Consultation Hub | Page 7

There is an assumption that the media, specifically local newspapers, are naturally anti-development, that a newspaper will always champion the voice of the local resident over that of a corporate entity, and that bad news is more likely to make the headlines than good news. There is some truth in this, but this does not ...

Following the success of the online consultation service ConsultOnline, CommunitiesOnline is launched, providing and efficient and effective community relations service during consultation.

All too often, consultation is mentioned in relation to a ‘sham’ or a ‘tick box’ exercise and references made to ‘spin’ and ‘persuasion’. I have spent some time thinking about standards of excellence in consultation and have come to the conclusion that best practice consultation is all of the following:  Symmetrical A good consultation aims ...

All too often, consultation is mentioned in relation to a ‘sham’ or a ‘tick box’ exercise and references made to ‘spin’ and ‘persuasion’. I have spent some time thinking about standards of excellence in consultation and have come to the conclusion that best practice consultation is all of the following: Symmetrical A good consultation aims ...

Having recently completed the first draft of a book on innovation in public consultation, I have interviewed many people in the profession. It was interesting to find that in most cases, public consultations are run by planning consultants, in many cases by PR / consultation specialists but sometimes delegated to junior administrative staff with the ...

The communications theorist Grunig defined excellence in communication as that which promotes the use of research, dialogue and consultation to manage conflict, improve understanding and build constructive relationships with a wide range of publics.  This seemed a good basis on which to consider the merits of online consultation in theoretical terms.  And my analysis (see ...

From the first planning meeting to the placing of the last brick, property development relies heavily on positive communication with the local community.  But as the way in which people communicate changes, is the development community keeping up to speed, and are we making the most of the benefits that online communication offers? The internet ...

Initially I included a section on cost efficiency in my series of blog posts on the principles of best practice in online consultation. Then I questioned whether cost efficiency was a feature of best practice. I determined that saving money in itself is not a measure by which to judge the success of a consultation. ...

The internet revolution presents the development community with huge potential to transform public consultation on planning applications, but this is yet to be fully realised. Planning authorities are now required to post applications online, local residents discuss and debate development proposals via social media and in blogs, and the media gathers these views to inform ...

Communication with local residents usually starts during the planning process, but it certainly doesn’t end there.  Whether you’re refurbishing an existing building or creating a new scheme, the immediate community, local groups and potential users / purchasers will want to understand what’s being done and the timescales involved. They may also be interested to receive ...

Article published in Construction Manager, 1 September 2015

Communication with local residents isn’t complete when a school or university is granted planning consent – in many respects it’s just beginning.  The local community – nearby residents, future pupils and staff and the wider community – will need to understand what’s proposed, will want to know the timescales involved, and may be interested to ...