How we will use your personal information

Under the Data Protection Act, we have a legal duty to protect any personal information we collect from you. We do not pass on your details to any third party or government department unless you give us permission to do so or the law requires/permits it.

Planning Application Registers

Local Planning Authorities have a statutory obligation to hold a register of all valid planning applications received.  The register contains copies of all documents submitted as part of the original application, as well as other information submitted by interested party’s that may be of significance to the outcome of the application.  This includes, but is not limited to, amended plans, letters, e-mail and any other form of contact received and sent by the Council until a decision on the application has been made.

If you are an agent who is acting on behalf of a client you have a duty to advise your client accordingly. 

The planning application register can be viewed at Solihull Connect, Central Library, Homer Road, Solihull during normal opening hours.  We also provide access to the planning application register online.

Online Planning Application Registers

All Local Planning Authorities in England now have an online planning application register.  The online version differs slightly to the hard copy by the removal of information considered personal by the Information Commissioner for online use.  Guidance from the Information Commissioner on online registers for planning and building regulation applications is available in the attachments section of this page.

We will remove the signature, telephone number and e-mail address of any private individual who provides this information to the planning department.  Where an applicant is a commercial organisation, we will remove their signature only.  If an applicant uses an agent to act on their behalf, we will also remove the agents’ signature.

Comments on planning applications

Comments on planning applications form part of the Statutory Register and the local planning authority has a duty to make this information available.  In all cases telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and signatures will be removed from the online version of the planning register.  The hard copy of the planning register will still show your comment and details in full.

You can request to have your name and address removed from online publication however, your comment will then be considered an anonymous comment and may carry less weight than those where we can identify the location of the person making the comment.  Please contact us if you wish for your details to be withheld.

Enforcement Complaints

Our Enforcement team will only investigate possible breeches of planning control where the person making the complaint provides, as a minimum their address.  Where possible, complainants should provide their telephone number or e-mail address to speed up communication regarding the case.  Any information you provide as part of an Enforcement Complaint is confidential and we will not release your information to a third party. In exceptional circumstances we may be required to release your details to the Police or other Government agency. 

For further details on Planning Enforcement, please see the Planning Enforcement Policy document.

Complaints can be made online by using the Contact Planning Enforcement Form