Focus on the 'Material'

I have not long posted on the Latest information sheets from Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) but I thought it worth highlighting what is not considered relevant to the consideration of planning applications:

From the PAS info sheet:

Items which are NOT material considerations and are therefore not relevant to planning include:

Personal circumstances of the applicant, e.g. devaluation of property, private property
rights including boundary and access disputes

Private interests, e.g. loss of a view, competition between businesses

Moral considerations (e.g. to betting shops), or religious objections (e.g. religious objection
to working on Sunday)

Political considerations or ideological dislikes, e.g. private hospitals

Cost of the development

Title restrictions

Applicant’s lack of ownership of the site

Issues covered by other legislation, e.g. health and safety regulations, licensing, building
control

Any factor indicating that there is a lack of any reasonable prospect of the development
proceeding

How can I obtain further information on Material Considerations?

Contact your planning authority

See Scottish Government Circular 4 2009 Development Management Procedures – for useful information on material considerations refer to Annex A: “Defining a Material
Consideration”.

Government guidance encourages us to focus on what is considered Material.