Have your say on New Forest National Park Authority planning guidelines

New Forest National Park Authority is inviting people to have their say on how it works with community groups and stakeholders on planning matters.

The NPA is reviewing its Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), a document required by law by all planning authorities that “reflects changes” in national policy and legislation.

The SCI sets out how the authority works with the community and other interested parties in deciding planning applications and creating policies for its Local Plan, which will also be reviewed later this year.

NPA chair Gavin Parker said: “Engaging local communities is core to the work of the National Park Authority. This includes delivering our statutory planning functions such as development control, plan-making and enforcement.

“The SCI allows us to add a local flavour to the national regulations – setting out what they mean in the New Forest National Park – and for us to go further than the minimum national requirements set out by the government where appropriate.”

You can have your say on the document until 5th June by emailing policy@newforestnpa.gov.uk, visiting the NPA website or mailing comments to the authority at Lymington Town Hall.

The revised SCI will be presented to the NPA at a meeting in July.