in on time. Don't waste three weeks waiting to get a picture of a lesser spotted thingy before telling the planners you need to protect it! You also need to state which planning application you are referring too, an address, or best the planners number, A/yy/xxxxx in Standish.
The planning applicant has a right to read your letter once the council have got it. Be honest, fair and reasonable or you may be storing up trouble for the future with your neighbour! On the other hand don't be put off by this fact or you may end up suffering for years after, wishing you had said something.
|
|
