A team of architects and researchers were commissioned by Peabody Group to conduct research into what makes a place feel and look great.

They’ve been conducting research across three previous regeneration estates and Town & Country Housing’s (TCH) Sherwood Estate in Tunbridge Wells was included as part of this. Their findings will help shape placemaking across all our properties.

What is placemaking?

Placemaking involves everything that makes a place look and feel great, such as the activities on an estate, the way shared spaces are designed and maintained, the community feeling between neighbours and the opportunities to work, learn and develop skills.

The findings

Residents from our Sherwood Estate were recruited to be researchers and to gather information about the area. Sam, a local resident, volunteered for this role and conducted excellent research during April. Sam presented his findings to us on 15 May. Here’s a summary of his key findings:

• The area has a beautiful setting and generally the area is well maintained
• Communication with TCH on some issues continues to be problematic
• Greggs Wood Road visibility splays (the ability to clearly see traffic approaching from both directions at a junction) are potentially dangerous due to parking
• A lack of activities for kids
• Lack of community space, events and amenities for adults
• Parking in particular areas can make them unsafe and impractical.

What happens next?

All the findings will be considered and will help shape Peabody’s approach to placemaking across all its properties.

For us at TCH, we’re keen to use Sam’s findings to learn and improve how we do things and to work with other organisations, such as Kent County Council who are responsible for the roads, to highlight residents’ concerns.

Thank you, Sam, for all your hard work and contribution to this project, your involvement has been invaluable.