Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director (Planning)

The Planning and Policy Implementation Manager introduced the report, noting a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) set out how a council would engage on planning matters and how the public, businesses, interest groups and people in a local authority area could get involved in influencing the local planning policy, planning application process and neighbourhood planning. A draft SCI had been prepared to reflect planning regulation requirements. It might be appropriate to increase community engagement, for example during the preparation of a local plan in some circumstances and, resources permitting, to use methods of engagement that moved beyond regulatory requirements; however the SCI did not commit the Council to  actions that could not be resourced in all cases as this could jeopardise decisions and actions taken, mean disproportionate costs or cause delay to the planning process. There was no mandatory requirement for consultation on a draft SCI but officers were proposing a six week consultation in the spirit of meaningful engagement in the planning process. A final SCI would be brought back to the Panel and to Cabinet following the consultation. The document, which officers had worked to make more accessible, had last been updated in 2016 and had been refreshed to ensure the SCI aligned with the Council’s statutory requirements on planning applications as well as the local plan process and neighbourhood planning.

A member commented that Cabinet Biodiversity Cabinet Panel would likely be interested in the Sustainability Appraisal and the Habitats Regulations Assessment strands. Officers responded that the SCI reflected what was required by legislation and although community engagement could go beyond what was set out in the report, the SCI set a minimum baseline consultation. Nevertheless there were circumstances when, for example, it would be appropriate for the local plan evidence base to be considered by a committee.

A member expressed appreciation that the equality impact assessment recognised young people were underrepresented in responding to planning consultations and asked whether the SCI would be publicised so residents understood what they could be consulted on. Officers noted the SCI set out the minimum that was required and advised that with the local plan, for example, they were seeking to deliver in a more engaging and accessible way using more modern methods and trying to target groups that were hard to reach – residents did not necessarily need to know what was in the SCI although it would be available; it was about delivering better and trying to bring things more up to date.

A member noted the consultation bodies set out in Appendix A did not include water companies. Officers advised this list set out the minimum number of parties to be consulted with as required by legislation; they consulted on a wider basis, especially on matters relating to the local plan.  

A member observed the list of consultees did not include councillors. Officers said this was not a legislative requirement although it was normal practice to consult local members on relevant planning matters which would continue.

The consultation process referred to press advertisements and a member queried whether this was still best practice. Officers advised this remained a legal requirement, albeit a costly one.

A member said they chaired a residents’ association which had not been consulted on local planning applications and asked how the Council knew which residents’ associations existed. Officers noted the document did not include non-statutory community or resident groups, only statutory organisations the Council was obliged to consult with; they tried to make it as easy as possible for all groups to engage with the planning process         

RESOLVED

(Unanimous)

The Panel recommended to Cabinet that:

1. The SCI 2024 (Appendix A of the report) and accompanying Equalities Impact Assessment (Appendix B of the report) be subject to public consultation; and
2. Any subsequent material amendments prior to consultation be made by the Executive Member for Planning and that any subsequent minor amendments and editing changes that do not materially affect the content prior to consultation be delegated to the Assistant Director (Planning) in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning.