Have your say on planning issues
Published
Wednesday 25 June, 2025
Updated
Wednesday 25 June, 2025
Swale Borough Council wants to know how people want to be involved in planning issues that affect them.
Planning decisions shape the places where people live, work, visit, or even just pass through.
The council have drafted a document - the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) - that outlines how it plans to consult people on future planning decisions and wants to know people’s views on their approach.
The draft SCI aims to involve people early and throughout the planning process to help strengthen both the plan making and development management processes and encourage local engagement.
This can help to reduce conflicts and reach a consensus on key issues from earlier on.
The document outlines how people can engage with the council’s planning application process, creation of local and neighbourhood plans and responsibilities around unauthorised development.
Cllr Charles Gibson, chair of the Planning and Transportation Policy Working Group, said:
"The planning process impacts everyone, and we want to make sure people feel able to get involved in shaping issues that affect them.
“We want to make consultation and involvement in all parts of the planning process transparent, accessible, collaborative, inclusive, and consistent.
“The draft SCI sets out what the law requires us to do and includes additional options we may be able to use when practical or appropriate.
“Please take the time to have a look at the draft and let us know what you think.
“You’ll be helping set out how we engage with people during planning applications, the local plan process and when dealing with unauthorised development.”
