Planning Guidance

This page gives a brief guide to how planning applications are dealt with and Godshill Parish Council’s role in the process. There is more information on the Planning and Building Control page of the NFNPA and NF District Council websites.

The New Forest National Park Authority is the planning authority for Godshill and is the only body which can make decisions on planning applications including conservation and tree matters.  You can either contact the National Park Authority on 01590 646600 or visit the National Park Authority website.

However, high hedges, building control and land charges matters within the National Park are dealt with by the New Forest District Council so you should visit their Planning homepage.

A page is created on the NFNPA website for each planning application when it is accepted as a valid application. All the application documents, and all comments on the application, can be viewed from that page and there is a link to an online comment form.

Godshill Parish Council, as a statutory consultee, is entitled to comment on planning applications but cannot make a decision on them.  Every planning application which relates to land and buildings in the parish of Godshill is considered at a meeting of the Parish Council.  Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month.  There is a 15 minute period near the start of the meeting during which members of the public, including those supporting or opposing a planning application, can make statements. Councillors will then discuss and vote on the comments to be made by the Parish Council on each application.

The Parish Clerk submits the Parish Council’s comments to NFNPA and members of the public can also separately submit comments to NFNPA.

Decisions are made on the applications either by a planning officer (employee) of the NFNPA who has been delegated the authority to determine the application or, in a small number of cases, by the NFNPA Planning Committee (after 2018 this took over from the previous Planning Development Control Committee).These cases include:

  • applications referred by Members
  • applications where the Parish Council has expressed a view contrary to the planning officer
  • applications which are contrary to our approved policies which are recommended for approval.

The NFNPA Planning Committee is made up of eight Local Authority appointed Members and six Secretary of State appointed Members.  For details see their pages in the NFNPA website.

If the decision is to be made by the NFNPA Planning Committee, the meeting will be advertised and members of the public can attend and make statements.  However if the decision is made by an officer, it will be made in private and only written comments will be considered.

If permission is refused, or is granted subject to conditions, the applicant may appeal to the Planning Inspectorate (an independent body). However, neither Godshill Parish Council nor anyone else opposed to a planning application can appeal if planning permission is granted.