Planning applications – the role of the Community Council
We thought it might be helpful to set out the role of the Community Council when it comes to planning applications in our area. At our meeting in August 2025, there was a degree of confusion about the role of the Community Council versus the role of individual residents.
Planning is a complex subject and there are rafts of rules and regulations, to summarise our role is:
- To provide local knowledge and background
- To provide views representative of the community relevant to development that’s being proposed
- To submit comments restricted to:
- the planning merits of the proposal
- the proposals alignment with the Local Development Plan
- the impacts of development in the locale
- Material planning considerations – more details below
- To express views in clear and unambiguous terms,
- To indicate if there is no consensus, i.e. share a range of views if that’s the case
- Not to resist a development because an alternative might be preferable or because of opposition levels
- To only oppose to an application if there are reasons on relevant planning grounds, referring to Planning Policy if possible.
What Are Material Considerations:
| Material Considerations | Not Material Considerations |
| Suitability of site / development | Protection of Individual or Business Interests |
| Suitability of development | View from Adjoining sites/houses |
| Relationship with surrounding developments and uses | Property Value |
| Design | Personal Circumstances |
| Scale | Moral, political or ideological considerations |
| Materials | Cost of Development |
| Roads / access | Need for Development (with some exceptions) |
| Disturbance e.g. noise, smell | Over-provision of Facility |
| Loss of Privacy | Land Ownership / Legal rights over land |
| Economic or Community Benefits, where justified and evidenced | Issues covered by Other Legislation |
| Meeting Identified Needs | |
| Adequacy of Infrastructire | |
| Previous Decisions on Application Site |
The Community Council regularly monitors all planning applications relevant to our area submitted to Scottish Borders Council and makes observations on them to the Council when asked or where we consider that it is in the interests of the community for us to do so.
We know that some people find the “online planning portal” tricky to navigate so we have decided to publish a link below to the “Application Search” screen, to view local applications you need to select “Hutton and Paxton” on the dropdown menu.
If you then click on Search – you will get the Results page.
Each planning application has a blue hyperlink above the address and details of the planning application.
If you then click then on the blue link it will open up all the information relating to that specific planning application.
Needing Help?
We recognise that not everyone is comfortable using these on-line systems (they can be quite clunky to work through) so, as a Community Council, we are very happy to work with residents who would like to lodge comments on applications.
This means however that you need to contact us to let us know you would like us to act on your behalf:
Email: huttonpaxtoncc@outlook.com
Come to the Community Council meetings: the dates are on our website hpcommunityhub.uk and on noticeboards in Hutton, Paxton and Fishwick.
Write to us at: The Secretary, Hutton and Paxton Community Council, C/O Ardross, Hutton Hall Barns, Berwickshire TD15 1TT.
And Finally…
In the planning section on our website, we state:
“The Community Council regularly monitors all planning applications relevant to our area submitted to Scottish Borders Council and makes observations on them to the Council when asked or where we consider that it is in the interests of the community for us to do so.”
We monitor the applications routinely but we will be holding fewer meetings in 2026 so the opportunity to review planning applications in public will be reduced, however we can hold an additional meeting at any time if there is a requirement to do so.
The Planning Department at Scottish Borders Council has a duty to notify residents who are likely to be directly impacted by a proposed application. It’s important that residents either check the Scottish Borders Council website or contact us a Community Council if you would like more information about an application or would like us to act on your behalf.
Planning Policy Changes
Click here for the Development Plan Scheme 2025. The document was approved at the meeting of Scottish Borders Council on 26 June 2025 following a six week period of public consultation that ran from 25 March 2025.
The Development Plan Scheme 2025 provides information on the development plan process including expected participation. It also sets out the latest position on the Council’s development plans.
You can find out more about the next new Local Development Plan, and view the Development Plan Scheme online by accessing the following webpage https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/ldp3
Scottish Borders Council recently adopted the Local Development Plan (LDP) on 22 August 2024.
Copies of the Plan are available for inspection in public libraries, at Council Headquarters, and in Council Contact Centres, during normal working hours.
The official Website for Hutton and Paxton Community Council 