How to use the consultation portal
You can use our Planning Policy consultation portal to:
- read consultation documents as interactive documents - choosing from the contents headings and sub-headings to the left. There are are often also supporting documents which can be downloaded. You do do not need to register to read the documents.
- make your comments online
- sign up for alerts to future Local Plan and Planning Policy Consultations
A full step by step on how to register and submit comments can be found under the headings below.
For anyone responding to the current Local Plan Regulation 18 Preferred Options consultation:
- Visit the online portal
- Create an account if you don’t have one as you will need to register in order to add comments
- Click on ‘LEARN MORE’ to read more about the Local Plan Review and see the quick links to the four new proposed Growth Locations, or click ‘GO TO EVENT’ to view the draft document.
- Navigate to and click 'ADD COMMENT' top right of the relevant part of the document, fill in the form and add your comments, preview and save. Your comment has been saved as a draft, but not yet submitted.
- To view or amend your draft comments, click the 'VIEW COMMENT' label. At this point you can 'ADD COMMENT' to additional parts of the document if you wish.
- Once you have added all comments, click the "Submit" button.
How to register
To register, you need to:
- go to the Consultation Portal
- click on Sign in button
- click on Register
A registration screen will open where you can:
- create a username
- choose a password (this should be as secure as possible, and include a mix of numbers and letters)
You then need to read the terms and conditions, and check the 'Yes' button.
You should only register as an agent if you are representing someone else as a professional, such as a developer or a client. If you are representing your organisation you should register as a consultee and add the organisation details.
When you have added your information, click OK. We will send you an email with a link, inviting you to activate your account. After clicking the link, click on your name (top right of screen) and My Details to complete your information.
It is important that you fill in your postal address, so that we have an alternative means of contacting you.
Finally, you can add optional settings for notifications and preferred method of contact.
The portal - General Guidance
All our consultations are listed on the Consultation Portal. You can read all consultation documents without signing in.
If the consultation period is open, you can make comments which are sent directly to us. You will need to register or sign in to make comments. If the consultation is closed, you can still view the document and see published comments.
In all cases, we will keep your contact details private and confidential. However, for most consultations, your name and comments will be publicly viewable at the end of the consultation period.
Once you have added all comments, click the ‘Submit’ button.
Forgotten passwords
If you have already signed up but forgotten your login details, you need to:
- go to the Consultation Portal
- click on Sign in button
- click the 'Forgot Password?' link to reset your password
If you are still experiencing problems, you can contact the Planning Policy team at 01376 552525 or email planningpolicy@braintree.gov.uk. You should not register again, as this will create a duplicate record.
Removing your details
If you no longer wish to be registered with the Consultation Portal, you can contact us. We will then no longer contact you about forthcoming consultations. We will keep responses to consultations and research that you have already made.
March 2026
