Council meetings are open to the public to put their views to elected councillors considering recommendations from the Executive or a committee on major policy issues; future spending priorities or other Council activities. There are now three opportunities at Council meetings for the public to put forward their views and these are as follows:-
(1) Public question time at Council meetings is near the start of the meeting. This enables any person to ask the Leader of the Council a question about the Council's activities or on an issue which affects the Borough, provided they have given a written copy of their question to the Chief Executive's office by 12 noon three working days prior to the day of the meeting.
(2) In addition, when the Council is considering a recommendation made by the Executive or a committee, any resident can put their views on the issues involved to the Council for three minutes before the Council discusses the recommendation and makes a decision. Again anyone wishing to do this simply has to notify the Chief Executive's office by 12 noon three working days prior to the day of the Council meeting.
(3) The Council also has a procedure to enable petitions about the Council's activities to be presented formally at Council meetings and for the person presenting the petition to address the Council for a maximum of three minutes. Again any one wishing to do this simply has to notify the Chief Executive's office by 12 noon three working days prior to the day of the Council meeting.
On occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the latter part of the Council meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Principal Committee Manager, Richard Powell on (01784) 446240.
Note: Where meetings are held in the Council Chamber including full Council, the Chamber is fitted with an induction loop for use with hearing aids. Ramps and lifts are available for use of wheelchairs.
The Executive
The record of decisions of the Executive is published in a substantially different form from previous minutes. The rules on how decisions are made and recorded require that certain information about executive decisions, whether made by the Executive collectively or by individual portfolio holders, has to be contained in the written record of the decision. The new format for recording Executive decisions is designed to capture and record this information.
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings and to listen to the elected councillors who represent their interests.
On occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the latter part of the meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Principal Committee Manager, Richard Powell on (01784) 446240.
Note: Where meetings are held in the Council Chamber including full Council, the Chamber is fitted with an induction loop for use with hearing aids. Ramps and lifts are available for use of wheelchairs.
Planning Committee
Members of the public and applicants are welcome to attend these meetings and to listen to individual planning applications and other development control matters being considered, and to speak where prior registration to speak is made under the Council's scheme.
Under the public speaking scheme, one person for and one person against a planning application can speak directly to members of the cmmittee before a planning application is decided on. Members of the public who wish to speak at the Committee need to register with the Committee Administrator either on the day before the meeting or by 4pm on the day of the committee meeting.
On very rare occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the latter part of the meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Senior Committee Manager, Liz Phillis on (01784) 446276.
Note: Where meetings are held in the Council Chamber including full Council, the Chamber is fitted with an induction loop for use with hearing aids. Ramps and lifts are available for use of wheelchairs.
Improvement and Development Committee
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings and to listen to the elected councillors debating matters (in the discharge of the scrutiny function) in relation to the development of policies and strategies to meet local needs. The general role of overview and scrutiny is to deliver measurable outcomes, which benefit the effectiveness of the Council and the community.
On occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the later part of the meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Senior Committee Manager, Trevor Baker on (01784) 446267.
Note: Where meetings are held in the Council Chamber including full Council, the Chamber is fitted with an induction loop for use with hearing aids. Ramps and lifts are available for use of wheelchairs.
Performance Management and Review Committee Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings and to listen to the elected councillors debating matters (in the discharge of the scrutiny function) in relation to service delivery and performance management. The general role of overview and scrutiny is to deliver measurable outcomes, which benefit the effectiveness of the Council and the community.
On occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the later part of the meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Senior Committee Manager, Liz Phillis on (01784) 446276.
Licensing Committee
Members of the public are welcome to attend these meetings and to listen to the councillors considering licensing matters related to public and private entertainment, gaming and betting licences, taxi licensing and street or house to house collections.
On occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the latter part of the meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Senior Committee Manager, Trevor Baker on (01784) 446267.
Note: Where meetings are held in the Council Chamber including full Council, the Chamber is fitted with an induction loop for use with hearing aids. Ramps and lifts are available for use of wheelchairs.
Standards Committee
The Standards Committee comprises two independent non-councillor members as Chairman and Vice-Chairman and oversees ethical and probity issues in relation to the Council.
Members, and members of the public, are welcome to attend these meetings and to listen to the elected councillors discussing issues relating to the Council operating to the highest ethical standards.
On occasions, confidential matters may be discussed during the latter part of the meeting. The press and public are excluded from those discussions.
Contact: Senior Committee Manager, Liz Phillis on (01784) 446276.
Note: Where meetings are held in the Council Chamber including full Council, the Chamber is fitted with an induction loop for use with hearing aids. Ramps and lifts are available for use of wheelchairs.
