Planning committees

Committee procedures

How do I know what's on the agenda?

You won't be notified in writing of when applications are to be considered by committee. If you have an interest in an application you should track progress via our Planning Register website. Alternatively, you can contact the relevant area office for information.

You can also view the agenda for a meeting by choosing which area committee and then choose ‘Browse meetings and agendas for this committee’.

When is the agenda published?

Five clear working days before meeting the agenda will be published electronically and can be viewed via the council’s website. The agenda will contain a link for the public to click to access the live stream of the meeting. The meeting will go “live” slightly before the meeting starts to enable people to access it. The link will not work before the meeting goes “live”.

The agenda will include all officer reports and recommendations to committee. You won't be notified in writing of when applications are to be considered by committee. If you have an interest in an application, you should track progress via the Planning Register website.

Can I speak at committee and if so how long may I speak for?

Public speaking will operate in accordance with the council’s practice note for public speaking at planning committees. Please see the committee procedures above. However, if a public speaker would prefer not to attend the meeting in person, there's provision for their presentation to be read out by the solicitor to the committee.

Those wishing to speak in respect of a committee item should register to do so no later than two clear working days before the committee, ie before 5pm on the Thursday before the Tuesday planning committee meeting*. Public speakers will be informed of their allocated seating when they arrive.

You should contact Committee Services to express your interest as follows:

Northern Planning Committee

Southern Planning Committee

This will work on a first-come-first-served basis. Public speaking requests can be made by email or phone.

Speakers may attend the meeting in person to make their statements and will have three minutes to do so (the local member has five minutes). However, if it's preferred that a submission is read out on the speaker’s behalf, that written submission should be provided to the above email addresses by 10am on Monday before a Tuesday planning committee.

Any such written submissions must be no longer than:

  • Public speakers and parish councils: 550 words (this is a word count equivalent to the three minutes allowed for public speaking)
  • Local member: 900 words (word count equivalent to the five minutes allowed for local member speaking)

Any other written submissions submitted as part of a public speaking request (ie not the first request) will be summarised and responded to in the planning committee meeting as a late representation by the planning officer, and made available to the committee members.

Please remember that there are laws against defamation. If you say something in public about a person that isn't true, you risk legal action being taken against you. When addressing the committee your comments should stick to the facts and any opinion you may have concerning them.

*When the committee meeting is held on a day other than a Tuesday the deadlines for notification of a wish to speak will be altered accordingly. For instance if the meeting is on a Wednesday, speakers should register by 4pm on the Friday before.

Order of speaking

The chairman will introduce the agenda item and invite the planning officer to outline the case.

Public speakers will be invited to speak at a fixed microphone, or their submission will be read out at the meeting by the council’s solicitor in the following order:

  • Any objector and/or supporter
  • Parish or town council representative
  • Local ward councillor
  • Applicant/agent

Attending Planning Committee meetings

Committee meetings are normally held at the Guildhall in Shrewsbury.

Members of the public will be able to attend subject to capacity limits, but will also be able to view and listen to the meeting via a link published with the agenda papers. Spaces to observe are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Please email the relevant committee officer (see below) to request a place by midday on the Monday before committee (if the meeting is held on a Tuesday). Those who don't request a place in advance can't be guaranteed admittance.

Human Rights Act

As with all committees held in public, in the council's opinion the public doesn't have a 'right to a fair hearing' at planning committee meetings under Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

The procedures for public speaking at committee are permissive, and don't arise from any obligation.

Equalities

The public can access the meeting by attending but there's a limit on places, which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so please email the committee officer if you intend to attend in person. Alternatively, the live stream can be accessed via your own device (smartphone, tablet computer etc). We consider this option to have no adverse impact on anyone with a protected characteristic compared to a non-socially distanced meeting held in public.

Committee site visits

The procedures for site visits will follow the established protocol. Additional photographic images will be added to committee presentations at committee where required to provide contextual information.