Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Back to Digital Planning Programme Case Studies
Historically, local planning authorities have reported that it’s challenging to engage certain demographics, including young people and hard-to-reach communities. This leads to a lack of diversity and representation in consultations. In Round 2 of the Innovation Fund, Property Technology (PropTech) was used alongside a variety of methods to help increase the diversity of people responding to planning consultations.
Research from People Powered Planning has shown that by engaging a wider audience in planning conversations it can open up broader, often more positive and supportive conversations. For example, a survey found 57% of 18-24 year olds support the development of new homes in their local area in comparison to 39% of over 55s. This is a clear demonstration that broader engagement can unlock untapped pockets of support for new housing and positive plan making.
The below case study explores the methods used by Newham Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Lewes District Council to increase the diversity of their engagement.
If you would like a plain text version of the below report please email the team.