Quote ="Fully"Well it should be so that people can have their say. It should be publicised too.'"
Well 'they' can't have their say at the planning meeting unless they have applied to speak, which only a maximum of three, maybe 4 people (from both sides) will be allowed to do! Anyone, in the opinion of the planning department, who is directly affected will be sent notification of the proposed meeting and will be invited to apply to speak in support of their previous objection (if they ain't objected formally to start with, they can't speak) and it is very, very rare that anyone outside of the actual residents directly affected will be then invited to speak. Any formally constituted groups who have objected may also be invited to speak but we are talking about people like English Heritage, Yorkshire Water etc, not just any old 'faux' groups unless they are a specific residents objection group and then that would probably put pay to an other residents speaking at all, the Chairman saying that they have the opportunity as a group. If they get lots of applications to speak they will ask the people applying to sort it out between themselves or if not they will choose whom they think are the people who should speak. They will have a strict 3 minutes only each.
The rules on content of a speech are also quite strict and it is interesting to read the following -
[iSome issues commonly raised by objectors to planning applications are not established as "material planning considerations" and the Committee cannot, therefore, take these into account in reaching their decision. It is therefore not in your interest to focus on such concerns, important as they may be to you.
In general terms, such issues which are not material include:-
* the effect on property values
* the identity of the applicant or owner, and their alleged history;
* disputes over the ownership of land and site boundaries;
* the effect of a development on the enjoyment of a private view (as opposed to wider public amenity)
* issues of commercial competition.
Material considerations which can be taken into account by the Committee, include:-
* the planning history of the site
* the visual impact of development
* affect on public amenity
* access
* traffic and highway considerations
* the impact on statutory protected sites, buildings and trees. [/i
The meeting (all planning committee meetings) is NOT a public meeting, it is a meeting the public are able to attend if they so wish, as observers to the process of the decision making only.
Wakefield Council will put the date up on the website fairly soon I am sure and the agenda pack information and reports will be upload around about a week before the meeting.
'"
Grow up 
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Pathetic!! 
