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Training for Housing Association Design Review Panels

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

We were recently commissioned by First Wessex Housing Association in Southampton to deliver a two-day training course for members of three design review panels.

Some of the group (a mixture of staff and residents) had just joined the panels and others had been involved for years.  I worked closely with our Glass-House Enabler Matt Lally to develop a programme which would give this group of mixed experience the knowledge and tools needed to undertake design reviews.

During the course we explored ‘What makes a great neighbourhood?’ and helped the group to understand the basic principles of neighbourhood design.

To help the group better understand how to assess plans for proposed schemes, we gave them drawings of Chapel Road - a completed housing scheme in the locality and asked them to identify various features. This exercise was much more difficult than expected and really demonstrated the challenges of reading plans.

We then visited the scheme and assessed it according to the Building For Life Criteria. The group had very different impressions of the development after visiting it; it brought the plans to life, whilst highlighting the things you just can’t tell from a drawing such as the atmosphere of a place.

By the end of the two-day course, all of the members of the design panels had:

• Learned how to read and analyse a variety of architectural plans
• Grasped the key principles that make up good neighbourhood design and gained practical tools to help them during future design reviews
• Explored the difficulties of home design and the challenges in creating internal spaces that are practical
• Gained confidence in their own ability to make a really positive and meaningful contribution to the design of new homes and neighbourhoods
• Become awa re of the various criteria and standards that relate to home and neighbourhood design
• Been inspired by visiting two housing schemes that are up and running
• Gained a full appreciation of the need to consider the wider context of a scheme in order to assess it accurately

Some of the residents now feel that they need to be much more demanding and be more involved at an earlier stage so that they can have greater say in the design of future First Wessex schemes. It was fantastic to see participants’ confidence grow over the two days and see staff and residents learning together.

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Lots to learn from Neighbourhoods Study Tour in Sheffield

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

South Owlerton in Sheffield made a fantastic case study for us to visit on a Study Tour we ran as part of the Building Community programme – supporting communities to become ‘neighbourhood planning’ ready. A number of community groups came with us to hear from South Owlerton Area Regeneration (SOAR) and tour their huge array of projects including a library, a community centre, an enterprise centre, a park and street improvements.

SOAR was originally set up by community activists and has done a huge amount of work to try and make South Owlerton which suffered from multiple deprivation a better place to live.

Groups involved in neighbourhood planning may find these learning points from the day useful:

• Projects need leadership - Each neighbourhood in the area was designated a support worker throughout the regeneration. This really helped to drive projects
• Spend time and money on building quality - SOAR decided early on to spend a bit more money on their buildings to give them distinctive features, giving the area some character. Some residents were unsure about this and felt it would be better to ‘get more building for their money’ but with hindsight, they are pleased they made this decision as the buildings they now have are of high quality
• Speak to others! - In developing the SOAR Enterprise Centre, the group spoke to other Enterprise Centres in Yorkshire & Humber and this really helped to inform their design brief
• Involve young people in a positive way – Young people in South Owlerton were involved in developing local parks and instead of vandalising those parks, were encouraged with an artist to paint graffiti to decorate them
• Work together – We felt that much of the successful regeneration in this area was due to a close working relationship with the council and others

Many thanks to SOAR for hosting us, to Sarah Hollingworth from Architecture 00:/ for  being the Enabler (providing architectural and urban design expertise on the day) and all the groups who came along.

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Community Rights Made Real: What will the Localism Act mean for communities?

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

With the Localism Act (the government’s new policy giving increased decision-making powers to communities) soon to become part of our planning system, there is a lot of talk about how our communities and neighbourhoods will be affected.

Among the increased powers are 3 new Rights for communities:

• The Community Right to Bid – i.e. the transfer of buildings or land to the community
• The Community Right to Build – i.e. neighbourhood planning
• The Community Right to Challenge – i.e. the transfer of service provision to the community/voluntary sector or private companies

I went along to an event run jointly by NAVCA, Urban Forum and Croydon Voluntary Action to hear about these new rights and join the discussion on the concerns and opportunities they bring.

The Community Right to Bid could mean that assets which are valuable to communities continue to provide for them and act as hubs – giving people a space to interact and socialise. It may also help to preserve buildings of historical significance. We heard from the Stanley People’s Initiative about their building, and their story revealed how the support of the Local Authority is crucial for achieving success. You can read more about this tenacious group and how they are campaigning to take over the Stanley Halls here.

The Community Right to Build was deemed by the majority of us at the event as the right most likely to increase community influence. It will allow planning to be more proactive than reactive and will mean that an area develops as its community wants it to. However it is complex process - setting up a representative group to work on the plan, defining the neighbourhood it refers to, ensuring the plan conforms with policy and other local plans – which can be off-putting. The importance of trust between stakeholders in this process was emphasised by Donna Turnball of Voluntary Action Camden. Donna urged for fresh methods to be used (and traditional ones such as formal meetings avoided), to ensure an effective neighbourhood planning process.

Attendees felt apprehension towards the new Community Right to Challenge. Some are sceptical that it will actually allow community and voluntary organisations to take on Local Authority services, despite them being best placed to do so in many cases. The major concern for such organisations is that deprived and marginalised communities they work with who are most in need of support receive the best possible quality services.

It is crucial that Local Authorities and support organisations like us give communities the help that they need to fully take advantage of the opportunities presented by these recent legislative and policy changes, whilst helping them to avoid any dangers these new community rights can bring.

There are several free events on Community Rights scheduled around the country over the next couple of months

Residents in Kirdford analyse the neighbourhood for their Village Plan

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Big Insights: What next for community spaces?

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

Last week I attended an event organised by Big Lottery Fund to help them consider the future of their funding for community spaces. Various organisations and charities who work with and support local people on public and open space projects were there to listen to others and to share their own experiences.

The public space agenda of different government departments was presented by landscape consultant, Peter Neal. We then heard about the Barnfield Estate Wellness Garden – a community open space improvement project that has been very successful in Greenwich thanks to effective partnership working. Group discussions followed.

The key thoughts and questions arising from the day were:


• Any support organisation or project partner working on a community open space needs to have a full appreciation and understanding of the area in which they’re working (its history, residents and level of affluence/deprivation)

• The success of the Barnfield Estate scheme is thanks to the mutual trust and respect between the residents, the council and the other support organisations. We discussed the importance of this equal relationship and the role of independent facilitators in community space projects

• There are a wealth of resources available to community groups working on open spaces, but how do groups find out about these? We agreed that people and especially facilitators give the greatest support, but with limited capacity and jobs under threat this isn’t always possible. We need to ensure that infrastructure is built to allow community groups to share knowledge and experiences. (I know through our Study Tours that one of the most valuable things for community groups is the chance to meet one another and learn from each other’s successes and challenges.)

• We felt that there is potential for community open space projects to engage more with the private sector and this ought to be explored

• One of the key challenges for community open space projects is securing long term funding for their management and maintenance. Groups need to be encouraged to think about this from the outset

The overriding sense was that we need to create better communication and links between groups, networks and support organisations working on community spaces. In the current climate, I think this need for collaboration is greater than ever.

Myatt's Fields Park

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