Issue - items at meetings - Statement of Community Involvement 2015

Report of the Executive Director, Environment, Development and Housing (copy attached)

RESOLVED – That the Committee adopted the Statement of Community Involvement 2015 subject to minor editorial or grammatical changes to be agreed with the Director of Environment, Development and Housing.

69.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Environment, Development and Housing seeking adoption of the new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) to replace the currently adopted version. The SCI set out the procedures and processes for consultation and engagement in the planning process. The draft SCI had been agreed for consultation at Committee meeting held on 13 November 2014. The draft SCI had been subject to a period of eight weeks public consultation which had run between 20 November 2014 to 16 January 2015.

69.2    Councillor Randall commended the report which in his view was timely because it provided an update on changes that had occurred in the legislation and the current position. In answer to questions it was explained that at the present time the focus would be on working pro-actively in the existing conservation areas.

69.3    Councillor Brown referred to Neighbourhood areas which had been established in the city to date and sought clarification regarding how conservation groups would feed into that process and which groups would be consulted as part of the preliminary consultation. Councillor Brown stated she was concerned to ensure that Neighbourhood Fora were consulted in relation to the SCI and on other matters germane to the areas they represented. It was agreed that the precise wording specification of bodies (as listed in the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 (as amended)) would be clarified and that Members would be advised of this information following the meeting. It was confirmed however that even if there was no specific reference to neighbourhood fora in the Regulations they would be regarded as key general consultees and would be approached as such. As a minimum bodies and individuals identified as Statutory and general consultee bodies on planning documents at the relevant statutory consultation stage and anyone else who had asked to be notified of consultation events would be consulted.

69.4    Councillor Hawtree noted the contents of the report which he considered to be a very useful document. He stressed that it was important for consultation documents to be written as far as was practicable in a clear and concise style which encouraged responses. It was also important to identify means of engaging more citizens in that process. It was confirmed that officers were aware of this issue and were actively seeking to address it.

69.5    RESOLVED – That the Committee adopted the Statement of Community Involvement 2015 subject to minor editorial or grammatical changes to be agreed with the Director of Environment, Development and Housing.