Response to Gov't White Paper

Neighbourhood Initiatives is a Charitable Foundation which aims to help communities, and particularly their less articulate members, to investigate their structural problems and evolve measures to tackle them. Our principal technique in this is 'Planning for Real®' developed by Dr Tony Gibson, though we also have other generally related techniques and services to offer.

“Our aim is to improve actual community engagement in planning rather than create more process.” Para 1.43.

1 The Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation (NIF) welcomes the opportunity to comment on this important and timely White Paper. In relation to Chapter 1, NIF recognises only too well from its work the comment that ‘planning systems are confusing and unclear’ to many around the country. Our experience is that it is particularly true of those who are least able to articulate their views either because of disadvantage, age or ethnicity. The problem manifests itself most strongly when those who do understand the system and who have most to gain, manipulate the process to narrow advantage. This exacerbates social and community disunity and creates short term winners and losers. In the long term, everyone suffers.

2 NIF is pleased to see that the White Paper recommends increased ‘funding for bodies such as Planning Aid to ensure members of the public get the advice and support they need to get involved in site specific proposals’. NIF has seen substantial grants awarded to Planning Aid in recent years to support its work in assisting individuals in their planning battles.

3 NIF has a thirty year record of assisting communities to envisage their futures through 'Planning for Real®' and other capacity building activities. The aim has been to beef up the capability of communities to better help themselves, not just in the short term but in a sustained and enduring fashion. NIF would like to hope that it will be financially enabled to assist Government to deliver the outcomes of the White Paper, bringing all its experience and networks to bear.

4 It is interesting that the picture on the front cover of the White Paper is of a child next to a model involved in a 'Planning for Real®' exercise. Ever since Tony Gibson pioneered the activity in Glasgow in 1977, a model has been central to achieving better understanding of a proposal. Through such means, NIF has worked extensively and successfully on planning and regeneration matters with children, asylum seekers, older people and hard to reach groups. It is with these general comments that NIF then addresses specific questions in Section 1 of the Consultation.

• Q.1-10 We agree there is a strong case for dealing with national infrastructure and major projects in a different way, in particular bringing them forward in a coherent, comprehensive and timely fashion that is better understood by the public. National Policy Statements are essential in the absence of a national spatial strategy of the sort that now exists in Scotland and Wales. It is crucial that these are ‘joined up’, and their long time horizon coupled with five year reviews also seems so sensible that one wonders why it has not been done before. NIF believes Ministers should take decisions (see response to Q 29 below).

• Q.12 Yes. We consider that promoters should be responsible for proper consultation through participatory processes. We would recommend the frontloading approach and community engagement steps outlined in the national Planning Forum Good Practice Note on this topic.

• Q. 27 We agree that an inquisitorial rather than adversarial approach is most suited to the examination of the major projects. However, we would recommend a form such as Parliamentary Select Committee rather than a Public Examination for the ‘open floor’ stage. This will allow for closer examination and cross- examination of the evidence rather than the less formal round table approach. Our experience is that if the public is to be satisfied that they have had their ‘day in court’, it is important that they are convinced the testing is thorough.

• Q.28 NIF has particular experience over many years and around the country of working with hard to reach groups. The first place 'Planning for Real®' was tested was in a ‘no-go’ area of east Glasgow that officials rarely even visited. We would be pleased to develop bespoke packages for DCLG based on our long hands-on experience. Any engagement process needs to be well co-ordinated and programmed as part of a transparent project plan. Communities dislike nothing more than being ignored for years and then bombarded with a succession of agencies asking for their views on the same or similar proposals, often which are quickly ignored again. NIF’s expertise is in building capability within communities, particularly those least able to help themselves, so they may continue to play an active part in delivery. Local authorities, developers and other agencies find that it is most useful to have independent third parties such as NIF becoming involved in such participatory activity. NIF also trains officers and others to act as mediators and facilitators the better to assist service delivery.

• Q.29 No. We consider that the decision regarding major projects should rest with the Minister. It is proper that the decision should rest with a democratically elected politician. The public should at least be able to feel they can register their discontent through the ballot box if they disagree with a decision rather than see decisions taken by a quango. This raises the question whether the Planning Inspectorate could perform the role (or much of it) of the proposed Planning Commission, at least in providing the Chairman for the inquisitional panel.

• Q.32 If the IPC route is taken, we agree that Commissioners should be drawn from these fields. We are particularly pleased to see community engagement specifically mentioned and we would be pleased to offer expertise in this area. Clearly, specialists would be needed to inform the process-for example aviation on airports, marine for ports and harbours.

Graeme Bell

Chair of Trustees