Effective Engagement

Value of Engagement 

7.1 We recognise the significant contribution that our local communities, Town and Parish Councils, local businesses, organisations and all other interested stakeholders can make to the next Shropshire Local Plan. We also understand that the next Local Plan will affect everybody who lives, works or visits Shropshire, and that planning can be emotive. 

7.2 For these reasons, we understand the value and importance of proactive engagement during the preparation of the next Local Plan. 

The Need for Effective Engagement 

7.3 One of the key characteristics of the Government’s new plan-making process is a more efficient 30-month preparation and adoption process (with an additional mandatory minimum four-month scoping stage prior to its commencement).  

7.4 As this is a much more prescriptive timescale than the previous system, we need to be more targeted and effective with our engagement.  

Our Proposed Approach to Engagement 

7.5 Reflecting both the value of engagement and our need to undertake more targeted and effective consultation, we have prepared draft stakeholder engagement ‘parameters’ in our Project Initiation Document, available on our timetable and processes page. 

7.6 To inform and finalise our engagement ‘parameters’, we are keen to use this consultation to understand the views of our stakeholders, including our urban and rural communities (and the groups within them such as families, older people, young people, students, those with disabilities and seldom-heard groups), Town and Parish Councils, local businesses and organisations and all other interested parties.

Stages of Engagement 

7.7 Government guidance indicates engagement to inform plan-making is to be undertaken through three stages of consultation. 

7.8 Consistent with this guidance, to inform preparation of the next Shropshire Local Plan we wish to engage with stakeholders through the three statutory consultations (of which this Scoping Consultation is the first). 

7.9 These three stages of consultation are summarised in Figure 7.1:

Clear Engagement 

7.10 We understand that planning can be technical and this can sometimes lead to uncertainty. As such, we want to ensure that our consultations are as clear as possible. To do so, we will aim to: 

a/ Use plain-English and avoid ‘jargon’ and unnecessary acronyms. Where required, include a glossary of terms and acronyms.

b/ Undertake consultations at appropriate stages, informed by sufficient evidence to support proposals and enable effective responses.

c/ Provide clear details on how to respond to each consultation and in what time period.

d/ Publicise consultations in a cost effective manner.

e/ Publicise any events that form part of a consultation on the Council’s website and hold them at appropriate and accessible locations (including appropriate disabled access).

f/ Provide a summary of responses received.

Publicising Engagement 

7.11 We believe that digital means of communication are the most effective and efficient way to publicise consultations to our communities. This view is consistent with the increasing emphasis placed on digital communication in national guidance on plan-making. 

7.12 Therefore, the main ways we intend to publicise our engagement activities is through digital means of communication. This includes: 

a/ Notifications on our Planning Policy homepage.

b/ Notifications issued via email to those on the Planning Policy consultation database. Register now for inclusion on our consultation database.

c/ Creation of dedicated consultation webpages on our ‘Get Involved’ engagement platform.

d/ Facilitating further publicity of the consultation by the media through digital press releases issued via our newsroom platform.

e/ Use of social media to further raise awareness of consultations.

7.13 However, we recognise digital means of communication may not always reach all our interested stakeholders. Therefore, we intend to complement them through other means. This may include: 

a/ Issuing notification emails to Town and Parish Councils and rely on them to circulate – recognising they are so effective at keeping their communities informed on consultations, and the importance placed on effective working relationships with Town and Parish Councils in the administration’s ‘New Direction for Shropshire’.  

b/ Use of Shropshire Association of Local Council meetings to further publicise consultations to Town and Parish Councils and rely on them to circulate – recognising they are so effective at keeping their communities informed on consultations, and the importance placed on effective working relationships with Town and Parish Councils in the administration’s ‘New Direction for Shropshire’. 

c/ Where appropriate, displaying leaflets or posters in public buildings such as our head office, libraries and Shropshire Locals. 

d/ Where appropriate, undertaking community meetings and/or drop-in events to publicise consultations.

7.14 Where appropriate, we will also utilise complementary measures to help overcome barriers that can prevent hard to reach groups from ‘getting involved’.

Providing Access to Engagement Materials 

7.15 We believe the most effective and efficient way to provide access to engagement materials is digital. This view is consistent with the increasing emphasis placed on digital communication in national guidance on plan-making. 

7.16 As such, we are proposing that engagement materials will primarily be made available through the Council website. Specifically: 

a/ Consultation documents will be made available on a dedicated consultation webpage on our ‘Get Involved’ engagement platform.

b/ A link to the dedicated consultation webpage will be provided from our Planning Policy webpage.

7.17 To facilitate digital access to the consultation documents, we will: 

a/ Liaise with colleagues operating ‘Shropshire Local’ facilities to support stakeholder access to consultation documents via their public computer/tablet facilities during their opening times.

b/ Liaise with colleagues operating Shropshire libraries to support stakeholder access to consultation documents via their public computer/tablet facilities during their open times.

7.18 We recognise that there may be limited circumstances where digital access to consultation documents may not be appropriate. Therefore, we intend to complement digital access by providing a hard copy of consultation documents at our head office.

Supporting Responses to Engagement 

7.19 To support stakeholders wishing to respond to our consultations, we will: 

a/ Prepare guidance summarising the purpose of the consultation - and provide details of how to respond and in what time period.

b/ Provide a consultation response form* in an appropriate format. It will detail required information and support structuring of responses. 

*Whilst respondents will be encouraged to use this response form, we will accept responses in other formats. 

7.20 Our preference is that consultation responses are submitted digitally, using an online response form, as this makes it quicker and easier for stakeholders to respond and will also help us to consider responses more efficiently. 

7.22 In the limited circumstances where response material exceeds 20mb in size, we will facilitate digital submission via our Microsoft SharePoint file sharing system (we are unable to access files shared via alternative file sharing facilities).

7.23 We also recognise that submitting consultation responses digitally from home is not always possible. In such circumstances, responses can be submitted digitally using public computer/tablet facilities at:

a/ ‘Shropshire Local’ facilities.

b/ Shropshire libraries.

7.24 Furthermore, whilst our preference is that responses are submitted digitally, we will also accept responses by post. As such, a postal address will be provided to submit responses to for each consultation. 

Summarising Responses to Engagement 

7.25 Following the conclusion of each consultation undertaken to inform the next Shropshire Local Plan, we will give due consideration to the responses received, prepare a summary of the consultation responses, and then publish the summary of responses. 

7.26 Responses to the scoping consultation will inform the refinement of our engagement strategy and the ongoing development of the next Shropshire Local Plan. Any refinement to the engagement strategy resulting from responses to this consultation will be outlined in the consultation response summary.

7.27 Responses to the content & evidence consultation will inform the ongoing development of the next Shropshire Local Plan.

7.28 Responses to the proposed Local Plan consultation will be submitted to the Inspectors to inform the examination of the next Shropshire Local Plan. 

7.29 It is important to note that when undertaking plan-making it is not uncommon for draft proposals to be controversial and often lead to significant levels of objection. Whilst all consultation responses will of course be considered, it is the material planning considerations identified through the consultation which are of most importance, and not necessarily the volume of responses made. 

Question 29

To what extent do you agree with our proposed approach to ensuring engagement on the next Local Plan is:

a/ Proportionate, with three stages of consultation consistent with Government guidance.

b/ Clear, though use of plain English and avoidance of acronyms where possible.

c/ Well publicised, through a digital-led approach.

d/ Accessible, through a digital-led approach.

e/ Convenient, supported by a digital consultation response form.

f/ Transparent, with a summary of responses provided.

Please explain your answers.

Monitoring the effectiveness of engagement 

Flexibility of Approach to Engagement

7.30 We understand the need for a flexible approach to engagement, to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of different groups amongst our stakeholders – including those that are hard to reach.

7.31 It is considered that the proposed digital-led approach to engagement, complemented by the provision of support to access digital materials at our libraries and Shropshire Local’s and other mechanisms to promote and facilitate access to our consultations achieves this flexibility and enable groups amongst our stakeholders – including those that are hard to reach – to get involved.

Question 30

Are there any other criteria we could use to ensure our consultations are clear, well publicised, accessible, convenient and transparent - particularly where they can support us engaging hard to reach groups?  

Please explain your answer.

7.32 Our approach to consultation is considered sufficiently flexible to respond to new ways of engaging that may emerge during preparation of the next Shropshire Local Plan. This flexibility means regular alterations of approach may not be necessary, but we are committed to monitoring effectiveness and where necessary we'll update our approach. 

7.33 It is anticipated such updates could be made in response to: 

a/ Alterations to the types of groups who should be consulted.

b/ New methods for informing and involving the public, such as changes to technology or responding to emerging best practice.

c/ Responding to the emerging practices of locality working by the Council.

d/ Responding to low turnouts at consultation events, or low response rates to consultations.