The most contentious applications are referred to the Planning Committee where the elected Councillors will make a final decision on the application.  These are held fortnightly at Causway House in Braintree.

Committee Meetings are open to the public and the Council welcomes your attendance.  Agendas and reports setting out the issues to be discussed are available from the Council offices and online before the meeting and a limited number are available at the meeting itself.  Although the meetings are held in public, a Committee may hold part of it’s meeting in private when confidential information is being discussed, although this is unusual.  You may ask a question or make a statement at any of the Council’s public meetings.  Further advise on this is available from Democratic Services.

The agenda for the Committee is split into two sections comprising of Part A and Part B applications.  Part A applications are usually the larger, more controversial planning applications and a planning officer will usually give a formal presentation on the application to the Committee.  Part B applications, are usually the more straightforward householder planning applications, which may be considered ‘en bloc’ with no introduction being made by officers, although view foils or PowerPoint slides will be made available upon request.

This will be followed by questions from the Members leading to a proposal to approve, refuse or defer the issue from being discussed.  The elected Councillors will then vote on the application and a final decision will be made.

A record of all decisions is maintained on the Planning Register.

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