Reflecting on the consultation and engagement undertaken throughout the process of drafting the Design Guide SPD Part 2, the objectives have been achieved as laid out below. The process has been an opportunity to learn lessons for undertaking consultation on future projects.

Objective 1: To establish a deeper understanding of the key local design issues and opportunities that the Design Guide SPD Part 2 aims to address.

The initial scoping exercises, internal stakeholder consultation and evidence gathering and working with the Design Review Panel allowed Officers to understand the key issues that the Design Guide SPD Part 2 should address.

Objective 2: To seek internal and external stakeholder views on the proposed objectives, themes and topics of the Design Guide SPD Part 2.

Both the internal stakeholder consultation and that undertaken during the statutory consultation period were useful in evolving the content of the design guidance in the first instance, and then allowing further views to be heard, considered and used to inform changes to the guidance document to ensure it meets the objectives set out by the Council.

Objective 3: Reach a broad and diverse audience through a variety of engagement methods and encourage comprehensive comments and feedback.

The public consultation was advertised in advance through a variety of methods, both physically and digitally. A range of individuals and businesses on the Strategic Planning database were invited to respond to the consultation, and drop-in events were held to reach those with a preference for in-person engagement. The documents were held in libraries and the Council's Civic Offices to enable people to review the guidance offline. This mixture of in-person and online consultation methods were designed to reach as many individuals as possible.

Objective 4: Ensure that those who might be directly affected by the guidance are informed and have their opinions heard, recorded and considered, meeting the requirements of the Council's Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

The public consultation undertaken between March and April 2026 was designed to maximise accessibility and the statutory consultation period was extended from the typical four weeks to six, in recognition of the number of documents being consulted on.

Objective 5: Identify successful aspects of the consultation strategy and where lessons could be learned and how to implement these for future engagement and consultation.

The written responses (via both email and Ask Bexley) were the most successful and useful aspect of the public consultation process, with comments and representations received being used to further shape the Design Guide SPD Part 2. Engaging the Design Review Panel to workshop ideas for the Area Types guidance proved particularly beneficial in the drafting process.

Footfall at the drop-in events was underwhelming and there is room for improvement when consulting on future, similar projects. For example, using the Ask Bexley platform to also advertise the in-person events may be useful. Organising invited workshops with those from less-heard-from groups to discuss, and provide comments on, the guidance could ensure wider engagement in the process. As well as this, including a simple read version of the online survey may help to accommodate more people and attract them to engage with such projects.