Re: SCIs - Has anyone seen any good ones. - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

I did a similar search about 12 months ago - the one that stood out for me was by Mid Sussex, being relatively brief, and split into three parts: How you can get involved - Code of Practice which sets out six principles the Council will apply in engaging with residents. How we involve you in making planning decision, which sets out how the Council will involve the community in making decisions on planning. How we involve you in Planning Performance Agreements. The link to their website is http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/8279.htm?pageID=3725

Thanks Brevity is the way to go. I think there is scope to use the SCI in the Neighbourhood Planning process, both in setting out what communities can expect in terms of help and in setting some standards for Neighbourhood Planning bodies in their own consultations.

We are currently in the process of updating our SCI. The last version is only a couple of years old (June 2010), but we are wanting to just amend the regulations and change the address as we have moved offices. All the consultation methods would remain the same. Do you feel that this would require a new consultation? or could we just amend the document without a consultation as the changes are minor.?

Thanks Andrea

Ours is only four pages long and is intended to be pretty plain and simple. http://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=13675 Simon

Many thanks Simon ! I have shamelessly copied your delightfully liberating approach to SCI. It has probably saved me days of work and pages of text resulting in something much more digestible and fit for purpose. We have applied a similar approach to our LDS. Just the Local Plan to do now......

We are also looking at reviewing our SCI, and as the starting point I'm trying to find where in the Act(s)/Regs it tells us that a) we no longer have to consult on the SCI as a quick google has shown that some LPAs are consulting on draft SCIs, and b) it doesn't have to go through Independent Examination? I can't find where Section 18 of the PCPA 2004 has been replaced/revoked? Can anyone help (with Section/Reg numbers preferably!!)

Thanks Andrea. You have mentioned above that there is no longer a requirement to consult on SCIs - where is this from? Is it becuase it's no longer mentioned in the Regs? I have seen very recent SCI consultations on the web, e.g. Harrow. Thanks

Hi Helen, I think this is the difference between a 'requirement' and whether the authority considers it good practice for their area. It may come down to what you know about your communities and how they like to be kept informed. I would imagine that if you are proposing to stop doing something you currently do, or if you are proposing to significantly change what you do, that may be worth at least a short consultation exercise? If you're just updating the SCI to refer to the new regulations etc, so it's more a 'legal and factual' change, I doubt there's much mileage in consulting on that. Just my opinion though. I think what's set out in the posts above is more useful than my ramblings :-)

Andrea I just wondered if you consulted on tour new format simplified SCI before adopting it?

Andrea, I take it from your response above that you did not consult on your SCI? We are currently working on a draft of our SCI in the spirit of dramatically slimming it down to a more user-friendly format (from 40 pages to a 10 page leaflet). As you have highlighted, the Regs no longer require us to consult on this and we were going to proceed on this basis, although our Legal team are advising that we should consult to avoid criticism later on and being as we have made 'significant' changes. Therefore, I thought I would ask - Have you had any challenges/queries from any party on how you carried out your review?