Public Rights, Responsibilities and Participation
Chapter 7: Public Participation at Meetings
All formal Council, Executive (Cabinet), Overview and Scrutiny, and Regulatory and Non-Executive Committee meetings are generally open to the public, ensuring transparency and civic engagement so that local residents can observe and understand how decisions are made.
Citizens have a right not only to attend but also to actively participate by presenting petitions, deputations, and public questions during Council, Cabinet, Committee and Scrutiny proceedings. Furthermore, members of the public may speak for or against applications before Licensing and Planning Committees, ensuring that local views directly influence decisions that affect their neighbourhoods.
Public participation at meetings is managed by the Chair using the procedures set out for that meeting.
The Council’s Committee Procedure Rules in Part E set out the general principles of public engagement at meetings. These will operate at all meetings unless there are explicit rules which apply to that specific meeting. For example. The Council’s planning and licensing committees have their own operating procedures whilst meetings of Council operate using the Council Procedure Rules.