A very successful drop-in session which we helped to organise and staff to promote the Water End Flood Alleviation Scheme in York, currently being undertaken by the Environment Agency.

Previous engagement events where met with little interest so this latest one was moved to St Barnabas School Hall to capture the school pick-up crowd. Over 70 people attended during the 4 hour event and were able to meet the design team for the scheme and discuss other aspects of flood warning and flood-proofing their properties.

We also designed the scheme information boards that were used at the event using our in house Graphic Designer.

The overall response to the scheme was positive and we look forward to working further with the Environment Agency to help mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of flooding and enhance public access and recreation in the Water End local.   

Stuart Ryder

Director

The park forms an important new public space at a major transport hub within Chester City Centre. The project, completed earlier this year, was designed as an arena space for such events as hosting the wheel and it certainly feels good to see it being used to full effect. I’m told the views over the Welsh mountains from the wheel were impressive, almost as impressive as the views of the planting below!

The design of the park was developed as a ‘meanwhile’ space utilising the land temporarily, although required to deliver maximum flexibility and aesthetic quality for public realm immediately adjacent to Chester’s busy main bus terminal. Designs also had to provide for a new National Express interchange and facilitate pedestrian movement throughout the wider area and involved working with critical archaeological conditions that restricted the depth of excavation to protect known and unknown assets from the Roman town. The use of seating, shrub and tree planting and informal mounding creates a quieter public space in what is otherwise a busy area of the city centre.

We look forward to seeing what events Cheshire West and Chester Council choose to hold in the park in the future!

The RLC team.

Artists impression of potential ‘access for all beach’ at Cemaes Bay

RLC have been working with Isle of Anglesey County Council for nearly a year now to seek out and develop a series of new and exciting schemes on Anglesey which could be developed as part of their continuing programme to maximise the economic impact of Anglesey’s coastline. The project culminated last week in a series of public consultation events taking place on the island to introduce the potential schemes to the general public. The 6 possible schemes were presented to the public by means of a roadshow stopping off in a different place on the island each day. The 6 schemes presented included;

1.       Public realm promenade improvements at Benllech.

2.       A new pier on the Menai Strait.

3.       An ‘access for all beach’ at Cemaes Bay.

4.       Jetty refurbishment at the Gazelle Hotel.

5.       A Menai Strait water shuttle service.

and perhaps most ambition and exciting….

6. The creation of an artificial dive reef off the coast of the island!

A seventh scheme, the development of a new centralised web based booking system for the many and varied activities available on Anglesey, is also being proposed. Together the schemes could represent a £4 million investment in the island’s economy.

RLC have been leading a small team made up of their own environmental designers and Gwynedd Consultancy, working closely with IACC officers, to identify and develop the schemes listed above. As well as producing outline project development proposals including initial economic impact assessments we are currently developing the schemes in sufficient detail that permissions to deliver them maybe sort if and when funding becomes available.

Around the same time as the consultation events were advertised by IACC the project made it into the local and nation press, see the below links!

http://www.theonlinemail.co.uk/bangor-and-anglesey-news/local-bangor-and-anglesey-news/2011/10/19/4m-plans-to-boost-marine-tourism-on-anglesey-66580-29621935/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15428111

The sketches represent the proposals at Benllech and Cemaes Bay and were used during the public consultation events.

As we work with IACC further and the potential schemes develop we hope to continue to update you on this exciting project!

Well the offices are not actually new but we are new to them!

We thought a photo of our new base would be more useful for finding us than a picture of moving desert rocks.

The building is a Victorian attempt are recreating Gothic splendour and sits in the heart of the City Road Conservation Area on the corner of City Road itself and Queens Road. If you are walking up from the railway station keep to the left hand side of the road and look out for the big, shiny black door with No.42 on it.

For five years we have been preparing and delivering consultation and engagement work to this major infrastructure project. This has involved a member of our team working out on site for 16 months as a Public Liaison Officer promoting the scheme to local residents, dealing with their concerns and liaising with the contractor to minimise adverse construction effects.

This is the most sensitive consultation programme we have ever had to undertake. Working in the recently flooded Northumbrian market town we worked with the Environment Agency to explain why their homes and town had been flooded and what could realistically be done to stop it happening it again. It is always sobering to see people in such a state of despair and recognise how your work actually affects people’s wellbeing.

Bi-lingual consultations were at the heart of testing ideas with local communities and technical officers around Anglesey’s beautiful coastline. We designed and helped to deliver a programme of events including public meetings, design surgeries, round island boat trip and a grand public launch attended by Welsh Assembly Government Ministers. A summary of all these activities provided an evidence base for local involvement and help draw down £5.6 million of European Grant.

Tri-lingual consultation this time with English, Urdu and Hindi versions of display boards and information leaflets to explain the proposals behind this flood scheme. The display was used as a ‘road-tour’ that went around public buildings including libraries, town hall and mosques. It was sometimes staffed but also acted as a stand-alone display. The work and community feedback acted as the central part of the scheme’s Statement of Community Involvement to win planning consent.

Community engagement and capacity building was the focus for this work. We prepared a Communication Action Plan and targeted those people with a key interest in the park including clubs and surrounding residential neighbours. There was initial fear about the proposals and specific concern at vandalism. The legacy of this work was the formation of a Friends Group and an Angling Club to manage the park’s lake. Face painters were employed for family consultation events.

Targeted consultation with adjacent residential neighbours broke down barriers between the site’s operators and local people. It explained what was being proposed, when and how it would be built and identified reasonable constraints with local people so they had a chance to positively shape the development of a works extension. Meetings were held in people’s homes and a tour of the plant arranged so they could understand the processes that went on there.