Localism reforms empower communities

Localism:
Looking Forward

Featuring exclusive insights from...
Clive Betts MP
John Roger Chairman of the CLG Select
Howell MP Hepher Committee
PPS to Cities, Head of
Decentralisation Planning and
Stephen Gilbert MP
CLG Select Committee Member
and Planning Regeneration
Minister at Savills
Fiona Howie
CPRE’s Head of Planning

Contents
Localism: Looking Forward
Mark Brown, a member of the Government’s Planning Sounding Board,
outlines the political motives behind Localism.

The Local Way Forward
John Howell MP, PPS to Cities, Decentralisation and Planning Minister
Greg Clark, explains the key measures in a year of planning reform.

A Leap in the Right Direction
CLG Select Committee member Stephen Gilberrt MP argues that
localism enjoys unusual cross-party support.

A National Balance?
Clive Betts MP, Chairman of the CLG Select Committee, questions the
national-local balance shown in localist reforms.

Unseen Consequences
So many simultaneous reforms could lead to unseen consequences and
advantages for those with enough foresight, says Savills’ Roger Hepher.

A Rural Role
With Coalition reforms reflecting many existing countryside planning
techniques, CPRE’s Fiona Howie explains the lessons to be learned.

The Planning Authority View
How can developers make the most of consultation and achieve consents
through engagement? First-hand advice from Planning Authorities.

2 Localism: Looking Forward

Mark Brown is a founding partner of Local
Dialogue and a member of the Government’s
Planning Sounding Board.

Localism:
Looking Forward
I
n a process that many trace back to an important distinction: that NIMBYs
the 1980s and attribute to attack when they have no other option.
Governments of both parties, The politics of the petition, says the
centralisation has been a pattern of Coalition, is created by a planning system
modern British politics. that provides minimal recourse to influence
decisions. The answer, they say, is to
The images of a Blairite ‘sofa government’ provide an alternative – a valve that
and Brownite ‘Stalinism’ were so strong, in prevents the build up of pressure through
fact, that opposition parties formed early collaboration.
governing philosophies in deliberate
contrast to them. David Cameron and Nick Our clients, presented with sweeping
Clegg would perhaps place ‘localism’ as changes across the planning system in the
the clearest overlap on their Venn diagram form of the Localism Act and the National
of government. Planning Policy Framework, need to know
how their interests will fare. It is far more
For this reason, it should be unsurprising rosy than many had feared and here we
to see the Coalition adopt with huge publish an exploration of the
energy the remit of localisation in public implementation of these new measures.
services. Some name it a ‘supply-side
revolution’ or the creation of a ‘Big The following pages present the views of
Society,’ affecting everything from schools, policy influencers from politics and
to benefits, to the NHS. Others label it industry, who give their perspective of the
‘privatisation by stealth’ or ‘cuts under new Framework. We also present new
cover’. In the planning sector, at a time research that looks at the views of
when the economy desperately needs planning officers and Local Planning
construction, there are many who would Authorities (LPAs), demonstrating how
simply call it a huge, risky experiment. they view consultation in influencing
planning decisions. n
But the Coalition has surprised many in
our industry. It has not come out with the
NIMBY’s charter. Instead, it has identified

Localism: Looking Forward 3

The Local
Way Forward
2012 will be the year Government reforms in
planning will be felt right across the country,
says Open Source Planning co-author and
Conservative MP, John Howell.

“R ather than have one planning structure determined
centrally… we want to create a planning system
where there is a basic national framework of planning
priorities and policies, within which local people and
their accountable local governments can produce their own
distinctive local policies…” – Open Source Planning, 2010

In Open Source Planning we set out three key tenets to achieve
John Howell is the Member of Parliament the balance of national framework with local plans. These were:
for Henley and is the Parliamentary Private
Secretary to Greg Clark MP, Minister for • Restore democratic and local control;
Decentralisation and Localism. He co- • Rebalance in favour of sustainable development;
authored the Conservative Party’s • Produce a simpler, quicker, cheaper and less bureaucratic
planning green paper, Open Source planning system.
Planning.
Now the Localism Act and NPPF are public with the above tenets
reflected in law, let me look at the tools we are using to deliver
them.

Neighbourhood Plans are a key component of restoring local
control over planning. In my constituency, I’ve had the chance to
see frontrunner plans coming together. The feedback was
encouraging. As we predicted in Open Source Planning, local
people rise to this challenge with confidence and responsibility.

But it is not only local communities who have seen the way
forward. I’ve also been impressed by developers who recognise
that delivering a project ‘by appeal’ will need to be replaced by
real collaboration with communities. They have recognised that
for them, the emphasis will shift from the application to the plan.


I am sure that in 2012 we will see more
of this. How to identify your
Under the previous system, there was
no way for local communities to share
project’s stakeholders
in the benefits of development. This
point is particularly important. Lessons Identifying 'stakeholders' is a major part of any project. But for
from a study conducted by Local successful engagement, you need to understand the community's
Dialogue into international examples of dynamics.
Neighbourhood Planning clearly
showed the importance not only of Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point is excellent at
describing key stakeholders. Gladwell identifies three key groups
participation in planning but of sharing
to describe the people who often spread key messages across a
the benefits of so doing. This is community.
precisely what we have enabled
through the Community Infrastructure ‘Connectors’ have extensive personal networks that they use to
Levy (CIL), giving communities a share communicate with a lot of people. It could be a hairdresser,
in a developer’s contributions. chatting to local people all day, or the business leaders that run
the local Chamber of Commerce. Our research identifies these
The New Homes Bonus is a mechanism key people and presents information in easily sharable ways for
by which the Government will match, them to propagate.
pound-for-pound, for six years the
‘Salesmen,’ who have a talent for persuasion, are the next crucial
council tax income of new homes.
group. Local Dialogue has become adept at identifying these
Already there are mature conversations ‘community champions’ – local people who support a project and
between neighbourhoods and planning want to make it happen. Then it is about giving them the right
authorities about how some of this tools to bring about success on their own steam.
might provide deliverability for the
content of neighbourhood plans. Finally, ‘mavens,’ a word Gladwell takes from the Hebrew for ‘one
who understands’. Put simply, these are people with an expert
Many councils recognise that they do passion for a particular subject. A great example is the Waterloo
themselves and their residents no Community Development Group in London – a largely volunteer
favours by having no local plan in group with a detailed interest in local development projects.
Groups of this type are often key because they know what they
place. The importance of councils
are talking about and are respected by councillors.
moving ahead with these is paramount.
Nothing in the Government’s reforms These three types of stakeholders can make or break your project,
undermines the primacy of the local so researching, identifying and knowing how to connect with
plan in determining planning them is absolutely essential. n
applications. Moving ahead to
complete Local Plans will, I am sure,
continue to become an increasing Jessica Stewart,
priority for local councils in 2012. Partner
Jessica has nearly 15 years’ experience in
Good progress has been made in good stakeholder and community relations and
time: the Localism Bill is now an Act is an expert in leading projects for both
and coming into force already; the private and public sector clients.
NPPF has been received well. 2012 is
the year of the reforms we set out in
Open Source Planning. n


Stephen Gilbert is the Member of
Parliament for St Austell and Newquay. He
is also a member of the CLG Select
Committee and Chairman of the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Housing.

A Leap in the
Right Direction
Localism is the result of political consensus, leading to a
wide devolution of power, says Liberal Democrat MP
Stephen Gilbert.

I
t’s the double devolution that David Over 13 years from 1997 we have seen
Miliband has spoken and written that increasing centralisation does not
about. It will enable David work. We know that centralised systems
Cameron’s “Big society,” and it is a cannot display initiative because they are
huge step towards the community-based too big to fail and so cannot experiment
politics that Liberal Democrats have long or differ. Dispersing power throughout
argued for. the country will see a plethora of different
approaches to service delivery, reflecting
The localism agenda frees councils, the particular needs of communities, and
enables councillors and empowers local that will be healthy for the communities
communities. For the first time, councils concerned and for the country as a whole.
get the power of general competence: the
ability to act in any area to benefit their Instead of local people being told what to
communities. They get extra financial do, local communities will have
freedoms and the housing revenue opportunities to influence the future of
account, long hated, is being reformed. the places where they live. Neighbourhood
Councillors will get increased rights, and planning will let communities come
the end of the ridiculous together through parish councils or
‘predetermination’ ban on having an neighbourhood forums and say where
opinion on local issues before going into a they think houses, businesses and shops
meeting to talk about it. should go – and what they should look


A digital consultation?
Good engagement is about getting on the ground to meet
stakeholders in their own communities. Traditionally, that meant
the physical locations where communities meet to exchange
information. But increasingly such exchanges happen in online
communities.

Online media has played a huge role in creating the transparent,
non-hierarchical drive behind localism, so they should also play a
huge role in its implementation.

Selecting the right tools to engage should be strategic and not
just following each fashion. Twitter, for example, is popular and
can be great for reaching political or media influencers, but it can
be unsuited to the slow pace of property development. Our
research, on page 12, into how planning officers respond to
engagement tactics shows that online engagement ranks fairly
low in their priorities, presumably because it’s tough to make
material planning arguments in 140 characters.

However, more targeted but less fashionable tools, such as the
local online discussion forum (see Grant Shapps’ constituency
forum at www.shapps.com/forum for a great example) or a local
blogger, can be much more effective. And with the possible lack
of neighbourhood-level media channels, e-mail can be the real
‘old faithful’. Like offline communication, this is still about
reaching the target audiences you need to engage, so getting to
like. This turns the planning process on their inbox in a meaningful way is valuable.
its head – from a process that is done to
people, to a process that is done with As with all the communications in your engagement strategy,
people. digital must be targeted and integrated with other channels. The
tools are out there for a highly effective dialogue – it’s just a
Trusting individuals, empowering matter of selection. n
communities and delivering real choice
– these are the opportunities that the
Localism Act and NPPF enable. There Benedict McAleenan,
are challenges too: communities will Account Manager
take time to get to grips with new Benedict is a former Campaigns Manager
at the Conservative Party and for Grant
powers. The roles of politicians will
Shapps MP. He is responsible for digital
change – community leaders will need
media development at Local Dialogue.
to argue for the development they want
to see and not default into opposition.

These are not the final steps in getting
Whitehall out of the Town Hall, or in
devolving real power to communities,
but they are a huge leap in the right
direction. n


A National Balance?
Communities need a common set of criteria to deliver localism and meet
national needs, says CLG Select Committee Chair and Labour MP Clive Betts.

T
he planning system is there to
enable sustainable development: Clive Betts MP is the Member of
to ensure the right development Parliament for Sheffield South East.
takes place in the right He is the Chairman of the CLG Select
locations. It is there to protect green space Committee of the House of
and ensure homes are provided and that Commons.
there are places in the right locations to
work, shop and enjoy leisure time. It has
to take account of local wishes but also
the wider national needs.

It is this latter remit which often causes local plans will have to be drawn up with
conflict. The Coalition has abolished some common means of assessing need.
Regional Spatial Strategies, which Local plans will be important in deciding
determined - on the basis of local councils’ where development should happen, but
information - how many homes were not a means of simply resisting
needed to be built in each council area. development and hoping it will go
The CLG Select Committee, which I chair, elsewhere.
suggested this could leave a planning
vacuum, where Councils’ individual There are national policies to tackle
housing targets did not meet the national climate change, which require increased
demand. To avoid this it will be important green energy production. If, however,
for local authorities to cooporate with every council decides its citizens don’t
each other. want to look at wind turbines, then our
very challenging climate change targets
Local plans will also be influenced by the will not be converted from aspiration to
neighbourhood plans, which are part of realisation.
the Localism Act. The Government needs
to make it clear that Neighbourhood Plans There has never been a more challenging
are seen in Whitehall as ways to enable time for our planning system. It is criticised
development, not to veto it. Unless as an obstacle to growth, and for ignoring
resources are made available, they could local views, almost in the same breath.
just become the preserve of communities Local plans are the building block based
where residents have the expertise, time on thorough public consultation. They also
and finance to produce them. require consistency of needs assessment
between plans to ensure we meet the
If the potential conflict between national national targets which have widespread
need and local wishes is to be overcome, support. n


Your new duties to consult
The Localism Act isn’t the first piece of legislation 3) You need to show that it wasn’t all lip service. Your
requiring consultation. It’s the most recent in a growing submitted designs should reflect the submitted feedback
canon of legislation and best practice that includes the from the pre-application stage. Put simply, stakeholders
Killian Pretty Review and Labour’s Planning Act – both in need to be part of the design process. Design
2008. Whatever happens to the Coalition partners at workshops are nothing new though – architects would
the next election, developers should bet that this do well to skill-up on collaborative design techniques,
legislative commitment to localism is here to stay. although many know their stuff in this area already. n

They should therefore recognise that these duties,
introduced in the Localism Act, are here for the long Scott Royal,
term: Partner
Scott leads high-profile
1) You’re obliged to hold a pre-application consultation engagement programmes for
on larger planning applications. It’s not a case of just Local Dialogue and was
presenting your application to the crowds. ‘Insufficient previously Head of Public Affairs
consultation’ could be grounds for a legal appeal. at the Arts Council and Comms
Manager at the Department of
2) You need to produce documentation from your Work and Pensions.
consultation as part of your application. A ‘Statement of
Consultation’ report is essential. On the plus side, our
research has shown that officers have an incredible
amount of power when presenting the feedback. If your
pre-application consultation shows overwhelming
support, it could help to balance a recommendation for
refusal.

30
Is consultation necessary?
Number of responses

25

Local Dialogue t How important, with five being 20
asked senior officers
'essential' and one being 'not
at local planning 15
authorities to important at all', do you consider pre-
determine priorities application consultation? 10
at a local level.
5
35
The results show a
resounding 0
30 5 4 3 2 1
commitment to pre-
Number of responses

application
s How influential are the results of
25
consultation and a
conviction that it 20
has a real impact at
pre-application consultation at the
determination 15 determination stage?
stage.
10 1. Not important
2. Not very important
5 3. Quite important
4. Very important
0 5 4 3 2 1 5. Vital

Localism: Looking Forward
5
9

Unseen Consequences
The complexity and number of simultaneous planning reforms will mean
unforeseen consequences, with advantages for those with foresight,
says Savills Head of Planning, Roger Hepher.

W
e are in the midst of an Unfortunately, it may all take some time.
interesting period in the Planning is never black or white, even
history of the planning when condensed down into a few pages,
system. When leading so the new ground rules will need to be
lawyers and planning consultants met for tested. This is not desirable when the need
a learned conference recently, the sense for economic growth is urgent.
was one of uncertainty about the outcome
of the Government's reform programme. So many aspects of the system changing
at the same time undoubtedly leads to
The Localism agenda is complex: unintended consequences. We are already
neighbourhood plans, NPPF, presumption seeing some: moves to establish Parish
in favour of sustainable development, New Councils to thwart business-led
Homes Bonus, business rates retention, neighbourhood plans; complaints of
Local Economic Partnerships. Councils cross-subsidising certain
developers by setting low or zero
The Government's objective in localising Comunity Infrastructure Levies (CILs) to
power is clear. It is equally clear that it encourage development in regeneration
wishes to encourage development, and to areas.
make the planning system an engine of
growth. Only time will tell whether this Those who can anticipate these
objective can be reconciled. consequences - and find ways to turn
them to their advantage - may prove to be
The optimistic view is that many some of the greatest winners. n
communities will recognise the economic
benefits of development - enabling the Roger Hepher is Head of Planning and
bypass to be built or providing funds to Regeneration at Savills.
retain the leisure centre - and will want to
facilitate it. The sceptical view is that the
Daily Telegraph-fuelled resistance to
development runs so deep in Britain that
most will regard it as a price not worth
paying.


A Rural Role
Many mechanisms introduced by the localism reforms are drawn
from rural planning, writes Fiona Howie of the Campaign to Protect
Rural England.

P
rotecting the distinctiveness of meaningful and applicants are willing to
their local area continues to be an make amendments to proposals.
important issue for many rural
communities across the country. Neighbourhood planning could also be a
The Cotswolds is a classic example, where key tool as communities may decide to
the stone features act as a common thread include policies about the design of new
throughout historic towns and villages, buildings in their areas. It builds on the
linking them to surrounding landscapes. idea of Parish Plans, but if a
neighbourhood plan receives sufficient
Parish Plans and Village Design Statements support from the community it will carry
have been used in many rural areas to more weight when local planning
enable communities to influence applications are being determined, which
developments. While the experience of is the key difference.
community collaboration may have been
positive, the impact of these documents Neighbourhood planning will not,
has been variable. however, give local communities a free
rein. It will not enable people to veto
The Government promoted reforms to development, for example, and policies
allow people more control over the future must have regard to national planning
of their areas, but they have also stated policy. CPRE raised concerns about
they want to see more houses built. They wording in the draft NPPF regarding the
have argued that by involving people in definition of ‘acceptable returns’ for
local decision-making, it will improve developers. That economic emphasis is still
quality, timescale and local support. there in the final version and it is
important that unbridled construction is
The Localism Act requires applicants to not perceived as synonymous with
have regard to views expressed through economic growth – CPRE’s own research
the pre-application consultation process – shows that is not the case. n
another opportunity to voice local
preferences. However, these requirements
will only effect change if local authorities Fiona Howie is Head of Planning at the
ensure pre-application consultation is Campaign to Protect Rural England.


Jeremy Fieldsend is a founding Partner of
Local Dialogue and heads its Leeds office.

Seeking Consent:
Your Strategy
What makes a good engagement strategy? Our research, introduced by
Jeremy Fieldsend, gives an exclusive insight into planning officers’ priorities.

T
here's a new phrase entering the material consideration in refusing an
planning lexicon: clap-o-meter application. Surely then, local
planning. authorities must make similar efforts to
It's not supposed to happen, evaluate how the community as a
local authorities will deny than it happens whole feels. How will 10 individual letters
(in their planning committee) and we've all be weighed against a 100 name
seen it happen. Members, petition for example? Should we hold a
encouraged by a cheering/jeering public public meeting for 300 people or
gallery, base their decision less would ten meetings for 30 people be
on policy and more on giving the public considered more valuable?
what the public wants in the name
of 'democracy and Localism'. (And that's a Local Dialogue has undertaken exclusive
quote form a chair of planning.) research across 326 local authories in
But if Localism is about empowering England to better understand how officers
communities in local decision making, view consultation and what they consider to
surely this means the whole community and be ‘sufficient’.
not just the shouty parts.
The following pages give an overview of the
When we consult as part of the planning results from this survey and demonstrates
process we are, quite rightly, that a real added valued is achieved when
obliged to consult with everyone and if we consultation is carried out effectively.
don't, this can be considered a


Planning your strategy - what works best?
The Government’s changes to the grows among councillors that the Localism
planning system have created uncertainty. Act gives them greater powers. As one
However, what is certain is a greater need officer said:

“
to consult and to consult well. Here, we
draw on our experience and research into
English Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to
bring you a guide to delivering an effective
Increasingly the localism message is “
giving councillors the feeling that they
should decide - technical planning
approval strategy. arguments have less weight.

The Government leaves developers little It’s therefore key to complete due
wriggle room. Forward-looking developers diligence and understand how an
can bolster the chances of consent by authority works. Is it the officers, media,
weaving proper consultation into an local councillors or vocal campaigning
effective strategy towards approval. groups that hold sway? In most areas, it’s
a mix, but knowing who are the ‘go-to-
Do your homework guys’, seeing them at the right point and
The clearest message is that each council involving the right stakeholders can be key
does things differently. They have different to a scheme’s success or failure.
internal procedures, experience different
levels and types of activism and crucially
there is a very different interplay between Tools of engagement
officers and councillors. We asked senior planning officers to rank standard
pre-application consultation methods out of five, with
five being the most important. The results of this
Our experience also bears this out. We’ve produced four clear tiers.
worked in places where locals have
welcomed new pylons as extra nesting Tier One – Face-to-face events
sites for falcons and another where a well- 1) Public exhibitions 4.2
managed private school was perceived as 2) Meetings with local groups 4.0
the bane of residents’ lives.
Tier Two – Involving councillors
Understanding how feedback is fed 3) Letters to councillors 3.6
through is vital. 66% of LPAs record 4) Meetings with councillors 3.5
whether feedback they receive is positive
Tier Three – Untargeted communications
or negative, but in one fifth of authorities,
members rely purely on officer summaries. 5) Leaflets to local residents 3.5
Knowing how the LPA treats consultation 6) Leaflets to local businesses 3.2
responses and how they are reported to 7) Project websites 3.1
committee is crucial to help smooth the 8) Posters on and around the proposed site 2.9
path of an application.
Tier Four – Least preferred
Sound political understanding is also 9) Social media engagement 2.2
important. 29% of senior officers say it is 10) Door-to-door canvassing 2.0
common for planning committees to
divide along party lines. Indeed, Be careful though! These tiers help you to plan your
consultation, but we’d advise against discounting any
understanding the political situation is outright – adapt your strategy around your project.
more important than ever, as a belief


How to get an 200 5
impact 4

3
It's important to make
150 2
sure that supportive
stakeholders are heard. 1
But how does a
petition weigh against
a letter, or a media
100
campaign against
social media?

We asked the planning
50
officers which methods
of feedback, aside
from formal
submissions to the 0
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council's statutory

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Have an approval strategy only inform and drive people towards your
One of a developer’s key hurdles is public events, but also provide an excellent
achieving planning consent. The opportunity for identifying supporters. A
Government has ensured that this will be project website can also be a low
dependent on proper engagement, so maintenance way of keeping stakeholders
make this part of a consent strategy. informed and supporters up-to-date.
Especially if you’re in it for the long haul, a
Presenting your proposals to decision high quality website will pay off.
makers and engaging with stakeholders
are two sides of the same coin. Therefore Although our research showed that few
you need to have a strategic approach to councils see social media and similar
tie it all together. technology as crucial, several see it as very
important. The chances are, a digitally-
80% of senior planning officers view face- savvy LPA like Brighton and Hove will
to-face dialogue with local people as ‘vital’ expect you to have a social media
or ‘very important’ to the consultation. presence. At the very least, local press and
These can be woven into your project those online will appreciate it. In 2011, a
timeline: use an early workshop to local news site tweeted to our client:
discover local priorities, hold a design “Makes a refreshing change to see social
workshop with a residents’ association media used for consultation” leading to a
midway and present your plans at a public number of positive stories.
exhibition. Help stakeholders to feel they
‘own’ the project so they’ll want to push it Preferred responses – who has the ear
through to completion. of the planning officers?

Written communications with the wider 98% of senior officers feel it’s more likely
community are also important. They not for people to object than support


development proposals, however all of council’s formal consultation.
those surveyed said that an objection is
weighted the same as a representation in And yet we all know that councillors are
favour. Don’t rely on planning officers far more interested in popular opinion
dismissing objectors as ‘NIMBYs’ but help than many would admit. Although it
your supporters to make representations. should not have an influence, a room full
of opponents or supporters can make or
Your research and engagement have break an application. This is particularly
helped you identify your supporters. Now true close to elections, when 50% of
it’s time to use them. Endorsement from officers state it is less likely for members to
local people puts you in a very positive approve plans in the run up to an election,
light. So, you need to know how to often opting for deferral. Says one officer:
mobilise them. “For some [councillors] it’s a struggle to
accept that some issues are non-material.”
Senior planning officers stress that
although numbers are important, the Planning is politics
quality of stakeholders’ arguments are
crucial in the sway they hold. Encouraging A consultation is required not just by law
supporters to write to the council on but by planning officers and politicians.
relevant planning matters during statutory You can use a consultation to show them
consultation is a vital foundation of that you’re with the community and your
support. project is a community product.
Consultation isn’t just a hoop to jump
Don’t let the insistence on ‘high-quality through – it’s a key piece of due diligence
planning argument’ deter a good high- and a way to achieve a development’s
profile campaign, though. In 80% of LPAs, goals.
officers admit to presenting non-planning-
related feedback to committees. As one As one senior planning officer stated:

“
officer states: “We log petitions and if
councillors use this as a weighting when Consultation has led to some
making decisions, that is a matter for
them.”

By tapping into existing support among
“
schemes getting support from
people who previously objected and
in many cases developers agree to
small things that make a big
the community it’s possible to push your difference to locals. n
project over the line.

Pitch your arguments at the right level

Different groups need different types of
engagement. Planning officers have a For more information about this
strong preference for cogent research or Local Dialogue’s, please
representations, as one senior officer says: contact:
“We tend to give weight [to feedback]
based on the content’s quality rather than Ian Doak
how many people say something.” t 020 7357 6606
Encourage planning interest groups or e ian.doak@localdialogue.com
well-informed individuals to respond to a


Your project
delivered
What we do
There is no substitute for effective community engagement. We work on the
ground, on behalf of our clients, developing relationships, communicating the
right messages, promoting understanding and managing risks.

Localism has been our guiding principle from the start – it is not a new concept to
us. Our detailed understanding of the development process, the planning system
and the motivations of local communities and local authorities ensures we can
help smooth the process from start to finish.

Our approach is always bespoke. We recognise that each project is unique and
has its own complexities and issues, requiring a different strategy to deliver a
positive outcome.

London Leeds
Mark Brown Jeremy Fieldsend
Local Dialogue Local Dialogue
136-148 Tooley Street Goodbard House, Infirmary Street
London SE1 2TU Leeds LS1 2JP

t 020 7357 6606 t 0113 246 9243
e london@localdialogue.com e leeds@localdialogue.com

www.localdialogue.com

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