Work areas

Participatory planning and urban design

‘It is a fundamental principle of our proposals that effective public engagement should be at the heart of development plans… We want to change the culture of planning from one of objecting, to one of constructive participation’
(Planning & Compulsory Purchase Bill)

Planning policy and guidance is increasingly recognising the importance of putting local people at the centre of design and development activity. CAG Consultants is uniquely placed to provide the range of skills and expertise necessary to support the engagement of local communities and other stakeholders in constructive and empowering ways which will contribute to better and more sustainable development.

We go beyond consultation to embracing a participatory approach to planning and design from the earliest stage of the process which both harnesses local knowledge and creativity and builds confidence and skills. Through drawing on the expertise and ideas of local communities and other stakeholders, we seek to develop proposals which respond to the needs and aspirations of the end-users. It is our firm conviction that sustainable design can only be achieved through the involvement and ownership of local communities.

CAG do not apply off-the-shelf solutions to projects. We recognise that each project has its own unique context, and that respecting that context will be a critical success factor. We develop bespoke packages for each project, utilising a wide range of methods, some of which have been specially developed by members of our team.

Methods which the members of our team have utilised in recent projects include:

• Peer interviewing – an empowering process involving the training of local people to conduct interviews with others in their community.
• Field feedback© – an innovative tool developed by CAG which utilises grassroots staff (e.g. rent collectors, health visitors, youth workers, community development workers) to gather information from local people using a simple notebook questionnaire.
• Quality of Life Capital – a participatory approach developed by CAG and Land Use Consultants to provide a consistent and integrated way of managing the different elements of quality of life. It is particularly applicable to managing change on individual sites (see www.qualityoflifecapital.org.uk).
• Walkabouts – an innovative tool for identifying issues and opportunities in the public realm through a dynamic interaction between the professional team and local stakeholders.
• Hands-on planning sessions – structured, interactive, hands-on sessions which allow professionals to work creatively with local groups using visual materials.
• Planning for Real – hands-on method using simple models as a focus for people to put forward and prioritise ideas on how their area can be improved.
• Freephone feedback line – providing an easy means of feeding back thoughts and ideas on published material.
• Interactive exhibitions – presenting options and ideas to the wider public with opportunities for feedback, such as voting on design options or materials.
• Consensus events – large scale events used to generate a vision and ideas, combining presentations, large and small group interactive sessions.

We offer:

• All aspects of consultation and stakeholder involvement, including third party mediation, in the development of Local Development Frameworks (LDF’s)
• Development of Statements of Community Involvement (SCI’s)
• Development of Area Action Plans, founded on participatory approaches
• Site-specific consultation and engagement on development proposals
• Consultation and engagement on non-statutory documents attached to LDF’s, including:
  • site-specific planning/development briefs and feasibility studies
  • design statements/design guides as supplements to policy, particularly sustainable design
• Consultation on other forms of urban design guidance, including master plans, urban design frameworks, open space and public realm strategies

Examples of our work include:

Leeds Statement of Community Involvement

CAG advised Leeds City Council on the requirements of an SCI and, through an extensive process of consultation with Council and non-Council stakeholders, prepared a draft Statement, setting out how the City Council intends to inform, consult and involve the community in the new Local Development Framework/plan making process.

Millbay Action Plan, Plymouth

CAG was part of a large consortium appointed to develop an Action Plan for Millbay. CAG’s work included the formation of a community network to feed in to the development of detailed proposals for the area, and a range of other engagement techniques including peer interviewing, discussion groups, workshops with targeted groups and field feedback.

Reading Waterspace Strategy

In conjunction with Landscape Design Associates, CAG prepared a detailed spatial framework for the area, developed through an innovative programme of stakeholder involvement. This included individual interviews with key individuals, group workshops with a wide range of stakeholder groups and a large consensus event. A range of methods were utilised including Quality of Life Capital.

Hatfield Town Centre Regeneration

In conjunction with Llewelyn Davies, CAG prepared a regeneration strategy that aims to restore urban vitality, improve quality of life, restore confidence in the town, and encourage a wider belief in the future of Hatfield. The resulting regeneration scheme is now underway.

Coldbath and Orchard Estate urban renewal process

CAG undertook an interactive workshop-based consultation programme with residents of London’s Coldbath and Orchard Estate to consider estate conditions, problems and possible solutions. An urban design strategy was developed for four key sites identified by residents as possible locations for new community facilities.

Clear Zones Consultation Programme

In Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury and Hatton Garden CAG ran area-based consultations on streetscape and traffic issues for LB Camden, Westminster Council and the Corporation of London. Each process included a wide scale community survey and interactive exhibition in which participants ‘voted’ on traffic reduction initiatives and solutions to street management issues.

For more information contact:

Tim Maiden
0191 224 1390
tm@cagconsult.co.uk

Susan Parham
020 7704 0018
sp@cagconsult.co.uk