Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Paragraph: 46
We sympathise with the Government’s wish to enhance the importance of Local Plans in determining...
Recommendation
We sympathise with the Government’s wish to enhance the importance of Local Plans in determining where development should take place. But achieving public acceptance of any increased importance for Local Plans requires them have credibility as an accurate reflection of public views in an area. Therefore, we were concerned by evidence that the second stage of public involvement, at the end of the Local Plan process, would happen simultaneously with the Plan being submitted to the Secretary of State. The Government should clarify how it will promote greater involvement by the public in Local Plans. The public should be consulted about a draft version of the Local Plan before, not concurrently with, its submission to the Secretary of State. This would enable their views to be more effective in influencing the final version of the plan. The Government should also be very cautious about watering down the ‘right to be heard’.
Paragraph Reference:
46
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
16. The Government agrees with these recommendations and confirms that as part of the statutory 30-month timetable for plan-making, there will be requirements for two rounds of community engagement and consultation before local plans are submitted for independent examination. The Government also intend to increase the current statutory minimum duration for consultation. 17. Through the use of new technology that will be enabled through our digital reforms, communities will have easier, more accessible ways to engage. There will also be simpler and more transparent processes, and an important role for neighbourhood planning groups and communities more widely in preparing design codes, which will mean local people will have more opportunity to shape how their areas look. 18. We will retain the ‘right to be heard’ as an important part of the Local Plan examination process. We will also prepare new guidance regarding best practice in community engagement with sector experts which will be used by Inspectors during the new gateway checks that will be carried out as plans are prepared.