Annex 2 - Protocol for speaking at the Development Control Committee
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- Purpose
- Who can speak at the meetings?
- Length of speech
- Number of speakers and priority
- Registering to speak
- What happens if the application is deferred for any reason?
- Additional material
- Contact Details
1. Purpose
The purpose of this guidance is to advise on the public speaking procedures at meetings of the Development Control Committee.
2. Who can speak at the meetings?
Speakers will be invited to address the Committee in the following order:
- Anyone objecting to the planning application
- Anyone in favour of the proposal
- Elected representatives
- The applicant/agent
* The local borough and/or parish council will be entitled to nominate an elected member to represent the council. The local county councillor and MP shall also be entitled to speak.
3. Length of speech
Up to 3 minutes per speaker.
4. Number of speakers and priority
There is a limit of 30 speakers on each planning application or linked application. There are 15 slots for those wishing to speak in support of an application and 15 slots for speakers opposing an application.
Where there are more than 15 requests to speak in any one category (for or against), the following priority is given:
i) The applicant or their agent:
They will always be given a slot if they wish to take it
ii) Elected representatives for the area in which the application is based:
The Parish/Town Council, the District Council, and the MP for the area in which the application is based will be provided with a slot each. Each local authority will be given one slot each, and the MP a single slot. The county councillor for the area will also be provided with a slot.
Where more than one request to speak is received from a council of any kind, those representatives and the council concerned will be contacted to confirm who will be given the speaking slot.
iii) Members of the public:
The remaining slots in each category (for and against) are allocated to members of the public. Where the number of speakers exceeds the number of remaining slots in each category, priority is given to those most affected (this is calculated on the distance between the speakers' property and the application site boundary). There is a limit of one representative per household. If a speaker is unable to attend the meeting then, in certain circumstances, their speech will be read out by an officer of the county council.
iv) Other elected representatives
If the total number of available slots has not been filled by speakers in the above categories, then elected representatives from Parish, Town or District Councils which border the application site or are directly affected by the application will be entitled to speak. MPs in neighbouring constituencies and County Councillors in neighbouring divisions will also be entitled to speak.
v) If there are still slots available, any parish, town or district council may nominate a second representative.
5. Registering to speak
Members of the public are required to formally submit a request to speak. An electronic registration form is available on the council's website for this purpose. A paper version is also available.
This should be done as soon as possible and by no later than 12 noon, 3 clear working days before the committee meeting. For major applications other timescales may apply. These will be determined and agreed by the Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Chair of the Development Control Committee.
6. What happens if the application is deferred for any reason?
If an application is deferred, the same rules apply as for any application, and a request to speak will be managed in the same way.
7. Additional material
A limited number of hard copy photographs or illustrations may be submitted by the speaker in support of their speech. These should be sent to the Committee Support Officer (contact details shown below) at least three working days before the meeting so that they may be passed to committee members to consider in advance of the meeting. No documentation is allowed to be circulated at the meeting
8. Contact Details
The Development Control Committee Support Officer,
Democratic Services Team,
Lancashire County Council,
P.O. Box 78,
County Hall,
Fishergate, Preston, PR1 8XJ
Email: democratic.services@lancashire.gov.uk
Tel: 01772 533380
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