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Application form
Please make sure you have read all the notes carefully before you start to fill in the application form. This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically - it is available on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning. Please complete all five sections. The deadline for submitting applications is 8 September 2006. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.
1 Please provide a name and contact details of the lead organisation responsible for this work.
Name | Janice Long |
Job title | Planning Policy Manager |
Organisation | Midlothian Council |
Address | Fairfield House, 8 Lothian Road, Dalkeith EH22 3ZN |
Telephone | 0131 271 3461 |
Fax | 0131 271 3537 |
Email | janice.long@midlothian.gov.uk |
2 If this is a joint application, please list the other partners who had a key role. You should also inform your partners that you are nominating the project for an award.
1 Midlothian Federation of Community Councils | 2 |
3 | 4 |
5 | 6 |
3 Tick the category of nomination
Title of entry | Public Consultation for the Replacement Midlothian Local Plan |
Please complete the form on the following pages by providing a brief summary of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude with a key reason as to why you think this work merits an Award. Only the two A4 pages supplied here can be used and your text must fit within the boxes. The font size should be no less than 12pt.
The judging criteria are set out below. Please tick only the key criteria relevant to your entry:
You must describe, in your written submission, how the criteria which you have ticked relate to your project.
Description of project
The project relates to the approach to public consultation adopted for the Midlothian and Shawfair Local Plans review process conducted in two stages (Oct./Dec. 2004 and 2005), culminating in the Finalised Midlothian Local Plan being placed on deposit in June 2006. |
Context - describe the background to the project
In approving the Edinburgh and the Lothians Structure Plan 2015 ( ELSP) in June 2004, the Scottish Ministers required the Lothian authorities to bring forward replacement Local Plans (to finalised stage) within 18 months. The expedited timescale imposed on the Council was half the length of time recommended in the Scottish Executive's guidance. The challenge was to conduct a review of the Midlothian and Shawfair Local Plans in just 18 months and to embed in the process the requirements of the new SEA Regulations which came into force just after ELSP approval. Despite this abbreviated timescale, the Council wished to embrace the principles of the modernising planning agenda to fully engage with key stakeholders and the public at all stages in the plan making process. |
What are the aims and objectives of the project?
The aim of the project was to conduct an open, fully transparent and responsive consultation exercise with stakeholders, the development industry and the public at the key stages in the Local Plan process. The approach was to be refined through the application of professional knowledge of previous consultation activities and reviewed to improve effectiveness. The feedback was to help inform the choices to be made in site selection to meet the requirements of the ELSP (2200 new homes / 50 hectares of employment land) and to gauge opinion on proposed revisions to planning policy in response to changes in Structure Plan and national policy. The key objectives of the adopted approach were: - general awareness raising of development plan issues;
- 'early and effective' consultation on the significant environmental effects of the Plan, as required by the SEA Regulations (now superseded by the Act), integrated with Local Plan consultation so as to avoid confusion and consultation fatigue;
- capacity-building for partner participation - Community Councils, businesses and Government agencies;
- meaningful community engagement with benefits for the public and the Council alike;
- productive dialogue with the housebuilders and development interests; and
- customer focus - using innovation to improve the accessibility to and standard of information, and extending the options to contact / communicate with the Council.
Whilst stimulating interest in the review process, it was hoped that effective consultation would help to iron out some of the concerns about land allocations and policy changes that might otherwise result in objections to the Local Plan when finalised and placed on deposit. |
Timescale - over what timescale has the project been developed?
The Council published its Notice of Intention to carry out the review in the week following ELSP approval (June 2004) and circulated a leaflet seeking views on key issues. The first full consultation on the development options suggested by developers/landowners, and potential policy changes, took place in October - December 2004. All 120+ suggested development sites were included in order to be as transparent in the assessment of options as possible and not to prejudge the outcome. The second phase of consultation was conducted on the Preferred Development Strategy and Interim Environmental Assessment in October - December 2005. The replacement Plan - Finalised Midlothian Local Plan ( FMLP) - was placed on deposit from 29 June to 10 August 2006 alongside the Environmental Report. |
Action - explain the process and action taken
For the first stage of consultation, an information leaflet was distributed to every household; Community Councils attended a pre-consultation workshop and assisted in disseminating information and stimulating debate; press adverts/articles were published and radio adverts commissioned; a travelling exhibition visited libraries, supermarkets and leisure centres; workshops were held in the main communities; and the web site encouraged e-mail responses. In the second stage, the Council reviewed its approach and, in response to distribution problems, leaflets were posted to all households. The web site was redesigned with a dedicated Local Plans Review Page and enhanced graphics. The biggest change was the introduction of a community consultation bus touring the main towns and villages. It offered exhibitions, an informal seating area where visitors could meet to discuss issues, and Council staff on hand to answer queries. An external canopy provided break-out space and shelter. Parking in town centres, leisure centres and supermarkets gave it a high profile. The bus provided a convenient "hop on/hop off" opportunity to view the proposals and discuss the issues with planning staff or Elected Members. It proved popular with residents such as OAPs, mothers with young children, schoolchildren (many of whom would not travel to an exhibition or workshop) and workers in the area. |
Explain the role of the key partners
Community Councils played a key role, welcoming the pre-consultation workshop as advance warning of the key issues for their communities. Material was supplied to them in a variety of forms, including large-scale maps and a PowerPoint presentation, to use at the convenience of their own meetings. They assisted by publicising the consultation locally and coordinating responses. To supplement the programme of public workshops, an agencies / statutory undertakers / Community Planning partners workshop and a business workshop were held. The Midlothian Chamber of Commerce helped explain the significance of the review, giving a presentation to local business leaders. |
Results - what results were achieved?
The adopted approach achieved the distribution of information on the review to more than 90% of households and succeeded in direct contact with those who do not normally engage in development plan consultation. The first round generated 900 responses reducing to 690 more focused and, on the whole, well-articulated responses at the second stage, and culminating in 550 objections from 327 objectors at the deposit stage (as compared with nearly 1000 objections to the current Midlothian LP adopted in 2003). There was a significant increase in the use of the web site for information and e-mail correspondence; this will assist the roll-out of e-consultation through the EGF ePlanning Programme in 2007/08. There has been very positive feedback from consultees, the public and Elected Members alike on the approach to consultation, the access to information and, in particular, the convenience and novelty of the consultation bus. The use of the bus in Midlothian has been cited as good practice in the draft PAN on Community Engagement "Planning with People" (July 2006). |
Conclusion - in summary, why does this piece of work merit an Award?
Consultation is a statutory planning requirement but is difficult to embrace in a way that satisfies public expectations. Given tight budgetary and time constraints, careful management and professional judgement was required in order to achieve the objectives of the consultation - to put the customer first - without derailing the Local Plan process. Direct mailing of every household, taking the exhibition into venues like supermarkets, and travelling round communities in the consultation bus raised the profile of the consultation. The redesign of the web site gave 24/7 access to information and fast contact with the Council. The enhanced role of Community Councils resulted in well-articulated feedback. Whilst the Council will continue to seek improvement, it considers that this piece of work merits an Award as an example of good practice in consultation. It works well, has won the confidence of those involved in the process, is resource efficient, and can be developed further for future application. |
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