Everyone involved with public engagement and consultation has had to respond to the allegation “You’re not listening to us”. It goes with the job.

Part of the problem is that ‘listening’ has two different meanings.

One is to ‘hear’ someone. Paying attention to what is being said; trying to understand it; appreciating why it is being said, and maybe its implications. The other meaning is to ‘accept’ what the consultee is saying – to agree with it, and probably to act upon it.