The Scottish Government

Name

Alastair Macbeth

Job title

Convener

Organisation

Helensburgh Study Group

Address

40 West Montrose Street, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, G84 9PF

Telephone

01436 676792

Fax

Email

am.mac@virgin.net

1 Helensburgh Community Council

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Development Plans Development Management Development on the Ground Community Involvement

Title of entry

Helensburgh Study Group: Innovation in Local Community Engagement in Planning

Professional knowledge Innovation Management Sustainable development

Partnership Community interest Regeneration Customer satisfaction

The Helensburgh Study Group was created to assist the local community to cope with the complexities of community engagement in planning. As its name suggests, the Study Group studies : it gathers data, analyses and makes findings public. Local and national planning documents, draft development plans, consultants' reports, etc. are interpreted and assessed at an early stage by the Group and findings shared. The Study Group also initiates topics to investigate. The Group is a mixture of a neighbourhood 'think tank', an early warning system and a local version of Planning Aid Scotland.

Residents with local knowledge, including professionals (e.g. planners, architects, engineers, etc.), are members who voluntarily give time, expertise and experience regarding planning issues affecting Helensburgh. The Group is coordinated by an executive committee who are mostly retired people and provide continuity. Thus, the Group offers a novel facility.

Anxieties about the future of Helensburgh had multiplied when, in November 1999, a group of 12 residents of differing backgrounds met to consider the problems. It was decided to create the Study Group to assist Helensburgh to meet changing circumstances. This coincided with government calls for community involvement in planning. The Group's central recognition was that information and understanding are essential for community involvement.

In 1996 Helensburgh had been moved from Dumbarton District Council to Argyll and Bute Council ( ABC). Helensburgh is a conurbation-edge town with needs and planning issues somewhat different from those of the Council's traditional rural areas. Helensburgh is ABC's largest settlement with one-sixth of the authority's population and in many ways linked to Greater Glasgow. Progress required analysing planning issues and early sharing of findings.

The aim of the Study Group is a better future for Helensburgh through local involvement in planning. The Scottish Executive has emphasised the importance of such involvement, but planning is complex and engagement can be confusing and daunting without early and relevant information, analyses and advice close at hand.

The objectives are to improve the quality of community responses to planning matters (e.g. the Local Plan, Scottish Executive's draft SPPs, consultants' reports, etc.) and to seek some consensus. In part this is by early assessment of planning and development materials. It was decided that the Study Group would not respond to individual planning applications, but would provide information and guidance about the system for those who wanted to do so. The Study Group concentrates more on strategic issues than on individual cases.

The Study Group has functioned for seven years. An early concern was ABC's draft Structure Plan, but the Study Group's range of activities has widened to include Scottish issues such as the White Paper / Planning Bill and local technical concerns such as telecommunications masts and the effects of decommissioning three reservoirs. Responding to Scottish Executive consultations (e.g. on SPPs) became part of the Group's own learning process. The progressive stages of the Council's draft Local Plan have required continuity of work over several years.

Cooperation with other groups has been integral to the Study Group's work. Initially this was with other community groups locally, and more recently with organisations in other parts of Scotland.

The Study Group (a) responds to planning authority and national consultations; (b) assesses matters of local concern, including consultants' reports; (c) responds to in-town requests for assistance; (d) co-operates with relevant organisations.

Reporting results is an important feature of the Study Group's work. A list of 25 recent reports (and four in progress) is among the six 'images' provided with this application. Some publications were carried out jointly with other organisations since we value cooperation as much as we value openness. We have also prepared newsletters with other groups and these have been circulated to every household in the town. Each of these demands considerable liaison work.

Our "flagship" publication is entitled 'Helensburgh : a Town for the Future'. This vision for the town involved 21 authors, references to more than 200 sources, over 30 interviews (some being group interviews), analysis of 235 returned questionnaires and other work.

The Helensburgh Community Council, as the statutory community body, is a key partner and there is overlapping membership. Although the Study Group is not elected, the Community Council has an elected basis and our affiliation to it and other organisations adds to the Study Group's status. These links provide a degree of community cohesion. The Study Group's Convener has been co-opted to chair the Community Council's Statutory Plans Sub-committee.

Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire ( SED) recognised the Study Group's work at an early stage. It has kept in close touch and has helped meet some of the Group's costs. Its Chief Executive writes, 'The Helensburgh Study Group has made a substantial contribution to dialogue about Helensburgh's future by diligently conducting studies on a range of issues that are highly relevant to the planning process. Their work has drawn upon wide subject matter and expertise and provided a basis for genuine community engagement in the planning process, achieving a major influence on the thinking and planned actions of the key partner agencies.'

About results, the Chief Executive of SED writes : 'The Study Group's reports and their consultations with the Council, the local community and key partner agencies have helped to produce a genuine consensus about how best to tackle the major planning related issues in Helensburgh and led to the formation of the Helensburgh Partnership as a vehicle for delivering the transformation of Helensburgh Waterfront and Town Centre and the realisation of the wider vision for the town.'

The Group's work on Development Plans has had identifiable effects. We have also met with the Area Committee of ABC (which makes planning decisions) several times. Work for and with other organisations has had results. The Group has been quoted in reports on Scottish Executive consultations. The Community Council has commented : 'The work of the Study Group has raised the quality of local community involvement in planning to a higher level. Its contributions and professionalism greatly assist the Community Council's dealings with planning issues.' If called to interview about this application we can explain results in more detail than space here allows.

Local community involvement in planning (distinct from remote 'community planning') is increasingly important. But there are powerful counter-forces and intrinsic problems. These can include insufficient understanding of the planning system and a tendency by residents to respond too late. The Study Group goes some way to meeting these difficulties by being a mixture of a 'think tank', an early warning system and a locally available source of information. Our work has been valued (including a BAA community service award) and we have evidence of some effectiveness.

We suggest that we offer an innovative model which could contribute to filling gaps in the government's ambition to increase local community engagement in planning.

Tuesday 5th September 2006