Help with submitting your comments

Our Planning Online system allows you to easily submit your planning application comments which are uploaded into our back office system and can be viewed online straight away. This option allows you to upload a document. Acceptable file formats are adobe pdf, jpeg, word or excel and the maximum file size is 10MB (megabyte). 

View the Planning Online system to submit your planning application comments

If we wrote to you about an application your letter will contain instructions for using your unique PIN. 

All representations need to be made in writing and will be published online. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that any comments you make cannot not be construed as discriminatory or deemed offensive. Such comments will not be tolerated by Telford & Wrekin Council and will not be taken into consideration. If inappropriate comments are identified or brought to our attention, we will withdraw your statement and request that you resubmit comments with the offending material removed. 

What can you comment on? 

When submitting any representations to an application it is important to note what can and cannot be taken into account.

Planning matters which are considered:

• planning policy/circulars/statutory instruments, emerging Local plan policy (subject to at least one stage of public consultation)
• previous decisions including any appeals, case law
• residential amenity (loss of light, overshadowing, loss of privacy)
• highway issues
• noise and disturbance, smells and fumes
• physical infrastructure (public drainage, water systems)
• social facilities
• ground conditions (contaminated land slope stability/mineshafts)
• wildlife (ecology), trees and landscaping
• historic conservation (conservation areas/listed buildings/scheduled ancient monuments/historic parks)
• viability and deliverability
• layout and density of design, visual appearance, character of the area.

Matters which are not planning considerations:

• loss of property value
• loss of view
• right to light
• matters controlled through building regulations – including party wall
• business competition
• property disputes (including land ownership)
• issues of construction period
• factual misrepresentations
• opposition to the principle of development where planning permission has previously been approved.

What happens to my comments?

Please note as we receive a high volume of representations every year our officers are unable to acknowledge or reply individually to each comment or enter into further correspondence.

Your comments will be passed to the planning case officer who will take into account all valid planning matters.

It is important to note that:

• objecting to a planning application does not necessarily mean it will be refused
• comments should only be made about ‘valid planning matters’
• the number of comments received about an application is less important than the type of comments received
• pre-printed form letters and petitions are sometimes given less weight than individual letters that comment on valid planning matters and they will be added to Planning Online as a batch.

Applications for householder development (alteration or extension to a dwelling) or for minor commercial applications does not give the opportunity to comment further should there be an appeal.

When a decision is made we will write to all who commented on the application and the decision notice will be available online. 

Last updated: 07/04/2022 15:19