main content Planning Committees - P12

PLANNING COMMITTEES IN BROMLEY

1. COMMITTEE PROCEDURE

Plans Sub-Committee meets fortnightly. They consider planning applications, alleged contraventions of planning law and tree preservation.

Development Control Committee meets on average once every eight weeks. Committee Members consider major or contentious planning applications and other planning issues affecting the Borough. The reports on white paper concern a whole range of issues, including service planning, strategic and London-wide issues, planning and transport policy, conservation, and countryside management. Part II of the agenda, printed on pink paper, contains items, which, because they relate to legal, or financial or personnel issues, are confidential and cannot be heard in public.

Committee Members are elected Councillors. Other Councillors can attend the meetings, they are not permitted to vote, but are allowed to speak and give the Committee Members the benefit of their knowledge. Planning and legal officers attend to give Councillors advice. A Committee Administrator records the minutes.

Members of the public wishing to speak at Committee are advised to read Fact sheet No 18 - Public speaking at meetings of Development Control and Plans Sub-Committee here. Applicants and objectors who are interested in applications can also speak to one of their Ward Councillors before the meeting

The Councillors work through the Agenda. The main part of the report, printed on green paper, is the Chief Planner’s Report on planning applications. Each application to be dealt with at the meeting is listed on the Agenda and is accompanied by a short report. The report usually consists of background to the application, its history and representations made to the proposal. Background documents do not form part of the reports, but are available for inspection at the Civic Centre five working days before the Committee.

Committee Members discuss each report in turn, asking the planning and legal officers for advice if necessary. They then vote. An application for planning permission may be granted and this may be subject to certain conditions. The titles of and reasons for conditions are in a standard and shortened form on the agenda, but are available in full on request. Or, an application may be refused and the reasons for refusal given. Decisions may also be deferred if Councillors require more information about a proposal. Occasionally applications are withdrawn from the meeting and are dealt with at a later date.

Further information about Council meetings where planning decisions are made is available here.

2. AFTER THE MEETING

If you have made an application for planning permission you will normally receive a Decision Notice about a week after the Committee meeting or date of delegated decision. Planning conditions or the grounds for refusal will be listed on the Decision Notice.

If your application is turned down, you may be able to revise the proposal and overcome the refusal grounds. Discuss this with a planning officer before you make a new application.

Otherwise you can appeal to: -

The Planning Inspectorate, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN
Tel 0117 372 6372.
Fax 0117 372 8782
E-mail enquiries@planning-inspectorate.gsi.gov.uk
Web www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk

If you have any questions about decisions made at a Committee meeting please contact the Planning Division on 020 8313 4956 the following day.


This form is available upon request in large-print format and also by email. Issued by Planning Division, July 2004