Summary
Information on the right to speak at the Development Control Committee.
Petitions and Objections
Where there are five or more letters of objection or a petition of at least 50 signatures objecting to an application, a representative of the objectors is allowed to address the Development Control Committee at the meeting. When the right of objectors to speak is taken up the person applying for planning permission or their agent has the right to respond.
Only one person is allowed to speak on behalf of all objectors, only one on behalf of all supporters.
How is it organised?
If sufficient letters of objection/support or a petition is received within the consultation period set out in the letter of notification the objectors/supporters (and or the organiser of the petition) will be put in contact with each other to nominate someone to speak. The person who is chosen to speak, if acting for all those people, should represent the points of view of them all. Whoever is chosen to speak should contact the Planning Section. The sooner this is done the better but it should be no later than three working days before the meeting. Once the meeting has begun no requests to speak will be heard.
When a group of objectors/supporters cannot decide on someone to speak the author of the first letter received will be offered the opportunity in the first instance.
What happens at the Development Control Committee Meeting?
For more information on the procedures of speaking at the Development Control Committee and the structure of the meeting please look at the Council's web page on addressing the Development Control Committee|.