Commenting on planning proposals. 

When a planning application is submitted to Wiltshire Council regarding a site in the parish, close neighbours are notified directly by Wiltshire Council and invited to comment.  However, any UK resident may also comment, and indeed any British Citizen wherever they reside.  Fovant Parish Council is one of the formal consultees in the planning system but is only empowered to make recommendations. The actual decision is made by Wiltshire Council either in Full Council or by their appropriate Area Planning Committee if your Ward member of the County Council, i.e. currently Mr Najjar, decides to ‘call it in’ - for example in response to a request by the Parish Council or by individual residents or groups.   However, most routine decisions are delegated to an appointed Case Officer who is an employee of the Council, and who makes the decision if the application is not called in.  Sounds complicated but it works!

It is important for a resident to submit comments in writing to the Case Officer, and before the deadline.  Each comment is added to the application file on the Wiltshire Council planning portal web site, and is therefore visible to all.  However, since your Parish Council is required to construct a recommendation, it is useful if the PC is made aware of the views of residents before it meets to consider the application.  For example, it is very helpful if a resident’s comment to the Case Officer is visible on the planning portal before the PC has to meet.   Residents who attend a parish council meeting when a planning application is being considered are of course welcome to speak. 

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