When deciding to make comments on planning applications you may have a wide range of comments to make from overwhelming support for an application, support in principle subject to detail changes to objection. In deciding what issues to raise, please note that the Council cannot consider all of them when assessing planning applications.

The Council can only take into account what are referred to as 'material planning considerations' when looking at your comments. The most common of these (although not an exhaustive list) are shown below:

See also http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=18044

    National Planning Policy set by Government
    Development Plan Policies (such as the Penwith Plan - shortly to be replaced) and emerging development plan policy. Please note that the "weight" of policies usually favours the adopted policies
    Residential amenity – Overlooking/loss of privacy, loss of light or overshadowing, overbearing, noise, smells
    Noise and disturbance resulting from use but not the construction period
    Visual amenity (but not loss of private view) caused by the size, siting, design and materials used
    Highway safety
    Traffic generation
    Adequacy of parking/loading/turning
    Hazardous materials
    Loss of trees
    Effect on listed building and conservation area
    Layout and density of building
    Design, appearance and materials
    Landscaping
    Road access
    Disabled persons' access to the building
    Previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
    Nature conservation
    Archaeology

You will see that the list above does not cover all issues. There are many issues that you may wish to raise as a justification to refuse an application but we cannot take into account matters which are sometimes raised but are not normally planning considerations such as:
    The perceived loss of property value
    Private disputes between neighbours
    The loss of a private view
    The impact of construction work or competition between firms
    Restrictive covenants
    Ownerships disputes over rights of way
    Fence lines etc
    Personal morals or views about the applicant
    Permitted change of use or development as a result of Government statutory instruments.

Please note: it is important to understand that the material considerations relevant to any particular application will need to be weighed in the final decision process according to their seriousness and relative importance. However when making a decision the Council has to consider the proposals against the provisions of the development plan and then all other material considerations.