Planning Applications
Decisions on Planning Applications
Who decides
Planning applications in our area are decided by Rushcliffe Borough Council. They are the local planning authority, which means they assess each application against national planning policy, local planning rules, and any relevant evidence before reaching a final decision.
Who can comment
Anyone can submit comments on a planning application as an individual.
Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council can also comment, and in many cases they are invited to do so as a statutory consultee. This means the Borough Council formally asks the Parish Council for its views, but the final decision still rests entirely with Rushcliffe Borough Council.
Comments must relate to material planning considerations—issues that planning law allows the Borough Council to take into account. These might include things like traffic impact, design, environmental effects, or compliance with planning policy.
The purpose of all comments, including those from the Parish Council, is to inform Rushcliffe Borough Council’s decision-making, not to determine the outcome.
What influences the decision
Rushcliffe Borough Council considers a range of factors when deciding an application. These include planning policies, expert reports, statutory consultee responses, and any material considerations raised by the public. While community input is important, the Borough Council must base its decision on planning law and policy rather than personal opinions or non‑planning issues.
What are Material Considerations
The basics
As Rushcliffe Borough Council reviews planning applications, each one is different and must therefore be considered on its own individual merits. Decision on planning applications are taken based on ‘material considerations’ which include the development plan and aspects such as traffic and highway safety, impact on neighbours, design and appearance, environmental effects, heritage, and whether the proposal aligns with local and national planning policies.
Personal opinions, private disputes, or the applicant’s character are not material considerations. Only comments based on recognised planning matters can influence the Borough Council’s decision. Where the development plan has policies which affect the proposal, they will dictate the decision, unless there are other material considerations which should take precedence.
What it includes
Material considerations include the following:
- How the application complies with national, local planning policies, neighbourhood plans and guidance
- Whether there are any other issues or planning constraints affecting the site, such as flood risk, contaminated land, conservation areas, listed buildings, etc..
- How the development fits in with its surroundings
- Design and appearance
- Scale
- Materials
- Access
- Traffic generation
- Use/activity to be carried out
- Nuisance e.g. noise
- Contribution to any significant local, national or international objective
- Previous appeal decisions
- Compliance with Central Government’s National Planning Policy Framework .
- Central Government’s planning circulars e.g. affordable housing, planning gain, and the historic environment
What it does not include
Issues which cannot be considered when making a planning decision include:
- Personal circumstances of the applicant
- Private rights and covenants
- Boundary disputes/ownership matters
- Other legislation such as the Party Wall Act
- Protection of a view
- Property values/financial loss
- The amount of opposition or support for a scheme.
Find out more
If you want to read out more about how planning decisions are made, the Rushcliffe Borough website provides all the related documents and additional useful links to the Town and Country Planning Act.
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