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Introduction

Neighbourhood Development Plans affect everyone in the local community and it is vital that all understand their importance and have the opportunity to have their say. Done well, these plans make towns and parishes much better places to live in and act as a catalyst for communities to work together for common good.
Given previous problems GoCollaborate were commissioned by the Carn Brea Parish Council to work with their neighbourhood planning group to take the pain and much of the cost out of the required consultations and reporting of results back to the community and wider stakeholders.

Challenges

The NDP steering group commissioned GoCollaborate to provide engagement support through its NDP platform.
The platform made it easy for community members to understand what the issues were and give their views on future requirements. The digital map that is at the heart of the platform enabled residents to identify the footpaths they used regularly, and to express their thoughts on where new footpaths should be created to connect different parts of the parish and make it easier for people to move around on foot.
Residents also used the platform’s chat functionality to discuss their views on the proposals relating to conservation and heritage, including the use of the Cornish language to name new developments, as well as give feedback on housing objectives and two proposed development boundaries.
Critically the platform enabled the results to be translated into formal proposals for feeding back to the community for final agreement.

Solutions

The NDP steering group commissioned GoCollaborate to provide engagement support through its NDP platform.
The platform made it easy for community members to understand what the issues were and give their views on future requirements. The digital map that is at the heart of the platform enabled residents to identify the footpaths they used regularly, and to express their thoughts on where new footpaths should be created to connect different parts of the parish and make it easier for people to move around on foot.
Residents also used the platform’s chat functionality to discuss their views on the proposals relating to conservation and heritage, including the use of the Cornish language to name new developments, as well as give feedback on housing objectives and two proposed development boundaries.
Critically the platform enabled the results to be translated into formal proposals for feeding back to the community for final agreement.

Results

Through the GoCollaborate platform the group were able to gather residents’ views on how the history and heritage of the parish could be reflected in any new housing development; how connectivity and safety within the parish could be improved, and how green spaces and landscapes should be prioritised for protection and enhancement.
The consultation resulted in concerns being raised over the clarity of parking provision for the new houses and the potential impact on the safety of pedestrians which was taken into account by the steering group.
In total there were 551 unique sessions on the platform through 131 people registering and completing the questions asked.
GoCollaborate’s involvement provided the group with high quality, accessible and easily used data that enabled them to move their plans forward with confidence, knowing that residents had been and given the opportunity to put forward their ideas and suggestions.

Great to work with a small, dedicated group who are adapting to our plans and needs and providing invaluable support. Very excited!

Florence MacDonald
Carn Brea Parish - NDP Chair

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