STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT APPLICATION BY AITCHISON RAFFETY PROPOSED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER KINGSPAN WORKS CHARLESTOWN ROAD GLOSSOP By Philip Smith BA (Hons) Dip TRP MRTPI Brian Barber Associates The Granary Spring Hill Office Park Harborough Road Pitsford June 2012 Northampton NN6 9AA Telephone: 01604 880163 Fax: 01604 882738 May 2011 Statement of Community Involvement on behalf of Aitchison Raffety Former Kingspan Works, Charlestown Road, Glossop CONTENTS Page No 1. Introduction 2 2. Guidance for the Consultation Process 2 3. Public Exhibition Consultation 3 4. Public Exhibition Feedback and Analysis 5 5. Summary 9 Appendices 1. Consultation Leaflet 11 2. List of Consultees 13 3. Public Exhibition Newspaper Advertisement 15 4. Public Exhibition Boards 17 5. Public Exhibition Feedback Form 23 6. Completed Comments Forms as of 31 May 2011 (submission date) 24 1 Statement of Community Involvement on behalf of Aitchison Raffety Former Kingspan Works, Charlestown Road, Glossop 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Statement of Community Involvement has been prepared on behalf of Aitchison Raffety (the applicant), to set out the consultation process undertaken for the proposed mixed use development at the former Kingspan Works on Charlestown Road, Glossop. 1.2 This application seeks planning permission for a mixed use development comprising a total of 105 residential units and 1660m² of commercial floor space. The application is in outline with all matters reserved, however, significant details are provided in terms of the form, scale and nature of the development which has been carefully developed through discussions with the Council in order to create a high quality scheme which will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits to the area. The mix of uses including residential has been developed in response to identified issues relating to industrial sites and the need to find viable uses for them for the benefit of the local area. 1.3 This Statement addresses the pre-application consultation which has taken place on the development proposals for the site. 2. GUIDANCE FOR THE CONSULTATION PROCESS 2.1 The National Planning policy framework (NPPF) sets out the Government’s overarching national planning policies and includes principles for community involvement in planning. One of the core planning principles as described in the NPPF, is the involvement of the community in planning. Community involvement is seen as vitally important to planning and the achievement of sustainable development. Consultation should not be a reactive process but rather it should enable the local community to say what sort of place they want to live in at a stage when this can make a difference. 2.2 The Localism Act sets out the Government’s means of shifting more power into the hands of individuals, communities and local Councils. 2.3 The Act introduces a new requirement for developers to consult local communities before submitting planning applications for very large developments and a new right for communities to draw up a “neighbourhood development plan" amongst numerous other intended changes. 2.4 The High Peak Borough Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) was adopted in May 2006. The Council state that the benefits of involving a wider range of people and organisations in decision making can include outcomes that better reflect the views and aspirations of the local community. 2 Statement of Community Involvement on behalf of Aitchison Raffety Former Kingspan Works, Charlestown Road, Glossop 2.5 This Statement sets out how the project team (including the applicant) undertook public consultation on the proposed mixed use development at a pre-application stage and how the comments raised have been addressed within the planning application submission. 3. PUBLIC EXHIBITION CONSULTATION INTRODUCTION 3.1 The pre-application public consultation in respect of the outline planning proposals was launched by a public exhibition held on Wednesday, 11 May 2011. 3.2 Prior to the public exhibition, the project team (including the applicant) aimed to reach out to as many interested parties as possible. Residents and commercial occupiers (see Appendix 2) based within the vicinity of the site were chosen to receive a hand-delivered leaflet (see Appendix 1) to advise them of the forthcoming consultation event. The location of these residents and commercial occupiers was considered suitable for consultation purposes and included areas on, and just off, Charlestown Road and Turnlee Road. Approximately 600 of these leaflets were delivered in total. 3.3 A leaflet was posted to Anne Jordan (Principal Planning Officer) at High Peak Borough Council who has met with the project team at the pre-application discussion stage. All local Councillors were also notified of the exhibition. 3.4 In total, approximately 600 leaflets were distributed on 6 May 2011, close to a week before the exhibition. Appendix 2 contains a full list of addresses and businesses informed of the event and Appendix 6 lists all of the comments received from attendees. 3.5 Readers of local newspapers (Glossop Chronicle and Glossop Advertiser) were notified of the exhibition by a public notice advertisement, commissioned by the applicant. These were placed in the Glossop Chronicle on 5 May 2011 and in the Glossop Advertiser on 5 May 2011(see newspaper advertisements in Appendix 3). CONSULTATION PROCESS 3.6 It had originally been hoped to hold the exhibition at the site. However, due to the disrepair of the buildings on the site, the George Hotel in Glossop town centre was chosen to host the exhibition event. The exhibition was held over one day between 2pm and 8pm on Wednesday, 11 May 2011. The exhibition 3 Statement of Community Involvement on behalf of Aitchison Raffety Former Kingspan Works, Charlestown Road, Glossop was held in order to give local people and businesses the opportunity to understand the site and proposals and to ask questions of the project team. 3.7 Eleven exhibition boards were on display, each explaining different aspects of the mixed use scheme. Copies of the boards can be found in Appendix 4. A total of 108 local residents and representatives from local businesses attended the exhibition. This was a high turnout and the main issues raised during the exhibition process are outlined in Section 4. CONSULTATION METHODS 3.8 The leaflet informing residents and businesses of the public exhibition was produced on an A4 sheet of paper, double sided. The leaflet was distributed to over 600 addresses within the vicinity of the site. Details provided on the leaflet include site location and exhibition venue map, contact information of one member of the project team, site information, purpose of the consultation and scheme proposals, ‘what happens next’ information and street level views of the proposals. 3.9 Advertisements placed in the Glossop Chronicle and Glossop Advertiser occupied a column of 6cm x 8.5cm and contained information about the consultation event as well as contact details. 3.10 The exhibition itself was manned by professionals at all times, including the applicant and members of the project team to ensure that all detailed questions raised could be answered. The following team members, including the applicant, attended:- Town Planners Architect Flood Risk, Contamination and Highways Engineer Project Manager 3.11 The exhibition was made up of 11 illustrative boards, engineering drawings and draft application documentation. Visitors to the exhibition were encouraged to complete feedback forms in order to provide their written responses to the emerging proposals as soon as possible over the next few weeks. 4. PUBLIC EXHIBITION FEEDBACK AND ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION 4 Statement of Community Involvement on behalf of Aitchison Raffety Former Kingspan Works, Charlestown Road, Glossop 4.1 Over 600 people and groups were notified of the public exhibition. Furthermore, the event was widely publicised in line with national and local guidance. The exhibition was attended by 108 people. 4.2 Interested parties were also given the opportunity to provide written feedback either during the exhibition or by writing directly to a member of the project team without needing to attend the exhibition. Fifteen completed feedback forms were received prior to submission of the outline planning application. 4.3 The majority of attendees who provided comments were residents. The following section provides a summary of the written comments forms returned as part of the exhibition process, together with verbal comments received during the process. EXHIBITION FEEDBACK AND ANALYSIS 4.4 The high attendance figures at the event highlight the interest in the scheme and the successful use of the consultation methods (leaflets and newspaper advertisements). 4.5 The overall feedback from those that did attend the exhibition or provided written feedback was very supportive of the overall principles, proposed mix of uses, creation of landmark developments, open space improvements and redevelopment of a run-down site. General comments included:- - provide additional employment opportunities - improve highway safety and a major approach route into the town - the quality of the scheme looks impressive - improvement and tidying up of the area and glad that something is being done with the site - importance of existing woodland - demolition of buildings in disrepair - when is the development likely to commence? Local people were keen for the scheme to commence as soon as possible - the