Have your say at council meetings

Council meetings

You can read the agendas and reports on our committee system.  Documents are generally available five clear working days before a meeting, excluding the day of the meeting itself. Minutes and decisions will be available following the meeting.

Find a council meeting
 

At these meetings the agenda is split into two parts. Most of the business is dealt with in Part 1 which is open to the public. The press or public will be asked to leave the room when Part 2 items are discussed as these deal with information which is either personal or sensitive.

Please note that meetings of working groups and task groups are not usually held in public and the above access to information rules do not apply to these meetings.  
 

How to have your say at council meetings

You can register to speak at any of the following meetings:

• Council
• Cabinet
• Scrutiny
• Governance, Audit and Performance
• Licensing and Environmental Health*
• Standards*
• Planning
• Local Plan Leadership Group
• Highways Panel

*(except when dealing with individual cases)

With the exception of Planning Committee, Local Plan Leadership Group and the Highways Panel, there are 15 minutes available at the start of each meeting for members of the public who wish to speak.

If you would like to speak you will need to contact the Democratic Services Office by midday at least two working days before the meeting. You can contact the office by telephone on 01799 510410/369/548 or email: committee@uttlesford.gov.uk

Please note, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays are not considered working days for the council.

At the meeting you will be allowed a maximum of 3 minutes to speak. You may speak about any matters which are on the agenda or those which fall within the responsibility of the committee.
 

Planning Committee

Meetings of the Planning Committee are open to the public. They usually take place every four weeks, on a Wednesday starting at 10.00am.

Members of the public, representatives of town/parish councils or the applicant/agent are permitted to speak in relation to a planning application.

Any speakers will be invited to make their representations in the following order:

• non - committee councillor
• members of the public (up to 10 speakers)
• town /parish council representative
• applicant or agent

At the meeting you will be allowed a maximum of 4 minutes to make your statement. You may only speak on the item you have chosen and your comments should be restricted to planning matters. Town/ parish council representatives will be allowed a maximum of 5 minutes to make a statement.

If you would like to speak you will need to contact the Democratic Services Office by 2pm on the day before the meeting. You can contact the office by telephone on 01799 510410/369/548/467 or email: committee@uttlesford.gov.uk
 

Local Plan Leadership Group

Meetings of the Local Plan Leadership Group are arranged on a regular basis and are held in the evening, usually at 7.00pm.

At the start of the meeting there will be an opportunity for up to 10 members of the public to ask questions and make statements. Each speaker will have 4 minutes to make their statement.

If you would like to speak you will need to contact the Democratic Services Office by 2pm on the working day before the meeting. You can contact the office by telephone on 01799 510467/410/369/548 or email: committee@uttlesford.gov.uk
 

Highways Panel

You can submit questions to the Chairman of the Highways Panel. These must relate to specific items on the agenda. You may then receive a written reply, or you might be invited to the next meeting where the Chairman will give you a verbal reply.

If you have a question for the Highways Panel you will need to contact the Democratic Services Office to register with the Chairman. You can contact the office by telephone on 01799 510369/548 or email: committee@uttlesford.gov.uk

Additional information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding public speaking, please email committee@uttlesford.gov.uk or telephone 01799 510433, 510369 or 510548 for further information.

For further information on how Democratic Services collect, store and process personal data relating to public speaking at meetings, please see the Privacy Notice: Speaking at Council meetings webpage.