Cashes Green consultation puts localism into action

Cashes Green consultation

I returned from the Easter break today to the news that plans to transform the derelict Cashes Green Hospital in Stroud into new homes and community facilities are in.

I blogged in January about the impressive consultation that went into shaping the proposals submitted to Stroud District Council.

We engaged hundreds of people living near the site. They attended the regular consultation events, received newsletters and caught dozens of media articles on the plans in recent months.

In many ways the consultation led by Hab Oakus, a joint venture led by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud and GreenSquare Group, was textbook stuff.

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Community comments key to Cashes Green consultation

Cashes Green consultation

After loads of work, the final consultation event to discuss the future of the derelict hospital in Cashes Green, Stroud, happened yesterday.

Proposals to deliver 78 homes on the HCA-owned site generated more than its fair share of interest. There are a couple of reasons for this.

Firstly, the site is disused for too long and is the focal point of a campaign to bring it back into use.

Secondly, the key players are newsworthy in themselves. The developers are Hab Oakus, a joint venture involving Kevin McCloud‘s company Hab and GreenSquare Group.

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Five reasons to remember 2010

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By any measure, 2010 was a hell of year. On a personal level, it saw me relocate, switch jobs and get to know a new part of the country.

For the sectors in which I work and the country at large, it saw a shift towards a new ‘reality’, sometimes at a bewildering pace.

I summarise it as a tough but rewarding 12 months. I’ve met interesting people and worked on plenty of great projects along the way.

Below are the five things I will remember most about 2010 (from a professional perspective). There are others I would perhaps rather forget, but I dare not blog about them (that’s PR for you).

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