What is “Planning Objection Letters”?

– Planning Objection Letters was conceived as an online service for local residents and third parties affected by planning applications and appeals. The idea is to provide a high quality, cost effective service using remote online working to keep costs down and add value for you where it really matters, in the drafting of your planning objection letter.

Who runs it and who will write my objection letters?

– Planning Objection Letters is the online planning practice of Simon Miles, a fully qualified and highly experienced planning consultant. He works as a sole practitioner and writes all the objection letters himself. We never sub-contract or use external consultants.

Why use Planning Objection Letters?

– Applicants use professional planning consultants to support their proposals because they know it will increase their chances of gaining the approvals they seek. We level the playing field by giving you access to the same kind of expertise and experience. We will ensure your objections are supported by detailed analysis and relevant planning policies so that they carry the maximum possible weight in the planning process.

Can’t I write my own planning objection letter?

– Yes. Even though we work hard to keep our fees low, we understand not everyone can afford to employ a planning consultant. Other people just prefer to do things themselves. We’ve prepared a DIY Guide to help you write your own objection letters, explaining what to do, just as importantly what not to do, and how to make sure your objections really count. You’ll find this in the main page links above.

What does it cost?

– Our DIY Guide is just £45 and it’s yours to keep. Bespoke objection letters are priced individually depending on complexity. Prices start from just £450 for simple cases, including household extensions and minor developments not raising multiple complex issues. Larger schemes, major developments and more complex cases inevitably take up more time. These typically cost up to £750. Prices are always fixed and fully inclusive.

Can I share the cost with my neighbour(s)?

– Yes. If you do that, the overall cost is likely to be slightly higher as we will need to collate multiple objections from you as a group. However, it will still be significantly cheaper than instructing us individually. We do ask for one of you to act as our point of contact and to make a single payment on behalf of the group. This is something we often do on larger schemes and we find it works well.

Why is payment taken in advance?

– Payment is taken in advance to keep administration to a minimum (helping keeping costs down and our fees low) and to secure a time slot for your objection letter, as demand for our service is often high.

How good is your remote working service?

– We’ve been using our remote working model for ten years now. Over that time we’ve provided hundreds of clients with planning objection letters. We’ve gradually refined and improved our process. And we know it works, because our clients tell us it does. If for any reason we feel your case isn’t suitable or we don’t think we’ll be able to add significant value for you, we’ll tell you and explain why.

Why don’t you offer telephone support?

– We used to, but it takes up a lot of time. This increases costs and means we have to charge you more. We find email to be a more efficient and cost effective means of communication. This enables us to give you the best and most cost effective service possible, adding value for you where it matters. You’ll have no difficulty finding a locally based planning consultant who will be happy to offer you a traditional ‘in person’ service if that’s what you want. However, you will likely find the cost to be significantly higher. The whole ethos behind Planning Objections is to provide a high quality service at prices that local residents and neighbours affected by development proposals can afford.