When we think of public relations (PR) and communications, we don’t often place planning applications on the list of things it can necessarily support with.
However, planning applications require plenty of background work in terms of building your reputation and developing relationships with key stakeholders such as residents, industry bodies, and politicians.
Finding out what’s important to them is vital so that you can tell your story and align it to their expectations and, in some cases, worries. This can be through media relations, social engagement, 1-2-1 meetings, web content, and video.
PR practitioners are in tune with all the above, as well as understanding the planning process. For example, if it’s Eryri National Park, it won’t be Cyngor Gwynedd, rather the Eryri National Park Authority.
It will be determined by Welsh ministers if it is a development of national significant (DNS), or through the new Infrastructure Consent regime which is being introduced via the Infrastructure Act (Wales) 2024.
All this impacts who you approach or try to place key messages in front of, whilst letters of support are important to making progress. With that in mind, think influential third parties such as business groups like the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) or the Institute of Directors (IoD), and relevant trade and industry bodies.
Communication with policy officers is crucial throughout. Focus on building strong relationships through clear communication, early engagement, and a commitment to transparency. Anticipating concerns and soliciting feedback will definitely help.
This leads on to the analysis of feedback from the pre-application consultation and public information days, as this guides comms messaging and enables misconceptions to be correct and rumours squashed.
When submitting the planning application, the executive summary is crucial, as it’s the first thing the recipient reads. This means setting the scene and addressing key messages from the outset – don’t hide these in the weeds dozens of pages later.
There is already lots of information for the planning committee to review, so make it easy for them to find the important material. Stats and data are a perfect way to get your point across.
Detail the vision you have for the proposed scheme, pinpointing the benefits for the region such as job creation and boosting the economy, which could include helping put North Wales on the map for innovation, for example.
Once that planning application is submitted, it’s in the public domain and that means the media can use it to write a story in their own words and with a specific angle, whilst individuals can post and share on social media, whether good or bad.
To help shape the narrative, draft your own media release that can be issued at the same time. This can also be uploaded to your website and communicated via your social channels.
Keeping an eye on coverage is crucial, especially when it comes to capturing negativity. It’s important that these are spotted and any inaccuracies that arise are corrected.
To help with a consistent communication being delivered to the public, it is important to continue drip-feeding key messages throughout the planning approvals process.