Planning Committee is a formal meeting of councillors who make decisions on certain planning applications.
Our Planning Committee meetings page has details of:
- upcoming meetings
- agendas
- who sits on the committee
Go to Planning Committee meetings
Committee meetings:
- are usually held every four weeks
- usually start at 4pm at Castle House
Why applications are sent to the Planning Committee
The reasons why some planning applications go to planning committee and some do not are explained on our granting applications page.
If your application is going to Planning Committee
We’ll let you or your agent know if an application is to be determined at planning committee.
For each application going to committee, we write a committee report. Each report includes:
- a description of the site and the application
- a list of relevant planning policies
- details of any letters we have received about the application
- a detailed assessment of the application
- the officer’s recommended decision
Copies of the reports are available five working days before the date of committee. Copies are not made available to the public at the meeting.
We have a duty to consider all material planning considerations up to the point of a decision being made. That often means that late information, such as information submitted between the agenda being published and the actual decision being made, is submitted.
Such information, when received is made available to committee members either electronically or in paper 2 days prior to the meeting.
Additional information received after this time is verbally presented by officers. Copies of what has been received is also published alongside the meeting agenda. The receipt of late information may mean that a matter is deferred.
Speaking at a Planning Committee meeting
To speak at a Planning Committee meeting, you need to:
- have commented on the application at the time it is published on the committee agenda
- register no later than 12 midday, 3 days before the meeting
Who attends Planning Committee meetings
The Planning Committee is a public meeting that anyone can attend. You do not have to stay for the whole meeting.
The committee is made up of 15 members of the council. Some officers of the council also attend, including:
- business managers
- planning officers
- a legal representative
- an administration officer
At the start of the meeting, any officer or councillor declares if they have an interest in any item on the agenda. Members may leave the meeting due to the nature of interest.
Planning Committee site visits
Councillors may choose to undertake a site visit. These normally take place during the morning on the day of committee.
A letter will be sent to the applicant or agent before the visit to ensure access is available. We'll normally spend around 10 to 15 minutes at the site reviewing the proposal.
A planning officer will attend the site visits to answer any questions raised by the committee members.
Planning Committee members cannot discuss the application with any applicant, agent, local resident of member of the public while on site.
What happens at the meeting
The chairperson will open the meeting. One of our officers will then give details of the application.
Usually the chairperson and the vice-chairperson will propose and second the officer recommendation. This is to open up the discussion and does not mean either person will vote in line with the officer recommendation at the end of the debate.
A local member, parish council representative, applicant or agent, objector or supporter, who is registered to speak, can talk for up to 3 minutes each. No one else can speak at the meeting.
The chairperson will invite the speaker to present their comments. They will then return to the public area. Speakers are not permitted to take part in the debate.
Any questions raised by committee members will be answered by planning officers. During the debate, members will propose and second a decision. This may not be the same as the decision that officers have recommended within the report.
If committee members refuse or approve an application contrary to the officer’s recommendation, they must give clear planning reasons for their decision.
Determined and deferred applications
Members will then vote on the application and the chair will announce the decision. This is repeated for each application.
We normally determine every application going to committee. However, sometimes applications can be deferred. This is usually to allow members to visit the site, to seek further information, or to amend the plans.
If an application has previously been deferred without being debated, the application will be heard in full as normal at the next committee it is presented to.
If the application is deferred following debate, anyone who would like to speak when the application is subsequently published on a committee agenda will be required to register to speak once again.
What happens after the meeting
After committee we’ll action the decision made by the Planning Committee. We will send it out to you or your agent, usually, within the next five working days.
This is unless the recommendation requires further actions, for example completion of a Section 106 planning obligation.
Decisions are posted on the planning register.