Case Studies - Community Consultation

Waitrose and the Taste of Cornwall engaged our services to carry out a community consultation and feasibility study for developing a Waitrose store, Taste of Cornwall foodhall, farm visitor attraction and food processing units on a 30 hectare site in Cornwall.  

This consultation was carried out using the Concerto - Intelligent Community Planning methodology.

The Concerto methodology was first tested on a major development with a pilot study in Norwich.

In this example Concerto addressed the burning issues of the locality by appraising the local community and its needs, in order to identify the most attractive proposal to the local planning authority.  It demonstrated the most sought after facilities and how to offer these in the most cost-effective way in a section 106 agreement.  The power of this can not only save considerable time and argument, but also, from the outset, demonstrate to both the community and local planners that the developer genuinely wants to produce a well thought through and sustainable proposal.  

Concerto is therefore not ‘an extra obstacle’ to get through, but a way of actually saving time and therefore money as well.   

One Local Planning Authority recognising the potential of Concerto-Intelligent Community Planning, has, in conjunction with Woolley used the Concerto methodology in taking forward the review of its Local Plan (Local Development Framework); the results have exceeded their expectations: 

• The Stakeholders felt as though they had ‘ownership’ and this inspired participation
• The issues report is short, compact and relevant, as the stakeholders have been consulted first
• Concerto enabled them to produce the first draft of their LDF quicker and more effectively
• Concerto also assisted with their Community Plan and Sustainability Appraisal.
• There was a clear audit trail, and the methodology was statistically defensible