Planning regulations set out who we should be letting know about new applications but often people hear about them from a friend or an article in the newspaper. If you would like to tell us your opinion on new applications, please contact us.

When we get a new application, it has all the plans and reports we need to start our assessment. We will publicise the application either by letter to neighbours close by, a notice displayed on or near to the application site, or a public notice in the Staffordshire Newsletter. Depending on the size and type of application, it could be one or all of these options.

For smaller applications, the regulations say that we can either display a notice on or near the site, or write to neighbouring properties. Often we will do both, but we have to use judgement as to how widely we send the individual letters. Sometimes people contact us saying that they are concerned that because they didn’t get a letter, they aren’t considered to be affected by the proposed development. Wherever we draw the line, there will always potentially be a property on the other side wondering why we didn’t write to them, but you don’t need to have a letter from us to let us know your opinion.