Dorset Council's planning procedures criticised as being 'unfair and lacking rigour'

The Broad Oak Residents Association from the Sturminster Newton area say the Dorset planning system is complicated, that applications are difficult to find and that it is not clear how the process works.

Russell Todd from the association said: “The Broad Oak Residents Association (BORA) has recently been involved with a planning application and, as a result of engaging in the planning process we believe that it is unfair and lacks rigour.

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"It is not particularly clear how the process works and now having taken part, it would appear that the process is obliging the objector to second guess what the applicant might say in response to your objection.  This has the result of making your objection overly long and potentially unclear.”

Mr Todd has also questioned why all neighbours are not being notified of applications – pointing out that if an applicant fails to put up a printed planning notice on the site, residents are left with having to constantly refer to the Dorset Council website which he says is difficult to use and of no use to people without the internet. 

He also claims that Dorset Council is not rigorous enough in testing applicant’s claims adding: “When an applicant makes a statement why does Dorset Council not require evidence to support that statement?  Most people keep records of business or receipts for other purposes and it would not be hard to add this to an application.”

Mr Todd also claims that there is no overall view of individual planning applications and how a series of applications in a small area could have a significant impact on a community. 

“BORA request that the committee review the planning application process to create a fairer system that has some rigour to it, so that all parties involved in an application can have some confidence that a fair decision has been arrived at and that the process is not leaning one way,” he said.

Planning brief holder for the council, Cllr David Walsh, has responded to say that all applications have to be publicised which allows neighbours and other local residents to be alerted to planning applications in their area, including residents who do not have access to the internet. 

“We also publish details on our website which, for the vast majority of Dorset residents, provides a convenient means of looking at all plans and documents submitted with the application,” he said.

Cllr Walsh added in his response that statements by an applicant are only one part of an application. 

“Local Planning Authorities set out mandatory and local requirements for documents and evidence that are required to enable the determination of an application. We cannot control what an applicant says in a statement but the details that form the planning application are assessed against national and local plan policies, having regard to the representations and consultation responses that are received,” he said.