How to Run a Public Consultation: Events, Digital Engagement and Communications
Running a public consultation requires careful planning, clear communication and an understanding of the people and organisations you need to reach.
For property developers, public consultation can involve a combination of face-to-face events, digital engagement, stakeholder meetings, written communications and other activities. The right approach will depend on the development, its location, the level of public interest and the objectives of the consultation.
A successful consultation should make it easy for people to understand what is being proposed, ask questions and provide feedback.
It should also provide the development team with a structured way to collect, analyse and respond to the views received.
Gough Property Communications provides public consultation services for property and development projects, helping clients plan and deliver community and stakeholder engagement.
Start With a Consultation Strategy
Before organising an event or launching a consultation website, establish what the consultation needs to achieve.
• The strategy should identify:
• The objectives of the consultation
• Relevant communities and stakeholders
• Key messages
• Consultation methods
• The consultation timetable
• Information that needs to be provided
• How feedback will be collected
• How responses will be analysed
• How the results will be reported
This provides a framework for the consultation and helps ensure that different engagement activities work together.
Identify Who You Need to Reach
A public consultation should be designed around its audiences.
Depending on the development, this may include local residents, businesses, community organisations, councillors, MPs, local authorities and other stakeholders.
Different audiences may need different forms of engagement.
For example, residents may benefit from a public exhibition and online consultation, while a local business organisation may be better engaged through a direct stakeholder briefing.
Stakeholder mapping can help determine the appropriate approach.
Choose the Right Consultation Methods
There is no single method that is suitable for every development.
A strong consultation may combine several approaches to reach different audiences.
Common methods include:
• Public exhibitions
• Community meetings
• Stakeholder briefings
• Consultation websites
• Online questionnaires
• Printed leaflets
• Letters
• Email communications
• Digital meetings
• Direct stakeholder engagement
The most effective combination will depend on the project and local community.
Choose an Accessible Venue
The location of a consultation event can influence who attends.
The venue should be accessible to the local community and, where possible, accommodate different accessibility requirements.
Consider factors such as:
• Location
• Public transport
• Parking
• Accessibility
• Opening hours
• Venue capacity
• Availability of suitable display space
For some consultations, holding more than one event or offering different engagement opportunities may be appropriate.
Prepare the Consultation Team
Everyone involved in a public consultation should understand the proposal and their role.
The team may include representatives from:
The developer
• Planning
• Architecture
• Transport
• Ecology
• Highways
• Communications
• Community engagement
Staff should be prepared to explain the proposal clearly and know how to respond when they do not have an immediate answer.
It is better to acknowledge that a question requires further information than to provide an inaccurate response.
Make Consultation Materials Easy to Understand
Different developments can create different concerns.
For a residential scheme, communities may want information about traffic, housing numbers, green space, design, infrastructure and local services.
For an employment or logistics development, concerns could include vehicle movements, operating hours, employment opportunities, noise and access.
A regeneration project may generate questions about changes to the local area, businesses, public spaces, transport and community facilities.
The consultation strategy should reflect these differences.
Use Digital Public Consultation
A digital consultation can make information available to people who cannot attend a physical event.
• A consultation website can provide a central location for:
• Project information
• Plans
• Frequently asked questions
• Supporting documents
• Consultation dates
• Feedback forms
• Contact information
• Updates
Online questionnaires can also make it easier to collect structured feedback.
Digital engagement should complement rather than necessarily replace face-to-face consultation.
Use Printed Communications
Printed communications can remain useful for reaching people who may not engage online.
Depending on the project, this could include:
• Consultation leaflets
• Letters
• Posters
• Local newsletters
• Information packs
Distribution should be planned carefully to ensure relevant communities receive information about the consultation.
Engage Key Stakeholders Directly
Not every stakeholder needs to be engaged through the same method.
Important stakeholders may benefit from direct meetings or briefings.
This can include:
• Councillors
• MPs
• Parish councils
• Residents' associations
• Community organisations
• Local businesses
• Local authority representatives
Direct engagement can provide an opportunity for more detailed discussion and allow questions to be addressed in greater depth.
Make It Easy to Provide Feedback
People should have a clear and straightforward way to respond.
Depending on the consultation, feedback could be collected through:
• Online forms
• Paper questionnaires
• Email
• Written responses
• Event feedback forms
• Stakeholder meetings
The consultation should clearly explain how feedback can be submitted and the deadline for responses.
Give People Enough Time
Consultation should provide a reasonable opportunity for people to review the information and submit their views.
The appropriate consultation period will depend on the development and engagement methods being used.
For a major development, people may need more time to understand detailed proposals and discuss them with others.
The consultation timetable should also allow the development team enough time to analyse feedback before the planning programme progresses.
Monitor Questions and Feedback
During the consultation, keep track of the questions being asked.
Recurring questions can indicate that information is unclear or that additional explanation is required.
A frequently asked questions document can be updated where appropriate.
Monitoring feedback also allows the consultation team to identify emerging concerns and ensure that the project team is aware of them.
Analyse the Responses
Once the consultation closes, feedback should be reviewed systematically.
Responses can be grouped into themes such as:
• Transport
• Housing
• Design
• Environment
• Infrastructure
• Construction
• Community facilities
• Green space
The objective is to understand what people are saying rather than simply count the number of responses.
Both positive and negative feedback should be considered.
Prepare a Consultation Report
A consultation report can document the engagement process and its outcomes.
It may include information about:
• Consultation methods
• Stakeholders reached
• Event attendance
• Online engagement
• Number of responses
• Key themes
• Concerns raised
• Responses provided
• Changes made
A clear report creates a useful record of the consultation and can support the wider planning process.
Running Public Consultation in the Midlands
For developments in the Midlands, consultation should reflect the specific characteristics of the local community.
A development in Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry or another Midlands location may involve very different audiences and issues from a scheme in a smaller town or rural area.
A public consultation company in the Midlands can help developers understand the local stakeholder environment and select appropriate engagement methods.
Gough Property Communications supports development teams with public consultation in the Midlands, combining community engagement, stakeholder communications and consultation strategy.
Should You Use a Public Consultation Company?
Managing a large consultation can involve significant coordination.
A specialist public consultation company can support the process from initial strategy through to delivery and reporting.
This can include:
• Stakeholder mapping
• Consultation strategy
• Event planning
• Consultation materials
• Digital engagement
• Community communications
• Political engagement
• Feedback analysis
• Consultation reporting
Specialist support can be particularly useful for developments that are large, complex or likely to attract significant community interest.
Make Your Public Consultation Count
A successful public consultation is about more than organising an event or publishing a questionnaire.
It requires a coordinated strategy that reaches the right people, communicates the proposal clearly, provides accessible opportunities to participate and properly considers the feedback received.
If you are planning a development and need support running a public consultation, Gough Property Communications can help you plan and deliver an engagement programme suited to your project.
Explore our public consultation services or contact Gough Property Communications to discuss your development.
Running a Public Consultation Exhibition
Public exhibitions can provide a valuable opportunity for face-to-face engagement.
They allow residents and stakeholders to view plans, ask questions and speak directly with members of the project team.
An effective exhibition should provide clear information about:
• The site
• The proposed development
• The design
• Access
• Transport
• Landscaping
• Environmental considerations
• Community benefits
• The planning process
• How to provide feedback
Large plans, maps and visualisations can make technical information easier to understand.