“London Communications Agency has always represented the very best interest of the scheme, working professionally with the development partners and the technical team, delivering an exceptional consultation, media relations and trusted strategic counsel. Their support from the very earliest days has been invaluable and we place huge store on their advice and implementation.”
Brent Cross Cricklewood is a comprehensive £4.5bn regeneration scheme to create a new Town Centre in 250 acres of North West London, the largest-scale regeneration currently planned for the capital with the exception of the Olympic Park.
Led by Hammerson and Standard Life Investments, it will deliver 27,000 new jobs, 7,500 homes, a transformation of Brent Cross Shopping Centre, three schools, new parks, leisure and community facilities – together with a new mainline train station, bus station and improved transport.
LCA was appointed in 2005 to manage strategic communications, media relations, public consultation and stakeholder management for the project with the ultimate objective of securing a planning consent from Barnet Council, backed by the Mayor of London. LCA raised the profile of the project towards the planning application submission date and directly addressed all audiences. We established an extensive contact database, regularly writing to stakeholders and produced a dedicated mobile exhibition unit to tour the area with images, models and information during two phases of public consultation. In the first phase over 1,750 people passed through its doors, with a further 1,200 people visiting in the second phase in addition to numerous meetings with community groups and others.
The effect of LCA’s work has been significant, including quantifiable public support for the plans set out in a thorough Statement of Community Involvement as part of the planning application material. A late, commercially motivated local campaign failed to impact the decision making process with the scheme enjoying cross party support with only a single abstention and one vote against following a special two-day committee hearing. The Mayor of London gave a strong personal endorsement of the scheme. LCA then had to manage the uncertainty around a change of Government as the decision rested with the Secretary of State, who ultimately decided against the need for a public enquiry.
The full planning permission was issued in October 2010 and LCA continues to support the scheme through the remaining planning phases and public engagement activities.