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PLANNING OBJECTIONS
Could neighbours block your application?
Neighbour disputes get a lot of airtime on TV, but just how much impact do objections have in deciding planning applications? Martin Gaine explains what you need to know
Some planning applications sail through without a whisper of objection from neighbours, while others trigger an absolute avalanche of angry, ranting letters. But can vocal local opposition really be fatal to your chances of gaining planning permission – and is there anything you can about it? The good news (for applicants) is that neighbour objections matter far less than most people think they do. It’s important that there’s public participation in the planning system, of course, and that communities get to have a say over what’s happening in their area. But the UK approach is designed primarily around planning policies. Comply with the policies that are set out in local planning documents and you can expect permission to be granted irrespective of the volume and strength of local objections. Fail to comply and your application will be refused, even if there are no objections and neighbours are supportive of your proposal.
When do objections matter?
Of course, it is a little more complicated than that and objections from the public do sometimes have an impact. A neighbour could highlight something that a case officer had otherwise missed – perhaps that a new extension will overshadow the only window to their living room, for example. This might happen if the case officer had assumed the window in question was to a utility room, say, and therefore of less importance. On top of that, the very fact that an application has provoked a large number of objections might encourage a planner to look at the scheme again – even if they had initially thought it to be straightforward and had intended to wave it through. That extra scrutiny could unearth some practical roadblocks for your project.