FAQs

No.

ObjectNow is not a bot farm and it does not submit objections automatically or in bulk. Every objection is created and submitted by a real person who chooses to take part in a campaign.

ObjectNow provides structured information and suggested wording to help people express their views clearly, but each submission is tied to an individual and reflects a deliberate action taken by them. The platform exists to support genuine public participation, not to inflate numbers or generate artificial responses.

ObjectNow is a trusted, AI powered platform built to help individuals and communities engage effectively with the planning system. It is recognised by the Energy Consents Unit in Scotland and accepted by councils and regulators across the United Kingdom as a valid way to submit planning objections. Every objection is treated as an individual submission, ensuring each person’s voice is counted separately and properly.

What sets ObjectNow apart is its combination of planning experience, legal and technical knowledge, and carefully trained AI that understands UK and devolved planning policy and environmental law. This allows us to produce clear, professional, policy relevant objections rather than generic templates.

We also take privacy seriously, handling all personal data securely and in full compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. With transparent pricing, flexible support, and a strong track record, ObjectNow offers a reliable and effective way to challenge inappropriate developments with confidence.

Yes.

ObjectNow is officially recognised by the Energy Consents Unit in Scotland and accepted by councils and regulatory bodies across the United Kingdom as a valid and compliant way to submit planning objections. We follow strict procedures to ensure every objection is treated as an individual submission, so each response is properly counted and considered.

ObjectNow is built by experienced campaigners, developers, and researchers with a strong understanding of UK, Scottish, and Welsh planning law. We use advanced AI to help produce clear, accurate, and well-structured objections, always grounded in policy and evidence.

Your privacy is taken seriously, with all personal data handled securely and in full compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Information is never shared without consent and is used only to support your objection.

Petitions and template letters are often treated as joint objections and may be counted as a single submission, which limits their influence in the planning process.

ObjectNow works differently by generating a unique, individual objection for each person who takes part, ensuring every submission is considered separately by decision makers.

Rather than relying on copy and paste text, ObjectNow uses advanced AI to shape each objection around the user’s chosen concerns, location, and any personal comments, while aligning the content with relevant planning policies and regulations.

The result is a personalised, professional objection that carries the credibility of an individual submission, combining the ease of automation with the weight and legitimacy that petitions and templates cannot provide.

No.

You do not need to be part of a campaign group to use ObjectNow. Individuals can submit objections on their own, using the same tools and structured guidance available to organised groups.

ObjectNow is designed to support anyone who wants to take part in the planning process, whether you are acting independently or alongside a local campaign.

Both individual voices and community efforts are treated equally, with each objection submitted and counted separately.

No.

Objections submitted through ObjectNow are not copied or reused. Each objection is generated individually, based on the user’s selected concerns, the specific development, and any personal comments they choose to include.

While objections are grounded in the same planning policies and evidence, the wording and structure vary so that every submission is unique and clearly identifiable as an individual response, not a template or duplicate.

Yes.

ObjectNow can be used for multiple development sites. Each campaign or development is handled separately, with its own information, policies, and objection content tailored to that specific proposal.

This means you can take part in more than one campaign, or submit objections to different developments, without overlap or reuse of content.

Each objection remains site specific, relevant, and individually submitted.

Yes.

Your data is handled securely when using ObjectNow. All personal information is processed in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, using appropriate technical and organisational safeguards.

Your details are used only to support your objection and are never shared or reused for any other purpose without your explicit consent. Data security and privacy are treated as a core part of how ObjectNow operates.

ObjectNow uses a fair and transparent pricing model designed to support individuals, community groups, and grassroots campaigns.

We offer a range of affordable options, with all costs clearly explained in advance and no hidden fees.

We also recognise that funding can be a real challenge for some campaigns. If you are a solo campaigner or part of a group with limited resources, you are encouraged to contact us directly.

In genuine cases, we can offer discounted or subsidised support to help ensure cost is not a barrier to participation.

Our focus is on accessibility rather than profit, and we aim to make high quality, legally grounded objections available to everyone, regardless of budget.

Yes.

At ObjectNow, funding and cost are not our primary focus. Our purpose is to help campaign groups and individuals engage with the planning process and ensure their voices are heard.

Where a campaign has no funding or only very limited resources, we will always have an open discussion about what support is possible. Where our own capacity and funding allow, we may be able to cover the technical costs associated with setting up and running an objection platform.

If we are unable to provide a full objection platform, we will still look for other meaningful ways to help. This may include offering guidance, reviewing material, helping structure objections, or supporting campaigns through alternative approaches that do not require the full platform.

Funding should never be a reason to stay silent. If cost is a concern, please get in touch and we will do our best to explore a fair and practical way forward.

No.

ObjectNow is not a legal adviser and does not provide formal legal advice.

The platform is designed to help people understand planning issues and to prepare clear, policy grounded objections using publicly available planning law, guidance, and environmental regulations.

While ObjectNow draws on legal and technical knowledge to structure objections effectively, it does not replace a qualified solicitor or barrister.

If you require specific legal advice or representation, you should seek guidance from a suitably qualified legal professional.

Yes.

ObjectNow can be used for a wide range of development types, not just energy applications.

While it is commonly used for wind farms, solar parks, pylons, and battery storage projects, the platform can also support objections to housing developments, industrial sites, infrastructure projects, and other planning applications.

Each development is handled individually, with objections shaped around the specific proposal, location, and relevant planning policies.

This allows ObjectNow to remain flexible and applicable across many different types of planning decisions.

This is normal and usually not a cause for concern.

Planning portals such as the Energy Consents Unit or local council systems do not display objections instantly.

Submissions are often held in a moderation or validation queue before being published, which can take several days or longer during busy consultation periods.

In some cases, objections are logged internally and counted toward the total without appearing immediately on the public portal.

Authorities may also publish objections in batches rather than individually as they arrive.

If you submitted your objection successfully through a website powered by ObjectNow, it has been sent as an individual submission using the correct process.

If it does not appear after a reasonable period, the planning authority can usually confirm receipt directly.

No.

ObjectNow’s AI does not replace personal comments. Any personal information or comments you choose to add are included as part of your objection and are not overwritten or removed.

The AI is used to help structure and support the objection around planning policy and evidence, while your own words remain your own. This ensures each submission reflects both professional context and the individual concerns of the person submitting it.

The AI in ObjectNow is used to help turn complex planning information into clear, structured, and policy relevant objection text. It draws on planning law, guidance, and environmental regulations to organise arguments in a way that planning authorities expect to see.

Rather than replacing people’s views, the AI supports them by shaping selected concerns into a coherent, professionally written objection. It helps ensure that points are relevant to the specific development, aligned with applicable policies, and clearly expressed, while leaving personal comments and individual choices fully intact.

ObjectNow is run by a small team of volunteers, campaigners, and technical specialists with long standing experience in planning, environmental issues, and community advocacy.

We created ObjectNow because we have been directly involved in planning processes ourselves and understand how difficult it can be for individuals and communities to engage on equal footing with large developers.

Our team’s identity is not public by design. Many people involved in planning campaigns face harassment, intimidation, or professional repercussions for speaking out against major developments. Keeping the team anonymous helps protect those involved and allows us to focus on supporting communities rather than individuals.

What matters most is not who we are, but how ObjectNow operates. The platform is transparent in how objections are generated, compliant with planning and data protection rules, and focused entirely on enabling genuine public participation in the planning process.

No.

ObjectNow campaigns are not based on a simple “not in my back yard” mindset. Objections created through the platform focus on planning policy, environmental impact, public safety, procedural fairness, and legal compliance rather than personal opposition to change.

Many campaigns supported by ObjectNow raise wider issues such as cumulative impacts, climate policy conflicts, biodiversity loss, water protection, and democratic accountability.

These are matters of public interest that extend well beyond the immediate area of a development and are recognised considerations within the planning system.

Everyone has the right to participate in the consultation process, and we encourage all those who support an application or development to make their views known.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), especially large lithium-ion installations, carry a well-documented risk of thermal runaway — a chain reaction that can lead to uncontrollable fires, toxic gas release, and even explosions.

These incidents can be extremely difficult to extinguish using conventional firefighting methods and may burn for hours or even days.

Thermal runaway can be triggered by internal faults, overheating, mechanical damage, or electrical surges. Once started, it can rapidly spread to other battery cells, causing a full-system fire. Some BESS fires have also released hazardous substances such as hydrogen fluoride and other noxious compounds.

While industry safety standards are evolving, many proposed sites are near homes, schools, water supplies, or sensitive habitats — raising serious concerns about public health, emergency response capacity, and environmental risk.

At ObjectNow, we believe these risks must be fully assessed and transparently addressed before any BESS development is approved.

This is a great question, and one we ourselves find hard to answer, our belief is that it should stop.

To answer your question though, this happens because of a system called constraint payments. In simple terms, wind farms are sometimes asked to stop generating electricity when the grid is unable to absorb more power — usually due to a lack of local demand, limited grid capacity, or transmission bottlenecks.

When this happens, the wind farm operators are compensated with public money for the electricity they would have generated.

These payments can amount to hundreds of millions of pounds each year, even though no energy is actually supplied to homes or businesses.

Community benefit payments are voluntary financial contributions made by developers of energy projects (such as wind farms or pylons) to local communities.

These funds are often promoted as compensation for hosting large infrastructure and are typically used for local projects or grants.

However, they are not legally binding, do not form part of the formal planning decision, and have no bearing on whether an application is approved or rejected.

Many people, including ObjectNow view these payments as controversial because:

They can be seen as an attempt to buy community acceptance.

The amounts offered are often small compared to the long-term impacts on health, landscape, and property.

In some cases, only select groups benefit, leading to division within communities.

At ObjectNow, we believe local people should be fully informed of their rights and the true long-term consequences of developments — not swayed by short-term financial offers.

Communities deserve a real say, not just a token payment.

Yes, in some situations the expansion of wind power can increase the use of diesel generators or other fossil fuel backup.

Wind energy is intermittent, meaning turbines cannot generate electricity when wind speeds are too low or too high. To keep electricity supplies stable, backup generation is often required, and this can include diesel or gas fired generators.

High levels of wind generation can also create grid stability issues, particularly in rural or weak grid areas. To manage rapid changes in output and maintain frequency and voltage, operators may install fast response diesel generators as a stabilisation measure. In addition, where local grid infrastructure is limited, diesel generators can be used to meet local demand when wind output is constrained.

Battery storage is frequently presented as the solution, but most current systems can only supply power for short periods, leaving a gap during prolonged low wind conditions. As a result, fossil fuel backup, including diesel, can still play a role. These factors are often raised in planning objections as they challenge claims of carbon neutrality and highlight wider issues in energy system planning.