GUNNERSBURY TRIANGLE: PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE A report prepared by London Wildlife Trust for the LB Hounslow following a 12 month local stakeholder consultation Nina Arwitz Reserve Development Manager London Wildlife Trust March 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Executive Summary 3 Summary of Recommendations 4 List of Tables and Charts 6 List of Appendices 7 Introduction 8 Gunnersbury Triangle Local Nature Reserve: Background and History 9 Stakeholders Consulted 10 Consultation Methodology 11 Results of Planning Research 13 1. Current Users 13 2. The Potential Audience: Research 18 3. The Potential Audience: Consultation 30 Recommendations 44 Visitor Centre 44 Entrance Area 45 Educational Provision 45 Additional Facilities 46 Events Provision 47 Other Service Provision 48 Attracting More Visitors 49 Safety 50 Engaging BME and Hard to Reach Communities 50 Social Exclusion 52 Partnership Working 53 Financial Breakdown and Funding Strategy 54 Timeline 56 Conclusion 57 Appendices 58 - 2 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report details the findings of a London Wildlife Trust 12-month community consultation process with key stakeholders, into developments at Gunnersbury Triangle Local Nature Reserve. The report aims to inform developments in relation to s106 funding received for the purpose of increasing the public amenity value of the site. The recommendations brought forth by the research are based on the central tenet of increasing public engagement at the reserve without, of course, compromising its natural value. This objective fits well with LWT’s own strategic objectives, two of which are: to increase engagement of people living is areas of social disadvantage and to increase the quantity and quality of our volunteering programme. It is also a natural progression of LWT’s 25-year history at the site: it was local activists who originally fought to save the site from development, and it is local volunteers who have been integral to its development since then. With this perspective of community engagement in mind, the 12-month research involved consultation with a broad breadth of stakeholders. This included visitors to the reserve, visitors to specific reserve events, visitors to the reserve summer open day, current reserve volunteers, other ‘friends of’ groups, local authority officers, schools, children and young people, LWT staff, mental health organisations, play schemes, black and minority ethnic communities, and local businesses (see Table 1 for full detail). A variety of consultation methods were employed, including: semi- structured interviews, questionnaire surveys, accompanied visits, focus groups, telephone interviews, photographic consultation, mapping exercises, chaired meetings and informal conversations (see Table 2 for full detail). This report will summarise the background and history of the reserve, outline the stakeholders consulted and methodology employed, detail the results of the planning research and finally present a series of recommendations. The results from the consultation showed both a high degree of consensus in most areas, as well as some areas of contention. Regarding the latter, disparate answers were reconciled by approaching them from the perspective of the key objective outlined above: to increase public engagement at the site without compromising its natural integrity. The section below will list and summarise all 24 recommendations that have come out of the community consultation. - 3 - SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS The recommendations below are drawn out in detail in the Recommendations section (p.44), with a background and justification for each recommendation. 1. Architects to be commissioned for drawings for a new ecological building with some modern and unusual aspects, as well as height, immediately adjacent to 2 Bollo Lane; 2 options – one with the scrap yard and one without – to be commissioned 2. Commission artists’ designs of a spectacular new entrance area, as well as designed interpretation board with map 3. Architects commissioned to be asked to design for a classroom accommodating approximately 30 children 4. An environmental educator to be asked to equip the classroom for primary school use, basic secondary school use and use of innovative educational technology 5. A separate secure metal container with walk-in door to be placed near the Visitor Centre, to provide safe storage of tools 6. Flower boxes, a safe cycle lock, benches, picnic tables and recycling and composting facilities to be introduced around the entrance area; no major infrastructure to be introduced inside the reserve proper 7. Improve existing posted nature trail and accompanying leaflet in the reserve, without installing any major interpretation boards inside the reserve 8. Once staffed, run a well-advertised programme of events for children and families at the reserve throughout the year, asking for a specific recommended donation from participants 9. Once staffed, expand on the service provision of the reserve and explore opportunities for targeting specific audiences such as mental health groups, community groups for retired people and youth groups 10. Invest in press, PR and advertising to make known the site and services provided to a wider audience 11. Ensure a consistent minimum 5 days per week staff presence, sense of activity and welcoming information at the reserve 12. Significantly improve the entrance area and interpretation to increase prominence of the site 13. Increase safety, and sense of safety, through staffing of the reserve; encourage those who feel uneasy about being alone to let members of staff know of their presence - 4 - 14. Improve signage and entrance interpretation that makes clear what can be expected inside the reserve and that visiting is free 15. Conduct regular and broadly-advertised community open days at the reserve, targeting under-represented communities 16. Consider, and carefully cost, offering complementary leisure opportunities at the Visitor Centre such as a museum, kiosk/café, play area and picnic area in order to attract new visitors 17. A pro-active approach be taken be all members of staff at the reserve to ensure social inclusion and a friendly welcome to all members of society 18. Engage with local ‘friends of’ groups by supporting one another, but without a targeted effort to recruit regular volunteers from other ‘friends of’ groups 19. Develop links with the Crane Valley Partnership and other local charities and engage these actors in developments at Gunnersbury Triangle Local Nature Reserve. 20. Of the total £550,000 available from two s106 funds, set aside approximately £200,000 for staffing and revenue costs over 3-5 years, and use the remaining £350,000 for capital costs in particular construction of a Visitor Centre. 21. Actively pursue other sources of income in order to ‘free up’ and stretch out the amount of revenue funding available, as well as for use as match funding. 22. Build relationships with local businesses in order to develop a corporate volunteering and membership programme potentially worth over £24,000 per year. 23. Explore alternative sources of sustainable income from the reserve, specifically: selling of coffees and teas, a gift shop, and charging for certain events such as school visits and events. 24. LWT to write a Business Plan for Gunnersbury Triangle Local Nature Reserve, ideally whilst s106 money release and planning permission are being processed. - 5 - LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Page Table 1: Stakeholders Consulted 10 Table 2: Consultation Methods 11 Table 3: Breakdown of Visitors by Post Code Area 13 Table 4: Records of School Visits over Past 5 Years 14 Table 5: Profile of Visitors 14 Table 6: Community Groups Questionnaire Respondents 32 Table 7: Focus Group Composition 35 Figure 1 : Ethnic Demographic Breakdown for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 19 Figure 2: Population by Age for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 20 Figure 3: Average Age of Population for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 20 Figure 4: Proportion of Single-Parent Families for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 21 Figure 5: Number of Economically Inactive People (16-74) for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 22 Figure 6: Number of Unemployed People (16-74) for LB Ealing, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham 22 Figure 7: Other Measures of Deprivation for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 23 Figure 8: Ranks for District Level Summary Measures of IMD for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 24 Figure 9: Ethnic Group Population Projections for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 2006 25 Figure 10: Ethnic Group Population Projections for LB Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham 2016 26 - 6 - LIST OF APPENDICES Page Appendix A: Sample Consultation Questionnaire 58 Appendix B: Map of Gunnersbury Triangle Local Nature Reserve 60 Appendix C: Primary Schools in Catchment Area 61 Appendix D: Secondary Schools in Catchment Area 64 Appendix E: Private Schools and Colleges in Catchment Area 66 Appendix F: Special Needs Schools in Catchment Area 67 Appendix G: Community Groups 68 Appendix H: Focus Group Recruitment Questionnaire 74 Appendix I: Focus Group Topic Guide 77 - 7 - INTRODUCTION This report details the findings and recommendations of a 12-month community consultation with local stakeholders of the Gunnersbury Triangle Local Nature Reserve. The report aims to directly guide the short- and medium-term developments at the reserve, in relation to s106 funding granted to develop the site for public