About Council meetings

Please note the Annual Town Meeting will now take place on Tuesday 26th March at 6pm not Wednesday 27th March.

The Town Council is grateful for public interest in the workings of Council and the various Committees.

All meetings are set in the autumn for the following civic year (so in December 2016 the dates for all the meetings for all  the meetings for May 2017 to April 2018 were set). These are published in The Line and on the Town Council notice boards as well as the Town Council website – see right. The agenda for the meetings is also posted on the Town Council notice boards and website approximately a week before the meeting. The council no longer provides paper copies of the agenda at the meeting; if you need a paper copy please contact the office before 4pm on the day of the meeting to ensure one can be provided.

Public questions

All committee meetings start with 15 minutes of time allocated to public questions. This allows questions concerning the committee to be asked. If possible they will be answered straight away but sometimes it might be necessary to take the question away. Questions need not be notified in writing to the Town Clerk in advance, but if you do so there is more chance of an answer being available on the night. The Committee are not allowed during public question time to discuss matters later on the agenda or give an indication as to how they intend to vote on a matter on the agenda.

Planning Committee: The public must always make direct representation to the District Council who are the planning authority.   The Town Council standing orders do allow for 2 representations maximum to be made at the planning committee both for and/ or against an application (maximum 4 speakers per application).  Those wishing to speak must register at the start of the meeting and a form will be available to register strictly on a first come basis.  Anyone wishing to speak is advised to read the standing orders that relate to public speaking (a copy will be available at the meeting and are on the Council website).  There is a time limit, there is no right of comeback and excessive questions will be curtailed by the Chair. Written representations that you wish to have considered by the Town Council must be received by the Town Clerk before noon on the day of the meeting.

Once public question time ends the public may only observe the committees work, they are not allowed to ask or offer additional information.

Notes

  • All full Committee and Council meetings are open to the public who may sit in the public gallery.
  • Meetings commence at 7pm with the exception of the Standing Committees in January (to discuss the budget) and Special Council meeting in June (to approve the annual accounts), which are held consecutively starting with Public Services and immediately following F&GP Committee respectively.
  • All Council meetings provide a maximum period of 30 minutes for public questions commencing at 7pm
  • All Committee meetings provide a maximum period of 15 minutes for public questions commencing at 7pm
  • Council and Standing Committee meetings are held at East Court Mansion
  • Some paper copies of the agenda will be made available for the public at the meeting but will not include the previous minutes, which will be available on our web site or, should a member of the public wish to have a copy provided, then that should be arranged in advance through the Town Clerk’s office.

Minutes

It should be borne in mind that whilst minutes will generally be posted within four weeks of the meeting they remain as draft unadopted minutes until they are ratified at the following meeting of Council or Committee as appropriate.

Where appendices or attachments are referred to in reports and minutes these are not accessible on the site. Public wishing to view such documents may do so at the Town Council offices in East Court Mansion, Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 4pm.

Filming of Council meetings

Filming of Council meetings is permitted provided the person abides by the approved protocol. Please make the Clerk aware prior to a meeting that you wish to film so that all persons can be made aware.

Meeting logistics

The Council hold face to face meetings concurrently with a Zoom meeting. Members of the public who join via Zoom can ask questions during public questions and can see and hear the debate and voting of councillors. There is no requirement to attend the meeting in person if you are feeling unwell or are unable to attend. We would ask if you are not feeling well, or believe you may have a communicable illness, to please not come to the meeting, but join via Zoom instead. To join remotely, please contact the Town Clerk by email at towncouncil@eastgrinstead.gov.uk before 12 noon on the date of the meeting. Any requests after this time may not be seen.