Planning Watch

The purpose of this group is to monitor the weekly planning application list in order to find developments that the Society deems unacceptable. To make the task manageable all small extensions, mobile phone masts and Olympic applications are ignored. Any development that is of a significant size, or if a building is known and a development is being suggested which appears inappropriate, is considered for inspection.
Unlike many other Boroughs Waltham Forest does not provide the plans on-line so it is necessary to visit Sycamore House, adjacent to the Town Hall, to see the plans. If on inspection they appear to contravene the Local Development Framework (formerly the Unitary Development Plan UDP) then a letter of objection will be sent to the planners. The system allows just 21 days for this process.
These days many of the applications are decided by delegated powers which means the officers will write to us giving their decision. On the larger schemes they usually go before the Planning Committee made up of 9 councillors from the three parties. Three objectors are allowed to address the committee for 3 minutes before they make their decision. It is helpful if members of the public attend the meeting so that the councillors have some idea of the public reaction to the plans.
If the developer is not satisfied with the result then an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol can be made. The inspectors are people with a deep understanding of planning law and check if the council has applied with all the rules. Recently our council has been successful in winning many of these appeals. Unfortunately even if the Inspector rejects the appeal, and the application is refused, the developer can re-apply so long as the proposals are slightly different from the previous application. The process then starts all over again!