Stockport tests visual tool for local plan engagement
Stockport tested a visual, map-based consultation tool to make local plan evidence and site information easier for residents to understand.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council carried out a pilot to build and test a consultation tool using the online mapping platform Leaflet to support local plan engagement.
- Outcome: The council created a visual, story-based version of the local plan that helped residents understand evidence, maps and site allocations more easily.
- Technology used: Leaflet, an open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. The council used it to present evidence, maps, images and text as a digital story to make technical planning information easier to navigate.
This was a PropTech Innovation Fund round 1 pilot (2021 to 2022) and describes what was tested at the time.
The planning challenge
Stockport’s local plan contains a large volume of technical and spatial information, including detailed evidence, maps and site assessments. The council wanted to:
- make evidence and site information easier for residents to understand
- improve how planning content is presented online
- provide a clearer, more visual alternative to large PDF documents
- help residents explore maps and summaries without needing specialist knowledge
- support hybrid engagement alongside traditional consultation methods
The council also wanted to test whether the tool could provide a more accessible structure for residents who struggle with long, text-heavy planning documents.
What they did
The council used Leaflet to turn local plan information into a series of clear, visual stories. The team:
- created a draft “Stockport Local Plan Consultation Tool” containing evidence, maps, diagrams, site information and narrative text
- combined images, text and GIS (geographic information system) layers so residents could explore information at their own pace
- used the tool to describe local plan themes, such as housing and transport
- embedded maps to help residents understand where policies or proposals applied
- shared the draft tool with internal officers and information governance colleagues for early testing
- reviewed feedback to identify accessibility issues, technical limitations and areas for improvement
The focus of the pilot was to test whether the Stockport Local Plan Consultation Tool improved clarity and usability, rather than to measure large-scale public participation.
Results and impact
The pilot provided early insight into how the tool could support clearer communication of planning information. The council found that:
- the visual design made technical content easier to understand
- presenting information as a narrative helped residents move through complex topics more easily
- embedded maps were useful for showing how policies and evidence related to specific areas
- the tool supported flexible content layouts that worked well for early engagement
- users preferred visual summaries and diagrams to long blocks of text
- internal testing helped identify content that needed clearer structure or alternative formats
Because the tool was not used for a live consultation during the pilot, the council did not gather quantitative participation data.
What they learned
The council found that:
- a bespoke tool can help make complex planning information more accessible
- content needs to be carefully structured to avoid overwhelming readers
- accessibility remains a challenge — alternative formats and text-based versions are still required
- mobile responsiveness needs early testing, as some layouts did not work well on smaller screens
- information governance requirements (for example, signposting to authoritative sources) must be addressed before publication
- the tool works best when used alongside traditional consultation materials
The pilot helped the council identify the type of content that works well in their tool, and where additional clarity or structure is needed.
Future plans
Stockport plans to review the performance of the Stockport Local Plan Consultation Tool following its use in a local plan consultation. This review will help the council assess whether the tool is fit for purpose and identify changes needed. The council will use this work to decide whether the tool can support future stages of local plan consultation and wider planning engagement.
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Useful resources
Explore tools and suppliers on the Digital Planning Directory.
Use the Digital community engagement toolkit for planning consultations.
Read guidance on using community engagement platforms in planning consultations.
Explore the Open Digital Planning community.
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