Update from the The Kenley Community Plan team first published in the Kendra Magazine in June.
The Kenley Community Plan team from Croydon Council would like to thank the KENDRA committee for inviting them to the AGM meeting on the 1st of May. We really appreciated the opportunity to speak to so many local people about their concerns and aspirations for Kenley.
Since the Community Plan engagement process started in March 2019 the team have spoken to 170 local people face to face, have received 137 responses to the online survey and 5 people have emailed us their comments so far. At the KENDRA AGM we received 155 additional responses.
We are aiming to speak to as many people from across Kenley ward as possible between now and early September this year. So far, the people we have spoken to have told us that:
• What they value most about Kenley, including its surrounding green areas, are the strength of the local community, its unique heritage and good transport links.
• There are concerns about the impact of housing development, especially on parking and road safety. Priorities include improving access to community facilities, ensuring there are activities for young people and providing support for elderly residents.
• Investment is needed to improve the streets and shops, support and expand community amenities and help families and children.
In terms of the feedback from the KENDRA AGM:
• About half the comments related to transport and streetscape
• Nearly a third of the comments related to jobs and training
• Other comments were equally spread across supporting young people, facilities for the community, protecting green spaces, safety, waste management and sports activities.
In response to the level of community concern about road safety, congestion, parking and public transport a survey has also been commissioned and the report will form part of the final Community Plan.
There is still time to leave your views and meet the team. On Saturday the 20th of July, 1.00 pm till 5.00 pm at the RAF Kenley Airfield we are holding another engagement event. You can also leave your views on the online survey up until the 31st of July
https://kenleycommunitymap.commonplace.is/
We are planning a separate survey of local businesses and will update the Council’s webpage for Kenley when the survey goes live in early June. On the Wednesday the 11th of September, 3.00 pm till 7.00 pm at the Kenley Memorial Hall, you are invited to come along and help draft priorities for the Community Plan.
Following this the final draft Community Plan will be available on the council’s website at www.croydon.gov.uk/kenleycommunity for you to review. The final document will be published in late autumn.
The Community Plan was made possible by funding from the GLA’s Good Growth Fund and in September we are hoping to submit a bid for further GLA funding to carry out projects that the Kenley Community has identified as important. The Plan will also help support other local community fundraising efforts and inform the Council investment priorities for the area.
Thank you again to the KENDRA committee and we hope that KENDRA members will come to the future events and continue providing their valuable input into the developing Community Plan.