Site Inspection Group

During a meeting of the Development Management and Licensing Committee a majority of Members can vote for a site inspection to take place in order for Members to visit the application site. For such site inspections, we have the following adopted procedures.

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About the Site Inspection Group

The purpose of the site visit is to enable Members to view particular aspects of an application in context.
No decision is reached on site and there is no debate as to the outcome at the site meeting.
The only participants at site inspections are:
- Members of the Development Management and Licensing Committee (or their named substitute),
- the respective local Ward Members (if not a Member of the Development Management and Licensing Committee) and
- the respective local Town/Parish Council.
Neither the applicant/agent nor any third party may participate in the site meeting. Specific requests to view the proposal from a particular place (e.g. objectors home) may, however, be accommodated at the Chairman's discretion.

What's the procedure?

Chairman formally opens the site inspection and invites the Planning Officer to describe the application with particular reference to those issues for which the inspection has been called (e.g. effect on amenity of adjoining occupiers).
The Planning Officer then describes the proposal and guides the Members to appropriate vantage points which may be within and/or outside the site.
Opportunity for Members to seek clarification, but not opinion, from the Planning Officer.
Representative from local Town/Parish Council invited to give their views.
Chairman formally closes the meeting.