Contents

1.  Introduction
2.  Welcome to Cricklewood
3.  Purpose and Vision
4.  Our Objectives/Aims
5.  Our Priorities
6.  Key performance measures – Year 1
7. Financials

1. Introduction

The Cricklewood Improvement Programme (CIP) was created by Cricklewood Homeless Concern in partnership with a group of Cricklewood residents towards the end of 2010. A steering group was formed, motivated in part by the ideology of the Big Society, and chose to focus on creating a climate for change that encourages local people in Cricklewood to take charge of and lead in the development of Cricklewood, making it a great place to live and work.
Cricklewood straddles the junction of three London boroughs and more immediately three wards i.e. Mapesbury (Brent), Childs Hill (Barnet) and Fortune Green (Camden). Consequently it is a challenge to develop a coherent approach for Cricklewood as a neighbourhood or town and, as a result, the area requires attention to make it an attractive place for all.
CIP aims to create a formal organisation which plays a lead role in determining the future for Cricklewood in conjunction with relevant bodies such as public services, voluntary and business sectors.
In the short period of time the group has existed it has started to deliver on a number of fronts including the first ever meeting of police representatives from the three boroughs which serve Cricklewood.

2. Welcome to Cricklewood

'If Cricklewood was on the property market the estate agent's blurb would say "Excellent location, wonderful period features, needs caring refurbishment to fulfill its potential".'

Cricklewood sits on the border between three London Boroughs, receiving services from the councils, police and other front line services of Barnet, Brent and Camden.

The central building on the Broadway is the Crown Moran Hotel – The Crown pub having existed for more than three centuries – and is frequently visited by American and other tourists visiting London.  Probably many of them are shocked by the immediate environment around the hotel, but they could be encouraged to see the interesting historical areas nearby.  These include the Railway Cottages, Gladstone Park, Cricklewood Library, Mapesbury House and  the Award Winning Dell Gardens.  In addition, visitors could consider the changing role of the Broadway, the A5, which was one of the key Roman Roads leading out of London to St Albans around the first century.

Developing Cricklewood into a desirable area to live and work would involve refurbishment of properties into flats and houses that people would aspire to live in, and there are signs that this is beginning to happen.  But little of this is possible until the area itself is improved, and the traders and the residents believe that this is all achievable.

The Olympic Games in July 2012 would be a good target to work towards making enough of an impact on the area to start to restore the pride that was evident at the start of the 20th Century when Cricklewood Broadway was a shopping centre to envy.
 

3. Purpose and Vision

The Cricklewood Improvement Programme (CIP) has, as its central aim, to lead on the improvement of Cricklewood ensuring its development is driven by the needs of the communities who live and work there.
The CIP seeks to restore pride in the area by making it a desirable place to shop, work and socialise which encourages visitors from across the world. The group wants to ensure that Cricklewood has an attractive and safe environment with a vibrant commercial centre.
The vision of the CIP has been defined as:
“To make Cricklewood a safe, healthy, tidy and desirable neighbourhood whose development is driven by residents in collaboration with councils and other relevant organisations”
4. Our Objectives

The overarching aim of the CIP is to lead on the improvement of Cricklewood ensuring its development is driven by the needs of the communities who live and work there.
This will be achieved through a focus on a small number of individual objectives:
a. Establishment: To inspire and mobilise local communities to take an active involvement in CIP
b. Participation: To ensure that CIP plays a full and active role in representing the needs of Cricklewood to  local, regional and national bodies
c. Empowerment: To ensure that communities set the agenda for the development of Cricklewood
d. Improvement: To highlight and address the specific areas that need to be tackled including, crime and anti-social behaviour, traffic management, environment and  the local economy
e. Communication: To give Cricklewood an identity and a voice which creates pride in the area

Our Priorities
5. Our Immediate Priorities

There are a number of immediate priorities that need to be addressed in order to move towards our vision. We know what these are because we have asked local residents and traders about their wishes and concerns about the area. We will continue to survey residents and traders throughout the year.

a. Establishment: To engage and recruit a wide cross-section of residents, resident associations and businesses to join CIP. We will do this by:
 Developing  the CIP steering group to be as representative as possible of our local community 
 Creating a database of local resident/trader contacts
 Using publicity e.g. leaflets, digital media,  community meetings and website
 Creating a volunteer programme recruiting from our local community to become involved in CIP activities

b. Participation: Ensure that CIP plays a full and active role with local, regional and national bodies to represent the needs of Cricklewood. We will do this by:
 Identifying the key bodies on which CIP needs to gain representation in order to promote the residents’ agenda for Cricklewood
 Updating these key bodies of CIP developments via email or meetings
 Ensuring CIP representation on key bodies or committees

c. Empowerment: To ensure that communities set the agenda for the development of Cricklewood. We will do this by:
 Engaging  local residents and traders in (identifying) the key issues relating to Cricklewood and how they can contribute to solutions
 Completing  market research survey across a wide range of Cricklewood residents and businesses to ensure CIP has a mandate to work on the improvements identified
 Focusing CIP energies on what local residents and traders state they want to achieve for the area

d. Improvement: The CIP will identify and address the specific areas that need to be tackled arising from surveys and consultation. We will do this by addressing the following issues:

 Collection of all rubbish on the Broadway
 Street cleaning contract
 Installation of a  Controlled Drinking Zone
 Initiating and maintaining a ban on the sale of super strength lagers above 5.5%
 Reducing pub licenses to normal hours
 ICCTV cameras coverage on the Broadway
 Creating a dedicated  SNT – Safer Neighbourhood Team – for the Broadway

e. Communication: To give Cricklewood an identity and a voice which creates pride in the area. We will do this by:
 Arranging minimum of 3 high profile events in the area e.g. Community Street Clean up day, Street parties, farmers market
 Initiate a minimum of 3 articles in local and regional media relating to CIP activities and Cricklewood itself
  ‘Return to  Cricklewood’ visit by top 5 notable current or ex residents