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Even before the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 forced their hand, plenty of developers had cottoned on to the fact that consulting local people early on is a great way to avoid trouble later.

Planning consultant Andrew Martin Associates was instructed by developer Knight Developments to prepare an application for the redevelopment of a former maltings site, Paul's Maltings, on the Ipswich waterfront. Under the proposal, it would be transformed into a mixed scheme comprising 290 flats, shops, offices, bars and restaurants. After assessing the relevant planning policies and considering initial design concepts, Andrew Martin felt it was essential to incorporate local knowledge and concerns although, at the time, there was no statutory requirement to undertake a consultation exercise.

Objectives for any consultation must be set in advance. In the case of Paul's Maltings, the principal objectives were to:

• Undertake a process with different stages of involvement: information; participation; consultation; and feedback, in order to offer the community a tangible stake in decision-making
• Identify local issues and the level of understanding about the site and the surrounding area
• Achieve successful integration of the site with the urban area
• Facilitate a process whereby local authority planners and officials, the developers and their consultants and the general public learn through a consultation process
• Demonstrate how the results are fed into the preparation of the planning application
• Bring forward proposals leading to a planning application submission that has greater involvement and consensus, and better reflects the aspirations of the community.

The approach for every development will be different. It is important that the arrangements for, and levels of, community involvement are appropriate to the proposal. Developers can adopt a range of techniques such as workshops, open house events, exhibitions, interactive displays and community planning forums.

The timing of events is also critical - avoid school holidays. It is better to schedule meetings in the evenings or weekends, when people aren't at work.

At Paul's Maltings, a stakeholder meeting and two public exhibitions were considered the most appropriate forums. They took place in October 2004 and gave key stakeholders the chance to participate in a more structured debate, while local residents could contribute in a more informal way.

Although it can be time-consuming and expensive, consulting at the beginning of the process is particularly important for sensitive or significant proposals. Consultation must be done in an honest and transparent way and publicly documented. When the Paul's Maltings scheme was finally submitted for planning permission, the application was accompanied by a community involvement report including comments and a summary of the main findings.

The public consultation process was launched once an initial sketch scheme had been prepared. These draft proposals were able to provide greater focus for debate than a blank canvas, while leaving scope for change.

Show and tell

Using a storyboard approach, a static exhibition set out background information. In addition, illustrative drawings showed sketch proposals for the site. This was followed by an interactive display, developed to allow people to engage in the issues and debate in an informal way, by making additional suggestions or alterations to pre-prepared exhibits. Principally, there were blank sheets with simple one-line questions for participants' comments. However, in order to provoke debate on possible architectural styles, photographs were provided as a visual aid.

By keeping the atmosphere informal, it was hoped more open discussion would result. Many of the attendees discussed the proposal with each other, while writing their comments. We chose a venue that was close to the site and centrally located, to ensure it was convenient for those who might be affected by the development. This also helped residents to visualise what the site would look like, both at the exhibition itself and by the fact that they would need to walk past the site beforehand.

The two exhibitions were promoted through posters displayed in public buildings around the town, advertisements in the local press and the distribution of leaflets to local homes and businesses.

Invitations to the stakeholder meeting were issued to a pre-agreed list of organisations, identified by Ipswich council, that were likely to have an interest in the application. Ward members for the three closest wards and Ipswich council officers also attended.

Before the meeting - a round-table discussion led by the project team - a briefing pack was sent to all participants. This included a series of key questions on particular issues to guide the discussion and help to ensure that all core areas were covered. The meeting opened with some scene setting by the team: introducing the site, explaining the purpose of the meeting and encouraging discussion on issues about design, transport and movement. At the outset, it was defined that the team's role was to stimulate debate and to make sure that all ideas were noted, recording all the key discussion points.

Making the changes

Comments forms were made available at the two exhibitions and at the stakeholder event. Information gained through the community involvement then fed into the design process.

At Paul's Maltings, the incorporation of feedback helped Knight Developments obtain broad approval for its proposals.

The consultation significantly influenced the non-residential elements of the site, with a variety of uses being suggested for the ground floor of the development. As a result, ground-floor space was designed for flexibility, allowing for shops and offices, as well as cafes, bars and restaurants that would have outdoor seating areas. The public consultation also showed that a theatre was a popular potential use for the site and a theatre company later came forward with a request to move in. With an agreed end user, it was possible to design a theatre that met the company's requirements. The consultation also recognised the need for public toilets in the area, which have now been incorporated into the proposals.

The comments about transport and access referred mainly to problems with the gyratory system that serves the site - in particular the weight of traffic envisaged, its environmental impact and the barrier it would create to traffic movement northwards and links with the town centre. While this falls outside the control of the developer, it was still possible to accommodate requests to enable the quayside to remain predominantly pedestrian.

The development proposals were also informed by comments on architectural style.

In general, participants in the consultation agreed that innovative contemporary architecture should be introduced to complement the retained maltings, with a mix of styles and building heights. Above all, the respondents wanted the heritage of the site preserved. As a result, the massing of the proposed development was redesigned to reflect the existing buildings on site, providing two taller features. It was clear from the consultation that one of the taller elements should be set further back from the adjacent Custom House to enhance the setting of that listed building.