Statement of Community Involvement

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) explains how the council will involve the community and other stakeholders in the preparation and revision of local development documents (i.e. the Local Plan) and how the community will be consulted on planning applications.

The current SCI was adopted on 27 November 2025. This replaced and updated the SCI adopted in September 2021.

The SCI has been updated to support the preparation and consultation stages of the new Ribble Valley Local Plan. It details how engagement will take place at each stage of the Local Plan’s preparation, from evidence gathering through to examination and adoption, along with the communication tools and engagement methods. Procedures for producing Supplementary Planning Documents, Sustainability Appraisal, and Neighbourhood Planning are also set out.

If you wish to register to be individually notified of consultation stage launches and updates on the Local Plan please see our Contacts Database.

For development management, the SCI outlines how planning applications will be publicised, how neighbours and statutory consultees will be notified, and how comments will be considered. It explains opportunities for community involvement at pre-application stage, the role of the Planning Committee, and how the appeals process works. Find out more about commenting on a planning application.

Earlier editions of the Statement of Community Involvement are available upon request by contacting the Planning Policy Team.