DouglasBader ParkColindale

NewsletterIssue 2Summer 2018

Welcome to our second edition of the quarterly newsletter about the regeneration of the Douglas Bader Park Estate. This newsletter will provide you with information of what we have delivered over the past few months, what’s to come and how to get in touch.

We’re listening to youSince then, we have been working in the background to ensure we can deliver a scheme that benefits all our customers, so there is a lot of detail we need to look at. We want to get this right and not rush the process and that means going slower than we and some of our customers would like.

We realise this means a delay, but this process is too important not to take the time needed to get it right. We’ve had some really important feedback over the past few months and that will now be incorporated into what we do next to shape the plans for Douglas Bader Park before we come back to you.

Thank you to all customers and young people that attended the May fun day and information session. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

The weekend of events included information about the engagement and consultation that has been delivered over the past year as well as speaking with customers who haven’t had the chance to meet us yet.

Community fun day

Thank you to all customers who met the team through the door knocking. We were able to speak to 188 customers and complete a number of housing verification forms with customers we haven’t met with to date to identify household make up and medical and mobility needs. This information will directly inform the new development and we encourage anyone who has yet to submit a housing verification form to get in touch.

Community fun day Our regeneration commitments to youIn June we met with a cross-section of customers, from ten households with different household make up and requirements, to discuss and get their opinion on some of the commitments we could make as part of the regeneration. This meeting was incredibly helpful for us and we had a useful discussion about each one.

Following this, we have taken the group’s advice and detailed those commitments we can guarantee to all Home Group Douglas Bader Park customers.

We promise the following as part of the regeneration:

1. You will be compensated financially for the regeneration – this includes a statutory home loss payment (currently at £6100) plus up to £2500 towards moving and disturbance costs

2. We will minimise the need for customers to move off the estate into temporary accommodation wherever possible

3. All customers will receive a new home if they want one and tenancy rights will not be affected by moving into a new home – new tenancy agreements will need to be signed due to your new address. There will not be a change in the tenancy type

4. Homes will be adapted for customers who have high medical or mobility needs. All customers will be provided with help and support with their move

5. New homes will have their own private space which will include either a balcony or garden

6. Your pets can move with you. We will work with pet owners to sign up to our responsible pet owner’s agreement.

7. Storage space will be provided within your new home, over and above new build space standards, along with secure storage in communal areas where required

8. New homes will be well insulated to ensure heat is contained and sound is reduced

9. A new heating system will ensure the temperature in your home can be managed and controlled to keep energy bills low

10. Security features in flats will include fob access and entry telephone intercom systems

As you are aware, we had originally hoped to submit a planning application in the autumn of this year. However, following all of our engagement sessions, workshops and door knocking it is clear that we cannot develop a scheme until the above commitments are realised and we can guarantee further benefits.

Whilst we have spoken to many customers we still haven’t been able to speak with everyone. Work is ongoing to fix that. We are aware that without a fixed timescale it is difficult for you to plan ahead. However, we are working hard to make sure we take into account all of the information we have gathered so far and that any promises we make are kept.

Phasing update

Why is the planning application delayed?

We had hoped to speak to you about how we would phase the new development by now. However, the way we phase the new development will have a direct impact on

you, therefore we want to ensure every possible option is reviewed in detail to ensure it can be delivered.

We don’t want to present and commit to a phasing plan that we can’t achieve. Our commitments listed above, particularly minimising any requirement to be moved away from the estate, are a critical aspect in the phasing. We must also ensure that any households who may require temporary homes until their new home is built, are close to their schools, colleges, surgeries, workplaces etc.

Once we have a deliverable phasing plan, we will of course present this to you.

Commitments from your housing team

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Suzan on 0345 141 4663.

The housing officeSome of the feedback received over the past year and through the recent focus groups highlighted that customers are keen to see the housing office re-open. Our Housing Operations Team will therefore re-open the office to run surgeries from the autumn. You will be able to speak to your Housing Manager Suzan Aydin on specific housing related queries throughout the regeneration. We will write to you once we have confirmed dates and times.

We have received feedback on the current estate management and how this could be improved. The housing team are keen for you to join them in the monthly estate walkabout and provide feedback around service delivery.

Next month’s estate walkabout will be taking place on:

Tuesday 25th September at 10.30am and should last no longer than one hour.

The meeting point will be outside the housing office, 30A Parklea Close and all future dates will be posted on the notice board outside the housing office.

If you have any questions about estate walkabouts, please contact the customer service centre on 0345 141 4663.

Repairs & maintenance You can meet our surveyors from the maintenance team at our monthly coffee mornings to deal with any questions around your repairs. Come along for some tea and cake and they will be happy to speak with you!

To report any repairs or if you have any queries on works that may be in progress or outstanding, please contact the customer service centre on 0345 141 4663.

Join us on estate

walkabouts

Come along between 10.30am-12.00pm to St Augustine’s Church Hall (side room), Great Field, NW9 5SY and have some coffee and cake with the team – we hope to see you there!

The next coffee mornings will take place on:

Wednesday 12th September

Wednesday 3rd October

Tuesday 6th November

Wednesday 12th December

Don’t forget our surveyors from the maintenance team will also be in attendance to deal with any questions around your repairs.

Coffee MorningsWe look forward to our monthly coffee mornings as we have had customers popping in to meet us since they began in November 2017. We are keen to continue hosting these and we have planned our coffee mornings for the rest of the year.

If you haven’t had a chance to come along yet, they are drop-ins and are really informal with an opportunity to have a chat with Yvette Richards (our dedicated Regeneration Officer) and other colleagues from the Regeneration Team.

Yvette

Would you like to be part of the Residents’ Association (RA) at Douglas Bader Park? Some customers have approached us with an interest in setting up a Residents’ Association and we thought it would be a good idea to advertise this opportunity to find out who would like to get involved.

We are seeking customers that would like to come together to discuss what’s important to them. That might be about the regeneration or it might be about something else that they would like to see and work with us to improve your estate. Residents’ Associations are run by residents, for residents.

We can offer advice and training on how to set up a Residents’ Association and our team is here to help you, step-by-step.

If you would like to be a part of the RA, please email your interest with your name, address and contact number to info@douglasbaderpark.co.uk or call Yvette Richards on 07823 789395 by Friday 7th September 2018.

We will be in touch with all interested customers in the week commencing 10th September with more information.

Get involved – Residents’ Association

Visit our website For up to date information, frequently asked questions and to find out what we have delivered to date, log onto www.homegroup.org.uk/douglasbaderpark

Contact InformationIf you would like to get in touch and have any questions about the regeneration proposals please contact:

• Mark Harrison at Curtin&Co on 020 7399 2287 or email info@douglasbaderpark.co.uk

• Yvette Richards, Regeneration Officer, Home Group on 07823 789395 or email yvette.richards@homegroup.org.uk

Meet the teamWe wanted to remind you of the team that are working on the regeneration of Douglas Bader Park and introduce our newest member Sonia. If you see them around the estate, please say hello!

Yvette Richards, Regeneration OfficerMost of you would have met Yvette by now. Yvette is your dedicated contact for all regeneration related queries. She will be hosting monthly coffee mornings and holding customer one-to-one meetings as we move forward with the development proposals. Yvette has experience in planning moves and supporting customers through the move process.

Davina Imbuldeniya, Senior Regeneration Manager (Engagement)Davina has been leading on the consultation and engagement process for the past year and will be working on the planning for the delivery of the overall decanting programme.

Emma Murgatroyd, Lead Regeneration Development ManagerEmma has been involved in our consultations and design workshops to date. Emma will be leading on the planning and design process, up to and including submission of all planning applications, both outline and detailed.

Sonia Watson, Community Relationship ManagerSonia is part of the housing team and will be working closely with customers over the coming months to identify the community and social initiatives you would like to see at Douglas Bader Park. Sonia has worked in Community Development for the past 12 years and has experience working with communities and individuals to build social cohesion.