Planning Applications
Most planning applications (although there are exceptions) are made to Cherwell District Council who then have responsibility to ask all interested parties including neighbouring properties, the County Council and the Parish Council for their views on the development.
The Parish Council is, therefore, a consultee. The issues the Parish Council IS able to consider include:
- loss of privacy/impact on residential amenity
- overshadowing/overbearing impact
- highway safety, traffic and parking issues
- noise
- visual amenity/street scene
- wildlife
- historic buildings and conservation
- flooding
- design, and materials
- appearance of the development
- capacity of infrastructure – schools/public transport etc
Issues the Parish Council are NOT able to consider include:
- loss of view
- effect on property values
- private rights
- boundary disputes, and
- construction noise
Planning applications are considered at the next available Parish Council meeting and included on the agenda; links to the appropriate section of the CDC Planning Portal are also included on the agenda for the relevant Parish Council meeting (see the Agenda and Minutes section for the appropriate agenda).
The Parish’s District and County Councillors are able to represent the parish in planning matters.
Here is the page at CDC showing our District Councillors.
Here is the page at OCC showing our County Councillor.
The Parish Council is able to engage with developers of all sizes before an application is submitted to the planning authority (CDC), particularly as local information can often help the developer form their plans. However, the Parish Council has to be very careful not to pre-determine the outcome of any discussions and has to be mindful of all who may be affected by the proposal (not just the applicant) – whether positively or negatively.
The Council has written further about the current situation with Cherwell District Council’s planning concerns in a news article.