Planning Committee Frequently-Asked Questions | Decisions on planning applications

Why have the rules for public speaking at Planning committee meetings changed?

The District Council has revised its planning procedures to adopt a more efficient approach and bring the council in line with other planning authorities.

This will help ensure meetings do not over-run and become adjourned. Also, the new rules limit the time the public have to wait to speak. The previous approach of unlimited speakers had also resulted in an imbalance of representations on planning applications.

I would like to speak at a Planning committee meeting. What should I do?

If you would like to speak at a Planning Committee meeting, you must request to do so in writing or by telephone, by 12 noon not less than 2 working days before the meeting. For example, if the Planning Committee is on a Tuesday and the day before is a bank holiday, you must submit your request by 12noon on the previous Thursday.

Email planningcommittee@harborough.gov.uk or contact Planning Admin on 01858 821008.

Ensure that your email contains the application number, your name and contact details, whether you are an objector or supporter of a proposal, a representative of the Parish Council / Parish Meeting / Town Council / Market Harborough Civic Society or Ward Member and an indication of the topic area you wish to discuss.

Requests to speak will not be accepted until after the publication of the relevant Planning Committee agenda.

Do I have to speak at a Planning committee meeting for my views to be considered?

No. If you have written to the Council regarding a planning application, your views will be summarised in the published report and taken into consideration. You are welcome to attend the Committee meeting, if you wish.

You may also consider contacting your ward councillor, who can explain the issues you are raising to the meeting, even if they are not a member of the Planning Committee.

What Can I Say?

The chairman of the Committee will invite you to speak. It should be noted that the 3-minute period allowed for speakers to address the Committee must be adhered to and will be strictly enforced by the chairman.

This period may be followed by questions of clarification from Committee members. Submission of further graphic or written information and the use of visual aids by speakers at the meeting will not be permitted. You can only speak about issues which you, or the other objectors/supporters, have already raised in written comments to the Council.

It will help if you are clear and concise and confine your points to relevant planning issues and, where possible, avoid repetition of points already raised. You may not:

Enter into any discussion or debate on the proposal

Ask any questions of Councillors, the other party or anyone else at the meeting

Use any equipment. However, documents which are already before the Council (e.g. site plan) can be displayed for you to refer to.

Questions of clarification may be put to you by Councillors after you have spoken. Please remember that the Committee can only take into account planning matters when it makes its decision, and that it is bound by law to make a decision in accordance with currently adopted and up to date Development Plan Policy for the area, unless other material factors are so important they justify departing from it.

Can anyone attend Planning meetings?

Yes, Planning Committee is a public meeting and is open for anyone to attend. Attendance is not restricted to those members of the public who are speaking at the meeting.

Do public speakers at Planning meetings have a time limit on what they can say?

The chairman of the Committee will invite you to speak.

It should be noted that the 3-minute period allowed for speakers to address the Committee must be adhered to and will be strictly enforced by the chairman of the Committee

What I have to say will take longer than three minutes. What should I do?

The 3-minute time limit will be strictly enforced by the chairman of the Committee.

You are advised to ensure that you complete what you wish to say within the allocated 3 minutes.

Why is the time limit on public speakers in place?

This will help ensure meetings do not over-run and get adjourned and will limit the time the public have to wait to speak.

The previous approach of unlimited speakers had also resulted in an imbalance of representations on planning applications.

Can I show a three-minute video instead of speaking?

As part of your speech, you may not:

Enter into any discussion or debate on the proposal

Ask any questions of Councillors, the other party or anyone else at the meeting

Use any equipment. However, documents which are already before the Council (e.g. site plan) can be displayed for you to refer to. Questions of clarification may be put to you by Councillors after you have spoken

What happens if more than three members of the public wish to speak at a meeting?

Requests will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

What happens if I object to a proposal and my Ward councillor supports it?

Public speaking will be heard in the following format, with each section being exclusive of the others:

1. Objectors to a proposal (maximum of 3 speakers or the same amount of time as allowed for supporters, whichever is the greater)

2. Supporters of a proposal (including the applicant/agent) (maximum of 3 speakers or the same amount of time as allowed for objectors, whichever is the greater)

3. Representative of the Parish Council / Parish Meeting / Town Council / Market Harborough Civic Society within which the site is located

4. Ward Member(s) (maximum of 5 minutes).

What happens if I am due to speak at a meeting, but cannot attend?

If you are unable to attend, you should contact either ask someone else to speak on your behalf.

Notify the Council of this change, or remove your request to speak, therefore enabling someone else to take your slot.

What happens if a speaker does not attend a meeting, without notice?

Their slot will not be reallocated and speakers from the other side will remain unaffected.

I have further documents for the committee. Can these be presented at the meeting?

Submission of further graphic or written information and the use of visual aids by speakers at the meeting will not be permitted.

What happens if the meeting is too long?

The Council’s Constitution states that the Committee must take a vote as to whether to extend business beyond 21:30. In cases where it is decided to continue, the meeting will progress until its conclusion. In cases where it is decided not to continue with business, a date will be agreed for a reconvened meeting. This meeting will be a continuation of the original meeting, and as such, no further representations can be made and no additional speakers can be registered. There is no requirement for speakers who are already registered to re-register for the reconvened meeting.

Are Planning committee meetings recorded? Are recordings available to the public?

Planning Committee meetings are normally recorded, and these recordings are made publically available following the meeting.

Who can I contact if I have further queries?

The Council has attempted to make this procedure as fair and as easy to operate as possible within the guidelines which the Government sets out for determining planning applications.

If you have any questions that have not been answered by the information given here, please contact us at planning@harborough.gov.uk.