WHAT MIGHT YOU WANT TO CONSIDER IN RAISING OBJECTIONS?
So where do you start? Looking at the Planning House long list of material objections is a good point of departure, as is a development not being in the Local Plan, though the not being in the Plan issue will typically need much more additional detail to show why it should not go ahead.
Here are a range of other areas you might want to take into account:
1/ Has DDC’s Guide to Community Involvement in Planning been followed; errors in not following the due process can often be quite powerful reasons to object.
2/ Look at the Local Plan anyway, because
- it may draw attention to why an additional development is inappropriate in particular locations,
- it may give descriptions of a town/village/neighbourhood that the development clearly conflicts with,
- it may be adding population to an area which Dover DC hadn’t identified as appropriate for that, or
- it may highlight issues over locations that are not fit for certain kinds of development.
3/ Be aware of other local developments and draw links/connections with them, especially if together they are creating a much larger change to an area hasn’t been subject to the proper Local Plan-making process.
4/ Is the site in question one where existing structures are registered Assets of Community Value (which places substantive restrictions on the disposal of and/or use of the site)? If not, should it be registered (and swiftly pursued to register it)?
5/ Is it in a Conservation Area? ….. What does the Conservation Area assessment say? Overall context of Area, buildings, open spaces, facilities, street furniture, road layout, parking facilities ….. etc.
6/ As with any proposed development, and over-riding rule of thumb should be “Does this proposal enhance the Area, does it need amendment to make it appropriate, or is it totally inappropriate and damaging to the Area?
6/ What do the Council’s own stated Strategic Objectives say?
Look at these and you may identify issues that the proposal conflicts with. The 5 themes are,
- Improving our housing.
- Growing our economy.
- Protecting our environment.
- Supporting our communities.
- Modernising our Council.
Each theme identifies a range of actions that are planned in to successfully deliver the objectives, and again it can be quite a powerful argument if a proposal clearly has a detrimental effect on what the Council is committed to doing. All themes could be relevant, and worth checking, but it is the areas of Housing, of Environment, and of Communities that will likely be most significant.
7/ Developments Causing Statutory Nuisance
Statutory Nuisance arises from an act that endangers the life, health, property, morals or comfort of the public or obstructs the public in the exercise or enjoyment of rights. Local Councils are responsible for monitoring complaints and taking action to enforce cessation or remedial action, depending on the nuisance. Enviromental Protection (DDC)
Any building development is going to cause temporary nuisance, but once completed they might cause/ leave permanent problems……. On the site or on neighbouring areas.
In most instances, nuisance arises from industrial, trade or business premises; but it can and does happen at a domestic level and any development should be ensuring that the risk of nuisance is minimised.
Looking through the list of nuisance themes, there are some that are very familiar to some of us with troublesome neighbours …… smoke from bonfires; smelly waste/composting in the garden; noise from loud music & parties, or from carrying out car/motorcycle mechanics at home; far too powerful security/floodlights; poor upkeep of house/garden causing infestations; etc.
But for developments there could be many effects causing future nuisance
- Disturbing particular nature sites
- Air pollution from increased traffic
- Loss of air quality in sensitive locations (schools, nurseries, clinics, etc)
- Light pollution affecting people and protected wildlife
- Important views being compromised (sight lines that need protecting from key locations
- Contaminated Land insufficiently “cleaned” for new purpose, effects on drains/surface water gulleys
Prospective of additional rainwater run-off caused by concreting over, causing Flooding, increased incidence of sewage overflow due to limits on water treatment capacity
A Quick Reminder of Objecting Properly/Effectively
· Remember to put the points you want raise into your own words in your objection.
· It might be helpful to create a storyline that includes the things most important to you ….. it’ll come across more passionately rather than just a list of points.
· DO point out where something conflicts with DDC policies, processes, and objectives …. It’s an embarrassment to them if they ignore it and someone feels motivated to pursue it (journalist, maybe?).
· DO use references to the responses provided by important bodies such as Wildlife Trusts, Environmental Agencies, Societies with specific professional expertise (e.g. Georgian Society) ….. and especially to the reports from major studies.