SONI publishes review of its consultation process

On Thursday 4th May Stratagem, in partnership with The Consultation Institute and in association with AECOM, hosted ‘Best Practice Consultation – Raising Standards Across These Islands’.

The event, which took place at Belfast Castle, brought together practitioners and stakeholders in the consultation arena. It focused on best practice standards and looked towards the best way forward for future developments.

Fay Lagan of AECOM highlighted learning from a variety of complex infrastructure projects. TCI Engagement’s Quintin Oliver explored the impact of new planning legislation incorporating consultation requirements. He also shared the findings of the independent review of how SONI, the electricity transmission system operator, conducts its public consultations – that report is available here.

Rhion Jones, Programme Director at The Consultation Institute, looked at the current state of consultation across the UK and Ireland, including relevant legal judgements coming from the courts. Wendy Langham of EastSide Partnership outlined the journey behind the recently completed Connswater Greenway. Other topics discussed during the morning included the role of social media, recent community planning consultations, the Northern Ireland Programme for Government and the value of pre-consultation engagement. 

If you want to find out more about how Stratagem and its partners can help you improve your consultation practice and expertise, please contact grainne@stratagem-ni.com.