Find and comment on a planning application

How to Make a Comment 

At Exeter City Council, we value your opinions and views on planning applications. Consulting with neighbours and local communities is an important part of our review process. Only comments made in writing, that include your name and address, can be considered when deciding on planning applications.

The Easiest Way to Comment 

The fastest and most efficient way to comment is through our website: 

Comment on a planning application - search using the planning application reference number (example: 25/1234/FUL), or the site address.

Find and comment on a planning application.

Our Consultation Process

We run consultations for 24 days (longer than the legal requirement of 21 days) to provide plenty of time for comments to be made, especially during periods with bank holidays. 

We notify people about new applications, consultation methods include: -

• Publishing all applications on the Council’s website;
• Either - Sending letters to nearby properties (where relevant) or, placing a site notice near the development site - you have 24 days to respond;
• Publishing notices in the local newspaper Devon Live (for listed buildings, conservation areas, or major applications)

For full details, see our Statement of Community Involvement.

All these communications explain how you can share your thoughts on current planning applications.

Important Notes About Commenting

• If your comment appears on our website, rest assured it will be considered
• You can write letters or send emails, but these take longer to process and don't carry any additional weight 
• Submitting multiple comments through different methods doesn't give your concerns more consideration but creates extra work for our team 
• Comments received will be taken into consideration in the determination process, but queries or questions raised, unfortunately won’t be responded to individually.

Tips for Making Effective Comments 

• We don't expect you to be an expert - we just want to know what you think about a proposed development and why 
• For multiple issues, consider using bullet points for clarity 
• Your full name and comment will appear on our public website. (if you include your address within the comment text, this will appear on our website) 
• We cannot accept anonymous comments, verbal comments, or video comments 

After Submitting Your Comment 

• We cannot respond to individual queries
• If the development raises a number of objections, it may be considered at our Planning Committee. You will be invited to attend this meeting if you made a comment. There is an opportunity to speak at a Planning Committee, but this is limited to one speaker for and against an application. If you would like to speak or participate at the meeting as an applicant, a supporter or an objector, you must tell us in advance. See more about speaking at the Planning Committee and how to register.
• The website will be updated with the outcome of the decision.

Important Information

Comment Standards

Comments containing any of the following will not be published and will not form part of the application documentation: 

• Offensive language 
• Racist content 
• Discriminatory statements 
• Threatening language 
• Other non-relevant statements 

We may verify the identity of people who submit comments and will remove any where identity cannot be confirmed.