Webster, Benjamin Samuel; (1998) Fostering public involvement in the English planning process through local newspapers. Masters thesis (M.Phil), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Planning stories form a large proportion of the news coverage and letters in local newspapers. Consequently, local newspapers represent a valuable medium of publicity through which a local planning authority can transmit information about planning initiatives and consultation exercises to the public. It is also a gauge of public opinion and can act as a scrutineer of local authority decision-making. The local press is an under-utilised resource which could be better harnessed to improve the contribution of the general public to planning. I shall examine current practice in this field and make recommendations for improvement. Questions which the research addresses include: what type of involvement by the public in the planning process is desirable and how can local press reporting contribute to or undermine the achievement of it? Which public relations techniques are useful for building a mutually-beneficial relationship with a newspaper? Can a desire to enhance the image of the council through public relations techniques conflict with the aim of eliciting public participation in the planning process? Are the statutory regulations requiring newspaper publicity for plans and applications effective? Is local press coverage of planning accurate and supportive or misleading and antagonistic? Do any councils practice any particularly effective techniques for publicising planning initiatives through the local press? The main method of gathering data has been a nation-wide survey of local planning authorities to discover current practice in the field of press liaison. I have also taken Cambridge as a case study area in which findings from the literature and the national survey can be explored in more depth through interviews with influential participants in the planning process.

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