How to have your say

We make decisions on planning applications for these types of development:

• Mineral working and associated processes eg gravel extraction and brickworks
• Waste Management facilities eg landfill sites and recycling facilities
• Our developments eg school buildings and new roads
• Other applications eg for home extensions, new housing, shops and offices are dealt with by your local district council

Applications near you

• If your home adjoins or is very near to a proposed development we will notify you.
• We will place notices on the site or on adjacent land when development is proposed, advising that an application has been made and where it can be viewed and the address to write to with any comments.
• If we receive an application for a major proposal an advertisement will be placed in a local newspaper, in the public notices column.

You can also view our applications on our Bucks Planning Public Access website.

Commenting on an application

Either email or write to us at the address given in the notification with your views on why you feel that an application should either be permitted or refused consent. We reserve the right not to take into account any representations received later than two working days before the committee meeting.  You may also comment online via our Bucks Planning Public Access website.

How planning applications are decided

• Some uncontroversial applications are decided by officers.
• All other applications are determined by our Development Control Committee.

Speaking at a committee meeting

The committee normally meets on a Tuesday morning and to speak at the committee you must register your interest by 10 a.m. on the Friday prior to the committee meeting.  If you have requested to speak on an application we will tell you when it will be discussed at the committee.  View agendas and reports.

What can I comment on?

• National policies eg Waste Strategy  for England 2007, Planning Policy Statements (PPS) etc
• Policies in the Development Plan (Buckinghamshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan, District Local Plans or successor Development Plan Documents) e.g. compatibility of the development with Green Belt, Chilterns AONB, Green Space Policy etc
• Appearance and character of the development
• Traffic generation, highway safety and parking
• Overshadowing, overlooking and loss of privacy
• Noise nuisance, dust, odour, visual intrusion or other loss or amenity
• Site layout
• Restoration and landscape proposals

Avoid comments which are not planning matters, such as:

• Boundary disputes, private property matters.
• Personal remarks (eg the applicant’s motives, financial situation etc).
• Service issues eg education policy.

You can expand on your original comments or comment on the officer’s report. It is not appropriate to introduce new arguments at this late stage in the process. The Chairman may terminate your presentation if the content is slanderous or repeats points made by another speaker.

Who is entitled to speak at the committee meeting?

• Members of the public who have made representations on an application either in their own right or on behalf of other individuals or organisations
• A parish/town council representative
• The applicant or nominated agent
• The local County Councillor

Pressure groups and residents associations can also address the committee.

Sample agenda

The planning officer will introduce the application together with any relevant update and photographs of the site

The chairman calls on objectors/supporters to speak

• The chairman calls on the parish/town council representative to speak
• The chairman calls on the local member to speak
• The chairman calls on the applicant to speak
• The planning officer addresses any points in need of clarification if required
• Debate by members
• The planning officer responds to members’ points/questions
• Decision

How long will I have to speak?

• A time limit of four minutes will apply to each of the four categories of speakers (ie the public, town/parish council, the applicant, local County Councillor.
• Where there are several members of the public wishing to speak, you will have four minutes in total between you and in this case you will be encouraged to nominate a single speaker or failing that agree to divide the time between yourselves. Where this is not possible speakers will be taken in the order of registering an intention to speak until the total time of four minutes has elapsed. A maximum of three speakers will be permitted. To assist you in deciding who should speak, our democratic services officers will advise you of any others wishing to address the committee and ask that you agree amongst yourselves how to utilise the allocated time.
• Exceptionally, the chairman may allow a further three minutes. This will be at the chairman’s discretion and in the following circumstances:

1. where more than five people have registered an interest in speaking;
2. where there are both supporters (other than the applicant) and objectors to an application registering an interest in speaking;

Arrival

Please report to the County Hall Central Reception in Walton Street and you will be directed to the committee room.

In the committee room please report to one of our Democratic Services Officers who will show you where to sit and usher you forward at the appropriate time to speak.

Please note:

Speakers will be permitted to bring extra relevant illustrative material eg handouts, photographs, providing this has been agreed by the chairman prior to the meeting. This should be limited to no more than three photographs and a brief summary of the points you wish to make covering a maximum of one side of A4 paper and no more than 250 words. There will not however be provision for formal presentations eg videos, PowerPoint lectures etc.

Committee Members may ask you questions on points raised but only by way of clarification. This is not an opportunity for you to question members or join the committee debate.