A framework for growth

Towards a Stamford Hill Plan

Delivering real benefits for the community

Awarded

2018
Category

Infrastructure
Outcome

Winner

Proof of concept

Towards a Stamford Hill Plan

This award was given to Hackney Council for Towards a Stamford Hill Plan, a dedicated planning document (an area action plan - AAP) for Stamford Hill, North London.

The Council pioneered a new approach to working with the communities in Stamford Hill to respond to the planning challenges of the next 15 years

As Stamford Hill’s population has grown and the area has become a more popular place to live, there has been an increasing pressure not just on housing but also on schools, community facilities and local spaces.

The plan aims to help address these challenges and manage change in line with the needs of local people. It will set out how and where new homes can be provided, alongside planning guidance to help improve community facilities, shopping centres and public realm.

The plan aims to:

Provide specific guidance on how new developments and changes to local spaces can be made, reflecting the unique circumstances of Stamford Hill.
Help to overcome the challenges the area faces, now and in the future ensure that changes in Stamford Hill benefit the local community first.

Key facts

months of extensive workshops and local meetings to identify community priorities

2000+

people gave their views on the plan over an eight week period

Shifting perceptions of the area

How/why did the project benefit the public?

Towards a Stamford Hill Plan creates a framework for growth, which protects the area’s unique character and will be used to guide future development in the area.

Following an extensive 18-month programme of community workshops and local meetings, the plan has provided an opportunity for hundreds of residents to share their views and ideas and identify a number of priorities for their community.

As a result the Plan will ensure that development delivers real benefits to the community: maximising the supply of large family homes, improving public space and public realm, providing new schools and community facilities and improving local shopping in Stamford Hill.

What were local planners looking to achieve on the project?

To build on Stamford Hill’s history as a place of refuge and repose and help deliver a more inclusive community.
To stimulate local business, upgrade the public realm and create better access to open spaces.
To promote and develop the critical role of town centres in the social, civic, cultural and economic lives of residents of Stamford Hill.
To generate new opportunities to provide affordable housing.

Justifying the need

How were local planners essential to the project's success

This was a challenging project. The issue was how to build support across the whole community for the AAP and tackle the divisions within the community that had emerged during the debate on neighbourhood planning.

Planners played a key role in developing a positive perception of regeneration within the local community and build confidence that the growth and regeneration of the Stamford Hill neighbourhood will make a positive difference for residents, businesses and visitors.

Planners were instrumental in organising meetings and workshops within the local area that helped demonstrate that the community can have an impact on local plans that affect their lives, and boost their awareness of the plan making process.