Issue - meetings

To consider proposed changes to the public speaking arrangements for the Public Rights of Way Committee.

The Committee considered proposed changes to the public speaking arrangements for the Public Rights of Way Committee.

Public speaking at the Public Rights of Way Committee was currently in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 35, which allowed a total period of 10 minutes for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee. On the Agenda, the Public Speaking Time/Open Session was held before any of the applications were considered by the Committee.

In practice, public speaking at meetings of the Public Rights of Way Committee tended to deal with the specific applications on the agenda rather than more generally with the work of the Committee. It was therefore proposed that Procedure Rule No. 35 be disapplied in respect of the Public Rights of Way Committee and that an alternative Procedure, as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report, be adopted which would enable members of the public to address the Public Rights of Way Committee when the relevant application was being considered.  The proposed change would bring the Public Rights of Way Committee in line with the Council’s other regulatory committees.

While the Constitution Committee supported the proposals, Members felt that Procedure Rule 35 should be retained alongside the new provisions so that members of the public could continue to speak and ask questions on more general matters within the purview of the Public Rights of Way Committee.

In considering the matter, Members made a number of comments about how the public speaking arrangements at meetings of the planning committees currently operated and asked that this be reviewed.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   Council be recommended to agree that

(a)   the proposed public speaking arrangements set out in Appendix 1 to the report be adopted for the Public Rights of Way Committee in relation to applications on the agenda;

(b)   Procedure Rule 35 continue to apply in order to facilitate public participation not relating to specific applications;

(c)   the Constitution be amended accordingly; and

(2)   the Planning Protocol Sub-Committee be asked to review the arrangements for public speaking at meetings of the Council’s planning committees and the Sub-Committee’s terms of reference be extended accordingly.