ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

Have your say on the future of your area

Have your say on planning applications

Planning applications for building, extending or converting homes, offices or shops are handled by ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø's borough and district councils.

We, ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, only deal with applications for minerals or waste-related developments, and for developments to our own property, such as schools and libraries.

All valid applications for planning permission made to us are open for public consultation. Anybody who hears of a planning application may make comments on the proposal.

This page contains answers to some commonly asked questions.

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How do you know when a planning application has been submitted?

We are required to publicise planning applications in line with our ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø's Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). The amount of publicity will vary depending on the type and scale of the planning application. Publicity will often involve posting a site notice(s) and sending letters to immediate neighbours who may be affected by a proposal. This usually includes all properties who share a boundary with the application site or are within 90m of the site. It is not economic for us to individually notify thousands of households about every single application you may not receive a neighbour notification letter even if you are fairly close to a site.

For large application sites several notices will be posted nearby. For very large schemes, or where the proposed development means that more than the immediate neighbours may be affected, a formal notice will also be placed in a local newspaper.

Newspaper adverts are required for certain types of application. These are applications:

  • for all minerals and waste developments (except those just dealing with conditions);
  • for County Council developments over 1,000 square metres;
  • falling within or would affect the character of a Conservation Area; or which would affect the character or setting of a Listed Building;
  • accompanied by an Environmental Statement;
  • where the development affects a public right of way; or
  • for developments that are in conflict with adopted planning policies (departure applications), for example development in the green belt.

In special cases, we will also issue a press release outlining a proposal.

Information is available on our about planning applications and decisions. You can also use it to check on the progress of applications under consideration.

Where do you get information about a planning application?

Planning application documents received or validated after the 1 June 2015 are available to view or download from our .

If you are unclear about where the application site is, or what is being the proposed in the application please contact the person named in the publicity, who will explain it to you.

In some cases, applicants may prepare their own publicity materials, or exhibitions explaining the proposals. These will be publicised by the applicant.

How can you influence planning decisions?

You can have your say by:

  • Contacting your who will be able to take views on applications within his or her area to the Planning and Regulatory Committee.
  • Contacting your District Councillor who may be able to help.
  • Sending a comment through our .
  • Sending your comments in writing to the Planning Development Team by post (Planning, ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø, PO Box 478, Reigate RH2 8EF) or by email to mwcd@surreycc.gov.uk (please quote the planning reference number).
  • Petition - the acknowledgement will be sent to the organiser or the first name appearing on the petition.
  • Take part in their discussions about the application with a local interest group. Sometimes it is possible for groups to meet with the applicant or representatives of the council to discuss concerns and find solutions.

Please note, we cannot accept anonymous or 'in confidence' representations, as they must be made available for public inspection. For your representation to be taken into account you must include name and full postal address. Every representation will be acknowledged and considered in the course of deciding the application. It is, however, not possible to respond individually to each representation or questions or enter into correspondence on issues.

Data protection

Planning is a statutory function and planning-related information is held on the lawful basis of public task (in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, related orders and regulations).

When you make a comment on a planning application (known as a representation), your name, address and contact details will be saved in our files, electronic and paper. We do this so we can notify you of amendments to the proposal, the outcome of the application, if an appeal is lodged against the application, and subsequent applications in respect of the site.

In the event of an appeal or a 'call-in' by the Secretary of State, representations will be sent to the Planning Inspectorate or the National Planning Casework Unit.

Representations on applications valid prior to 1 October 2024 will be sent to the relevant district/borough council, as has been long-standing practice. They may publish them on the planning register, but there is no legal obligation so to do. For applications valid after 1 October 2024 (and for some prior applications at our discretion) representations will be published on our online planning register in an anonymised form. Please note, however, that the original representations are still available for public inspection.

Representations may also be anonymously quoted within an officer's report, but usually the report contains broad aggregated themes from all the representations received.

The contents of representations are kept at least four years after the application has been determined. They may be retained longer in certain circumstances, such as when an application goes to appeal. Details of who made representations is part of the permanent record.

For more details see our privacy policy.

What should you comment upon?

Decisions on planning applications are limited by law to issues known as 'material considerations'. It is, therefore, best if you keep to these issues, since anything else must be ignored. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your comments must relate to the use of land and should be directed to policies contained within the national and local planning documents. The adopted development plan, such as the Waste, Minerals or Local Plan is the starting point.

If an application goes to committee then members must take local views into account when making their decision. Local opposition or support for a proposal is not, in itself however, a reason for refusing or granting planning permission.

Each planning application is judged on its own merits. What is important in ea