Site Notices

Once the application has been validated, the Council will give publicity to the application.  The Council’s primary means of publicising all planning applications is by the display of a pink site notice (for proposals affecting a Listed Building or a Conservation Area) or an orange site notice (in all other cases) on the application site.  Orange notices are currently sent directly to the applicant or agent to display on the application site.  Pink notices are displayed by the planning case officer when they visit the site.  The planning case officer will visit the site, to assess the proposals on site and to check that the site notice has been displayed correctly.  All site notices should be displayed where members of the public can easily and safely view them and have to be displayed for a minimum of 21 days.  The date of expiry is detailed on the planning site notice.

Neighbour Notification Letters

In addition to the site notice, the local planning authority also endeavours to notify neighbouring properties in writing.  These will usually be those properties that are located directly adjacent to the application site.  Providing the site notice is displayed correctly on the application site, the local planning authority is not statutory obliged to send neighbour notification letters.  However, Braintree District Council does so for best practice.  If a revised planning application has been received for a particular site, the Council will also notify anyone who submitted letters of representation on the original application to notify them that a revised application has been received.

Local Press

Some applications are also advertised in the local press.  This would include for instance any proposal: affecting a Listed Building; a Conservation Area; or a proposal representing a departure from the Council’s Development Plan, affecting a right of way or proposal that would have a substantial environmental impact upon an area, such as a major residential or commercial development.  Applications received in Braintree, Witham or within any of the surrounding villages will be publicised on the Council’s page in the Braintree and Witham Times.  Applications received in Helions Bumpstead, Steeple Bumpstead, Sturmer, Birdbrook and Ridgewell will be publicised on the Council’s page in the Haverhill Echo.  All other applications received within Halstead or the surrounding villages will be publicised on the Council’s page within the Halstead Gazette.

Braintree District Council publishes a Weekly List of Planning Applications that details all of the applications that have been made to or decided by the Council for planning permission under the Town & Country Planning Acts.  Parish Councils are automatically informed of all applications in their Parish.

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