Women's Design Service Projects

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Title: Regents Park Estate Environmental Improvements Project

On this page you view the entire consultation strategy for the Regents Park Estate.

Consultation Strategy

1. Overall Approach 6. Community Input

2. Key Aims 7. Other Key Stakeholders

3. Aims & Objectives 8. Evaluation

4. Consultation Options 9. Meetings with Stakeholders

5. Project Plan - Proposed Timetable Appendix: Proforma

Online questionnaire

1. Overall Approach

The overall approach of WDS to the consultation will be to enable and work with the community to identify and address their views in an open and empowering way. This project is underpinned by a belief in and commitment to participation, and to creating an accessible process. To this end we have built in mechanisms to ensure that we are facilitating a process that will engage residents and involve a number of residents at a decision making level.

	A group of community researchers will be recruited, they will be trained and work with the WDS team in all street interviewing and at consultation events. They will be briefed to carry out much of the rapid response elements of the research. In addition we will have community translators working with the team in order to ensure accessibility to the process for residents.
	A Residents Steering Group (RSG) will be set up. An agreed amount of the overall budget will be allocated to this group who will make decisions about priorities for spending for their budget and have an input regarding priorities for the overall budget. The budget allocation to the RSG will be specifically for Community Initiatives related to Environmental Improvement and guidelines will be drawn up to ensure accountability and sustainability. This group will help to analyse the results of the wider consultation and represent residents' views to all parties. It is the intention that the RSG is sustainable and will have a longer life than the length of this project.
	A young people's consultant is currently being appointed by WEP and once the appointment is confirmed WDS will link in and work with the consultant to ensure young people's views are taken into account.
	A methodology will be implemented that offers a range of innovative methods for ascertaining residents' views. For example street interviewing will not just consist of the completion of questionnaires there will also be more visual methods used including building an ideas wall, prioritising issues using stickers on a display board and vox pop records using a video camera and / or camera and dictaphone.
	A series of focus groups and one to one interviews will also be implemented. These will offer residents the opportunity to have a more in depth input into the proposed Environmental Improvements and look at the options in detail. It will give the consultation the opportunity to go one step further and look on a deeper level as to what options are most important to residents. The focus groups / interviews will target specific groups to ensure hard to reach residents are included in the process.

2. Key Aims

The Environmental Improvement Project is part of a wider agenda affecting the West Euston area. The SRB programme, the West Euston Partnership has three strategic objectives:

	Sharing a safer environment
	Creating economic opportunity
	Uniting a diverse community

The LB Camden has made significant contribution to raising the quality of housing and urban environment in the area, and this project is the next part of that process. The intention of the Environmental Improvement Project is to engage the community in determining the priorities for continued improvement of urban spaces on the Regents Park Estate

3. Aims and Objectives

The specific aims of the consultation on the Environmental Improvement Project are:

	To enable and maintain the involvement of estate residents in the consultation process.
	To enable and maintain the involvement of key stakeholders in the consultation process.
	To develop and establish a consultative forum of residents' representatives to be a partner throughout the implementation of the improvements programme.

The objectives of the consultation are:

	To develop and agree a consultation strategy with LB Camden, Roughton and the West Euston Partnership
	To use innovative consultation activities.
	To involve residents and local community groups in the shaping and prioritising of the proposed options.
	To involve members of the community whose first language is not English.
	To involve young people in partnership with the specialist consultant.
	To involve other stakeholders in West Euston.
	To launch the project and consultation process to residents and groups.
	To disseminate information to residents and community groups during the consultation process.
	To establish a residents' steering group to work as a partner during the consultation process and after.

4. Consultation Options

Leisure and open space:

WHAT?	WHY?	HOW?
Increase / improve play facilities	Give young people a positive focal point on the estate. Improve the quality of life of young people	Where should play facilities for the following age groups be sited? 3 years and under 4 - 7 years 8 - 12 years 13 - 16years
Replace railings & bollards across estate	Improve the appearance and security of the estate To more clearly define roads and pedestrian spaces	Replace the mismatched railings and bollards with new matching ones Increase height of railings
Improve open spaces	Encourage greater use of the open spaces by making them more attractive, providing appropriate facilities and making them safer	Plant trees, flowers Provide play facilities and benches Install artworks in the open spaces Improve natural surveillance in open spaces by ensuring clear lines of sight Provide appropriate lighting
Improve spaces between buildings	Enhance the appearance of the estate by improving the paved spaces between the blocks Make the estate safer Provide a better solution for refuse disposal as unsightly bin stores currently blight these areas	Plant trees along roads and pavements Redesign bin stores Increase recycling facilities Create 'town squares' at focal points of the estate Create new mosaic murals at selected points Brighten up existing brown painted walls with new light coloured render Improve lighting
Make the estate more pedestrian friendly	Make the estate a more pleasant place to walk and cycle through Encourage more people to travel across the estate on foot or by bicycle Improve safety	Improve and renew the main pedestrian routes Create 'town square' spaces Provide raised crossings at junctions of through roads and on major pedestrian routes Provide safer cycle routes throughout the estate Improve condition of stairs and ramps Improve lighting
Improve signage across the estate	Make it easier to find places and blocks Reduce unauthorised parking	Provide clearer signs for block names and house numbers New estate maps at entrances to estate Parking restrictions clearer
Give the estate a more distinct identity	Increase civic pride in the estate	Mark the entrances to the estate with sculptural beacons, similar to the one in Hope Gardens New estate maps at entrances to estate Consistent signage across the estate Sculpture and mosaic murals in strategic positions across the estate
Improve bin stores & increase recycling	Bin stores are eyesores in many places across the estate There are very few recycling facilities on the estate	Provide new, redesigned bin stores for general waste and bulky items Construct screen walls around recycling facilities - linked to youth art projects Recycling campaigns

Roads and pavements:

WHAT?	WHY?	HOW?
Improve estate roads	The estate roads are in a bad state of repair, particularly to south of Robert Street Improving the roads would greatly improve the appearance of the estate	Resurface estate roads Provide new, matching bollards
Improve pavements	Make the estate safer and easier to walk around, particularly for older people, disabled people and people with pushchairs	Resurface pavements Improve the condition of ramps and steps
Improve parking for residents	Make parking restrictions clearer Try to provide more resident parking	Provide clearer signage about parking restrictions Make parking areas and bays more distinct Remove redundant post and parking booms across the estate Provide disabled parking bays Provide parking space for motorcycles and bicycles Investigate the feasibility of a residents parking permit scheme
Improvements for cyclists	Encourage more people to use bicycles to reduce traffic	Create safer cycle routes throughout the estate Provide cycle parking

Click here for a print version of the options

5 Project Plan - Proposed Timetable

November	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Saturday
	6 Ongoing meetings with stakeholders. Promotion. Recruitment of Community Researchers. Developing materials Recruitment for Residents Steering Group.	7 Ongoing meetings with stakeholders. Promotion. Recruitment of Community Researchers. Developing materials Recruitment for Residents Steering Group.	8 Admin	10
	13 As Above (6^th) Induction / Training event for Community Researcher Open Meeting for Residents Steering Group	14 2 x Focus Group Meetings	15 Street Interviewing & promotion Drop-in 11.00-12.30 Recruitment for Focus Groups Partner Panel Meeting	17 �Street Interviewing (outside the library)
	20 Admin Programme Management Meeting (10.00 one stop shop)	21 2 x Focus group meetings	22	24
	27 Evening open consultation event	28 2 x Focus group meetings	29 Street Interviewing & Promotion. Drop in 2.00pm to 3.30pm Shop- keepers survey.

December	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Saturday
17 Inter-generational Performance at Dick Collins Hall.	4 Street Interviews & Focus Group Recruitment Drop in 4.00pm to 5.30pm Residents Steering Group Meeting (RSG)	5 �Admin	6 1 x Focus group meetings 3 x in depth interviews	8
	11 Street Interviews Walk around with a group of residents followed by lunch and ask the architect � question time	12	13 Admin Programme Management Meeting (10.00 one stop shop)	15
	18 Analyse views & collate data. Evaluation meeting with the Community Researchers RSG Meeting	19 Analysing views & collate data	20 Analyse views & collate data	22
January	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Saturday
	8 Analysing views RSG Meeting	9 Organise dissemination event / develop evaluation sheets/ analyse views	10 Programme Management Meeting 10.00 One Stop Shop	12 The Estate We�re In Event (Date to be checked out with other stakeholders)
	15 Report Production	16 Report Production	17 Report Production	19
	22 Dissemination event to involve RSG	23 Presenting findings	24 Admin	26
		30 Evaluation Meeting	31 Evaluation

Click here for a print version of the timetable

In addition to the above consultation process between 20 November and 18 December the following will be ongoing:

	Suggestions / comments box at the One Stop Shop.
	Web page on WDS site with questionnaire to be completed and sent in.� To be advertised at all points on estate where public computers available.� Identified to date � Library, WECA, Surma Centre, One-Stop Shop.

Throughout the consultation WDS will further develop links with community organisations, other groups and services that serve the estate residents.� We will fully involve them in the consultation process.� These organisations will include:

	Community Associations
	Ethnic Minority Community Groups
	The estate Residents Association
	West Euston SRB Partnership
	Youth Services
	Community Centres
	Groups working with the Elderly
	Community Safety Working Group
	Residents with Disabilities
	Information, advice and resource Centres
	Parents of Young Children via Sure Start

7. Other Key Stakeholders

WDS will work in partnership with the design consultants, Roughtons, and be managed by the Capital Projects section in the Housing Department of Camden Council.� The West Euston Partnership will be consulted about all aspects of the consultation process.

All groups listed under the Community Input section of this strategy are considered to be key stakeholders.

Initial meetings with the local Councillors, Estate Officers and projects operating on the estate will take place and help to shape this consultation strategy.

8. Evaluation

In evaluating the success of the project this will be measured against the performance indicators listed below.� WDS will constantly evaluate performance at each stage of the consultation process.� There will be evaluation sheets developed for specific consultation events and in particular the community researchers will be trained in evaluating their practice and regular team evaluation meetings will take place.

The Environmental Improvements Consultation performance indicators are as follows:

Activity	Measure of success
Consultation Strategy	Agreed by all stakeholders and implemented
Promotion	Consultation process is promoted in local organisations' mailings Street leafleting takes place Articles in local press A high profile base is set up for the project Findings are disseminated to the local area in January
Consultation Process	1 day event is held that attracts at least 100 people. 1 evening event is held that attracts at least 30 people. 7 focus group that attended by 40 residents in total. 1 walk around attended by 24 residents in total. 72 hours of interviews held with residents by Community Researchers at 6 people/hr, 432 residents in total. Residents feel involved: indicators include evaluation sessions and exercises at events and interviews. Options are prioritised or shaped by the residents Residents drop into the office base for information Residents from a range of backgrounds participate: indicators include monitoring information gathered through the process on gender, age and ethnicity. Residents from hard to reach groups participate: indicators as above. Consultation is promoted at local events and festivals 20% of resident households are involved in the process.
Residents Steering Group	A core group of 5-7 individuals form the group. The group is made up a diverse range of people from the estate, including young people and ethnic minority groups. Residents lead the presentation of consultation findings

9 Meetings with Stakeholders

To date WDS has held meetings & had contact with key individuals and organisations on the estate.� Other meetings are arranged covering the spectrum of agencies working on Regents Park Estate.� A proforma has been developed for all initial meetings to be used to inform the process and ensure we cover a standard set of questions (appendix 1).�

Meetings arranged / held to date are as follows:

1.Roughtons
2.  WECA
3. Integrated Youth Project
4.  Lovells � Residents Liaison Officer
5. Economic Development Officer � One Stop Shop
6.  Programme Officer - WEP
7.   Councillor Jim Turner
8.   Detached Youth Project
9.   Access to Learning � Regents Park Library
10. Surma Community Centre
11. Councillor Barbara Ward
12. Samuel Lithgow Youth Club 13. Women and Regenaration Project
14. West Euston Partnership
15. Cumberland Market Young People�s Football Event
16. Dick Collins Hall
17. Third Age Project
18. Homesafe
19. Groundwork Camden
20. Estate Managers
21. Sure Start
22. Headstart
23. St James Gardens Project
24. Camden People�s Theatre

Appendix 1: Proforma

Consultation Co-ordinator

WDS Consultant:..................................
Meeting with:�.......................................
Name:..................................................
Organisation:........................................
Date:....................................................

Background information on group and work on estate:

Previous consultation to refer to and where to access a copy:

What is the best strategy for accessing your group and involving them in the consultation process & in what ways can we link in with your activities?

Who do you see as the priority groups and what strategies would you use for identifying them?

What do you think will be the barriers to the consultation and suggested strategies to address these?

Are there any residents you can identify as potential steering group members and / or community researchers?�� If yes how can we access them?

What advice do you have regarding how best to promote the consultation on the estate & can we promote it via your groups or centre e.g. posters / displays etc.

Are there any existing community events you know about that we could link in with � Events and contact person / group:

Any other comments / information:

1.	Overall Approach	6.	Community Input
2.	Key Aims	7.	Other Key Stakeholders
3.	Aims & Objectives	8.	Evaluation
4.	Consultation Options	9.	Meetings with Stakeholders
5.	Project Plan - Proposed Timetable	Appendix:	Proforma
	Online questionnaire

Activity

Measure of success