Planning

Planning is commonly known as the process of formulating in advance as organized behaviour action. While it is true that people do not always plan their actions, it is inherent for any organizations to plan. However, whether dealing with the context by which planning is occurring, whether on the individual or organizational level, the process takes shape according to the prevailing attitudes, beliefs and goals that are involved. Planning also bears different meaning to different social groups.

Planning, as discuss on this paper is an essential element in a successfully and orderly established locality. It has something to do with urban planning and the appropriate allocation of buildings and social services providers. Hence, it is the systematic procedure to make the future of cities, towns, and countryside. As the Office of Deputy Prime Minister’s Planning Overview (OPDM Website) noted, “good planning contributes to urban and rural regeneration, and helps to ensure that people have decent affordable homes in well-designed accessible environments whilst safeguarding our countryside.” Planning serves as a blueprint to organize every segment of a community being built. The main precedence of planning is the most efficient and effective benefits for the most number of people.

On the other hand, public involvement is an aspect studied by many researchers in their researches as an important aspect of planning. Public involvement is the mechanism that involves the public in the beginning stages of planning up to the completion of the process (Bovaird & Löffler, 2003). It is also regarded as a critical component in planning.

This paper aims to discuss the ways, the extent, and the significance of "the public" in their involvement in decisions on planning applications.

Ways of Public’s Involvement in Decision-making on Planning Applications

Engaging to public is a multifaceted task in democratic societies like UK. Participation involves different groups of stakeholders with varied circumstances and consideration. But then again, public involvement will still focus on the common good of the most number of people. Along with this different stakeholders present in the planning process, there are also some ways in which the public can include themselves in decision-making.

Bovaird and Löffler (2003) presented some forms of engagement that are used in public decision-making.

Communication and interaction – in every given plan, there are always efforts of communicating to people who are involved and affected. Honest and effective communication provides the public a means of access to information concerning the plan and themselves.

Consultation – is the mutual exchange of information from the government and the public. It provides every participant an avenue to exchange all concerns and questions with regards to every propositions, decisions, and actions.

Co-production – serves as an active partnership between the service provider and the public in implementing, developing and monitoring project standards.

With such ways utilized by the public, it is still necessary for every parties concerned to maintain an open line of communication and contact. The role of communication is definitive to the results of every plan regardless of some considerations at hand.

Extent of Public’s Involvement in Decision-making on Planning Applications

In planning, there are several features to be studied (Kellogg, 2002). The degree of public involvement depends on the projected effects of every plan to be implemented. Since, the public will be greatly affected by such plans, their common good is always vital. For instance, service users and other citizens are mainly involved and constitute a great part in decision-making when it comes to construction of a certain establishment or social service provider such as hospital, supermarkets, and academic institutions. There are some imperative aspects to be dealt with in planning such kind of constructions – among these are the environment, safety and public’s welfare (Kellogg, 2002). The role of every participant and agency involved in the decision-making and planning goes hand in hand with the concerns of the public. The planner’s area of responsibility focuses towards environmental hazards, health and safety of the public. In here, the problems should be fully identified. This asserts that planners are in effort to seek information about the hazards that may affect the health, safety and quality of life of people. Planners, their working personnel, the agencies they are connected with, and the public are experiencing several conflicts with the environment nowadays. However, providing help by assuring safety is the best way to do. By seeking information and identification of the problem spells exploitation of the preventive solutions. These strategies help to maintain effectiveness in finding solutions and at the same time becoming efficient in every area. In seeking information for planning, it means conducting a check-up and research on the possible health hazards within the area of responsibility and the incidences that involve health and safety. On the other hand, identifying problems in planning mean addressing the needs of the public. Creating a heightened awareness of the health and environmental hazards within the specific place involving planners is the centre responsibility for efficient and effective way of determining its preventive measures.

To meet the objectives and targets, the best technique is to involve the public on health, safety and environmental programs so that they have full awareness of their responsibilities not only towards their specific vicinities but also their own health and safety while contributing solutions to fight and reduce the hazards that surround them.

To monitor and control the achievement of objectives, processes measures in planning should be implemented. A consistent update of the status of the planning process through various public updates and advisories are effective in a sense that they will become more aware of the current development and improvement of the matters concerning everyone and the possible hazards and safety environmental measures. Another consideration would be the enforcement of strict laws that will define the limit of involvement and participation of the public in the official operation to foster the right and appropriate implementations of plans with respect to the common decision of the body – the individual, the group and the larger organization to which it affects.

Again, the extent of public involvement depends on the circumstances present in every specified action of planners. It is essential for every planner to take into considerations the safety of the public and the environment as well. But the members of the community should also take part in their role in mediating to issues of decision-making by using their specified rights and privileges granted by the state.

Significance of Public’s Involvement in Decision-making on Planning Applications

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) acknowledges the benefits of public involvement (OECD, 2001). It also believes that citizen’s engagement is ‘a core element of good governance’. The benefits of public involvement (OECD, 2001) are:

- It improves the quality of policy-making and allowing the government to tap wider sources of information, perspective, and potential solutions.

- It facilitates greater and faster interaction between the government and the people concerned.

- It increases accountability and transparency which also increases representativeness and public confidence.

The meaningful involvement of the public in planning initiatives is becoming an increasingly significant to strengthen the project outcome. Agencies and organizations all over the globe are acknowledging the efforts of constructive public involvement and participation.

The public’s involvement and accountability on the aspect of planning serve as a collaborative mechanism in building an equally comprehensive, consistent, and supportive society. It is also considered as a high and vital means of empowering communities and building better lives for the benefit of everybody.

Conclusion

The people serve as the main component of every given society. Any action taken towards them requires in-depth discussions and communication with the authorities. It is important for public to participate and let their voices be heard or recognized because it constitutes the basic right of a democratic state of governance. Public participation offers a wide array of potential benefits for every member of the country however; it also goes hand in hand with formidable challenges. Policy makers, politicians, planners, and the public should work together to achieve the goals of building a well-planned, successfully maintained, and fully develop community.

The planners, on the other hand, must take into consideration all the concerns of the public. The role of communication on matters of public concerns is highly needed. Researches, information drive, public forums, and transparency on public matters are expected to be known by the people not by them alone. Furthermore, the government is there to protect the interest of the public. Hence, every plans implemented is subject to their approval as well as to public forum and scrutiny especially when the public are the main characters concerned and affected. In such manner, the true essence of democracy lives.

References

Bovaird, T. & Löffler, E. eds. (2003) Public Management & Governance. New

York: Routledge. pp. 190 - 200.

Kellogg, W. (2002). Community Development and Environmental Quality: Benefits and Challenges Using a Service Learning Model for University Engagement. Journal of the Community Development Society, 33(2), pp. 72-80.

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (OPDM) Website, Planning Overview

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?docid=1161236

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2001) Engaging

citizens in policy-making: information, consultation and public participation. PUMA Policy Briefing No. 10. Paris: OECD.