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Ask questions at a council meeting
The council has a public participation scheme to give you the opportunity to question the people who make the local decisions that affect you.
You may ask questions of the Leader of the council, Cabinet members and committee chairs at ordinary meetings of the council. The total time allocated for questions by the public is normally limited to 20 minutes.
| Order of questions |
| Questions will be asked in the order in which notice of them was received, though the Mayor may group together similar questions. As far as possible the Mayor will ensure that anyone that has asked a question receives an answer. |
| Notice of questions |
| A question can only be asked if written notice has been given to the Chief Executive no later than 12noon on Tuesday of the week of the council meeting. The notice must include your name, address and telephone number. |
| Scope of questions |
Questions must relate to matters for which the council has a responsibility or which affect the borough. The Chief Executive may reject a question if it:
• is defamatory, frivolous, vexatious or offensive
• is substantially the same as a question which has been put at a meeting of the council in the past six months
• requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information |
| Record of questions |
| Copies of all questions will be circulated to all councillors and will be made available to the public attending the meeting. |
| Asking the question at the meeting |
| The Mayor will invite you to put your question to the councillor named in the notice. Each person asking a question has two minutes in which to ask it. If you have submitted a written question and you or your representative are unable to attend, the Mayor may ask the question on your behalf, invite another councillor to do so, indicate that a written reply will be given or decide, in the absence of a person to ask your question, that it will not be dealt with. |
| Supplementary question |
You (or your representative) may also ask one supplementary question, without notice, to the councillor who replied to your original question. A supplementary question must arise directly out of the original question or the reply. The Mayor may reject a supplementary question if it:
• is defamatory, frivolous, vexatious or offensive
• is substantially the same as a question which has been put at a meeting of the Council in the past six months
• requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information |
| Written answers |
| Every member of the public that asks a question is entitled to an answer. If a question cannot be dealt with during public question time, either because of a lack of time or because the councillor has not attended the meeting, a written answer will be given. |
| Reference of question to the Cabinet or a committee |
| Unless the Mayor decides otherwise no discussion will take place on any question, but any councillor may refer a matter raised in a question to the Cabinet or to the appropriate committee or sub-committee. Once seconded, a motion to refer your question will be voted on without discussion. |
| The council’s public participation scheme gives you an opportunity to speak at meetings of: |
• Cabinet
• Resident Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Environment and Infrastructure Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Licensing Committee
• Audit and Accounts Committee
• Human Resources Committee |
At these meetings you can make comments if you:
• live or work in the borough
• are the owner of a business or a property located in the borough
• are a representative of any local group or organisation which is associated with and operates within the borough |
Comments can be made on any issue set out in the meeting agenda. However, comments relating to personal circumstances, for example specific applications for grants or licenses will not be allowed.
You should address your comments and questions directly to the chair of the meeting. As a general rule comments and questions should not normally take more than two minutes to read out although the chair will have discretion to vary this as appropriate. A reply will then be made by the chair or relevant Cabinet member as appropriate. |
| Advance notice should be given to Democratic Services, although the chair may still accept comments and questions without notice. |
| On some occasions there may not be time to take all of the comments and questions received. In these circumstances the chair of the meeting will reply in writing and a copy of their reply will be circulated to all members of the Cabinet or committee. |
There are special arrangements for those speaking on planning applications at Development Control Committee.
For more information or enquiry send a message to the Planning Development Team
| Part 2 - Development Control Committee |
As far as is practicable, these arrangements shall also apply to Councillors who are not members of the Development Control Committee but who attend a meeting of the Committee in order to
speak on an application. If the Chair rules against participation by such a Councillor the reasons for such a refusal should be stated at the meeting and recorded in the minutes. |
| The Chair of the Committee may change these arrangements from time to time for particular planning applications, in discussion with the Planning and Development Manager. |
A request to speak by:
a) Either a Councillor who is not a member of the committee or a member of the public should be made in writing to Head of Planning and Infrastructure no later than 12 noon two working days before the date of the committee meeting.
b) The Chair shall have discretion to extend deadline for notification of public speaking if the planning application is major and has borough wide implications. |
| Public Participation in Respect of Planning Applications |
The Council’s public participation scheme allows for public speaking about a planning application if the application is to be decided by the Development Control Committee. The following arrangements apply:
a) Those in support of an application may speak if they are the applicant or where a written comment has been made on the application and where they have registered to speak prior to the meeting.
b) Objectors to the application may speak if they have made a written objection and have registered to speak prior to the meeting.
c) Parish and Town Councils affected by the application also have the right to speak on applications where they have registered
to speak prior to the meeting. |
For each site/application the following time will be allocated to hear the views of:
a) Objectors, our minutes to be shared between all objectors or their representative.
b) Applicant/Supporter, four minutes to be shared between all in support or their representative.
c) An affected Parish or Town Council, four minutes for each.
d) Any visiting Borough Councillor, four minutes each. |
A maximum of 4 minutes will be given to speakers where a linked
application is being considered, such as full planning application and
listed building consent. |
There will be no opportunity for any public speaker to display maps,
photographs etc. or to ask questions of others at the meeting. |
The order of speaking will normally be as follows:
a) Parish and Town Councils
b) Those objecting to the application
c) Those in support of the application
d) Any visiting Borough Councillor |
| Committee members may ask speakers questions of fact to seek clarification arising out of the speaker’s participation but only if officers are unable to clarify the particular point. |
| Those speaking against the application, those in support of the application and Parish or Town Councils will be given only one opportunity to speak on an application, regardless of whether the planning application is determined or deferred to a subsequent meeting. Comments relating to personal circumstances will not be allowed. |
| Public Participation in Respect of Development Control Matters that are not Planning Applications |
Public speaking is permitted on all items presented to the Committee
including those items which are not planning applications. Public
speaking on these items will take place at the same time that the
item is considered. A maximum of 4 minutes will be allowed for those speaking against the recommendation, for those speaking in support of the recommendation, the Parish or Town Council, and finally any visiting Borough Councillor.
a) speaking against the recommendation
b) for those speaking in support of
c) the recommendation, the Parish or Town Council
d) and finally any visiting Borough Councillor |