KCC Statement of Community Involvement 2020

We are currently consulting on an updated Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

The SCI sets out how the Council will engage communities and other stakeholders on its preparation of minerals and waste planning policy and planning applications determined by the County Council and how local communities can engage and contribute to those planning decisions and the formulation of minerals and waste planning policy across the county.

The County Council's first SCI was adopted in 2006 and two separate Addendum documents were published in April 2013 and January 2014. The changes proposed to the SCI take into account changes in legislation and national planning policies, and some other factual updates. It has also been shaped by experience in how communities engage with the County Council and reflects the Council’s legal and discretionary consultation requirements.

Key changes proposed are as follows:

• Changes to the way information is presented in the document through the inclusion of tables describing the different local consultation and engagement methods the Council will employ in different circumstances.
• An explanation of how the Council will support District and Borough Councils in the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans in their areas (inclusion of such information in SCIs is now a statutory requirement).
• Increased emphasis on consultation and engagement by digital means.
• Changes to neighbour notification as part of the determination of planning applications.
• Changes to minimum consultation periods to streamline local plan-making for minerals and waste planning policy.