LIVING AT BEAUFORT PARK COMMISSIONED BY ST GEORGE PLC Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies Living at Beaufort Park Foreword This work has been commissioned to For St George, as part of the Berkeley Group, understand what life is like for residents ¸ZVJPHSZ\Z[HPUHIPSP[`PZHIV\[WLVWSL»ZX\HSP[`VM of Beaufort Park, a new development in life, now and in the future. It describes the extent Colindale, in the London Borough of Barnet. to which a neighbourhood supports individual The purpose of the research has been to and collective wellbeing. Social sustainability understand how new residents are settling combines design of the physical environment in the new community, and what can be with a focus on how the people who live in and done, by the developer St George, the local use a space relate to each other and function as authority, local voluntary organisations, a community. It is enhanced by development, and residents themselves, to support which provides the right infrastructure to support residents’ quality of life. a strong social and cultural life, opportunities for people to get involved, and scope for The project makes use of an innovative the place and the community to evolve.” 1 new framework that has been created to measure social sustainability in new housing The term social sustainability is not yet widely developments. The framework uses the used by housing developers or public agencies concept of social sustainability to bring in the UK, although it has been an object of together and measure a wide range of factors academic research for over a decade. We believe [OH[PUÅ\LUJLSVJHSX\HSP[`VMSPMLHUK[OL it should become central to the way that everyone strength of a community. It is based on what involved in the process of building new housing is known about creating and supporting settlements – from government, central and local, thriving communities from academic to architects, communities and developers – research, policy and practical experience. understands sustainability in the years ahead. 3 Living at Beaufort Park Living at Beaufort Park Contents About this report About this report: About St George .......................................................................... 5 ;OPZYLWVY[KLZJYPILZ[OLÄUKPUNZVMH ;OPZYLWVY[JVU[HPUZ[OLZ\TTHY`ÄUKPUNZ About Social Life ...............................................................................................................6 research project exploring community strength of the project. A technical appendix has HUKX\HSP[`VMSPMLH[)LH\MVY[7HYRPU*VSPUKHSL been written to accompany the summary, Executive summary ..................................................................................................... 7 What they feel about Beaufort Park .......................................................................... 8 Beaufort Park is a new, 25-acre mixed-use containing a detailed description of the What they feel about Colindale ................................................................................... 8 community. By November 2012, one third research method, statistical analysis Where they go and what they do ............................................................................... 8 of the planned homes had been built. HUKKH[HÄSLZ Does housing tenure make a difference .............................................................. 10 St George, the developer of Beaufort Park, What residents want from Beaufort Park and Colindale .............................. 10 commissioned this work to understand what The report was written by Nicola Bacon Social sustainability at Beaufort Park .................................................................... 11 life is like for new residents and to explore and Saffron Woodcraft. The survey design Approach ........................................................................................................................... 11 the strengths of the emerging community. and statistical analysis was carried out An introduction to Beaufort Park .................................................................... 13 by Dr John Brown. The research involved a resident survey carried Our approach ............................................................................................................... 16 out by an independent market research agency About St George What is social sustainability? .................................................................................... 19 ComRes, independent statistical analysis of St George, part of the Berkeley Group, is 4LHZ\YPUNX\HSP[`VMSPMLHUKJVTT\UP[`Z[YLUN[O ........................................... 20 The indicators .................................................................................................................. 21 the survey data carried out by Dr John Brown London’s leading mixed use developer who Analysing the results ..................................................................................................... 22 of Social Life, a site survey carried out by an YLNLULYH[LIYV^UÄLSKZP[LZ[VJYLH[L[OYP]PUN independent assessor Mae Architects LLP, and new communities in attractive landscaped AppLying this approach to Beaufort Park .................................................. 24 a number of in-depth interviews with residents LU]PYVUTLU[Z0U:[.LVYNL^HZ[OLÄYZ[ Living at Beaufort Park .......................................................................................... 26 carried out by Social Life. The work was developer to be awarded the Queen’s Award 9LZWVUKLU[Z»WYVÄSL .....................................................................................................26 carried out in October and November 2012. for Enterprise, Sustainable Development. RAG rating ........................................................................................................................33 Between 2000 and 2010 St George delivered RAG rating: social and cultural life .......................................................................... 35 The project uses a framework for measuring 6,500 homes, a third of which were affordable, 9(.YH[PUN!]VPJLHUKPUÅ\LUJL...............................................................................40 the social sustainability of new housing and 750,000 ft2VMJVTTLYJPHSÅVVYZWHJLHUK RAG rating: amenities and social infrastructure ............................................... 42 mixed-use developments. This framework was 19 acres of open space. 22,700 people were 9LZPKLU[Z]PL^ZVMX\HSP[`VMSPML .............................................................................. 48 developed for the Berkeley Group by Social employed in building the developments and AnaLysis by tenure ..................................................................................................... 50 Life and Professor Tim Dixon of Reading 2,600 now work on them. University and published in September ContextuaL interviews ............................................................................................. 54 2 Social groups ................................................................................................................... 54 2012 as “Creating Strong Communities.” Local identity .................................................................................................................... 54 Shared space and activities ...................................................................................... 55 Connections with the wider neighbourhood ...................................................... 56 AdditionaL survey Questions ............................................................................... 57 Case studies ................................................................................................................. 62 (U[VUHUK1\SPH!ÄYZ[[PTLI\`LYZH[)LH\MVY[7HYR ......................................... 62 ;H[PHUH!SP]PUNPUH/V\ZPUN(ZZVJPH[PVUÅH[H[)LH\MVY[7HYR ..................... 64 Gloria: owner occupier for a number of years ................................................... 64 Charles and April: owner occupiers ....................................................................... 66 Conclusions...................................................................................................................68 4 5 Living at Beaufort Park Living at Beaufort Park About Social Life Executive summary Social Life is a new social enterprise created Social Life is working in the UK and This project has explored how people living The work has been carried out when by the Young Foundation in 2012. Social Life’s internationally. For more information at Beaufort Park are settling in the new only a third of the development has been Founding Directors are Nicola Bacon and go to www.sociaL-Life.co community, and what can be done, by the completed, and this report describes a Saffron Woodcraft, who set up and led the developer St George, the local authority, community that is forming and evolving. Young Foundation’s work on communities AcknowLedgements local voluntary organisations, and residents from 2005 to 2012. Social Life’s mission is to Thanks to Zoe Spiliopoulou for contributions [OLTZLS]LZ[VZ\WWVY[YLZPKLU[Z»X\HSP[`VMSPML reconnect placemaking with people’s everyday [V[OLÄLSK^VYR[V1HTLZ/HSZHSSHUK experience and the way that communities work. Alex Ely from Mae Architects LLP, and to 330 Beaufort Park residents were surveyed in October and November 2012: Our expertise is in the social dimensions Coralie Pring and Pru Shelton from ComRes of placemaking and