Issues with CC Planning Portal and Deadline for Public Comments on PA16/10635

Cornwall Council’s Online Planning Register is currently down (and was yesterday as well).

CC Planning Portal Error

I’ve just sent the following complaint via their main site, and have also emailed Chantal McLennan (case officer) requesting clarification on closing date for public comment on PA16/10635:

On attempting to access your online planning register I have been getting the following error, both yesterday and today:

“Error Server Problem
A server problem prevented the webpage from displaying. Try again later to see if the problem has been corrected.”

No one available on your 0300 number to notify of this.

Since your service unavailability affects 21 day public comment window on planning applications they should be adjusted accordingly on restoration of service.

According to the West Briton (Dec 14th) PA16/10635 has till 6th Jan for public comment.

However, notice of this has only been posted on Dec 24th (though notice states Dec 23rd) at a single location at the top of Saltbox Close cul-de-sac (hardly visible to general public, and residents of Saltbox Rd and elsewhere in the village of Mylor, unless they are visiting the two top houses in the Close).

Surely the 21 days for public comment therefore should run from the date of posting of this notice (Dec 24th), and run until at least Fri 13th Jan (or later if unavailability of your service is taken into account).

Comments

Issues with CC Planning Portal and Deadline for Public Comments on PA16/10635 — 4 Comments

robf on January 3, 2017 at 14:04 said:

I have just spoken to Chantal McLennan (case officer), and she has confirmed that expiry date for public comment on PA16/10635 is indeed Wednesday Jan 18th.

This is apparently due to Natural England requesting an extension for their own further comment (subsequently issued on Wed 28th Dec and running for 21 days from then – see here) and Chantal McLennan, as case officer, is therefore unable to make any decision on PA16/10635 until after that 21 day deadline expires on Jan 18th.

However, as per their earlier response:

However, early return of your comments is recommended, preferably prior to the 21 day consultation period to ensure your views are made known to the case officer for inclusion in their assessment of the proposals and to enable the case officer to act upon the comments you made ie request further information/reports/surveys within the life cycle of the application.

I also complained about the lack of visibility of site notices (see this article and comments) but apparently they have “done what we need to do”…
sue on January 2, 2017 at 17:45 said:

This notice for the planning application is in a disgraceful position. It is hidden on Pillars Road
- robf on January 2, 2017 at 17:58 said:
  
  Location of Planning Notice at the top of Saltbox Close isn’t particularly visible either.
  
  You can’t identify it as a Planning Notice from the junction with Saltbox Road, and only residents of the top two of the eight houses in Saltbox Close itself are likely to see it, as the close is a cul-de-sac.
  
  I have seen no notices for this PA elsewhere in the village (looked in Saltbox Rd, Waterings Rd and village noticeboard. I’m concerned that many residents aren’t getting the information.
robf on December 28, 2016 at 15:30 said:

Just had an apology from Cornwall Council in reply to my complaint re unavailability of Planning portal (which is now back online) which also contained a definitive date (18th January) for deadline for comments on PA16/10635 – I have updated the countdown here on https://saltbox.rofo.co.uk to reflect this.

Excerpt from their email outlining revised deadline for PA16/10635 follows:

Our statutory consultation process has included both a site notice posted on the 23 December 2016 and a press advert published on the 16 December 2016. We allow the statutory 21 days for each type of public notification and the overall date of expiry is the 18 January for public comments to be made on this planning application.

Comments can still be received after the 21 day consultation period and will be included in the officer assessment provided the decision has not been issued. However, early return of your comments is recommended, preferably prior to the 21 day consultation period to ensure your views are made known to the case officer for inclusion in their assessment of the proposals and to enable the case officer to act upon the comments you made ie request further information/reports/surveys within the life cycle of the application.