Home > "Planning for Real®"
What is 'Planning for Real®'?
So you've heard of Planning for Real® - it's a model, right? Well, not quite. Planning for Real® is a nationally recognised process of community consultation. It begins with contacting the local community networks and reaches a conclusion with the formation of an action plan for taking forward the decisions made during the process. Of course, it can be revisited at any point; models are often kept and used many times.
So what happens once you decide Planning for Real® is the right option for you?
First stages
We will have an initial scoping meeting to explore your requirements and the objectives for the programme. Once agreed, we start by letting everyone know how Planning for Real® works and taking their advice on matters such as which venues would work - often what seems like an ideal venue to an "outsider" turns out to be one that local people know always gets a poor turnout.
Option cards are central to the Planning for Real® process and allow local people to have their say about what’s happening in their neighbourhood. At this stage we will look at the option cards – are there issues specific to the neighbourhood that need to be covered? Of course, there are always blank cards on the consultation days for people to write themselves.
Model-making
Next is the model-making. Starting from a large scale map (usually around 1:300), a three-dimensional model is built. It helps the local ‘ownership’ of the project if this is done locally, either by adults, or more commonly, in the local school. This begins the process of looking at the area as a whole - finding where your house is, tracing your regular journeys and considering what needs to be done to improve community wellbeing.
Planning for Real® events
The Planning for Real® events are held in venues and locations convenient for local people, as many as required. Sometimes an event is arranged for a specific group, perhaps young people, or Asian women. At the events, the model is laid out with cards placed around it. These show options, around 300, which people put on the model to show what they want and where they want it. There are also blank cards for people to write their own suggestions.
Action Plan
Following on from this, all the options placed on the model are prioritised into HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW, again using visual hands-on techniques. This is then developed into an action plan looking at stakeholder involvement, actions and opportunities for progression. For neighbourhood planning projects, this is the stage when the neighbourhood development plan would be created.
Using "Planning for Real®"
Infringement of Trade Mark Statement
We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Planning for Real® is a registered trade mark of the Accord Group
Our primary concern is always to ensure that communities receive the highest standards of service, training and delivery of Planning for Real®. This can only be achieved if Planning for Real® is used in the full and proper manner.
We train people to use Planning for Real® and it is not our intention to preclude them from using Planning for Real® on a no fee basis within their local communities. Our intention is to dissuade random and often untrained people and organisations from applying the name Planning for Real® to what is often a complete travesty of the technique. Planning for Real® should never be used on a fee-earning basis without the express and written permission of the Accord Group. Any person exploiting Planning for Real® both infringes the Trade Marks Act 1994 (which carries criminal as well as civil penalties) and would be passing off its activities as ours. Once identified the individual person or company could be subject to legal action, both criminal and civil, initiated by the Accord Group.
Organisations wishing to run Planning for Real® events, or to describe themselves as users of a Planning for Real® approach, should first contact the Accord Group to discuss using the technique to its full effect and to obtain permission for the use of the trade mark.
