Highcliffe Community Engagement Exercise

Lomond Land and Four Housing Group, a housing association based in N.E. England, have entered into a working partnership to bring forward much needed affordable housing along with mid-priced market housing  within the town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

The proposal seeks to bring forward as a first phase 40 affordable units to serve a shortfall in socially rented accommodation, as part of a wider planning application. This was submitted to Northumberland County Council but is not yet determined.

The proposal underwent a thorough pre-planning application process including a full community engagement exercise.

This took place within the local community area of Highcliffe. The exercise involved staging a public exhibition with display boards detailing the proposed site, indicative layouts showing possible options for the affordable housing, examples of previous developments by Four Housing Group, layout showing mainstream housing, areas of open space, footpath linkages to the surrounding environment, and details of the archaeological investigation that was being undertaken at the time of the event. 

Following a comprehensive mail drop of the local area, the event was well attended by residents and local Councillors representing the area. Lomond Land, Four Housing Group and Barton Wilmore (planning consultants) were represented at the exhibition and were on hand to talk visitors through the proposals.

The engagement process also involved a short questionnaire that the visitors were asked to complete. The questionnaire sought information from the local community about existing community facilities. This has given us a better understanding of what the local community needs are, and enabled us to reflect these within the planning proposals.

We now have an outline planning consent subject to agreeing a legal agreement. Our intention is to move seamlessly into preparing detailed designs in partnership with Four Housing Group so that we can begin construction of the affordable housing during 2011. We will continue to work with the community throughout this process.