RECODE: PRIORY GREENESTATE

RECODE PRIORY GREEN ESTATE STAGE 1: WELL-BEING ANALYSIS

Small Works King’s Cross is a collaboration between

This report summarises and analyses findings based on qualitative interviews and supporting research.

Authored by CLEAR VILLAGE. September 2014.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SMALL WORKS 6 SMALL WORKS KING’S CROSS 9WELL-BEING ANALYSIS 11

WELL-BEINGANALYSISFINDINGS

ARCHITECTURE & INFRASTRUCTURE 16ECONOMY & GOVERNANCE 20SOCIAL & COMMUNITY 24NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 26OPEN QUESTIONS 30

CONCLUSION 34

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SMALLWORKS

Small Works is a joint programme by CLEAR VILLAGE and CIVA to turn underused spaces on social housing estates into vibrant centres for community activities and social enterprise. At the heart of Small Works lies the belief that every community is brimming with potential and that it’s often just a matter of bringing it all together: spaces, people and ideas.

The key components of the Small Works programme are as follows:

+ Space developmentWe work with space owners, such as social landlords and local authorities, to identify empty or underused spaces that have the potential to be transformed into Small Works spaces.

+ Well-Being AnalysisWe carry out a quantitative and qualitative analysis to understand the challenges and opportunities within the community and to determine how the Small Works space can deliver most value.

+ Small Works membersWe offer work space to social entrepreneurs looking for somewhere to base themselves. In return, they pay a small monthly fee to cover overheads and contribute some of their time to provide services to the community.

+ Activities and workshopsTogether with our members and the local community, and based on the findings from the Well-Being Analysis, we develop an on-going programme of activities and workshops. These range from job training programmes for young people, to social activities to help older people feel less isolated, to community events to build social cohesion.

What makes Small Works spaces radically different from traditional community centres is the element of reciprocity. Each party in the project gives and receives in equal measure. Space owners provide an empty or underused space, and in return the space is transformed from a liability into an asset. Social entrepreneurs offer some of their time to support the community, and in return they receive discounted work space. Finally, local people help to bring the space to life and provide a reality check for new services developed by social entrepreneurs, and in return they are provided with a host of activities and opportunities.

1. INTRODUCTION

KING‘S CROSS

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Commenting on Small Works Victoria, which was set up in Vauxhall Estate in partnership with Peabody, Peabody’s Director of Community Programmes Veronica Kirwan said:

“WORKINGWITHCLEARVILLAGEHASBEENREALLYBENEFICIALFORPEABODYANDTHERESIDENTSOFOURVAUXHALLESTATE.ANEMPTYBASEMENTSPACEHASBEENTURNEDINTOATHRIVINGCOMMUNITYHUB,DRIVENBYPEOPLEWITHAREALPASSIONFORBRINGINGABOUTSOCIALCHANGETHROUGHENTREPRENEURSHIP.

MOSTVALUABLEOFALLHASBEENTHEBUILDINGOFSOCIALCAPITALINTHENEIGHBOURHOOD,SOMETHINGWHICHISHARDTODEFINEBUTNEVERTHELESSTANGIBLE.SOMERESIDENTSWEREINITIALLYSUSPICIOUSABOUTTHEBUILDINGBEINGOPENTOPEOPLEFROMOUTSIDETHEESTATE,HOWEVERTHEYHAVEBEENBOWLEDOVERBYTHEINCLUSIVITYANDOPENNESSOFTHEUSERSANDTHERANGEOFSERVICESONOFFER.”

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SMALLWORKSISAMODELBUILTONRECIPROCITY

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1.

Small Works King’s Cross is the third space in our Small Works programme and the second set up in partnership with Peabody. Following on from Small Works Hackney (launched in Regent Estate in April 2012 with Hackney Homes) and Small Works Victoria (launched in Vauxhall Estate in December 2012 with Peabody), Small Works King’s Cross will open at the Old Laundry in Priory Green Estate in September 2014.

Priory Green Estate is located in King’s Cross, which is divided between the boroughs of Camden and Islington. The estate itself is only in Islington, though it does span two wards: most of it is in Barnsbury while a small part is in Caledonian. Designed by Berthold Lubetkin, who pioneered modernist design in Britain in the 1930s, the estate was built in 1957 and was at the time considered a model of progressive housing policy and exemplary urban design. However, in subsequent decades the estate became neglected and by the late 1990s many considered it an undesirable place to live. As a former Peabody area estate manager said:

“ATTHETIMEPRIORYGREENESTATEWASINFAMOUSFORISSUESOFVICE.BETWEEN80AND100USEDNEEDLESWEREFOUNDMOSTWEEKS,MANYLEFTSPIKEUPINTHEGRASSTOWARDOFFRESIDENTS.IREMEMBERMYSHOCKATSEEINGHUNDREDSOFNEEDLESREMOVEDFROMTHELIFTPITS,ANDCOMMUNALAREASOPENLYUSEDBYDRUGDEALERSANDPROSTITUTES.”1

Since taking over the estate from Islington Council in 1998, Peabody has carried out a great deal of work to turn the estate around: renovating the buildings, introducing land-

scaping and constructing a new entrance block. These changes in many ways mirror the development that has taken place in King’s Cross as a whole. The area, which once suffered from a poor reputation, has seenenormous regeneration efforts since the mid1990s and is now the home of Central Saint Martins, the Eurostar, the British Library, the Guardian and the Observer amongst others. And the change process is set to continue through a combination of transport investment, improvements to public spaces and the King’s Cross Central development, which is one of the largest regeneration sites in Europe.

However, as pointed out by Camden and Islington Councils in the King’s Cross Place Plan, there is a risk that the extent of the change happening in King’s Cross could leave existing communities behind. This makes it all the more essential to take a place-shaping approach and involve residents in the process.

As the Place Plan argues:

“PLACESHAPINGISAWAYOFLOOKINGATLOCALAREASTOIDENTIFYWHATLOCALPEOPLENEED,WHATTHEOPPORTUNITIESAREANDHOWTHETWOCANBELINKEDTOMAKESUREPEOPLECANMAKETHEMOSTOFTHEIRLIVESANDTHEOPPORTUNITIESTHATEXISTLOCALLY.NOWHEREINBOTHCAMDENANDISLINGTONISITMOREIMPORTANTTOGETTHISRIGHTTHANINKING’SCROSS.“

With Small Works King’s Cross, we aim totake a similar place-shaping approach on the micro-scale of Priory Green Estate: identifyingresidents’ needs, linking them with localopportunities that exist already, and developing new opportunities through a tailored programme of Small Works activities

SMALLWORKSKING’SCROSS

1http://www.lovelondoncouncilhousing.com/2013/02/a-lesson-in-love-priory-green-estate.html2King’s Cross: shaping the future. Camden and Islington Councils. July 2012.

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“WearethepeopleofKing’sCross,whostuckitout,notenoughtorelocatetogreenerlands.

…

Foryouweareperipheral,bestwedon’texistatall!Soyouraisetherentsandpriceusout,here’saWaitrosetoanIceland,athreepoundscoffeeshop,toalocalpub.Improvement,better,gentrified!”3

MappingUs!DanielZylbersztaijn

3 www.crossenvironment.com/2014/06/18/mapping-us/

1.

WELL-BEINGANALYSIS

The Well-Being Analysis is an essential component of the Small Works programme. Going into a neighbourhood with an open mind and without making assumptions, we reach out to local people to try and under-stand their needs and aspirations and to map community assets, including human assets.We do so through a series of semi-structured qualitative interviews, which are then combin-ed into an overall analysis. The goal of the Well-Being Analysis is two-fold. Firstly, it aims to identify what local people want and need and thus provides a guide for activities in the Small Works space. Secondly, by starting off by listening to people, we aim to show residents that their thoughts and ideas are valued and that Small Works is not a topdown project but a collaborative one.

It should be emphasised that the Well-Being Analysis is fundamentally different from a conventional survey. The interviews are under-pinned by a semi-structured grid, but they are allowed to flow freely and interviewees canspeak their mind at any point. It may be said, then, that input is allowed to override structure and that data is not just captured through questions and answers, but also through conversations.

The interview grid developed for Priory Green Estate consisted of 13 statements to which interviewees could reply with agree, neutral, disagree or not important to me. The 13 statements cover the 4 quadrants of the CLEAR VILLAGE well-being wheel and include topics within the categories of Architecture & Infrastructure; Economy & Governance; Social & Community; and the Natural Environ-ment. In addition, there were 4 open questions related to what people like about the neigh-bourhood and what improvements they would like to see.

The 13 statements were as follows:

“MY HOME SATISFIES MY NEEDS AND THOSE OF MY FAMILY.” “THE PUBLIC SPACE IS A VALUABLE ASPECT OF MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

“MY HOME SATISFIES MY NEEDS AND THOSE OF MY FAMILY.”

“I AM HAPPY WITH MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.”

“I CAN INFLUENCE DECISIONS AFFECTING MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

“THERE ARE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

“ALL IN ALL I AM PROUD OF MYSELF.”

“I FEEL I BELONG TO MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

“PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.”

“I ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE FROM MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

“I HAVE GOOD ACCESS TO PARKS AND NATURE.”

“THE AIR QUALITY IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD IS DECENT.”

“I PAY ATTENTION TO MY CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRICITY, WATER AND GAS.”

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1.

The 4 open questions were as follows:

“WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

“WHAT ARE YOU MISSING IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

“HOW COULD THE SMALL WORKS SPACE BE USED TO BENEFIT THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

“HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP IMPROVE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

The interview grid for Priory Green Estate was similar in many respects to the one developed for Vauxhall Estate to allow for comparison between the two Peabody estates.

In May 2014, a CLEAR VILLAGE team of 7 carried out a total of 70 interviews with Priory Green Estate residents. This makes the King’s Cross Well-Being Analysis our largest to date and provides a solid foundation of intelligence and insight to guide activities at Small Works King’s Cross going forward.

RESPONDENTS BY GENDER

RESPONDENTS BY AGE

female

100 20 30 40 50 60 70

male

<18

100 20 30 40 50 60 70

18-24 25-44 45-64 >65

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13

parks & nature

sustainablebehaviour

air quality

housing

mobility

public space

personaldevelopment

pride

belonging

cohesion

interaction

influence

employment

ECONOMY &GOVERNANCE

SOCIAL &COMMUNITY

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

ARCHITECTURE &INFRASTRUCTURE

COMMUNITYWELL-BEING

ANALYSIS

parks & nature

sustainablebehaviour

air quality

housing

mobility

public space

personaldevelopment

pride

belonging

cohesion

interaction

influence

employment

ECONOMY &GOVERNANCE

SOCIAL &COMMUNITY

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

ARCHITECTURE &INFRASTRUCTURE

COMMUNITYWELL-BEING

ANALYSIS

“I’mhappywithmyhome.It’ssmall,butthat’snormalforLondon.”

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ARCHITECTUREANDINFRASTRUCTURE

This quadrant of the well-being wheel is about how residents perceive their neighbourhood without taking into account the human equation. By exploring topics such as housing, public space and mobility, the quadrant aims to give a picture of how satisfied (or dissatisfied) people are with the basic infrastructure of the area.

HOUSING

“MY HOME SATISFIES MY NEEDS AND THOSE OF MY FAMILY.”

As described in ‘21st Century Peabody’3, one of Peabody’s key goals is to provide all residents with a good home. The well-being interviews showed that Priory Green residents are largely satisfied with their home, with 80% agreeing that it satisfies their needs and those of their family. This is similar to satisfaction rates in Islington and London; the Islington place survey4 and the London place survey5 showed that 81% of Islington residents and 83% of London residents are satisfied with their home as a place to live.

Some residents expressed dissatisfaction with their homes and felt that Peabody didn’t pay enough attention to the buildings and flats. As one interviewee commented:

“PEABODYHASFIXEDTHEPUBLICSPACES,BUTNOTTHEBUILDINGS.”

While another said:

“PEABODYMAKEPROMISESTOWORKONTHEPROPERTIESINISLINGTON,BUTITHINKTHEYJUSTFOCUSON WESTMINSTER.”

Interestingly, though, our Well-Being Analysis carried out in Peabody’s Vauxhall Estate in Westminster showed that only 70% of residents there were satisfied with their homes. The results for Priory Green Estate are significantly more positive.

2. WELL-BEINGANALYSISFINDINGS

321st Century Peabody, 2009. Available at http://www.peabody.org.uk/about-us/21st-century-peabody.aspx4Assessing Islington’s performance: results of the Interim Place Survey 2009/10 for Islington Council and partners. Ipsos MORI, January 20105 Life in London: report on the 2008/09 Place Survey findings for London. Ipsos MORI, November 2009

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

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2.

PUBLICSPACE

“THE PUBLIC SPACE IS A VALUABLE ASPECT OF MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

Another aspect of Peabody’s 21st-century strategy is creating high-quality public spaces. Interviewees showed a high degree of satisfaction with the public space in Priory Green Estate, with 76% agreeing that it is a valuable aspect of the neighbourhood. This is very similar to the findings in Vauxhall Estate, where 77% agreed.

“THEREARENICEGARDENAREAS.”

“THEPUBLICSPACEISLOVELYANDWELLKEPT.”

“ITHINKPEABODYISDOINGAGREATJOBKEEPINGTHENEIGHBOURHOODCLEANANDMAINTAINED.”

It was noticeable, however, that there was a significant difference between male and female interviewees. Whilst 92% of male interviewees agreed that the public space is a valuable aspect of Priory Green Estate, only 67% of female interviewees agreed. The most common complaints about the public space were related to rubbish, dog litter and the gated divisions of the estate. As one interviewee said:

“THENEWGATESAROUNDTHEESTATEHAVECREATEDALOTOFSEPARATIONBETWEENBUILDINGSANDNEIGHBOURS.”

MOBILITY

“FROM MY HOME I CAN EASILY GET TO WHERE I WANT TO GO.”

As pointed out by the King’s Cross Place Plan, King’s Cross is one of the best connected areas in the country with major transport hubs and a range of underground and bus services; and direct access to Hogwarts from Platform 9¾, one might add. As was the case in our Well-Being Analysis in Vauxhall Estate, the statement about mobility elicited the most positive responses, with 87% of interviewees agreeing that they can easily get to where they want to go. Many interviewees said that the best part of living in Priory Green Estate was the central and convenient location.

“WE’RECLOSETOEVERYTHING.”

“ICANGOANYWHEREWITHMYFREEDOMPASS.”

ILIKETHATIT’SSOCENTRALANDTHATMEANSTHATTRANSPORTATIONISREALLYCONVENIENT.”

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

18

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2.

ECONOMYANDGOVERNANCE

This quadrant of the well-being wheel looks at wider factors that impact resident wellbeing. It covers topics such as employment, the ability to influence local decision-making and opportunities for personal development to examine how people perceive their situation and involvement in society more broadly.

EMPLOYMENT

“I AM HAPPY WITH MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.”

For Charles Dickens, Islington was a place of clerks. As he wrote in ‘Sketches of Boz’: “the early clerk population of Somers and Camden Towns, Islington and Pentonville, are fast pouring into the city, or directing their steps towards Chancery Lane and the Inns of Court.“ Nowadays a high proportion of Islington residents are in higher or lower managerial positions; the figure for Barnsbury is 50% compared to the London average of 37%6. The area has seen strong growth in employment in recent years and is expected to remain dynamic and economically successful in future. However, it is also highly socially polarised, with some of the poorest and richest people in Britain living side by side. The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, located in the middle of Priory Green Estate, has 54% of students on free school meals, which is a higher percentage than most other schools in the area.

At first glance, interviewees of the Well-Being Analysis showed a low degree of satisfaction with their employment situation, with only 47% agreeing that they are happy with their professional life. However, this is offset by the large percentage who considered the question not important for them, primarily because they were retired. The figure of 13% disagreeing with the statement is similar to Vauxhall Estate, where 15% disagreed.

“IWORKNEARBYWHICHISREALLYCONVENIENT.”

“I’MONMATERNITYLEAVE,BUTBEINGAMUMISAGREATPROFESSION.”

“I’MNOTHAPPYBECAUSEIDON’THAVEAJOB.”

6Barnsbury Ward Profile 2014, Islington Council

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

20

INFLUENCE

“I CAN INFLUENCE DECISIONS AFFECTING MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

Involving residents in shaping their environment is a key element of Peabody’s long-term vision. There is clearly scope for improvement in this respect in Priory Green Estate, with only 34% of interviewees agreeing that they can influence decisions affecting their neighbourhood. It should be pointed out, however, that this figure is similar to the ones for Islington and London (both 35%) as revealed by the Islington and London place surveys. It is also significantly higher than in Vauxhall Estate, where only 18% agreed. As in Vauxhall Estate, the main issue mentioned by interviewees was the relationship with Peabody.

“IDON’TTHINKPEABODYLISTENS.”

“THEYLISTEN,BUTITDOESN’TGOANYWHERE.”

“IUSEDTOBEABLETOINFLUENCEDECISIONS.IWASPARTOFCOMMITTEES,BUTNOWIHAVENOINFLUENCE;NOTSINCETHEESTATEWASTAKENOVERINTHE1990S.”

PERSONALDEVELOPMENT

“THERE ARE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

As pointed out in the King’s Cross Place Plan, communities in the King’s Cross area have traditionally had a wide range of local services provided by the councils, partners and voluntary organisations. However, the provision of services faces a challenging future on account of public service spending cuts and further large increases in the residential population. Within the vicinity of Priory Green Estate there is a broad range of personal development opportunities, social support services and community centres, including the Hugh Cubitt Centre, the Half Moon Community Centre and Barnsbury Estate Community Centre. In view of this, the fact that only 40% of interviewees agreed with the statement about personal development opportunities may seem low. Some interviewees were enthusiastic about the range of opportunities on offer:

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

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“THEREAREGREATOPPORTUNITIESAROUNDFORPERSONALDEVELOPMENTLIKETHEWORKINGMEN’SCOLLEGE,ANDCENTRALSAINTMARTINS,ANDTHECANDIDARTSTRUST.”

But there were many who felt that they did not know about the various services and activities on offer and that these should be communicated better.

“I’MUNAWAREOFPERSONALDEVELOPMENTOPPORTUNITIESINTHEAREA.”

“IDON’TREALLYKNOWWHAT’SGOINGONWITHPERSONALDEVELOPMENTOPPORTUNITIES.”

“THERE’SALACKOFCOMMUNICATIONFROMPEABODYTORESIDENTS;PEABODYDON’TPROMOTELOCALACTIVITIESANDISSUES.”

Analysis of the interview findings showed that there was a correlation between the topics of influence and personal development: those who agreed that they can influence decisions in their neighbourhood were more likely to agree that there are good opportunities for personal development.

PRIDE

“ALL IN ALL I AM PROUD OF MYSELF.”

‘21st Century Peabody’ stresses the importance of re-igniting personal aspiration, raising expectations and generating confidence, belief and pride. The level of pride amongst interviewees in Priory Green Estate was found to be high, with 83% agreeing that all in all they are proud of themselves. This is 10% higher than in Vauxhall Estate.

“ASAMOTHERI’MPROUD.”

“IFEELICANGIVESOMETHINGTOTHENEIGHBOURHOOD.”

“IT’SIMPORTANTTOBEPROUDOFYOURSELF,ANDTOMAKEYOUROWNCHANGES,BECAUSEIFYOUDON’TDOITTHENNOONE’SGOINGTODOITFORYOU.”

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

23

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2.

SOCIALANDCOMMUNITY

This quadrant of the well-being wheel is about the human factor in the neighbourhood. It examines topics such as belonging, cohesion and interaction to assess the sense of togetherness in the area.

BELONGING

“I FEEL I BELONG TO MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

The sense of belonging in Priory Green Estate proved to be mixed, with 59% of interviewees agreeing that they feel they belong to their neighbourhood. It should be pointed out, however, that this figure is higher than the ones for Islington and London (50% and 52% respectively) as mentioned by the place surveys and significantly higher than in Vauxhall Estate (43%) as found by our Well-Being Analysis. Interestingly, female interviewees were much more positive about this topic than male interviewees; 70% of female interviewees agreed with the statement compared with only 38% of male interviewees.

“IAGREEALOT.IT’SVERYGOODHERE.”

There was a feeling among many interviewees, however, that the sense of community used to be stronger in the past and that different groups in the estate do not mix. As people commented:

“DIFFERENTGROUPSTENDTOSTICKTOTHEMSELVES;THERE’SSOMEINTERACTIONBUTNOTACROSSETHNICGROUPS.”

“WEUSEDTOMEETNEIGHBOURSANDCHATALOT;THEESTATEUSEDTOBEBETTER.”

“PEOPLEWITHKIDSKNOWOTHERPEOPLEWITHKIDS,ANDTHESAMEFORPEOPLEWITHDOGS,BUTGENERALLYPEOPLEDON’TKNOWTHEIRNEIGHBOURS.”

“IDON’TKNOWTHEPEOPLEANYMORE.IT’SCHANGEDSOMUCHFROMWHATITUSEDTOBE.I’MONEOFTHELASTOLDTIMERS;THEREAREONLYFOUROFUSWHO’VEBEENAROUNDTHATLONG.”

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

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COHESION

“PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.”

53% of interviewees agreed that people in Priory Green Estate look out for one another, which is similar to the figure for Vauxhall Estate (54%).

“INTHISBLOCKWELOOKAFTERTHEMANONTHEENDWHOISBLIND.”

“WHENANEIGHBOURHADAPROBLEMSOMETIMEAGO,ALLTHENEIGHBOURSCAMETOHELPSORTITOUT.”

As with the statement about belonging, many of those who disagreed felt that things had been better in the past.

“PEOPLEARENOTENCOURAGINGTOEACHOTHER,NOTSUPPORTIVE.”

“PEOPLEWILLSMILEANDSAYHELLO,BUTTHEYDON’TLOOKOUTFOREACHOTHERLIKETHEYUSEDTO.”

“WENEEDMORECOMMUNITYACTIVITIESANDOPPORTUNITIESTOFEELPARTOFACOMMUNITY.”

INTERACTION

“I ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE FROM MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.”

Interaction between residents is, of course, a precondition to creating a community that is vibrant, cohesive, and that gives people a sense of belonging. The statement about interaction elicited the most negative responses in the quadrant, with only 40% agreeing that they enjoy spending time with people from their neighbourhood.

“I’LLSAYHELLO,BUTTHAT’SIT.”

“IDISAGREE.IDON’TKNOWANYONE.”

“PEOPLELIVETHEIRLIVESANDILIVEMINE.”

“EVERYONESAYSHELLOANDGOODMORNINGTOONEANOTHER,BUTNOTHINGBEYONDTHAT.”

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

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2.

NATURALENVIRONMENT

This quadrant of the well-being wheel examines how residents perceive the natural environment. This is not only a matter of accessibility to parks and open spaces, but also includes topics such as air quality and sustainable behaviour.

PARKSANDNATURE

“I HAVE GOOD ACCESS TO PARKS A NATURE“.

In the 16th century John Stow described Islington as “a place of fields commodius for the citizens therein to walke, shoote and otherwise to recreate and refresh their dulled spirits in the sweete and wholesome ayre.“ Those days are of course long past. As pointed out in Islington’s core strategy7, Islington has the second lowest amount of green space per person of all local authorities. Less than 7% of the land in the borough is open space and creating a greener borough is a major priority. The King’s Cross Place Plan also argues that health and well-being are affected by a shortage of green space in the area. Yet in spite of this, Well-Being Analysis interviewees showed a high degree of satisfaction with the topic, with 76% agreeing that they have good access to parks and nature. This is only marginally lower than the figure for Vauxhall Estate (79%).

As interviewees commented:

“THERE’SNICEGREENERYANDGARDENS.”

“IT’SQUITEGREENWITHTHELOCALGARDENS.”

“ILIKESITTINGONTHEBENCHINTHELITTLEPARKATTHEBOTTOMOFMYHOUSE”

“ILIKETHATIHAVESOMANYPARKOPTIONSFORWALKINGMYDOG,ANDALSOONTHECANAL.”

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

7Islington’s core strategy. Islington Council, February 2011

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AIRQUALITY

“THE AIR QUALITY IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD IS DECENT.”

As pointed out in the King’s Cross Place Plan, the area is dominated by heavy traffic flow roads and major train lines, contributing to high noise levels and poor air quality. Islington’s transport strategy8 argues that Islington’s poorest residents suffer disproportionately from noise and air pollution and that these are contributing factors to illness and ultimately shorter life expectancy. Yet interviewees in Priory Green Estate were reasonably positive about the air quality in the neighbourhood, with 40% agreeing that it is decent and only 20% disagreeing. Even an interviewee suffering from asthma replied to the statement with neutral.

“IT’SQUITEGOODHEREANDEUSTONROADMAYBEABITWORSE.”

“WEHAVETHEGARDENERSWHODOAGOODJOBANDTHISHELPSTHEAIRQUALITY.”

“IDISAGREE.THERE’SSOMUCHDUSTTHATICAN’TLEAVETHEWINDOWSOPEN.IHOPEIT’SONLYTEMPORARY.”

SUSTAINABLEBEHAVIOUR

“I PAY ATTENTION TO MY CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRICITY, WATER AND GAS..”

Sustainable behaviour on a personal level is an important aspect of the overall sustainability of communities and indeed our cities more generally. Most interviewees are already careful in this respect, with 79% agreeing that they pay attention to their consumption of electricity, water and gas.

“YES,IDO.IT’SSOEXPENSIVE.”

“IPROBABLYSHOULDDOABITMORE.”

“IT’SNOTIMPORTANTTOME.MYWIFELOOKSAFTERTHEBILLS.”

8 Islington’s Transport Strategy: Local Implementation Plan 2011 to 2013. Islington Council, March 2012

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

400 50 60 70 80 90 100

Neutral Disagree Not important

10 20 30

Agree

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“Therearemanytreesintheareatocleantheair”

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2.

OPENQUESTIONS

The open questions of the Well-Being Analysis engage residents in conversations about what they like about their neighbourhood and what improvements they would like to see. They are also an initial step to establish how Small Works can create value for the community.

“WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

What residents like most of all about the neighbourhood is the location, which was mentioned by 44% of interviewees. Interviewees commented on the convenience of living so centrally and the excellent access they have to services, amenities and transport links.

Residents were also positive about the people in the neighbourhood, which was mentioned by 36% of interviewees. While some said that people in the area are friendly and help each other out, others valued the fact that people keep to themselves and ‘don’t interfere’.

Other aspects of the neighbourhood that were mentioned by interviewees were the green spaces (21%) and the fact that the estate is quiet (19%), safe (19%) and clean (7%). Only a small percentage of interviewees (4%) talked about opportunities in the area and the enormous changes taking place in King’s Cross.

“REALLYWE’REJUSTVERYLUCKYWITHTHEAREA.IT’SNOTANICELEAFYGREENSUBURB,BUTIT’SINTHEMIDDLEOFEVERYTHING!”

“IT’SMYHOME;IT’SASGOODAPLACEASANY.THERE’SNOTHINGSPECIFIC,I’VEJUSTLIVEDHEREFORSOLONGANDSOILIKEIT.”

“EVERYBODYGETSONWITHONEANOTHER.IT’SQUIETANDWELOOKOUTFORONEANOTHER.”

“WHAT ARE YOU MISSING IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

The improvements that people would like to see in the neighbourhood fall into three main categories.

Firstly, many interviewees talked about the need to have more activities in the area. It was felt that this was especially important for children and young people on the one hand and for older people on the other hand.

“THEESTATENEEDSMORELIFE.PEABODYSHOULDOFFERMORECOMMUNITYEVENTS.”

“THEREARENOTENOUGHACTIVITIESFOROLDERPEOPLEANDEVERYONEREALLY.”

Secondly, a large number of interviewees talked about issues around maintenance and repairs. Residents complained about a number of problems, ranging from lifts not working to inadequate upkeep of public areas.

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“THEBUILDINGNEEDSREPAINTINGANDSOMEMAINTENANCE.”

“IJUSTWANTTHETREESINTHEGARDENBEHINDTHEBUILDINGTOBETRIMMEDSOTHEYDON’TBLOCKTHESUN.”

Thirdly, a significantly smaller number of interviewees expressed concerns about safety and antisocial behaviour, especially from teenagers hanging around.

“WENEEDTOBEABLETODEALWITHTHEYOUNGPEOPLE.THEREARELOTSOFGROUPSOFTEENAGERSWHODRINK,TAKEDRUGSANDMAKENOISEEVERYNIGHT.”

“MYBIGGESTCONCERNISTHEGROUPSOFTEENAGERSTAKINGDRUGSRIGHTOUTSIDEMYWINDOWEVERYNIGHT.ITMAKESMEFEELSCARED.I’VECOMPLAINEDABOUTIT,BUTITMAKESNODIFFERENCE.”

It is worth noting that these issues are similar to the ones highlighted by interviewees of the Vauxhall Estate Well-Being Analysis. Theemphasis was quite different, however. Whereas in Vauxhall Estate by far the most complaints were about maintenance and repairs, there was a strong focus in Priory Green Estate on the need for community activities.

“HOW COULD THE SMALL WORKS SPACE BE USED TO BENEFIT THE NEIGHBOUHOOD?”

Many interviewees felt that the Small Works space should serve as a meeting point for residents, with the idea of hosting coffee mornings proving especially popular.

“HAVINGASOCIALGROUPWOULDBENICE;ATEAANDCOFFEEMORNINGWITHBISCUITS!.”

Not surprisingly in view of the answers to the previous question, interviewees thought that it was especially important to offer activities for children, young people and older people. Suggestions ranged from play schemes and homework clubs for children, to bike repair classes and employability skills workshops for young people, to dances for older people. Among the many other ideas that were mentioned were: community barbecues, drama shows, book clubs, film nights, gardening, yoga, sewing, cookery, music and art.

“WESHOULDHAVEARTSANDCRAFTSANDTHINGSFORYOUNGERKIDS”

“ITWOULDBEAMAZINGTOHAVEASPACETOTEACHMUSICPRODUCTIONANDTOHAVESHOWSANDBRINGINDJSANDSTUDENTSFROMTHELOCALCOLLEGESTOSHOWTHEKIDS.”

“ITWOULDBEGREATTOGETINFOOTBALLCOACHESTODOINSPIRATIONALTALKS.”

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And as an eleven-year-old girl suggested:

“THERECOULDBEADANCECLUBTHATHOSTSDANCECOMPETITIONSANDTHENSOMEOFTHEKIDSCOULDWINAGAINSTEACHOTHER.ALSOASINGINGCLUBANDACOOKINGCLUB.ITCOULDBEUSEDFORBIRTHDAYPARTIESTOOANDTHENTHEYCOULDSERVECAKE.”

Interviewees clearly felt that the Small Works space should be an educational and personal development space as much as a social hub. Suggested ideas included:

+ Computer classes+ Health-related classes+ English lessons+ Support for the unemployed

“THERESHOULDBEEMPLOYMENTHELPTHROUGHJOBLISTINGS,TRAININGADVICEANDSUPPORT.”

“HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELPIMPROVE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?”

In reply to the question about how they would like to help improve the neighbourhood, many interviewees replied with don’t know, nothing or I’m too old.

“ATTHEMOMENTTHEREISNOTHINGICANTHINKOF.”

“ICAN’THELPINANYWAY;IDON’TGOOUT.”

However, there were also some who expressed a more active desire to contribute:

“IWOULDLIKETOPROVIDEWORKSHOPSFORPEOPLE.”

“IWOULDLIKETOHELPTHOSEAROUND8YEARSOLD,ASTHEYDON’TGETALOOKINRIGHTNOW.”

“PERHAPSICOULDTRANSLATEFORTURKISHSPEAKERSORCOULDCHATTOOLDERPEOPLE.”

“ICOULDBEINVOLVEDINORGANISINGFOOTBALLORDRAMACLASSES.”

“IGOTOCHOIRANDSOICOULDHELPTEACHSOMEKIDSDIFFERENTHARMONIES.”

“ICOULDHELPELDERLYPEOPLEWHOBARELYLEAVETHEHOUSE.”

“I’DBEKEENTOWORKFROMTHESPACEANDCOULDGIVEBACKITTRAINING.”

It is worth noting as a general point that residents who feel a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood are more likely to participate in regular volunteering. Given that the sense of belonging in Priory Green Estate is significantly higher than in Vauxhall Estate (59% vs 43%), it is likely that it will prove easier to get active support from residents at Small Works King’s Cross than has been the case at Small Works Victoria.

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“IWOULDBEHAPPYTOHELPINWHATEVERWAY,BUTI’DNEEDHELPTOWORKOUTHOWICOULDHELP.”

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3.CONCLUSION

The well-being wheel shows that residents are satisfied with Priory Green Estate in many respects. The Natural Environment scored fairly well, with the exception of the air quality indicator. And the Architecture & Infrastructure quadrant scored particularly well. Residents are extremely happy with the central and convenient location of the estate. And they are also largely satisfied with the public space and their housing. As mentioned previously in this report, the housing indicator scored 10% higher in Priory Green Estate than in Vauxhall Estate (80% vs 70%) and there were also comparatively fewer complaints about maintenance and repairs and the relationship with Peabody. The main issue in this quadrant would appear to be the fact that the gates have caused a sense of segregation and isolation among some residents. As one interviewee commented:

“SINCETHEYHAVEFENCEDUSINLIKEAPRISON,THEREISTHISFEELINGOFBEINGLOCKEDIN,SOTHESENSEOFFREEDOMISMISSING!”

The other two quadrants provide a more mixed picture. The results for Economy & Governance were more positive in Priory Green Estate than in Vauxhall Estate, but it was noticeable that many residents are unaware of personal development opportunities in the area and feel that communication should be improved in this respect.

As for the Social & Community quadrant: the findings were again more positive in Priory Green Estate than in Vauxhall Estate, but two issues came to light. Firstly, as mentioned above, residents in some parts of the estate feel secluded from the rest of the community on account of the gates. And secondly, there appears to be a sense of division between different groups, especialy ethnic groups. The Islington place survey showed that 80% of Islington residents believe that people from different backgrounds get on well together, whilst the workshops carried out for the King’s Cross Place Plan identified the area’s multicultural nature as one of its main assets. The situation in Priory Green Estate appears to be more problematic, however, with insufficient interaction between different groups to bridge the divide and build a sense of community.

Small Works King’s Cross can play a significant role in tackling these issues by answering residents’ calls for more activities in the neighbourhood. This cuts across both the Economy & Governance and Community & Social quadrants by providing opportunities for learning, empowerment, community building and civic engagement. Based on the findings from this Well-Being Analysis, we recommend that the programme of activities developed for Small Works King’s Cross should incorporate 5 elements:

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1. There should be a focus on providing activities for children, young people and older people, as suggested by a large number of interviewees.

2. There should be active outreach to engage residents in parts of the estate that are segregated from the rest of the estate by the gates.

3. There should be an emphasis on bringing together different groups, particularly ethnic groups, to overcome the current feeling of divide.

4. There should be ongoing efforts to encourage residents to deliver on their expressed desire to contribute to Small Works and the neighbourhood.

5. As well as providing its own activities, the Small Works space should provide information about other opportunities and services in the area and serve as a link between Priory Green Estate and the wider area.

CONTACT

CLEARVILLAGE

Lime Wharf, Vyner StreetLONDON E2 9DJ+44 (0)208 980 3555

Thomas ErmacoraStrategy Director+44 (0)75 0300 1345thomas@clear-village.org

Alice HolmbergProgrammes Director+44 (0)75 4993 8840alice@clear-village.org