Southwark Council announces ‘Consultation Charter’ proposal for developers
1 May 2019
A London Council is planning to introduce a Consultation Charter for developers who want to build in the borough to sign up to.
Southwark Council is looking to implement the Charter to set a standard for public engagement and consultation that the council, as a planning authority, would expect any new development scheme to deliver on.
Building on examples from other London councils, the Southwark Charter is believed to be the first of its kind in London to have a clear, defined requirement for developers. The Charter reflects the council’s own commitment to develop its community engagement principles, which will inform all future consultation guidance and activities the council conducts.
Cllr Johnson Situ, Cabinet Member for Growth, Development and Planning, will also be sending an open letter to developers this week explaining the reasons behind the new Charter and encouraging them to get behind it.
Cllr Situ said: “Southwark is a vibrant place to live, work and visit with record levels of employment, award winning libraries and high attaining schools. Our vision to provide a fairer future for all has, in part, been delivered through regeneration across the borough which has bought new investment and opportunities.
“But the council also recognises and is clear that regeneration is not just about changes to the buildings and environment around us, but also improving the lives of people who live and work in the borough. To ensure we build on success it is essential that everyone have the opportunity to have their voice heard and influence change and our approach to the way this investment takes place in the borough.
“The Development Consultation Charter is our promise to deliver regeneration that works for everyone.”
The Charter has been developed following one of Southwark Council’s most wide-ranging engagement programmes – The Southwark Conversation – that reached over 3,000 residents across the borough and covered their views on change and the impact of new developments.
Among the findings were observations that although communities were consulted on developments by the developer in most cases, often the quality and depth of engagement were varied. Once adopted, the Charter will unify the expected approach to consultations, with planning decisions taking into account how well an application met these requirements as part of the decision making process.
The draft Charter was discussed at the council’s Cabinet meeting this week (Tuesday 30 April) and if approved will go out to public consultation from May.
Page last updated: 01 May 2019
