Planning Committee
How to make your views known at the right time.
Introduction
We welcome public comments, whether for small developments like house extensions, or for large plans affecting a whole area. This explains how you can best make your views known so they can be considered before a decision is made.
Having your say at Planning Committee
In line with the National Scheme of Delegation introduced by the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 some applications may be determined by Planning Committee, if they meet the gateway criteria set out by the regulations.
Planning Committee meetings are usually held every three weeks on a Thursday afternoon in the Council House. The meetings are open to members of the public. Any written comments you make will be included in the written report if the application is to be considered by the Committee.
If you wish to speak at the Committee then you must contact the Governance Services Officer on 024 7697 2301 or 024 7697 2302 or email governance.services@coventry.gov.uk by 2pm, at the latest, on the Tuesday before the meeting. Governance Services are unable to assist with any queries relating to planning applications.
Please be aware that the Council’s procedures state that “Speakers will only be allowed one opportunity to address the Committee, irrespective of whether the application is deferred to a later Planning Committee. However, if material changes arise following deferment, or there are exceptional reasons submitted by the speakers to address the Committee again, the Chair of Planning Committee has discretionary power to allow registered speakers an opportunity to address the Committee on new issues.” and “A ‘registered speaker’ will be a person (other than the applicant or their representative) who has made written representations on the application to planning employees within the consultation period and has registered to speak with the Place Directorate.” On this basis some requests may be declined.
Once you have told us of your wish to speak, you will be contacted to confirm the details of the meeting. You will be given a copy of the officer's report.
At the meeting, the Chair will invite speakers to address the meeting for a maximum of three minutes each. Any objectors will go first, followed by those in support and finally the person making the application or their representative.
Councillor referral to the Gateway meeting and petitions
Due to the changes in the legislation, Ward Councillors will no longer be able to request that a Schedule 1 application is considered by the Planning Committee. They will still be able to call a Schedule 2 or Own Interest application to the gateway test, and applications classed as Other will follow the existing scheme of delegation. For applications that must be delegated or that do not meet the gateway test criterion to be reported to planning committee, Member comments will continue to be considered along with other representations made on the application.
The Gateway tests are:
• where the application raises an economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area; and/or
• where the application raises a significant planning matter having regard to the development plan and any other material considerations.