Statement of Community Involvement
The Government’s Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
requires all local planning authorities to prepare a Statement of
Community Involvement (SCI).
Community involvement is an important part of the process of
preparing the Local Development Framework (LDF). The Statement of
Community Involvement explains how the Council will involve the
community in the preparation of the Local Development Framework
(i.e. local planning policy documents) and consult on planning
applications.
The Council consulted stakeholders in Summer 2006 to
invite comments on how the Council should involve the
community and consult on planning issues, and the
public's views were sought on the draft Statement of
Community Involvement in Winter 2006.
Taking your views into account, the Statement of Community
Involvement was redrafted and was submitted to the Secretary of
State on 24th April 2007. There followed a six week period of
public consultation on the 'soundness' of the document.
All representations were considered by the Inspector appointed
to hold an independent examination into the SCI. The
Inspector ensured that the necessary legal requirements for
the preparation of the document were met and found the
document to be sound, subject to minor amendments being
incorporated into the document. The SCI was found to meet all of
the tests of soundness set out below.
The SCI was formally adopted on 11th October 2007. The
Adopted SCI, the Inspector’s Report and the SCI adoption Statement
can be viewed by clicking in the ‘related documents’ links at
the top right of this page.
If you have any problems accessing pdf files please contact the
Planning Policy Team.
Revised Delegation Scheme for Planning Applications
At the time of the publication of the Statement of Community
Involvement a review of the delegation scheme was underway
(Appendix D of the SCI).
The revised Delegated Scheme was approved by Development Control
Committee in January 2008. View the Revised Delegation
Scheme.
Executive Summary
Planning shapes the places where people live and work. The
planning system also helps protect and enhance the character of
places that are locally valued. It is crucial that people should be
given the opportunity to take an active part in the planning
process.
This Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) explains how the
local community can get involved in the preparation of the Local
Development Framework and the consideration of Planning
Applications in Bath & North East Somerset.
The preparation of planning policy documents which make up Bath
& North East Somerset’s Local Development Framework will need
to meet the standards for community consultation laid out in this
SCI. This includes the need for:
- early involvement;
- consultation to be linked with other community involvement
initiatives in the district;
- consultation to be inclusive;
- the target groups identified in this SCI to be involved;
- minimum government standards for consultation to be met and
exceeded;
- a variety of methods to be used to involve the community;
- feedback to be provided;
Details of community involvement and consultation to be made
publicly available in the form of a statement of compliance to the
SCI, a schedule of comments and a consultation report.
In the consideration of Planning Applications community
consultation will need to meet the standards of the SCI. This
includes the need to:
- actively encourage developer led pre-application consultation
for major applications;
- the need for developers to submit a consultation statement
outlining details of pre-application consultation for major
applications;
- meet the minimum standards for consultation on Planning
Applications;
- exceed the minimum standards for consultation on Planning
Applications.
The success of the approach to community involvement outlined in
this SCI will be assessed as part of a formal review
process
Tests of soundness for Statement of Community
Involvement
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The Planning Inspectorate found Bath & North East
Somerset's Core Strategy to be sound and to meet the following
criteria: |
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1 |
The local planning authority has complied with
the minimum requirements for consultation as
set out in the regulations*;
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2 |
The local planning authority’s strategy for community
involvement links with other community involvement initiatives e.g.
the community strategy;
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3 |
The statement identifies in general terms which local community
groups and other bodies will be consulted;
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4 |
The statement identifies how the community and other bodies can
be involved in a timely and accessible manner;
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5 |
The methods of consultation to be employed are suitable for the
intended audience and for different stages in the preparation of
local development documents;
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6 |
Resources are available to manage community involvement
effectively;
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7 |
The statement shows how the results of community involvement
will be fed into theof development plan documents;
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8 |
The authority has mechanisms for reviewing the statement of
community involvement;
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9 |
The statement clearly describes the planning authorities policy
for consultation on planning applications.
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Town & Country Planning Act (Local Development) (England)
Regulations, 2004
