Some planning applications cause concern to our Association because of their harmful impact on North Cray’s Green Belt, one of our Conservation Areas or on the character and street scene of one of our other roads.
In such cases, the Association submits an Objection letter; but (like petitions) however many members it represents, the Planning department counts this as only one submission. This means that where there is serious potential harm the Association does need the support of its members, as their submission letters would carry additional weight with the planning officer when coming to a decision. And three Objections are required for delegating the decision to the Planning Committee (see below).
However, it is important that those submitting an Objection make it clear to the planning officer that they do have personal knowledge of the application site, and that they have taken the trouble to look at the Drawings submitted by the applicant. Little weight is likely to be given to any Objection where the writer does no more than to express their dislike of the proposal and fails to show that they understand what is being proposed, and their Objection would not count towards the three needed in order to trigger delegation to the Planning Committee.
The purpose of this Guidance is to set out as clearly as possible for our members what would be regarded as sound arguments, with details of national and local legislation that could usefully be cited in an Objection letter.
Plus any relevant national or local policy guidelines.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
Chapter 13
This can be read here - national-planning-policy-framework
Bexley Local Plan
Policy SP 1 Achieving sustainable development
Policy SP8 Green infrastructure including designated Green Belt
Policy SP8 This recognises the quality and character of the Green Belt, both for local residents and visitors. And promises that inappropriate development, as defined by government guidance (NPPF), will be resisted unless very special circumstances apply.
See pages 73-76
The London Plan
Its Policies include:-
G2 London’s Green Belt
G6 Biodiversity and access to nature
G7 Trees and woodlands
The following is a recent Assessment made by one of Bexley’s planning officers in recommending refusal of a planning application:
The application site is located within the Green Belt and therefore consideration needs to be given to the relevant guidance within the NPPF. Chapter 13 discusses the acceptability of development within the Green Belt and states that inappropriate development is, by definition harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in Very Special Circumstances (para 147-148). This is supported by Policy G2 of the London Plan as well as Policy SP8 of the Bexley Local Plan.
The planning officer then pointed out that:-
The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. He stressed that the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence, and listed two of their five purposes as set out in the NPPF (para 138):-
- to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
- to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
And concluded that the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt by virtue of its effect on openness (by definition harmful) and that there were no “very special circumstances”.
The Association rarely comments on planning applications such as extensions, as these are considered best left to the applicant’s immediate neighbours. Except of course where the application would, if approved have a detrimental affect on a Conservation Area, the character of a neighbourhood or on its street scene. For ordinary household planning applications, material planning considerations would include:-
For planning applications in North Cray’s Conservation Areas (High Beeches and The Village), account should be taken of what was regarded as important when Bexley designated them as ‘special’. Both documents can be accessed here:- Bexley Planning Conservation and Heritage
A planning application is delegated to the Planning Committee (PC) when three or more Objections have been submitted and when the officer recommends that planning permission be granted rather than refused. Objectors are allowed to present their arguments to the PC in person and it is important that they should take the opportunity to do so, and show any photos that support their Objection. This is because the PC gives special attention to arguments given in person and, sometimes, a case is won even though everything seemed to have been stacked against it! An example of this is 23/01542/FUL which had sought further development on garden land between The Grove and St James Way; but which was refused by the PC at its meeting on 12 October 2023. Webcasts of PC meetings are available live on-line for viewing by those unable to attend the hearing itself, and which can also be viewed at some later time:-
Bexley Committee Meetings Bexley Webcast
We usually copy-in our two Councillors when submitting an Objection letter as this helps them to keep abreast of local concerns:-
It is hoped that this Guidance will be of help and that members will continue to support us whenever there is a threat to any part of our precious Green Belt or when a planning application seriously impacts on one of our Conservation Areas or on the character of one of our other roads, and those who live in it.
Author: Jean Gammons Committee Member: Planning. October 2023