To recommend to council the adoption of the Herefordshire Council statement of community involvement.

The cabinet member for infrastructure introduced the report. He noted that the adoption of a statement of community involvement was a statutory requirement.

The local and neighbourhood planning community engagement officer outlined the report and explained that there had been a focus on recognising the possibilities offered by new communication technologies while ensuring that all parts of the community are able to raise and respond to planning issues.

An additional recommendation in regard to this item was circulated at the meeting. This was to ensure consistency between the statement and the public engagement sections of the council’s constitution.

A group leader suggested that listed examples of Development Plan Documents should be comprehensive and that the glossary should have separate entries for Neighbourhood Development Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents.

In response to a query it was clarified that the Annual Monitoring Report was now known as the Authority Monitoring Report.

In response to a query from a group leader it was stated that there would be an ongoing process of evaluation to ensure consultation was effective. There would need to be a judgement on a case by case basis on the quality of the response received.

The cabinet member for infrastructure stated that while it was frustrating to receive low response rates to consultations, the council had to acknowledge that residents could suffer from consultation fatigue.

Resolved that:

a)    the revised Herefordshire Council statement of community involvement at appendix 1a & 1b, be recommended to Council for adoption; and

b)    it be recommended to Council that authority be delegated to the monitoring officer to make any consequential amendments to the statement necessary following future changes to the council’s constitution relevant to public engagement to ensure consistency between the documents.