4. Appendix A: Consultation Statement
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended), Regulation 12(a), The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012
Section 19 of the PCPA2004 sets out the requirements for the preparation of local development documents and Part 5 of the 2012 Local Planning Regulations provides the process for the preparation of supplementary planning documents.
Regulation 12(a) states that before a local planning authority adopt a supplementary planning document it must prepare a statement setting out:
- the persons the local planning authority consulted when preparing the supplementary planning document
- a summary of the main issues raised by those persons
- how those issues have been addressed in the supplementary planning document
The Council has prepared a consultation draft Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Part 2. Table 1 sets out the names of the persons the Council consulted in preparing the Draft Design Guide SPD Part 2, and the method of consultation.
All consultees were engaged at various key stages on sections of the document relevant to their expertise. Engagement was both online and in-person, with interactive workshops that typically comprised of progress presentations with questions to prompt discussion. Feedback was provided at and following the sessions. Table 2 sets out a summary of the main issues raised in those sessions and how those issues have been addressed in the draft SPD.
The draft SPD takes into account comments received from consultees. It also reflects government guidance and the London Plan (2021), as well as policies in the Bexley Local Plan (2023).
The following engagement exercises were undertaken: pre-consultation; officer workshops; and workshops with members of the Bexley Design Review Panel.
| Name of person consulted | Method of Consultation |
|---|---|
| Council officers from relevant departments | Officer attendance at workshops; officer desktop reviews |
| Bexley Design Review Panel | Attendance at workshops; desktop reviews |
Table 1: Consultees engaged with when producing the consultation draft document
| Summary of main issues raised | How the main issues have been addressed |
|---|---|
| Procedural matters – what extant guidance is the document replacing | Each respective introduction sets out the guidance being replaced by the draft Design Guide SPD Part 2. |
| Clarity of the information – who is the document intended for and how do they use it, and can they understand the planning terms | Text in both the introduction and within sections has been written to direct the reader to additional design guidance that may be directly relevant to their type of development proposal. Each document sets out how to use the document and provides a diagram explaining how pages are laid out. Where relevant, the glossaries use verified sources and have been worded to ensure consistency with the glossary in the Local Plan. |
| Level of detail – the content is quite comprehensive and there is a danger that the document will be difficult for people to use | The Design Guide SPD has been split into three parts – the first part, the overarching Design Principles was adopted by the Council in January 2025. This draft, comprised of four documents, forms Part 2 of the SPD to come forward for consultation. Separating out the parts ensures that Part 2 provides specific information on typical sites, buildings and places in documents that clearly define and illustrate what is expected for well-designed places. |
| Locally relevant – the guidance should reflect Bexley's character and address design matters that relate to this | Extensive desktop research followed by workshops and consultation with key stakeholders was undertaken at the outset of the drafting process and has been used to form the content of the Design Guide Part 2. Where relevant, links to Bexley specific reference documents, such as the Conservation Area Character Appraisals and Management Plans and the Bexley Local Character Study, are included throughout. |
| Consistency – need to ensure that the guidance directly relates to higher level plans and policies and does not replicate guidance produced nationally and London-wide | The policy context section reflects the planning policy hierarchy, with the development plan and supplemental guidance, both adopted and emerging, illustrated. |
Table 2: Main issues raised and how they were taken into consideration when producing the consultation draft document