We held our first housing meeting after Ken Davis’s talk on eco-refurbishing homes.
12 people attended and the conversation was really lively.
Here are some abridged notes from the meeting:
One member gave some background information about Neighbourhood Plans. She is Chair of the Tulse Hill Neighbourhood Plan in South London.
Some funding was made available via Locality for some initial consultation within the area (they set up a stall in Brockwell Park). They asked one question: “If you could change anything in your neighbourhood what would it be?”.
Map out an area for your plan – Tulse Hill asked all those who came ot the Brockwell Park stand and then put a pin in a map for each person to create their boundary.
Once the group has 21 people committed to the plan it’s possible to apply to be a Neighbourhood Planning Forum. A Neighbourhood Plan must relate to the established local plan but the forum writes it’s own. The plan produced is then statutory.
One attendee shared his ideas about appropriate language. He does not like the word ‘housing’ as it is not a noun. He prefers to talk about ‘making places’. He said that there are three essentials for people: Food, Community and Place.
All present in the meeting shared what things they’d like to change in the town:
- Better design of the local environs
- Use of meanwhile spaces
- Use of empty/derelict spaces
- Better quality affordable, rented accommodation
- Joined up thinking (eg how waste water is managed within developments)
- A greater sense of community
- Improved awareness of planning activity
- More spaces for people to interact – many live in isolation
What should we call this group? Making places, environment, neighbourhood, community… Ideas?
