Abbey Planning Committee Protocol

Attending the Committee on 16^th October 2025 - 2.30pm

If you decide to attend the Planning Committee, a copy of the Committee Agenda (opens new window) (opens new window) is available online 7 days before the meeting.

What are the arrangements for the Planning Committee?

The Planning Committee will be held at the Charles Burrell Centre, Staniforth Road, Thetford IP24 3LH on 16^th October 2025 at 2.30pm. There is plenty of car parking on site for attendees. Members of the public are requested not to attend more than half an hour before the Planning Committee start time, to allow the room to be set up.

If it is your intention to attend the Planning Committee, the Council is requesting you send an email to the Committee Usher planningusher@breckland.gov.uk in advance of the meeting to confirm attendance.

How do I arrange to speak at the meeting?

You can arrange to speak at Planning Committee by emailing the Committee Usher (opens new window).

Only parties registered to speak will be allowed to speak at Planning Committee.

You must email your request to speak, quoting the application reference number before 12:00 Noon on Friday 10^th October. Please also let us know your interest in the application, such as whether you are a Ward Councillor, MP, applicant, objector, supporter, representative of the Town/Parish Council, of whether you would like to attend to answer questions from Committee members only.

How long can I speak for?

Each speaker will be given a maximum of 5 minutes to speak, up to a maximum of 5 speakers or the 25 mins can be shared with an allocated spokesperson. Where an applicant and their agent intend to speak, the 25 minutes can be split between the two and can include any specialist speakers for example highways/flood risk consultants.

If you do not wish to speak at the meeting you can ask your Local Ward Councillor (opens new window) (opens new window) or Town/Parish Council to represent you.

We would advise anyone wishing to get their Ward Councillor or Town/Parish Council to speak on their behalf to ensure that, if they are already intending to speak on the item, they include the points you wish to raise in their 5-minute presentation.

What can I say at the meeting?

Please try to be brief and to the point. Please avoid repeating points already made by other parties. Limit your comments to the application and relevant planning issues and material planning considerations, for example:

Planning Policy (Government guidance and Local Plans).
Design, appearance, layout and effect on nearby properties.
Noise disturbance, smell and residential amenity.
Highway safety and traffic issues.
Impact on trees, conservation areas, listed buildings or nature conservation.

Note: There are issues which are not relevant to planning. You may wish for Councillors to hear all your views, however, only material planning considerations, as set out above, can be taken into account by Committee when the decision is made.

If you are a registered speaker and want to show maps, plans or photographs during your speaking time, they must be emailed to the Committee Usher (opens new window) before noon on the Friday before the proposed Planning Committee meeting date (10^th October 2025). We cannot show any materials brought in on a USB stick or other external devices. Only appropriate material that has been submitted by this date, which has been agreed by the Chairman of the Planning Committee will be shown.

Please note that videos cannot be played during the Planning Committee.

Please be aware that any material submitted will be uploaded to the website and publicly available to view, so do not include any personal information that you would not wish to be shown.

Order of presentation at the meeting

At the meeting, the application will be heard, as follows:

The Chairman will introduce the application. (Registered speakers will sit in allocated spaces and will register with the Committee Usher in advance of the start of the meeting).
The Planning Officer will present the application
Registered speakers will be invited to present, in 5-minute time slots, sharing where necessary, as set out above. The order of speakers will be:
- Town Council
- Objectors
- MP
- Supporters
- Applicant and agent
- Ward Representatives/Neighbouring Ward Representatives (all the latter will be given 5 minutes each to speak).
Members will debate the item and have the opportunity to ask questions of the Planning Officer or registered speakers
A vote will be taken
The Chairman will announce the decision on the application

Please note the decision on an application could be to refuse, approve or defer a planning application, and conditions/reasons for refusal can be added or removed by the Planning Committee, if they feel it appropriate.

What if I am unable to attend Planning Committee?

If you wish to view the meeting, Planning Committees are live streamed on the Breckland Council YouTube Channel (Opens in a new window) (opens new window).

If you were registered to speak but are unable to attend, please email your comments to the Committee Usher (opens new window). Comments should be submitted before 17:00 on the Wednesday 8^th October 2025 - these comments will be added to the Planning Committee Supplementary report. Please note that your comments may be summarised for the benefit of the members of Planning Committee.

Statements will not be read out at the Planning Committee.

Alternatively you can ask your Ward Representative to speak on your behalf.

If you are a Ward Representative and in exceptional circumstance are not able to make the meeting then a statement can be submitted and read out on your behalf. Please note the statement may be summarised and should take no longer than 5 minutes for an officer to read out.

On the Day

When you arrive at the Charles Burrell Centre you will be met by members of staff who will ask in what capacity you are attending the event, member of public to observe or speaker. Speakers will have allocated seats and wrist bands so they are easily identified in the proceedings, if you are there to observe you will be directed to appropriate seating. There are toilets available at the venue but no refreshments.

As an observer you will not have the opportunity to participate in the meeting.

Loud speakers, audio equipment, banners etc will not be allowed into the venue.

Speakers - the protocol is set out above.