Raising the bar: the property sector’s crucial role in community engagement

Originally published by EG Radius, 12 January 2024

By Matthew Morgan – Director, Quality of Life Foundation

The benefits of having influence over decisions affecting your local area are well known, and if the industry is to garner support for building more homes, it must engage effectively with local people. But the largest ever study into community engagement in planning and development processes across the UK has found the practice to be marred by inconsistencies and inadequacies. This puts the industry at a crossroads—improve or continue ostracising the communities where we work.

The Quality of Life Foundation’s Code of Practice, born out of the extensive research conducted by the UKRI-funded Community Consultation for Quality of Life (CCQOL) project, can serve as a catalyst for addressing these issues. While national policies may fall short, the property sector has a chance to make a difference by embracing principles defining good and excellent practice.

Reality bites

The CCQOL project’s findings, based on a research collaboration with universities in Reading, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Ulster, unveiled disparities between national guidelines and the realities of community engagement. In England, Wales, and Scotland, a significant percentage of respondents had never before been part of a consultation process because they had never been asked to be. Northern Ireland faced a unique set of challenges, with a staggering 80% of respondents never participating in planning consultations, with a legacy of mistrust and consultation fatigue among established neighbourhood groups. All this raises questions about the industry’s commitment to understanding local community needs. 

The Quality of Life Code of Practice proactively tackles these critical findings, emphasising collaboration, accountability, effectiveness, transparency, and inclusivity. Supported by an inclusive engagement toolkit, the Code provides a roadmap for transformation. We will be providing further supplementary guidance to support practitioners in 2024.

The property sector now stands at a pivotal moment where it can take the lead in fostering effective and inclusive community engagement. By signing up to the Code of Practice organisations can signal a departure from the status quo and show their dedication to fostering positive change.

Remaining accountable

The Code’s emphasis on accountability has the potential to be a game-changer. Organisations must be accountable for their actions, ensuring that community engagement is not a tickbox exercise but an ongoing, meaningful dialogue. Effectiveness and transparency go hand-in-hand, demanding that the planning and design phases are not shrouded in mystery but open for scrutiny and input from the communities they impact. And inclusivity is paramount, dismantling the barriers that have left a significant portion of the population feeling ignored.

Community engagement is not just a requirement of local planning authorities, but a moral imperative. The Code of Practice sets the standard for ethical behaviour in this regard, urging organisations to be timely, supportive of mutual learning, and to demonstrate impact. It calls for the publication of feedback, breaking the cycle of one-sided communication and fostering a culture of collaboration.

As the Code of Practice is currently in its beta phase, organisations have an opportunity now to contribute to creating standards for what is ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ in community engagement. They can support the Code’s integration into operations, currently through informal commitments and self-assessment, with plans for us to develop quality assurance, accreditation, and awards later. By participating in the testing phase, organisations can help refine the Code and gain insights into how to tailor its principles to their specific contexts.

This is an opportunity for the sector to take collective action and – together – improve community engagement within the planning systems in the UK. As Professor Flora Samuel, who led the research, has emphasised: the Code of Practice is a tool for differentiation – a means for local authorities and others to discern between superficial engagement and the deep and inclusive consultations that truly add value to communities.

Key to change

While national policies that refer to community engagement may need revising, the property sector holds the key to transformative change. By signing up to the Quality of Life Code of Practice, organisations can work towards a future where community engagement is not an afterthought but an integral part of the planning and development process. This marks a pivotal moment in the pursuit of a more inclusive and community-centric approach to shaping the built environment in the UK.

Organisations and practitioners who want to find out more about the Code should visit www.qolf.org/code-of-practice. Sign up today and work with us in 2024 so we can build a better quality of life together.