Purpose

The
report relates to a public consultation by Wealden District Council
on its Draft Statement of Community Involvement.  The consultation commenced on 4 July 2025 and runs
until 29 August 2025.

Decision

RESOLVED:
 
1.     
 That the current
consultation on Wealden District Council’s Draft Statement of
Community Involvement be noted.
 
2.     
That the responses/comments set out in the table of
TWBC officer comments presented in Appendix A of this report be
submitted on or before the deadline of the 29 August 2025 as
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s representations to Wealden
District Council’s Draft Statement of Community Involvement
consultation.

Reasons for the decision

To
agree to submit the representations/comments attached at Appendix A
to Wealden District Council’s consultation on their draft
Statement of Community Involvement on behalf of TWBC is favourable
as it enables TWBC to engage constructively with the neighbouring
authority on a statutory planning document, reflects good planning
practice and supports effective cross-boundary
engagement.

Alternative options considered

Do
nothing and not make representations would mean an opportunity was
missed to input and advise on a statutory document that sets out
consultation procedures for both plan-making and planning
applications.  It may also be perceived
as a lack of engagement on matters that could have cross-boundary
implications, particularly given Wealden’s status as a
neighbouring authority.
 
To
agree to submit alternative representation would require further
discussion with officers and/or Councillors to inform the response,
which would likely mean the consultation deadline is not met and
could risk delaying TWBC’s engagement and missing the
opportunity to influence the content of a statutory document that
may have implications for planning consultation practices affecting
TWBC.