Public Participation at our Meetings

Members of the public are welcome to participate in our meetings.  Most of the meetings are held in the Civic Centre in Pershore at 6.15pm, although our Planning Committee meets during the day.  If you have any queries relating to our meetings, please contact the relevant Officer detailed below.

Council Meetings

At the beginning of meetings of the Council, except the Annual Meeting, members of the public have up to 30 minutes to put comments and/or questions to the Council and to present petitions.  The Chairman of the Council may allow a similar arrangement at Extraordinary meetings of the Council, which are usually arranged to consider one or two particular items.

How to Submit a Comment, Question or Petition

• In order to enable participation by as many people as possible, each member of the public will be restricted to a maximum of 2 comments, questions or a combination of both.
• The comment/question must be written and delivered to the Member Support Team (details below) at Wychavon no later than 4 hours prior to the start of the meeting (in most cases this will mean by 2.15pm as the Council meets at 6.15pm).  This may be in writing or by e-mail or you can take a copy to one of the One-Stop Shops in Droitwich Spa or Evesham and ask a member of staff to fax it over to the relevant Member Support Officer.
• The comment/question should include the name of the person to whom it is addressed i.e. the Chairman of the Council/the Leader/relevant Executive Board member together with the name and address of the person submitting it.
• In the case of petitions, these should include the names and addresses of all signatories.  The Council defines a petition as one signed by a minimum of 20 people. The Petitions Scheme gives more details about how the Council deals with petitions.
• The Council will not accept any comments, questions or petitions that are, or appear to be, defamatory, racist or contain offensive language, or otherwise not appropriate for consideration at a Council meeting.

Submit a request to speak at Council or give notice of a petition

What Happens at the Meeting?

• If you cannot be at the meeting to make your comment or put your question, the Council may not consider it.
• Comments/questions will usually be dealt with in the order which they are received.  However, the Chairman may agree to vary the order if that will help the meeting run smoothly e.g. if questions or comments relate to the same subject.
• The Chairman will ask you to put your questions and s/he will decide who answers it – it might be a member of the Executive Board or Chairman of a relevant Committee or an officer.
• The answer may be given orally, may refer to information contained in a publication or may be written.  A copy of all questions and answers given will be included in the minutes in any case, and these are usually produced one week after the meeting.
• Petitions may be presented to the Chairman who will say what will happen to it.  All petitions will be dealt with as set out in our Petitions Scheme. 

Deputation

• If you do not want to speak at a full meeting of the Council you may prefer to make a Deputation to the Chairman.
• Up to 5 people can ask to see the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Leader of the Council to raise an issue with them.
• The deputation will be invited to meet with these Councillors - and the local ward Councillor if appropriate - usually up to one hour before a Council meeting.
• To make a deputation we need the following:

          -    a description of what the issue is you would like to discuss;

          -    the names and addresses of up to 5 people who would like to make the deputation and who will speak.

• Deputations which are or appear to be defamatory, racist, contain offensive language or are otherwise inappropriate, will not be considered.

What happens at the Meeting?

At the next available Council meeting the Chairman will make a report about the deputation and summarise the discussion and outcome of the meeting.  this is recorded in the Minutes.

Executive Board and Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Members of the public are welcome to ask questions at each meeting of Wychavon’s Executive Board and Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings.  The questions are dealt with at the beginning of each meeting – which usually starts at 6.15pm.

How to Submit a Question

• Any resident of Wychavon can ask 2 questions at any Executive Board or Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting.
• You should address the question to the Chairman of the meeting.
• The question must be written and delivered to the Member Support Officer (details below) at Wychavon no later than 4 hours prior to the start of the meeting (in most case this will mean by 2.15pm).  It can be e-mailed.  You can also take a copy to one of the One-Stop Shops in Droitwich Spa or Evesham and ask a member of staff to fax it over to the relevant Member Support Officer.

What Happens at the Meeting?

• Usually no more than 6 questions are allowed at each meeting.  However, it is up to the Chairman to decide how questions are dealt with.
• The Chairman will ask you to put your questions.  He will decide who answers it – it might be answered by a Councillor or an officer.
• You will be offered the chance to seek clarification of the answer given.
• A written copy of the answer may be available at the meeting.  If it isn’t, you will be sent a copy shortly afterwards.

Submit a question for Executive Board or Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Planning Committee

For further information about public speaking download our Guide for Participants Public Speaking at Planning Committee leaflet  (158.03 KB).

Contacts

The Member Support Team can help with queries about meetings.

Email:  public.speaking@wychavon.gov.uk

Telephone:  01386 565427