Is Planning Consultation today able to offer full inclusivity?
Collective Abstract
Our proposal is seeking to address the education injustice and advantageous relationship between the professional and non-professional found within the planning process. These injustices are seen throughout the RIBA work-stages, but are found most prominently at public consultations.
Public consultations are a requirement within the planning process for projects which affect the public realm but are widely considered to be unhelpful for all parties involved. This viewpoint has been attributed to their late occurrence within a project timeline, the physicality and time needed to even attend, the reluctance to change a design because of additional cost, delays to schedules, and/or client motives, and the inherent bias within the framework of the public consultation.
Public consultations are exactly that, for the public, and yet are not framed around the public. These events can be hosted by both client-backed architects and client-backed planning consultants, both of whom have a vested interest, economic and otherwise, in pushing a project through planning. This puts the general public, who are also, more likely to be non-professionals in regards to the construction industry, at an immediate disadvantage.
If it takes a minimum of seven years to become an architect — to understand how to design, what the built environment is, and how to take responsibility for how a project might affect the wider context — how does the planning process expect the public to be able to understand any of it to form a better discourse and debate? Our intervention is the creation of a mediatory code of conduct which acts as an educator and a translator at events, such as public consultations, where there is a discrepancy and power imbalance in knowledge. The council would provide this impartial service, which would be then factored into the client’s planning cost. The service would include an online resource publication, explaining the planning process and pertinent planning laws in standard terms, a database of the current available resources, and the introduction of an impartial in-person mediator who attends public consultations and acts on the public’s behalf. This mediator would also take minutes to upload to the project’s planning portal to keep those in the community who could not attend up to date. The burden of responsibility for the education surrounding the built environment should not fall on the public, but instead on the planning process itself, and on the client.
With the addition of this mediator, architects and the wider community would be able to have a more meaningful conversation and debate, and the community would also be able to understand how their concerns might be relevant and be able to articulate them more clearly.Through education, or translation, the public would also be encouraged further to participate,
allowing for more representation within the process.
Introduction
This process is meant to engage with all residents as stakeholders — however, historically the Deaf community has not had access to this process. My specific proposal is linked to the minority groups who are disenfranchised from accessing the planning process, by both how the information is disseminated and the lack of translated content available. In the articles referenced there is a focus on the Deaf community as stakeholder for public consultation, access to the planning process is still an issue, the Deaf community has historically had limited access to planning because of the lack of interpreters and inclusive content.
My proposal will establish a new accessible app that enables the Deaf community, councils, and planners to engage in content that is linked to the public planning process, Whilst proposing the role of a Deaf Architectural Consultant in the planning process who will engage with all the parties
involved, and work with the community listening to and actioning their feedback and needs.
The Stakeholders and Focus Group
The stakeholders involved in the current planning system, and the different groups that are involved in making planning decisions.
details of the focus group.
The Stakeholders involved in the process of a development in their nearby area have the opportunity to clarify and offer feedback throughout the process. It is important to seek involvement of the public via consultation so the area they live in is protected and their views are valued . The stakeholders can be a mix of homeowners and renters. Both are part of the community . It is important that architects engage with this feedback and take this into consideration when designing the build.
The recent report from ‘People Powered Planning: How to better involve people in planning to get more homes built’ By Ben Glover in September 2019 stated how important it was for the planning process to be an accessible open engagement in the process. Many people want to engage in the building of homes. Specifically, homeowners are more likely to be part of new builds than renters. It has been in recent years that the younger demographic feels less agency and involvement with the process whereas older generations who are more likely to be homeowners, engage and feel part of the process. In addition, the younger generations and renters are more inclined to favour
new housing and planning of builds than their older counterparts as they already own their homes.
“a majority of the people (54%) do not feel at all involved in planning and housing decisions in their local area and just 10% feel very well involved.”
The graph shows the percentage of people from different age groups, genders, housing tenure and social class involved in the planning process. The data also highlights that more men are engaged in the process than women. In addition, it shows a higher proportion of people from the ABC1 defined social classes than that of C2DE classes. Overall, white middle-aged men are more likely to be involved in the planning process than any other socio- economic group.
The recent report by Ben Glover slates highlights that people of privileged background, education and wealth are dominating the process — in regards to public consultation, the lack of diversity is very apparent in the report’s findings. The process of consultation is one that can empower people
and communities — many minority groups do not feel empowered or involved in the process in anyway.
The report has tried to highlight the need for more ways in which a broader demographic of society can access the process. The report makes a point of stressing the need for workshops, focus groups and accessible opportunities to engage in the content and process from an early stage right through to the build itself. Many of the methods in which councils and developers try to engage with the public are considered not sufficient, accessible, or current. It was also noted that the way in which developers are viewed hindered the breadth of involvement and that changing those views via a more positive and inclusive approach would be beneficial to the process. There is an ongoing problem regarding how people access the process fairly, with many people feeling that their voices are not heard or actioned.
A way of improving access would be via the app making the process more accessible, if for instance people in the community cannot attend in person or need the information to be provided in formats that are accessible. The jargon that is currently used in resources relating to the process is not straightforward with complex language and technical terms which are not commonly understood.
In summary the report identifies the issues and is clear that the aim is to improve engagement for all focus groups this should include the Deaf Community (which is not mentioned in the report).
The need for the process to be accessible for the Deaf community is vital. This minority group has not had equal access to the process or planning for many years. The report already highlights the barriers faced by many of the minority groups — it is perhaps even harder for the Deaf community.
They have an equal right to be part of the process and contribute.
My proposed pitch can enable address issues faced by the stakeholder: Deaf Community.
My proposed pitch and strategies are to address the many issues which the Deaf community faces. The native language of the Deaf community is BSL, most of the information regarding planning is in English, so not accessible. As the planning process is in their second language often information is not clear, and many people feel they cannot engage in the process as they do not fully understand what is being proposed. This lack of resources in an accessible format does not encourage participation or enable agency of this minority group.
At public planning events, there is not a clear process to book an interpreter, how would members of the Deaf community engage in the events if no facility is provided to do so? In addition, if a member of the Deaf community wanted to call the community planning officer how would they do that? when no information is readily available in BSL or via an interpreter. The lack of interpreters in public events means that there is less or no opportunity in many cases for the community to be part of the process. All materials and resources used in the planning process should be visual in style and a BSL translated video of content or access to a live streamed interpreter be made
available — this would create equal access to the planning process.
As part of the public planning process there should be an access budget that provides interpreters for public consultations. Within the Deaf community many individuals primarily use BSL and do not feel comfortable providing written feedback, therefore there should be an opportunity to provide
feedback in BSL or via an interpreter into English.
Historically the Deaf community has had to face barriers accessing interpreters, the BDA (British Deaf Association) report in 2014 clearly evidences a lack of interpreters being booked or made available in the public sector in London, namely — GPs, Council meetings and local events. This
access barrier is an ongoing issue and still today in 2021 the Deaf community face the same barriers to accessible information within society.
“I feel as a deaf person it is so much harder because our needs are not met. Other disabled people get their needs met, why don’t we? If a person needs a Spanish translator-no problem but when we need a BSL interpreter — big problems.”
British Sign Language (BSL) is the native language of many people in the Deaf community with written English second. It is important to highlight that the grammatical structure of BSL and English is different. Therefore, content and resources in written English format are not easily accessible.
My proposed app will enable access for the wider Deaf community . Plan X is a good example of accessible information regarding the planning process — it is formatted in a visual style, with images and diagrams.
The proposed app will contain BSL translated resources that will be accessible on website, phone
and offer a function that enables people to book an interpreter for public consultations. The app will use the services of Signvideo, which is a video call service in which Deaf participants can book interpreters to translate phone calls.’ — which links interpreters to members of the public and is used
widely by the Deaf community. This resource tool will mean members of the public can call planning officers, developers, community officers and do so in BSL. The app will also provide a tool that offers an opportunity for feedback in BSL rather than English. An additional function of the app will be a resource that links a live map of developments within different boroughs. This would mean that people could see what builds or proposals are taking
place in their local area. This is interactive and visual, with additional information such as who the planning collective and officer is, or developers would also be made available. Furthermore, Video resources by Deaf Translators will be accessible with interpreted texts of the planning documents into BSL videos for the Deaf community to access. This will enable a better understanding of the information in the process.
The role of the Deaf Architectural consultant is an important one as it will link all my proposed access changes; the main role will be to mediate between the architects, developers, planning collective, councils, and Deaf community. For instance, the consultant will be responsible for sourcing a Deaf Translator and BSL interpreters to provide content in accessible formats, link information to the app so the public can access the different experts within the planning process. The role provides the Deaf community with an opportunity to clarify information or have open discussions via video call. The consultant will also collate updated information so that the architects and developers can work together. This way of working will mean recommended adjustments to design can take place, diagrams can be updated and the information be uploaded
to the app for the public to access.
Community.
Works.
The Deaf Architectural consultant will be a part of a Deaf architectural consultancy agency which is paid for by the government. This provision will provide architects, Deaf translators, interpreters, and other professionals as part of the planning process and aligned with the equality act.Two participants will take part in interviews relating to my proposal.
Interviews
Firstly, David Ellington who is Deaf and trained as a Deaf Translator, this will be an informal interview related to public consultation. Secondly, the other participant will be Rowan Riley, an architect from Haworth Tompkins. The interview will focus on the public consultation process, how the Deaf community should be involved, and his views on the role of the Deaf Architectural consultant and the proposed app.
David Ellington — Deaf Participant and trained to be Deaf Translator
The Interview with David Ellington:
Chris - Hi David
David - Hello Chris
Chris - I know you have been living in Bristol for quite some time and is it right that you own your own house?
David - Yes, well…. Really the house belonged to my mother, and then the deed was passed on to myself and my brothers,
so yes, yes I suppose I am.
Chris - OK, so I’m wondering if you have heard of ‘public consultations’ and if you have ever considered being involved in
them? Have you been involved in them before?
David- Gosh, well, a very long time ago, linked to protests
Chris - Ah, I mean public consultation linked to..
David - oh, you mean public discussion linked to building development? Ah, right, sorry… Yes, a very little though. I have seen information online, from the developers website about their thoughts on how it could impact the environment, the parks and people. So looking at the effects after something is built.
Chris - So have you given feedback through public consultation? Been involved in any meetings?
David - No… well… a long time ago.. Ages ago really. I can’t remember exactly when but i recall it was mostly done via email. Yes, that was it.
Chris - Was there any particular reason you didn’t feel there was enough access to these public discussions?
David - Well, unfortunately, hmm.. Good question.. Sometimes I think it should have been their responsibility to provide an interpreter, plus, ongoing commitments that I had myself. It would be nice to have, I mean they should organise, the council or whoever, at public consultations they should have an interpreter. Then I would go, really it’s up to them. I know it can come down to money and budget, but really that shouldn’t matter when it means better access to information. That is what is important… Yes.
Chris - Yes, I’m wondering, can you read the information on the websites about the public consultations? Do you feel you
understand it well enough, or do you feel it’s hard to access the information. How do you feel when you read it?
David - Well, yes… some… some yes, some no. It’s 50/50 really. Some of the wording used and the meaning of them, it could
include legal jargon and terminology. For someone who is familiar I think it would be ok, but maybe for public consultation
it needs to be summarised. I also like to see information in a more visual way, like building designs. Things that will be affected and things that won’t, the ‘what ifs’. I like things more clear. Yes, like that.
Chris - So wondering how others in the D/deaf community who aren’t able to read and understand the information 100% would feel?
David - There should be a deaf translator. Maybe a person to explain the situation at a public consultation. To go through the paperwork and then we could have a clearer understanding. Because with english, we’re trying to take in the details,what things mean.
Chris - Im wondering if there was an app set up, specifically for public consultation, where the information would be translated. Do you feel that would encourage more of the deaf community to get involved?
David - Possibly, possibly.
Chris - To be part of the discussion. So if there was a new role of a deaf architect consultant, they would be responsible for booking the interpreters, making sure there was a deaf translator when needed… Do you think things like that would
encourage deaf people to be involved more?
David - Yes quite possibly. Well, I think if there was a deaf translator at the public consultations I think it would mean deaf
residents would feel more motivated and want to know what is going on. Things would be clearer for them. Their opinions will be heard. It means they would have rights, we live in Britain, in the UK, no one should be excluded, everyone should
be involved. Which means the staff, the authorities through discussions would listen to our views, good or bad.
Chris - Yes, thank you. I was also wondering about your role as a deaf translator. You are training at the moment, is that right?
David - Well, I’m not a qualified or registered deaf translator, I am studying at the moment. I think before I should have studied because it would have helped me be aware, also to safeguard myself. I am happy to support and encourage deaf
people, Black people in particular. There aren’t many deaf translators so that is why I wanted to become one.
Chris - Im wondering, what is the purpose of a deaf translator? Can you explain that a bit more?
David - Of course. A deaf translator starts with written English and translates it into BSL so that deaf people can fully access
the information in a way that is clear to them. Compared to written English that could be full of words they don’t know the
meaning of. It can take a lot to try and process. Using a translator makes this much simpler and easier for them to
understand.
Chris - And am I right that you would have to use different language for older deaf people compared to younger deaf
people? Can you tell me a bit about that?
David - Yes of course. So when signing the translator needs to think about who they are signing to. Who is the audience, who
is watching. For example they may need to make it more suitable for older people, and then would sign a different way to
younger people. An example of this could be talking about social media. The older people may not be so familiar so i
would need to consider how to adapt my use of language, perhaps using more ‘old fashioned’ signs that would help them
understand. The younger generation, I expect, would just get it, as they are used to learning. It is very interesting to need
to have this breadth of language and pick which is most suitable.
Chris - This is really important as the aim of public consultations is to include everyone in the audience, so I expect this
could be a challenging role for a translator if one audience has a mixture of language needs that they need to match.
David - Yes, that is right, So i have to think about the young, the old and then pitch it somewhere in the middle. Some older
people may not, but its important to let them know they can ask questions if they have questions or want to clarify more.
So the initial translation would be more general and if they want to know more, then they just need to ask.
Chris - That is really interesting that they can ask. I think it’s really important to have the deaf architect consultation, as it
means deaf people can ask questions and get responses. So it would be the deaf translators responsibility to translate the information? For example if someone wants to clarify, then they could.
David - Yes, absolutely. So the deaf translator with a deaf member of staff would explain. Really what the translator is doing,
is relaying the information from the staff member to the deaf person. So in the role of translator I wouldn’t get involved
personally, I can’t do that. I am facilitating the deaf person and staff member to have that conversation.If the deaf person doesn’t understand then I would explain again in a different way. If a specific building was being discussed in detail it’s the staff member that needs to respond.
Chris - Yes, I agree. Thank you. Do you have any ideas or suggestions of how deaf people could be more involved in
public consultations?
David - I think it would be good to have information live or pre-recorded, on the internet or through an app. Then people could
watch it and decide to go to the event at the venue, it could also be done using zoom or video to help access to signing.
Chris - And they could also add their own feedback.
David - if they had feedback, they could create a video using BSL, then upload it. It would then be their responsibility to book an interpreter to voice over, or passed to an organisation who provide a service to translate BSL to English. Then the
staff would know what the feedback was.
Chris - Yes, that is good to have an alternative way, not just when people are at the meeting. Well, thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.
David - You’re welcome.
Rowan Riley- Architect of Haworth Tompkins
Brief: He is working on the project — Kingsbridge which on the stage involve a lots of public consultation at the moment. The Public Consultation has problems relating to access, with a lack of opportunity to feedback or engage in the process. Focus groups are not accessible for members of the Deaf community. My essay focuses on the Deaf community and my proposal to address the issues relating to access provision and engagement.
The Interview with Rowan:
Chris - Thank you for your time. I know you have been working on the Kingsbridge Project for a while and were part of the public consultation so I thought I would be able to talk to you with regards to my project because I am focusing on public consultation at the moment. I have a number of questions I would like to ask if possible. How long have you been working at this architecture firm? I assume that you have experience with Public Consultation within your practice.
Rowan - Thank you for asking me to discuss your research; it sounds really interesting. I have worked at Haworth Tompkins
for 6 years. I worked at one for two years and I’ve been back for four years since studying part 2.
Chris - The issue of focus groups being predominantly attended by homeowners and an older demographic that is over 55s, impacts the voices and engagement of the planning process. Have you experienced members of the Deaf community in a public consultation event or process?
Rowan - You have raised some good points. I have been involved in various consultations for residential projects at Haworth Tompkins which Kingsbridge is the most involved with residents. The project is trying to engage with every resident but in my experience there has not been anyone who is deaf, disabled or foreign language speaking people. I think there is a big barrier with consultation — it can be quite narrow in its reach for information and it does not necessarily add variety. Is it engaging? If it is written, what language is used? And if it is spoken, what language is used? It is important to know
what audience you are consulting with and a lot of people do not find out how many people live on an estate and so they don’t know what the content needs to be. It has got my thinking about how to get the wider perspective. From my experience on Kingsbridge with the steering group that should represent, I think there are about 10–15 people that represent about 134 households. However, it is a voluntary process so its’ only the people most interested in the options appraisal who will be involved in the steering group. There is a high proportion of the steering group that are long term lease holders, and they have a very different view to the social housing tenants who are renting the properties. There are probably a lot of reasons as to why someone who owns a property and has more financially invested cares what happens. It is probably fair to say that someone renting a property has less financial capital at stake; that could be part of it.And, maybe, they feel less tied to where they live potentially.
Chris - I agree that is all true. You made some really useful points; thank you.
Rowan- I hope it helps.
Chris - If not — why do you think that this is an issue for the Deaf community not having engagement to this process? There must be a barrier. Deaf people would engage with this process via British Sign Language. Many people from the deaf community would not engage with the written text. So, with my proposal I have been thinking of creating an app that would enable deaf people to engage with it. For example, written text would be translated into British Sign Language and there would be a translator there able to provide information relating to certain builds and developments. There is also the option with the app that members of the deaf community can feedback in British Sign Language and not have to feedback using text. Also, I have noticed that there isn’t an easy way to book an interpreter so this app would also allow someone to easily book an interpreter and link them with someone that is part of the consultation process. I was thinking of using a company called SignVideo; it is a service that enables people to access an interpreter and have conversations via video. The app would have that facility — so the deaf architectural consultant role would have the ability to make all these links needed for access; from finding an interpreter and explaining the process, making sure people are linking information to British Sign Language and that it is accessible. Regarding the process and thinking about how people
would engage and link to a proposal, would you consider working with a deaf architectural consultant to get information from them relating to access regarding design?
Rowan - Absolutely; if there is someone that you are trying to consult with that is deaf, it would be a fantastic thing to have available. If there is a language barrier I was thinking maybe there is some text saying if you want this information translated to get in touch. Because, if it is a consultation where they don’t know who the audience is, it is hard to know what translation is needed and it can take up a lot of resource and money to do this. Maybe it could be a video that is included on a consultation website or at a consultation event — so if someone did not want to read through something, it could be seen in sign language? There could be a short clip for that; that sounds useful.
Chris - Yes that is one of the ideas in which someone could get access — via video or British Sign Language so they could get a good understanding.
Rowan - That would be great.
Chris - My project is thinking about how the public engage and have opportunities to engage with a deaf architectural consultant along the process at different points of it. This is something I am considering but everything has to be in British Sign Language to ensure its accessible.
Rowan - I don’t know what resources are available — I think what you are proposing is really good because the clients we work with do not necessarily know who all the residents are so they do want to genuinely engage but do not know how to do it. So if they knew one of the residents was deaf, that would be brilliant.
Chris - I am thinking about the role of the deaf architectural consultant and the deaf awareness involved. The app is for the deaf community and want people to know where different developments are taking place within London and UK. I am thinking of having a visual map of where different parts of the build are taking place.
Rowan - That sounds like a really good idea. I think there must be online mapping projects that look at development across cities; whether it be London or somewhere else. I wonder if it could link with that in some way rather than it being its own entity. However, maybe it could be a bit of both — there could be a mapping project for the deaf community to go to or there could be a website that allows deaf people to see the connections of where things link to.
Chris - Yes. Regarding who will pay the deaf architectural consultant. Do you think the client is responsible for getting in touch with the deaf architectural consultant? Who has that responsibility? The client or the architect?
Who do you think is responsible for contacting the Deaf architectural consultants and who is responsible for paying for their time the architects or the clients?
Rowan - I think both have a responsibility to be aware of the fact that it is required if they encounter someone who is deaf that they are trying to consult with. Regarding the finances, I think it would have to come from the client. Architecture is a consultancy service and deaf consultancy is another element of that. I think if we tried to price every project in a way that allowed us to incorporate all the potential consultants I think it would be difficult. I think as long as its clear that the fee is for the architectural services and other consultation services would be an addition then clients would be clear on their responsibility to pay. For larger estate projects they have a budget for consultation that allows them to reach out to people and they often go into the consultation processes with the knowledge that they might not know all of the costs for consultation. For example, on Kingsbridge with Covid-19, there have been a lot more digital consultation and they have been willing to employ specialist digital platforms to increase the engagement. There is one called ‘Built ID’ which is a platform that makes it easier to respond to surveys. I believe I have sent you a link about this.
Chris - Yes thank you. It’s important that the deaf community feel involved and the way in which people engage in the consultation process is improved so thank you for answering the questions. I feel the app is going to be a good way for people to connect and engagement can be improved. Clients need to be aware that the deaf community is one group that we need to listen to and their feedback is important. I will do some more research regarding the map and different apps. Knowing about projects and where people live is an important element as well. If a Deaf Architectural Consultant is present in the process — you will be able to collect information relating to the design and access needs of the Deaf community.
Rowan - Yes, it is an interesting piece of research; thank you for asking those questions. It sounds good. If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them as well. a lot of it is about knowing your audience and consultation can always do that, so if you know if your audience is an experiencing a barrier then that makes it easier. However, not everyone feels they need to research the demographic. And, if you are conducting a consultation that is a lot wider, how you predict for different barriers in place can be difficult; this is something that is a big discussion.
Chris - it would be good to have ways in which everyone can engage in different builds and proposals. If they are aware of the deaf community being in that area then there needs to be a way in which we know this but there needs to be a built in understanding that deaf people could be in the area so we need to build that into our thinking as well.
Rowan - I completely agree.
Chris - it is an opportunity to engage.
Rowan - Definitely, I think the more you get different viewpoints — the more interesting the responses become. If we are always getting responses from the same demographic like homeowners or people over 55 then we only get the same perception. Martha was telling me about this traffic management scheme where. Rather than consulting they just implement it; this is a bold approach. There was research done where they interviewed residents and the silent majority felt that traffic calming is a good thing, and they are happy for it to be implemented.a situation where there are many residential areas where car users are using those roads as through routes which makes them quite busy. I cannot remember who it — I will send you the information — but they block off certain roads and make it difficult for traffic to use the residential roads as through routes; this makes people’s journey’s much longer. For example, it might make the school run more difficult and they would be very vocal about making their school run longer but there would be 80% of residents that actually prefer the streets quieter but might not engage in the consultation. Whenever a consultation takes place it’s important to know if you are getting information that is the majority perspective of the vocal minority and this is difficult. I don’t know if this is the right approach but maybe its better to just go ahead and do it and find out later if there
are issues later. So rather than acknowledging the louder voices of the minority, to consider that the silent majority would agree but aren’t going to come forward and say it. I don’ know — that is another thing to consider.
Chris - That is true. Thank you so much.
Conclusion
The research process has evidenced that there is a need for the role of a Deaf architectural consultant, the role needs to be embedded in the stages of design and the consultation process and not seen as an add on, there should be an expectation that members of the Deaf community live in all neighbourhoods. From speaking with practitioners and members of the public it is clear that this issue needs to be addressed. There is a gap missing in the process that links communities together and enables accessible information to be readily available. The app is an ongoing point of research that could establish a point of mediation between all parties involved in the process of
planning, access, and design. It also has at its aim the role of updating and adapting a system of planning through local and government infrastructure and finance.
