Issue - meetings

To review the Protocol on Public Speaking Rights at meetings of the Strategic Planning Board and Planning Committees.

The Constitution Committee, at its meeting on 27^th January 2011, had extended the terms of reference of the Planning Protocol Sub-Committee to include a review of the arrangements for public speaking at meetings of the Council’s planning committees.

The Planning Protocol on Public Speaking had been circulated with the agenda for Members’ consideration.

Members’ key concerns related to the time allocated for local ward members to speak and the fact that members and public speakers were not able to use presentation aids when addressing the planning committee. The background to these issues was discussed with the Officers.

Members agreed the following amendments to the Protocol:

1. Local ward members who are not members of the planning committee should each be given a period of up to five minutes in which to speak, and they may in turn be cross-examined by the committee.

2. Paragraph 1.3 of the Protocol should be amended to read as follows (additional wording shown in italics):

“1.3     In order to be fair to all parties, no presentation aids will be permitted. Similarly, the circulation of information, photographs and/or plans at the meeting will not be allowed. However, the site plan will be shown and may be referred to throughout the consideration of the application.”

Members were advised that the Planning Protocol on Public Speaking formed part of the Council’s Constitution and any changes to it required the approval of Council on the recommendation of the Constitution Committee. The Planning Protocol on Public Speaking had been developed by the Strategic Planning Board as the body responsible for producing protocols and procedures to facilitate the planning process. The amendments to the Protocol agreed by the Sub-Committee therefore needed to be reported to the Strategic Planning Board prior to final consideration by the Constitution Committee.

RESOLVED

That the amendments to the Planning Protocol on Public Speaking be recommended to the Constitution Committee for approval by Council, subject to any comments from the Strategic Planning Board.