Comment on a planning application

All valid planning applications and associated documents are available on the online planning portal. 

To comment on a planning application, you can either:

• Use the planning portal. You will need to register before you can comment or subscribe to notifications.
• Email your comments to pi@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

All comments submitted will be made available online as part of the application documents and may also form part of the agenda papers should the application go to committee. The names and addresses of those commenting will be displayed. Other special category data, including signatures, personal e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and any comments considered defamatory or offensive, will not be displayed. 

For some applications for example advert consent and EIA screening opinion, there is no formal process which allows comments to be made or requires the planning authority to consider them. Please check the individual application details online or check with us.

If you require assistance with this and are unable to use our online service, please contact us using the phone number or email address below.

• Neighbour notification: we must serve a neighbour notification notice on certain neighbouring property owners and occupiers.
• Local press: for certain applications, we may decide that the application should be advertised in the local press so more people are aware of the proposal.
• Online: a weekly list is published online every Monday.

• Generally you will have 21 days from the date a neighbour notification has been sent out to submit your written comments. We advise that you get in touch to check the exact date that comments have to be submitted by. 
• Press adverts have either a 14 or 21 day time period for responses. The advert will specify which time period applies.

Entries in the Planning Applications Search tell you when comments should be submitted by. This is the 'Expiry Date' which is within the ‘Important Dates’ sub-section within 'Details'.

Comments should relate only to 'planning matters'. These are the only matters that we can take into account when determining an application. Examples include:

• Written representations from members of the public
• Views of statutory and other consultees
• Government policy and guidance
• Local policy and guidance
• Planning site history
• Impact on amenity
• Impact on access, parking or road safety
• Design
• Compatibility with other uses in the area
• Effect on a Listed Building or Conservation Area
• Effect on Tree Preservation Order
• Precedent.

Certain matters are not normally material planning considerations and we will not take these into account when we decide on a planning application. These include:

• Devaluation of property
• Loss of a view
• Hours of construction
• Commercial/business competition
• Moral and religious issues
• Matters which relate to other regulatory regimes such as building standards or health and safety
• Matters which relate to safety or disruption during construction
• Civil matters
• Perceived health and safety risks

Please note that these lists are not exhaustive.

After you have submitted your written comments, you will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt. A petition with more than one name on it will be counted as one representation. We will take all comments submitted within the agreed time periods into account when determining the application. 

Depending on the number of objections, the application may be dealt with under delegated powers or by the Planning Development Management Committee. In all instances, the case officer will prepare a report on the proposal, and will refer to the comments received, summarising the points raised and include an evaluation of the issues. The report will make a recommendation to the Committee as to how the application should be determined.

If the application is referred to the Committee, copies of the comments received will either be circulated to members of the Committee or made available for inspection on the day of the meeting. Due to the current Coronavirus crisis, the Aberdeen City Council Planning Development Management Committee and Local Review Body Meetings are currently continuing to operate but meetings will be carried out remotely and not in a Committee room.  Meetings will be recorded and thereafter publicly available for viewing on the Council’s website. Please visit our Planning Development Management Committee pages for details on Committee dates and weblinks to the recordings.

Once a decision has been made, each person who has submitted a comment regarding an application will be advised in writing of the decision.

You could discuss your comments with your local Councillor who might be able to represent your views to the Planning Authority. It is worth noting that a councillor may be unable to vote on a planning application where they assist constituents on objecting to or supporting that planning application.

You could also contact your local community council who are a statutory consultee for planning applications in their area.

Development Management
Strategic Place Planning
Aberdeen City Council
Business Hub 4
Marischal College
Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
01224 053746
pi@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Please include your full postal address, including postcode, in all correspondence. Without the postcode we will be unable to respond to your correspondence because of requirements imposed by Royal Mail. For more information, please see the Royal Mail Postcode Address File Code of Practice.