Draft Consultation and Engagement Strategy
Section 4: Who will we involve?
Consultees
4.1 We will seek to engage and consult with all those with an interest in the future development of land in Rutland, including the general public and the wider community.
4.2 The new Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 specify a number of organisations that must be consulted. These organisations are referred to as ‘specific consultation bodies’ and ‘general consultation bodies’.
4.3 The lists below refer primarily to types of organisations rather than naming every individual organisation. This is to ensure that this document does not contain out-of-date information and that the lists remain flexible as organisations change and new stakeholders emerge. The lists are not intended to be exhaustive and will be reviewed and updated throughout plan preparation to reflect organisational changes and newly identified stakeholders. Examples of organisations that may fall within each category are set out in Appendix 1. Any organisation or individual with an interest in the preparation of the Local Plan who is not currently included on our consultation database is encouraged to contact the Planning Policy Team and request inclusion.
4.4 Specific consultation bodies include Town and Parish Councils and Parish Meetings, neighbouring Local Authorities, utilities and health providers and organisations such as Historic England, Environment Agency and Natural England. It is the responsibility of Town and Parish Councils and Parish Meetings to ensure that their contact details are up to date.
4.5 General consultation bodies include local voluntary and community organisations whose work benefits all or part of Rutland, organisations representing those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, and organisations representing businesses operating in the area. An initial list is set out in Appendix 1, Table AX2.
4.6 Other consultees have been identified in addition to specific and general consultation bodies to ensure that local groups, organisations and individuals in Rutland are notified of the opportunity to become involved in the preparation of planning policy documents. The Council will try to maintain contact details for these consultees, but the accuracy of these is dependent upon the Council being made aware of them and being provided with up-to-date contact details when changes are made. These are listed at Appendix 1, Table AX3.
Engaging strategically with our neighbours and other stakeholders
4.7 There is no longer a legal duty on Local Planning Authorities and other public bodies to co-operate with each other, but it remains highly beneficial to do so. The requirement to demonstrate that cooperation has taken place with neighbouring authorities to address cross boundary matters is retained in national policy (draft NPPF policy PM11). As such, the Council intends to actively, effectively and constructively engage with other plan-making authorities and public bodies on strategic and cross boundary matters and on specific issues of mutual interest.
4.8 We will produce, maintain, publish and keep up to date statements of common ground documenting the strategic cross boundary matters that are being addressed and the progress which has been made in cooperating to address these. These will be produced using the approach set out in national planning guidance and will be made publicly available.
4.9 There is a new requirement to consult the Spatial Planning Board. This has not been set up for the area including Rutland yet, but it is expected to be for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. That Board will be preparing a new spatial development strategy (SDS) (see glossary) for the area, and we will be required to ask them to confirm that our proposed new local plan (February 2028) is in general conformity with their SDS, if that document is published before our proposed plan is published.
Engaging with under – represented groups
4.10 We will use a range of digital and social media channels to help reach under-represented groups. For example, social media can be the main source of information for young people.
4.11 We are also proposing online community engagement events to help ensure that people who cannot get to a central physical venue easily can get involved; examples are people living in more remote parts of the county without access to private transport, those with caring responsibilities and some people with disabilities. We will be making the recordings of events available online, so that those that cannot make it can catch up later.
4.12 We also aim to contact a range of established community groups in the county at each notification stage of the plan preparation process. The groups we have identified so far are in tables AX2 and AX3 of Appendix 1. Where there is no local group, we will contact any relevant regional and national organisations.
4.13 If we consider there is a possibility of a specific group being affected by the emerging policies and proposals of the new local plan, we will undertake bespoke engagement with them, as far as possible in a way that they are comfortable with. For example, there are established groups of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in Rutland. Engagement with these groups will be through existing relationships where they exist and reflecting any engagement advice from the Leicestershire & Leicester City Multi Agency Traveller Unit (MATU). Consultation will also be with regional and national organisations representing these groups including The National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups.
People with no or limited access to the internet: non digital options
4.14 The focus for consultation is now primarily electronic and web-based communication, and the preferred method of notifying consultees about consultations and plan-making stages is by e-mail. However, we recognise that some people are digitally excluded – they do not have access to the internet, a computer or a smart phone, making digital content inaccessible. Where a person does not have an email address, consultation notifications will be sent by post.
4.15 To help make sure that people without digital access are not excluded, we will:
- Provide access to the consultation portal and online documents through public computers at the Council office in Customer Services and the local libraries, where assistance may also be available to ensure that people without internet access at home are still able to view consultation materials and participate in consultations.
- Send paper communications by post to people without e-mail addresses.
- Make copies of documents available to view in the Council Offices and in libraries on the public computers.
- Make paper printed copies of the main consultation document available (at a cost to cover printing and postage charges in accordance with our latest fees and charges, or on loan in cases of financial hardship)
- Make hard copies of the response forms available on request.
- Through our customer contact centre, be available to answer telephone or in person queries and guide callers to where to find the on-line documents during the public consultation period. This may be via a call back or triage system.
Equalities Impact Assessment
4.16 The Council will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) screening of this draft strategy and consider its findings when finalising the strategy. An EqIA screening and, where necessary, a full EqIA will be undertaken on all new policy documents to ensure compliance with the general duty of the Equality Act 2010.
