COVID-19 has meant that we’ve all had to make changes to our lives and the way we go about our daily business. It has also made significant changes to the way that local authorities and developers engage and consult local communities about new development plans.
Ensuring that the communities feel involved in decisions about changes coming to their area and, most importantly, feel that they’re able to help shape them, has always been central to how OPDC approaches urban planning. Going into lockdown meant that we had to think creatively about how to do this safely and inclusively, but we didn’t want it to prevent us interacting with and listening to local people.
Involving and empowering
We approach remote engagement using many of the same principles laid out in our Statement of Community Involvement – ensuring that we involve and empower people living and working in and around Old Oak and Park Royal and ensuring that involvement is felt into the future.
Despite COVID-19 meaning that, in the short term at least, we need to take engagement online, we seek to mirror our previous engagement meetings as much as possible. Although we can’t meet up with residents in our area, we are contacting them through our dedicated phoneline, email address and social media channels. We’re also regularly posting project updates on our webpages.
Since lockdown began, OPDC has also held a number of online engagement events to ensure that the public can still actively participate in planning decisions. These include a remote Plans Panel, an interactive Q&A session, a Community Review Group and co-design meetings.
A case study: Cerebos Gardens, a community-led project
In partnership with the local community, OPDC is bringing forward plans revitalise Cerebos Gardens pocket parks on Victoria Road in Old Oak, as part of our In the Making projects. OPDC, in partnership with local residents, jointly commissioned Hayatsu Architects and together A created designs for the public outdoor space.
With open space being particularly important at the moment, and Cerebos Gardens being one of the only public green parks in the immediate vicinity, it was important to be able to continue the project during the lockdown period. We did this by holding online community co-design meetings and then presenting the plans to the Community Review Group (an advisory panel made up entirely of local residents) using video conference.
Although the review meeting took place online, facilitating the discussions ran in the usual way. The Cerebos Gardens proposals were presented by Hayatsu Architects, covering concept design ideas to revitalise the parks. Community Review Group members then inputted into the design and asked questions. Following a lively discussion, members endorsed the plans.
As Cerebos Gardens is OPDC’s first community co-design project, we were delighted to receive such positive feedback from the Community Review Group and ensure that these collaborative, co-design discussions could continue despite lockdown.
Rosie, OPDC’s Engagement Officer and a trained landscape architect, has been part of the Cerebos Gardens project, said:
“I chose to work for OPDC because I believe that community involvement is the key ingredient for creating good quality places, so making sure that we find ways to engage remotely is really important, I’m pleased that Cerebos Gardens has been such a success. Being part of facilitating a virtual co-design session and bringing together community voices, despite lockdown conditions, was a great moment.”
Ewa, who lives close to Cerebos Gardens, said:
“Getting involved with this project extended the ownership of this place for me. I feel much more that it is ours, even before it is re-done. It has brought neighbours closer together to create something for the benefit of all.”
Takeshi, founding director of Hayatsu Architects, said:
“When I visited the site for the first time, I was struck by the need to create more accessible open green space. We were fortunate to be able to work with very active local residents and enlightened staff members from OPDC to come up with the new garden design where people can relax, play and socialise, enjoying a pocket of nature amongst the busy urban surroundings."