Havant Borough Council > Planning and Environment > Planning > Planning Policy > Local Development Framework > Statement of Community Involvement > Adopted Statement of Community Involvement

1.1 The planning system is changing. The intention of the new system is to speed up the process of preparing development plans and to make them more flexible and responsive to change. A key aim of the new system is to strengthen community involvement in the planning process.

1.2 As part of the new system local planning authorities are required to produce a Statement of Community Involvement ( SCI ). This statement must set out how the local planning authority proposes to involve the community in drafting planning documents and in making decisions on planning applications. Although Havant Borough Council already undertakes considerable community consultation, this statement allows us to formalise these practices into the planning system. It also provides the Council with the opportunity to look at wider involvement practices across the Council and to identify how community involvement in the planning process could be developed in the future.

1.3 A key part of the new system is ‘front loading’. This means that greater detail and public involvement will be needed right from the start of the plan making process. Local people should be engaged in the planning process at every stage and in particular when they can have a real opportunity to influence the outcome. Current consultation arrangements often mean that the wider community only get the opportunity to respond to outcomes rather than influence them.

1.4 The Council’s vision for community involvement is that the whole community will have the opportunity to engage in the planning process in a meaningful way, to contribute ideas and influence land use decisions related to their local area, as a fundamental part of developing sustainable communities.

1.5 The Council considers that the benefits of involving the community and other stakeholders in the formulation of planning policy and in making decisions on planning applications are that it will:

Increase understanding of the planning process;
Strengthen the evidence base for plans, strategies and planning decisions;
Encourage community commitment to any proposed developments;
Promote ownership of policies and proposals by the local community by enabling them to influence proposals at an early stage before any key decisions have been made;
Develop consensus, thus providing more certainty for prospective developers and the local community; and
Minimise the need for a lengthy and controversial examination process.

1.6 This statement sets out which planning documents will be subject to public consultation, who will be consulted and when and how the consultation will take place in the preparation of documents and decisions on planning applications.

The Local Development Framework ( LDF )

1.7 In September 2004, Parliament passed the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, which sets out major changes in the arrangements for the planning system. The most significant change to the planning system at the local level is that Local Development Frameworks ( LDF ) will replace the current system of Local Plans. Rather than a single document the LDF will consist of a number of documents called Local Development Documents ( LDD ) each covering a specific topic or area. The LDD s can be prepared and adopted independently of each other, allowing for the continual updating of planning policy.

These include the Core Strategy, Proposals Map, Site Specific Allocations of land and Area Action Plans. These are subject to independent examination and have the full weight of development plan status when the Council are considering planning applications.

These will not have development plan status, but will be used to expand policy or provide further detail to policies in the development plan documents. However, like DPD s they will be informed by extensive community involvement and sustainability appraisal, but they will not be subject to independent examination.

1.9 As part of the Government’s commitment to the creation of sustainable communities, local planning authorities are required to carry out sustainability appraisal ( SA ) of all DPD s and SPD s within the LDF . The purpose of SA is to appraise the social, environmental and economic effects of the strategies and policies in a LDD from the outset of the preparation process. This will ensure that decisions are made that accord with sustainable development.

1.10 European legislation [Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive 2001/42/EC -27 June 2001] also requires local planning authorities to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) which focuses primarily on the environmental impact of policies and proposals. The Government guidance on SA incorporates the requirements of the SEA , therefore all references to SA within Havant’s LDF must be taken to include the requirements of the SEA directive.

Havant Borough Local Development Framework ( LDF )

1.11 The Council’s Local Development Scheme ( LDS ) was approved by the Government Office of the South East (GOSE) in March 2005 and subsequent revisions to the LDS were approved by the Council in July 2006 and are awaiting approval by GOSE . The Scheme sets out the first round of documents which will be produced under the new system, these are:

Preparing the Draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)

1.14 Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks, states that LDF s should be a key component in the delivery of the community strategy setting out its spatial aspects where appropriate and providing a long term spatial vision. In particular LDD s should express those elements of the community strategy that relate to the development and use of land. Havant Borough’s Community Strategy has recently been reviewed and was published in January 2005.

1.15 The Community Strategy identifies strategic priorities under three key themes, the economy, social inclusion and the environment. The priorities identified in the Community Strategy will be taken into account in developing the policies and proposals in the LDF .

1.16 The review of the Community Strategy was underpinned by a comprehensive consultation process which included a Partnership Forum event, a Citizen’s Panel survey and consultation with some 150 partner organisations in the wider Havant Community Partnership (HCP). The engagement of local communities in the work of the HCP is key to the effective delivery of the Community Strategy and will be continued through six area Community Boards. The Community Boards will each be given the opportunity to develop action plans [these are different from Area Action Plans which form part of the Local Development Framework] for their local areas, influencing the quality of life agenda for the community they represent. The Community Boards will have an important role to play in future years as consultation mechanisms for both the HCP and in major planning decisions under the LDF .

1.17 In 2003 the Council adopted a Consultation Strategy and a Communication Strategy. These are now both due for review but nonetheless raise important principles which need to be applied in the Council’s approach to community involvement in the planning process.

1.18 As a Council the aim is to communicate with the community and stakeholders in a way which adds value to the Council’s decisions. The Council needs to ensure a joined up approach to consultation work and a co-ordinated approach is required to ensure that consultees do not suffer from ‘consultation fatigue’. As well as consultation the Council recognises that it is important to communicate information effectively. Information should be made available in a manner that is appropriate for the audience and its purpose, be clearly and easily understood and be accurate, timely and up to date.

1.19 A series of development control advice notes have been produced to help with the most common enquiries and these have been adopted by the Council. Advice Note No. 3 explains what publicity is given to planning applications dealt with by the Council in accordance with the requirements of planning legislation.

1.20 The Council is part of a partnership made up of voluntary groups, community groups and public bodies in Hampshire which have set out the principles within which the voluntary and community groups and public bodies agree to work. These are set out in the One Compact for Hampshire. The Council is committed to these principles.

1.21 However, this SCI does not comply with the minimum written consultation timescales set out in the Hampshire Compact. This is due to the statutory requirements set out in the government regulations relating to the Local Development Framework and planning application process where specific periods of time are required for consultation periods.

1. INTRODUCTION

The Statement of Community Involvement ( SCI )

The Local Development Framework ( LDF )

Havant Borough Local Development Framework ( LDF )

Preparing the Draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)