The principle of public participation in the planning process has been affirmed by Westmorland and Furness Council ahead of the first committee meeting for Eden local planning applications next Wednesday.
Westmorland and Furness council’s Strategic Planning Committee has approved the new councils Public Participation Scheme to enable any person including councillors, parish representatives, applicants, objectors and supporters to seek to address the strategic committee and the three area planning committees in relation to applications on their respective agendas.
Councillor Phll Dixon said: “As chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, I cannot promise that everybody will be pleased with the outcome of every application but I can promise that our planning meetings will be open and accessible, that decisions will be made locally as much as possible and that everybody participating will be treated with respect.
"The majority of planning applications are not controversial and around 95 per cent are delegated to officers to ensure applicants benefit from a timely decision. But there will always be the remainder where there are differing views and we are committed to people’s voices being heard and informing the process.”
Anybody can make a representation for and against a planning application before it is determined and information about objections and supporting comments will be included in committee reports about applications.
The committee was told that most planning authorities also permit members of the public to address the committees about a particular proposal prior to the consideration of the application. Procedures vary across the country but all are designed to provide as fair an opportunity as possible for a balance of views to be provided between those supporting and those opposing an application.
For the Westmorland and Furness area committees, which align to the former Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland council areas and will meet in those areas, the public participation element will allow up to three objectors and three supporters to speak on a particular item, with each speaker allowed up to five minutes.
For the strategic committee, up to five objectors and five supporters will be allowed to speak on a particular item, with each speaker also allowed up to five minutes.
If more people apply to speak either as a supporter or opponent, places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with larger groups asked to consider electing spokespeople. The chairman will be able to use their discretion to allow more objectors or supporters to speak on exceptional items in which there is a lot of interest.
Westmorland and Furness Council became the new local planning authority on the 1st of April replacing Eden Council for all planning in Penrith and across Eden along with South Lakeland and Barrow.
The new council has setup three local area planning committees to consider local area based-planning matters not otherwise reserved for consideration by the councils Strategic Planning Committee or else dealt with by planning officers under delegated powers.
The Eden area planning committee has eight local members of Westmorland and Furness council as the committee.
The first Eden local planning committee meeting is set to take place next Wednesday the 17th of May at Penrith Town Hall.
The committee will be asked to determine the following planning applications with officer recommendations to refuse two of the applications and approve four of the applications.
Land West of Bruntley Meadows, Alston - Erection of 5 bungalows and associated infrastructure.
Belah Bridge Inn, Brough Sowerby - Change of use of public house (Sui Generis) to a market led residential dwelling (C3).
Land adj Ullswater Heights Holiday Home and lodge park Silver Howe Flusco Penrith - Change of use of land to form a renewable energy development to support existing holiday park comprising solar array, 5 x 14.4m high 20kw vertical axis wind turbines, energy centre (battery storage), plant room (inverter storage and electrical connection points) and ancillary works.
Omega Proteins, Penrith CA11 0BX - Solar farm and associated development including inverter units, substation and switchgear housing, battery storage container and landscape planting.
Unit 2, Old Station, Station Road, Langwathby, Penrith CA10 1NB - Change of use from class E to class C1 and construction of a single storey extension.
Land at Stephenson Croft, Bolton, CA16 6BE - Erection of detached dwelling.
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