Stockport Trials Visual Tool to Enhance Local Plan Engagement

Innovative Tool Enhances Local Planning Engagement in Stockport

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council has introduced a new online consultation tool designed to simplify local planning engagement for residents. Utilising the interactive mapping platform Leaflet, the council aims to transform traditional planning documents into more accessible and informative visual narratives.

The Planning Challenge

Stockport’s local plan is laden with extensive technical details, including evidence, maps, and site assessments. The council’s goals were multifaceted:

To simplify the comprehension of evidence and site information for residents.
To enhance the online presentation of planning content.
To provide a visually engaging alternative to lengthy PDF documents.
To enable residents to explore maps and summaries without needing specialized knowledge.
To facilitate hybrid engagement alongside conventional consultation methods.

The council also sought to determine whether their custom tool could offer a more user-friendly structure for those overwhelmed by extensive, text-heavy documents.

What They Did

Utilising Leaflet, the council crafted the “Stockport Local Plan Consultation Tool,” which integrates various local plan elements into digestible visual stories. The implementation included:

The creation of a draft tool containing crucial maps, diagrams, site data, and narrative text.
The integration of images and GIS layers, allowing residents to explore content at their own pace.
Describing local planning themes such as transportation and housing through the tool.
Embedding maps to illustrate the geographical application of policies and proposals.
Early testing through collaboration with internal teams and information governance colleagues to gather feedback.

The pilot was not aimed at measuring large-scale participation but rather at assessing clarity and usability improvements of the tool.

Results and Impact

Initial findings from the pilot signaled promising results regarding clarity in planning communication. The council observed that:

The visual design significantly improved the comprehension of technical information.
The narrative approach facilitated understanding of complex topics.
Maps effectively illustrated how various policies corresponded to specific locales.
The tool enabled flexible content arrangements conducive to early engagement.
Users expressed a preference for visual representations over lengthy textual content.
Internal trials highlighted the need for clearer structuring and alternative formats.

Since the tool was not deployed for a live consultation during the pilot phase, the council did not accumulate quantitative data regarding participant numbers.

What They Learned

The council gleaned important insights from the trial, such as:

A bespoke tool has the potential to enhance accessibility to complex planning information.
Carefully structured content is crucial to avoid overwhelming users.
Accessibility remains an ongoing challenge, necessitating text-based alternatives.
Early testing for mobile responsiveness is vital, as not all layouts performed well on smaller devices.
Information governance considerations, including links to authoritative sources, should be prioritised.
The tool is most effective when used in conjunction with traditional consultation materials.

The pilot also enabled the council to pinpoint the types of content that work well within the tool and areas needing further clarity or structure.

Future Plans

Stockport plans to assess the efficacy of the Stockport Local Plan Consultation Tool following its upcoming use in a local plan consultation. This evaluation will inform whether the tool meets the necessary criteria for future stages of local planning engagement and wider community consultation efforts.

Source: official statements, news agencies, and public reports.

https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/stockport-tests-visual-tool-for-local-plan-engagement