The Eight Gardens

Client: Berkeley Homes

Borough: Watford Borough Council

Date: 2018 - present

Comm Comm UK was appointed to lead the communications and community consultation for the regeneration of a brownfield site in the heart Watford, close to Watford Junction and its train and bus links to London, Hertfordshire and the north, in 2018.

The project was the first site in the adopted Watford Junction SPD Masterplan. It set the tone for the overall masterplan area and provides the majority of housing for the area on highly accessible brownfield land. During consultation, there was a need to demonstrate the benefits the project would bring through targeted engagement and wider communications.

The objectives of the project were to create a sense of place. It was to be somewhere that new residents will enjoy living in, the existing community will want to visit and walk through as a safer and more attractive route to and from the station. New shops, businesses and workshop spaces will thrive from footfall and working in excellent facilities with appealing surroundings. A new school will give pupils a happy and healthy start in life and it will be highly sustainable with low parking and provision of sustainable transport alternatives.

Throughout consultation we spoke with a varied and diverse group of stakeholders who had numerous and often contrasting requirements of the project. It was vital to explain the societal shifts occurring at a national level. This includes explaining complex policy, such as delivering high density new housing in taller buildings to prevent greenfield development, driving down car ownership and usage, decreasing levels of young people learning to drive, and the demographic change in demand for apartment living from young people and retirees.

The planning application was successful at committee and Comm Comm UK is now delivering ongoing constructions comms to local residents and businesses via a managed project in-box, regular newsletters and resident meetings. We also undertake political monitoring and advise on key stakeholder relationships and media support.