GLADMAN DEVELOPMENTS LTD LOPHAM ROAD, EAST HARLING STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Please note that this Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) contains complete copies of all correspondence received during pre-application consultation. Some of the correspondence includes personal details such as names, addresses and email addresses and have been provided in an unaltered form to ensure full transparency. A fair Processing Notice was included on the consultation leaflets and website, which made clear to members of public providing this data that it would be forwarded to the LPA as part of an application. The Council will of course need to handle this information in line with its own data protection policies. DECEMBER 2018 Land off Lopham Road, East Harling Statement of Community Involvement Page left intentionally blank 2 Land off Lopham Road, East Harling Statement of Community Involvement CONTENTS 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Policy Background ........................................................................................................................................ 5 The Localism Act (November 2011) ....................................................................................................... 5 National Planning Policy Framework ..................................................................................................... 6 Breckland District Council Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) ............................................... 7 2 Engagement with Key Stakeholders .................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 8 2.2 Engagement with Harling Parish Council ...................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Engagement with Ward Councillors ............................................................................................................. 9 2.4 Engagement with MP for South West Norfolk ............................................................................................. 9 3 Engagement with Local Community .................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 10 3.2 Initial Consultation Leaflet.......................................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Press Release and Press Advert .................................................................................................................. 10 3.4 Your‐views Website .................................................................................................................................... 10 4 CONSULTATION REVIEW ................................................................................................................... 11 4.1 Consultation Outcomes .............................................................................................................................. 11 4.2 Summary of Comments and Responses ..................................................................................................... 11 5 Potential for Community Benefits ..................................................................................................... 15 6 Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 16 APPENDICES Appendix A Letters to parish council Appendix B Letter to ward councillors Appendix C Letter to MP Appendix D Consultation leaflet Appendix E Press adverts Appendix F Consultation boards Appendix G Consultation responses 3 Land off Lopham Road, East Harling Statement of Community Involvement Page left intentionally blank 4 Land off Lopham Road, East Harling Statement of Community Involvement 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.1.1 This Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) supports an outline planning application made by Gladman Developments Limited (‘Gladman’) for a site at land off Lopham Road, East Harling. The development would comprise the erection of up to 198 dwellings with public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage systems, land for an extension to East Harling Cemetery, and vehicular site access points from Lopham Road and Garboldisham Road. 1.1.2 This SCI sets out the process of community, and stakeholder, engagement undertaken by Gladman to inform the preparation of the outline planning application. Responses to the matters which emerged from the community engagement conducted during the pre‐application stage are also included in this statement. 1.2 Policy Background 1.2.1 This section will consider relevant national and local guidance regarding community and stakeholder consultation. 1.2.2 The Breckland District Council (‘BDC’ or ‘the Council’) Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), adopted in July 2013, is a statutory document which details how and when the Council will involve the community in the preparation of the planning policy documents that make up its Local Plan. It also provides information on the Council’s approach to engaging the wider community, and other stakeholders, in the process of determining planning applications, particularly those involving major development proposals. The aim is to strengthen community involvement in planning over time and to achieve a widespread level of support for the policies that will shape development and the future use of land in Breckland District. The consultation undertaken for this application has had regard to the guidance contained within this document. The Localism Act (November 2011) 1.2.3 In November 2011, the Localism Act received Royal Assent. This is the Government’s method of devolving greater powers to Councils and neighbourhoods in order to give local communities more control over planning decisions. 1.2.4 Of particular relevance is paragraph 122 of the Localism Act which introduced a new requirement for developers to bring the proposal to the attention of majority stakeholders and people living within the vicinity of the development. The Act further states that developers should “have regard to any responses to the consultation” received. 5 Land off Lopham Road, East Harling Statement of Community Involvement 1.2.5 Specifically, section 61W dictates the requirement to carry out pre‐application consultation where a person proposes to make an application for planning permission for the development of any land in England, and the proposed development is of a description specified in a Development Order. 1.2.6 Where section 61W applies, section 61X sets out there is a duty to take account of responses to consultation. Applicants should consider responses received before proposals are finalised and show how they have been taken into account when submitting the application. 1.2.7 Notwithstanding the absence of a legislative requirement to do so, Gladman maintains it is good practice to seek the views of the local community prior to the formal submission of the application. National Planning Policy Framework 1.2.8 In July 2018, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the revised National Planning Policy Framework (‘the Framework’). This is the first revision of the Framework since 2012. The revised Framework implements around 85 reforms announced previously through the Housing White Paper (2017)1, the ‘Planning for right homes in the right places’2 consultation and the draft revised Framework consultation. 1.2.9 The Framework sets out the Government’s intentions for pre‐application engagement and “front‐ loading” in the planning system3, and encourages community and wider stakeholder engagement at the pre‐application stage. At paragraph 39 it states: “Early engagement has significant potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning application system for all parties. Good quality pre‐ application discussion enables better coordination between public and private resources and improved outcomes for the community.” 1.2.10 While local planning authorities (LPAs) cannot require applicants to engage with them before submitting a planning application, paragraph 40 of the Framework expresses that they should “encourage take‐up of any pre‐application services they offer”. The Framework also directs LPAs, where they think this would be beneficial, to encourage any applicants who are not already required to do so by law to engage with the local community before submitting their applications. This can help ensure that any potential issues can be resolved as early in the planning process as possible. 1 Department for Communities and Local Government. (2017). Fixing our broken housing market. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fixing‐our‐broken‐housing‐market. [Accessed 11/12/18]. 2 Department for Communities and Local Government. (2017). Planning for the right homes in the right places: consultation proposals.