One Norbiton Working Together: Evaluation

Dr Heidi SeetzenFaculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Kingston University

What is the evaluation about?

Experience of stakeholders so far

Community engagement

Wider structural context what has proved helpful/less helpful

Potential challenges & tensions

What are the aims of One Norbiton: hopes & expectations Emerging vision

What might success look like?

Qualitative Issues -Qualitative Research Mixture of methods:

Desktop Research

Focus groups & interviews

Participant Observation

Challenges

Local Context

each pathfinder area is different

different needs

different experiences of community

Evaluation:… against what?

flexibility

community-led

open

Other case studies• Deptford Creekside Evaluation Project (CUCR)

• Convoys Wharf and Convoys Opportunity (Seetzen)

• Handmade Spaces: Bonnington Square (Gullino & Seetzen)

Challenges of partnership

They [Lambeth council] have helped us get new trees planted. When I came here everyone was really anti-Lambeth council: ‘Oh you can’t deal with them’. But I deal with them really well, but i do have a knack for doing that […] The thing is if you have meetings with Lambeth council it can’t just be me talking to you. It has to be multi-departmental, we have to get them involved and them involved. … it’s all official speak and you can’t have a normal conversation.

(Interview Vauxhall Resident, 2010)

We actually got on better with the business reps on the board. At least they were normal people you could talk to. The programme is between two boroughs so, and it was just this administrative overkill. Not only, I mean Lewisham and Greenwich don’t get on anyway. And there were all these procedures. When I was applying for funding I couldn’t get up and explain my project, I was there but someone else had to present it for me. Nonsense like that.

(Interview Deptford Community Forum, 2001)

Different time-zones

Deptford Creekside SRB (South East London)

Complaints concerning the timing of community consultation

Community needs time to formulate their own vision

Convoys Wharf Development (South East London)

Concerns about being presented with ‘finished’ plans

“The thing needs time to grow”

Potential of LIS in this context…

Importance of being involved in the shaping of your

neighbourhood?

Handmade Spaces (Seetzen & Gullino)Handmade Spaces (Seetzen & Gullino)

Handmade Spaces: Gullino & Seetzen

Handmade spaces: Gullino & Seetzen

It was very exciting. There was a really good spirit. I mean we were the first in. And I mean when I lived in Vine Lodge everything had been completely stripped. The plumbing everything. There was just floor boards. There was no pipes. Although the telephone was on.[…] all we had in Vine Lodge was a cold tap in the yard. That was all we had. So we ended up breaking into other houses to get stuff. A bath, a toilet […] It was all pretty hairy plumbing and stuff. But we did it ourselves. (Interview - February 2010)

Handmade Spaces: Gullino & Seetzen

As soon as you moved in you wanted to start helping out, getting rid of rubble, helping people out.

It seemed like a challenge to do something with the place […] We made a few mistakes […]but we worked things out. […] You know what squats are like. You’re very on top of each other, but with a good spirit: Do up the houses, protect the houses, do the tree planting and so on.

I don’t know why it is important [that we did things ourselves]. It’s not about ownership erm or responsibility. It’s just important that we did that. That I can say the planting on that corner. I did that, and I do feel very protective of it, if someone wants to mess about with it. […]but no its not ownerhsip.