WELWYWN HATFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL “HOW MANY NEW HOMES” HOUSING TARGETS STATEMENT OF CONSULTATION 2012 Page | 1 Contact Details Planning Policy Team Welwyn Hatfield Council Council Offices The Campus Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6AE Tel: 01707 357532 Fax: 01707 357255 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.welhat.gov.uk Page | 2 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. THE STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (SCI) 5 3. WHO WE CONSULTED 5 4. HOW WE CONSULTED 5 5. RAISING AWARENESS OF THE CONSULTATION 6 6. EVENTS, MEETINGS AND NOTIFICATIONS 8 7. SUMMARY OF RESPONSES 9 List of Appendices Appendix A: Specific Consultation Bodies 17 Appendix B: List of Key Stakeholders including General Consultation Bodies 20 Appendix C: The Wider Community 32 Appendix D: List of other consultees 34 Appendix E: Articles in the Welwyn Hatfield Times 36 Appendix F: Life Magazine summer 2011 40 Appendix G: Notice in Community News, Hatfield Town Council 41 Appendix H: Flyer 42 Appendix I: “How Many New Homes” housing targets leaflet 44 Appendix J: “How Many New Homes” housing targets poster 56 Appendix K: “How Many New Homes” housing targets questionnaire 57 Appendix L: Borough Panel newsletter 2 65 Appendix M: Notification letter 66 Appendix N: List of inspection points 68 Page | 3 WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL “HOW MANY NEW HOMES” HOUSING TARGETS STATEMENT OF CONSULTATION 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council carried out a consultation on potential housing targets for the borough from 6 June to 18 July 2011. A variety of consultation methods were used to engage with key stakeholders, interest groups and the wider community. Notices were placed in the Welwyn Hatfield Times and the council’s Life Magazine, which is sent to all households in the borough, contained an article promoting the consultation. Two briefing sessions were held for interested parties representing their local communities and for those who had attended Neighbourhood workshops which were held in November 2010. There was a strong emphasis on the dissemination of information about the consultation to the wider community, by the attendees of the briefing sessions. 1.2 All members of the Borough Panel were contacted either by email or letter and invited to comment. The consultation was also advertised in the Borough Panel Newsletter No.2. 1.3 Posters were displayed at libraries in the borough, council offices and town and parish council offices, where leaflets and questionnaires were available. A leaflet was produced together with flyers, which were handed out at all the borough’s train stations at peak-times and distributed to consultees. Members of staff from Planning Policy attended the Hatfield Fun Day on 11th June 2011 and distributed flyers throughout Hatfield Town Centre. The flyer and the leaflets explained how comments could be submitted. 1.4 The “How Many New Homes” housing targets consultation was publicised using social media by putting it on the council’s Twitter and Facebook pages. We also ran an advert on Facebook targeted towards people that live in the borough. 1.5 The consultation was featured on the front page of the council’s website. Letters (or emails) were sent to all those on the Planning consultation database. The consultation was publicised by contacting large local businesses and sending them leaflets, flyers and posters to publicise the consultation to their workforce. The Local Strategic Housing Forum, Parish and Town councillors, and service and infrastructure providers were all contacted and invited to comment on the consultation. 1.6 Responses could be submitted via the council’s website, by completing an interactive form and submitting it by email, or in writing. Page | 4 1.7 There were a total of 941 responses received, including 326 individual comments and a petition completed by 615 people. These are all available to view on the public consultation Portal, hosted and viewable on the council’s website: http://mylimehouse.welhat.gov.uk/portal/planning_policy/core_strat/csht 1.8 34 people attended the Strategic Housing Forum and 70 people attended the two briefing sessions held in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. 1.9 A summary of the responses received are set out in a separate report. 2.0 THE STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (SCI) 2.1 The council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) 2007, sets out the statutory stakeholders, which the authority will consult where it considers that the subject matter affects such a body. The SCI also sets out a list of other key stakeholders that the authority may consult, depending on the nature and scope of the document being produced. This list includes, and also goes beyond, the range of general consultation bodies set out in the regulations. The “How Many New Homes” housing targets consultation was carried out in accordance with the SCI. 2.2 The Statement of Community Involvement outlines that specific efforts will be made to include any identified underrepresented or hard to reach groups. These are young people, ethnic minority groups, people in more deprived areas and rural areas. The council will explore opportunities to work in partnership with other organisations. 3.0 WHO WE CONSULTED 3.1 The council notified each of the Specific consultation bodies. They were sent a letter inviting them to comment together with a leaflet. A list of the Specific consultation bodies sent this information is included at Appendix A. 3.2 Other Key Stakeholders as identified in the Statement of Community Involvement, including the General consultation bodies as set out the relevant regulations, were also sent a letter inviting them to comment together with a copy of the document, a leaflet, a summary and guide and an inspection places sheet. Other Key Stakeholders as identified in the Statement of Community Involvement, where also consulted. 3.3 A list of these Key Stakeholders is included at Appendix B. 3.4 Other consultees, who had expressed an interest in the local development framework, were also sent or e-mailed a letter inviting them to comment together with a leaflet and an inspection places sheet. A list of those consulted is set out at Appendix C. 4.0 HOW WE CONSULTED 4.1 The council carried out consultation on potential housing targets for the borough from 6 June to 18 July 2011. A variety of consultation methods were used to engage with key stakeholders, interest groups and the wider community. A few responses were Page | 5 submitted after this date and as part of the on-going process of engagement, these comments have also been taken into account in setting the housing target for the Emerging Core Strategy. 4.2 A range of consultation methods were used to help reach under-represented and hard to reach groups and meet the requirements of the Statement of Community Involvement and the relevant regulations. The approach recognised that different individuals and organisations may want to be involved in different ways. Flexibility was used where possible to involve people in ways which met their needs. 4.3 On 5th July a meeting was held with the GP Locality Board, including representatives of the Primary Care Trust. The Council contacted large local employers directly and sent them posters, flyers and questionnaires for distribution to their workforce. The consultation was also publicised to local business through the Welwyn Hatfield Chamber of Commerce. 4.4 The Statement of Community Involvement identifies specific groups that are difficult to reach. These are; young people, ethnic minority groups, people in more deprived areas and rural areas. Young people 4.5 Leaflets and posters were sent to each youth organisation/club in the borough. The housing targets consultation was publicised on the council’s Facebook and Twitter pages to encourage responses from younger people. It was also publicised on the “Wuzzup” website, which is a website for teenagers and young people in the Welwyn Hatfield area. Ethnic minority groups 4.6 We consulted all of the bodies registered on the councils LDF database who represent the interests of ethnic minority groups. People in more deprived areas 4.7 The indices of multiple deprivation 2007 identified the most deprived areas of the borough as part of Hatfield Central ward (pre 2008 ward boundaries) and Peartree ward in Welwyn Garden City. Consultation materials were made available at the Woodhall Community Centre in Welwyn Garden City and the Breaks Manor Youth Centre in Hatfield. Members of staff from the planning policy team attended a Fun Day event held in Hatfield town centre on a Saturday and distributed leaflets, questionnaires and flyers widely throughout the town centre. Rural areas 4.8 Flyers were handed out at the borough’s railway stations, including those serving commuters from rural catchment areas such as Welwyn North, Brookmans Park, Welham Green and Cuffley. All the mobile libraries that cover the borough had leaflets available. Page | 6 5.0 RAISING AWARENESS OF THE CONSULTATION AND CONSULTATION EVENTS 5.1 The council raised awareness of the consultation by way of a number of methods as follows: Briefing the press 5.2 The Press were briefed on the housing targets consultation, resulting in the Welwyn Hatfield Times running an article on pages 2 and 3 of the paper on 8 June 2011 and running a column reminding readers that the consultation was ending on 13 July 2011. See Appendix E Council Magazine 5.3 Life Magazine, the council’s magazine, which is distributed to all households in the borough, was used to promote the consultation. See Appendix F. Posters 5.4 Posters were displayed at locations throughout the borough including libraries, council and town and parish council offices, and at large employers. Posters were put up in council car parks (Campus West and East, the Howard Centre car park and Osborne Way.