We are excited to announce that we have been awarded a £800,000 grant by the Department of Communities and Local Government. We will be receiving one third of the total amount in the grant from the Communities and Neighbourhoods in Planning Scheme. This grant will be an essential tool for us to be able to continue our interaction with local communities in the United Kingdom.

The DCLG has set up the Communities and Neighbourhoods in Planning Scheme to encourage organizations to provide guidance for communities in the planning system for their local area free of charge. The Government wants to create more of a discussion between the planners and the people of the area so the development that takes place will be a better reflection of the needs of the local community and inspire a greater civic responsibility.

We have a lot of experience in working with local communities in the planning process, with national and international projects that seek input from the local people. We think this community engagement is an important part of the design process, to ensure that the new creations are loved and used by its inhabitants.

Hank Dittmar, our Chief Executive, said, “The Prince’s Foundation has long been an advocate of the importance of community engagement and we are delighted to have been awarded such a significant proportion of the Communities and Neighbourhood Planning Grant.”

“Empowering local communities is now a welcome part of the planning process, and this grant will enable The Prince’s Foundation to use its extensive track record to help people plan in a positive way for growth and better neighbourhoods.”

The grant will enable us to offer three different planning tools at no cost to communities who usually wouldn’t be able to afford this opportunity.  The first tool is a Community Planning Diagnosis which is a two-day workshop where community representatives meet to discuss scoping, proposals for change and analysis of potential funding. The second is a Planning Reset, where local communities are engaged with developers and local authority in scenarios where planning proposals are in dispute because of the lack of previous communication with the community or lack of consideration of environmental or traffic implications. The third tool is an Enquiry by Design workshop, which is used to promote a rapid decision-making process for large scale planning issues, like neighbourhood planning, with the local authority, developer, landholder, community representatives and technical consultants at the outset of the design process.

We are enthusiastic for the opportunities this grant will give to reach out to more communities in the UK. Through these three planning tools, we hope to have people feel a connection to their built environment around them.