How to Submit Your Planning Support or Objection

When the planning application for the proposed development at Thorpe End is formally submitted, we will publish the planning application reference number, direct link and consultation deadline on this website and the village facebook pages.

There are several ways to submit an objection.

OPTION 1 — Object or Support an Online

Broadland District Council's planning applications can be searched here:

Broadland & South Norfolk Planning Application Search:
https://www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/planning/planning-applications/find-planning-application

How to register

1. Open the planning application search using the link above.

2. Search using the planning application reference number or site address.

3. Open the relevant application.

4. To submit a comment you will need to register for an account or log into your existing account.

5. Once registered and logged in, return to the application.

6. Select the "Make a Comment" tab.

7. Enter your comments and submit them.

8. Keep a copy of your objection for your own records.

Creating an account also allows you to save searches and track planning applications.

When the Thorpe End application is registered, we will publish its reference number and direct link here so residents do not have to search for it themselves.

IMPORTANT — THE ONLINE FORM HAS A 2,500 CHARACTER LIMIT

The Council's online comments box is currently limited to:

2,500 characters

This is characters, not words, and includes spaces and punctuation.

2,500 characters is only approximately 350–450 words, depending upon how you write.

For a development of this scale, this may not provide enough space to explain several planning objections properly.

The Council also states that the online page will time out after 30 minutes.

We therefore strongly recommend:

Do not write your objection directly into the Council's online form.

Write it first in Word, Pages, Google Docs or another application and save a copy.

You can then either:

• reduce your objection to fewer than 2,500 characters and paste it into the online portal; or

• submit a more detailed objection by email.

For residents wishing to make a detailed, evidence-based objection covering several planning matters, email is likely to be the better option.

OPTION 2 — Object by Email

Broadland District Council's published email address for planning representations is:

planning.bdc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

We recommend putting the planning application reference prominently in the email subject, for example:

OBJECTION – Planning Application 2026/XXXX – Land South of Plumstead Road, Thorpe End

Your email should include:

• Your full name

• Your postal address

• The planning application reference

• The site concerned

• A clear statement that you object

• Your individual grounds for objection

• Relevant evidence where appropriate

You could begin:

Dear Planning Officer,

Planning Application: 2026/XXXX
Land at: [site description]

I am writing to formally object to the above planning application for the following planning reasons.

Then set out your objections using numbered headings.

For example:

1. Highway Safety and Traffic
[Your comments]

2. Flood Risk and Drainage
[Your comments]

3. Landscape and Character
[Your comments]

4. Sustainable Transport
[Your comments]

5. Infrastructure
[Your comments]

Only include subjects that genuinely form part of your objection.

OPTION 3 — Send Your Objection by Post

The Council also accepts written representations.

For Broadland applications, the Council's current published address is:

Head of Planning
Broadland District Council
The Horizon Centre
Peachman Way
Broadland Business Park
Norwich
NR7 0WF

Make sure the planning application reference is clearly shown on your letter.

When Should I Submit My Objection?

The Council normally provides a 21-day consultation period.

We recommend submitting your objection within that period wherever possible.

The Council states that representations received before an application is determined will be taken into account. However, once the initial 21-day period has expired, an application may be determined and there is therefore no guarantee that a late representation will be considered.

Do not wait until the last day.

Can I Send a Longer Objection by Email?

Yes.

This may be particularly useful for a major development where you want to address several different planning matters.

The 2,500-character restriction applies to the Council's online comments box.

If your objection needs significantly more explanation, consider submitting it by email instead.

Can I Attach a Separate Document?

For a particularly detailed representation, residents may wish to prepare their objection as a clearly structured document and submit it with their email.

If doing so, make the purpose of the email very clear and include the planning application reference.

For example:

"Please accept the attached document as my formal objection to Planning Application 2026/XXXX."

We recommend using PDF for an attached final objection so that formatting, page numbers, photographs and tables remain intact.

Keep the original editable version yourself.

Can I Include Photographs and Evidence?

Yes, where the evidence relates to a material planning consideration.

Potentially useful evidence includes:

• Photographs of flooding

• Photographs showing road conditions

• Photographs demonstrating visibility problems

• Maps

• Measurements

• Traffic information

• Bus timetables

• Published reports

• Relevant planning policies

• Ecology information

• Photographs showing landscape character

Explain what each item demonstrates rather than simply attaching large quantities of material.

Will My Objection Be Public?

Yes.

Planning representations form part of the public planning process.

The Council states that submitted comments may be published on its website.

The Council currently says that it publishes the postal address associated with comments but removes the person's name, signature, email address and telephone number from comments published online.

You should therefore assume that the substance of anything you submit may become publicly available.

Do not include confidential information.

What Happens if I Miss the 21-Day Deadline?

If the application still has the status "Pending Consideration", the Council says that you can still submit comments by email or post after the online "Make a Comment" facility has closed.

However, there is an important warning:

The application can be determined after the consultation period has expired, so there is no guarantee that late comments will be considered.

Submit within the consultation period wherever possible.

Should I Use the Online Form or Email?

For a short objection dealing with one or two issues:

Online portal ✓

For a substantial objection covering several planning matters:

Email ✓

For a detailed objection containing photographs, evidence, maps, policy references or several pages of analysis:

Email with an attached PDF ✓

The strength of an objection does not come from its length.

A concise three-page objection identifying genuine planning conflicts and supporting them with evidence may be considerably stronger than a 20-page document containing repetition or matters that planning officers cannot consider.

Keep Proof of Your Submission

Whichever method you use:

Keep a copy of everything you submit.

If submitting online, save the text beforehand.

If submitting by email, retain the sent email and attachments.

If submitting by post, retain a copy of the letter and consider obtaining proof of postage.

You should also check the planning application online afterwards to confirm that your representation has been registered.

One Objection Per Person — In Your Own Words

We encourage residents to submit individual objections rather than simply copying and pasting an identical standard letter.

This website will provide:

• Planning information

• Evidence

• Relevant policies

• Facts and statistics

• Guidance

• Questions to consider

• Explanations of the applicant's reports

Use that information to construct your own objection based upon the issues that concern you.

Your personal knowledge of Thorpe End can be important evidence.

Before You Press Send — Final Checklist

• Have I included the planning application reference?

• Have I included my full postal address?

• Have I clearly said that I object?

• Have I concentrated on material planning considerations?

• Have I explained why each issue causes planning harm?

• Have I provided evidence where possible?

• Have I referred to relevant planning policy where appropriate?

• Have I avoided speculation or unsupported claims?

• Have I avoided comments about property values or loss of a private view?

• Have I avoided comments about the identity or characteristics of future residents?

• Have I checked facts, figures and quotations?

• Have I kept a copy of my objection?

• Am I submitting it before the consultation deadline?

Remember

You don't need to be a planning expert to make an effective objection.

Concentrate on what you know, explain the problem clearly, provide evidence where you can and relate the issue to the planning consequences of the proposed development.

Be factual. Be specific. Use evidence. Explain the planning harm. Make the objection your own.

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