Getting Involved in Planning Lincoln's Future

How will I know when and how to get involved? The best way to know about any consultation or involvement in the Local Development Framework (LDF) is to ensure that you or your organisation is on our database of consultees. To add your details on to the database please fill in our online form. If we have to consult your organisation by law, you will either be in our list of Statutory Consultees or one of the associated organisations. These are listed in our Statement of Community Involvement. You can also let us know which parts of the LDF interest you so that we can contact you when a particular consultation is about to take place.

You can also use the Local Development Scheme to find out which consultations have already been scheduled.

Involvement at informal stages of the LDF

We won’t be seeking written comments at every stage of the LDF. There will be opportunities for more informal ways of getting involved and putting across your view. Informal methods of community involvement will allow us to collect information and evidence, develop stronger links with partners in the community, raise awareness of the LDF process and create discussion and debate around some of the main themes.

Informal involvement will help us to fulfil our principles of early involvement, joined-up policy-making, targeting hard-to-reach groups, and capacity building. It will also go a long way towards promoting democracy, balancing interests, achieving speed and value, and encouraging ownership.

Informal consultation will include:

• Awareness raising campaigns
• Questionnaires and opinion polls
• Use of Citizens Panel
• Discussion forums on the website
• Events/manned stalls/exhibitions in publicly accessible locations
• Workshops or seminars
• Forums made up of experts and interest groups
• Use of existing networks such as the Local Strategic Partnership

In order to promote these methods and reach a wide cross-section of the community, we will be seeking advice on targeting specific groups and doing our best to advertise events through local newspapers, city-wide advertising, invites, community newsletters and our website.

How do I make comments during formal consultations? 

The period for formal community involvement will last 6 weeks with the start and end dates for consultations being advertised in the local press.

Comments (or “representations”) should be made in writing, either by letter or e-mail, and should always be accompanied by the standard comment form relating to the document (a statutory requirement). This will also be available on the website.

How will I know if the Council has taken my comments into account?

All representations will be recorded in a database.

All respondents will be notified of the Council’s intended response to representations at the end of each consultation period.

A summary report of our response to representations will be made publicly available at the City of Lincoln Council, libraries, community centres and Help Points, and also on this website. It will also accompany documents when Council Executive, Central Government and Independent Inspectors consider them.

All those who make formal representations will automatically be included in consultation at the next stage of policy development.

 Last updated:  7th October 2008