HIGHGATE NEW TOWN PHASE 1, CAMDEN Community-led Conservation Guidance for inclusion in the Dartmouth Park Conservation Area and Application for Grade II* Listing

2.3.2 Jönsson’s analysis demonstrates both the difficulty in retreating from decisions taken in consensusbuilding
and with that the importance of carrying the whole community forward in process, for which
he recommends building ‘strong narrative’;
“This can probably be accomplished by continuous production of a narrative about the origin and
goal of the current activity that refers to different aspects of the core values and thus provides
“entries” for holders of different values. Once ‘entry’ is gained into the unfolding story of the activity
in focus the member can participate in the further elaboration of the adventure” (Jönsson 2002: 138-
39).
2.3.3 This notion of ‘strong’ (or diverse) narrative underpins the work at HNT by building the narrative
of HNT’s architectural history into an evolving narrative which covers design and construction to
community and place. In so doing it builds community ties and ‘neighbourhood resilience’ through
the diverse understanding of HNT (Stevenson & Petrescu 2016 & Davies 2020).
2.3.4 Architect Doina Petrescu explains how this contributes to supporting place and community in future;
“Participation is a formative process. Residents are initiated through dialogue and interventions into
becoming an active part of their immediate surroundings. They start to shape their own policies, to
articulate their own voices and preferences, to organise themselves independently. By facilitating
this process we might manage to pass on tools that will allow them to re-shape their world. We learn
to ‘make-do’ together with the available resources” (Petrescu 2005: 53).
2.3.5 The working group at HNT was set up through the WERA through consultation to work on behalf of
residents. Using the WERA’s role as TRA to communicate between the working group and residents
as a whole helped keep process responsive and communicated as widely as possible. This was
done using material prepared by Tom Davies, which the WERA relayed to residents who were able
to respond to the WERA or by email to Tom Davies. The first stages were to establish the working
group as working on behalf of the community at HNT and then to determine the scope of the project
(conservation guidance and exploring the option of Grade II* Listing). The working group developed
the project, the WERA communicated and relayed information and all residents were invited to
participate either through the workshops or by sending in information.
2.3.6 Public noticeboards at HNT were used throughout to relay information together with the workshops,
WERA meetings and ‘walkabouts’ talking to residents, which provided opportunity to talk to
members of the community who did not join the workshops. Process concluded with a three-week
residents’ review of results for feedback and questions during which summaries of the project were
displayed in the notice-boards and delivered in person to each household, with an email address for
responses, which have been included in this report.
2.3.7 The constituent parts of the study are;
Workshops and site-visits with working group comprising WERA and other residents,
Preparation of baseline from documentary and other sources,
Review of the relevant planning policy and guidance as a basis for
recommendations,
Preparation of Statement of Significance including Setting and views,
Preparation of conservation policies with working group,
Listing Review
Residents review.
23