View and comment on a planning application

If you have commented on a planning application and wish to speak at Planning Committee,

• Planning Committee 

Guidance for members of the public and applicants

Most applications do not have to be considered by the Planning Committee. For those applications that do require Committee approval, in some circumstances there is an opportunity for members of the public and applicants to speak at the committee meeting.

Planning Committee meetings are normally on a Wednesday evening, in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre at 6.30 pm and Committee dates and agenda are available on the Council's website.

If at least three people have written objecting to a planning application, which is recommended for approval by Officers, and you are one of those people you may be able to speak to explain your reasons for objecting and the process is outlined below.

If you are one of the objectors

• You must make a written request to register to speak
• For the attention of the Corporate Head of Planning, Economy and Built Environment (details at the bottom of the page)
• Your request must be received after the agenda has been published on the Council's website and the request to speak must be received at the latest by midday on the Monday before the Planning Committee
• You must state which planning application you want to speak about (application number and address), your name, address and contact number
• The member of the public who first lodged their request to speak under 39.22, and who has notified their presence in any register provided or by such other means as the Chairperson may approve, shall have this right. The right may be waived in favour of the next person entitled. Alternatively, several members of the public may appoint one person to speak on behalf of them provided there is nobody with a prior right to speak who wishes to exercise it.

If you are the applicant

If any requests are received to speak about your application, the Council’s planning staff will contact you or your agent (using the details on the application form submitted) to inform you.

The applicant (or the Agent representing the applicant) can only speak at committee if an objector has spoken at committee. For clarification – if the proposed speaker (objector) decides not to speak or does not turn up in the evening then you (as the applicant or agent) will not be able to speak to the Planning Committee; the applicant is limited to “a right of reply” only.

The applicant (or the Agent representing the applicant) does not have to speak in support of the application; this is the choice of the applicant/agent.

All speakers (objectors and applicants/agent) must adhere to the following criteria:

• You can only speak about a single application, unless the Chairperson allows you to speak about another application (because it is linked to another application)
• You may appoint a representative to speak on your behalf
• You must only speak about the planning application the Committee is considering
• You will have a maximum of five minutes to address the Committee
• You cannot ask questions or get the Committee or Officers into discussion. The Chairperson might ask for clarification of something you have said but will not otherwise comment.
• The Members of the Committee will have had an opportunity to examine in full all the application documentation. Additional Documentation – letters, notes, plans, diagrams, photographs, PowerPoint or other form of audio visual etc should not be circulated at or prior to the meeting as councillors will not have the opportunity to review them. The Members of the Planning Committee will then consider the application and no further participation by objectors or the applicant is allowed.

Other matters

Normally when interested parties attend, those items of the interest are taken first to avoid the public having to wait. This is not however possible for those who arrive after the meeting has begun. Therefore anyone who is to address the Committee should arrive in good time and make themselves known to the Clerk of the Committee.

The minutes of the meeting will record who spoke at the meeting but need not record their content.

Contact us or register to speak at Committee

To register for public speaking at Planning Committee please email: publicspeaking@runnymede.gov.uk

Your written request should be sent to

Planning Business Centre
Runnymede Borough Council
Runnymede Civic Centre
Station Road
Addlestone
Surrey
KT15 2AH

Telephone: 01932 425131

Meetings are normally on a Wednesday evening, in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre at 6.30pm. Agendas are available to view one week before the committee date. A Calendar of committee meetings and agendas can be viewed on the 'Committees' webpage.

For general enquires about Planning Committee: Contact the team about Planning Committee 

Normally when interested parties attend, those items of interest are taken first to avoid the public having to wait through a long agenda. This is not however possible for those who arrive after the meeting has begun.

Online

You cal also use our online form to request to speak or ask a question at Planning Committee.