ConsultOnline blog
Ideas for better planning consultation
Insights on public consultation, community engagement and planning communications.
Live drop-in Q&A: an online public meeting
Live drop-in sessions let residents ask and vote on questions on the project website while the team answers during the session. Every question and answer stays on the site afterwards.
One website from consultation to construction
A project website no longer has to go quiet when the consultation closes. It can follow the scheme through the planning application and into construction, keeping residents informed at each stage.
Showing that responses come from genuine local residents
Personal registration codes on letters, verified local voices and grouping of near-identical responses help you show who has taken part, without asking residents for anything extra.
Rewarding residents for taking part
Points and badges give residents a simple record of how they have contributed to a consultation and a gentle reason to come back as the proposals develop.
Reports that send themselves, plus an editable Word version
Consultation reports can now be saved, downloaded as an editable Word document, printed with a branded cover and sent to your team automatically every day, week or month.
One page for every way to take part
A consultation website can offer surveys, maps, ideas and drop-in sessions. The Take part page brings them together, so residents can see their options and choose one that suits them.
Virtual public exhibitions for planning: how to replace the village hall
Public exhibitions are a staple of planning consultation, but they are expensive, time-limited and exclude anyone who cannot attend. Virtual exhibitions offer a better alternative \u2014 here is how they work and why they produce better engagement.
Real-time analytics: knowing whether your consultation is actually working
Most consultation teams only discover how well their consultation performed after it closes. ConsultOnline's real-time dashboards change that \u2014 giving you the insight to adjust your approach while there is still time to make a difference.
Introducing ConsultOnline 2.0: why we rebuilt our consultation platform from scratch
After more than a decade of the original ConsultOnline, we made the decision to start again from the ground up. Here is why we rebuilt the platform, what is new in 2.0 and how it changes what is possible for planning consultation.