Public consultation is a misnomer. The word ‘consultation’ implies a two-way discussion that leads to a mutual decision.
By the time a developer launches a public consultation, the planning decision is pretty much in the bag. Soph and I have worked on a few big planning applications where a public consultation was required. We’ve done our fair share of handing out questionnaires to locals, insisting their views will be heard. The trick is not to upset the apple cart.
So, we were aghast to hear about the complete horlicks Stanton Cross Developments made of its interaction with the public about its housing-led development in Northamptonshire.
It had already got the locals’ backs up by starting to fell 39 lime trees to make way for a dual carriageway. After sustained protests, Stanton Cross agreed to a pause in proceedings and to host a ‘public information exhibition’.
Instead of smiling and nodding, the home team told a Northamptonshire Telegraph reporter her questions would not be answered. A member of the public suggested they could ask one on the reporter’s behalf. “No,” came the reply.
“It was extraordinary,” the reporter says. “I was invited to a press preview of the public exhibition but wasn’t allowed to take photos or ask questions.”
A lesson in bad PR.
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