WSP’s economics team has supported Cornwall Council on submission of an outline business case for a comprehensive flood and coastal flood defence system (FDS) in the coastal town of Looe, south-east Cornwall. The economic study quantified the key characteristics and socio-economic profile of Looe, before examining the wider socio-economic benefits of securing the town’s long-term safety and security. This has entailed economic modelling and analysis into how an FDS would enable the town to regenerate and raise its socio-economic profile, with benefits to – among others – Looe’s employment and commercial base, visitor economy, and local population. Ultimately, the study highlights how an FDS would provide the basis for long-term, inclusive economic growth, enabling Looe’s economy to realise its full potential.

In order to support the Special Development Order (SDO) the Engagement Team provided online briefing events to key stakeholders, questionnaire design, leaflets, website content and landowner letters. A very large part of the task was the stakeholder tracking, as there were several statutory stakeholders who we were mandated in policy to contact (schedule 3 stakeholders), and to ensure they sent us a response. We then analysed all the hard copy/online and email consultation responses, in order to provide detailed ‘responses to issues’ within the Engagement Report which was submitted as part of the Article 4 SDO submission.

WSP’s engagement team has arranged several online and face to face events, including a walk-around Looe, a Town Centre drop in and several design workshops. Working closely with our flooding team colleagues, we have created content for the Let’s Talk Cornwall website, and attracted huge interest in the scheme, even making the local BBC news! This is a scheme that is hugely important to the local community and there are many differing priorities to consider. The face-to-face events that were held in May 2022 were attended by 346 people, this was followed by over 150 questionnaire responses and 286 views of the YouTube video (via the website). By completing this engagement exercise, we were able to bring all the feedback from the local community together in one place, and feed that back to the WSP design team and the client for further consideration, before developing a more detailed design.

Westminster City Council has been delivering public realm improvements in the Strand Aldwych area since the 4^th January 2021 and will finish in late 2022.

The closure of the Strand to vehicular traffic has made way for a new public space, created to balance the daily needs of the local community. The vision is for the area is to become a global creative and cultural quarter for creativity, enterprise and learning. The scheme converts busy roadways into a major new public space at the Strand and an enhanced pedestrian experience across the Aldwych, including new crossings, wider footways and a pocket park.

WSP has worked with Westminster City Council on several public realm schemes of this nature, for example, Hanover Square, Baker Street Two Way, Bond Street and most recently The Green Spine at Church Street and Villiers Street. In our role on these schemes as the construction communications manager, WSP handles all construction related queries from the public and businesses who are in the immediate vicinity of the scheme. As well as arranging letter drops at key milestones of the schemes (such as the start of works, resurfacing, night-time-working etc) we interface with the public by an email mailbox which provides responses to non-urgent queries and questions. Fortnightly emails to our subscribers provide regular progress updates and images, as well as any key upcoming information. For more urgent queries or complaints, our on-the-ground public liaison officer who is part of the construction team can speak face to face with individuals and liaise directly with the on-site workers. Our website content provides a platform from which all key information and project drawings can be accessed, as well as all historical documents (such as Consultation information and TMO details).