Avoid common consultation pitfalls that cost developers millions
Running stakeholder engagement and public consultation projects is an essential part of developing places.
Local councils and government expect it. Done well, they make great development happen.
Done badly, developments can hit delays and reputational problems that can cost millions of pounds. Look at what’s happening at Astley Park in Manchester, or the attempted regeneration of Sheerwater in Woking, as just two of the many examples that come forward.
As I wrote last month, proper engagement must be a mindset, rather than just a stage in a process. Treat engagement and comms as a core workstream, not just the ‘glitter and glue’ stuff.
This post looks at some of the reasons why engagement can fail – the common consultation pitfalls – and our thoughts on how to avoid them.
Pitfall #1: starting – or involving comms – too late
One of the most common pitfalls organisations face is starting projects way too late, then calling your comms team at the end to try and fix things.
To run a successful consultation programme, you need around four months to do it well and give yourself every chance of success.
Work back from when you intend to submit your planning application and build a realistic project plan from there. For example:
- Month one – strategy and planning/ consultation prep
- Month two – stakeholder engagement/ consultation prep/ consultation launch
- Month three – public consultation/ stakeholder engagement
- Month four – statement of community involvement/ planning submission.
Having this plan in place provides time for deliver a good consultation and protect your team against reputational damage.
You can download this planning template to support your next project.
Pitfall #2: no strategy = no idea
A clear strategy acts as blueprint that helps you to help project teams reach their desired destination – on time, and on budget.
Who says, what, when and how are part of that approach. When different partners are involved, this coordination becomes even more important.
A consultation without a strategy can leave your project rudderless. And that can prove very costly when project teams come under pressure to explain their work.
Having a strategy with clear objectives (where do we want to get to?) and a roadmap to get there helps to navigate the inevitable bumps along the road to delivery.
Our seven-step approach to creating communications strategy will help you to think this process through.
Pitfall #3: guess who?
Consultations are only as strong as the voices they include. And you need to strengthen your evidence to show that any decisions made are right for that community.
Understanding who you’re engaging is also important. Time and time again, we hear of cookie cutter consultations falling flat because they don’t take account of the local area.
Just speaking to ward members and cabinet members of your local planning authority, and maybe the MP won’t cut it if you’re looking to win hearts and minds.
Your communication needs to consider community organisations, businesses and charities and local groups with a presence in the area.
It also needs to develop stories and messages that speak to people who often wouldn’t engage in a traditional consultation.
We’ve done this on projects ranging from Gravity in Somerset to large scale development in Margate and smaller affordable developments in Devon. In all cases, we’ve taken a bespoke approach that speaks to those communities in ways that are relevant and relatable.
Pitfall #4: mixed messaging
As I wrote in my previous blog, messaging directly affects how people understand, trust, and engage in the process.
When messages are mixed, participation drops and the quality of the feedback you receive can suffer.
This also increases the risk that the usual suspects – who often oppose development, but do not represent the wider public view – dominate the conversation.
Explaining things clearly and consistently is critical to making sure that you reach as wide an audience as possible.
And whatever you do, make sure you get the basics right.
This is another area where having an experienced comms partner on board is invaluable.
Pitfall #5: short, inaccessible consultations are the key to failure
High-quality consultation relies on giving people enough time to understand the issues, reflect, and provide informed feedback.
This builds trust, which takes time to build and moments to squander. And once you lose it, it’s hard to get it back.
As responsible and experienced practitioners, our consultations are in line with updated National Planning Policy Framework guidance and the Gunning principles for best practice.
These four principles form strong legal foundation to assess the legitimacy of public consultations. They are often referred to as a legal basis for judicial review decisions.
If you invest the time to speak to those who may be affected by your proposals, collaborate with them and shape it together, you will reap the rewards.
Not doing it can leave you in deep difficulty.
As an example, there’s a scheme in Manchester – bringing forward hundreds of homes and massive sheds – that was offering residents just two weeks to put their views forward. No consultation event… not even a webinar.
However, following community backlash, this consultation has since been extended by two weeks with a webinar included.
That isn’t regeneration in partnership with communities. Because of this issue right at the start of a project, the team will continue to face opposition at every turn.
Don’t fall foul of pitfalls
Hopefully this post gives you an insight into the importance of proper planning and meaningful engagement.
It’s why collaboration for us is more than a buzzword. We want to collaborate with communities every step of the way, because we know it creates regeneration that brings people together.
And we see the cost that these pitfalls pose.
If you want to find out more about how to tackle these challenges, and you don’t already have a copy, download our guide here.
And if you need a trusted partner, or critical friend on an upcoming project, book in for one of our FREE 30-minute planning strategy sessions (worth £750) with a senior member of the team. We’ll also provide a recommendations paper free of charge, too.
Photo in the header is by Louis Hansel on Unsplash.
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