Comment on a Planning Application

During the course of a planning application, you will have the opportunity to express your views, which we will then take into account as part of the overall decision making process.

How to comment

When supporting or objecting to an application, please remember that we can only consider matters relevant to planning.

These include the likely effects of the proposal on:

• the character of the area
• local amenities, including the amenities of neighbours
• the environment and countryside
• traffic and parking

The effect of a development proposal on property values, and private legal matters such as covenants, cannot be taken into account.

You can search for a Planning Application using either the Planning Reference, or one or more of the other criteria.

If the application has not been decided, comments can be submitted online using the ‘Comment on this application’ link provided.

Please ensure that you add your comments in a file attachment (MS Word or PDF). Submissions without any comments cannot be accepted.

Search for a Planning Application ›

Alternatively, comments can be sent:

• by email to planning@molevalley.gov.uk
• by post to the Corporate Head of Service, Planning Department, MVDC, Pippbrook, Dorking, RH4 1SJ

In either case, please quote the planning reference number and the planning officer, if known.

In order to ensure that your views are considered, comments should be submitted before the publicity end date.

All representations received need to be processed manually, and we aim to add them to our website within five working days of receipt.

Please do not submit the same letter of representation using more than one of the methods listed above.

We do not acknowledge representations, and we are unable to reply in writing to individual queries raised in letters.

If you would like further information, please call 01306 885001.

Data privacy

Comments we receive will be made available for public inspection on our website.

If you do not wish to disclose personal details, please do not include them in your letter of representation.

However, you must provide your name and address, otherwise your representation cannot be accepted.

This information will be published on our website alongside your comments.

The legal basis for the collection and processing of data supplied with comments about a planning application can be found in the Privacy Notice for Planning.

Neighbour notification

Once an application has been registered, occupiers of properties adjoining the site are notified individually, together with any other properties that we consider may be significantly affected.

Exceptions to this are applications for Certificates of Lawfulness for a Proposed Use or Development, Non-Material Amendments following a grant of planning permission, and tree applications.

For tree applications, immediate neighbours will only be notified where the application is to fell a tree.

For other tree works applications, neighbours will not normally be notified.

Full details of consultation and neighbour notifications can be found in Chapter 5: ‘Development Management Consultations’ of the Statement of Community Involvement.

Public inspections

All letters of representation and petitions received regarding planning applications will be added to our website, usually within five working days of receipt, or can be inspected at our Pippbrook offices in Dorking

They will be retained for a minimum period of four years from the decision date.

Making a Decision on a Planning Application

The majority of planning applications are decided by Officers under ‘delegated powers’. The rest are decided by Councillors (members) at a monthly Development Management Committee.