Making representations on planning applications

1. Speaking at planning committee meetings applies only to the consideration of planning application, enforcement action or the issue of a tree preservation order.
2.  Where representations are received in respect of specific planning application and these are in the form of petitions, they shall be treated as letters of representation and the procedures relating to letters of representation shall apply.
3. Any member of the public (or his/her representative) may make representation in person to the relevant meeting of a planning committee or other body determining the issue. Exceptions to this are planning applications to be determined by the County Council in respect of which this Hertsmere is a consultee. For the avoidance of doubt, members of public shall include; applicants or their representatives, Parish Councillors or their representatives from Parishes within Hertsmere, members or representatives of amenity and/or resident association based in Hertsmere, but not members or representatives of organisation that are not based in Hertsmere.
4. In respect of the representations referred to in 3 above, the following arrangements will apply:
   1. All requests to make representation shall be made on the day of the meeting, between the hours of 10.00am and 4.00pm only, by telephoning 0500 400160.  All applications will be dealt with on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
   2. Any member of the public wishing to make representations shall be required to provide the following information when telephoning:
      1. Their name, address and telephone number;
      2. Details of the application on which they wish to make representations;
      3. Whether they support the application or whether they object to the applications;
      4. Whether they are speaking on their own behalf or also representing the views of others; and
      5. Whether or not they will permit the information submitted to be passed to others with an interest in the application, prior to the commencement of the meeting concerned.
5. With the exception of the individual’s telephone number or any other information requested to be withheld under Data Protection Act, the information referred to in 4b i – iv, above shall be tabled at the meeting for the information of members and handed to any members of the press and/or public present at the meeting. 
6. In those cases where the person making the request to make representation refuses to provide the information referred to in 4b i – iv above, the Officers shall be empowered to refuse the request to make representations.
7. Only ONE person shall make representation in favour of an application and ONE against an application, except in exceptional circumstances where the Head of Planning and Building Control, following consultation with the Chairman, decides otherwise in advance; in all cases there shall be equity of opportunity for those making representations for or against an application. The maximum time to be allocated to each of the persons referred to is three minutes.
8. Where under 4 above an individual has indicated that he or she intends to make representation and no one has indicated that they intend to make representation to the contrary, the person chairing the meeting will enquire immediately after the person has made their representation, whether another person in the public gallery wishes to make representation to the contrary.
9. Anyone who claims, when making a representation, that they represent others (e.g. neighbours), they shall be requested to provide documentary evidence to support their contention.  Such documentary evidence shall be made available to the Officers, prior to the commencement of the meeting.  Where no such documentary evidence is provided, the committee shall when determining the application, ignore such claims.
10. When making such representations, the person making the representations shall be accommodated in a special chair provided for the purpose, and shall direct their representation to the person chairing the meeting. The person chairing the meeting will request the individual to indicate their name and address, prior to making their representations.
11. Any individual making representations may, at the discretion of the Chairman, be questioned by members of the committee.
12. An individual making representation may not ask questions of the committee.
13. Any ruling by the person chairing the meeting on the application of this Procedural Rule shall not be open to challenge by any member of the Council or the public.

For further information, please contact Democratic Services on 020 8207 7558 or email: democratic.services@hertsmere.gov.uk