PLANNING PROCESS
North
Somerset Council is the planning authority responsible for planning decisions within
the Parish of Congresbury and is the only body that can make decisions within the
Parish. Congresbury Parish Council is
empowered and entitled to make observation or comment on an application to
North Somerset Council on behalf of the Parish. Individuals may also make comment on an
application, directly to North Somerset Council and are welcome to comment on
applications at Planning Committee meetings.
Guidance on new
planning applications can be sought via the Government’s Planning Portal
website, or via North
Somerset Council on 01934 888802 or their
website.
Once North
Somerset Council has accepted and verified the application it will:-
-
Display the application on the North Somerset
Website, where it is freely available for the public to view
-
Notify any near neighbours of the application
-
Advise the Parish Council of the application
-
Advise the Ward Councillor of the application
-
Put up a notice at or near the development site
- Notify any statutory consultee e.g. The Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Board etc
Within
Congresbury, the Parish Council has delegated powers relating to planning to the
Congresbury Parish Council Planning Committee. This Committee usually meets
once per month on the last Monday of the month. Members of the public are welcome to attend
this meeting and make their views known to the Members of the Planning
Committee. The Committee will consider
each application on its merits and in line with current North Somerset Planning
Policy, Congresbury own local planning policy and regional and national
planning policies where relevant.
Congresbury Parish Council's planning policy is available here.
Following
consideration of each individual matter, together with any comments from the
public, the Committee will make its recommendations to North Somerset Council. Members of the public are also able to make
their views known to North Somerset Council directly by adding comments on the
planning website or in writing.
The Parish
Council may take the opportunity to request that the Ward Councillor ‘Calls In’
an application should the Committee feel that the application is contentious, outside
current policy or relates to a matter of importance to the general community. When
an application has been ‘called in’ the planning decision will no longer be
made by the delegated planning officer at North Somerset but will be referred
to an area committee of Local Ward Councillors for a decision. In certain
circumstances the area committee may itself refer the matter to the full
Planning and Regulatory Committee at North Somerset Council.
Once a Planning Application is approved, that is
the end of the matter. Should an application
be refused, the applicant has the right to take their case to appeal. Further information on this can be found on
both the Planning Portal website or the
North Somerset Council websites outlined above.