PLACECHECK AND
ENGAGEMENT.
•A reduced presentation.
•A conversation
•How does a community
express or discover its
aspirations?
•Where to start.
What is the city but the people?
•Key points to carrying
one out.
William Shakespeare.
•Examples of Community
Initiatives.
We tend to think the way we see
the world is the way everyone
sees it!
•Questions?
Anon
WHO AM I?
•12 years community
engagement experience with
Cabe, Creating Excellence and
Urban Design Group
•Community projects in
Gloucester, Devon, North
Wiltshire, Southampton and
Purbeck.
•Worked inside and outside
Local Authority.
•Worked on Parish Plans,
Community Plans,
Conservation Area Appraisals,
Neighbourhood Plans,
Community Strategies,
Neighbourhood Renewal
Projects and Placechecks
PLACECHECK AND
ENGAGEMENT THE BASICS
•This is only a guide –
•It’s a Community
document.
•Hints on how to make the
Placecheck effective.
•What is it called?
•Parish Plans, Community
Plans, Neighbourhood
Plans, Community
Strategies, etc.
•All similar and deal with
aspects of uses and place.
Independent examination
•How
To soundness!
Engage?
into
•People never
engage until the
planning
application
is in! a schedule of
Proposed
main modifications!
WHAT MAKES US ENGAGE?
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE RESPOND
TO?
• We are
planning
your town it
may result in
places like
this!
• What do you
think?
THE 3 KEY QUESTIONS
1. What do you
like about this
place?
2. What do you
dislike about it?
3. What needs to
be changed or
improved?
PLACECHECK – WHERE TO
START
•Needs community impetus
•Setting up a focus/steering
group.
•Make the group inclusive
and representative.
•Decide on group
responsibilities/roles.
•Build Capacity.
•Consider other community
neighbourhoods nearby.
•Organise creative events.
•Church hall, empty shop,
park, garden, school, etc.
•Ask your Local Authority to
help/guide not Control.
PLACE CHECK EVENTS - GAINING
MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK
•Consult as wide as possible.
•All parts of the community young to old - hard to reach
groups.
•Residents, Schools,
Businesses, Trades, Creative
Industries, etc.
•Low tech – high engagement
•Advertise widely as possible.
•Accessible to all -venue and
time.
•Type of event - allow all to
have a voice.
•Make it fun.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
•Who needs to be involved in
changing the place for the
better?
•What resources are available
locally to help people get
involved?
•Are grants and lottery funding
available.
•What other initiatives might
you use to develop ideas
about how to improve the
place?
•How do we make the most of
other programmes and
resources?
•Think beyond the Local
Authority to other
stakeholders.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT?
•Important local services
•Uses in neighbourhood.
•Maintenance Issues.
•Community facilities
•Analysis of Character
•Important local features
or landmarks.
•Trees and landscape.
•History of Area.
•Connections and routes.
•About more than
buildings.
•Avoid Jargon!
WHAT ARE THE LOCAL
ISSUES?
•Key community aims –
not always planning
focused.
•Community Barriers –
e.g. busy
roads/junctions.
•Community Threats e.g.
speeding cars.
•Noise and air pollution.
•Lighting.
•Safety and crime.
•Safer routes to school.
•Helping local shops.
•Functions and Events
•Empty/untidy buildings
and sites.
The Dings, Bristol
CHARACTER AND URBAN
DESIGN ANALYSIS.
• Layout - Urban
Structure and
Grain
• Landscape - hard
and soft
• Density and Mix
• Scale -Height and
Massing
• Appearance Details and
Materials
THE LOCAL AUTHORITY!
•A consistent consultation
strategy at present?
•A clear route map into the
authority?
•How might groups access
funding, help, support other
groups?
•Can it react to large community
aspirations?
•Honest about its capacity to
deliver – not all authorities have
big resources.
•If small then can the community
or other stakeholder assist in
delivery?
•Always try to help in some form.
•More communities are facilitating
improvements themselves.
EXAMPLES OF INITIATIVES
•Green Infrastructure
•Portas Pilots
•Economic Projects
•Transition Towns
•Local Produce
•Play space
•Roads and Shared
Space
•Sustainability
•Public Realm
IDEAS?
‘Turning a
place from
one you can’t
wait to get
through to
one you never
want to
leave’.
CHICHESTER CANAL BASIN.
LOVE LISKARD
DIY STREETS
NEILSTON COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
PLACECHECK OR NP– A SUMMARY –
BEYOND THE REGS!
A neighbourhood plan is
successful when.
•
A dedicated community
comes together to improve
the neighbourhood.
•
A local authority and local
stakeholders are committed
to adopting and supporting
neighbourhood plans.
•
Support is available to help
the community plan and
realise its goals.
•
Living Document
QUESTIONS?