In more detail
Local businesses are an important part of the neighbourhood and the social value of living there. Whether you are thinking of neighbourhood planning, wider community planning or any action designed to improve the place you live, you need to consider the people who work there too? The video below was produced by Business in the Community - which is a charity led by business people which aims to promote links between business and communities:
Neighbourhood planning
If your neighbourhood isn't covered by a parish council, then the designated body to lead neighbourhood planning is a neighbourhood forum which, for the purposes of the process, must include a representative of the local business sector. In some areas, one may be enough. But in many neighbourhoods, local business people can bring skills and resources to the neighbourhood planning process that you'd be foolish to neglect.
There is no reason why a neighbourhood forum could not be made up by equal numbers of business and resident representatives, if there are sufficient willing to serve. The business community, after all, is not necessarily any more homogenous than the resident community. The interests of corner shop-owners are not always the same as high street store managers; factory owners may have different priorities to commercial landlords?
Wider community planning and neighbourhood improvement
Community planning and action to improve the neighbourhood - through, for example, neighbourhood management; working with public services; and by developing community-led projects - could also benefit from the skills and resources of local businesses. Often in the past, local imrpovement partnerships have been led by representatives of public services. A partnership led by local councillors, active community representatives and local business-people might be more able to act as a productive local team.
| Key Facts:
If you want to make a neighbourhood plan for your area and there is no parish council, then you must involve business representatives in the neighbourhood forum you form to lead the process. There is no reason why you should see involving business as limited to a single rep on a neighbourhood forum. The skills and resources which business can bring to your local improvement partnership are worth having whether you are thinking of neighbourhood planning or wider community planning. |
Page Links from here
Neighbourhood Planning: involving business and landowners (PDF) published by RICS, 2014
Getting Down to Business: lessons and tips from involving forms in neighbourhood planning (PDF) published by Planning Advice Service, 2014
Bankside case study - engaging businesses in neighbourhood planning published by Planning Aid
And in the toolkit:
Business Improvement Districts
OR you can use the navigation menu above right to look at other parts of the toolkit.
BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY PLANNING TOOLKIT DEFINITION SHEET This sheet may be reproduced in paper or electromic or any other form but please mention it was made by Chamberlain Forum Limited for Birmingham City Council supported by Department for Communities and Local Government.
| created: 2016-06-03 12:26:08 | by: admin | status: f published |