People in Rutland have until this coming Friday to give their feedback on updates to the county's Statement of Community Involvement.

The statement is a document that sets out how Rutland County Council engages with local communities when carrying out its planning duties.

It was last updated in 2014 and since then, there have been a number of changes to the UK's national planning system, which mean the document should be reviewed and updated.

A review is also needed to account for the impact that COVID-19 has had on normal planning processes throughout the UK.

The council says all this means it must update its SCI so it can continue to determine planning applications, support the development of Neighbourhood Plans for individual areas and make progress on its Local Plan Review.

The government's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced in May that local planning authorities should carry out an immediate review of their SCI if they cannot comply with current policies due to COVID-19 safety guidelines.

The council says there is no legal requirement to consult on a SCI. However, it has committed to publishing its draft SCI, inviting feedback from local communities over a four-week period.

The informal consultation on the revised SCI began on Friday 19 June and ends on Friday 17 July.

Full details of how to take part will be made available on the council's Statement of Community Involvement page: www.rutland.gov.uk/sci.