Best practices for Local Plan consultations using Commonplace

At Commonplace, we've supported over 50 local authorities across every stage of the Local Plan process - from early evidence gathering and Issues & Options to Regulation 18, Regulation 19, and Call for Sites.

Our platform has evolved alongside our partners to meet the complex needs of policy teams, developers, and communities - ensuring transparent, structured, and accessible consultation.

Supporting every stage of the Local Plan process

Early engagement & evidence gathering

Start strong by building a solid evidence base. Use Commonplace to identify community priorities early, gather local knowledge, and surface key issues - ensuring a more responsive and well-informed plan.

Issues & options, Reg 18 & Reg 19

Our tools help structure consultations clearly around each statutory stage. Whether gathering general opinions or detailed feedback on policy wording, you can create consistent, compliant, and easy-to-navigate content.

Call for Sites made easy

Use our interactive map tools to collect site submissions. Allow stakeholders to drop pins, answer structured questions, and upload supporting documents—making the process simpler and more transparent for everyone.

Tools that power smarter analysis

• Map-based surveys
  Visualise responses spatially to align planning decisions with geographic patterns in community feedback

• TrendsAI
  Automatically detect keywords, themes, and sentiment across large volumes of responses

• Document uploads
  Enable respondents to upload plans, comments, or images directly through the survey

• PDF Clipper
  Extract and structure comments from PDF submissions or emails into your dashboard—great for late or alternative-format responses.

How to use TrendsAI

Using the PDF Clipper tool

Maximise participation and transparency

We help remove blockers to engagement with:

• Mobile-friendly, accessible design

• Multilingual support

• Plain language content

• Flexible submission formats

Whether you're reaching out to developers or seldom-heard groups, we ensure every voice counts.

Accessibility best practices for Commonplace sites

Why Local Authorities trust Commonplace

• Trusted by 50+ Local Plan teams

• GDPR-compliant & consultation-ready

• Fully customisable to your branding and Local Plan structure

• End-to-end support from setup to submission analysis

• Proven to increase representation across demographics

Practical tips

Encourage structured submissions

Direct stakeholders to use your Commonplace site as the primary method for submitting representations. Consider stating this clearly in all communications.

Offer an alternative where needed

For those unable to access the standard platform:

• Set up a hidden submission tile

• Allow file uploads with a prompt for:

  • Explanation of access issues

  • Email and postcode (set as required fields)

Talk to us about setting up a hidden tile for alternative submissions

Use the PDF Clipper for external data

Automatically convert PDF or email responses into structured insights - or manually upload them - ensuring everything is in one central location.

Further support

Still unsure about anything? There's lots more information here on the Commonplace Help Centre - alternatively, contact the support team and we'll be happy to help