Draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) - Consultation

Welcome

Welcome to the consultation on the Council's proposed new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). This page covers:

• What is a Statement of Community Involvement?
• Why are we consulting on changes?
• How can you get involved?
• What happens next?

What is a Statement of Community Involvement?

A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) is about how the Council will engage with people on planning matters including new land use plans for the Borough and importantly planning applications. The production of a SCI is a legal requirement under planning legislation.

The Council is consulting formally for a period of six weeks (29th January to 11th March 2024) on a draft statement to enable local residents, community groups and key organisations with an interest in Swindon to respond. This is a key opportunity to inform better approaches to engaging in planning.

A copy of the statement is available to download under the documents section on the right of this page.

Why are we consulting on changes?

The Council's current SCI was adopted in February 2019 and much has changed over the last few years with advances in technology and communication following the global pandemic. There is also a general move nationally for planning to be more accessible and easy to understand.

The SCI also sets the overall range of approaches which could be used for future consultation on a new Local Plan for the Borough which is central to achieving much of the Council's three 10-year missions:

• Reducing inequality;
• Build a better Swindon; and
• Achieving net zero.

How can you get involved?

Please complete the online survey below

One of the quickest and simplest ways to get involved is to complete our brief online survey which sets out the SCI and its key themes. There is also a quick poll on preferred methods and frequency of communication going forwards. To take part in these please go to the bottom of this page and select under the relevant heading.

Drop-online

Register your interest here for one of our MS Teams online events.

Bespoke engagement events - Have you struggled to engage in planning in the past?

We are also particularly interested in hearing from people who have positive ideas about how we can overcome barriers to engaging in planning in communities within Swindon and across specific interest groups, or from people who have felt excluded from planning in the past. Please contact the Planning Policy Team to make arrangements to discuss further, including specific information sessions and any material for dissemination in suitable formats.

E-mail and Letters

You can also contact the Planning Policy Team via email with comments headed SCI to ForwardPlanning@swindon.gov.uk or in writing to: SCI Consultation, Planning Policy, Planning Department, Swindon Borough Council, Wat Tyler House, Beckhampton Street, Swindon, SN1 2JG.

What happens next?

After the period of public consultation has closed we will read all comments made and review areas where the SCI needs to be changed.

Once this is completed a report will be produced for both Cabinet and Full Council setting out all the comments made and key changes to the SCI publication plus a revised version of the SCI for formal adoption.

The final version of the SCI will be published on the Council's website.