Public Participation in Parish Council Meetings
EAST KIRKBY PARISH COUNCIL
PROTOCOLS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS
A Parish Council Meeting is not a public meeting, it is a meeting conducted in public.
There is no requirement in law to provide a public forum.
As the Parish Council meets and makes its decisions openly and is committed to community engagement, we warmly invite members of the public, the press, the Police, and District and County Councillors, to attend our meetings and contribute during the public meeting.
Please respect the fact that this is a meeting to conduct Parish Council business and interjections during Parish Council business are not permitted. If you disrupt business in any way, you may be asked to leave.
If you feel for any reason that you do not wish to take part in the Public Meeting or if your question/problem is complex, you might wish to provide information to the Parish Council, prior to the meeting, in plenty of time before the meeting (at least seven clear days), using the contact details below.
• It is expected that East Kirkby Parish Council’s Public Meeting will be for a maximum period of 20 minutes but may be extended at the Chairman’s discretion.
The agenda will indicate when public participation may take place.
This will be early on the agenda in order that Parish Councillors can take account of any views expressed when reaching their decisions.
• Questions and comments should relate to business on the agenda and only one question on a topic will generally be received from each person, supplementary questions will be at the Chairman’s discretion.
The Chairman may direct that a written or oral response be given.
• A person shall raise their hand when requesting to speak (except when they have a disability or are likely to suffer discomfort).
Questions must be addressed to the Chairman and a member of the public must not speak for more than three minutes.
Where there is an interest group of objectors, or supporters, a spokesperson should be appointed to speak on behalf of the group. The spokesperson shall be the only one to speak so as to avoid duplication and make the best use of the time set aside for public participation.
The Chairman has the right to say that any question, or statement, is inappropriate, will not be accepted, and stop the speaker from continuing to speak. If the speaker ignores the requests of the Chairman, they will be asked to leave the meeting.
Neither Parish Councillors nor the Parish Clerk should be put under pressure to respond immediately to comments made under public participation. A question raised by a member of the public during a public speaking session may not require a response at the meeting, and if no response is warranted, there should be no further debate or discussion between the Parish Council and the public. The Chairman will determine the level/amount of discussion. The written response will be via the minutes of the meeting.
The contact for the Parish Council is via the Parish Clerk and is: eastkirkbypc@gmail.com
Produced by Mrs. J Mussett (Parish Clerk) and Mr. B Nowicki (Chairman of the Parish Council), August 2024.