Is Bucks Council's new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) actually trying to gag the community?

​Why this matters?

• The SCI determines who will be consulted upon regarding the emerging Local Plan and Planning Applications and when or if you will be notified. 
• It also prescribes how the Council will inform the public about the new Local Plan and supporting evidence and any local Planning Applications too.

Normally, SCI consultations are not contentious but BNG feel this one is shameful!

Specifically, there is now,

• No commitment to publish a consultation draft Local Plan.
• A reduced commitment to consult on any other evidence base documents (ie on further Green Belt assessment).
• No undertaking to report on or to publish consultation responses from the remaining statutory consultees.
• Ambiguity over who or how the wider community will be notified about Local Plan draft policy or local Planning Applications, merely that the community “may” be consulted, and the Council might “reach out” (whatever that means!) to community groups.
• An implied requirement for local groups like BNG, to assume vigilance and responsibility for monitoring the Council’s extensive website in order to follow the Local Plan process or planning applications - The Council are not even committing to advertise or display site notices,
• Finally, the community will get just 6 weeks’ notice of a final Consultation deposit Local Plan on which to make reasoned responses on very technical issues to an Inspector. 
  
  

It is ridiculous to publish a document that begins by commending the virtues of public involvement in local planning and then spends over 20 pages outlining how the public will have less involvement or ability to comment than before!   
WHY IS THIS BEING PROPOSED? - What is the justification for such radical changes?  

• Please see the new proposed SCI here,
• Then compare it with the previous SCI that was only in adopted in April 2019 here…

As if to rub salt into the wounds, the Council chose not inform Brown Not Green Campaign and other local resident groups about the new Statement of Community Involvement Consultation.  Looks like they have already adopted it. 

This really is a direct attack on our democracy and Council accountability.  They almost got away with it but following clever work by some astute members of the BNG Team, we spotted this and were able to put pressure on the Council to extend the Consultation deadline by a couple of weeks before they could push it under the carpet.

Please, we need you all to respond to this Consultation, urgently, as otherwise it will be very difficult to protect the Greenbelt if this goes through.

Simple instructions including a guideline template below.

How to Comment (by Tuesday 6 April 2021):

BNG’s response to this new SCI can be found here. (This may help you to write your own objection, but a suggested template letter/email is can be found by clicking here:  Word or PDF

• Send an email to:   [email protected]  
  
  
• Or send a letter (by 6 April) to:

                                            Buckinghamshire Council, Planning Policy, SCI Consultation,
                                            King George V House,
                                            King George V Road,
                                            Amersham,
                                            Bucks
                                            HP6 5AW

• Or you can complete the online survey at by completing the on-line Council survey https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/planning/sci-2021/

​Thanks again for your continued support.

See also The Chesham Society's  and Beaconsfield Society's pages on this issue.

The BNG Team