Draft Consultation Plan

January 2015

The purpose of this document is to set out a process for public consultation and stakeholder engagement to inform the development of a Neighbourhood Plan for Crouch End.

This process will be inclusive, accessible, transparent and engaging to enable a robust, formal application to Haringey Borough Council Planning Department for the creation of a Neighbourhood Forum for Crouch End within the first half of 2015.

The initial focus for the consultation and engagement will be:

  • The extents and boundary for the Neighbourhood Plan
  • Identification of individuals, organisations and community groups willing to fulfil the requirement of 21 forum members, and an extended network of interested parties
  • Key topics or themes for development and inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan

Raising Awareness

Raising awareness in Crouch End and the surrounding area of the Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum and its intention to develop a Neighbourhood Plan is essential to ensure that people have the opportunity to get involved, and are informed about its role in helping to shape change in the area.

These communications must be easy to understand and accessible to all sections of the community both in language and media, including:

  • Posters displayed and flyers left at key locations such as public buildings, shops, community centre, and noticeboards in the area
  • Door-to-door flyers (although their effectiveness in relationship to cost should be considered)
  • e-flyers to established mailing lists, such as local schools and community groups
  • Adverts in local and council printed media
  • Online media including the OpinioN8 forum, Twitter, Facebook and a more traditional website

Initial stakeholder list (for discussion)

Following, in no particular order are local institutions and community groups that should be directly engaged during the consultation. Initial contact should introduce the Neighbourhood Forum, assess the level of engagement the group wishes to have, and request publicity material for the Neighbourhood Forum be distributed through their established channels.

  • Crouch End Festival
  • Crouch End Festival Chorus
  • Crouch End Open Studios
  • Crouch End Players
  • ANA Arts
  • OpinioN8
  • Crouch End Radio
  • Hornsey Vale Community Centre
  • YMCA
  • Primary Schools:
  • Coleridge
  • Rokesly
  • Weston Park
  • St Peters
  • Secondary Schools
  • Highgate Woods
  • Hornsey School for Girls
  • Crouch End Open Space
  • Friends of Priory Park
  • Shepherds Cot Trust
  • Crouch End Project
  • Crouch End Traders Association
  • Crouch End Safer Neighbourhoods Team
  • Action for Kids
  • Haringey Families
  • Transition Crouch End
  • Green N8
  • Hornsey Historical Society
  • Christ Church, Crouch End Hill
  • Holy Innocents Church, Tottenham Lane
  • St Peters in Chains, Wolmersley Road
  • Abide Church, Park Road
  • Crouch End Chavurah (Jewish community)

  • Residents Associations:
  • MORRSH| Montague, Oakley, Rathcoole, Ratchoole, Spencer and Harvey (Neighborhood Watch and Residents Association for anyone living locally to the Rathcoole Gdns/Ave, Spencer Rd, Harvey Rd area N8;
  • GMTRA represents the residents of Glasslyn, Montenotte and Tivoli Roads, including View Crescent.
  • GLC-RAG | Gladwell-Landrock-Cecile Park Residents Action Group (residents association comprised of residents of Gladwell Road, Landrock Road, the eastern part of Cecile Park, Sandringham Gardens and the south end of Drylands Road. Contact: Bob Maltz - 0208-348-0653 or Les Garner - 020-8341-0668)

Consultation activities plan

ACTION / DATE / METHOD
CENF Steering Group meeting 3 / Jan /
  • Agree the consultation plan

CENF Meeting 2 / End Jan / Early Feb /
  • Update wider group on steering group meetings
  • Present and agree consultation strategy

Publicise formation of CENF – link to website; explanation of what we’re doing and why; how to get involved; explain boundary discussion and solicit feedback; call out for more people/stakeholders to join steering group / Early February /
  • Social media
  • Press release
  • Emails to all local groups and stakeholders
  • Posters/flyers
  • Stall on Broadway
  • Meet with stakeholder groups as necessary to explain CENF and encourage representation at steering group
  • Build up database of interested people

CENF Steering Group meeting 4 / Feb /
  • Draft constitution
  • Boundary consultation planning

Consult on boundary / Mid Feb /
  • Social media
  • Public walks of the boundary with discussion
  • Discuss with bordering areas (Highgate, Muswell Hill, Stroud Green, Islington)
  • Solicit comment on proposed boundary on website
  • Publicise via social media and through stakeholders
  • Continue populate contact database

CENF Meeting 3 – aim to have grown membership to meet requirement for 21 local people / End Feb / Early March /
  • Review initial findings from the Boundary Consultation
  • Prepare for Community Workshop

CENF Steering Group meeting 5 / Early March /
  • Detailed Community Workshop planning

Community workshop – boundary; asset mapping; issues, strengths and priorities for Crouch End; next steps.
Should allow us to determine the issues we need to focus on in NP policies but also make clear what can and cannot be covered by a NP / Mid March /
  • Practical 2-3hr workshop
  • Online participation in discussion via survey (poss StickyWorld?)
  • Publicised via social media, e-comms to parents via schools, stakeholders’ networks, CE Area Forum (5th March), door drop?
  • Continue grow contacts database

CENF Steering Group meeting 6 / Early April /
  • Agree workshop findings report

Publish findings from consultation to date with final draft of boundary with rationale for comment / Mid-April /
  • Share on website and publicise via social media, database and stakeholders

CENF Meeting 4 / Early May /
  • Agreement on submission of boundary and application to create neighbourhood forum

Submission to LBH of neighbourhood plan boundary and application to create neighbourhood forum / Mid May

Consultation materials

The following are some initial thoughts on materials that will be useful to support the consultation events described above:

  • A short and visually engaging questionnaire to quickly gather initial thoughts from people attending consultation events or passers by of street stalls
  • An aerial view or simple map that people can collate ideas and thoughts on using Post-it notes or similar
  • A photographic study of the local area to provide a talking point and visual reference
  • Mapping studies such as community facilities, shops and businesses, parks, etc.
  • An information leaflet that can be taken away given basic information on the Neighbourhood Forum and how to get involved

Immediate actions

The following key actions will need to be completed during January 2015 to enable commencement of wider community consultation in February.

  • Develop copy on the following:
  • The role of a Neighbourhood Forum and Plan
  • An explanation of the boundary - why it’s needed and why it has been drawn in the current location, and how it could change
  • An outline of the formal stages to preparing and agreeing a Neighbourhood Forum and Plan
  • Themes that the plan might include
  • An outline of the forthcoming consultation and engagement process
  • Prepare a clear map of the current proposed boundary
  • Produce communications material based on the above copy:
  • Website and Facebook page
  • Flyer and poster to raise awareness and publicise how people can get involved
  • Documenting:
  • Upload meeting minutes
  • Provide a resource of useful information (links or PDF documents)
  • Design and build a contacts database for consultation purposes