Planning Campaign of the Year: Connect Communications

Client Brief

Bode acquired Hill House, a 1970s office block and largely-vacant mall in 2014. Bode’s proposals include converting the building for residential use, increasing its height, new homes and shops, and public realm enhancements. Although a longstanding aspiration of Islington Council, the site’s redevelopment presented significant challenges:

• Bode would be using the Government’s new office-to-residential permitted development rights (PDR) which Islington Council was strongly opposed to, exemplified by the council judicially reviewing the policy;
• The community had been overwhelmed by consultation activity on regenerating the Archway Town Centre, the majority of which had failed to materialise;
• The project’s technical complexity would require several planning applications and a difficult construction programme. The expiry of the PDR policy in May 2016 presented a significant threat.

Strategy

“From the outset, we knew our plans for Hill House could face unsurmountable political opposition due the use of PDR.

“The strategy that Connect designed and delivered secured support for our proposals from community and business groups in Archway, and ensured politicians understood that PDR would be catalyst for the fullest regeneration of the site. This not only meant we secured planning permission for our first phase from Islington Council, but also allowed us to make a successful case to the Government for PDR to be made permanent.”
Charles Moran, Bode Property

Connect developed a communications strategy to:

• overcome staunch political opposition to the proposals – based on the use of office-to-residential PDR – and secure planning permission from the Council (and avoid the need to appeal);
• establish relationships with ward councillors and the council leadership to ensure they understood that PDR could be a catalyst for regeneration and new affordable housing;
• engage the community and well-established groups which had a track record of opposing planning applications;
• secure an extension for the office-to-residential PDR.

Becoming Part of the Community

Given the significance and timescales of the project, Connect advised Bode to establish long-term relationships in the community. In contrast to developers that only engage in the run-up to submitting their application, Connect supported Bode to become an active part of the community.

Bode joined Archway’s Town Centre Management Group (ATMG) which represents businesses, and have provided support including professional advice, premises and sponsorship to businesses and community groups such as Tenants and Residents Associations, and events such as the Christmas Festival.

Bode and Connect regularly attend ATCG meetings to understand the challenges faced by businesses. This feedback has shaped the proposals by identifying the need for market space and smaller retail premises for independent shops.

Creating a Community hub

Recognising the need for Bode to have a visible presence in Archway, Connect worked with Bode to developed plans for FADS, a community pop-up shop in the derelict mall.

FADS became Bode’s home, ensuring the team could have on-going engagement with the community. Rather than simply undertaking one-off consultation events that largely attract people opposed to development, FADS reached out to families, professional couples, the artistic community, council estate residents, students at surrounding schools and colleges, and support groups for older people.

The FADS launch event was an opportunity to view the early proposals for Hill House. Artist Pete Fowler, known for his work with the Super Furry Animals, worked with children to design murals on the shop walls.

FADS housed a coffee shop which hosted a barista training academy for unemployed local people to gain new skills and support them into employment. Connect secured the Leader of Islington Council, Cllr Richard Watts to present certificates to the graduates, one of which now runs their own coffee shop in the area.

Connect ran social media feeds to publicise FADS and events, securing interviews and publicity in the local press. This attracted more groups, including:

• hosting the Archway With Words literary festival, including Rastamouse and Munro Price;
• providing studio space for Central St Martins artists and Creative Islington;
• a base for Islington Council’s Clean-Up Islington week;
• providing a new home to Forks&Corks that had to vacate its premises in Camden;
• space for charity awareness days, food events, bike repair workshops, and half-term events for children.

Real Community engagement

Providing the community with the opportunity to influence the development of the proposals was central to overcoming ‘consultation fatigue’.

This was achieved by:

• opening up Hill House to the public to demonstrate its rundown state and show how it could once again become a local asset;
• asking attendees what the area lacked and what would rejuvenate the area;
• delivering ‘quick wins’, including cleaning-up the site to tackle anti-social behaviour;
• demonstrating that feedback had influenced the proposals including on the colour and type of materials, providing a new town square and landscaping;
• regular presentations to local groups ensured ongoing dialogue.

This strategy secured support, as demonstrated by the letters of support submitted by residents, businesses and groups to the council’s consultation process.

Relationship Building

Other planning proposals in Islington using PDR had been rejected due to the council’s ‘in principle’ opposition to PDR. Connect ensured that Bode developed relationships with the council leadership and ward councillors, keeping them updated of the developments and taking on board their feedback. Councillors attended events at FADS, providing their own feedback on the proposals.

Extending Permitted Development Rights

PDR for office-to-residential was introduced as a temporary measure until May 2016. Given the scale of the project and the timescales, Connect supported Bode to make the case to the Government to extend these rights. Central to this was communicating how the conversion of Hill House was the catalyst to the regeneration of Archway Town Centre and the subsequent private sector investment it would secure. The flow of information between Bode and the Government ensured they were able to give confidence to the project’s investors.

Outcomes

Demonstrable public and business support

• Islington Council granting planning permission for the first application in November 2014;
• The Government confirmed PDR for office- to residential conversions would be made permanent in October 2015.