TCI Commentary
Pre-application consultation is too often regarded as an extra layer of the planning process – and one which some developers prefer not to do. Some do it, but inexplicably don’t use the techniques and reach appropriate to the scale of the proposed development. This piece describes the proposal as a “new community” and a “major development” – details are sketchy at this stage but it’s fair to infer that there will be a significant number of new homes and (one would hope) some community facilities. Aberdeen City Council has a clear commitment to public participation in the decision-making within the Granite City – and no doubt there has already been some discussion about the level of engagement planned ahead of the application being submitted. I would encourage the applicant to act on the council’s letter and to regard this additional consultation as an opportunity to really engage with the community. Pre-application consultation is expected of developers, but it is only one tool of engagement, and there are many ways this developer can use his engagement and consultation activities to get to the heart of concerns and priorities, start building relationships before conflicts develop and demonstrate to all concerned they are a listening developer. Communication does, after all, happen between the ears.
Article
Further consultation is required on plans for major housing development in a city community, planners have announced.
A pre-application notice has been submitted by Bancon Homes for the residential and retail development on land to the south of North Deeside Road in Milltimber. But council planners have said the public consultation involved would be insufficient given the scale of the proposals.
In a letter, the developer was urged to organise extra public consultation events in addition to displaying banners at the proposed site for the scheme. It added: “Once the required consultation has taken place, a pre-application consultation report should be produced and then submitted to the planning authority at the same time as the planning application. The report should specify who has been consulted and set out what steps were taken to comply with the statutory requirements.”
Allan Clow, managing director of Bancon Homes, said: “A fresh appraisal of the site at Milltimber South has been undertaken, taking account of the feedback received when we first consulted on this site. This includes working jointly with the other landowner, Dr William Guild’s Managers, to deliver a landscape-led approach whilst incorporating the revised traffic flows as a result of the AWPR now being open. Our aim is to create a highly desirable community which fits in the existing landscape and we welcome the local community’s view in shaping the development of the masterplan.”
The first of the public consultation events will take place at the Deeside Christian Fellowship in Milltimber on November 4 from 2-7pm. Further consultations are to be organised at Milltimber School and Milltimber Community Centre. Previous plans for the site met strong opposition from residents and Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber Community Council. The group declined to comment on the new proposals ahead of meetings with the developer in the coming weeks.
Article originally appeared on Evening Express
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