Re-thinking Neighbourhood Planning: From Consultation to Collaboration

Published yesterday 2 July 2012, the latest Green Paper from ResPublica, 'Re-thinking Neighbourhood Planning: From Consultation to Collaboration', argues that involving communities in planning on a collaborative, rather than purely consultative basis will not only lead to more successful developments, it can also generate social capital and value: stronger and more cohesive communities. Written in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the publication recommends that:

• The benefits of good design and meaningful community engagement should be recognised as a measurable social outcome
• Government should appoint an independent panel of experts to define the metrics and structures required to capture the social value created though the neighbourhood planning process.
• An evidence base from Local Authorities should be used by the Government in order to extend the 'community budgets' programme and to create a new ‘Total Neighbourhood’ approach.
• The Government should make a ‘Neighbourhood Partnership Agreement’ between residents, local business, local authorities, developers, and design professionals a statutory requirement for every Neighbourhood Plan.
• HM Treasury should explore the potential for local communities to invest in local development projects through Real Estate Development Trusts (REITs), which should be extended to consider how local communities could collectively invest in local development projects (a Community Right to Invest in Real Estate).

We should consider this approach when considering all local planning applications. It will be raised at the public meeting for Planning Application PA/11/02423/LBTH hosting by London Thames Gateway at Stratford Old Town Hall on 12 July 2012. It's time we make the Planning Authories aware of the need for community involvement - aka 'collaboration'.