14 Feb BermondseyStreet.London talks community consultation to Scrutiny Committee

Southwark Council’s Scrutiny Committee Chair, Cllr Ian Wingfield, this week invited BermondseyStreet.London to address the committee on the latest proposals by the Council for how major developers should engage with the community. Two local organisations BermondseyStreet.London and We❤️Snowsfields  have commented on the changes that the Council proposes to make to the community consultation requirements placed on developers. Local concerns have been expressed that the changes if approved would provide even more wriggle room for developers to avoid meaningful consultation with the community about proposed development schemes. The conversation at Scrutiny Committee focused on three main concerns – the removal of heritage, accessibility and movement from the initial fact-based audit, the softening of the requirement to produce and publicise an early engagement strategy for community consultation and the lack of guidance given to developers using a third party company to manage the community consultation. Cllr Helen Dennis gave assurance that these and other comments would be fully taken into account over the next few months while the draft changes are being finalised.