Mr. Gavin Lawlor:

There is a practical reason for why it is like this. If a planning application contains information that the person who lodged it believes to be true, for example with regard to a way leave or another matter with regard to land ownership, but a neighbour believes otherwise and makes a submission, there will be two submissions claiming to be correct. Who is correct? We would be asking a planning authority to adjudicate on a land ownership issue. This is beyond its scope.