Commenting on a planning application

How can I comment? 

Anyone can make comments, for or against, a planning application during the statutory 21 day consultation period. All valid comments will be taken into consideration when Officers make a decision on any application.

Please see our Planning Data Retention and Privacy (PDF) document which details how we will process, store and dispose of your data and ECDC's Privacy Notice 

It is possible to submit comments in a number of ways: 

  • Online: Through our Public Access System (external link). You will need to search for the application (using the reference number) and follow the 'comment' tab in order to submit a comment.
  • In writing: You can send comments by post to: Planning, East Cambridgeshire District Council, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, Cambs, CB7 4EE. 

If you submit your comments via email, you do not need to send a hard copy or vice versa.  Your comments will be acknowledged via email if an email address is provided or by post once they have been processed by the support team.

You will need to include the planning reference number, your name and full address with any comments or they cannot be accepted. You should also be prepared for your comments to be available to the applicant and to the general public through the public access system, although any sensitive information such as signatures and email addresses will be withheld. Slanderous, racist or malicious comments will not be published.

What can I comment on?

Officers can only consider comments relating to what are known as material planning considerations. These are generally issues such as:

More information on what can and cannot be considered is available on the Material Planning Considerations section of this website

Can I submit photographs with my comments?

Photographs can be very useful in illustrating a point to a planning officer, but there is a need to protect the privacy of an applicant or any other individuals that may be in the photographs.  We will display them as long as they are relevant to the point being made, but we may decide to hide them from public view if we feel there are potential privacy concerns.  Some elements of a photograph submitted and published online as part of a planning application or comment may be redacted to comply with GDPR, for example vehicle registration numbers.  Even if photographs are hidden by us, they will still be available to the planning officer.

If you intend to take photographs to use in your planning comment, you should consider people's privacy and be respectful of their property.

What happens if objections are received?

Even if objections are made to a development proposal, it does not necessarily mean that the application will be refused. In these instances Officers have to consider the objections, whether they are material planning considerations and make a balanced assessment as to whether the proposal is acceptable or not. 

It may be that if a high number of objections are received that the application is referred to Planning Committee