Determination of applications

Planning applications are either determined by Officers under delegated powers or by the Planning Committee.

Delegated Decisions

Straightforward household applications, shop fronts, advertisements and other minor developments which are recommended for approval and where there are no objections are decided by the Planning Officers. More complex applications, those where there are objections, or refusals are also delegated, but to a panel of three senior officers (the Head of Planning and/or the Development Manager – Planning, plus team leaders). Before a final decision there is also a consultation with the relevant ward Members.

Planning Committee

The Planning Committee decide the larger, complex or more controversial planning applications in the County Borough.

The Committee meetings usually take place on Tuesday at 10am in the Council Chamber, in the Civic Centre, Port Talbot, SA13 1PJ, and are open to the public. The Committee meetings can also be accessed online using Microsoft Teams.

The public have a right to attend the meeting and address the Committee in accordance with the Council’s approved protocol.

Forthcoming meetings can be found on the Calendar of Council Meetings.

The Committee Agenda of the meeting are available for public viewing at the Port Talbot Civic Centre, Port Talbot no less than 3 working days before the date of the respective meeting, and will usually be available to view online at the same time. If you are interested in listening to the debate on a specific planning application it is advisable to check with the Development Management Section (01639 686733/686331 or planning@npt.gov.uk) that the application is on the agenda before attending, since applications are occasionally withdrawn at short notice from a Committee.

See also: -

• Planning Committee Agenda and Minutes
• Members of the Planning Committee
• Having your say at Planning Committee 

While comments on planning applications are sought within the statutory consultation period of 21 days, this Authority has a policy of accepting comments up until the application is determined. When comments are submitted outside of the statutory consultation period in relation to planning applications that are being reported to Planning Committee, however, it should be noted that those comments may be received too late to be included within the formal committee report. This is because reports are usually prepared up to two weeks before the actual Planning Committee Meeting.

The Authority will therefore accept and report observations received up until 2pm on the penultimate working day immediately preceding the associated Planning Committee. Based on the usual Tuesday meetings, this would require any representations to be submitted no later than 2p.m. on the Friday before Committee.

Representations received in accordance with the Council’s protocol are summarised and, where necessary, commented upon in the form of an Amendment Sheet, which is circulated to Members of the Planning Committee by email on the evening before Committee, and presented in hard copy form at the actual meeting.