The Planning and Transportation Policy Working Group met to discuss the results of a public consultation on the draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and recommended that the Policy and Resources Committee approve the proposed changes and proceed to Full Council for adoption. The consultation, which ran from 21 May to 2 July, gathered feedback from various stakeholders, including residents, parish councils, and statutory consultees, and resulted in proposed changes to the draft SCI. The updated SCI aims to improve community involvement in local planning matters.

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) Consultation and Adoption

The main focus of the meeting was to review the proposed changes to the draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) following a six-week public consultation. The committee was asked to note the proposed changes to the draft SCI and recommend that the Policy and Resources Committee agree to the changes, so that it can proceed to Full Council for adoption.

The SCI outlines how the community can participate in local planning, including the preparation of Local Plans¹, Neighbourhood Plans², and Supplementary Planning Documents³, as well as the consideration of planning applications and dealing with unauthorised development. The consultation on the draft SCI ran for six weeks, during which letters and emails were sent to statutory consultees, local councils, residents, stakeholders, organisations, and businesses. The consultation was also advertised on social media and the council's website. The consultation website received 149 visitors and 638 page views, with submissions from six individuals, two Parish Councils, two Local Authorities, one business, one utility company, three statutory consultees and one developer.

The majority of comments were supportive of the document, with many suggesting amendments to improve clarity and understanding. Key issues raised during the consultation included:

• Criticism of the council's historic approach to consultation.
• Concerns about excluding those without access to computers or digital engagement.
• The need for varied engagement approaches to reach wider sections of the community.
• Requirements for applicants to report on their own community consultation processes.
• Suggestions to add a glossary and references/links to legislation.
• Requests for direct engagement with tourism operators and caravan park owners.

Principal Planning Officer (Policy) Anna Stonor and Planning Officer (Policy) Christopher Mansfield addressed these comments and proposed changes to the SCI, which are detailed in Appendix I of the report. The proposed changes aim to improve clarity, inclusivity, and accessibility of the document.

The committee was asked to consider the proposed changes and recommend that the Policy and Resources Committee agree to adopt the updated SCI.

The report considered alternative options, including rejecting the suggested changes or retaining the current version of the SCI, but these were not recommended due to the legislative requirement to update SCIs every five years and the benefits of having an up-to-date SCI published in advance of the next consultation phases of the Local Plan.

The report stated that the proposals align with the Corporate Plan action for a Local Plan with local needs and capacity at its heart. The Local Plan work programme is fully funded through a combination of base budget, committed reserves, and central government grant. Updating the SCI every five years is a legislative requirement, and publishing an updated SCI will help meet the council's statutory requirements.

Local Plan Review

The Planning Policy Manager provided an update on the Local Plan review, noting the impact of the extended Highsted Park Inquiry on completing the required work in line with the existing Local Development Scheme (LDS).

The committee discussed the importance of continuing work on the Local Plan and the potential benefits of a planning inspector visit to the borough for a pre-discussion. Members agreed that progressing policy work would be valuable, although allocations would prove difficult.

The Planning Policy Manager confirmed that the advisory visit from the Planning Inspectorate would be free and could be organised quickly. She also noted that the council is entitled to two visits from the Planning Inspectorate under the new system.

The Head of Place said that officers had spoken to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), who recommended seeking legal advice on the approach and timings of the LDS, given Swale's special circumstances.

The Head of Place also informed the working group that officers had secured a grant from the government to help fund work required on the Local Plan, with a proportion of the allocation being held to fund interim staff support.

The committee resolved to note the exceptional level and prohibitive nature of work required to meet the milestones in the current Local Development Scheme (LDS) and agreed to bring forward an advisory visit from the Planning Inspectorate. They recommended that the Policy and Resources Committee agree to Option 1, as set out in the report, to progress the Local Development Scheme.