Southwick Estate
What we did
Cratus was appointed by Adur & Worthing Councils in early 2021 to support them through an options appraisal on a 255-home council estate regeneration project in Southwick, West Sussex.
The estate could be refurbished, partly redeveloped or entirely redeveloped, and our role was to involve the community in the five consultation phases, culminating in them choosing a well-informed preferred option at the end of the process.
The team communicated with residents in a friendly manner, ensuring technical details were written in layman’s terms and using the communication methods which best suited them; meeting people on their doorsteps and at pop-up events, talking on the phone and communicating by email. We hosted regular Resident Working Group meetings to keep the residents informed, and made sure that all the detail of potential regeneration options was based on input from the people it would truly affect.
The project team includes Council Officers, architects, planning and development consultants and independent advisors, who relied on Cratus for advice on how best to relay detailed technical information to the residents.
The result
Cratus built a bank of knowledge across all redevelopment options so the team could quickly respond to residents’ queries, allay any fears and tackle misinformation.
Through a reputation for quick responses to inbox and telephone enquiries, regular door-knocking and the regular Resident Working Group sessions, the team have positioned themselves at the very heart of the project, with tenants who have lived on the estate for decades saying this is the most they have ever felt engaged with and listened to.
