Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: September 9, 2025

Purpose: Updates to the Statement of Community Involvement setting out how we will carry out engagement for the Local Plan.

Content: The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) was a protocol for how local authorities would engage with their communities in the preparation of Local Development Documents (LDDs) such as local and neighbourhood plans, and the consideration of planning applications and planning enforcement matters.   The SCI was a document that the Council was required by law to produce and keep up to date to ensure effective community involvement at all stages in the planning process. This could be amended from time to time to take account to changes to the delivery timetable i.e. from government legislation.   The Council received legal advice from King’s Counsel (KC) in July 2025, which explained that the existing Buckinghamshire SCI implied that Council was committed to consultation on a ‘full’ (entire) draft of the Local Plan at the Regulation 18 stage and that the consultation might occur in stages, which was contrary to what the Council was proposing to consult on at Regulation 18 stage.   Following the legal advice received from KC, it was proposed to amend the SCI to ensure that the local plan making process remained robust and avoided the potential of legal challenge, which could cause unnecessary delay, by amending it to clarify that at Regulation 18 stage, the Council would consult on parts of the draft local plan, and that the Council would not be consulting on the entirety of the draft local plan.    The Council would continue to prepare evidence to inform the development of a ‘full’ plan for the Regulation 19 stage.   RESOLVED that the revised Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) be adopted.