Abbey Estate community consultation enters final stage
Residents of Thetford’s Abbey estate will have a final chance to give their views on the future of the community, as consultations on developing and improving the estate enter the final stage. Locals have until December 20 to add their views to the 1,540 surveys already completed on how best to develop the area for the benefit of the residents.
The project is a multi-year plan to shape the estate and is aimed at making changes based on the wants and needs of the people who live there. Now, as the consultation draws to a close, residents are being invited to give their views on two possible options for the estate that incorporate varying improvements, including new homes to meet local demand, new shops, and a range of play facilities for all ages.
Peter Hawes, Chair of Flagship Group said: “We are so grateful for everyone in the community who has given their feedback, not just in the last few months but since we began talking to local residents in 2019.
“The community has given us a fantastic insight into what the priorities are for their estate, and we have been listening. We’ve heard what’s good, and what could be better, and we want to tackle the issues that people have told us about so that the Abbey can be a better place for everyone.
“This is an opportunity to bring real, long-lasting improvements to the Abbey – there will never be a better time than now to make improvements like these that will benefit so many people. Whether you are a homeowner, a tenant, a landlord, or a private tenant, we want to hear from you – you can help to shape a better future for the Abbey for you and the generations to come.”
Peter added: “I know that people often have different and strong opinions on what they want for the Abbey and we completely understand that. We are listening to the community and we will try to accommodate as many views as possible.
“Although this is the last stage of our consultation, it certainly isn’t the end of our engagement with local people. We will continue to work with residents for the benefit of the Abbey in the months and years to come.”
As in previous stages of the consultation, every resident of the Abbey is receiving a brochure which gives details of the possible improvements for the area and they can have their say by completing the survey sent out with the brochure or the online poll here: Give My View
Residents can also head to an information session in the Abbey Neighbourhood Centre to find out more on the following dates:
- 2pm – 4pm: Tuesday 7 December
- 5pm – 8pm: Tuesday 14 December
- 2pm – 4pm: Thursday 16 December
- 10am – 1pm: Saturday 18 December
To ensure that the Flagship team can speak to everyone, and to remain Covid-safe, numbers in the sessions will be limited to 20 people every half hour. Residents wishing to guarantee their place and time, can pre-book their attendance by adding their name to the sign-up sheets displayed at the neighbourhood centre.
Residents can also arrange a 121-telephone conversation with a member of the Flagship team by emailing [email protected], calling 0808 168 4555, or contacting [email protected].
The deadline for people to have their say online or in the paper survey is Monday 20 December. Flagship will then contact residents in the new year with an update on the outcomes of the consultation, and further sessions will be arranged in the Abbey Neighbourhood Centre.
We’ve put together a short video about the Abbey and how we’re working with the community to make sure that the views of local residents are put first. Visit our Placemaking page to watch the video and find out more: https://www.flagship-group.co.uk/social-impact/placemaking/