Issue - meetings

To consider recommending amendments to Full Council to re-arrange the order of speakers in the Public Speaking Scheme to ensure that the Ward Councillor spoke last on a planning application prior to the Planning Committee’s determination.

Following a referral from the Portfolio Holder Constitution Review Working Party, the Planning Committee were asked to consider amending its Public Speaking Scheme and to re-arrange the order of speakers to ensure that the Ward Councillor spoke last on a planning application at a Planning Committee meeting rather than the Applicant/Developer who was currently listed last under the Committee’s public speaking scheme.

Following detailed discussion by the Committee, it was moved by Councillor White, seconded by Councillor Bray and:-

RESOLVED that the Planning Committee agrees to its Public Speaking Scheme being revised to re-arrange the order of speakers so that the applicant (or their agent or their representative) speaks first after the Officer presentation of the planning application at the Planning Committee’s meeting and are then followed by:-

§  One member of the public who wishes to speak in favour of the application;

§  One member of the public who wishes to speak against the application;

§  A representative of the relevant Parish/Town Council for the application site;

§  All District Councillors for the Ward in which the application site is situated.

For the avoidance of any doubt the Committee confirms that the rights of members of the Executive under the Scheme remain unchanged. In addition, the Committee will undertake a review after six months’ operation of the amended Public Speaking Scheme (Planning Committee).

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the Planning Committee’s Public Speaking Scheme be amended so that the applicant (or their agent or their representative) speaks first after the Officer presentation of the planning application at the Planning Committee’s meeting.