Comment on an application

Anyone is entitled to comment on a current planning application either to support or object. You can:

• comment online through the website (section at end of an open application)
• write to us (either by post or e-mail)
• speak at a committee

Our planning officers have to follow a strict legal procedure to make sure that any planning applications and your comments are considered fairly and within the legal guidelines set by the government.

Before you comment

If you are thinking of commenting on an application, it is important that you are aware of the following.

1. Confidentiality
We cannot fulfill any requests for confidentiality. By law, your comments become public documents and may be viewed by the applicant or any other member of the public.

2. Valid reasons for objecting
By law, we cannot take into account certain reasons for objecting. To make sure your comment is taken into account, please see our guidance on reasons for objecting.

3. Impartiality
It is our policy not to forward lobbying letters on your behalf to committee members. To be fair to everyone, there are no exceptions to this policy. We forward all comments to the planning officer who is responsible for an application and for writing the final report.

Write to us

You must make your comment in writing for it to be taken into account. You can do this in three ways:

1. You can comment online using the planning search tool (form at the bottom of an application).
   
2. You can email planning.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk.
   
3. You can write to:

Peak District National Park Authority
Aldern House
Baslow Road
Bakewell
Derbyshire DE45 1AE

Please remember to quote the application reference number (e.g. NP/DDD/9999/1234).

Speak at a committee

If a planning application is going to be considered by our planning committee, the authority’s public participation scheme allows anyone who requests to speak at the meeting to make their points directly to the people who make the decision (called the members).

You can ask a question, make a statement or hand in a petition on any item on the committee agenda. You will be allocated a time slot of three minutes and you may be asked questions about what you say.

You need to make a request at least two working days before the meeting by contacting Democratic Services by telephone on 01629 816 362 or 01629 816 382 or email democratic.services@peakdistrict.gov.uk.

• See a list of planning committee meetings.
• Find out more about public participation at meetings.

Impartiality of the decision-makers

You have the right to contact any of the Authority’s members about any aspect of our work. However, the people who make the decisions on planning issues must remain impartial. They have to make sure that they are not influenced in any way by one party or another. To do so might lead to an application being deferred or a decision challenged.

If members receive any information about an application, they are legally obliged to inform the planning officer responsible for writing the final report. The planning officer is responsible for making sure that all information received is summarised and included in the final report. If a member’s impartiality is compromised, they may have to declare a personal prejudicial interest and withdraw from the decision-making process.

What happens once a decision has been made?

• We will write to all the people who comment on an application, or have been consulted about it, within ten working days to tell them what decision has been made.
  
• Decision notices are usually available on our website within three working days.