Colmworth Parish Council Policy for Responding to Planning Applications
Bedford Borough Council is the planning authority with the power to grant or refuse planning permission in our parish. Colmworth Parish Council is consulted on all planning applications submitted to Bedford Borough Council from within the parish, and the comments the Parish Council submits are taken into account by the Borough Council, along with comments from statutory consultees, neighbours and other interested persons.
All plans are advertised on the Parish Council website https://colmworthparishcouncil.bedsparishes.gov.uk/parish-council-departments/planning/planning-applications/ and can also be accessed from the Borough Councils website http://www.bedford.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/planning_town_and_country/search_plans_page.aspx
and comments can be submitted on-line direct to the Borough Council.
The Parish Council responds to applications on the basis of planning policy or material planning considerations. Examples of material considerations include (but are not limited to):
• Overlooking/loss of privacy
• Loss of light or overshadowing
• Parking
• Highway safety
• Traffic
• Noise
• Effect on listed building and conservation area
• Layout and density of building
• Design, appearance and materials
• Government policy
• Disabled persons’ access
• Proposals in the Development Plan
• Previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
• Nature conservation
However, issues such as personal circumstance, loss of view, or negative effect on the value of properties are not material considerations.
How Colmworth Parish Council comment on planning applications.
Type 1 Applications
Applications for domestic extensions or alterations which will not have an impact on anyone other than the immediate neighbours will be listed on the planning page of the website and viewed and considered by three Councillors who are not neighbours to the site. Neighbours are automatically consulted by the Borough Council. If any Councillor feels that they wish to object or make positive comments which they would like passed on to the Borough Council they can “elevate” the application and ask for an extension so that it can be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting. The Parish Council may wish to hold an additional, short, public planning meeting between full Parish Council meetings to discuss the application if there is no Parish Council meeting scheduled within three weeks of the deadline. However, this is at the discretion of the Parish Councillors. If the three Councillors do not wish to make any comment then they will inform the Clerk who can respond to say that there were no comments made.
Type 2 Applications
Applications for new developments, siting of mobile homes or changes of use which may generate additional traffic, noise or can be viewed from a distance will be publicised more widely. In addition to being advertised on the Parish Council’s planning page the application will be listed as a news item so that it appears on the home page, it will be advertised in the Chronicle (if the deadline for comment falls before the next publish date), advertised on the Colmworth Trumpet and advertised on the Colmworth Parish Council Facebook page. An extension may be requested to enable it to be published in the newsletter if publication is due within 2 weeks of the closing date.
Type 1 Applications will only be discussed at the Parish Council meeting if:
1. there is a Parish Council meeting scheduled before the closing date for the application
2. there is no Parish Council meeting scheduled but a Parish Councillor or a member of the public “elevates” it to be debated within two weeks of the application being published. In this event the Clerk will request an extension from the Borough Planning Department.
Any Type 1 applications received with a deadline before the next Parish Council meeting and which are not elevated will generate a standard response of “No objection” to be submitted by the Clerk.
Type 2 Applications will automatically be discussed at a Parish Council meeting.