Public Participation

Adopted by Full Council on 29 November 2011

Padstow Town Council wishes to encourage the public to attend its main meetings and committees.
It also welcomes public participation in its deliberations (when considering planning applications, for example).

Availability of agendas, minutes of meetings, etc.

Agendas are posted on the Town Council’s notice boards.   Copies of documents are available from the Council office in accordance with the Council’s Freedom of Information Policy

Public attendance at meetings

As a general rule, all Town Council meetings (including committees) are open to the press and members of the public.  However, from time to time, confidential items may be discussed in which case the press and members of the public are excluded in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.

Written submissions

Electors of the Town and their elected representatives  may

  • submit comments on any agenda item in writing (including by e-mail).
  • submit a written request for the Town Council to consider any matter within its remit. Valid requests will be put on the agenda for the next appropriate meeting.

The Clerk will reply to any request informing of the date of the meeting when comments will be discussed as soon as practicable.

The Chair of a meeting may read out all or part of a written submission or summarise a submission or group of submissions making a similar point.  The Chair will advise the elector submitting the enquiry as to the nature of the response – written, verbal etc and the likely timescale of the reply.

Where allowed by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, requests for confidentiality will be respected.  Written submissions should be sent to the Town Clerk.

Public speaking

The chair will take requests to speak from electors of the Town and their elected representatives on any agenda item during the public participation agenda item.  Other members of the public can speak on any agenda item during public participation at the discretion of the chair.

Electors of the Town and their elected representatives may indicate that they are willing to answer questions from councillors on any agenda item about which they have particular knowledge.

Persons speaking are required to give their name and address and state their interest in the matter under discussion.

Public participation will be limited to a maximum of five minutes per speaker addressed to the Chair.  The chair may curtail any speech (for example, if inappropriate language is used).

Answers to questions may take the form of –

  • A direct verbal response
  • Reference to a publication
  • A written answer after the meeting

Questions shall not be permitted that relate to the individual affairs of either the questioner or any other named person but should relate to matters of policy or practice – matters of general rather than personal concern.

Non-members of committees and sub-committees

Councillors who are not members of a committee may speak but not vote at such meetings in the same way as if they were a member of the public.

Co-option

The Town Council may agree to co-opt interested members of the public to assist with Working Groups formed to deal with certain defined projects.

SL

November 2011