Planning Committee Meetings
Committee meetings do not hear all applications, many are dealt with by the Planning Services Manager under the Councils Scheme of Delegation. These decisions are reported to the Planning Committee, which has the responsibility to determine all other applications. Some proposals are referred to Full Council, which monitors planning policy.
Planning Committees also deal with related matters including Enforcement and Tree Preservation Orders.
The Planning Committee meets every four weeks in the Council Chamber at Ryedale House. The meeting begins at 6.00 p.m.
Who are the people there?
The chairman sits in the centre front. To each side are Officers who are employed by the Council to advise on Planning, Legal and Administrative matters.
Members of the Committee sit to either side of the Chairman. They are all elected District Councillors and represent Wards in the Ryedale area.
Members of the public are entitled to be present and, subject to the Council’s Public Speaking Scheme, may address the Committee.
The press sit with the public.
Speaking at Committee
If you wish to address the Committee please email Democratic Services 11 a.m. on the day of the meeting or call 01653 600666.
One person only is allowed to speak from each of the following categories:
- the Parish or Town Council
- a supporter
- an objector
- the applicant or their agent
Remember, if you have already written expressing your views on the application, the Planning Officer will have taken your views into account when preparing the report. The Chairman may intervene to stop repetition or if matters are raised which are not planning issues.
What Happens at the Committee
The Committee agenda contains a comprehensive written report about each application. The agenda can be viewed here, 5 working days before the committee date and copies are available for use at the meeting.
The Chairman introduces the application. The Planning Officer then gives a brief summary of the report including a summary of any representations received after the agenda was printed.
The Chairman then invites anyone who has registered their wish to speak to make their views known to the Committee. Speakers do so in a prescribed order – a parish or town council representative, a supporter, an objector and lastly the applicant or their agent.
Each speaker can address the Committee for a maximum of 3 minutes. The Chairman will advise when 30 seconds remain and ask the speaker to stop at the end of 3 minutes. No audio-visual presentations or photographs are allowed. The speaker will not be able to question members or officers.
The Chairman may ask the Planning Officer to respond or give further advice.
The Committee then discuss the proposal and take a vote. In the event of a tie the Chairman has a casting vote. A decision may be deferred to allow for further information to be obtained, amendments
to be negotiated or if the Committee decide to visit the application site.
Site visits take place in accordance with an adopted Planning Code of Practice, available here.
How are applications decided?
Decisions must be based on planning issues for example:
- Policies contained in Ryedale Local Plan
- North Yorkshire County Structure Plan
- Government Guidance and Orders
- Case law and previous decisions
- Highway safety and traffic considerations
- Design, appearance and layout
- Residential amenity, noise and other forms of disturbance
The following are not usually planning issues:
- matters covered by other legislation
- effects on property values
- ownership rights such as boundary or access disputes
- business competition
- moral considerations
- loss of view
The right of appeal
The applicant may appeal to the Secretary of State for the Environment against refusal or against the imposition of conditions.
A third party (e.g. a neighbour) has no right of appeal to the Secretary of State. There are however other avenues for aggrieved members of the public:
- The Council’s internal complaints procedure for complaints about the conduct of Councillors or Officers
- The Ombudsman for complaints about the way a matter has been handled but not about the decision itself
Contact us
For further information please contact the Planning team by email to dm@ryedale.gov.uk or tel (01653) 600666.
Or write to:
Planning Services Manager
Ryedale House
Malton
YO17 7HH