Archived press release

Date Published: 19/10/06

Aylesbury Vale District Council has adopted guidelines for strengthening community involvement in making planning decisions. At a meeting of the council last night (18 October), councillors formally approved a code of practice called the Statemen...

Aylesbury Vale District Council has adopted guidelines for strengthening community involvement in making planning decisions.

At a meeting of the council last night (18 October), councillors formally approved a code of practice called the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), which sets out how and when the local community will be involved in planning matters within the district.

The SCI forms an integral part of a radical shake-up in the way local authorities across the country plan the future development of their areas. The shake-up is a government initiative which will see the old system of Local Plans replaced by a new system of Local Development Frameworks (LDF).

The LDF, which will act as a blueprint for the future development of the Vale, is made up of several related documents. One of these documents is the Statement of Community Involvement, which commits the council to a series of standards and principles for involving the community when preparing planning policies, considering important planning applications and designating or reviewing conservation areas.

These include:
• Making sure the community is involved at the earliest opportunity
• Ensuring all sections of the community are given the chance to be involved and make their opinions known
• Providing feedback to the community on how their views have been taken into account in taking decisions
• Using different ways to involve people such as holding exhibitions and attending community events

The council went through a consultation process on the SCI in 2005 and 2006 and more than
300 people and organisations responded. As a result, the document was changed to clarify terms, processes and responsibilities. The council also made further commitments to make information available in a variety of different formats, added more organisations to the stakeholder list and increased the scope of the SCI to include the way in which the council consults on conservation area work.

Adoption of the SCI follows receipt of an independent planning inspector’s report into the “soundness” of the document which recommended a number of minor changes. These have been incorporated into the adopted statement.

Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Planned Development, said: “We are fully committed to the importance of involving the community in planning matters and in involving local people in planning for the future of the district. Enabling residents to say what sort of place they want to live in, at a stage when this can make a difference, will lead to more inclusive, accessible, safe and sustainable communities.”

Copies of the inspector’s report, the adopted Statement of Community Involvement and the adoption statement will be made available on the council’s website at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk and at the council’s offices. Alternatively, please call 01296 585439 to request a copy.