Public Sessions at PC meetings

September 2011

Issues raised by members of the public

Mr Witt welcomed the council’s rapid response to his report of a dead cat having been found at the Compton Street play area but acknowledged that, since it had been removed by the time the police arrived, there was little chance of discovering who was responsible. In response to a question on street lighting, Councillor Southgate informed him that both he and the clerk would be attending a briefing on the installation of new ‘white’ street lights on 23 September. While at the meeting he would keep in mind Mr Witt’s earlier request for improved lighting along Compton Street. Mr Witt also repeated his request for parking restrictions to be imposed near the bus stop at Martins Fields. Councillor Southgate said that he would speak to WCC officials about the possibility of ‘white lining’.

March 2005

Public Session

During the session for members of the Public to raise issues, Mr Roy Freeland raised the matter of Hampshire County Council granting licenses for the construction of new access points to residential sites. It appears that such licenses are granted without the usual Planning Application and consultation procedures. Having granted such licences, the Landowner is then able to apply for Planning Permission from Winchester City Council who is more likely to grant the necessary Planning Permission as Hampshire County Council has already granted the appropriate license. The Parish Council was requested to investigate this apparent loophole in the Planning process and make appropriate representations.

April 2001

Public Participation

After consideration by the Finance and Admin. Sub-committee, and further discussion within the Parish Council meeting itself, it was agreed to change the procedures with regard to Public Participation at the Parish Council meetings in the future. This was done to encourage greater Public participation during the “Question and Answer” sessions and to ensure adequate opportunity for obtaining comprehensive answers to questions are received by the attending Public.

January 1998

Public participation in Council meetings

This standing order was passed at the Parish Council meeting on 6 January 1998.

Agenda Items

Parishioners are welcome to write to ask that a particular matter be placed on the agenda for a Parish Council meeting. Such requests must reach the Clerk one clear week before the meeting. The Council meet on the first Tuesday in each month except August.

The Council will either accede to the request to place the item on the agenda or explain in writing why it is not appropriate to do so.

Public Sessions

At each Parish Council meeting, after the “matters arising” agenda item, the council meeting will be opened, for a short period, not normally exceeding 10 minutes, to allow questions and submissions from members of the public. At this point no discussion will take place except for clarification of the submission.

Each meeting agenda will include an item ‘To consider any matters arising from the public session’ when, for each public submission received, the council will decide whether to

• handle the matter immediately
• commit a response in writing before the next meeting, or
• defer the matter for research followed by discussion at the next meeting

The Chairman will so arrange the agenda that discussion by the Council of questions raised in the earlier public session takes place immediately after the coffee break, at about 9.00 p.m. This will be shown on the meeting agenda, which will also indicate those meetings when, exceptionally, the public question session has to be omitted.

The agenda will be made available to members of the public attending the meeting.