Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Community Involvement
in Planning
‘Perhaps the most remarkable change in planning since the 1960s has been
the growing appetite for ordinary people to want to get involved in the plan-
ning process. Yet for too long developers have just played lip service to this
valid interest. Having worked with Penny over the years I have greatly admired
her approach and here it is described both theoretically and through wide-
ranging examples. It is the antithesis of the “dark art” of spin so often asso-
ciated with communication in planning. Penny shows how a considered
approach can keep dialogue focused and constructive while both capitalis-
ing on modern technology and managing expectations. What comes across
is a respect and empathy for consultees that makes her approach so effective
in bridging the divide between developer and community.’
—Stuart Robinson, Freelance Planning, Placemaking
and Development Consultant and previously
Executive Director and Chairman of Planning at CBRE
‘With the increasing demands being placed upon the planning system for
local accountability to be at the forefront of planning practice and decision-
making, the process of involving the community in planning can frequently
be treated as a science. Penny and Martin’s book reminds us that engag-
ing with individuals and communities is still very much an art and requires
imagination and creativity to both inform and engage effectively. There is
a wealth of experience and best practice contained within this book that
shows us what has worked and importantly to inspire and encourage us to
continue to search for new and innovative ways to engage individuals in the
planning and building of our future communities.’
—Will Cousins, Partner, David Lock Associates
Penny Norton
and
Martin Hughes
with a foreword by Louise Brooke-Smith
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Penny Norton and Martin Hughes
The right of Penny Norton and Martin Hughes to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-68014-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-68015-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-56366-4 (ebk)
Typeset in NewBaskerville
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
1 Introduction 1
PART I
The context of consultation today7
PART II
The planning process67
PART III
Communications strategy and tactics191
PART IV
Post planning311
Figures
1.1 Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation 3
5.1 Percentage of daily internet usage by adults 47
5.2 Percentage of internet activities by age group 47
5.3 Percentage of internet activities carried out by
UK adults 48
5.4 Percentage of adults aged 16+ in Great Britain
accessing the internet away from home or work 49
7.1 Local plan development 86
7.2 Local plan time periods 2009–2015 87
7.3 The sustainability appraisal process 89
14.1 Stages of the strategic process 197
15.1 One- and two-way communication 225
15.2 The nature of consultation tactics 232
Images
15.1 Word cloud showing relative popularity of
consultation tactics 224
16.1 Scotch Corner Designer Village consultation
website: home page 245
16.2 Scotch Corner Designer Village: registration page 248
16.3 Scotch Corner Designer Village: project video 250
16.4 Scotch Corner Designer Village: document library 251
16.5 Scotch Corner Designer Village: forums landing page 252
16.6 Scotch Corner Designer Village: online forum 252
16.7 Scotch Corner Designer Village Facebook page 253
16.8 Scotch Corner Designer Village Twitter page 254
16.9 VUCITY: an interactive 3D digital model of London 256
viii Figures, images and tables
17.1 Extract from the Statement of Community Involvement
for Chelsea Barracks 260
17.2 Visualisation of qualitative research carried out by Fluid
Design on behalf of Argent (King’s Cross) Ltd 262
17.3 The Goodsyard: map showing the geographical location
of those taking part in the consultation 267
17.4 Crossrail 2: map showing support 268
17.5 Crossrail 2: map showing opposition 269
17.6 Crossrail 2: bar charts showing support/opposition by area 270
19.1 Berkshire House community relations website: home page 330
19.2 Berkshire House: frequently asked questions 331
19.3 Berkshire House: construction updates 331
19.4 Berkshire House: timetable 332
Tables
1.1 Stages of consultation 4
5.1 The focus of campaigns initiated and supported by
UK community news producers 60
5.2 The focus of investigations carried out by UK community
news producers 60
5.3 Facebook and Twitter: a comparison 63
8.1 Stages in neighbourhood planning 113
9.1 The Community Right to Build 122
9.2 The Community Right to Challenge 126
9.3 The Community Right to Bid 126
12.1 Comparative success rates in defending planning
decisions at appeal 172
13.1 The NSIP process 178
14.1 Planning requirements and strategy development 196
14.2 Examples from a typical PEST analysis 198
14.3 Examples from a typical SWOT analysis 198
14.4 Case study: using information to generate messages 208
14.5 Considering anonymity in consultation 211
14.6 NSIPs and the strategic process 216
17.1 Qualitative and quantitative tactics 263
Foreword
Note
1 The Guardian, 8 July 2009. Available www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/
jul/08/government-electoral-process-voters
Preface
The authors would like to thank the following for sharing their knowledge
and insight: David Alcock (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP), James Ander-
son (Turley), Shabana Anwar (Bircham Dyson Bell LLP), Nick Bailey (Uni-
versity of Westminster), Nick Belsten (Indigo Planning), Jonathan Bradley
(Participate), Peter Bradley (Transport for London), Louise Brooke-Smith
(Brooke Smith Planning Consultants Ltd), Mark Brookes (Dacorum Bor-
ough Council), Keith Butterick (University of Huddersfield), Will Cousins
(David Lock Associates), Hilary Cox (community artist), Gary Day (McCa-
rthy & Stone), Emma Fletcher (SmithsonHill Estates Limited), Simon Ford
(Amec Environment and Infrastructure UK), Jon Grantham (Land Use
Consultants Limited), Ron Henry (Peter Brett Associates), Nick Keable
(Development Intelligence), Lyn Kesterton (Locality), Andy Lawson (Gal-
lagher Estates), Rachel Lopata (Community Research), Roger Madelin CBE
(Argent LLP), Tracy Mann (freelance facilitator), Steve McAdam (Sound-
ings), Jacqueline Mulliner (Terence O’Rourke), Adrian Penfold (British
Land plc), Pauline Roberts (Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners), Carole Rob-
ertson (Ferring District Council), Rebecca Saunt (East Cambridgeshire Dis-
trict Council), Alan Smith (Kier Group plc), Malcolm Smith (Arup), Carl
Taylor (Redditch Co-operative Homes and Ashram Moseley Housing Asso-
ciation), Andy Thompson (Beacon Planning), Stuart Thomson (Bircham
Dyson Bell LLP), Heather Topel (North West Cambridge), Alison Turnbull
(Alison Turnbull Associates), Malcolm Wagstaff (Cringleford Parish Coun-
cil), Biky Wan (North West Cambridge), Ben White (Crossrail), Nicola
White (Arup), Paul White (Atkins Global), Debbie Wildridge (Foundation
East Limited) and Nick Woolley (Woolley).
Special thanks to Chris Quinsee and Ruth Child of Q+A Planning, and
Judith Mack and Phil Kennedy for their technical and editorial expertise.
1 Introduction
Localism was largely driven by the need to substantially increase the UK’s
housing stock by expediting the rate at which planning permission is
granted, and it was based on the belief that local involvement would deliver
greater consensus. Whether Localism has ultimately achieved its aims is a
subject of much debate, but the notion that community involvement can
benefit planning decisions is unequivocal.
Planning is ultimately about people: whether a local authority-run strate-
gic plan or a private sector-led development proposal, change to the built
environment impacts on communities. It is generally believed that those
2 Introduction
proposing changes should involve local residents as a courtesy, but planners
and developers also have much to benefit from involving local people.
Consultation provides the opportunity for the development team to
glean information and ideas from the local community. This might include
knowledge of local history and which has the potential to enrich a scheme,
otherwise unknown social issues which might have delayed the process, and
the needs and aspirations of the community which may be met through the
new development. With local input, proposals can be enriched and finely
tuned to a specific neighbourhood, creating a unique scheme well suited
to its location.
The local community, too, can benefit: community involvement can pro-
mote social cohesion, strengthen individual groups within it and create a
shared legacy.
Having consulted thoroughly at an early stage and having had proposals
either validated or challenged, a developer has a greater chance of building
localised consensus and support for a proposed scheme.
A well-run consultation can build a trusting and mutually cooperative
relationship between the consulting body and the community, which can
minimise the potential for conflict and thereby remove the risk in the pro-
cess. A widely targeted consultation can also increase the likelihood of sup-
port: those living closest to any proposed development are traditionally the
most likely to object, but those further afield may welcome the additional
facilities without concern about the construction process.
The proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport has attracted significant
community opposition over many years. The Royal Town Planning Institute
(RTPI) drew attention to this in 2008, highlighting that a ‘growing mili-
tancy of protests’ was emerging as a direct result of ‘consultation processes
which undervalue community input’, and that ‘failure to reform the system
could create a new generation of Swampy-style protestors’.3
It said,
This example shows how the consultation process, if run badly or half-
heartedly, can have a negative impact. But the reverse is true: a good
consultation can both strengthen communities and benefit development
proposals. In addition, it has the potential to enhance the reputation of the
consulting body and in doing so can also benefit community relations dur-
ing construction and beyond.
Introduction 3
Defining community involvement
The terms consultation, community engagement and community involvement are
regularly and interchangeably used.
Throughout this book, we use the terms community engagement and commu-
nity involvement in relation to the wide-ranging communication which may
take place between either a local authority and its residents, or a developer
and the neighbours or future users of a potential development.
More specifically, the term consultation is used to describe the process
whereby an organisation communicates with the public for the purpose of
shaping a development plan or planning application.
Communications theory
In 1969, the US communications academic Sherry Arnstein identified the ter-
minology of consultation in her Ladder of Citizen Participation.4 Although
our usage of the terms differs, Arnstein’s theory is a useful resource by which
community involvement can be considered today.
Arnstein’s ladder (Figure 1.1) was intended to reflect the relationship
between community and government, identifying poorly led participation as
‘manipulation’ on the bottom rung of the ladder and rising to ‘citizen con-
trol’ at the very top. Although communications professionals today take issue
8 Citizen control
6 Partnership
5 Placation
4 Consultation Tokenism
3 Informing
2 Therapy
Nonparticipation
1 Manipulation
8 Citizen control
Citizen power
Communities develop land without planning consent
7 Delegated power
Community self-build
6 Partnership
Involvement
Developer instigates a Planning for Real® exercise to involve
residents in the early development of proposals
5 Involvement
Developer encourages comments on proposals in focus
groups, meetings and online forums
4 Information
Developer communicates information about a proposed Tokenism
scheme without a means of feedback
3 Placation
Developer communicates only positive information about a
proposed scheme without a means of feedback
2 Therapy
Non-participation
Conclusion
This book provides a companion to each stage of community involvement,
from the formulation of a local plan or neighbourhood plan through to
community-building post-construction. It is intended to be read by local
authority planners, planning consultants, developers, communications
professionals – indeed all those involved in the community involvement
process. Providing an overview of the recent changes affecting community
involvement (Chapters 2–5), a discursive look at the process of planning
(Chapters 6–13), and practical advice and best practice (Chapters 14–20),
it aims to inform, provoke and advise, and in doing so, fully prepare its
readers to oversee community interaction effectively.
Notes
1 Department for Communities and Local Government (2011) Localism Bill: Com-
pulsory Pre-Application Consultations Between Prospective Developers and Local
Communities Impact Assessment. London: DCLG.
2 Ibid.
3 RTPI (2008) PR 11 – Heathrow Protests May Be Just the Beginning [Online]. Available
www.rtpi.org.uk/briefing-room/news-releases/2008/february/pr-11-heathrow-
protests-may-be-just-the-beginning-rtpi [Accessed 12 October 2016]
4 Participatory Methods (2014) The Ladder of Citizen Participation [Online]. Available
www.participatorymethods.org/method/levels-participation [Accessed 12 Octo-
ber 2016]
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