Issue - meetings

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) explains how the Council will consult and interact with residents and stakeholders with regards the preparation of local plan documents and planning applications.  It requires updating every five years.

The current SCI expires in August 2019.  This report recommends that this revised SCI is recommended to Full Council for adoption.

Recommendation

That the Executive recommends to the Council that the Revised Statement of Community Involvement 2019 be adopted.

5.1      The Executive considered the revised Statement of Community Involvement, which explained how the Council would consult and interact with residents and stakeholders in relation to the preparation of local plan documents and planning applications.

5.2      The Executive noted that it was a requirement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 for the Council to adopt a Statement of Community Involvement, and to review and update it at least every five years. The latest review had been a ‘light touch’ review, reflecting the fact that there had been no changes in circumstances since 2014 in terms of legislation, policy or guidance that warranted a more significant change to the approach set out in the Statement.

5.3      The Executive noted that the Statement of Community Involvement deliberately was not prescriptive about the methods of consultation to be used in relation to planning policy, to enable these to be effective and proportionate to the circumstances and subject matter. The Executive acknowledged that there was a risk of raising expectations through consultations, and then not being able to respond accordingly. It was important to develop wider understanding about the planning processes, so that residents and councillors understood the purpose of community consultation, and the constraints on the council in how it was able to respond.

5.4       Having considered the report, the Executive

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to the Council that the Revised Statement of Community Involvement 2019 be adopted.

Reason: It is a legal requirement that the Council adopts a Statement of Community Involvement to explain to the public how they will be involved in the preparation of local development documents. The Statement must be updated every five years. The Council’s current Statement of Community Involvement expires in August 2019.