Can anyone attend planning meetings?

[DailySplodge]

My sons neighbour is going through planning permission for a basement extension and my son will be away on holiday when the council debate the application. Are these meetings 'open' as it were? And can I go along to hear how the application is debated?

I believe they are open but normally you cannot make comments. He and you can use the comment page attached to the application on the council's web site.

Check the council's web site. You may be able to watch it online and there should be information there about procedures for attending planning committee meetings as an observer too.

All council and committee meetings are open to the public.

There is time for people in favour and against to speak.But this time is strictly limited,eg if there's six minutes for objections (major proposal) the objector s who wish to speak have to divide the time. There may simply not be time for everyone. Contact the planning dept in advance, to find out what the arrangements are. This is district council level.

At parish, or town council of a small town, things may be more informal. They adjourn(stop) the meeting to allow members of public to speak. Need to be fairly succinct, but there's usually time for everyone.

Whether hoping to speak or not, always put your views in writing, before the deadline given.

Only planning considerations can be taken into account.

If you wish to speak, make that known to the Clerk, or whoever you can find, well before the meeting starts.
If there's several objectors, you can either divide up what to say between you, or let someone speak, then when its your turn, simply say, "I strongly agree with the points made by MX X."

That's not correct Bojo - I've attended a planning meeting and spoken on behalf of my parents who were away at the time. They were objecting to a neighbour's application. At the same meeting someone selling a house was allowed to speak in support of an application made by the person buying their house.