Comment on a planning application

You can share your view on a proposed development in Renfrewshire by commenting on its planning application. You can:

• support the application
• object to the application
• make a neutral comment.

We will not grant planning permission to a proposal just because lots of people support the application, and we will not refuse planning permission just because lots of people object.

Instead, we assess any comments based on whether they’re material or non-material.

Matters we can take into account (material considerations)

Our assessment will take into account ‘material considerations’, such as:

• appearance (such as design, materials used, and scale)
• residential amenity (living conditions such as overshadowing, overlooking, noise, and odour)
• traffic, parking, and access
• loss of trees and landscaping issues
• flooding
• effect on the setting of a listed building or the character of a conservation area
• if the development goes against Renfrewshire’s Local Development Plan.

Matters we cannot take into account (non-material considerations)

Our decision will not be influenced by ‘non-material considerations’, such as:

• loss of a view
• effect on property values
• complaints about construction activity (such as noise, dust, construction vehicles, and working hours)
• competition between shopkeepers and other businesses
• problems between neighbours (such as boundary disputes, damage to property, and private rights of access).

Anyone can comment on a planning application, including:

• individuals
• groups
• organisations.

Creating an account

If you want to comment online, you’ll need to create an account on our planning portal if you do not already have one.

Your personal details

We will not accept anonymous comments. You must include your name and address when submitting your comment.

If you submit a comment, this information will be publicly available online:

• the comment
• your full name
• your postal address.

Pre-application consultations

If you commented on a proposal during a proposal of application notice pre-application consultation process before a major scale application was formally submitted, we will not consider that comment directly when making our decision on the planning application.

You’ll need to submit a new comment to the planning application if you’d like us to consider it when making our final decision on that proposal.

Comment on a planning application online

First, search for a planning application. Find out how to search for a planning application if you’re not sure how to do this.

Once you’ve found the right planning application, select Comments and Make a comment to submit your comment.

We prefer to receive comments online.

If you do not want to comment online, you can send us your comment in the post:

Your letter must include:

• your full name
• your address
• any views you’d like to tell us about the proposal.

We’ll include a summary of your points in our report for the planning application. We respond to all points, including material and non-material considerations.

We’ll publish our final decision and report for the planning application online.

Search for a planning application to view its status, including:

• any comments you or other people have submitted.
• the final decision and report once they’re available.

Only the person who applied for planning permission can appeal or ask for a review of our decision. Third parties, including people who commented on the application, cannot challenge our decision. This is known as ‘no third-party right of appeal’.