Help with responding to planning applications

We have a long history of campaigning on major planning issues. We also try to monitor planning applications across the area we cover and to respond where we see that our input could be useful.

As part of this, we welcome people letting us know about applications that pose a threat to the countryside. But because we are only a small volunteer-led group, we are limited in what we can do to help individuals respond to planning applications.

Help to make your own response

In most cases, we encourage people to engage directly in the planning process themselves. The National CPRE website has a detailed guide to the steps to take when responding to a planning application.

We may supplement this by a formal CPRE response and by publicity such as social media posts or website articles where we have volunteer resource to do so.

We can of course only get involved where the points to be raised are consistent with national CPRE policy.

Join CPRE to respond under the CPRE banner

We welcome new members and volunteers, so this is a potential route for you to follow if you want to prepare a response under the official CPRE logo/letterhead. We can then provide guidance on wording. You can join as an individual or an organisation.

Our priorities in deciding whether we can help with responding to a planning application

We generally focus our efforts on larger scale schemes that present a major threat to the countryside and do not comply with Local Plan allocations.

Where development poses a major threat to the countryside

Examples of a major threat include:

• Harmful impact on the landscape character of a National Park or a National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – AONB)
• Harm to one of the 5 Green Belt purposes –
  • Check unrestricted sprawl of urban areas
  • Prevent neighbouring towns from merging with each other
  • Assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
  • Preserve the setting and special character of historic towns
  • Assist in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land
• An unjustified Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project
• Shale gas exploration
• Large scale housing development on land not allocated for housing in the Local Plan
• Loss of grade 1, 2 or 3a Best and Most Versatile agricultural land
• Harm to a designated asset (whether environmental, heritage or community)

Where proposals do not match Local Plan land use allocations

Local Plans set out the planning authority’s long-term land use allocations and form the framework for individual planning application decisions. If a proposed development fits with the relevant Local Plan, objections are unlikely to be successful  (though it may be possible to influence details).

CPRE normally supports Plan-led development. This is because Plans are created via a democratic process (public consultation) and are the best way to balance competing demands on land and prevent ad hoc development. For this reason, we make it a priority to engage with Local Plan consultations.

If we think we can make a difference

When deciding if we can help, we consider what the chances are of an objection succeeding and what difference our input could make.

More information

National CPRE guidance on responding to planning applications

Local Plans – what are they?

Local Plans across the Cheshire region