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How to address a committee or panel

If you are not used to speaking in public, you may find the idea of addessing a committee or panel a little unsettling. Please don't be put off, as you will find members patient and understanding.

However, here are some hints to help you:

• It is best to prepare in advance and write down what you intend to say. Keep it brief and to the point. Remember that you only have 3 minutes anyway.
• Speak clearly and slowly.

If you are speaking on a planning application, please refer to only relevant planning issues, such as:

• External design, size, appearance and layout of the proposal;
• Loss of light and over-shadowing;
• Highway safety;
• Planning policy or government guidence.

If you are unsure what is a 'relevant' planning issue, please contact the planning case officer before the meeting to discuss what you intend to say. The name and contact details of the planning officer form part of the report with the agenda.

Please avoid referring to matters that are not relevant to planning issues, such as:

• Boundary disputes or other property rights;
• The developer's morals or character;
• Loss of property value, or loss of view;
• Matters covered in other laws.

The following must also be borne in mind:

• Please be on-time. Applications will not be delayed because an objector, or applicant, has not arrived;
• You may make spoken comments; no visual aids will be permitted;
• Written views must be submitted to the planning offices at least 24 hours before the meeting;
• All speakers must obey the Chairman should h/she interupt. Once the 3 minutes has elapsed, the speaker will be asked to draw to a close. There is no right to speak again.
• The law of slander and defamation applies to any statement made in public, so it is important that speakers do not make personal comments about any individual.