Awareness of planning and the opportunities it creates is at a ‘low ebb’, as highlighted by the Raynsford Review. This is concerning for a democratic planning system and has provided the context for a growing emphasis on the importance of engaging local people in a meaningful way in decisions about their neighbourhoods and responding to their needs and aspirations for their local area.

Those who stand to benefit the most from long-term strategic planning – young people – should be at the forefront of this engagement. However, there are limited guidelines or resources for involving young people in live consultations on strategic planning and regeneration projects. As a consequence, this demographic is largely excluded from planning processes.