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I am frequently asked whether consultation is a legal requirement in planning. The fact that it is impossible to answer in fewer than 100 words exemplifies just how complex community involvement in planning has become. And so I, and other Associates of the Consultation Institute, very much welcome the Interim Report of the Raynsford Review ...

In May, the Government (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) held a consultation on revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework – the headline planning policy document from which all other planning policy stems. I contributed to the consultation through The Consultation Institute’s response, which commented specifically on the very opaque legislation / guidance ...

While the property world is being transformed by PropTech, a comparison between most developer-led consultations with those of the late twentieth century would suggest that little has changed:  today’s consultations appear to rely on newsletters, exhibitions and paper surveys, just as they did then. And yet innovative and effective communications tools exist, and have the ...

Penny Norton becomes an Associate of The Consultation Institute (tCI), joining and network of consultants who have considerable expertise in consultation and public engagement.

From the first planning meeting to the last construction vehicle leaving site, building benefits from positive communication with local residents.  And as the way in which people’s approach to communication changes, so too should the construction industry’s.  The internet is changing communication in every context.  Today over 90% households have internet access, 73% adults own ...

Try to envisage a world without Local Plans, the NPPF, Neighbourhood Planning, Localism and CIL and its clear quite how much planning has changed in the last ten years. And the same is true of communication: not only the means by which we communicate but also the manner in which we communicate. The extent of ...

On Friday Penny Norton will be in Belfast presenting to law firm Carson McDowell and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action on the importance (and context, structure, issues and techniques) of consultation in planning.

On Friday I’ll be in Belfast presenting to a law firm and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action on the importance (and context, structure, issues and techniques) of consultation in planning. I’ll be covering some of the content of my book Public Consultation and Community Involvement in Planning: a twenty-first century guide and Rhion ...

Read the review here.

The law surrounding statutory consultation is extensive. And yet when developers consult on planning applications, there is a stark absence of official guidance, regulation and case law. Why, in a discipline led by professionals – chartered surveyors, planning consultants and lawyers – is the approach to consultation so lacking in professional rigour?  Because in most ...

Consultation can deliver a real insight into a local area, create enduring beneficial relationships and of course provide the information necessary for a comprehensive Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and ultimately achieve planning success. Yet frequently developers view consultation as a risk – more often than not because of concern that vocal locals may ambush ...

Read the review here.