In one of Lord Prescott’s famous malapropisms he once claimed that the green belt is a labour achievement and they mean to build on it.
It now seems some members of the Conservative Government wish to make good on his erroneous pledge.
Building on the green belt seems to be a regular reaction when Governments are under pressure to deliver new housing and stimulate economic growth.
But if this does happen in some form how do you communicate this positively to local communities that are fiercely protective of their surroundings?
Being involved in a current planning process on a green belt site I can vouch for the strength of feeling people have about their local environment. Rightly or wrongly attachment to what has now become the sacrosanct green belt is heartfelt.
The coalition has talked about providing financial incentives for communities to approve developments. And certainly demonstrating a closer link between future development and the actual benefits for existing communities is vital.
This takes previous section 106 planning agreements to a new level. Rather than developers just paying for additional services to meet the needs of the new development there must also be a significant benefit for the existing community. Not in my back yard can often be overcome through this kind of measure.
This does not get away from the need for good old fashioned community consultation and engagement. Yes, there are ways to carry out consultations online and gather people’s views and these should be embraced. But nothing is quite the same as a face to face meeting. This gives you the opportunity to look people in the eye and explain the detail behind plans and respond immediately to their concerns.
Trust is a word that comes up regularly in discussions with local residents about planning issues. And this is hard to build purely online.
You may not win over everyone through meeting them face to face. But surely even a heated consultation is better than no consultation at all?
Tony Cox
It now seems some members of the Conservative Government wish to make good on his erroneous pledge.
Building on the green belt seems to be a regular reaction when Governments are under pressure to deliver new housing and stimulate economic growth.
But if this does happen in some form how do you communicate this positively to local communities that are fiercely protective of their surroundings?
Being involved in a current planning process on a green belt site I can vouch for the strength of feeling people have about their local environment. Rightly or wrongly attachment to what has now become the sacrosanct green belt is heartfelt.
The coalition has talked about providing financial incentives for communities to approve developments. And certainly demonstrating a closer link between future development and the actual benefits for existing communities is vital.
This takes previous section 106 planning agreements to a new level. Rather than developers just paying for additional services to meet the needs of the new development there must also be a significant benefit for the existing community. Not in my back yard can often be overcome through this kind of measure.
This does not get away from the need for good old fashioned community consultation and engagement. Yes, there are ways to carry out consultations online and gather people’s views and these should be embraced. But nothing is quite the same as a face to face meeting. This gives you the opportunity to look people in the eye and explain the detail behind plans and respond immediately to their concerns.
Trust is a word that comes up regularly in discussions with local residents about planning issues. And this is hard to build purely online.
You may not win over everyone through meeting them face to face. But surely even a heated consultation is better than no consultation at all?
Tony Cox
Consultant
tony@linstockcommunications.com 
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