The council welcomes public participation at its meetings. You can express your views directly to the councillors at meetings by speaking, presenting a petition or asking a question at the full council meeting.
There are strict rules on how and when to register to make sure you have your say at a meeting. The rules differ slightly depending on the meeting and whether you want to ask a question, speak or present a petition. The rules are set out below, but if you have any queries please contact committeeservices@guildford.gov.uk to find out more.
Essential information
Tel: 01483 444102
Fax: 01483 444109
Email: committeeservices@guildford.gov.uk
Responsibilities of committees
The summary of the responsibilities of committees may help you decide which meeting is likely to be the most relevant for the topic you are interested in.
Speaking at committee meetings
You can speak at any of the following meetings on any items included in the public part of the agenda:
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Executive
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Community Development Scrutiny Committee
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Environment Scrutiny Committee
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Housing Health & Safety Scrutiny Committee
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Licensing Committee
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Standards Committee
Finding out what’s on an agenda
Copies of all agendas are available for public inspection at the council offices, local libraries. The agendas are published 5 working days before the day of the meeting. The forward plan also provides a list of items that are due to be considered by the Committees over the next four months.
Registering to speak
You must register with Committee Services (details above) in writing by letter, fax or e-mail by the deadline of 2pm one working day before the meeting.
When registering please state your name, address, daytime telephone number and the item on which you would like to speak about.
There are a maximum of 6 speakers allowed for each agenda item and the speakers are taken in the order in which they register.
At the meeting
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The Committee Administrator will meet you when you arrive at the meeting and explain the procedures to you.
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You will have your opportunity to speak for up to three minutes at the beginning of the agenda item, before the councillors discuss the matter
You must declare any current or prospective financial or personal interest that you may have in the subject.
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Once you have made your speech you may not take part in further debate, although the councillors may ask you questions about your statement.
There are separate rules relating to speaking at the Planning Committee on planning and related applications and at Licensing Sub-Committee on new and variation applications for premises licences. The Scrutiny Committees also have separate rules for involving the public when carrying out investigations.
Presenting a petition
A petition can be presented to a meeting of the full council or the relevant Committee. The petition must be signed by at least 50 signatures and relate to an issue:
Petitions cannot be made about planning applications.
Registering a petition
You must write and give notice that you would like to present a petition to the Committee Services (details above) at least 3 working days before the meeting.
When you register the petition you should also provide a brief summary of the subject that the petition relates to along with your name, address and a daytime contact number.
A maximum of three petitions can be presented to any one meeting. It is not possible to present a petition if a petition on the same or similar topic has been presented in the last six months.
At the meeting
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The Committee Administrator will meet you when you arrive at the meeting and explain the procedures to you.
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At the beginning of the meeting the Chair of the Committee will invite the spokesperson for the petitioners to speak for up to three minutes to present the petition, explain what it is for and state how many signatures have been collected.
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If the petition relates to an issue that is not due to be considered at the meeting, it will be referred without discussion to the next meeting of the relevant Committee.
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If the petition relates to an issue due to be considered at the meeting, or if the matter has been previously dealt with, then the Chair of the Committee may make a statement in response to the petitioners.
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When the councillors have debated the issue, but before the final decision or vote is taken, the spokesperson for the petitioners will be offered a ‘right of reply’ and will be able to speak again for up to three minutes.
Asking a question at council
All 48 of the councillors attend the full council meeting. Meetings are normally held on Thursday.
You may ask a question relevant to the general work or procedure of the council or on a matter that specifically affects the borough.
Your question should be addressed to the Leader of the Council or another Lead Member or the Chair of the appropriate committee.
Registering to ask a question at council
You must write to Committee Services (details above) by twelve noon on the third working day before the meeting. As the council normally meets on a Thursday your question must be received by twelve noon on the preceding Monday.
When you register you must include a written copy of the question along with your name, address and daytime contact number. Questions will be taken in the order in which they are received.
At the meeting
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The public question time is limited to 30 minutes early on in the meeting.
You can decide whether you would like to stand and ask your question in person or just let the councillors read the question from the copy in front of them.
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If you decide to ask your question in person you must stick to the wording you have put in writing and you will be given two minutes to read it out.
You must declare any current or prospective financial interest you may have in the subject.
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Your question will be answered without discussion normally by the Chairman of the appropriate committee or Lead Member. The answer will not take longer than four minutes.
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If your question is not answered during the 30 minutes of question time or if at the last minute you are unable to attend, a written reply will be sent to you.