Harold Hill Town Centre Consultation report, January 2022 This note is a record of feedback gathered during the public drop-in consultation events held in November/ December 2021 to provide an update on the regeneration of Harold Hill Town Centre covering three sites - Chippenham Road, Farnham & Hilldene Estate, and Abercrombie Hostel.
A total of 50 people attended the exhibitions, including businesses and commercial tenants from the town centre, local residents, a Gooshays ward councillor, and members of St. George’s church.
Information on display included project overviews for Chippenham Road and Farnham & Hilldene, and more detailed design proposals for the redevelopment of the Abercrombie Hostel as a new Family Welcome Centre and Medical Centre.
The events were staffed by representatives of the architects Hawkins\Brown, Havering Borough Council regeneration team and Iceni Projects. Information about the consultation was advertised via:
The primary focus of these sessions was to understand the improvements needed in the area as a whole and gather feedback on the Welcome Centre and Medical Centre proposals.
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• A4 newsletter delivered to 1,755 addresses in the immediate and surrounding area • Posters displayed in the Harold Hill Community Hub • Broadcast online via the Harold Hill Unleashed Facebook page and the Living in Havering mailing list, which totals 60k+ email addresses.
Event overview
A drop-in exhibition was held between 12 and 6:30pm on Tuesday 30 November and Thursday 2 December at the Harold Hill Community Hub.
• Emailed directly to residents who have been moved off the estate and have a right to return • 30x newsletter samples handed out to people attending other events at the community hub that coincided with the drop-in consultations.
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Attendees at the events were presented with 13x A1 information boards with the following titles: • Introduction • Meet the architects: Hawkins\ Brown • Meet the architects: Mikhail Riches • The Town Centre Vision • How and when? • Family Welcome Centre and Medical Centre • Welcome Centre and Medical Centre design principles • Family Welcome Centre interior spaces • Family Welcome Centre courtyard garden • Medical Centre • Chippenham road update • Farnham & Hilldene Estate update • Planning for the future
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Feedback at the events
Feedback at these events was mostly conversational in style, giving the team an opportunity to explain the proposals and answer any questions from residents whilst making notes on their feedback. Attendees were encouraged to fill out a feedback form where appropriate, with both physical copies and a QR code for online completion available at the events. A total of five feedback forms were completed. A film crew recorded the event on Tuesday 30 November, interviewing both team members and visitors to the event for a short film about the regeneration for distribution on the council website and social media channels. Four residents took part in the video and were asked a range of questions focused on why they were attending the event and their views on the regeneration of Harold Hill. A summary of the key points made in the interviews can be found in section ‘d’ of this report. The video is available for viewing here
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Feedback form responses
• Bright open area, clean and looks nice
The feedback form comprised seven questions. All questions were optional and the number of answers for each question varies.
• I like the proposals and the people (at the event) … They give you the right information • I think it looks very good, the plans look light and airy and welcoming for families that will be housed there.
Overall, responses were positive. Respondents were particularly pleased with the proposals for the Family Welcome Centre and sustainability ambitions, whilst making suggestions about what services to include for the Medical Centre and highlighting the need to consider the needs of older people using the town centre.
Q2. What do you like about proposals for the Medical Centre?
The following are a list of responses to each question, presented verbatim.
• The support which will be given to vulnerable members of society • Good that you can have access to many different treatments under one roof • Very happy with Medical Centre – would like something for OAPs
Q1. What do you like about proposals for the Family Welcome Centre?
• Will it be a duplication of the current Medical Centre or have different services? It looks good on paper and will provide more services for residents.
• It is very much needed, and I am glad this is being addressed. • Looks like it will be better for families and sustainability, and able to be accessed easily.
• It will be easier to get medical care
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Q3. Do you have any comments on proposals for the Town Centre?
• Very nice
• A hot food license could be provided as part of the businesses. An international market (yearly) would also be a great idea. Encouraging residents to shop and spend their money locally would also benefit the environment. • Should be community focused and a better use of the area, creating green space as well.
• Was glad to see that St. George’s church and centre was still in a prominent position on Chippenham road, and there were no plans to change its position Q5. What do you think should be the sustainability priorities for your new town centre?
• War memorial needs to be relocated
• This is very much welcome; give our children a fighting chance to improve from here on.
• It looks good on paper, but will we lose the businesses that are currently here? I hope this is a well thought out plan and businesses and residents are kept on board with its progress. • Interesting, you can make friends and socialise. Q4. Do you have any comments on proposals for Chippenham road?
• Eco-friendly building material and building practice, with good insultation, will last for many, many years • Would like there to be no cars with loads of trees • This is quite a busy shopping centre and would hate to see it become a sterile environment. Yes, buildings need to move on, in line with COP26. I would like to see further plans as the project progresses.
• Providing electrical power point to support an outside market would be lovely • As long as green space is maintained then it looks good Page 4
Q6. Is there anything you would change about what you have seen today?
The key themes from these interviews are listed below:
• No, looks good
• General supportive comments about the proposals, i.e., ‘they’re lovely’
• More trees • Not really as we are in the early stages of some of the plans
• Concerns about current housing situation
• I want to see a change in the environment
• Supportive of the consultation process and praise for staff at the events
• Retaining the current library
• More parks and green areas needed in the town centre
Q7. If you have any further questions/ comments, please provide these below:
• Facilities for children and young adults, including childcare, sports facilities, and afterschool clubs
• This was covered by on site staff members • I would like to see more plants
• The poor state of the current buildings
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• More services and facilities for older people
Video responses
• Retain and refurbish St. George’s church
Residents took part in 2–3-minute interviews with a film crew on site. The interviews were conducted in a conversational style and questions were specific to each interviewee, depending on their answers, but generally prompted thoughts on the regeneration as a whole.
• Lifts for the new homes
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• Setting up a WhatsApp group for businesses to keep them informed about the proposals
Conversations at the events
• Concerns about anti-social behaviour on Hilldene avenue
Team members at the exhibition made notes of the conversations they had with visitors. The following is a list of common themes and ideas put forward by attendees, in no particular order, that were discussed:
• Concerns about current housing situation • Lifts and wheelchair access for the new homes
• Community uses such as coffee shops and a tearoom
• Communication with the existing medical centres in the area to ensure an appropriate range and distribution of services
• Retaining the current library
• Air quality sensors for the new town centre
• Uses for young people and children • A youth centre to help support ‘MyPlace’ which is the only current option • Public toilets • A shopping mall, similar to Lakeside Romford • A care home to support an aging community • More green space and wildlife, reflecting the rest of Harold Hill • Retaining the free parking on Hilldene avenue • New units for the current businesses in Harold Hill Page 6
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This report has been produced by Iceni Engagement on behalf of the London Borough of Havering. For more information pleas contact: consultation@iceniprojects.com