Consultation on Planning Applications

Chichester City Council are not the Local Planning Authority and do not determine planning applications.

As a Parish Council, we are notified of planning applications within our parish by the Local Planning Authority, Chichester District Council (CDC), and by the County Planning Authority, West Sussex County Council (WSCC).

CDC planning application consultations to the City Council can exceed 500 per year. WSCC applications within the city are relatively few (less than 10 per year) and only relate to minerals, waste or the County Council’s own developments (such as schools or fire stations).

Either an Officer of the Council or a committee of Councillors can respond on behalf of the City Council to planning application consultations.

The City Council does not have the resource to comment on every application, so the applications are initially screened by the Planning Adviser.

Those which have the least potential for impact upon matters of public interest, such as many minor or householder applications, and those which require specialised arboricultural or legal assessment, will usually be screened out from further consideration or comment by the City Council, or may be commented on directly by the Planning Adviser.

Applications for Advertisement Consent and associated applications are usually responded to directly by the Planning Adviser, as are amendments to applications previously considered by the Planning and Conservation Committee.

Applications which the Planning Adviser identifies as having significant potential to impact the public realm or other matters of significant public interest are usually heard at the City Council’s Planning and Conservation Committee. In addition, any application may be heard at committee if it is requested by a Councillor, or, at the discretion of the Planning Advisor or the Planning and Conservation Committee Chairman if it is requested by a member of the public.

The Planning and Conservation Committee comprises City Councillors, elected by you. They are assisted in formulating their responses to planning applications by a professional Planning Advisor who assesses the applications and makes a recommendation as to whether to object to the application and on what basis.

An objection by the City Council will normally mean that the planning application must be determined by CDC’s Planning Committee, except in cases of tree applications or householder development which may still be determined by a Planning Officer.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the City Council Planning and Conservation Committee meetings and they may address the committee for a maximum of three minutes on any application.

Attendance by the public can be in person or via Zoom (by prior arrangement).

Residents wishing to contribute to the meeting should arrange this in advance by advising of their intention to speak by email to meetings@chichestercity.gov.uk or by calling on 01243 788502 by the day before the relevant committee.

Due to Data Protection laws, contact details for applicants are censored by the Local Planning Authority, and are not made public or sent to consultees such as the City Council. As a result, there is no obligation for the City Council to contact applicants or neighbours to advise that an application is being heard at committee, and we will not usually do so.

The Planning and Conservation Committee agenda is published a minimum of 3 clear working days (excluding Sundays and Bank Holidays) in advance of each meeting and can be viewed on our website here: Chichester City Council Planning and Conservation Committee page