Cabinet has agreed the council’s Statement of Community Involvement which outlines how the community can be involved in the planning system.
In order to ensure that the Borough’s local communities can participate in developing and delivering plans for the future, the council is required to adopt a Statement of Community Involvement. This must be updated every five years.
Following the adoption of the initial policy in 2017, a draft of the updated Statement of Community Involvement was prepared in Autumn 2022 and a public consultation held later in the year, with no objections raised.
Changes included how the Council will publicise applications for householder development and a reduction in the technical advice and support offered in relation to neighbourhood planning.
It also updates how the community will be consulted when new Development Plan Documents and Supplementary Planning Documents are produced and reducing the consultation timescale for Supplementary Planning Documents from six to four weeks to reflect changes to planning law.
Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, Cllr Tony Brennan said: “This updated Statement of Community Involvement provides the Council with a sound and robust basis to engage with the community when deciding planning applications and preparing new planning policy documents.”
Read the full report.