Is adding Social Value the key to unlocking planning permissions?
The sermon this morning comes from my own personal experience (again). I received an invite to attend a drop in event to see the plans by a developer… A bit of background: The site benefits from a consent but the consent isn’t quite working with the current economic climate, so there is S73 to amend and remove, what the local residents perceive to be the public benefit, namely retail/restaurants on the ground floor.
When the plans were first floated at a regular community meeting, it went down like the proverbial s#!t sandwich… The area is full of terribly polite middle class (and very eloquent and highly educated and successful people) and I was somewhat taken aback by the strength of feeling in the room. It really did resemble a hornet’s nest being prodded with a stick.
Fast forward to this week and the developer facilitates a drop-in for residents to view the plans (but sadly no way to share their views with them at the event). There is a local community WhatsApp group and I have NEVER seen it so active. Indeed, it is buzzing.
It all revolves around the fact that the original proposed plans were acceptable to the local residents because they could see how it added social value to the neighbourhood. The S73 changes are perceived but the local community to remove those benefits… and they are angry.
But, not all community benefits are being removed. There is a “space” on the ground floor (albeit slightly around the corner and not on the “High Street”. The “space” is a little non-descript on the boards and there is no clear vision of how this space will benefit the local community… neither has there been engagement to find out what the local community would like. This lack of a plan for the space has probably made it worse and they would almost have been better off not offering anything.
So, what is the moral of the story?
If you take the pain but you get the gain and you can see tangible benefits of how the development is going to make the place where you live better, you are going to happily support the plans. Communities don’t mind development (oh, did I say the current building is 6 storeys and it is going up to 12 and the original sailed through with support?) if they can see a benefit to their community.
The reality is that humans are selfish by nature, it is part of our DNA, the primeval survival instinct. This is key to unlocking almost any development, housing, commercial, energy sector… adding that vital social value element is what unlocks support and deliver consents. But it comes with a health warning – if you do it, do it with sincerity and put the work in to find out exactly what it is that the locals want. Respond to real needs and demonstrate how it will work and make things better.
We very much specialise in this, so do get in touch and avoid the unnecessary objections!
Until next week,
Henry
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