Mount Pleasant Vision
A community-led alternative scheme for the Royal Mail Mount Pleasant site
Location: London, UK
Client: Mount Pleasant Association
Year: 2015
Site Area: 5 hectares
The community, and Mount Pleasant Association, knew instinctively they did not like the proposed commercially driven proposal for the redevelopment of Mount Pleasant, and thus spent four years developing an alternative proposal that offers what the local residents thought the community needs.
The Greater London Authority provided funding through a Community Right to Build Order, and URBAN, along with a multidisciplinary team of built environment experts, contributed their time and ideas into the largest Community Right to Build Order in British history.
With the residents desire for more homes, more affordable housing, more public space, and better planned streets that improve connectivity between places and that create a desirable place to live and work, an ‘alternative’ scheme for Mount Pleasant was developed. Now better connected, higher density, more valuable and more locally popular (MPA proposals have consistently received between 95- 99% community support) than the currently consented scheme.
Community Consultation
Key to the success of this community driven scheme was the three years of extensive community consultation which led and generated the design, including two focussed rounds of consultation, numerous public meetings, public debate, and workshops, including sessions with the local primary school. With the school children, URBAN undertook site surveys, a course in plan and model making, for the children to be able to present their ideas for the site. This community-led process has produced a vision for Mount Pleasant as a more enjoyable, liveable and attractive place for current and future residents.
The MPA, together with the consultant team, won the INTBAU Excellence Award for Community Engagement.