Public Participation at Planning Committee
As part of our commitment to enabling public involvement in the planning process, the council provides the opportunity for people to speak Planning Committee.
People may also present models and/or additional information to amplify points raised in submissions or representations made on planning applications.
Consultation on planning applications has always taken place and any written submissions made are summarised in the reports presented to the Committee.
What are the arrangements for speaking at Planning Committee?
The opportunity to speak is available to the applicant, agent, supporters, objectors and consultees (including representatives of parish/town councils and the County Council), as well as District Councillors not on the Planning Committee, to amplify or explain points already made in writing.
You are asked to avoid making any point that has not previously been set out, or to use this as an alternative to submitting your views in writing. You can only speak on an application that is on the agenda for determination at the meeting. You should note that not all applications are determined by the Planning Committee with the vast majority decided by Council officers acting under delegated powers.
Your oral comments should amplify the points raised in your written submission. Please do not repeat yourself and do not repeat points or arguments made by others. You do not have the right to a reply and you are not permitted to cross examine other speakers, ask questions or join the debate.
Your comments should be confined to planning issues and should not cover issues such as the morals or motives of the applicant, matters which are controlled by other legislation, private legal rights, possible future development not included in the application and competition.
You must be ready to speak once only. You will not be allowed more than three minutes to present your views, unless you are also presenting a 3D model (see later), as other people also have an opportunity to speak. You are asked not to repeat points made previously by other speakers.
If you want to speak at the Planning Committee, you should inform the Governance Team as early as possible and, in any case, not later than 10am on the Monday prior to the Committee meeting at which the application is on the agenda. Wherever possible, please give your daytime telephone number in case we need to contact you.
The agenda for each meeting will be published five clear working days before the Committee. When the agenda is finalised, we will contact you in writing or via e-mail to notify you of the date of the Committee meeting and you will be asked to contact the Governance Team should you wish to speak.
Does the Council support other methods of presenting applications at Committee?
In addition to the right to speak on an application, the Council can display plans, photographs and real-life and electronic models of proposed developments where requested. The opportunity to display plans, photographs and models is open to all applicants, agents, supporters and objectors on any development reported to the Planning Committee. The Council, in particular, wishes to encourage the presentation of models for developments comprising five or more dwelling houses or commercial developments covering 1000sq metres or more.
Any hard-copy plans, photographs or real-life models will be displayed in the area outside the Council Chamber at least one hour prior to Committee allowing them to be viewed by members of the Committee and the press or public. Copies of plans and photographs will also be placed on the application file which is available to view online or by appointment at the Council House.
In addition, the Planning Manager produces a short visual presentation for each application to be shown at Planning Committee which will show the photographs and plans associated with each site. There is the opportunity for applicants, agents, supporters and objectors to submit electronic photographs or plans for inclusion in the slides.
If you wish to show a 3D model then you will have an opportunity to present that model during the Committee meeting. Each person registered to speak on that application will also have the opportunity to present their own 3D model. Ideally models should be developed using free software such as Google Sketch-Up. Electronic presentations through software such as PowerPoint may not be made in lieu of a 3D model. All parties registered to comment on an application where a 3D model is being presented will be given five minutes in which to address Committee, rather than the three minutes referred to above. If an interested party has registered to speak on an application where there is a model submitted, but they supply no model themselves, they may also speak for five minutes.
If you wish to make use of any of these opportunities then your plans, photographs or models must be received by the Governance Team at NEDDC by 10am on the Monday prior to the Committee meeting.
Where and when are Planning Committee meetings held?
Planning Committees are normally held every four weeks on a Tuesday commencing at 2pm in the Council Chamber, Council House, Saltergate in Chesterfield.
How will I know which Planning Committee meeting the application will be considered at?
Once the agenda has been finalised we will contact you. However, not all applications are determined by the Planning Committee as, even where representations have been received, it is possible to determine the application under delegated powers given to officers. In these cases, where you have raised comments, you will be notified of the decision.
What will be the order of the items at the Committee?
The Planning Committee items are usually dealt with in parish order. The Chair of the Planning Committee will usually bring forward those applications for which significant numbers of speakers are present and deal with those first. However, if a lot of people want to speak, it may take two hours or more before all the applications have been considered.
What is the procedure for considering planning applications at Committee?
The Chair of the Committee will introduce the application and where additional information has been submitted following the publication of the agenda the Development Management Team Leader will update the Committee. A visual presentation will then be given by the Planning Manager which will contain photographs and plans of the application site.
You will be asked to address the Planning Committee in the following order:
- Any person present from the County Council, Parish or Town Council or any District Councillor with a prejudicial interest or who is not on the Planning Committee;
- Objectors present, one at a time or through their spokesperson;
- The applicant/agent and/or any supporters, one at a time or through their spokesperson.
When you are nearing your allotted three/five minutes you will be advised to finish speaking.
Immediately after you have made your representations to the meeting you may be asked questions by members to clarify points. Once each person has made their representations on an application, the issue will be debated by the Committee. You will not be allowed to participate in the debate. The Planning Manager may comment on any new information given by people who have made representations, correct any factual errors and comment on any non planning issues.
Control of the meeting is entirely at the discretion of the Chair. No one can demand to speak as of right. Where any person does not comply with the procedure set out above, they will be asked to comply. If they persist in not complying, they will not be permitted to continue their address and may be asked to leave the meeting.
For further guidance please contact the Governance Team, details below.
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