Speak at a council or committee meeting

Full council meetings 

• All 48 councillors are invited to attend the full council meetings.
• Meetings are usually held on a Tuesday evening. See our Calendar of Council Meetings.
• The Mayor chairs the meeting.

A maximum of ten public speakers can be registered to speak or ask a question at any one Council meeting. The registration of public speakers will be on a first come, first served basis.

Asking a question

At ordinary council meetings, you may register to ask one question, which may relate to any item on the public agenda or be relevant to the functions, powers or duties of the Council. The councillor who will respond will depend upon the nature of your question. It is most likely that the Leader of the Council or a lead councillor will respond.

You must give written notice of your wish to ask a question, including the question itself (by letter or email) to Committee Services, by no later than 12 noon on the third working day before the meeting. For example, if the meeting is scheduled for a Tuesday you must register by 12 noon on the Thursday of the previous week.

Your question, together with a written response from the councillor to whom your question was put, will be set out in full on the Council 'Order Paper' which is circulated to councillors and to members of the public at the meeting and in the minutes of the meeting.

When you receive this written answer at the meeting, you may ask one verbal supplementary question arising from the written answer. You will be allocated up to three minutes to do this.

Making a statement

As an alternative to asking a question, you may register to address the meeting for up to three minutes on any matter relating to any item on the public agenda or be relevant to the functions, powers or duties of the Council.

You must give written notice of your wish to address the meeting (by letter or email) to Committee Services, by no later than 12 noon on the working day before the meeting.

Before the meeting

You may register to speak any time after the agenda is published (five clear working days before the meeting).

You should provide the following information in writing:

• Your name
• A contact email
• Daytime telephone number
• The item on which you would like to speak or a summary of the subject matter of your statement.
• Whether you consent for your contact phone number or email being shared with other speakers in the event that a greater number of speakers have registered than the rules permit and a spokesperson must be nominated.

If you wish to use visual aids when you address the meeting, please advise Committee Services when you register to speak but you must send a copy of your visual aid electronically by no later than 12 noon on the working day before the meeting.

On the day of the meeting

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, due to unforeseen circumstances, you may, with the Mayor's consent, nominate a spokesperson to attend and speak or ask a supplementary question on your behalf. If this is the case you should advise Committee Services by no later than 5pm on the day of the meeting.

At the meeting

Public speakers normally address the meeting towards the beginning of the agenda. Please ensure that you, or your nominated spokesperson arrive at least ten minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting so that we may note your attendance and go through the procedures with you.

Once you have made your statement or asked any supplementary question you will not be permitted to address the meeting again.

After you have received a response to your statement, or asked a supplementary question, you need not stay for the remainder of the meeting unless you wish to.

Speaking at a Planning Committee meeting

Planning applications will be referred to the Planning Committee for determination if:

• any householder (or similar) planning application has attracted 10 or more written representations contrary to the planning officer's recommendation (a written representation is defined as one written representation from an individual or organisation but does not include any subsequent representation(s) from the same individual or organisation in respect of the same planning application)
• any major or minor planning application that has attracted 20 or more written representations contrary to the officer's recommendation

Where this applies, we will notify all those who have written to us to invite them to register to speak at the Planning Committee meeting where the application will be considered. This will be on a first come, first served basis.

Up to four people can speak at the committee meeting in respect of the application.

• up to two people may speak to object an application
• up to two can speak in support of an application

Each speaker may speak for up to three minutes. Visual aids may not be used by public speakers.

Speaking at general committee meetings

A maximum of six public speakers can be registered to speak on any one agenda item. The registration of public speakers will be on a first come, first served basis. If more than six members of the public wish to speak on any one agenda item, a spokesperson who has registered to speak can be nominated to represent the views of others by an agreement reached between yourselves.

Asking a question

You may register to ask one question, which must relate to any item on the public agenda.

You must give written notice of your wish to ask a question, including the question itself (by letter or email) to Committee Services, by no later than 12 noon on the third working day before the meeting. For example, if the meeting is scheduled for a Tuesday, you must register by 12 noon on the Thursday of the previous week.

Your question, together with a written response, will be set out in full on the committee supplementary information sheet, which is circulated to councillors and to members of the public at the meeting.

When you receive this written answer at the meeting, you may ask one verbal supplementary question arising from the written answer. You will be allocated up to three minutes to do this.

Making a statement

As an alternative to asking a question, you may register to address the meeting for up to three minutes on any item on the public agenda.

After you have spoken, the chairman will nominate the most appropriate councillor or officer present to provide a response.

You must give written notice of your wish to make a statement (by letter or email) to Committee Services, by no later than 12 noon on the working day before the meeting.

Before the meeting

You may register to speak any time after the agenda is published (five clear working days before the meeting).

If asking a question or making a statement, you should provide the following information in writing:

• Your name
• A contact email
• Daytime telephone number
• The item on which you would like to speak, together with a summary of the subject matter or ask your question (together with the question)
• Whether you give consent to your contact phone number or email address being shared with other speakers in the event that a spokesperson must be nominated.

If you wish to use visual aids when you address the meeting, please advise Committee Services when you register to speak but you must send a copy of your visual aid electronically by no later than 12 noon on the working day before the meeting.

On the day of the meeting

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, due to unforeseen circumstances, you may, with the chairman's consent, nominate a spokesperson to attend on your behalf. If this is the case you should advise Committee Services by no later than 5pm on the day of the meeting.

At the meeting

Public speakers normally address the meeting before consideration of the relevant items of business. Please ensure that you, or your nominated representative arrive at least ten minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting so that we may note your attendance and go through the procedures with you.

You will not address the meeting again unless the chairman invites you to do so, or unless there are questions that the councillors in attendance wish to ask you.

After you have received a response to your statement, or asked any supplementary question, you need not stay for the remainder of the meeting unless you wish to.

Speaking at Licensing sub-committee meetings

The Licensing sub-committee will consider and determine applications to grant, vary, or review a licence submitted under the Licensing Act 2003 or the Gambling Act 2005 where representations have been made.

It comprises three councillors drawn on a 'panel' basis from the membership of the Licensing Committee. One of the three will act as chairman.

Before the meeting

Only interested parties may address the sub-committee (those who have made a valid representation), the applicant and their representatives. Although the sub-committee may allow other persons to present the interested parties' evidence or to give supporting evidence.

Should you wish to submit any additional material, please contact the Committee/Licensing Officer as soon as possible. The Committee Officer's contact details will be on the front cover of the agenda for the hearing. The sub-committee may accept information at the hearing, however this is only with the agreement of all parties present.

On the day of the meeting

If you are planning to attend the hearing to address the committee, you are advised to contact Committee Services in advance. If you wish to speak at the meeting please ensure that you, or your nominated representative arrive at least ten minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting so that we may note your attendance and go through the procedures with you.

At the meeting

Speakers will be called to speak by the Chairman at the appropriate time. If speakers are not present by the time their application is heard, the committee may consider the item in their absence.

The use of social media - filming, photographing or recording in formal meetings which are open to the public - is permitted for members of the public, press and councillors, so long as this does not cause any disruption or disturbance. The Chairman's decision on this point will be final. To minimise disruption to others attending the meeting, all attendees including councillors, must ensure that their phone or other mobile devices are set to silent mode during the meeting.

Meetings are webcast for live and subsequent broadcast on our website, except where confidential matters are being discussed. Licensing sub-committee meetings are webcast if it is seen to be in the public interest and with the consent of the chairman.

Watch live and recorded council meetings

If you participate in a public meeting, your name and where applicable, any organisation you represent at the meeting, may be recorded in the Order Paper (for a Council Meeting), or Supplementary Information Paper (for Executive and Committees) and in the published minutes. If a greater number of public speakers wish to register to speak than the rules permit, you may be asked (if you have already registered to speak) to provide written consent for your contact details to be shared with those others so that a spokesperson can be nominated.