Statement of Community Involvement Pre-Submission Public Participation Document Medway Local Development Framework August 2005 Medway Council 1 2 Preface The responses to the initial document called ‘The Statement of Community Involvement Pre–Submission Consultation Stage’ have now been analysed and the document amended where appropriate. A report has also been compiled containing a summary of representations to the document and the Council’s response, which is attached to this document. The amended SCI document is called the “Statement of Community Involvement Submission Draft ”. It is now available to the public and the Council is seeking your views on the proposed community involvement policy set out within it. All the documents including the response form can be downloaded from http://www.medway.gov.uk/ If you would like to make any comments please use one of the following methods. Send your written comments by post to: The Assistant Director, Regeneration and Environment Division, Medway Council, Compass Centre, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, Kent ME4 4YH Or send via e-mail to: [email protected] Or send by fax to: 01634 331125 Please note that comments cannot be treated as confidential. The start date for consultation is All comments must be received by If you require any assistance or would like to discuss any aspects of the new planning framework please feel free to contact and speak to one of our planners within the Development Plans & Research section: Wendy Lane - Development Plans and Research Manager ext. 331533 Bob Enderson - Senior Planning Officer ext. 331290 Morgan Slade - Senior Planning Officer ext 331028 Bryan Geake - Senior Planning Officer ext. 331025 Any procedural observations or complaints about the consultation exercise should be sent to: [email protected] It would be helpful if responses from representative groups could provide a summary of the people and organizations they represent. Any representation may be accompanied by a request to be notified as a specified address that the SCI has been submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination under section 20 and of the adoption of the SCI. 3 4 5 6 Contents Introduction 1.1 The new planning system 1.4 Reason for change 1.6 Aims and objectives of the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) 1.11 Criteria for testing soundness 1.12 Our vision for Medway 1.16 Core Values What is the process for the LDF and SCI? 2.1 Development Plan Documents 2.5 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) 2.7 Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) 2.10 Bodies to be consulted 2.14 Dissemination, Participation and Response. 2.21 Resources and Management Public participation and consultation during the main stages in the preparation of the LDF 3.1 Four stages 3.18 Consultations on key planning applications Summary List of tables Glossary Appendix A – Preliminary list of consultation bodies. Appendix B - Local Development Scheme Chart. (To be attached later ) 7 8 Introduction The new planning system 1.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 replaces the former development plan system of Structure and Local Plans with Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) and Local Development Frameworks (LDF). The latter comprises Local Development Documents (LDD). Medway Council is now carrying out preparatory work to enable it to produce its new local development framework as soon as possible. 1.2 The Act requires the council to prepare a document, known as a Local Development Scheme (LDS), which identifies the documents which it will produce over the next three years as part of the local development framework. It also sets out the timetable for the preparation and review of these documents. 1.3 The local development documents will contain the Council’s policies relating to the development and use of land within Medway. In addition, one LDD must deal specifically with public participation in the plan making process and is called a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). This document is Medway’s SCI, which was approved for public consultation on 11th May 2004. Reason for change 1.4 The Government’s reasons for bringing in a new system for the preparation of development plans are: i. to speed up the preparation of plans; ii. to ensure that plans are monitored and reviewed and kept up-to- date; and iii. to achieve more effective involvement with the community.1 1.5 Local development frameworks are intended to streamline the local planning process and promote a proactive, positive approach to managing development. The key aims of the new system are: i) flexibility, ii) strengthening community and stakeholder involvement: iii) front loading: iv) sustainability appraisal: v) programme management: vi) soundness. 2 Aims and objectives of the SCI and of continuous community involvement 1.6 The aim of the process of continuous community involvement in the new planning system is to produce consensus, so far as possible, on the form and content of the local development documents which Medway Council is 1 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Oct. 2003) Consultation Draft Local Development Frameworks Guide to Procedure and Code of Practice. P 12 2 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Oct. 2004) Planning Policy Statement 12 Local Development Frameworks pp1 9 preparing. Where this is successful in relation to the preparation of development plan documents, it will help to minimise the need for a lengthy and controversial public examination process. However, it must be recognised that the Council has to make difficult decisions on which it may not be possible to achieve consensus and it will be necessary to take any unresolved issues to the examination. To minimise the time taken at the examination, there should be meaningful involvement by all of those with an interest in the future of the area throughout the preparation of all local development documents. The process by which this will be achieved is set out in this statement of community involvement. Formal public participation will allow the community to express views on this statement.3 1.7 The SCI sets out Medway Council’s policy for involving the community in the preparation, alteration and revision of local development documents and in key development control (DC) decisions. It aims to be a clear public statement that enables the community to know when and how it will be involved. The Government has set minimum requirements for public involvement, with which local planning authorities must comply. The SCI shows how these requirements will be met and exceeded. 1.8 Medway Council’s standard for community involvement is to seek participation from as wide a section of the community as possible that work, live and use the Medway area and to use the results of that participation in a positive way to shape the future for Medway. The statement therefore examines the Councils’ vision and how it links with other community involvement initiatives. 1.9 It is considered that the SCI will be under constant review as the public become involved in the plan making process. At all stages of the LDF, where the public are involved, their views about how to improve the process will be sought. This must be done sensitively to avoid over- loading and ultimately desensitising the public to being involved with the new system. 1.10 It is important to understand that if the SCI is to be successful it must identify the community groups and the techniques to be used to involve them effectively. These techniques should be fit for the purposes for the different stages of the preparation of the LDDs and for different groups. The statement must be resourced and managed properly and show how the results feed into the process. In terms of survey and preparation of issues and options some of this information may be based on existing development plans or the work done to review them.4 3 ODPM Consultation Draft Local Government Framework Guide to Procedure and Code of practice (2003) p 23Para B.1 4 Ibid p17 s 2.6 10 Criteria for testing soundness5 1.11 The purpose of the examination is to consider the soundness of the statement of community involvement. The presumption will be that the statement of community involvement is sound unless it is shown to be otherwise as a result of evidence considered at the examination. A hearing will only be necessary where one or more of those making representations wish to be heard. In assessing whether the statement of community involvement is sound, the inspector will determine whether the: i. local planning authority has complied with the minimum requirements for consultation as set out in Regulation; ii. local planning authority’s strategy for community involvement links with other community involvement initiatives e.g. the community strategy; iii. statement identifies in general terms which local community groups and other bodies will be consulted; iv. statement identifies how the community and other bodies can be involved in a timely and accessible manner; v. methods of consultation to be employed are suitable for the intended audience and for the different stages in the preparation of local development documents; vi. resources are available to manage community involvement effectively; vii. statement shows how the results of community involvement will be fed into the preparation of development plan documents and supplementary planning documents; viii. authority has mechanisms for reviewing the statement of community involvement; and ix. statement clearly describes the planning authority’s policy for consultation on planning applications. 5 Office of the Deputy prime Minister (2004). Planning Policy Statement 12 : Local Development Frameworks. para 3.10 11 Our Vision for Medway 1.12 Medway Council together with the Medway Local Strategic Partnership and other community organisations is committed to involving the whole community in transforming Medway.