3. Empowered Communities
Hounslow is one of London’s most diverse Boroughs, with around 40% of residents born outside the UK, 188 languages spoken and an increasingly young population. Strategies to empower communities must be responsive to this particular context. The Council is working to enhance the way that engagement and community liaison works in the Borough.
Our communities should be empowered to help shape the creation of homes and neighbourhoods. Communication during the design and delivery stages should be clear, transparent and responsive, and offer meaningful engagement and genuine dialogue. Local communities should share the benefits of development, including through Community Wealth Building.
Our communities should be protagonists of the places in which they live in the long-term, and community stewardship of places and community activity should be encouraged and supported.
3.1. Embedded community wealth
3.1.1. Does the development set out locally-relevant and appropriate Social Value commitments, with ambitious and deliverable targets?
3.1.2. Have opportunities been taken to provide space within the development for community projects and programmes?
3.1.3. Have opportunities been sought to provide shared facilities and amenities for residents, e.g. a communal laundry, hotdesking space, gardens, occasional-use guest bedrooms?
3.1.4. Have opportunities been taken to build ‘community wealth’ by investing locally, including through purchasing & procurement?
3.1.5. Have opportunities for local training and education been identified and delivered upon wherever possible?
3.2. Clear and transparent process
3.2.1. Has the engagement plan been clearly communicated to local residents, including when and how to input, when input will be used, and a schedule for updates?
3.2.2. Are local, accessible community facilities and infrastructure being used as engagement venues?
3.2.3. Does the engagement make use of any existing communication channels such as community groups or newsletters?
3.2.4. Is there a clear tracking system for public comments, recording how they influence proposals?
3.2.5. Has an evaluation method been put into place to assess the effectiveness of the engagement process and its impact?
3.3. Representative engagement
3.3.1. Is there a clear community engagement plan for the development, built on a sound awareness of local stakeholders and community organisations?
3.3.2. Is there a clear strategy to address any particular points of conflict or tension within the community that might have an impact on engagement outcomes?
3.3.3. Are engagement sessions as inclusive and accessible as possible to residents, including their timing, location, and mix of in-person and digital engagement?
3.3.4. Have opportunities been taken to innovate in digital/virtual engagement techniques?
3.4. Community stewardship
3.4.1. Has the engagement process identified social, civic or community infrastructure requirements, and considered these in developing proposals?
3.4.2. Does the development encourage residents and community groups to take ‘ownership’ of particular spaces or aspects of the development, and to contribute to their care and maintenance?
3.4.3. Have systems been put in place to integrate informal community stewardship of the development with formal maintenance and care processes, where appropriate?
3.5. Thinking and communicating long term
3.5.1. Does the engagement plan run throughout the design and construction of the development, including after handover, to support consistent communications in the long-term?
3.5.2. Is the engagement plan well- integrated with relevant wider or ongoing development and regeneration programmes in the vicinity, to support consistent cross- programme communication?
3.5.3. Have local residents been given a point of contact on the client/ design team, and are protocols in place for providing updates in the case of personnel changes during the project?
3.5.4. Do all proposed community facilities, amenities and spaces benefit from a clear strategy for how they will be used, maintained, and programmed for activity?
3.5.5. Is there a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) strategy in place, with clear timescales to assess resident well-being and a review system to allow findings to influence future developments?
