Statement of Community Involvement 2025 Consultation
6. Development Management Comment
6.1. Hastings Borough Council has, for many years, consulted neighbouring residents and other occupiers about planning applications which may directly affect them. There is now statutory guidance from Government which set out how Local Planning Authorities should publicise many different types of planning applications in the required ways.
6.2. The council strives to give people the opportunity to share their concerns, within timescales, on relevant planning matters as they perceive them so that these views can be taken into consideration and inform decisions before they are taken.
6.3. As well as people who may be directly affected by planning applications close by there are also arrangements to publicise planning applications to a wide range of interested local organisations and to consult with statutory bodies who would wish to know about this.
6.4. Different types of applications receive different approaches to publicity and engagement as set out in the Government requirements.
6.5. Detailed guidance on involving the community in the Development Management process is shown in our own guidance 'Building more than houses: Guidance about Community Involvement' (2007).
The role of the planning authority Comment
6.6. We will assist developers and work in partnership with them where appropriate to ensure that there is meaningful and transparent community involvement, and to ensure that the integrity of the council as decision taker is maintained.
The role of developers Comment
6.7. All applicants, no matter how small the development, will be encouraged to discuss their proposals with their neighbours and anyone else who may be directly affected by their application.
6.8. Where a major and/or controversial development is proposed, applicants are encouraged to carry out pre-application community engagement that is tailored to reflect the nature and scale of the proposed development. These community engagement arrangements will be managed, organised, and funded by the potential developer.
6.9. All developers are strongly advised to discuss community involvement activities with us as part of pre-application discussions.
6.10. Feedback should be provided to participants in community engagement activities. This should be in the form of a report detailing comments received and how these have been addressed in the final planning application.
6.11. Where additional research has been undertaken by the developer, for example, ecological surveys, the findings of these should be shared with participants in any community involvement exercises.
6.12. The results of pre-application involvement should form part of the submitted planning application
Pre-Application stage: pre-application discussions Comment
6.13. We encourage applicants or their agents to discuss their proposals with planning officers before making a formal application. Full details of procedures for this, including fees where applicable, are shown on our website.
6.14. Pre-application discussions allow the airing of issues surrounding a potential development and help clarify the level of detail needed to help determine the application.
6.15. It is at this early stage in discussing planning applications that we will encourage potential developers to consider engaging with local people before a significant planning application is submitted which is likely to attract wider community interest.
Major planning applications Comment
6.16. The significance of the proposed application will help to establish an appropriate level of wider community involvement. A major planning application normally[1] refers to a development of 10 or more dwellings, or a development of more than 1000m2, or with a site area of more than a hectare.
6.17. A controversial application is one where there is likely to be concern in terms of potential social, economic, or environmental impacts on the community affected by the proposals. This would cover proposals which may not be significant in size but may be significant in impact. Development Management officers can advise if asked where pre-application community engagement by a developer would be useful, and to offer a view on the type of engagement, where development is deemed controversial. Where a proposal is major and/or controversial, we will advise that the developer engage with the community at an early stage prior to a formal application being submitted as part of the pre-application process.
6.18. As a guide where a proposed application is for the development of 20 or more dwellings, or is a development of 5,000m2 then early engagement should be considered.
6.19. Further detail about engagement techniques, what they are suitable for, for whom they are appropriate and what they involve, is shown in The Toolkit in Section 8. Where a proposal is of a very large scale in terms of size, or has the potential for controversy, at the discretion of the Planning Services Manager, we may also request that developers carry out a master-planning process. Early community involvement on major or potentially controversial planning proposals will benefit everyone – the wider community, potential developers, potential investors, and the local planning authority. We suggest that developers engage with the community. Community engagement can save time and money. It is at this stage, before a planning application is submitted, that local people can feel fully engaged in the process. Pre-application community involvement activities will give members of the public the opportunity to have their say while the details of the scheme are still being put together. The early exchange of information about the site and its surroundings is likely to help design a scheme that better fits its local environment. Pre-application community involvement is also important from a business point of view in that it may well prevent abortive work being carried out or unnecessary delay in the planning approval stage. A scale of fees will apply for pre-application advice.
Pre-application forums Comment
6.20. A pre-application forum is a public meeting that allows engagement with the local community and councillors. We have found this service to be very effective as it allows developers to respond to and address issues raised by the local community and councillors and adapt their planning application submission accordingly. Pre-application consultation forums were first set up in April 2011. These help improve community involvement in the development management process, by encouraging developers to attend a pre-application forum that are chaired by the Lead Councillor for the Development Management service. This enables the applicant to explain their proposals and for local people to make observations in a controlled and managed environment.
How Forums work Comment
6.21. The pre-application forum is held at the council offices and the meeting starts at 6pm and is hosted by the leader of the council. The planning officer provides a brief introduction followed by a presentation by the developer. Specialists may also be brought along if it is thought that councillors and members of the public would be interested in a certain matter, for example a Transport Consultant.
6.22. After the presentation, the floor is open for councillors to ask any questions. Notification letters to local residents are sent in advance of the meeting to let them know that questions can be asked through councillors, and they will need to contact their councillors in advance of the meeting with those questions. There is sometimes a break in the middle, which allows members of public to raise further questions with their councillors.
6.23. Where a Pre-Application Forum is to be held, it will take four to five weeks to arrange and give anybody invited to attend suitable notice. It is important to allow enough time after the forum for proposals to be amended to take account of the outcome of the forum before an application is submitted. Whilst developers will be encouraged to use this opportunity for early public engagement on large scale developments it is not mandatory and is dependent on their co-operation and willingness to take part.
6.24. It is recognised that it is necessary for councillors to be involved in pre-application discussions, in order for them to fulfil their role as champions of the local community. The code and protocol for councillor involvement in pre-application discussions is clearly set out in Part 5 of the council's Constitution.
Table 1: Engagement activities by project stage Comment
What stage are you at?
What we suggest
Why we suggest it
I have an idea or brief for what I would like to build and would like to start concept design. (RIBA Stage 1-2[2]).
Create your communication and consultation plan at the same time as your brief.
Offer a site visit.
Invite community feedback on say one to three methods from the Toolkit in the Statement of Community Involvement.
Keep a record of all feedback.
Raises issues that you might not be aware of.
Helps you deal with those issues before you have spent a lot of time and money on designs.
Your development will fit better with the local environment.
May save time at application stage.
I have a developed design. (RIBA Stage 3).
Invite comments on concept designs and other documents using 13 methods of your choice from the toolkit.
Feedback will help you decide what does and does not work, what may be controversial and will raise issues you may not be aware of.
Your development will fit better with the local environment.
May give you and your architect new ideas. Helps you come up with a complete design.
I have a technical design and am ready for pre-application support from the council. (RIBA stage 4).
A pre-application forum.
A re-design (if needed), inviting comments using one to two methods of your choice from the toolkit.
Raises issues that you might not be aware of.
Helps you deal with those issues before you have spent a lot of time and money on designs.
May save time at application stage as your statement of community engagement will be. detailed and robust
I have a technical design and am ready to submit my application (RIBA stage 4).
Formal consultation as part of the planning process.
You can continue to encourage community members you've spoken with already to provide feedback.
This is a good way to show that the process is still open and transparent, and that the application has considered their feedback.
I have planning permission and development has started. (RIBA stage 5).
Billboards/ Heras fencing signage.
Communication on progress using one to two methods from the Toolkit.
Reminds your community what is happening on site, how they helped shape it, and when it will be finished.
Tells them who to contact if there are any issues caused by the construction that may impact them in the short term.
People like to know what is happening and be kept up to date.
The development is complete and ready for people to move in (RIBA stage 6-7).
Closure of communication and consultation plan.
Formally open the site.
Reminds your community what is happening on site, how they helped shape it, and when it will be finished.
People like to know what is happening and be kept up to date.
6.25. Where a planning application is close to the borough boundary, or where an application is a major proposal which has implications for Bexhill, its town centre or the wider district, consultation will be undertaken with Rother District Council, neighbouring Parish Councils, and other relevant interest groups.
Outline applications Comment
6.26. Potential developers should provide as much detail as possible about their intentions to enable the community to contribute. In the case of proposals to establish the principle of development, which may result in an outline application, developers should be aware that they will need to explain this approach in any presentation to the community and should attempt to receive responses that address the broad principle of development, rather than the detail, at this stage.
6.27. A further pre-application public engagement event/activity is likely to be needed to address a detailed submission following outline approval and developers should discuss this with planning officers before making such submissions.
Significant variations to major or controversial schemes Comment
6.28. A pre-application public event may be needed to address a formal variation to a proposal which has already received planning permission, where this relates to a major or controversial development. This would be requested at the discretion of Development Management officers. Again, developers should check with planning officers prior to making such further submissions.
6.29. Where an application follows a substantially similar application both in terms of timing and the substance of the application (where the issues have already been debated in some detail), reduced public involvement may then be appropriate.
Submitting a major or controversial planning application Comment
6.30. The final planning application should be accompanied by a statement setting out details of community engagement activity/activities carried out. This statement should include:
- the scale of notification including a list of properties and businesses contacted;
- location, date, and duration of any events/activities held;
- list of participants;
- summary of the comments and issues raised;
- a clear indication of which comments have resulted in amendments to the scheme and what those changes are; and also, which comments have not, and why not;
- points raised in relation to the public engagement process itself.
6.31. The applicant should keep all responses received.
6.32. The council cannot refuse to accept an application just because the applicant has failed to carry out enough pre-application community involvement.
6.33. Where Hastings Borough Council consider pre-application community involvement would be appropriate, we will advise the applicant at the earliest opportunity and offer them the chance to defer submission of the application in order to allow community engagement activities to take place.
6.34. Please note that even where an applicant complies with our community engagement requirements this does not mean that any application arising will be granted planning permission.
The application stage Comment
6.35. We take our responsibility to the public in terms of publicising planning applications very seriously. Our existing arrangements are outlined below, and are set out in more detail in our "Comments and Objections" leaflet (Planning Advice Note 3).
6.36. The minimum requirement for publicising submitted planning applications are laid down in Article 15 of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 as amended.
6.37. Article 15 requires that the Local Planning Authority must publicise planning applications by way of a site notice or by serving the notice on an adjoining owner or occupier, with provision for local advertisement in some cases, and information provided on the council's website.
- Where the proposed development would mean a departure from local planning policies, or where it would affect an established right of way, or where an Environmental Appraisal is required (Article 15, paragraph 2) a site notice and local advertisement is needed.
- Where the proposed development is a major development (Article 15, paragraph 4) a site notice or serving the notice on an adjoining owner or occupier is required, along with local advertisement.
- For applications which fall outside Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 4 (Article 15, paragraph 5) a site notice or serving the notice on an adjoining owner or occupier is required.
6.38. Wider publicity is also recommended for other types of proposals that are likely to have more than an immediate impact, for example, uses causing activity and noise during anti-social hours.
6.39. In accordance with statutory requirements, notification of applications made to Hastings Borough Council will be done via site notices and where required advertisements in the local media.
6.40. A number of voluntary and community groups use the council's online facilities to search for planning applications that are of interest to them and to receive email updates on planning applications. This facility is available to any group or individual. Information about all planning applications submitted to the council can be found on our online portal. You can create an account on the portal and set up alerts to find out about applications near you. You can also use the portal to search for current or historic planning applications, track the progress of a particular planning application that may be of interest to you, or comment on an application. The portal is signposted significantly on our website, both on the homepage and within the Planning section itself.
6.41. If you have a My Hastings account, information about the planning history of your property, as well as a list of all current planning applications near your property, is listed in the My Area section of your account.
6.42. Site notices will invite the public to view the planning application on our website. Comments on planning applications must be made in writing in a minimum period of 21 days. Comments can raise objections, support, or concern about the application, or raise any further questions. Further detail about commenting on planning applications is set out in the Council's web page Viewing and making comments on a planning application
6.43. Where an application is major and/or controversial and likely to affect neighbouring authority or other bodies, such as infrastructure providers, such bodies, including Rother District Council, East Sussex County Council, neighbouring parish councils and other organisations such as National Highways and the Environment Agency, will be informed of the proposed development and provided with the opportunity to comment.
6.44. The East Sussex County Planning Policy and Development Management Team are responsible for applications for minerals extraction, waste management and developments
The post-application stage Comment
6.45. Everyone who has formally expressed an interest in a planning application will be informed of the decision.
Appeals Comment
6.46. Where an applicant appeals a decision to refuse planning permission, the council will contact all those people who have expressed an interest in the application.
6.47. Most appeals use the 'written representations' procedure and in these cases, as the name suggests, the Inspector will only accept written comments or objections. Where an informal hearing or local inquiry is held written representations will be accepted and objectors may also be invited to attend in person at the discretion of the Planning Inspector.
6.48. Appeals registered are listed on our website and you can follow their progress through the Planning Portal, using a direct link from our website.
6.49. The householder appeal process does not allow for further public comment after the planning application stage. Only letters of representation submitted on the application at the time of its assessment by the council are considered by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS).
6.50. Please note, there are no third-party rights of appeal in the Planning Regulations. This means that objectors have no status to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on a planning decision taken by the council, (unlike the applicant who has rights of appeal).
[1] as defined in article 2 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure (England) Order 2015
