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14 Statement of Community Involvement PDF 558 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Matter for
Decision
This report referred
to the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which outlined how the Council
would engage on planning matters and were obligated to review at least every
five years.
Decision of the
Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control
and Infrastructure
i.
Considered
the main issues raised in the public consultation, agreed responses to the
representations received and agreed proposed changes to the Statement of
Community Involvement as set out in the Statement of Consultation (Appendix 1
of the Officer’s report).
ii.
Agreed
to adopt the amended Greater Cambridge Statement of Community Involvement
(Appendix 2 of the Officer’s report); and
iii.
Delegated
to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, in consultation
with the Executive Councillor for planning policy and transport and the Chair
and the Opposition Spokes for the Planning, Building Control and Infrastructure
Scrutiny Committee, the authority to make any necessary editing changes to the
SCI prior to publication.
Reason for the
Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny
Considerations
The Committee
received a report from the Senior Planning Policy Officer who updated the
Members on the following:
i.
Paragraph 4.13 would be amended accordingly as
the Disability Review Panel merged into the Cambridge Design Review Panel as
agreed at Planning Committee on 6 March.
ii.
Hayden in South Cambridgeshire District Council
had been designated as a neighbourhood area with the purpose of preparing a
neighbourhood plan on 15 March. Therefore, paragraph 3.14 would be amended to
stated that there was now eighteen neighbourhood area designated in Greater
Cambridge.
In response to
Members’ questions the Senior Planning Policy Officer, Planning Policy and
Strategy Team Leader and Joint Director of Planning & Economic Development
said the following:
i.
Believed
that the Shared Planning Services had a good reputation in terms of public
engagement and had tried to raise as much awareness regarding consultations
events as possible.
ii.
The
Council’s social media was a powerful tool, and Officers did factor in
community led social media platforms into the communications strategy, both at
Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, for
consultation events.
iii.
During
the last consultation on the emerging Local Plan the Comms team had actively
responded to some of the comments as they were received, which were then
re-shared with local community groups.
iv.
Officers
worked hard to de-jargon the terminology and explain the planning process in
simpler terms as it was a very technical process, the aim was to enable the
public to feel empowered to be able to make comment on the consultations that
were run.
v.
Non-internet
engagement was just as important as digital engagement. Officers had held door
to door consultation events with the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community,
targeted college engagements, posters had been installed at bus stops and
various notice boards, both in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire.
vi.
Noted
the suggested that shop notice boards could be used as part of public
engagement, particularly in rural areas; however, this was when engagement with
parish councils and ward councillors became important as they became a conduit
to share, pass on the information and encourage residents to take part in the
consultation process.
vii.
Would
look at the suggestion to explore opportunities to embed the terminology to the
glossary.
viii.
The
Shared Planning Service had a long-term commitment to the youth engagement
service. This was a positive tool to communicate with harder to hear
communities or those who conventionally did not engage but had done so through
young people.
lix Could
strengthen the section in relation to developer engagement with the local
communities.
The Committee voted unanimously
to endorse the Officer recommendations.
The Executive
Councillor for Planning, Building Control and Transport approved the
recommendations.
The Executive
Councillor informed Members there would be a new framework for the
Pre-Application Process allowing Ward Councillors and members of the Planning
Committee to integrate engagement at certain stages of the process. During the
last consultation for the emerging Local Plan there had been 8,000 responses,
usually a consultation would bring 300 to 400 responses. The results were a
testament to the work and engagement of the Shared Planning Services.
Conflicts of
Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted).
None.