Consultation has always been at the heart of the work carried out on Castlefields. From the development of the Masterplan through to project development and delivery, comprehensive consultation has been carried out with every endeavour made to incorporate the comments of the local community.
Key consultation to date includes:
· 6th March 2006, from 1-7pm at the Pastoral Centre, Castlefields. Proposals for the village square placed on display and an update provided on other projects taking place as part of the regeneration proggramme.
· 9th July 2005 The Castlefields Regeneration Team attended the Castlefields Community Festival providing information on the new road, new and improved walking and cycling routes, lighting, subway closures and upgrades, the Youth Activity Park and the progress on housing.
· August 04 – January 05 Further consultation was carried out on the proposals for the Youth Activity Park.
· 10th November 2004 The Castlefields Regeneration Team attended the Area Forum to present and discuss the proposals for the new road, cycleway and Youth Activity Park.
· 8th September 2004 Awareness Event at Windmill Hill Primary School. This provided an opportunity for the people in the Windmill Hill area to view and comment on the proposals of the Youth Activity Park.
· 19th August 2004 Awareness Day. This provided the community with the opportunity to view and comment on projects including the new road and alterations to the busway, subway closures and new pedestrian crossings, the Youth Activity Park and the Supplementary Planning Document.
· 6th March 2004 Launch of the Castlefields Masterplan and Castlefields website. This provided the community with the opportunity to comment on the proposals containedwithin the Masterplan.
· 15th-20th July 2003 Consultation carried out on the draft Masterplan proposals.
Newsletters are distributed to every dwelling within the Castlefields Action Plan Area on a regular basis. These provide information on the latest developments on individual projects as well as providing the opportunity for comments to be made. The newsletter also provides a mechanism through which the community can be updated on other services and facilities, which are available to them.
The Castlefields website provides up to date information on the progress of the regeneration programme as well as providing a feedback facility for those who wish to make comments on any aspect of the regeneration programme.
The community of Castlefields has been comprehensively consulted through the Supplementary Planning Document process for the Castlefields and Norton Priory Action Area. Each individual planning application is subject to a statutory consultation period, whereby residents can make representations to the Planning Department on the proposal.
In addition to all of the above the Castlefields Regeneration Team regularly attend the Community Forum on Castlefields and provide the group with the latest developments. The ward members are regularly updated through the Castlefields Implementation Group, which meets on a quarterly basis. Ad hoc meetings are also arranged with the members as and when the need arises.
Consultation will continue throughout the Castlefields Regeneration Programme as and when the need arises. The Castlefields Regeneration Team takes comments from the community seriously and encourages the community to feedback on the proposals within the regeneration programme as they can have an impact on the decisions that are made. The Castlefields Regeneration Team takes time to reply to each letter/e-mail received individually and recognises that the key to the long-term success of the Castlefields Regeneration Programme is that of consultation and community engagement.
