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CASE STUDYHumberston Avenue

Athene provides specialist and effective community engagement on Longhurst Group’s 400-home development retirement scheme

25 Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1JL tel: 01733 207340 email: mail@athene-communications.co.uk web: www.athene-communications.co.uk

A clear community vision

The Joseph Ogle Trust had a clear vision for land they owned in Humberston, North East Lincolnshire, and teamed up with Keystone Developments (LG) Ltd, part of homes and care providers Longhurst Group, to produce plans for a dedicated retirement community and affordable homes development.

Recognising our expertise in community engagement, Keystone asked us to devise a programme of public consultation to support its outline planning application for 400 new homes.

Taking it to the people

Although it’s a statutory obligation, we see public consultation and the development of the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) as much more than just a box ticking exercise – it should be a meaningful dialogue with the community that identifies common objectives.

Our first step was to conduct a Community

Audit to give Keystone a clear understanding of any existing local concerns or issues. The Community Audit gives our clients a thorough overview of the community at the heart of the proposals, along with their aims and aspirations for the area they live in. This allows projects to be shaped, structured and refined to perfectly fit the community’s needs.

We then met with representatives from the local authority, parish councils, the local college and the voluntary sector who helped to shape how the development could be planned so it benefited and met the needs of the local community.

Next, we drew up a six-week public consultation programme which included three public exhibitions manned by Keystone’s project team, stakeholder workshops and a coach trip to existing Keystone retirement communities.

The consultation was heavily promoted during this time to make sure we reached as many people as possible. We held regular

media briefings with the Grimsby Telegraph, the Cleethorpes Chronicle, BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Look North and local radio station Compass FM, which gave the programme extensive front page, radio and TV coverage.

We also developed a bespoke website for the development alongside Facebook and Twitter pages; produced a consultation document that was posted out to local people and made available from the village hall and library; sent out leaflets to 7,000 homes and put up posters advertising the consultation exhibitions.

Gathering views

We made it as easy as possible for people to give their feedback during the consultation period. They could send the consultation survey back using the Freepost address, fill it in online, get in touch using the dedicated Freephone number or email address, or leave comments on the Facebook and Twitter pages.

All feedback was fed into a secure, specialist

data management system that was purpose built for the consultation and once analysed, the feedback played an important part in shaping the outline planning proposal.

Retirement homes were moved closer to the road; a greater sense of open and green space was designed in; drainage proposals were upgraded; renewable energy options were explored and a detailed transport assessment was commissioned.

We see consultation as a real opportunity for dialogue and this project gave neutral and supportive people a voice – one that’s sometimes overwhelmed by the noisy minority of opposition. The process ensured that any issues could be identified before they arose and the comprehensive public consultation programme helped Keystone deliver a well supported proposal that met the needs of the community.

“The community engagement strategy focussed our efforts and ensured that all stakeholders were managed effectively. Delivery of the community consultation itself was exemplary and ensured that local people not only had the opportunity to comment on the proposals, but were enabled to do so.”

Nick Worboys, Longhurst Group

Humberston Avenue