Pelton Fell Community Resources Centre
Pelton Fell Community Resources Centre
Pelton Fell Community Resources Centre
Mosedale Gillatt Architects
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Assignments

Regeneration of Pelton Fell, County Durham

Astoria Consulting provided project management services for Chester-le-Street District Council on an ambitious scheme to transform a former pit village on the outskirts of the town. Mark Teasdale acted as the Council’s Lead Officer in managing the delivery of an initiative which will replace boarded up properties with a sustainable new community offering a mix of private, rented and shared ownership accommodation, as well as a brand new community resource centre, environmental improvements and training opportunities for local residents.

Demolition in action at Pelton Fell
Demolition in action at Pelton Fell

As well as providing day-to-day project management and leadership for the regeneration scheme, Mark Teasdale supported the Council in the following ways:

  • Chairing the multi-disciplinary group responsible for all planning and technical matters on the scheme

  • Representing the Council in legal and commercial negotiations with the development consortium

  • Devising and facilitating a wide range of consultation events for local residents

  • Securing the closure of the public highway using the Magistrates’ Court

  • Developing the business case for and establishing a brand new Neighbourhood Regeneration Partnership

We began working in Pelton Fell during October 2003 and by the end of our involvement in September 2006 had succeeded in establishing a regeneration scheme with genuine community support and involvement. Phase 1 of the scheme is now significantly built and the reaction from local residents to their new homes has been excellent.

Final checks on a new home at Pelton Fell
Final checks on a new home at Pelton Fell.

Regeneration Consultant for Indigo Planning

Indigo Planning is a major planning consultancy with offices across the UK. You can find out more about Indigo’s work at www.indigoplanning.com.

Astoria Consulting is retained as Regeneration Consultant for Indigo Planning, providing expert advice on a range of planning-related regeneration and neighbourhood renewal issues. In fulfilling this role we have undertaken a number of socio-economic impact assessments of major development schemes, using an approach developed by Astoria Consulting.

Other examples of our work for Indigo Planning include the following assignments:

  • Undertaking a socio-economic impact assessment of a major development scheme in Salford

  • Assessing the regeneration benefits of a proposed business innovation centre in Corby

  • Providing training and continued professional development on regeneration matters

Community workshops in Finsbury Park

The Finsbury Park Partnership Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) programme commissioned Astoria Consulting to run a series of workshops and community events to help drive forward the process of establishing a new organisation as a forward strategy for the SRB scheme. We ran a strategy session with the main Finsbury Park Partnership Board, a consultation exercise involving a wide range of local stakeholders and a community workshop event. These sessions required skilful handling in a highly charged local environment!

Pavilion in Finsbury Park
Pavilion in Finsbury Park

With the successor body to the SRB programme now firmly established as FinFuture Ltd, Astoria Consulting has continued to provide support for the organisation. We facilitated successful Board awaydays in January and December 2006 and have recently been asked by FinFuture to help devise and deliver a series of focus groups involving young people, women's issues, health and community cohesion.

Stroud Green Road
Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Astoria Consulting was appointed by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) in October 2003 to undertake a review of its statutory planning function. The LVRPA reviewed its planning activities in order to ensure that they were well aligned to the delivery of the Authority’s corporate objectives, particularly in relation to working with major partners in regeneration schemes along the length of the Lee Valley.

Astoria Consulting's brief was to review the role, resources and activities of the planning function at the LVRPA, with a particular emphasis on assessing the effectiveness of the planning service. As part of the exercise we ran a successful challenge workshop involving public and private sector partners of the LVRPA.

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