There is a legal requirement under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) for the Council to produce a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), which sets out how it intends to achieve community involvement in the preparation of plans and in decision-making on planning applications.
Under regulation 10A of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) local planning authorities must review local plans, and Statements of Community Involvement at least once every 5 years from their adoption date to ensure that policies remain relevant and effectively address the needs of the local community.
Previous versions of the SCI were published in 2015 and 2020 (interim COVID version). An amended and updated version is now required to reflect national changes to consultation methods. Both earlier versions have now been replaced with the updated 2024 SCI which covers the two main areas of planning where the community and stakeholders can be involved:
- Planning Policy (including Local Plan preparation and preparation of other planning policy documents) – these documents set out the policies or guidance that development proposals will be assessed against.
- Planning Proposals (Development Management) – some types of development require a planning application to be submitted and approved. Planning applications can be commented on by the public. Some applications are ‘permitted development’ and are not required to be advertised.