Halogen surveys the future of planning publicity

The Department for Communities and Local Government’s ‘Publicity for Planning Applications’ consultation came to an end on 23 October 2009. At the beginning of October, public consultation specialist, Halogen canvassed the views of planning consultants from the UK’s top 50 planning consultancies on the proposed changes, as well as seeking broader opinions on pre-application consultation and community engagement

The consultation addressed how local authorities currently publicise planning applications once they are lodged, and specifically if notices – which currently have to appear in local newspapers - should be moved online. It also asked if the statutory period for publicity should be extended from 14 to 21 days, and whether these combined changes will improve accessibility, deliver cost-savings and speed up the planning process

Having spoken to the UK’s top 50 Planning Consultancies, Halogen found that the questions posed in the consultation document, and the wider issue of public involvement in planning applications, raised a number of common themes

A variety of benefits and limitations associated with the use of the internet and new technologies were cited, consultants also questioned the way in which local authorities’ resourced and organised planning departments, and many commented on the lack of a proper and consistent framework for consultation to deliver effective community engagement

The results of Halogen’s survey were featured on the front cover of Planning magazine’s 20 November 2009 edition

For further information about the survey, please contact Linda Welch