Everybody happy?

Developers tend to think of consultation as at best, a nuisance, and at worst an expensive nuisance. And as last year’s Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act has put a stronger focus on community engagement, there is a concern that more consultation will mean even more delay.

Need this be so? The delays in the planning system are huge – we presently have the lowest number of house starts since 1921. It is possible that properly, openly and fairly conducted consultation will speed things up.

We can all agree that local communities should be involved in the planning process. The questions are, how and to what degree?

The act, which became law last year, has ushered in an era of public involvement in planning. From regional planning structures to individual local applications, authorities have a duty to require consultation.

It is at the local level that the changes will be greatest. Each authority must set out a statement of community involvement (SCI). This details its policy for involving the public in the local development documents and in consultation on planning applications.

Good consultation sits neatly between informing the public and placating objectors. Informing is essential and pretty fixed; placation gives areas for dialogue and negotiation – “How do you see the design?”, “What about the additional community benefits?” This builds a feeling that change can bring both sides benefit, which is at the heart of effective consultation.

It is important at the outset to be clear about the aims of participation. Everyone must be aware of each other’s boundaries, agendas and pressures. In any situation there will be limits as to how far decision-making can be delegated.

An exhibition in a hotel suite will not work. If the consultation is not seen to be fair, it isn’t fair

The key to any consultation process is buy-in from those consulted. A prefabricated exhibition in a hotel suite outside the affected community will not work. If the consultation is not seen to be fair, it isn’t fair.

With community participation it is important to ensure that the method of involvement is suitable. The best way to ensure this is to ask the consultees how the process should be organised. Here are some of the options.

• Exhibitions. These are a valuable way of taking developed draft plans to the wider public and receiving detailed, considered responses. It can be used effectively in conjunction with other consultation methods to form a larger programme.

The format allows members of the public to view plans for a development in a controlled environment and put questions to the project team.

• Community forums. Within any community there will be a few key decision-makers. These are the people who can make or break a project. Often, they are shouted down by the protesters and the totally opposed. Forums are a way of bringing these people together so they can discuss the development, ask for changes and understand the constraints under which the developer may be working.
• Workshops. These work best earlier in the planning stage than exhibitions. They allow key representatives and interested locals a real opportunity to influence the progress of a project. They facilitate the in-depth discussion of issues based on plans and other visual materials, and can generate community-led, creative solutions.
• Opinion research. This is a more quantitative method of researching the views of the public. It is particularly useful in gauging the level of support within a community to a development, or if a large project requires a very wide consultation.

The polling programme can be conducted in person, either face-to-face or over the telephone. Polling staff use a prepared script and conduct interviews within a given area. It can also be carried out through the post.

• Roadshows. Another method of consulting widely, and one that has a proven success record, is the roadshow. This takes the format of a presentation on the project that can be taken to different venues. The aim is to discuss the main points of a development with a number of different stakeholder groups, for example parish, town or community councils, residents’ associations or sports clubs.

This option can be particularly successful for large strategic sites covering a number of communities that have a range of interested groups.

• The media. The media can often make or break a project, and can certainly have an impact on the way a scheme is perceived in a local area. It pays to establish a relationship with the local press in a development area, especially if the project is large, long or controversial.

Tom Curtin is managing director of communications consultancy, Green Issues Communications