Chance to speak
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How Planning Applications are decided
Larger and more controversial applications are decided by elected Councillors at Area Board meetings. More straightforward applications, that can be determined in accordance with approved planning policies, are delegated to senior planning officers to decide.
The Area Boards meet regularly, every few weeks, and reports on planning applications are open to the public.
When an application is to be decided by the Area Board, all representations, received in time, are summarised in the report of the application. Late representations will be reported at the meeting itself. The Area Board agenda lists all the applications to be decided. It is published five working days before the meeting and available to view at the Town Hall, Pinstone Street or (soon after) on the Planning and Highways boards webpage.
Please note that applications of a minor nature covered by approved Council guidelines can be dealt with by Senior Officers even if objections are received.
It is important that you put down your views in writing at the earliest opportunity, regardless of whether you wish to speak at the Area Board, so that your views can be taken into account by the Planners when they are considering what recommendation to make and to allow Board Members a chance to properly consider the issues. The Chance to Speak is at the Chair's discretion, so they may refuse to accept long or complex late written submissions, which should have been submitted earlier and cannot be properly considered at this late stage (You may write in English, Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese or Somali).
Getting to the Area Board Meeting
If you want to attend an Area Board meeting when it considers an application you are interested in, it is necessary for you to check that it is being reported to an Area Board and when. The Council publishes a weekly list of planning applications, which includes an indication of whether a decision is likely to be made by an Area Board or delegated for senior officers to determine. Circumstances can change, for example if the issues prove more complex or the application more controversial than anticipated. So you need to check if this is important to you.
The easiest way to check if an application is going to be reported to an Area Board and when is to telephone (0114) 2734215. If it is not yet clear which Board meeting an application is likely to be reported to, you will be advised when to call back again. It is also possible to check the agenda for each Board meeting on, to see if the application you are interested in is on the agenda or not.
There can be changes from the published agenda at the Board meeting. The Board may decide to defer consideration of an application in order to first visit a site, although officers try to organise visits in advance wherever possible. Supplementary reports can also be tabled on the day, for example if there are late representations or to report on the resolution of minor outstanding details. Occasionally outstanding matters may not be resolved and officers have to advise that an application is not ready to be considered by the Board after all. In very exceptional circumstances, urgent items can be added to the agenda at the meeting, but this is rare. A telephone call the day before the Board meeting can sometimes be useful, to avoid a possible wasted trip or day off work.
Area Boards meet in the Town Hall (main entrance on Pinstone Street). You should arrive fifteen minutes early and ask for directions to the appropriate room. The Area Board members sit around a central table and you will find seating in the rest of the room.
Disabled Access to the Area Board
We welcome disabled people who would like to attend the Area Board. Meeting rooms in the Town Hall are fully accessible for wheelchair users and the visually impaired. An infra-red hearing loop is fitted in meeting rooms and BSL/English interpreters can be provided, but need to be requested in advance of the meeting.
Can I speak at the Area Board?
Anyone affected by an application, whether as the applicant, as a neighbour or other Interested parties, may also ask to put views to the Area Board personally, or have someone speak for them. The Chair of the Area Board will welcome your interest and usually allow you to speak. The Chair will do everything possible to make you feel at ease and able to put your views across. Remember, your local Councillor may agree to put your views to the Area Board but you should make these arrangements with your Councillor in advance.
Difficulty with English
If you have difficulty speaking English you may arrange for a representative to speak for you. If you have any difficulty finding a suitable representative, or in understanding the Planning system, please contact the relevant Development Control Team.
City Centre and East | 0114 273 4215 or planningdc.cityeast@sheffield.gov.uk |
South | 0114 273 4215 or planningdc.south@sheffield.gov.uk |
North West | 0114 273 4215 or planningdc.north@sheffield.gov.uk |
At the Area Board
Before the start of the meeting the committee clerk will take a note of anyone who wishes to speak and pass these requests on to the Chair. You will be advised if there is any difficulty. You should then wait for the Chair to announce your particular item on the agenda and then to inform you when to speak. Because each Area Board normally has much business to conduct, where several people wish to speak about one application, the Chair will normally ask for one person to act as spokesperson for the group and to cover all the views raised. Only where groups/residents have very different points of view will the Chair consider allowing more speakers.
Area Board Visits
The Area Board will visit sites where they decide that it is necessary. Members of the public are not normally invited to attend the visits. The purpose of these visits is for the Councillors to see the circumstances of the site for themselves and not to discuss the issues in detail there and then. Decisions on applications are not made on visits, but at the next Area Board meeting.
What should I say?
Please take the time to read the information on the what we consider page. It explains what the Council can take into account in deciding an application and you may find it helpful before deciding what to say.
Who speaks when?
The Chair will ask the planning officer to introduce the application and give a recommendation to the Area Board. The Chair will then invite any applicants/agents, and groups/local residents or other representatives to speak in turn. The objector will speak first, followed by the applicant/agent.
The officer may be asked to comment on what has been said. The Area Board will then discuss the issues raised, calling on any further reports from the planning officer as required. You may not take part in the discussion by the Area Board. On occasion you may be asked to clarify a factual matter, but essentially you must now allow the Area Board to come to their decision. Once a decision has been made you do not have to sit through the rest of the meeting, but if you do leave early please do so as quietly as possible.
After the Committee
Applicants are sent a ‘notice’ informing them of the decision, including any conditions imposed by the Area Board, and the reasons why permission has been granted or refused. All those who have written with views will usually be informed in writing of the decision. Details of all Board decisions and any appeals against refusals or conditions imposed are downloadable from the Planning weekly list page.
Further Advice
You can also contact us by telephone on (0114) 2734215, by e-mail at planningdc@sheffield.gov.uk or in person at First Point, Howden House. Please make an appointment if you need to see a planning officer. The Committee Secretariat can be contacted by telephone at (0114) 2734008.
Downloads
A leaflet about speaking at a Planning Area Board (115 KB)
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