Effective Community Engagement in Local Development Planning Guidance consultation – CLDSC Response September 2023

The CLD Standards Council has responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Effective Community Engagement in Local Development Planning Guidance. This consultation was about guidance on effective community engagement in the local development planning process. It was for planning authorities, communities and other interested stakeholders. It supports the local development planning approach of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, associated new regulations and guidance.

This guidance is a significant and welcomed positive development for Scotland’s local authority planning processes regarding community engagement, with recognition of the critical importance of communities to help impact and shape our economy and growth moving forward. It was felt there were a substantial number of areas in which it could be further developed to fully support meaningful engagement within our communities across Scotland, especially to recognise the weighty investment that will be required, as well the significant role that CLD as a sector, a profession and a practice will take for the successful roll out of this guidance and approach to community engagement, as engagement is key in building consensus and relationships between people involved in development. We welcome the inclusion of the National Standards for Community Engagement and the International Association for Public Participation approaches in this guidance and offered information on additional legislation and standards which should be considered.

Please read our full response which was compiled following consultation with members of the CLD Standards Council, the staff team and partner organisations.