Planning

Northumberland County Council Planning Authority has the power to approve or refuse planning applications. We are one of the county council’s official consultees on all planning applications within Seaton Valley.

We review all the planning applications in Seaton Valley and will register a Consultee Comment via the Northumberland County Council’s Planning Portal if we believe that there is a valid planning reason to object to any individual application.  You can read the minutes from our Planning Committee meetings here…

Anyone who feels they are affected by the proposals in a planning application can make their own representations to the planning authority via the county council’s website Public Access Planning Register

Listed below are the areas that Seaton Valley Council believes to be material considerations in deciding whether to object to a particular planning application.

Material Considerations

  • Overlooking/loss of privacy
  • Loss of light or overshadowing
  • Parking
  • Highway safety
  • Traffic
  • Noise
  • Effect on listed building and conservation area
  • Layout and density of building
  • Design, appearance and materials
  • Government policy
  • Disabled persons’ access
  • Proposals in the Development Plan
  • Previous planning decisions (including appeal decisions)
  • Nature conservation

Non-Material Considerations

The following are non-material planning considerations and as such we are unable to make representations to the planning authority on these grounds:

  • Loss of view
  • Negative effect on the value of properties
  • Land ownership or restrictive covenants
  • Business competition
  • Matters controlled under Building Regulations or other non–planning legislation
  • Applicants’ personal circumstances (unless exceptional such as relating to a personal disability).

Detailed information and guidance on submitting planning applications can be found on the Northumberland County Council website – Northumberland County Council Planning