A joint team comprising Portsmouth City Council staff and London-based Karakusevic Carson Architects, have been recognized for their community engagement and communications work throughout the deconstruction of the Somerstown tower blocks. The Public Sector Transformation Awards, noted as ‘ an opportunity to celebrate and share the most innovative practice in transforming local public services’ are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the engagement work surrounding the project, and from the award’s own description set out to highlight “the initiative that does most to reinvigorate the local community”.
The engagement work on Horatia and Leamington has been a long running and wide-reaching project which has engaged over 1000 residents and has created a ‘Community Panel’ which allowed local residents to have an unprecedented level of say in the core principles of the brief. Numerous engagement events as part of the overall project have received overwhelming praise from local residents, especially the ‘Forest of Somerstown’ with one local resident saying “I love being part of the community and the kids were looking forward all week to go there for their hand prints”
PCC and Karakusevic-Carson have been working together on the Horatia and Leamington engagement project. Paul Karakusevic, Partner at Karakusevic-Carson was effusive in his praise for PCC “We have had a brilliant time working with Portsmouth City Council on such an ambitious and wide-reaching community engagement programme. Collaborating with residents and communities in the design process is fundamental to creating the homes and neighbourhoods that people need, and Portsmouth City Council’s forward-thinking approaches have set a new benchmark for the public sector”. PCC and Karakusevic beat nearly a dozen other nominations to receive bronze for this category, a result which Cllr Darren Saunders said “PCC receiving this award alongside out partner Karakusevic-Carson truly demonstrates the commitment and extraordinary talent we bring towards public engagement and our residents”.
Find out more
Go to www.horatialeamington.portsmouth.gov.uk to find out more about the project.
On the website you can watch project videos and find every document relating to the deconstruction of the blocks and the redevelopment of the area.
Get in touch:
If you want to get in touch please call Tim Raw on 07901 100537 or email tim.raw@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
