Watson

Achieving planning approval through a Public Consultation.

THE BRIEF

Rumpus was appointed by Watson to manage a full public consultation campaign for the Creams Mill & Hall Lane development. The public consultation was to support a planning application in Little Lever for a major new affordable housing development and regeneration of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. Due to coronavirus restrictions, the consultation was delivered online – a first for Watson and for Rumpus!

OUR OBJECTIVES

  • Delivery of a robust communications and digital strategy for the online public consultation.
  • To prepare a full engagement strategy for an online public consultation, a new phenomenon for the industry.
  • To deliver evaluated quantitative and qualitative data and produce a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), in line with planning application requirements.
  • To coordinate all media inclusive of local, regional and trade press as well as delivering print advertising and marketing collateral.

OUR SOLUTION

With the traditional mechanic of delivering a Public Consultation negated by the pandemic, our focus was to deliver a digital solution, ensuring the integrity of the process was carried out successfully.

The creation of a website as hub to collate all information was imperative to facilitate the process. We used all digital channels to ensure we effectively targeted the local community, which would be impacted by the proposed development.

We set up an online survey and garnered responses from the local community, this gave us the platform to interact with and communicate effectively with local residents. Throughout the process we had consistent and clear communication with all stakeholders which resulted in a robust Public Consultation and the delivery of a comprehensive Statement of Community Involvement.

We secured key coverage in regional press, including Bolton News, Manchester Evening News in order for the development to be recognised by the local community and ensure a positive public perception. We used trade press to further establish Watson’s brand recognition.

All PR activity formed a core part of the Statement of Community Involvement, a vital element of the planning application

Planning permission was achieved for the 255 homes and the regeneration of the canal.

OUR RESULTS

129
RESIDENTS
ENGAGED
255
HOMES
APPROVED
1
WEBSITE
HUB