Policy Papers

Getting Involved in Planning

A Response from the Scottish Disability Equality Forum - April 02

The Scottish Disability Equality Forum is a membership organisation open to all disability organisations, or any individual with any type of impairment.� Every person, organisation and network has an important role to play in ensuring the voices of people with disabilities are heard in the new Scotland.� The Forum seeks to enable this.

Since receiving support from the Scottish Executive in April 2001, we have already reached our first year target of recruiting fifty member organisations.� We also have a wide range of supportive associate members and individual members.�

Planning and Access

A major strand of SDEF�s work is to focus on improving access to the built environment, goods and services for people with disabilities.� We have been working closely with existing local access panels, and are keen to build on this work to ensure that access panels are provided with a forum to share expertise and good practice, support each other, and add their local knowledge to national debates on planning and access.

We strongly believe that in any debate on public involvement in planning, accessibility must be a core feature in discussions.� At local level, this would involve ensuring that local access panels and other disability organisations have the opportunity to build positive relationships with council Access Officers and planners.� At national level, there is a clear need for a national forum of access panels which could link into any consultative mechanisms being considered.

This response focuses on the questions in your consultation which could have ramifications for individual people with disabilities or their networks.�

Q1 �Do you agree that councils should consider setting up local planning policy forums to consider planning issues and build up local interest and expertise?��

We agree that such locally-based groups would be useful, particularly with involvement of people with disabilities and their existing networks. �However the proposed forums must be properly resourced, with adequate lead-in time scales to allow people with disabilities to make the necessary domestic and transport arrangements to attend and fully participate.

Q2� Where people are going to be directly affected by policy changes in a development plan, we think direct notification of owners, tenants and neighbours should be considered.� Do you agree?

Yes, and this should be extended to include users of non-residential developments.� Planners should take account of the impact of people with disabilities using the services within the property and adjacent facilities where mutual access is involved.

Q3� We think Reporters for Local Plan Inquiries should be chosen independently by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit, who would conduct the Inquiry and recover costs from the council.� Do you agree?��

We agree, with certain reservations.�� The Reporter must have full training in disability issues and good understanding of accessible planning practice and the impact his/her recommendations will have upon people with disabilities.�� This is vital to ensure there is no discrimination.� To allow people with disabilities to fully participate in the whole process, venue, timing etc must be given great consideration, to the extent of asking the local disability group to advise.

Q4� We think the scope to depart from the Reporter�s recommendation should be limited.� Do you agree?

We expect the Reporter to take full account of the need for accessible environments and to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are protected.� If this is the case, we agree that scope to depart from his/her recommendations should be limited.

Q6� We see merit in standard application forms for all councils.� They could be user-friendly, with translation and all the necessary certificates.� Do you agree?

We agree that a simplified and standard form would be useful, after consultation as to what is considered �user friendly�.� All application forms should be available in alternative formats, with the facility for people with disabilities to complete them in the format which suits them best.

Q7 � 13� Neighbours should have 21 days to respond��

We feel that 21 days would be sufficient time provided notification of deadlines had been provided adequately, and all information is available timeously in alternative formats. �

To improve participation generally, we suggest that planning authorities could provide weekly planning bulletins, to cover planning and development issues, building warrants and road traffic orders and road closures each week.� This could be made available over the internet at minimum cost.� The information could be cascaded on by �local disability forums, access panels, and Councils for Voluntary Service among others.

Q14 � 20� Proposals for advertising applications, proposals etc

Any proposal to cut the time and cost of the planning process is positive.� If the process is not to be slowed down, direct advertising in the papers is the obvious choice for the majority.� However, this would not guarantee minority participation, so again we refer to the suggestion of a weekly bulletin which could be made available to key groups.

Q22� Should there be standard ways to make comments on applications electronically?

Standard electronic systems should be one of the formats provided, among the alternative formats of large print, braille etc.� Electronic formats can increase the accessibility of documents, but rely on interested parties having the necessary equipment and knowledge.

Q30� Do you see value in a national consultative group to look at current problems and help promote best practice and policy in planning?

We see great value in such an initiative.� The suggestion echoes SDEF�s own forward workplan, which concentrates on facilitating the development of a national network for access panels to discuss issues at national level and share good practice.

Any such consultative group must include representation of people with disabilities, and have a firm working relationship with national networks within the disability movement.� The experience of people with disabilities in dealing with physical barriers should help shape future policies and guidelines.

For more information, please contact our Secretariat.

�

Scottish Disability Equality Forum

Working together for the disability movement

SDEF is a recognised Scottish charity no. SC031893

end of page