Teston Parish Council’s role in the planning process
Maidstone Borough Council consults the Parish Council on a variety of matters including planning applications affecting the village. This means that if you submit a planning application for development of your property, or for tree works, the Parish Council will be asked to express a view as to whether it feels the development is appropriate. The Parish Council considers each application carefully. Sometimes there will be no objections to be made. On other occasions the Parish Council may have concerns about the proposals, for example the scale of the proposed development or the impact on neighbours, and will indicate to the Borough Council that it feels the development ought not to be permitted, or that it should only proceed if certain conditions are attached.
Responses to planning applications must be made within a strict time frame. Generally, decisions upon planning application are taken by Councillors at a meeting – usually at the regular bi-monthly meetings but occasionally at a meeting called especially, at short notice, in between the bi-monthly Parish Council meetings. Wherever possible the Parish Council seeks to ensure that at least 3 clear days notice of all meetings is given. An agenda for the meeting detailing the application(s) to be considered is displayed on the notice board outside the Village Hall and a copy published on the website. The meetings are open to the public.
When a new planning application is submitted and if a Parish Council meeting is not imminent, the Parish Council’s Standing Orders provide for details to be drawn to the attention of Parish Councillors by email who then provide comments to the Clerk who has delegated authority to respond on the Parish Council’s behalf. The submission is then put forward for ratification at the next Parish Council meeting. For large or very contentious applications, a Village Hall meeting may be called to assess the feelings of villagers before a response is submitted to the Borough Council.
If you are making a planning application, or if you are a neighbour affected by a planning application, and wish to know when the application will be considered by the Parish Council so that you can attend the meeting (when you would be able to address the Parish Council with your comments) then please do keep an eye on the notice board or, alternatively, you may wish to contact the Clerk who will make a note of your interest and let you know of and when a meeting is to take place. Bearing in mind that meetings are arranged at short notice and therefore a telephone number will be required so that the Clerk may call you – a letter may not reach you in time.