In addition to the Council's officers and its advisors (e.g. County Engineer), those who are entitled to attend and participate are:
- the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Development Control Committee *;
- District Councillors (normally four) are appointed to the Site Inspection Group by the Development Control Committee at its preceding meeting. Where an appointed Councillor cannot attend on the day of the site inspection, a substitute Councillor may be appointed ensuring that they are drawn from across the district, but at all times ensuring at least three Councillors attend the site inspection.*;
* These make up the Site Inspection Group.
- the Member(s) representing the Ward in which the site is located. If the site is located within a town or parish for which there is more than one Ward representative, ALL the Ward Members can attend and speak. If a Ward Member due to attend a Site Inspection is the applicant, or has declared an interest, then a Councillor representing a neighbouring Ward (who had been selected in consultation with the Chairman of the Development Control Committee) shall attend in place of the Ward Member. A Ward Member who is not a Member of the Site Inspection Group is not entitled to vote at the site inspection;
- a representative of the Town or Parish Council within whose area the site is located (they have no entitlement to vote, although they may address the Group).
Also entitled to attend and listen to the discussion but not speak are:-
- the applicant and/or his or her representative#;
- members of the public#. If the landowner is not willing for members of the public, or others, to enter his/her land, the Site Inspection Group only will undertake an inspection of the site, and will then move to the nearest convenient highway or public area so that the public and Town or Parish Council representative may hear the Group’s discussion and subsequent recommendation.
#There is the opportunity for the applicant and members of the public to speak about the application (at meetings of the Development Control Committee), see separate "Planning Applications ….. having your say" leaflet.
