Abstract/Summary

Drawing on empirical cases this paper examines the political work enacted through the seemingly mundane procedures and texts that shape planning practice and community participation yet which reflect the exercise of different forms of power. Through application of Foucauldian power theory the paper shows how the design and the specificities of inscription of Statements of Community Involvement (SCIs) reflect institutional resistance to mandated participation, such that the promise of participation inputs are held contingent. This assessment highlights how local authorities rarely commit to participatory activity beyond the statutorily defined requirements and how such texts structure community relations on this basis.