Project Case Studies
Hounslow Estates Development
Partners:
- Groundwork Thames Valley
- Meadows Residents Association
- Westmacott Residents Association
- Tivoli & Grosvenor Residents Association
- Hounslow Homes (ALMO/RSL)
- North British Housing (RSL)
- Thames Valley Housing (RSL)
- Notting Hill Housing (RSL)
- CIP (Contractor to LBHounslow for parks and open space management)
Summary
This project focused on developing positive working relationships with Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) at a number of levels, from working with local Tenant Particpation/Neighbourhood Officers supporting work on the ground with the local community, through to strategic level whole estate regeneration.The project was part of a 5-year program aimed at holistic neighbourhood regeneration, in particular to re-engage the community with their open spaces and improving community cohesion.
Description
As part of a 5 year program Groundwork are working on two estates in Hounslow with significant amounts of social housing, Beavers and Westmacott. The aim of working with the RSLs in these area was to develop and improve the open spaces of these estates with the involvement of all stakeholders. Plans were to address some of the common ongoin issues with sites across the estates, including: underuse or misuse of areas, litter, graffitti, anti social behaviour, access, signage and lack of facilties for all ages.The project aimed to start re-engaging the community with their open spaces, reducing the fear of crime and improving community cohesion. As part of this process, a Community Development Officer from Groundwork Thames Valley worked closely alongside established community groups, such as Tenants Residents Association and RSLs (see partners listed above) to create working partnerships which would then be able to feed into the process of masterplanning for sites across the estates.
Process
Groundwork's Neighbourhood Regeneration Manager worked to build strategic links by developing joint funding bids for physical improvements to the estates with RSL's and other stakeholders.Beavers estate As part of the process on the Beavers estate & surrounding area the community was involved in consultation through the 'Planning for Real' method and through a youth video project, as well as practical events such as a clean-up day and roving gardening group. The video project was an inter-generational project allowing the young people to interview relevant agency stakeholders and other members of the community interested in the open spaces.
Alongside this support of the tenants and residents groups and community activity days led to information being fed between agencies ensuring aspirations were managed and communication links were kept open
The RSLs in the Beavers area have become members of a Community Development Trust, a Groundwork facilitated project that will leave a lasting legacy in the area and build sustainable, joined-up programmes of work across numerous organisations.
The consultation results and links built with the RSLs and other agencies fed into a number of funding bids including a bid to the Big Lottery Fund, and a bid to the London Housing Authority for an estate-wide regeneration which will include redevelopment and improvement of all the open spaces in the area.
Westmacott estate The process on Westmacott estate has been similar to Beavers, although with different RSLs. The main difficulty on Westmacott has been the lack of any one RSL with significant stock, no RSL here owns more then 30 properties which has meant the priority for investment in these areas has been more difficult to determine.
Groundwork Thames Valley has been a strong member of the Westmacott Action Partnership, a multi-agency group focusing on the estate. Through partnership working and numerous community engagement projects RSLs have engaged in the project and have directly funded small projects, such as new windows for the community centre and a new office for a Community Development Officer for CIP.
Additional funding has been raised through the Barclays Spaces for Sport programme to fund the development of a Multi-Use Games Area which has now been completed successfully, with the Local Authority taking on responsibility for management & maintenance of the site. The feedback from all organisations involved in the project has been very positive.
Other outcomes from this project have included the support of an estate clean up day, support of two community fun days, formation of a RSL 'Landlord Group' to ensure a joined-up approach to developing projects and accessing funding.
Evaluation
Feedback from RSL officers regarding this project locally has been extremely positive and strong partnerships have been built between Groundwork Thames Valley, Hounslow Homes and Places for People as a result of this case study and other related projects. These partnerships have led to joint funding bids for long term, sustainable projects.It has been crucial to develop longer-term management and maintenance plans for sites to ensure any investments are secured into the future. Groundwork has been involved in establishing joined up working on maintanence schedules for the physical environment of the Westmacott etstate, establishing land ownership and responsibilities, and reducuing opportunities for fly tipping, previously an extensive problem on the estate.
By providing opportunites for RSLs to meet, discuss common issues and develop ways of working together the project has assisted in improving community engagement, increasing public safety through developing joint maintanence schedules for planting etc, and developing joint strategies for tackling common issues such as anti social behaviour, litter and community engagement.
Resources
www.groundwork-tv.org.uk/www.hounslowhomes.org.uk/
www.placesforpeople.co.uk/
www.nottinghillhousing.org.uk/
www.nottinghillhousing.org.uk/
