Draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) - 2015

(1)1. Introduction

(1)1.1 Planning for land use and development in the District is one of the Council's key responsibilities, impacting both directly and indirectly on individuals and communities.

(1)1.2 It follows that people and groups potentially affected by planning policies and proposals should have the opportunity to be effectively involved in decision-making - and should understand what those opportunities are.

(1)1.3 This Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) explains the arrangements for public involvement in Rother District Council's planning processes. It covers both the preparation of planning policy documents and the determination of planning applications.

1.4 When finally 'adopted' (approved), this SCI will replace the current Statement that was adopted in 2006 The need for this update stems from changes to legislative requirements as well as to national planning policy and guidance since the earlier SCI was adopted.

1.5 The following section 2 sets out the Council's Guiding Principles for consultation, which remain as previously, with some elaboration in relation to their application to planning matters.

1.6 Section 3 highlights the opportunities for involvement at each stage of preparing Planning Policy Documents. These take account of revised regulatory requirements for plan preparation, the new 'duty to cooperate', Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and guidance.

1.7 Section 4 deals with Development Management, i.e. the consideration of planning applications, applications for listed building consent, conservation area consent, etc. It sets out the commitments for making information available on such applications and for the opportunities for making comments on them.

(1)1.8 The final Section 5 highlights briefly how and when monitoring and review of the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) will take place.