Agenda item

Philippa Hopkins, Planning Policy Officer, outlined the representations received during the consultation on the Issues and Options document from January to March 2017.  The report also included high level responses to representations which it was proposed would be set out in detail in a “Report on Public Consultation”.

The consultation had sought to engage people through a range of methods such as various social media platforms, distribution of leaflets, publishing the full range of consultation documents online and making them available to download for free and view locally, radio interviews, press releases, specialist presentations from Officers at parish and other meetings, direct emails and letters to over 430 persons and bodies on the Council’s consultation list.

There were 538 representations to the nine questions set out in the Issues and Options consultation, with the vast majority (470) from individuals primarily objecting to the proposed option to build a Northern Expansion of Slough in the Green Belt in South Bucks.  The Committee noted that no reasonable alternatives or additional options had been proposed during the consultation that could accommodate predicted housing and employment needs in full. It was reported that there were negative responses to the use of greenbelt land for business redevelopment and housing development and that there were no new responses in relation to the impending housing needs and demands of the residents that had not already been considered.

Members were advised that the responses received from the consultation could not be solely relied upon as representative of Slough’s resident and business views as the majority of responses were from non-Slough residents objecting the proposed option to build a Northern Expansion of Slough into the Green Belt in South Bucks. The officer advised that in light of the review of the Local Plan, that this would be an opportune time to review the green belt boundary.

A Member noted that engagement levels from residents in Slough should be increased through different platforms. There were approximately 25-30 house hold responses out of a total 160,000 households in Slough and Members agreed that more should be done to raise awareness, understanding and to increase better dialogues with people. Another members commented that the consultation documents that are available to the public are difficult to read, complex and that there should be another press release or article referring to the various changes happening within Slough as part of the Local Plan as a means of sustained communication with the public.

The Lead Planning Policy Officer advised the committee that the collated responses do not give a definitive commentary of the opinion of Slough residents. He also advised that there gas been a low turn out, wih one member of the public attending parish council meetings. The Committee was advised that there is work being done currently to gain more  visuals, models and images of how the borough will look and that this will be released to show to the public for a better understanding of the changes upon the horizon as a result of the Local Plan. After the discussion, it was agreed that a continued plan be developed for ongoing communications and engagement on the Local Plan issues.  It was also agreed that the Report on Public Consultation be noted and published.

Resolved –   (a) That the summary of the responses received as a result of    public consultation on the Issues and Options for the     Local Plan and comments set out in the report be noted.

(b)  That the “Report on Public Consultation” setting out the Council’s response to representations be published.

(c)  That an ongoing communications plan be developed to increase engagement of local residents.