SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN PLANNING
55. This PAN sets out what communities can expect from the process and explains the roles of Scottish Ministers, planning authorities and applicants under the new system. To help sustain participation in planning, a range of information and support is available for community engagement.
FOR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES
56. Planning Aid for Scotland provides a free, impartial and independent planning advice service for individuals and community groups across Scotland. It provides an enabling role for communities and individuals who could not normally pay for professional advice, or who find it difficult to get involved in the planning system. Its two principal aims are to ensure that everyone has access to planning advice regardless of their ability to pay and to educate people to understand the planning system and their rights and responsibilities within it. Planning Aid for Scotland provides a range of information and briefing papers, some in other languages as well as visual material, on many aspects of the planning system. Its material is written with the lay person in mind and provides an explanation of technical terms and descriptions of the various planning processes.
As part of the consultation for the new local plans being prepared for Sutherland and Skye & Lochalsh (Highland Council), Planning Aid for Scotland ( PAS) delivered training workshops for the Highland Council planning authority to develop the capacity of community groups to contribute and engage effectively. People from community councils, residents, tenants, community education networks and other local interest groups took part with PAS volunteers.
57. Many planning authorities provide their own support and training for community groups and community councillors on the planning process. For example, local authorities provide a discretionary administration grant to the Community Councils in their area. Many provide supplementary grants for various projects and purposes, or supplement their support indirectly, such as producing newsletters, providing computers, accommodation, or typing and other administrative services. Planning authorities should continue to raise awareness of planning to encourage people and communities to participate; and build capacity to provide communities with the skills they require to become, and remain, involved in planning, thus ensuring sustainable community engagement.
58. Communities Scotland provides consultancy support for all 32 Community Planning Partnerships to help implement the National Standards of Community Engagement. They also provide resources through the Community Voices Programme, which aims to ensure that community representatives, volunteers and residents in the most disadvantaged communities in Scotland can get involved in influencing the services and regeneration activity in their areas. Planning authorities might benefit from working with groups which are supported via this resource in the most disadvantaged communities.
59. The Disability Rights Commission's Code of Practice provides information about the rights and responsibilities of disabled people in community engagement. Access Panels, the membership of which usually includes people with mobility, hearing and visual impairments, offer their knowledge and experience to improve access to the built environment and information which affects it.
60. A new 'Community' category has been added to the annual Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning to recognise where communities have been most effective, either on their own account, or in partnership with local authorities, developers or other stakeholders, in making places work better and in their contribution to the planning process. Community groups are encouraged to consider making an application for this award.
SUPPORT FOR PLANNING AUTHORITIES AND COUNCILLORS
61.The Scottish Executive Planning Development Programme ( PDP) is a resource designed to help planning authorities address training needs and skills gaps to help them in the effective delivery of their planning functions. A key aim of the programme is to support better engagement between planning and communities and resources from the PDP will be targeted to help planning authorities develop their skills in this area.
62. Planning authorities should build on the support of existing council networks, including community planning partnership networks. Planning Aid for Scotland can also help encourage greater awareness and understanding of effective community engagement in land use planning for planning authorities, in particular through their training events with communities that can be run in conjunction with planning authorities. The Scottish Mediation Network can advise on the use of independent mediation and consensus building techniques and on the appointment of mediators and facilitators.
63. Councillors are encouraged to take advantage of training opportunities provided by planning authorities, university planning schools, specialist consultants and Planning Aid for Scotland to support them in carrying out their various duties.
Support for applicants
64. Community engagement should be a core part of project management plans and support in developing communication strategies can be obtained from the planning authority, Planning Aid for Scotland and professional planning and community engagement consultants.
65. Details of useful contacts and references can be found at the end of this PAN.