Consultation and the Community Stakeholder Forum
The main stages of consultation on the new Local Plan are as follows.
First consultation (November 2020 - April 2021)
Sometimes referred to as the 'Issues and Options' stage, the first consultation takes place before any proposals have been developed. It's open for everyone to get involved.
The consultation has been split into nine different themes, each being launched for consultation at a meeting of the Community Stakeholder Forum (described below). The consultation ends on 21 April 2021, after which all comments will be used to inform the Council's work on a draft version of the Local Plan.
Draft Local Plan (Spring 2022)
The Council will consult again when a draft version of the Local Plan has been prepared. This is due to be in Spring 2022, after which any necessary changes will be made to address the comments received.
Publication (Spring 2023)
The Council will provide a further opportunity to comment when a final version of the Local Plan has been prepared. This is due to be in Spring 2023, after which the plan will be submitted for government approval together with the comments received.
Community Stakeholder Forum
The Community Stakeholder Forum has been established to complement and enhance the consultation process by providing a platform for discussion among a wide range of local stakeholders, helping to inform and inspire contributions from the wider community. All meetings are live-streamed on Zoom and YouTube, with recordings remaining on the Council's YouTube channel afterwards.
Further details on the Forum members can be found here and answers to some frequently asked questions can be found here. Meeting documents can be found under 'Additional resources' at the bottom of this page.
Getting involved
If you would like to make comments on the first consultation, please watch and read the material below before submitting your comments by 21 April 2021 using either our consultation portal or by emailing one of the downloadable forms.
Guide to using the consultation portal [329.75KB]
All themes/ Other comments form - Please use
this form [57.71KB] if your comments cover more than one theme, or you are not sure which theme they relate to.
If you have specific comments on one of the themes, please use the relevant form below.
Theme | Guest presentation | Consultation document | Comments form |
Theme 1 - Where you live | T1 Where you live: The 15 minute neighbourhood. Dr Noha Nasser (Architect, Urban Designer, Academic, Founder of Mela Social Enterprise) | Theme 1 | Theme 1 |
Theme 2 - Character and heritage | T2 Character & heritage: Character & heritage Noel Farrer PLI FLI (Essex Quality Review Panel Chair; Director, Farrer Huxley Associates; Landscape architect) | Theme 2 | Theme 2 |
Theme 3 - Climate change | T3 Climate Change: The Climate Challenge - Analysis of the issue. Samantha Kennedy (Director of Environment and Climate Action at Essex County Council) | Theme 3 | Theme 3 |
Theme 4 - Transport | T4 Transport: The role of transport in the East of England. Andrew Summers (Strategy Director, Transport East) | Theme 4 | Theme 4 |
Theme 5 - Leisure, culture and healthy lifestyles | T5 Leisure, culture & healthy lifestyles: Planning healthier places. Julia Thrift (Director, Healthier Place-making, Town & Country Planning Association) | Theme 5 | Theme 5 |
Theme 6 - Biodiversity | T6 Biodiversity: Green infrastructure in Essex. Andrew Lovett (University of East Anglia) | Theme 6 | Theme 6 |
Theme 7 - Local economy | T7 Local Economy: The impact of technology on rural planning. Dr Paul Cowie (Innovation research Fellow. National innovation Centre, Newcastle University) | Theme 7 | Theme 7 |
Theme 8 - Homes | T8 Homes: Providing homes to meet local needs. Jo Mills (Ark. co-author of the Council's Housing Study on Housing for New Communities) | Theme 8 | Theme 8 |
Theme 9 - Creating new places and communities | T9 Creating new places & Communities: VeloCity. Jennifer Ross and Petra Marko (Velocity Placemaking) | Theme 9 | Theme 9 |
Additional resources
Terms of reference [148.44KB] - Defines the role of the Forum
Privacy notice - Reflects that live and recorded meetings are available online
Meeting documentation - Agendas and presentation slides
