Major Project Applications Campaigners Guide

Community Rights Resource Pack Open floor hearings: an overview

What is the open floor hearing?

This is your opportunity to have your say. The layout will be the examiners behind a table on a dais or raised platform. To one side the developers may have a table with their staff, and on the other side the local authority may be present. You will probably be seated without tables in front of the examiner’s platform with a certain distance between. The examiners will control the way the open floor hearing is run.

What should you do to prepare?

You need to do some preparation – this will pay off as your arguments will contain more evidence and be better organised. You should also try and practice what you are going to say – so that you feel comfortable with what you want to get across. You can use notes to help you remember the points you want to make. Refer to specific points made in the application, and set out your evidence in reference to these points. Take a copy of your points in case the examiner needs to see these. Notes are also helpful if you want to quote numbers, names of places, or reference particular documents which are part of the application. Bring along photos, maps and other evidence to support what you’re saying if you need them.

Speaking at the hearing

You may want to practice speaking clearly and confidently – you could try practising with friends or just rehearse in front of a mirror. Think about your breathing – its important to be relaxed. Remember that the examiner does want to hear what you are saying, and its really important that you do say your piece. Try not to repeat what others have said, the examiner might then start to stop you doing this. If you are questioned or interrupted, take a pause before restarting. Remain polite at all times – this way the examiner will respect your submission.

What to say

It’s best to concentrate on one or two points – but try and make sure that all the different members of the group have different points to bring up or new angles. Then you will all be contributing to the case. Local impacts are very important, and the open floor hearing is a real opportunity to demonstrate the range and severity of impacts that only the local community will properly be able to present.

As its difficult to question the National Policy Statements e.g. there is a policy in there that says there is a need for all power stations, you could instead point out the problems with this particular application in terms of location and impact.

Issue Specific Hearings

These are different to the Open Floor Hearings, and are constructed in order to get into an in-depth discussion of particular issues. The Development Consent Order may well have a hearing, so it is good to try and get involved in speaking at that hearing to put conditions on the way the development might operate. Issue specific hearings are also useful for getting expert opinion that isn’t brought forward by the developer into the examination. Air quality experts could be particularly useful. But remember you can gather your own evidence e.g. on transport impacts by counting local traffic numbers or mapping road/footpath use and therefore being able to present this evidence at an issue specific hearing on transport.

Notes