Consultation Hub | Page 5

In May, the Government (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) held a consultation on revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework – the headline planning policy document from which all other planning policy stems. I contributed to the consultation through The Consultation Institute’s response, which commented specifically on the very opaque legislation / guidance ...

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is undertaking a considerable review of the English planning system, intended to make it fairer, better resourced and capable of producing quality outcomes.  A key tenent of this is improved community involvement in the planning system. The task force, which is chaired by former planning minister Nick Raynsford, ...

The law surrounding statutory consultation is extensive. And yet when developers consult on planning applications, there is a stark absence of official guidance, regulation and case law. Why, in a discipline led by professionals – chartered surveyors, planning consultants and lawyers – is the approach to consultation so lacking in professional rigour?  Because in most ...

While the property world is being transformed by PropTech, a comparison between most developer-led consultations with those of the late twentieth century would suggest that little has changed:  today’s consultations appear to rely on newsletters, exhibitions and paper surveys, just as they did then. And yet innovative and effective communications tools exist, and have the ...

Penny Norton becomes an Associate of The Consultation Institute (tCI), joining and network of consultants who have considerable expertise in consultation and public engagement.

‘A lot of heat but no light’ is an apt description of the majority of public meetings.  In the 1990s an open meeting at a local village hall or school was regarded a necessary element of most consultations.  The development team would prepare substantial amount of information and aim to talk about the proposed scheme ...

As someone who believes strongly in online consultation, I work with social media on planning applications on a daily basis.  On the whole I think that social media offers some fantastic opportunities for promoting and extending the accessibility of a planning application. But I have to say, don’t be tempted to use social media just ...

From the first planning meeting to the last construction vehicle leaving site, building benefits from positive communication with local residents.  And as the way in which people’s approach to communication changes, so too should the construction industry’s.  The internet is changing communication in every context.  Today over 90% households have internet access, 73% adults own ...

Digital communication is transforming how contractors approach stakeholder liaison on major projects. Penny Norton explains. From the first planning meeting to the last vehicle leaving site, construction benefits from positive communication with local residents. And as the way in which people’s approach to communication changes, so too should the construction industry’s. The internet is changing ...

Try to envisage a world without Local Plans, the NPPF, Neighbourhood Planning, Localism and CIL and its clear quite how much planning has changed in the last ten years. And the same is true of communication: not only the means by which we communicate but also the manner in which we communicate. The extent of ...

On Friday Penny Norton will be in Belfast presenting to law firm Carson McDowell and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action on the importance (and context, structure, issues and techniques) of consultation in planning.

On Friday I’ll be in Belfast presenting to a law firm and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action on the importance (and context, structure, issues and techniques) of consultation in planning. I’ll be covering some of the content of my book Public Consultation and Community Involvement in Planning: a twenty-first century guide and Rhion ...