There is no doubt that in the last 12 weeks the world has changed irrevocably, in ways that we are yet to fully understand. With strict lockdown measures starting to be eased and schools and shops gradually beginning to open, we are all getting to grips and considering what might be the ‘new normal’. 

 

In planning and consultation, Covid-19 has accelerated an already evolving engagement landscape to best meet people’s changing preferences about how they receive, understand and comment on information. A change that had been gathering pace in the 20 years since the turn of the millennium – through the rise of the internet, smartphones and latterly social media – has moved on at pace over the course of just two months.

The current situation has presented many challenges, but has also provided opportunities to adapt the way that communities and stakeholders are engaged on development proposals in their neighbourhoods. 

 

Traditional face-to-face techniques have quickly made way for more digital-led methods of engagement, including online video meetings, virtual exhibitions and more interactive websites. LCA is currently utilising all of these; running virtual exhibitions for a mixed-use retail and leisure scheme in Chelsea, producing videos for the NHS in Lambeth and developing websites for a housing developer in Barnet. 

 

However, despite most people being able to access information online, we still need to recognise that stakeholder engagement requires more than a one-(digital)-size-fits-all approach. Large pockets of communities across London cannot access the internet and their views are just as vital as those that can. The new normal will therefore mean building in a mix of traditional print techniques to complement the digital engagement hub as part of the overall engagement strategy. Local authorities are aware of this and will be quick to spot any missing out of certain communities in engagement programmes, or a sense that a developer might be trying to shortcut the pre-application public consultation process. 

 

A new sense of ownership is taking hold, people are interacting with neighbours more than ever. This provides an opportunity to engage people and groups who wouldn’t have previously engaged in consultations and digital tools will enhance our ability to do that. Developers need to work harder than ever in communicating how their plans will genuinely benefit local communities as people look to protect the areas they have become increasingly more familiar with. 

 

The new normal is beginning to take shape with restrictions on movement and activities starting to ease. It is very clear that digital and virtual engagement is here to stay and is already providing much higher volumes of participation than pre-Covid consultation. 

Before long, the church halls and community centres will open their doors again and the ability to hold public – albeit socially distanced – exhibitions will become a possibility once more. We therefore need to achieve a balance in the way we reach and engage communities with both approaches – digital and face to face – working flexibly together to deliver more and better participation in the way we are shaping our city.