Extraordinary Council Meeting - 9 October

How will the Extraordinary Council meeting on 9th October be run?

The meeting will be asked to waive normal Council Procedure Rules and adopt in their place the Planning Protocol that governs Planning Committee meetings. This will allow public speaking on the application in exactly the same way as if the meeting were a Planning Committee meeting.

Will objectors be able to address the Committee?

Provided Council adopt the motion above, objectors will have exactly the same rights to address the Committee as if it were a Planning Committee. In anticipation of this, all objectors have been contacted to establish whether they are interested in addressing the meeting and the list of speakers will be formulated in the usual way. Objectors will only be able to ask to speak at the meeting upon receipt of that invitation.

Will Council members be offered the opportunity of a site visit before the Council meeting?

Members of the Planning Committee have already attended a site visit and all councillors are being offered a briefing by the Planning Officer dealing with the application; they have also all been offered the opportunity to make a site visit with the Planning Officer.

Will the Extraordinary Council meeting cover any other business?

No: because of the proposed waiver of Council Procedure Rules, there will be no other items at the Extraordinary Meeting nor will the provision for petitions or questions apply. As stated above, the adoption of the Planning Protocol will allow the public to address the meeting.

Where will the meeting take place?

In the Council Chamber as usual; there will be some limited overspill accommodation in another meeting room within the main building.

What happens if more people attend than the Council can accommodate?

The Council Chamber can accommodate 42 members of the public and entry will be on a first-come first-served basis. Doors will open at 5.30pm and entry to the building will not be permitted before 5.30pm. The meeting will also be broadcast live in another meeting room in the Council building, which accommodates 25 people .

Which councillors will attend the meeting?

Any councillor is entitled to attend a meeting of the Council. However, we have written to all councillors, reminding them of the need to consider whether any involvement they may have had in the process leading up to the planning application means that they may have a personal or prejudicial interest in the matter and therefore should exclude themselves from the discussion and vote at the meeting. Councillors also rule themselves out if there is evidence that they have predetermined their decision.

Which officers will attend the meeting?

Any officer can attend, whether or not they have been involved in the process leading up to the application, because it is their role to offer professional advice on such matters. Having said that, such an officer may decide to exclude themselves from the meeting.

What powers will the Extraordinary Council meeting have?

It will be able to approve or refuse the application. It will also have the power to defer the decision if, for example, it feels more information is needed before the decision can be taken.

How will the Extraordinary meeting affect the scheduled Ordinary Meeting of Council on the same evening?

The Extraordinary Meeting starts at 6pm. The Ordinary Meeting will start at 8.00pm (or on the rising of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council) whichever is earlier.