Planning applications are decided in one of two ways:

• All major applications, and some which fall into other categories, are decided by the Council's Development Control Committee. This is about 10% of the total number of applications. Committee Reports are available on the Council's website.



• The Council's planning staff decide most minor applications, for things like house extensions and small-scale residential and commercial development. A local ward District Councillor may ask for these applications to be decided by Committee in certain circumstances.

A formal Council document called the Scheme of Delegation lists how different types of applications are decided. It is revised from time to time. For details contact Democratic Services telephone (0118) 974 6052, email democratic.services@wokingham.gov.uk

The Committee is made up of 12 elected Councillors, from all political parties represented on the Council and from areas across the District. The membership of the committee changes annually. There must be at least 3 of them present to make decisions.

The Committee is bound by it's terms of reference and by planning legislation and the Councillors' Code of Conduct.

The Committee is chaired by one of the councillors. A new Chairman is decided each year. The Chairman's role is to run the meeting fairly and efficiently.

In addition to Councillors, planning and other Council staff will attend to present applications, answer Councillors' queries, give legal and procedural advice, and take minutes.

Yes. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, and often do so. Anybody interested in a planning application being decided by the Committee may come to the meeting, hear the application being discussed and, in certain circumstances, have their say. The audience for a committee also often includes people who have made planning applications or professionals acting on their behalf, representatives of town and parish councils, and representatives of the local press.

Members of the public may also ask questions of the Committee at the beginning of the meeting. For more details of how to do this, and guidance about what sort of questions can be asked, contact Democratic Services (0118) 974 6052 or visit the Council's website

The Committee meets in public every 3 weeks in the Civic Offices at Shute End. A list of dates is available from Planning Services Reception, Democratic Services, or on the Council's website

If you have commented on an application which is going to Committee you will be sent a letter telling you the date and time of Committee, and the recommendation in the report.

Committee Members are sent an agenda to study in advance of the meeting. This contains a detailed report by Planning staff about each application for consideration, together with photo reduced plans. It also recommends a decision. If the recommendation is to allow the application, suitable conditions are suggested.

The report summarises relevant local and national planning policies, and how these relate to the key planning issues for each application. Normally applications should be decided in line with policy. The report also summarises all comments received from consultees which raise relevant planning points which were available at the time the report was written.

Copies of the agenda are available from the Friday before the meeting from Democratic Services, in public libraries, and on the Council's website

The application file is also available to see at Planning Services Reception until the day of the meeting. Once reports have been written, they are also available on the file.

There may be a lot of debate on some applications while others may be decided very quickly. Some applications may have been deferred from a previous meeting, or for a site visit by the Committee. The Chairman may also suggest to the Committee that the order on the agenda is varied to discuss first the items which have attracted many members of the public. Because of this it is not possible to predict a time slot for the discussion of particular applications.

The order for considering reports on the agenda is normally as follows:

• The planning staff present the main points of the report and any late information received after the agenda was printed.
• The Parish or Town Council representative may speak.
• The applicant or agent, objectors and supporters may speak (3 minutes maximum for each group).
• The Local Ward Councillor, if not a Member of the Committee, may speak.
• After any of these speakers has addressed the Committee, the Members can, at the discretion of the Chairman, ask questions of them to clarify matters of fact on what they have said.
• General discussion by Members of the Committee and local Ward Councillors.
• Council staff respond to matters raised.
• The Committee makes a decision.

When making planning decisions the Committee can only take into account points which are relevant to planning. It cannot consider such things as loss of property value, loss of a specific view, private property rights or matters covered by other legislation such as alcohol licensing.

Applicants, agents or supporters can speak, together with a representative of the relevant Parish or Town Council. Objectors who have previously commented in writing on an application may speak. There are time limits on speaking.

"Speaking At Committee", describes how the scheme works. It is available from Planning Services Reception or Democratic Services in leaflet form or on Council's website. It is also sent out to those who have commented, before the Committee. Anyone who wants to speak needs to contact the Democratic Services Section by telephone, post, fax, or email no later than 5 pm on the last working day before the meeting (ie. at least 24 hours in advance).

The Committee decides most applications at the meeting. It does not always follow the recommendation in the report. The Committee may amend some of the suggested planning conditions. Some decisions may be 'deferred' to a later meeting, perhaps to allow Councillors to carry out a site visit, or to get further information, or for amendments to be made. Sometimes, after considering a proposal the Committee delegates responsibility for the final decision to planning officers, in which case the application would not normally be reconsidered by the Committee.

Once a decision has been made the Council sends a formal "decision notice" to the agent or applicant as soon as possible. If the decision is subject to a legal agreement (sometimes known as "Section 106 agreement") a formal decision notice will not be issued until the agreement is signed. Letters are sent to anyone who made written comments on the application, informing them of the decision. A regular list of decisions is published which can be obtained from Planning Services Reception, seen on the Council's website, or in local libraries. Please telephone (0118) 974 6429 after 10.00 am on the day after the Committee if you want to know the decision on a particular application.

If an applicant is unhappy about the Council's decision they can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate an independent government agency. Details of how to do this are on the reverse of all decision notices. The Council will notify anyone who submitted written comments on an application if an appeal is lodged, and will forward their original comments to the Planning Inspectorate for their consideration.

Only the applicant can appeal. Disappointed objectors have no right of appeal when an application is approved.

If you have any queries about the information on this page, please contact Planning Administration, Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1WR or telephone (0118) 974 6429 / 6433 / 6432 / 6474 or email development.control@wokingham.gov.uk

Planning Services Reception is on the first floor of the Civic Offices at Shute End, Wokingham.