The Pioneers statue celebrates the canal builders who founded Ellesmere Port and was cast in bronze by Liverpool artist Stephen Broadbent.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend council meetings, especially meetings of the planning committee, where applicants and objectors can speak directly to the committee about any planning application under consideration at the meeting.
This page gives advice about the procedures which govern public speaking at meetings, as well as general information about how the Committee functions.
Each applicant and objector is given this pamphlet, containing a form which must be filled in to request permission to speak at a meeting. This must be returned to the Planning Department by 4.00 pm on the day before the committee meeting at the very latest. This is so that the Chairman knows how many members of the public wish to speak.
To find out when your application will be discussed at Committee or to follow the progress of an application, telephone the case officer dealing with the application. If you do not know who your case officer is, telephone 356 6661. In the first instance you may wish to contact your local Councillor, who may be able to represent you on your behalf.
On the day of Committee, please arrive at the Council Chamber on the second floor of the Council Offices in Civic Way between 5.30 pm and 6.00 pm to register with the Officer present. If there are several objectors wishing to speak on one application, you will need to organise a spokesperson. Only one person from the objector's side, and one for the applicant may address the Committee.
You will be given up to three minutes to present your case. The objector will speak first, followed by the applicant to enable the applicant to respond to the objections raised. Once you have made your case, any Councillor who is not a member of the Committee eg the local ward Councillor, may wish to speak. Local Residents' Associations may also be allowed to contribute. Thereafter the matter would be debated only by the members of Planning Committee.
Even though you may have given notice of your intention to speak, you are not obliged to. You may feel, when you get to the meeting, that it is unnecessary to speak to Committee.
Please note that the use of photographs, video presentations, and the circulation of correspondence and written submissions on the evening is not permitted.
The laws of slander are very strict. If you say something defamatory in public about a person which is not true, even if you believe it to be true, you may be at risk of legal action. You should avoid comments of every sort when speaking at Committee.
We have tried to make this system fair and easy to use. It will be reviewed from time to time in the light of experience gained.
If you have any questions or comments about the system or if you feel that it works well, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Mike Stelfox, Development Control Manager, on 0151 356 6683.
The majority of planning applications are determined by Council Officers in accordance with the Council's published policies. Government encourages such delegation to Officers which helps to speed up the planning process. As a result there is no absolute right for applicants or objectors to be heard at Planning Committee. The 'delegated' process is the normal way for most small applications and domestic extensions to be considered.
How the Planning Committee operates
The Committee is made up of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Councillors selected by the various political parties. They receive advice from Planning, Environmental Health, Technical Services, Legal and other Officers. The media may attend the meetings.
Committee members receive written reports from the Head of Planning Services on each planning application and reach their decisions entirely independently. The Committee meets monthly, normally on the second Tuesday of the month at 6.15 pm in the Council Chamber at Civic Way, Ellesmere Port. To find out the dates of meetings, please telephone the Committee Section on 0151 356 6620.
The agenda for the meeting is available for public inspection at the Council Offices five working days before the meeting. It is divided into two parts. Part one deals with planning applications and other development control items which are discussed in public. Reports relating to enforcement and other private matters are dealt with in part two, and the public and media are asked to leave for these items.
At the Committee the Chairman will introduce each application by referring to the application number, the relevant page in the agenda, and the details of the application. Comments made by the public prior to the preparation of the report will be included in it. It is important, even if you intend to speak at the meeting, that you send in your written comments on an application within the consultation period so that these can be included in the Planning Officer's report. A full copy of your letter is sent to your Ward Councillor. If it is received after the Agenda is written a summary is included in an Agenda update.
Following any statement by a member of the public or the applicant at the meeting, and any Councillor who is not a Committee member, the Chairman and Planning Officer will summarise the arguments in the light of what has been said and expand if necessary on the recommendations. The Committee will then debate and make decisions on the planning application, either to approve, refuse or defer it. Applications may sometimes be deferred following debate to obtain amendments or further information. Delegated authority may also be given to the Head of Planning Services to deal with an application eg following negotiation and amendments. Applications may also be deferred for a Councillor Site Visit. The purpose of such a visit is to enable a site to be examined, not to continue the debate. Lobbying of Councillors on such a visit is not appropriate. Further discussion and a decision will be deferred to the next Committee meeting.
If you have a query after a decision has been taken, then you should telephone the case officer, or Mike Stelfox on 0151 356 6683. To enable Committee items to be followed up, it would be helpful if such queries are not made earlier than 9.30 am on the following day.
