Wigan Local Development Framework Core Strategy Consultation Report Preferred Options Interim draft Environmental Services Department January 2010 Contents Section Title Page 1 Introduction 3 2 Who we engaged with 4 • Equality Impact Assessment 4 • Diversity Monitoring 5 3 How engagement was carried out 7 4 Comment analysis 10 5 Future consultation 11 Appendix 1 List of key stakeholders 13 Appendix 2 Community and stakeholder engagement 16 index Appendix 3 Equality Impact Assessment 28 Appendix 4 Diversity monitoring survey and letter 42 Appendix 5 Schedule of comments made to Preferred 45 Options document Appendix 6 Schedule of comments made to Topic 134 Papers Appendix 7 Summary table of key issues raised at 138 community and stakeholder meetings 2 1. Introduction 1.1. The Core Strategy is the key strategic document in our Local Development Framework. It will set out our proposed spatial planning framework for the period 2010-2026 and replace the Wigan Replacement Unitary Development Plan (April 2006) that was prepared under the previous planning system. 1.2. We are committed to engaging with local communities and interested parties to help shape and develop the Core Strategy. This needs to be a continuous process throughout the preparation period, so that issues are considered and resolved as the preparation process progresses. Key engagement stages within this process can be identified as follows: 1. Pre-production - an informal gathering of initial ideas and commencement of call for sites, undertaken in Spring 2007; 2. Issues and Options – setting out of possible options that we considered, undertaken in Spring/Summer 2008; 3. Preferred Options – firming up of options having weighed up the alternatives, undertaken in Summer 2009; 4. Publication – preparing the Core Strategy that we want to adopt and the final chance to make representations on the Core Strategy, scheduled for autumn 2010 – the next stage; 5. Submission of the Core Strategy to the Secretary of State and subsequent consideration at ‘examination in public’ by an independent inspector; 6. Adoption – the Core Strategy that we adopt, scheduled for autumn 2011 1.3. The previous Consultation Report (June 2009) set out the consultation activities carried out up to and including the issues and options stage, the comments received and our response to those comments. This document reports consultation activities carried out during the preferred options stage. It explains who has been engaged and how and what their comments were. Our response to these comments will appear in the next version of this report at the publication stage. 1.4. Seven Appendices support this report: 1. List of key stakeholders - including those for each topic area 2. Engagement Index - diary of all consultation events undertaken throughout the preferred options 3. Equality Impact Assessment – procedures and policies 4. Diversity monitoring - survey and letter 5. Schedule of Comments - summaries of all the individual comments made to the Preferred Options document 6. Topic Papers Schedule of Comments - summaries of individual comments made to topic papers 7. Meetings Schedule of Comments - summary of the main issues raised at key stakeholder and community meetings. 3 2. Who we engaged with 2.1. Engagement is carried out in accordance with our Statement of Community Involvement, adopted in July 2006. It sets out our proposals for public participation in the plan making process including who we will involve, the techniques and methods to be used, when people can expect to be invited to be involved and how we will deal with the comments made. 2.2. Our Statement of Community Involvement recognises that different sectors of our community have different values and needs and this influences the way in which we involve different groups and individuals. In broad terms seven groups are identified, including: • Statutory consultees – bodies we are legally required to consult including Parish Councils in and adjacent to the borough, Government Office for the North West, other appropriate Government Departments. • Elected representatives – MPs, MEPs and local councillors. • The general public – including people living in, working and visiting the borough. • Businesses – located or with interests in the borough. • Landowners, developers and agents – who have a direct interest in the future development of the borough. • Wigan Borough Partnership – our Local Strategic Partnership that comprises representatives of the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. • Other interest groups and organisations – not covered under the other headings, including officers and stakeholders. 2.3. A list of our key stakeholders may be found in Appendix 1. At 1 December 2009 our online, interactive consultation database contained over 2200 individual consultees. 2.4. Our Statement of Community Involvement also recognises that some sectors of the community sometimes find it hard to be included in the planning process and particular efforts were made at the issues and options stage to involve groups such as disabled people, black and minority ethnic groups and young people. However since the Statement of Community Involvement was produced before the 2007 Equality Standard for Local Government it has been supplemented by an Equality Impact Assessment undertaken on 17 September 2008 to reaffirm and refresh the relevance and suitability of the process behind the document in terms of the more recent changes. Equality Impact Assessment - process 2.5. This Equality Impact Assessment at the issues and options stage identified a number of points for action, most notably to continue to research the best methods of consulting with hard to reach groups, monitoring feedback to identify any trends, based either on geography or the social identity model and use this to influence our decision making. 2.6. These action points were brought forward to the preferred options consultation and resulted in improved consultation with young people, continued efforts to contact black minority and ethnic groups and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups at the preferred options stage. Details of the activities undertaken appear in the Engagement Index in Appendix 2. Diversity monitoring was also introduced and this is discussed below. 4 2.7. There were also a number of references to the quality of the summary leaflet produced at the issues and options stage, including the lack of visual material and plain English and problems with distribution. These factors were addressed in the Borough Life supplement that was delivered to every household as well as being available in libraries, at meetings and online. Very few comments were received at the preferred options stage regarding the suitability of this leaflet in terms of the language used, its appearance or distribution although there was debate at some of the meetings. The result of the diversity monitoring is discussed below and provides evidence of the consultation groups we are succeeding in reaching and where further work may be necessary. Equality Impact Assessment - policies 2.8. The Equality Impact Assessment work was also taken forward as part of the wider Sustainability Appraisal process to include assessments of the policies and key strategic sites within the Core Strategy preferred options document itself on each of the social identity groups. A copy of this assessment is attached as Appendix 3, including a list of the people who were involved. 2.9. It concluded that the Core Strategy policies have mainly positive or neutral impacts across the full range of social identity groups. In particular those living in deprived areas, those with a low income, ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities would benefit from enhanced access to jobs, leisure, education and health facilities. It also confirms that the planning impacts on certain social identity groups, especially sexuality, are minimal. 2.10. The Core Strategy does contain specific policies that promote equality for certain social groups, such as improved facilities for youths, design measures to take account of disability and community facilities that embrace the diversity of our communities. 2.11. Despite the broadly positive impacts, there are some potential issues that may need to be explored further or monitored to ensure that certain social groups are not affected adversely. For example, there may be safety concerns associated with new open space that affect women and other social groups more acutely. Another general concern is that development could exacerbate existing inequalities if it is not implemented in an inclusive way. These factors will be monitored as the Core Strategy and Sustainability Appraisal preparation processes progress. Diversity monitoring 2.12. A diversity monitoring procedure has been established to check who was actually responding to consultation exercises and whether they represented a typical cross section of the borough’s population. An email giving a link to an electronic survey http://wigan-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/pp/sandq/divmon or letter including a form to complete and return in a FREEPOST envelope were sent to all private individuals who submitted comments to the preferred options consultation. A copy of the form and letter is attached at Appendix 4. 2.13. It was stressed that the information gathered was for statistical analysis only and all forms were returned anonymously. It was not obligatory to provide answers to all the questions answered. The results therefore provide