The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) emphasises the importance of involving communities in the decision-making process. The aim of this is to increase design quality and place benefit. Whilst no specific way on how to do this is set out in the NPPF, community review panels are becoming increasingly popular amongst local authorities for enabling greater participation in the planning process.
Brent Community Review Panel
Established in 2024, the Brent Community Review Panel (CRP) gives a voice to local people on new developments in their area.
The panel helps the council to better understand the needs of the local community by playing an independent advisory role in the planning process through discussion of issues around housing, transport, public and green spaces, and the environment. This helps ensure that new developments are of the highest design quality, and meet the needs of people living in, working in, studying in and visiting Brent in the future.
The panel is managed externally by Frame Projects who ensure that it is independent, well-briefed, and able to effectively communicate its views. Frame Projects also provides panel members with the support needed for their role through free training sessions.
Schemes are presented to the panel by recommendation only and selected based on whether they meet certain criteria. For further information, please refer to the Brent Community Review Panel Handbook.
Panel Chair
Daisy Froud
Daisy is a community engagement strategist, design critic and educator with over 20 years’ experience of devising tools and processes that allow communities to meaningfully contribute to built environment decision-making. She has particular expertise in enabling diverse groups to find common ground in situations where policy constraints or low budgets pose challenges, specialising in brokering productive communication between professionals and non-professionals. Daisy sits on a number of design review and advisory panels across London, including serving as the Chair of the Ealing Community Review Panel.