In general and with a valid petition, a planning application can come before a planning committee, where the petitioner and applicant/agent can speak to councillors before a final decision is made.
Householder applications
If a petition relating to a householder application has been received and the reasons tally with a council officer's recommendations, it will not be considered at a planning committee; instead it will be considered under delegated authority by planning officers.
Speaking rights will not be permitted in these circumstances. However, should a petition request additional reasons for refusal, which are not in accordance with officer recommendations, this would be referred to a planning committee for consideration, thereby enabling speaking rights.
A redacted version of a planning petition (without names, signatures, addresses and personal contact details) will go on the public planning file for inspection.
Further information about planning petitions can be found in our council's
Petition Scheme 2022 (PDF)
[1MB].
Planning committees
If a planning application comes before a planning committee, we will contact you about a week before to inform you of your speaking rights, or how you can submit written representations to be read out to the committee.
Planning committee meetings are held at the Civic Centre, Uxbridge.
At the meeting:
- the petitioner organiser (or their representative) can speak for up to 5 minutes about the application (this is known as speaking rights)
- the applicant (or their agent) can speak for up to 5 minutes in relation to their application
- ward councillors can speak for up to 3 minutes about the application
- a conservation area panel member may also speak if the matter is within a conservation area.
Please note: Speaking times may be changed if multiple petitions are received about the same issue. All petitions in relation to a planning application need to be with us at least 48 hours before the planning committee meeting. In exceptional circumstances, the Chairman has discretion to allow petitions after this deadline.
All planning committee meetings are broadcast live on our council's YouTube channel. Those attending to speak or submit written representations should, therefore, be aware that their statements in full will be on public record.
Deferred or withdrawn applications
After you have put a petition together and spoken about the application at a planning committee meeting, if the application goes on the agenda for a subsequent meeting, you will need to start a new petition if you would like to speak again.
Similarly, if the application relating to your petition is withdrawn by the applicant and a new application is submitted (with a different application number), you will need to initiate a new petition for consideration. This is because the council cannot guarantee everyone signing the petition on the original application would have the same view on the new application, which, for example, could have different designs and layout.
Petitioners are welcome to contact us at any time on the status of their petition by emailing petitions@hillingdon.gov.uk.