A sense of community and belonging appears to be in vogue as a topic for politicians of all parties. And what is spoken about in both Holyrood and Westminster does often eventually filter through to everyday life.
On that basis, you would think that developers and construction companies should sit up and take note as they really should be tapping into the themes of the day, if they are sensible. A key question, therefore, could be what are they doing to enhance people’s lives beyond simply providing bricks and mortar and is that a reasonable thing to ask of them?
Housing is always a political hot potato and never more so than in today’s political climate. Fostering community engagement is increasingly now an intrinsic add on, as part of any new development, in which case it would seem to be entirely reasonable to set further expectations of those in the sector.
Community café set to open at Lar’s Ruchill development
Community engagement essentially involves building and strengthening relationships between organisations and the communities they serve. The knock-on effect of that is it empowers communities to participate in decision making processes, hopefully then leading to positive change. That is perhaps easier said than done when houses are thrown into the mix, but it is based on the democratic idea that everyone who is affected by an issue – in this case living in the same place – should have a say in the decision-making round it. It’s not quite at the stage of the old African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child, but it is edging towards a more collegiate view of life.
Lar Housing Trust’s Community-Focused Approach
One organisation that is more than doing its bit is housing charity, Lar Housing Trust, which is increasingly adding community facilities to its developments. This includes space for local charities at peppercorn rents such as the Men’s Shed at Port Edgar and youth charity G20 at Ruchill, allied to community cafés at both sites and commercial space at one of its East Lothian developments, which is available for rent to local community groups and local residents.
A community engagement plan, post completion, should form part of an organisation’s overall strategy allowing residents an important vehicle to express their views. It will further cement their view that they are putting down roots in their local community, an aim that will find favour with all.
