Planning Aid for London 9 th May 2012 Bottom Up In Bloomsbury - open, local and sticky! open, local and sticky! Bloomsbury Village Neighbourhood Plan Jim Murray – Bloomsbury Association www.bloomsburyvillage.org
Bloomsbury Village • 25 acres immediately south of The British Museum, approx. 1,800 residents, dozens of small businesses, students and millions of tourists. strong community spirit, great heritage, well networked. • Battle of Little Bloomsbury, decline of book trade and loss of image and direction......... but some excellent development as well. • Vast gap between rich and poor, pockets of extreme social exclusion. High levels of crime/ fear related to night time economy • No dedicated community facilities • Future - 2 large development sites within neighbourhood boundary, midway between Tottenham Court Road CrossRail, and Holborn station. Overlaps the InMidtown Business Improvement District
Neighbourhood Forum & Plan • Community initiated and driven with Forum comprising 50/50% partnership between residents and businesses/ landowners – key components being: public realm, local economy, quality of life – inclusive of ALL stakeholders • Working with Camden Council; InMidtown BID/ Terry Farrell (MasterPlan); Resident Associations; Amenity groups – e.g Covent Garden Community Association; Landowners; Businesses; Search out other local initiatives and studies: e.g. Camden Place Shaping Study; InMidtown local employment studies: e.g. Camden Place Shaping Study; InMidtown local employment initiative etc. • Constitution and all inclusive Contacts Database, dedicated Working groups • Seek out Expert Advice: Camden Blueprint – Camden VAC, Michael Parkes – Community Planner – Public Realm Information and Advice Centre (PRIAN) – SliderStudio,co.uk and StickyWorld.com • NOT FORGETTING – a local SKILLS BANK from your community
Neighbourhood Map
Strategy • Open – co-authored in order to win approval at every level, open to allcomers and fully transparent • Local - Its about empowering the locality and underlying the strategy are face to face workshops. There's no better way to get a rich engagement than by talking face to face to hear people's ideas rich engagement than by talking face to face to hear people's ideas and opinions. Inc Residents, Businesses, Landowners and Planners • Sticky - because we want the emerging issues to become apparent to everyone and stick in people's minds. We also want people coming back for more, both before during and after meetings. (StickyWorld helps us but is just one type of tool in the toolset)
Importance of ..... • Using many different methods to reach more people • Good community development work and serial networking • Knowledge and understanding of LOCAL and NATIONAL planning context context • Managing and developing relationships in the change from ‘ Consultation Culture ’ to ‘ Dialogue ‘ in the planning process • Keeping doors open with forums, working groups, etc. • Inclusion and participation
That means people
Not just a plan........process • We hope to contribute to Active Communities in which citizens are empowered to lead self- determined fulfilled lives, and in which everyone determined fulfilled lives, and in which everyone regardless of age, race or social background has a sense of belonging and a stake in society • We know that Neighbourhood planning captures the imagination of participants
Key Ingredients • Enthusiastic community development work; neighbourhood Audit; up to date knowledge of local planning context • Understanding Neighbourhood Planning in the context of The Localsim Act – i.e. NOT about stopping development but actively participating in it – a step change for many community groups participating in it – a step change for many community groups • Building the confidence, trust and working relationships to enable the shift from Consultation Culture to ‘ Engagement in Dialogue ’ • Constitution; democratic forum; keeping doors open; plan boundaries; working groups; think tanks; interactive media. • Understanding the LDF and NPPF
Challenges • With limited resources will there be sufficient resources/skills to produce plans - Does the community have the capacity and ability to deliver? The skills and resources are out there, so go get them - If you don’t ask you won’t get! • • Will communities’ aspirations be met? Will communities’ aspirations be met? They will if they are kept ‘Realistic and Achievable’ • Will Boroughs provide staff, finance, support when their own priorities are under threat? If we can show there is a GAIN for everyone then Yes • Seize the Opportunity
Hope you enjoyed it! Bloomsbury Village www.bloomsburyvillage.org Bloomsbury Association www.bloomsburyassociation.org.uk Jim Murray autotrak@blueyonder.co.uk Voluntary Action Camden www.camdencen.org.uk DTurnbull@vac.org.uk Donna Turnbull Michael Parkes michael.p1945@tiscali.co.uk Public Realm Information and Advice Network PRIAN www.publicrealm.info Colin Davis colindavis@aol.com WebSite and Virtual StickyBoard www.SliderStudio.co.uk Monika Love Monika.love@sliderstudio.co.uk Powered by StickyWorld www.stickyworld.com Michael Koln michael@stickyworld.com
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