Public participation in Planning Committee

The request was partially successful.

Dear Cambridgeshire County Council,

Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic and conservation movement is campaigning to put public participation at the heart of the planning system. With this in mind, I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:

1. Can you confirm how long, in minutes, a community group such as a Civic Society is permitted to speak at your local council’s Planning Committee? (By ‘Planning Committee’ we mean your local authority’s committee of elected members which determines planning applications. It may be known by a different name in your local authority).

2. Is there a limit on the number of registered speakers permitted to speak at your Planning Committee? If yes, please specify the maximum number of speakers allowed.

3. Is there a limit on the total time allowed for registered speakers? If yes, please provide details of the time restriction.

4. Are your Planning Committee procedure rules publicly available online? If yes, please provide the weblink.

Yours faithfully,

Sarah James

FOI, Cambridgeshire County Council

Dear Sarah

Re: Freedom of Information Request ref 1151623

Thank you for your email. Your request will be dealt with in line with the Freedom of Information Act and its regulations. In accordance with the Act, the Council aims to respond to all requests within 20 working days, in this instance by 5th September 2019.

If we require further information, clarification or a fee in order to fulfil your request we will contact you again. Please quote the reference number above in all future correspondence concerning this request.

Kind regards

Information Management Team
Tel: 01223 699137
Box No. OCT1224, Cambridgeshire County Council, Shire Hall, Cambridge, CB3 0AP

show quoted sections

FOI, Cambridgeshire County Council

Dear Sarah James

 

Freedom of Information Act request response – Ref 1151623.

 

Cambridgeshire County Council has now considered your request under the
Freedom of Information Act.  We can confirm that we do hold the
information requested by you. Please find our response as set out below. 

 

Request

 

1. Can you confirm how long, in minutes, a community group such as a Civic
Society is permitted to speak at your local council’s Planning Committee?
(By ‘Planning Committee’ we mean your local authority’s committee of
elected members which determines planning applications. It may be known by
a different name in your local authority).

 

2. Is there a limit on the number of registered speakers permitted to
speak at your Planning Committee? If yes, please specify the maximum
number of speakers allowed. 

 

3. Is there a limit on the total time allowed for registered speakers? If
yes, please provide details of the time restriction.

 

4. Are your Planning Committee procedure rules publicly available online?
If yes, please provide the weblink.

 

Our response

 

1. Can you confirm how long, in minutes, a community group such as a Civic
Society is permitted to speak at your local council’s Planning Committee?
(By ‘Planning Committee’ we mean your local authority’s committee of
elected members which determines planning applications. It may be known by
a different name in your local authority).

 

We can’t confirm how long a community group would get to speak as a
community group or civic society would not fall under the public body
section. The opportunity to speak at planning committees is open to:
representatives of a local council or other public body, the applicant
and/or agent and members of the public who support or oppose the
application. As a result. the group would speak as either an objector or
supporter of the application and the length of time they had to speak
would be determined by the number of registered speakers.

 

2. Is there a limit on the number of registered speakers permitted to
speak at your Planning Committee? If yes, please specify the maximum
number of speakers allowed.

 

There is no upper limit on the number of registered speakers.

 

3. Is there a limit on the total time allowed for registered speakers? If
yes, please provide details of the time restriction.

 

20 minutes of public speaking will be allowed per planning application –
further details of this is provided at the link for Question 4. However,
the Chairman is able to exercise his discretion and suspend the speaking
rights and allow additional time for speakers if there are significant
numbers registered.  An example can be found in the minutes of the meeting
found here:
 [1]https://cambridgeshire.cmis.uk.com/ccc_l...

 

4. Are your Planning Committee procedure rules publicly available online?
If yes, please provide the weblink.

 

Yes they are publicly available here:
[2]https://cambridgeshire.cmis.uk.com/ccc_l...

 

Complaints

I hope this information is helpful but if you are unhappy with the service
you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint
or request a review, you should write to Information Management, at either
[Cambridgeshire County Council request email] or by post at Box No. OCT1224, Shire Hall,
Cambridge CB3 0AP within 40 days of the date of this e-mail.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF, or via their website: https://ico.org.uk/.

 

Generally, the ICO will not undertake a review or make a decision on a
request until the internal review process has been completed.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Josephine Bailey

Information Management Analyst

 

Information Governance Team

Cambridgeshire County Council

Email: [Cambridgeshire County Council request email]

Tel: 01223 699137

 

 

 

show quoted sections