COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Local authorities are now under increasing pressure to involve their local community in the planning process, and many are now requiring that extensive public consultation is carried out during the drawing up of conservation area appraisals, local lists, and other such documents. The extent of public consultation varies enormously, and this variety is recognised in the Statement of Community Involvement prepared by each local authority as part of the emerging Local Development Framework.

CHIP

For conservation area appraisals, The Conservation Studio has, over the last two years, developed a methodology for community involvement that responds to the requirements of individual local authorities and provides a framework which can be fine-tuned to their individual needs. This has primarily been achieved through the CHIP (Community Heritage Initiative Project) with Elmbridge Borough Council in Surrey, which has been funded by English Heritage as part of their Community Capacity Building project.

For this project The Conservation Studio acted as heritage consultants to Elmbridge Council, running the workshops, walkabouts, feedback sessions, and exhibitions, and writing and illustrating the documents.

This achieved four conservation area appraisals with management proposals for four conservation areas: Weybridge, Monument Green, Old Village, and Bridge Road (both in East Molesey). Local focus groups were set up, drawing on the already established Conservation Area Advisory Groups, and workshops, walkabouts, and public exhibitions followed. All of the documents were then put on the Council’s website for four weeks and then the final reports were produced. For further information on CHIP see www.elmbridge.gov.uk/services/planprop/chip.htm.

St Columb Major

Using the CHIP model, The Conservation Studio has recently produced a draft appraisal with management proposals for St Columb Major in North Cornwall. The whole conservation area was leafleted, and two workshops were held in July and August 2006, each attended by around 30 people. The final document is now being written and will be on Restormel Borough Council’s website soon.

Other community schemes

Other conservation areas where local community involvement has been achieved include Groombridge, Langton Green and Speldhurst (Tunbridge Wells) where walkabouts, feed back sessions and public exhibitions were held; and also Guildford Town Centre where public meetings and a public exhibition were held.