APPENDIX 1
Draft Statement of Community Involvement Scheme
for
The Hertfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework
and
The planning application process for the control of minerals and waste development and development required for County Council services
March 2005
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword iii
1. Introduction 1
2. What is the purpose of participation? 5
2.1 Aims and objectives 5
2.2 Key issues for stakeholders 5
2.3 Key issues for Hertfordshire County Council 6
PART A – Hertfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework 7
3. Statement of Community Involvement requirements and the Minerals and Waste Development Framework 8
4. Who are the stakeholders? 10
5. Strategy for minerals and waste development framework 11
5.1 Introduction 11
5.2 When can you have your say? 11
5.3 Minerals Local Plan Review 12
5.4 Waste Local Plan Review and Waste Plan Documents 12
6. Other Community Involvement Initiatives 14
6.1 Integration with council planning and operations 14
6.2 Integration with community plans and strategies 14
PART B – Development Control and the Planning Application Process 16
7. Statement of Community Involvement Requirements and the Planning Application Process 17
7.1 Overview 17
7.2 Advertisements 17
7.3 Site notices 18
7.4 Neighbour consultations 19
7.5 Other consultees 19
7.6 Other consultation / engagements 19
7.7 Development Control Committee 20
8. Strategy for the Planning Application Process 21
PART C – Programme, Resources and Review 24
9. Programme and Resources 25
10. Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms 26
References 27
Abbreviations and Glossary of Terms 29
Appendix 1 – Legal Requirements and Plan Making 33
Appendix 2 – Stakeholders 35
Appendix 3 – Engagement Strategy for MWDF Stages 38
Appendix 4 – Engagement Strategy for Planning Application Stages 41
Appendix 5 – IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum and Toolbox 43
Appendix 6 – Code of Practice for Planning Applications 50
Appendix 7– Minerals & Waste Development Scheme–Statement of Community Involvement Activities 53
Appendix 8 – Format for Detailed Community Engagement Strategy 54
Foreword
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 has introduced a fundamental review of the planning system, including the introduction of a new development plan framework. One of the new documents that has to be produced and consulted upon is a Statement of Community Involvement.
The Statement of Community Involvement sets out the council’s policy for the involvement of communities in relation to:
· the preparation and revision of minerals and waste development documents; and
· consideration of planning applications for which Hertfordshire County Council is the planning authority (i.e. all planning applications relating to mineral extraction and waste management as well as development for County Council services such as schools, libraries etc.).
Once approved, the Statement of Community Involvement will be the document which the public can use to find out how the County Council plans to engage with communities in relation to the above activities. It will be subject to formal comment from the public and to independent examination.
This draft Statement of Community Involvement is publicly available from the County Council or via the council’s website: http://www.hertsdirect.org/mineralsandwaste
If you would like to comment on the Statement of Community Involvement please send any comments by …… (insert date once finalised) to:
Julie Reeve, Team Leader: Minerals and Waste Policy
County Development Unit, Environment Department
County Hall, Hertford, Herts SG13 8DN
Tel 01992 556227 / Fax 01992 556202
e-mail:
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Introduction
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which came into force on 28 September 2004, has introduced a fundamental review of the planning system, including the introduction of a new development plan framework. This means that the previous development plan documents, which, for Hertfordshire, comprised the Structure Plan, the Minerals Local Plan, the Waste Local Plan and the adopted district local plans will be replaced by a new suite of development plan documents.
The new system will comprise:
1. Planning Policy Statements, published by the government, setting out national policy;
2. The Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England, produced by the Regional Planning Body (the East of England Regional Assembly), which sets out the broad development strategy for the region;
3. Local Development Frameworks, prepared by local councils for each of the district/borough areas in the county, which set out the core strategy and planning proposals at the local level;
4. Minerals and Waste Development Frameworks, prepared by the County Council, which set out the core strategy and planning policies for minerals and waste in the county.
Each local development framework, including minerals and waste development frameworks, will consist of a number of interrelated development documents rather than a single document. For Hertfordshire, the Minerals and Waste Development Framework is effectively a folder of documents, comprising:
1. the minerals and waste development scheme, which is a public statement of the council’s programme for the production of minerals and waste development documents;
2. the statement of community involvement, which sets out the council’s policy for involving communities in the preparation and revision of minerals and waste development documents and those planning applications considered by the County Council;
3. minerals and waste development plan documents that are part of the statutory development plan;
4. supplementary planning documents which expand on policies set out in a development plan document or provide additional detail; and
5. the annual monitoring report
The minerals and waste development framework, together with the regional spatial strategy and the district council’s local development frameworks, provide the essential framework for planning in Hertfordshire.
This document is our Statement of Community Involvement, which must set out our policy for involving communities in:
· the preparation and revision of local development documents relating to policy for minerals and waste planning (see Part A of this document), and
· considering planning applications for which we are the planning authority (i.e. all planning applications relating to mineral extraction and waste management as well as development for County Council services such as schools, libraries and roads – see Part B of this document).
This Statement of Community Involvement sets out who, how and when we will seek the involvement of communities and other stakeholders on the above matters and how feedback will be given. It also outlines the programme and resource implications arising from the consultation activities – See Part C of this document.
Planning affects everyone and all those involved in the system have a role to play in delivering effective and inclusive planning that happens in the right place at the right time. For development to be sustainable, communities need to be involved with developing the vision for their area and in the implementation of that vision.
We are keen to ensure that all relevant organisations and members of the public are able to contribute ideas as to how that vision can be achieved and have an opportunity to comment on and be involved with the content and direction of minerals and waste planning in Hertfordshire. Good communication is therefore vital, and letting you know at the outset how we plan to do this is essential.
We plan to do a lot more than the statutory requirement for engagement with communities. In fact, the aim for our community engagement is:
“To involve Hertfordshire communities in the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework and in the County Council’s planning application process to improve decision-making and to ensure outcomes that are sustainable and can be implemented locally”.
This document outlines how we will achieve this aim.
In developing the Statement of Community Involvement, we are required to consult with stakeholders to agree the aims, objectives and planned strategy for consultation. Your comments are therefore particularly sought on these components of the document.
The process for preparation of the Statement of Community Involvement is outlined in Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1 Process for Preparation of the Statement of Community Involvement
Expected timing to adoption of the Statement of Community Involvement is as follows:
Public participation on the Draft / April – June 2005
Summarise responses, revise Statement of Community Involvement, liaise with Waste Planning and Aggregates Panels / July – August 2005
Cabinet Approval of submission Statement of Community Involvement / 12 September 2005
Submit to Secretary of State for approval / 26 September 2005
Community engagement / By end November 2005
Agree submissions response and report to Secretary of State / By mid December 2005
Independent examination and reporting / January– February 2006
Adoption / March 2006
What is the purpose of participation?
2.1 Aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of the Statement of Community Involvement should guide all public participation activities. Specific objectives for each stage of document preparation should also follow these broad directives (see Sections 5 and 8, and Appendices 3 and 4).
Aim:
To involve Hertfordshire communities in the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework and in the County Council’s planning application process to improve decision-making and to ensure outcomes that are sustainable and can be implemented locally.
Objectives:
1. Raise awareness of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework amongst the general public and the minerals and waste industry.
2. Gather information and share ideas.
3. Encourage participation and involve communities throughout the planning process, facilitating ownership of policies, planning decisions and outcomes.
4. Ensure key stakeholders, including district and parish councils and other relevant government agencies, are involved in the process and that all relevant plans are integrated.
5. Provide sufficient information to enable useful representations and comments on draft plans and planning applications.
6. Provide timely and constructive feedback on representations made and demonstrate how the views have been taken into account.
2.2 Key issues for stakeholders
Some of the main issues for the minerals and waste planning process, and for planning applications decided by us, are outlined below. These are indicative only and will be revised following consultation on the draft Statement of Community Involvement.
· Being involved in setting the core strategy and broad strategic direction for minerals and waste planning in Herts.
· Involvement in the selection of new sites for minerals extraction and different types of waste management (e.g. transfer sites; waste separation/recycling facilities; household waste recycling centres, composting facilities; incinerators (with or without energy recovery); other waste-to-energy facilities; emerging technologies such as Mechanical Biological Treatment; and landfill sites).
· Ensuring that the existing quality of life for local communities is enhanced and protected as much as possible, particularly where new adjoining and alternative land uses are proposed.
· Ensuring that individual views are heard and considered in the new draft Development Plan Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents and related documents (including Sustainability Appraisals).
2.3 Key issues for Hertfordshire County Council
Some of the main issues for us when incorporating the outcomes from community engagement will include:
· Ensuring all relevant stakeholders are involved and that the purpose and extent of the community engagement strategy is clearly communicated.
· Managing expectations about the level of involvement at different stages of the process.
· Ensuring the outcomes of the engagement processes are regularly reported on and made widely available, including on our website.
· Ensuring that decisions are based on knowledge, evidence, measurement and consultation.
· Continual review, monitoring and evaluation of the engagement programme and community involvement strategy to maximise effectiveness.
PART A –
Hertfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework
Statement of Community Involvement requirements and the Minerals and Waste Development Framework
There will be a need for community engagement and public participation at various stages of the development of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework, as follows:
· Minerals – Core Strategy; Site Allocations and Site Specific Policies; and Supplementary Planning Documents.
The Minerals Local Plan Review is at an advanced stage, with the Inspector’s Report following the Local Plan Inquiry expected in June 2005. Once this has been received, Modifications to the Plan will be published in autumn 2005. Once adopted, the policies in the Minerals Local Plan Review will be saved for a further 3 years and will therefore not require further change or public participation in the short term.
· Waste – Core Strategy; Site Allocations and Site Specific Policies; and Supplementary Planning Documents.
These documents will be prepared over the next three years and extensive public participation will be sought and encouraged.
· Combined Minerals and Waste Development Plan Documents – Development Control Policies; Proposals Map; and Annual Monitoring Report.
These documents will be prepared over the next three years, or in the case of the monitoring report, every year.
· Sustainability Appraisal reports
These will be prepared for each stage in the development plan process, and must also involve extensive community engagement activities. These reports, which also incorporate Strategic Environmental Assessment requirements in line with EU legislation, aim to promote sustainable development through better integration of sustainability considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans. Sustainability Appraisal is an integral part of good plan making and a central part of the process.
The relationship between the suite of documents that will comprise the Minerals and Waste Development Framework is outlined in Figure 3.1. The legal requirements for plan making are summarised further in Appendix 1.
Figure 3.1 The Herts Minerals & Waste Development Framework
Who are the stakeholders?
Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks provides direction on who to consult when preparing new documents and this is detailed in Appendix 2. The list includes types of agencies, organisations and groups of people that must be consulted, that should be consulted and that we should consider consulting.
Consultation with affected communities and local neighbourhoods is integral to the planning process where site specific considerations are applicable. These vary depending on the plan and are generally tailored with each round of consultation.