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Applicants are encouraged to discuss development proposals with neighbours before submitting their planning application. This could address any potential design, layout and privacy concerns and avoid possible delays.

Once an application has been validated and registered we will publicise and consult on it. We will notify adjoining neighbours by letter or put up a notice near the site. Sometimes applications are also advertised in the Â鶹´«Ã½ Observer and on our Public Notices page. We may notify other organisations such as the County Council, Environmental Health or Environment Agency.

Anyone can comment on a planning application, you do not need to have received a formal notification letter.

The Planning Officer will assess the relevance of any comments made and may suggest minor changes to applications to overcome any difficulties.

The best way to keep up to date on a planning application is through the online planning register where you can search for specific applications, and follow the application, or search applications registered or decided in the last 7 days.

Members of the public have 21 days from the start of the consultation to make their comments; after which we will make a decision. Your comments must be in written form, verbal comments cannot be taken into account. 

We do not acknowledge receipt of or directly respond to any comments made, but will take them into account in the decision making process within the officer’s report.

Your comments will not appear on the public website immediately.

The best way to make your comments is online via the planning register. Once you have searched for and viewed the application click on the ‘comment on this application’ link to leave a comment.

If you would prefer to submit your comments by post you can address these to the case officer concerned at:

Town Hall, The Boulevard, Â鶹´«Ã½, West Sussex, RH10 1UZ 

You need to quote the application reference number and site address.

Under the terms of the Local Government Access to Information Act 1985 your comments will normally become matters of public record, open for other members of the public to read and copy.

The Local Planning Authority welcomes any comments, whether in support or objecting to an application. However, in making a decision the Local Planning Authority can only take into account material planning considerations. 

The lists below outline what is a relevant material planning consideration and what is an irrelevant consideration. These lists are not exhaustive.

• National and local planning policy 
• Design, appearance, materials, character, size, scale, height, bulk, mass, density, landscaping of the development
• Highway safety, traffic and parking issues 
• Overlooking, overshadowing, dominance, loss of privacy, outlook and light of the development
• Noise, disturbance, traffic generation, smells, vibrations associated with the activities and use of the development
• Effect on trees 
• Effect on heritage assets including listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeology
• Impact on biodiversity and ecology
• Impact on infrastructure

• Matters covered by other legislation, for example building regulations, licensing private property rights or covenants 
• Effect on property value 
• Boundary and ownership disputes 
• Loss of view 
• Moral or religious issues 
• Personal or financial circumstances 
• Health concerns in respect to phone masts
• Noise, disturbance associated with building works and workmen
• Right to light
• Right of access
• Quality of building works 
   

Offensive, racist, discriminatory, threatening and other statements that are not appropriate will not be published.

• Offensive statements lower a person's reputation personally within their trade, profession or business
• Racist statements are those that are offensive or discriminate against individuals on racial grounds, including their race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins. Gypsies and other minorities are racial groups.
• Statements that discriminate on grounds of religion, sexuality or disability will also not be published.
• Comments that include such statements will be rejected and returned to you but can be resubmitted in a more acceptable form.

The Local Planning Authority is bound by the Equality Act 2010 which applies to those providing services and public functions and prohibits direct and indirect discrimination and harassment all of which these types of remarks might amount to.

Any representations received in response to planning applications must be made available for public inspection in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Access to Information Act 1985. This means that we cannot treat any comments made on a planning application as confidential.

Any comments you make will form part of the planning application and will be available for public inspection. 

If you do not provide or do not wish your name and address to appear on this website or within the case file then your comments will be treated as anonymous and your views will not be taken into account.

We reserve the right to withhold the publication of any comments or parts of comments not considered suitable for public view for reasons including offensive or personal content.

For further information on how we keep your data please read our Privacy Statement.