The Council’s planning policies are set out in Local Plans (also known as development plan documents). ‘Adopted’ local plans, including the Minerals Strategy and Waste Plan and ‘made’ neighbourhood plans form the development plan. Legally these are the starting point in determining planning applications.
In addition, when more detail is required the Council can choose to produce and publish a supplementary planning document (SPD). However, government has indicated that they are likely to remove reliance on SPDs and they may be phased out.
Public and stakeholder engagement is an important part of the plan making process as it allows knowledge and expertise to be gathered from a wide range of perspectives.
Who will we consult
The Council is required to consult with a range of consultees as set out in The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended. This includes specific and general consultation bodies, and duty to cooperate bodies.
Specific consultation bodies include:
- Environment Agency
- Historic England
- Natural England
- Homes England
- NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group
- Public Health Dorset
- Highways England
- Network Rail
- Marine Management Organisation
- town and parish councils in Dorset
- neighbouring county, local and parish councils
- Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner
- gas, electricity, water and telecoms providers
General consultation bodies include:
- Voluntary bodies whose activities benefit the area
- Bodies representing racial, ethnic or national groups in the area
- Bodies representing disabled persons in the area
- Bodies representing businesses in the area
The duty to cooperate also requires us to cooperate with:
- the Civil Aviation Authority
- the Office of Rail Regulation
- the Dorset Local Nature Partnership
The Council will consult with groups that fall into one of the above categories to ensure that it captures the views of a broad range of local groups that represent different interests in the area. If you belong to a group that can be described by one of the categories listed above and you would like your group to be involved in local plan production, please let us know.
As well as the above the Council believes that all residents and businesses operating in the area should have the opportunity to be involved in the plan making process. The Council operates a local plan database which anyone can ask to be included on. People on the database will receive notification of consultations directly. Please see below for contact details for the Council’s Planning Policy Team.
When we will consult
A brief overview of the plan making process highlighting the key production stages is summarised below.
Local Plan production process
Initial evidence gathering: Consider the scope of the plan and begin evidence gathering. We may consult particular stakeholders on certain evidence base documents.
Plan preparation (can include Issues and Options and Preferred Options stages): Engage with local communities, businesses and other interested parties. Public consultations will usually last six weeks (additional days will be added to the consultation period to compensate for any public bank holidays that coincide).
Publication: Draft plan published and representations (comments) invited on it for a minimum of six weeks.
Submission: Plan submitted for examination.
Examination in public: Independent inspector assesses the Local Plan to determine whether it is ‘sound’ and meets other legal requirements. Public hearings are held. Everyone who made representations at the publication stage will be notified six weeks beforehand. The Inspector’s Report is published.
Adoption: Plan adopted (depending on outcome of inspector’s report).
How we will consult
There are a number of methods that we can use to inform, consult and involve others such as:
- Publicising consultations through press releases, our website, public notices in the local press , posters, and social media (e.g. X and Facebook).
- Emailing or writing to appropriate organisations, community groups and individuals directly.
- Making consultation documents available:
- on the Dorset Council website and/or
- at local libraries or other public locations, as deemed appropriate, where possible and safe.
- Hosting public events, such as roadshows/exhibitions or webinars, where everyone is welcome to attend and ask questions.
How to make your involvement effective
The following is a guide to making sure that your involvement is effective:
• write clearly and submit your comments within the published timescale
• give your name and contact details (the Council’s Planning Policy Privacy Notice is available to view on the Council’s website).
• be courteous and respectful of other people’s views. We reserve the right not to accept comments that could be considered offensive
Be aware that local plans and decisions need to be legal and consistent with government policy.
What happens to your comments?
All comments received in response to a consultation will be considered. A consultation report summarising comments will be made available on the Local Plan web pages.
