Public Speaking Time/Open Session
A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit of the Committee.
Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes, but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned, where there are a number of speakers.
Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research, it would be helpful if members of the public contacted the Scrutiny officer listed at the foot of the agenda, at least one working day before the meeting to provide brief details of the matter to be covered.
Minutes:
Peter Yates from Macclesfield attended the meeting and addressed the committee regarding the report in today’s agenda regarding the revised approval process for the Local plan.
Mr Yates informed the committee that he had attended many sessions during the recent examination of the local plan and had personally made a number of submissions to the plan inspector.
He felt that the report on today’s agenda which purported to provide a summary of the inspectors recent announcement on the suspension of the local plan process, did not in his opinion, accurately reflect the inspectors position and by way of illustration quoted a number of extracts from the inspectors statement.
He contended that as the Council would now have to revisit the building blocks of the local plan, i.e. Housing, Jobs and Green belt, the Council was faced with a decision as to whether to abandon the plan and start again, or amend the existing plan, with the risk that if the changes were considered by the Inspector to be significant, the plan could be rejected.
He also suggested that there had to be some provision for the public to comment especially if significant changes were proposed.