CASE STUDY

London Chest Hospital

Complex constraints and stakeholder engagement at a listed site

Client

Clarion Housing Group

Services provided

The Situation

Clarion Housing Group and Crest Nicholson acquired the former London Chest Hospital site in Bethnal Green, from the Barts NHS Trust in August 2015 in a JV to bring forward proposals for the redevelopment of the site, to provide market and affordable housing.

The hospital has been at the centre of the community for a significant amount of time, and local residents, stakeholder groups and some elected members have an emotional connection with the site and with elements within the site.

The redevelopment plans had to take into consideration a significant number of constraints, meaning that the engagement and community outreach programme was necessarily extensive and flexible. These constraints included; the site being in the Victoria Park Conservation Area, the Grade II listed status given to some of the buildings on site, the root protection areas of a significant number of trees on site, and the presence of a much-loved Mulberry Tree on site.

What we did

Snapdragon were appointed in November 2015 to provide communications and consultation support for the project. An extensive consultation programme was implemented which included; three public exhibitions, community workshops, meetings with senior politicians and ward councillors, meetings with community groups, presentations to local resident’s associations, and communications around the future of the Mulberry Tree. The pre-submission engagement programme resulted in direct and online engagement with over 1,500 local stakeholders.

The programme also had to adapt to deal with reputational issues related to Circle Housing and the subsequent merger with Affinity Sutton to create Clarion.

The Result

The scheme was approved by Tower Hamlets Council’s Strategic Development Committee in September 2018.

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