Statutorily all major development proposals, proposals affecting Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas, and departures from the Local Plan, all proposals requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment or affecting a public right of way, have to be publicised by placing an advertisement in a local newspaper. Major Development here means:

• Erection of 10 or more dwellings or housing development on a site of 0.5 hectare or more.
• Erection of a building or buildings where the floor space to be created is 1,000 m2 or more.
• Development on a site of 1 hectare or more.
• Extraction of minerals or the use of the land for mineral working deposits.
• Development involving the treating, storing, processing or disposing of refuse and waste material.

We advertised these in the Devon Live

Statutorily the following types of application must be publicised by a site notice placed on or near the site:

• Applications for Listed Building Consent.
• Development affecting the setting of a listed building or the character or appearance of a conservation area.
• Applications accompanied by an environmental impact assessment.
• Applications which do not accord with the development plan.
• Development affecting a public right of way.
• Major applications (must receive either a site notice or neighbour notification letters must be sent out).

Applications which require publicity are publicised by the posting of a site notice on or near the site in most cases. The site notices are yellow for high visibility. The notice gives brief details of the planning proposal, the planning reference number, the case officer and the date which all objections and comments must be received by.

Householder applications and applications for minor alterations in flats which are not in a Conservation Area are dealt with under a fast track system as set out in our statement of community involvement and do not require a site notice

Please note that the law recognises that we cannot be held responsible for the removal of site notices before the expiration of the 21 days allowed for representations. However, if we are advised that a site notice has been removed we will endeavour to replace it.

We have made Planning Online available to be viewed in all public libraries in Torbay.

We have made Planning Online available to be viewed in all public libraries in Torbay.

We also endeavour to notify individual owners or occupiers of neighbouring properties by sending them a neighbour notification letter. However, this might not be possible if land is unoccupied or where the occupier of the land cannot be readily identified. We also do not notify neighbours of applications for internal works to listed buildings or advertisement applications.

The letter will give brief details about the planning proposal, the planning reference number, the case officer and the date by which all comments and objections must be received.

It is the planning officer assigned to a particular application who decides which neighbours will be notified by letter and they are sent out to (at the least) those whose property abuts the application site.

Please note that if the application is for the replacement of existing windows in blocks of flats/commercial premises we will not send neighbour notification letters. We will only send one letter addressed to the management company/residents of blocks of flats where they are the neighbours for any other application type (unless officers make a specific request otherwise). A site notice will be placed and, where the application falls within a conservation area or is in a Listed Building we will advertise the application in the Devon Live.

Once an application has been validated it will be scanned and made available to view on Planning Online. You can view all the plans submitted with an application and view the comments (representations) we have received. You can keep track of the progress of an application by registering with Planning Online.

We actively seek the involvement of members of the local community when making planning decisions. For further information about public consultation please visit the Commenting page.