I never ceased to be amazed at the commitment and resourcefulness of objectors to planning applications. They immerse themselves in a subject that they may hitherto have had no prior experience or knowledge of and formulate good material in support of their opposition to the proposal. Equally, I have seen on many occasions good objections being compromised by raising issues that stand no chance of being considered because they are irrelevant to the planning application and are things that the council will simply not consider.
The one most frequently raised is the impact of the development on property prices in the area, or the drainage system will not be able to cope with the increased demand placed upon it by this new building. The planning officer will disregard the former as it is not a planning consideration, and will listen to the utility company on the latter.
The lay person is well able to read local plan policies and assess the proposal accordingly, but they may not be well versed in understanding what the council will regard as a material consideration. For example, a local resident who is concerned about a proposal to convert a large house into a bail hostel might be tempted to object on the grounds of property values but they would be better advised to object on the ground of the fear of crime, which is a material consideration when determining the suitability of the location of development. I have seen opposition to a cashpoint machine succeed on this basis!
A proposal to site a fast-food takeaway near to a school failed because that school had a policy to promote healthy eating. The boundaries of what can be regarded as a material consideration are growing all the time and expert advice should be sought when considering an objection to a proposal and particularly when appearing at an inquiry when a planning application is under appeal.
