Attending a Council Meeting

     

All full Council meetings and most Committee meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend.

Dates of forthcoming meetings are listed and you can simply turn up on the night. Most Committee meetings take place in the evening at 7pm. Cabinet meetings commence at 3.00pm.

Agendas and reports for the meeting are available and hard copies are deposited at reception. Copies are also brought to the meeting room and you should be able to pick one up as you arrive.

Speaking at a meeting

Some meetings, such as full Council and the Cabinet, set aside time for questions from members of the public. Generally, if you wish to speak at a meeting, or ask Councillors a question, you will be asked to request this in advance of the meeting, although sometimes there are 'open' sessions where you can ask questions on an ad hoc basis.

Contact the Administrative Officer responsible for the Committee you would like to speak at for further information.

Speaking at a Development Control meeting

Introduction

The Council wishes to ensure that the ways it reaches its decisions on planning applications are fair and open. It therefore encourages public speaking at the Development Control Committee. Below are some questions and answers which are designed to help you make the most of the opportunity.

Questions about Public Speaking

Q. Who can speak at a Development Control meeting?

A. Apart from members of the Committee and council officers, the applicant or his/her agent. SDC ward members, a representative of a town or parish council, and one local resident in favour of, and one against, may speak for a maximum of 3 minutes each at a meeting. This is also the order in which speakers are taken. No discussion between speakers and the Committee or officers is allowed.

Q. How can I find out whether an application is to be considered by the Committee?

A. The Council deals with over 1000 applications every year and the Planning Control Service does not have the resources to keep everyone informed about progress on all of them.

You will need to find out from the officer dealing with the application (the case officer) whether the application will be considered by the Committee as most applications are determined by the Head of Planning, Environmental Health and Building Control Services under delegated powers. Some applications are complex and take many months to determine and you will have to keep in regular contact with the case officer to find out whether an application will go to a committee meeting.

Q. How and when do I have to let the Council know I want to speak?

A. If the application is to be reported to a committee meeting, you will receive a letter giving you details about a week before the meeting. You will need to give written notice that you would like to speak by 5pm on the Thursday before the meeting. Letters should be sent to the Head of Planning, Environmental Health and Building Control Services at the Civic Centre address. No late notifications can be accepted.

Q. What if there is more than one local resident who wishes to speak?

A. If local residents have not chosen someone to speak on their behalf, the system operates on the basis of 'first come, first served' although priority can be given to people living closest to the application site. The first person who notifies the Head of Planning, Environmental Health and Building Control Services that they intend to speak can subsequently allow somebody else to speak in their place of they wish. Where there is any dispute, the final decision will be made by the Chairman of the Committee.

Q. What happens at the Committee meeting?

A. Those applications where the public have given notice that they wish to speak will be considered first.

Brief details of the application will be given by the Chairman and an officer of the Council. Each speaker will then be invited to address the meeting in turn.

Please note that you will not be permitted to distribute any material at the meeting. If you want to send in more information, it should be sent to the Civic Centre, ideally not later than the day before the meeting so that officers can summarise it for the Committee.

When the speakers have finished, the Committee will debate the proposal and reach a conclusion.

If you do not wish to speak or are unable to for some reason, then the Committee will still have to take all of the written views into account.

The Laws of Slander

• These laws are very strict
• If in public you say something about a person which is not true, even if you believe it to be true, you may be sued and have to pay compensation. Therefore, you need to be very careful about any criticism you wish to make of people
• Councillors are able to speak more freely and bluntly while in Council, Committee or Sub-Committee meetings than members of the public
• You, as a member of the public, do not have the same protection

Dates of Meetings

Meetings are held in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre and begin at 7.00pm unless otherwise specified. Agendas are available from Main Reception five days before the meeting.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact either the Development Control Team on 01303 853456 or the Administrative Officer who will be clerking the meeting.