How to submit your planning objection
It's not too late!
The Council can take into account representations received before the application is determined.
Planning application 22/01876/FUL is available on the Hart District Council planning website. We all need to post our public objection comments. Every adult member of your household can post an objection comment.
The quickest way is to simply send an email with your objections to planningadmin@hart.gov.uk, quoting the reference 22/01876/FUL, including your full name and address.
Before you start, read the Council’s guidance for commenting on planning applications. It’s important that your comments only deal with issues relating to planning law.
Then read on for our guide to submitting your planning objection:
TIP: If you're short of time and know what you want to say, go straight to Step 2.
Step 1. Decide which elements of the plan to object to
Head to the planning application where there are many associated documents. It seems like a lot, but don’t worry there is only one main document. The rest are supporting material.
Select the Documents tab and click on “Date Published” to sort the column and bring the most important documents close to the top of the list.
The “Planning, Design and Access Statement” highlighted in the picture is the most important. Click the view document icon to open it. You can download it to your computer by checking the box on the left and clicking the “Download Selected Files” button.
In this document, frequent references are made to policies from the Hart Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). References to the Hart Local Plan are made in the form of 3 uppercase letters and a number such as “policy NBE9”, or “policy ED4”.
Policy references are generally followed by an attempt to persuade the decision makers that the plan is in line with the policies, by describing how, in the developer's opinion, the plan meets each of the policy criteria.
Read the document with a critical eye. Look for weak policy justifications. One example could be paragraph 5.9, which claims that the development “positively contributes to public spaces” because it incorporates dropped kerbs!
You can dive into the supporting documents to examine details of the claims being made. For example, section 6.14 claims that the development “would not have a demonstrable impact on the local highway network”. If you doubt this is the case, then look over the Transport Assessment with a critical eye. Should this really be classed as a convenience store for the purposes of estimating traffic? Is a drive through Costa located just off the M40 in Banbury really a comparable reference site? Click here to read a helpful guide to understanding transport assessments.
If you need some inspiration, head to our blog.
After you’ve read the Planning Design and Access Statement, you may want to go through the NPPF and Hart Local Plan to identify any relevant policies that have not been adequately addressed.
Step 2. Compose your objection comment
Remember we want to make it impossible for the planning committee to justify approval of this application. You’ll probably have a list of objections that you would like to post. The most powerful objections will show how the proposal runs against the planning policies and guidance in the NPPF and Hart Local Plan. So, order your list according to how powerful you think each objection will be.
Check the comments that have already been posted. If you have a powerful objection that has not yet been posted by anyone else then make it your focus. If you can augment or strengthen a pre-existing objection then add that as well. Even if all your potential objections have already been posted by others, we need a high number of objection comments, so you can help by reinforcing the arguments in your own style.
Remember your comments will be public and attributed to you. Be polite and objective.
Step 3. Post your objection
Option 1: Via the Hart District Council planning portal
If you're not yet registered on the planning website do so here. Login, go to the planning application (search for "22/01876/FUL"), and click “Make a comment”.
Fill in your personal details, write or paste your comment into the box and click “Submit”.
Option 2: Send an email* to planningadmin@hart.gov.uk
Option 3: Post or hand deliver a letter* to Hart District Council Planning Department, Harlington Way, GU51 4AE
*You must quote the planning reference in any correspondence which is 22/01876/FUL. You must also supply your home address.
Step 4: Spread the word
If the Council doesn’t receive a high number of objections then the decision will be made by a single “delegated” planning officer instead of going to a vote of the planning committee. We need to make sure this is debated at a public meeting and not in the hands of one individual. For this to happen, we need a high number of objection comments. Please urge every adult member of your household to post an objection comment. Then speak to your neighbours and ask them to do the same.
Sign the petition and stay subscribed to the petition site to be kept informed by email.
Useful Reference Documents
Commenting on planning applications, Hart District Council.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Hart Local Plan, Hart District Council.
Understanding Transport Assessments, Gordon Stokes Transport.