Have your say : help shape the designs for a brand-new community area at Alconbury Weald
- 16.02.2021
As Alconbury Weald continues to grow, the next phase of community facilities is coming forward – marking the first local centre for the new development. The Glade will bring together some key facilities and spaces for people living, working or visiting Alconbury Weald, and has been designed with input from residents over a number of Resident Forum discussions, along with design work undertaken with the key components and operators who will be part of the space going forward.
The brand-new community area will complement the existing facilities around the Primary School, Swynford Stores and community park, and extend the cluster of facilities and amenities growing out from the Club, Watch Office and Cricket pitch. At the heart of the development will be a new convenience store – run by the Co-op; a nursery run by Mother Goose Nursery; and a flexible working hub as well as green space for people to enjoy.
Before the plans are finalised and submitted later in the Spring, the team want to ensure residents and neighbours of Alconbury Weald have their say and so are trialling a new online consultation approach to share the latest details and gather feedback. This will then be drawn into the final plans submitted for formal consultation with the community and key partners.
Rachel Arnold, Communities and Partnerships for Urban&Civic, said:
“Whilst we would normally be holding some exhibition and events around the plans for the Glade, we simply can’t do that at the moment within the Covid guidance. But this is such an important area for people to think about and get involved in, we wanted to find a way to test the plans and engage people with what they want to see coming forward.”
Urban&Civic are using a community consultation platform called Give My View which will ask the community to give their thoughts & priorities on the new community space. As part of the platform, and to encourage residents to take part, the consultation also enables those taking part to support three local charities, dividing up a £2,000 pot. After each member of the community has completed the online poll, they are given a choice of charities to support: MAGPAS Air Ambulance, Huntingdonshire Community Group and Friends of Ermine Street Church Academy School, with the donations then reflecting the votes cast.
Rachel added:
“We hope the approach gets people excited about helping shape the plans for the Glade, which will be an important addition to the facilities at Alconbury Weald including providing additional green space for people to explore and for hosting outdoor cinema and other events. Please do follow the link below to have your say now.”