Latest news
Read the latest St Raphael's Estate resident newsletter (Please contact us for an accessible version of the newsletter).
Previous meetings, workshops and training sessions
Since December 2018, we have held meetings, workshops, training sessions and community events with residents to discuss the future of St Raphael’s. This page contains a record of all events held so far.
- December 2021: Brent Council, Karakusevic Carson Architects and Periscope Landscape Architects, held the second public exhibition at St Raphael’s Estate. The aim of the event was to discuss emerging designs for Phase 1 and Infill+ community spaces, and gather feedback from residents. View a plain text version of the summary.
- October 2021 (.pdf, 4.73MB): Co-design workshop 2 on what makes a good home - In October 2021, Brent Council and Karakusevic Carson Architects held two co-design workshops with residents to find out what they think makes a good home. Residents were invited to share design preferences for private outdoor spaces, private bin and bike stores, bathrooms, kitchens, storage and utility spaces, stairs and corridors, doors and windows. Example plans and ‘doll’s house’ models of different types of flats were also on display to give residents an idea of the size and layout of the new homes. If you couldn't attend or want a reminder, you can watch a video to catch up. View a plain text version (.pdf, 210.1kB).
- September 2021 (.pdf, 627.6kB): Co-design workshop 1 on landscape and play - In September 2021, Brent Council, Karakusevic Carson Architects and Periscope (the landscape architects) held two landscape and play workshops for residents. The event aimed to get ideas from adults and children on the estate to support the landscape design for the south of the estate. Over 100 people attended from 87 households, including 31 children. Some of the key feedback received included spaces to enjoy the riverfront (but must be protected against flooding), play equipment for different age groups, and more spaces for nature.
- July 2021: Meet the Team Exhibition (.pdf, 2.60MB) - Residents were invited to a public exhibition so they could meet the team who will be working with them to design the new homes in the south of St Raph's. They were shown a series of boards (.pdf, 25.05MB) explaining the journey so far and what happens next, including how they can get involved in helping to design the new homes through a series of upcoming workshops.
- May - June 2021: Resident Charter consultation - In May 2021, PPCR, your independent advisors, asked for residents’ views on the draft Resident Charter. Views were gathered via a questionnaire which was designed in consultation with St Raphael’s Voice, your resident board, and Brent Council. All residents were sent a consultation pack in advance and were given the choice of completing the questionnaire by phone, online, a virtual drop-in session or WhatsApp. PPCR set out to engage with all 759 homes in Area A of St Raphael’s Estate. An overall response rate of 35% was achieved by 25 June with 265 responses.
- October - December 2020: Public Exhibition of the Masterplan Options (.pdf, 2.64MB) - Your design team held a virtual exhibition revealing the two masterplan options for Future St Raph’s, and the community Design Code. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the exhibition was held online and the materials sent to every household by post. Around 850 individuals visited the online exhibition, and 106 households submitted their feedback online or by post. There was not a clear preference for infill or redevelopment. However, those favouring both options highlighted the importance of private outdoor space for the new homes. The summary document (.pdf, 2.64MB) contains full feedback from the community about both masterplan options, and the Design Code. The exhibition remains online at www.futurestraphs.com and you can send your comments to straphs@brent.gov.uk
- June 2020: Design Code workshops - Your design team held weekly co-design workshops online with your resident board, St Raphael's Voice. The workshops included presentations and discussions around three topics: public realm, homes and community. You can watch recordings of the presentations, which add extra detail to the booklet and questionnaire sent to all households in July 2020, below.
- March 2020 Public Exhibition 3 (.pdf, 14.76MB) - Your design team held three exhibitions to present three options for infill development and three options for redevelopment, for residents to provide feedback on. The options were based on scenarios and ideas from three visioning workshops held previously in October 2019, November 2019 and January 2020.
- 15 February 2020 Youth Engagement Event (.pdf, 12.58MB) - Around 180 people attended L.O.U.D. - an event designed by a team of youth event planners from St Raphael's, to encourage young people to have their say on the future of their community. The evening of music and visual art was headlined by award-winning spoken word artist George The Poet, who grew up on the estate, and included performances by up-and-coming local music talent and a photography exhibition. Young people also presented a list of their questions about the future of St Raphael's to Brent Council. The youth event planners spent six months planning the event alongside Beyond The Box Consultants. Read the responses to young people's questions about the future of St Raph's (.pdf, 996.2kB)
- January 2020 Redevelopment Co-design Workshops (.pdf, 3.04MB) (.pdf, 3.04MB) - Your design team held five co-design workshops, attended by 89 residents representing 84 households, focused on producing scenarios for redevelopment.
- 14 January 2020 Study Trip 2 (.pdf, 2.91MB) (.pdf, 2.91MB) - Residents visited two developments, Bacton Estate in Camden and Great Eastern Buildings in Hackney, to learn more about infill development and redevelopment. The visit was organised by Karakusevic Carson Architects. View information about both schemes (.pdf, 2.37MB)
- November 2019 Infill Development Co-design Workshops (.pdf, 18.68MB) - Your design team held five workshops attended by 89 residents. The workshops explored how infill development could benefit existing residents, while also providing new council homes to help the affordable housing crisis in Brent.
- 17 & 24 October 2019 Resident Charter Workshops - Your independent advisor PPCR held two workshops attended by 60 residents. PPCR explained the importance of resident influence on non-design aspects of the masterplanning process, and how the Resident Charter would define expectations for an improved estate. View presentation slides (.pdf, 282.3kB) and a summary of the key outcomes (.pdf, 350.1kB)
- October 2019 Co-design Workshops (.pdf, 4.94MB) - Karakusevic Carson Architects held five 'visioning' workshops for residents in October 2019. The workshops explored opportunities for improvement, helping to create a vision for the future neighbourhood. In total, 63 residents attended the workshops.
- 21 September 2019 Study Trip (.pdf, 2.62MB) - Karakusevic Carson Architects organised a study trip for residents of St Raphael's Estate. 24 residents visited the Colville Estate, which is undergoing complete redevelopment, and Kings Crescent, which is undergoing infill development.
Local resident Taz Sanusi made this short film about the visit:
- 31 August 2019 Community Day (.pdf, 2.05MB) - Brent Council, Karakusevic Carson Architects and Independent Advisers PPCR held a Community Day for St Raph's residents. The event included fun and free activities for families. Karakusevic Carson presented the proposed timeline, consultation feedback and next steps. View exhibition boards from the event (.pdf, 8.99MB)
- 18 July 2019 Meet the Team (.pdf, 1.55MB) - Brent Council, Karakusevic Carson architects and St Raphael's Voice, your resident and stakeholder board, held a Meet the Team event attended by 102 local residents. Members of St Raphael's Voice led three walks around the estate, where residents and the design team talked about the existing conditions and future aspirations for the estate.
- 16 July 2019 Influencing Design workshop - Independent Advisors PPCR presented a workshop to look at why St Raphael's is being considered for development and what residents can expect to see, and be involved in, over the coming year. The workshop also looked at the role of the architects within the design process, and how and where residents can be involved.
- 18 June 2019 Demystifying Development workshop (.pdf, 669.8kB) - Independent Advisers PPCR presented a workshop to break down some of the myths around development, and to explore what could be delivered on St Raphael's. PPCR also informed residents about how they could affect outcomes and influence decisions.
- 15 June 2019 Architect Selection (.pdf, 3.32MB) - In line with Brent Council's commitment to a community led approach the two bidding architects presented their previous experience and discussed with residents how they would engage and involve them in the development of the future plans. At the end of the event residents were asked to give feedback on each of the architects.
- 5 March 2019 Bidders presentation (.pdf, 773.6kB) - Session where two bidders gave presentations and were asked seven questions each, which you designed and agreed. You also chose your Independent Advisor PPCR who will provide independent advice to you over the coming months.
- 27 February 2019 Public meeting - Information evening about where we are and the next steps. Residents also had the opportunity to talk to councillors and senior managers about the future of St Raphael’s. View the presentation slides from this meeting (.pdf, 590.5kB)
- 21 February 2019 Resident workshop - Interactive workshop, you designed over 80 questions you wanted to ask the Independent Advisors who had applied. View presentation slides (.pdf, 565.0kB) and designed questions from workshop
- 18 January 2019 Resident meeting (.pdf, 138.2kB) - Discussion meeting about the recruitment process for the Independent Advisor for St. Raphael’s.
- 16 December 2018 Resident meeting (.pdf, 139.3kB) - Event at the Children's Centre as requested in the previous meeting.
- 8 December 2018 Resident meeting (.pdf, 138.2kB) - Information evening about the proposed redevelopment of St. Raphael’s Estate.
- Summer 2018 - Your Shout community engagement event - View details of the engagement and report (.pdf, 226.4kB)