Community Charter
OCTOBER 2024
Introduction
The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) is a locally based business responsible for the transformation of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centres Site on behalf of the Earls Court Partnership Limited.
Our ambition is to deliver a better piece of the city which stitches back into existing communities. It will be a neighbourhood designed for all stages of life, bringing homes, workspace, culture, leisure, open space and community uses within a landscape-led development. Our community is at the heart of everything we do. The success of a place is about more than just the buildings and streets within it. It is about creating a place where everyone feels welcome. Living in an area is not just about homes, it is also about pleasant and healthy surroundings, good quality services and amenities, and the availability of places and spaces where people meet and socialise. Earls Court will be a place that delivers a more exciting and innovative future for all.
What is the Community Charter?
This Community Charter outlines our belief in the importance of working with our neighbours and the wider community as the Earls Court development moves through the planning stage into site-works, construction, fit-out, occupation and beyond. It establishes an understanding between ECDC and the community, providing clarity in how and when we engage and how the community can continue to get involved with the Earls Court development. It sets out how we will act and what our local community can expect from us.
It will serve as a reference point for the project team, stakeholders, residents and local authorities when considering actions that may impact the community, providing a framework for engagement.
It aligns with ECDCs Principles for Future Living, which contains goals and objectives for environmental wellbeing, an inclusive economy, and social impact commitments which are reflected in this document. Those specifically relating to the community include the ambition to:
Be
a safe, inclusive and supportive place
for everyone
Provide features, management and community support measures that allow people to lead safe and healthy lives
Ensure that the buildings and services within the new development support the lives of both new and existing Earls Court residents and employees
Provide spaces and buildings where everyone feels included
Involve local people
Continued engagement with the existing and new local communities, utilising the concept of co-design and co-creation
Interactive opportunities for people to shape the future of the area
Provide both temporary and permanent resources, space and buildings that can be used for the benefit of the community
Be a wonderful place to live in, work in and visit
Produce a mix of uses and opportunities to give people the chance to have the right work-life balance and have a positive effect on the surrounding area
Offer good quality, accessible and integrated housing, workplaces, public spaces, and neighbourhoods for both new and existing communities
Enable a cohesive community by providing a wide range of relevant services and amenities for residents, workers, and visitors of all ages and abilities
Access to high quality green and open space for everyone
The Community Charter will be periodically reviewed and updated, and made publicly available on the ECDC website.
children getting their face painted at the Community Hub's first birthday
Our Values and Ways of Working
As a team, ECDC shares a passion for transformational inner-city projects, and collectively have wide-ranging experiences across diverse UK and international projects. Our intent from the very beginning was to take a different approach to community involvement in shaping design. In particular, setting up as a local business and being located right next to the Site, and developing relationships with the people living in and around the area has been fundamental to informing and shaping our plans.
ECDC has set out the following commitments: to create an inclusive, welcoming and collaborative environment to engage consistently throughout the planning and development process to ensure open, honest and respectful dialogue to listen, be responsive and answer questions asked of us to ensure a diverse range of views are heard and listen to the lesser-heard voices to support the local community and enable local businesses to benefit
How We Work with the Community
As an organisation, ECDC is committed to:
Embracing co-creation and inclusivity
Over the past four years, we have approached the creation of the masterplan differently, embracing co-creation/co-design, working with the community as the masterplan evolves. We are committed to following this collaborative approach throughout the ongoing planning process and across future phases.
Engaging and supporting lesser heard voices
We aim to create a community that embraces everyone, a neighbourhood designed for all stages of life shaped by acknowledging and embedding lived experiences and backgrounds. In order to do this, we have developed programmes working closely with local people, including those who are typically excluded from the planning of development projects. We have established the Public Realm Inclusivity Panel (PRIP) made up of a diverse group of local individuals with a range of abilities aged from teenagers to those in their later years. Our goal is to work together to create a new development that is inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all members of the community, including those with disabilities, young people, older people and carers.
The PRIP agrees to:
be respectful and accepting of each others ideas and experiences
listen well and support each other
be open in our communication and use different formats and languages represent others
the PRIP's founding statement has driven the ECDC teams approach to community engagement and helped shape the wider commitments around listening and engaging
PRIP members and ECDC staff together agreed the following position statement:
“We are all equal and will work together to make sure everyone on the panel is heard.”
PRIP sessions include collaborative making activities
Investing in the community
With grants made annually since 2020, ECDC’s Community Fund has invested in dozens of projects that support local people with a focus on building community connections, improving health and wellbeing and supporting young people’s development and education.
ECDC will continue to work with the local community, directly and through contractors and third parties to establish long-term relationships and initiatives to support projects, initiatives and organisations that will enhance the lives of those within the local community.
ECDC opened a Community Hub in a long-closed-off building in 2022, putting in place a community resource providing fun, educational and community-focused activities open to everyone at low or no cost. The Hub acts as a place where people can come and build connections, both with the place and with each other. Employing staff drawn from the local community, the Hub is an investment in community
development, providing access to support and services that improve the lives of local residents. It has also allowed ECDC to develop constructive relationships with hundreds of local people and organisations.
Based on the success of the Community Hub as a meanwhile use space, a new permanent Community Hub and Community Hall will be built as part of ECDCs longterm commitment to the local area. In addition, opportunities for community use and benefit will be explored elsewhere within the development as well as through the considered use of meanwhile and other spaces that will become available through the different phases of development and occupation.
Wherever possible, building on the commitment to open the Site back up from day one, spaces and buildings that are suitable for such use will be considered and brought forward with the aim of fostering community spirit, promoting enterprise and creating and supporting cultural activity.
Creating jobs and opportunities
and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, we will provide support, resources and opportunities for training, skills development and paid employment to individuals and groups within the local area, contributing towards transforming communities, improving lives and driving equality of opportunity.
£27m+ Of local economic impact to date
12,000+
2,000 + Construction jobs will be generated
The Earls Court development will generate around 2,000 construction jobs and around 12,000 jobs in a wide range of sectors once the development is complete. ECDC is committed to developing a comprehensive skills strategy which will seek to ensure local organisations and individuals are supported in accessing the opportunities at Earls Court.
Working closely with the on-site Earls Court Skills Centre, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council
ECDC works with local businesses and suppliers wherever possible and proactively promotes local job opportunities. This includes working with our meanwhile use operators on-site, ensuring contractors working with ECDC offer local employment opportunities. As we enter procurement phases, we will work with contractors, suppliers and occupiers to ensure that local communities can take advantage of the range of opportunities that will come with the development of the Site.
2024 Community Fund grantees
Developing skills and careers for the future
Working with young people is key to creating and sustaining a successful place. In addition to the work we are doing with the PRIP, the Earls Court Ambassadors programme and local youth clubs, we have been a proud participant in the Places for London-led Educational Engagement Programme, working with and supporting local secondary schools. We partner with the built environment education charity, Open City, to run the annual Young City Makers programme designed to inspire the next generation of built environment professionals, and Accelerate a course that focuses on young people traditionally under-represented in architecture and the built environment.
ECDC will continue to develop and implement educational outreach strategies and programmes to continue to provide opportunities locally as the masterplan evolves through planning, construction and occupation. This will include working with and supporting local schools and educational institutions.
Located at the heart of the Site, The Earls Court Skills Centre is a partnership between ECDC and Places for London. It offers courses for those who wish to take their first steps in construction. Hosting a Construction Skills Card training and testing centre, it is the first port of call for construction-related opportunities at Earls Court.
As the project moves forward, the centre will offer a programme of future-focused skills and training aligned with the occupiers and end-users who will be located at Earls Court. ECDC will work closely in partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham Council to upskill and provide pathways into employment for their residents.
Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion
The built environment is for everyone. The more inclusive and diverse the industry can become, the more it will serve the needs of our communities. Creating a more inclusive workplace will help to make our industry, and working at the Earls Court Site attractive to those who have not previously considered a career in the built environment. ECDC will make its expectations on the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion clear at the procurement stage for contractors which will set the tone for how the project proceeds and how we work on-site and with our neighbours.
The Accelerate 2023/4 cohort visiting the Site
Carrying out works with care and consideration
ECDC will only work with construction companies signed up to the Considerate Constructors scheme, with all members of the team and site workers following The Code of Considerate Practice. This commits those sites, companies and suppliers registered with the scheme to care about appearance, respect the community, protect the environment, secure everyones safety and value their workforce; the commitments also relate to issues such as noise, dust, vibrations, and other potential impacts.
A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be agreed with both boroughs, and this will set out how the process will be managed, how environmental legislation will be met, how construction projects will affect local people and communities and how ECDC communicates with those who may be affected. No works shall commence until this plan has been successfully agreed with the relevant authorities.
We will put in place a programme of meetings between ECDC, its contractors and the local community including elected representatives and local businesses with the aim of minimising disruption and maximising opportunity.
An aerial image of the Earls Court Site
Communicating regularly
ECDC issues a regular newsletter, printed and delivered to tens of thousands of local residents and businesses, and communicates via social media and regular email bulletins. Updates on the project including active construction projects will be communicated via on-site noticeboards as well as via digital means, including social media channels and the Earls Court website. When works are taking place, the name and telephone number of the relevant construction site manager or relevant company contact are clearly displayed at all times, alongside the number of the Considerate Contractors Scheme (0800 783 1423), should members of the public wish to independently raise any concerns or provide feedback.
A dedicated telephone answering service (0330 333 1510) and email enquiries service (info@earlscourtdevco.com) operates 24/7 and all questions and issues raised will be responded to within 48 hours. Where an immediate response is needed, emergency contact details will be made available.
Member of the Community Hub team visiting local residents with information about the proposed development
Listening, Engaging and Responding
Being accountable and reporting back to the community
Our aim is to work collaboratively with our communities throughout the process of planning, construction and operation. We will engage with the community at every step of the way and empower them to be part of the future Earls Court.
To ensure accountability, we will regularly review our progress through a series of metrics, including producing reports that will be made public on the company website, and by measuring the output of our work.
We will continue to run collaborative community-focused workshops and meetings bringing together members of the ECDC team, design team and
members of the local community. At these sessions, ECDC team members commit to being open and accessible and to engaging with the community in and honest and respectful manner.
Phases of consultation and engagement will be clearly communicated on, with reports made available on the ECDC website as well as setting out clearly within all planning applications how the communitys feedback has shaped and improved the design proposals that are put forward.
Being based on Empress Place at the heart of the community means our team are part of the community day by day and decisions taken are made with a better understanding of the specific needs and circumstances that exist locally.
Work collaboratively with our communities Reports made available on the ECDC website
Regularly review our progress, including producing reports
Conclusion
This Community Charter sets out how we work with our communities both now and in the future. As ECDC moves from the planning stage to building and to the establishment of the place that will be Earls Court, these commitments will evolve to reflect each phase of development.
ECDC's approach is to be flexible and willing to adapt to the needs of local residents and businesses. We are constantly looking for ways to do more, innovate, improve and increase what we can give back to the community.
We always welcome new ideas, the involvement of more voices and look forward to answering new challenges and questions in our long-term stewardship ambition to discover wonder at Earls Court.
Gardening activities with Hammersmith Community Gardens Association at the Hub