Changes to the Planning Service during the coronavirus outbreak
We continue to register and determine planning applications. However our staff are all working from home so paper based processes will be affected and subject to change. If you want to find out about planning applications near your property, you can use our online service to sign up for planning notifications.
New applications
If you are about to submit an application which is not time critical, we strongly urge you to consider delaying submission until further notice. Hard copy applications will take longer to process and we urge everyone to submit electronically. All payments must be made electronically at the point of submission, and we are unable to accept cash or cheque payments at this time.
Site Notices
We are unable to put up site notices. As an interim measure site notices will be posted to the applicant address. Applicants will be asked to put up site notices and send us a photograph for our records. If a site notice cannot be put up the consultation process will not be complete and we will be asking for the target date to be extended.
Applications already received
Applications already received may be subject to delays and your case officer will be in touch to discuss this with you.
Historic Paper Planning Applications
Planning history prior to 1996 may not be readily available because we are unable to retrieve paper files from our archives. Please continue to use the request planning history form and we will advise.
Commenting on applications
Hard copy comments will take longer to process and we urge everyone to use our online service to view and comment on planning applications.
Committee Meetings
We are working with our IT and Democratic Services teams to ensure that future committee meetings will run.
Contacting us
If you cannot find what you need on the website, email development_management@bathnes.gov.uk. You will need to include your phone number so that we can call you back if necessary.
The Government has relaxed permitted development regulations for 12 months so that pubs and restaurants can operate as hot food takeaway outlets without needing permission for change of use. Find out more here.
The Council will not investigate any enforcement complaints against pubs and restaurants operating as a hot food takeaway premises. Owners of such businesses must notify the Local Planning Authority if they intend to change the use of their premise by emailing development_management@bathnes.gov.uk identifying your business name and address.
Additional licencing help
The Government has relaxed restrictions on the times that deliveries can be made to shops. It is vital that deliveries of food, sanitary and other essential products over the coming weeks can be made as quickly and safely as possible. Find out more.
The Council will work with the retail sector to minimise the impacts on residents. However, minimising disruption to the supply chains on which our communities depend is vitally important so the Council will not take enforcement action that would affect deliveries of essential supplies.
All planning applications have a period of public consultation, normally lasting 21 days. During this time, you can register your support or opposition to the proposed development, read comments made by others, and add your own. We will carefully consider all comments when we decide whether to approve the development.
Search for planning applications
How to comment
You can find advice on how to find out about local planning applications and comment on them via the Planning Portal. It is important to remember that the number of supporters or objectors will not determine if the development can go ahead. We will look instead at whether the application is consistent with the Local Development Plan.
When making comments on an application, you should do the following:
- comment only on material planning considerations (those areas covered by planning policy), as we cannot consider other objections
- avoid using abusive, offensive or malicious language
Read more about material planning considerations
When we decide whether to approve a proposed development, we will take the following material considerations into account.
- Overlooking / loss of privacy
- Loss of light or overshadowing
- Parking
- Highway safety
- Traffic
- Noise
- Effect on a listed building and / or conservation area
- Layout and density of building
- Design, appearance and materials
- Government policy
- Disabled persons' access
- Proposals in the Development Plan
- Previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
- Nature conservation
However, issues such as loss of view, or negative effect on the value of existing properties are not material considerations.
Your privacy
We will publish any comments made about a planning application on our website until we make a decision about the application. Please note that your name will appear with your comment. However, we aim to remove personal contact details such as email addresses and phone numbers.
Under the provisions of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, we can read or copy any comments we receive, for the purpose of making planning decisions. For further information, please see our Planning Privacy Notice.
If you would like to keep track of a planning application
To be updated when there are changes to a planning application that you have commented on, you can sign up for our free regular email notification service.