Consultation Services

Overview

The Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act brings about a new era of public involvement in planning. New regional planning structures and individual planning authorities now effectively have a new duty to consult.

It is at the local level that the changes will be greatest. Each authority has to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). This presents their policy for involving those interested in both the new Local Development Documents and for consultation on planning applications. The SCI will be audited and independently examined against minimum standards laid down by the Government.

The final decision on who does the consulting is up to local authorities. Particularly sections of the community who will benefit are town and parish councils and minority communities who will have a stronger case to ensure their concerns are addressed.

The biggest impact for private companies and other applicants will be in the planning application process itself. For the first time, planning application forms will:

“...provide a mechanism for developers to focus pre-application consultation, working with communities on development proposals before applying for permission”. Community Involvement in Planning, ODPM.

Whilst Consultation will not be formally binding, failure to consult could give rise to material reasons for major planning applications being refused in the event of objections being made on these grounds.

Consultation is also an inherent part of the EIA process. This approach ensures that the design project team is properly informed and that practicable alternatives are considered, and delay due to redesign requirements is avoided. The stages of consultation may conveniently be summarised as:

• Preliminary consultation: screening, scoping.
• EIA consultation: information, opinions, public consultation.
• Formal consultation: after ES submission.

Community Involvement and consultation should be:

• Appropriate to the level of planning, and built on a clear understanding of the needs of the community;
• ‘Front loaded’; i.e. as early as possible. ‘Community involvement should happen at a point at which people recognise that they have the potential to make a difference and, crucially, to experience a sense of ownership of local policy decisions.’
• Tailored to the nature of the community and its level of expertise.
• Feedback - communities should be able to see how their feedback has shaped the plans.

Good early consultation will avoid unnecessary objections being made, and help speed up the planning process.

Benefits of Consultation

For the community

For Organisations

If consultation is done well and at the right time then consultation can and will work. This is well summarised by the Government’s Statement of the Principles of Community Involvement notably:

‘Developers have a key role to play in engaging with the process, helping local communities understand what is proposed, listening to concerns and engaging in dialogue to seek to resolve these. Representative groups and community groups also need to engage constructively, to get the best out of the process. All sides need to work in ways which seek to achieve consensus and ‘win-win’ outcomes, listening to and respecting the views of others; and which, while making use of the opportunities available, recognises also that there are corresponding responsibilities to make the process work effectively for the benefit of the whole community, not just a favoured few.’

Consultation Services

Every development is unique. At Temple we are driven by results and objectives and not actions for their own sake; we use a proven methodology – communications is a science like most other disciplines – and we work on a project basis, agreeing the remit and costs in advance so there are no surprises.

Temple provides a wide range of consultation and communication services, including the following:

Temple’s Capability

We have worked on a large number of projects both large and small for a diverse range of public and private sector clients. We have worked in a number of guises at a strategic level, notably consultation manager, independent adviser, government representative and strategic adviser. We have implemented consultation strategies and have developed consultation action plans and provided Consultation Managers, professional facilitators and exhibitions/workshop support as necessary.

In achieving successful outcomes we have identified three key ingredients, notably; flexibility, buy in and a robust methodology. These are discussed briefly below.

• Flexibility – It is important to be clear about the levels and aims of the participation from the outset – everyone must be aware of each other’s roles, goals, agendas and pressures. In any situation there will be limits to how far decision-making can be delegated. Also, different levels of engagement will be appropriate at different times. However, the general rule is the more flexibility you have, the better the process.
• Buy-In – Key to any consultation process is buy-in from those who are affected. This will only be achieved through a fair and transparent process and where individuals are trusted.
• Methodology – With community participation it is important to ensure that the method of involvement and the choice of the procedures should be based upon sound criteria which address:
• The need for empowerment of a disenchanted public;
• transparency to create trust;
• access and ability to challenge information; and
• openness to enhance the legitimacy of the overall process.

Business Sectors

Our principal client sectors are:

Charging Structure

Costs vary depending on the nature and size of the commission and level of expertise required. Our daily rates vary from £300-£800 and we are happy to operate on a time and expenses basis. We have worked on a wide range of assignments from under £5000 to more than £0.5m.

Contacts

For further details please contact us on 0207 394 3700 or enquiries@templegroup.co.uk

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