FAQs

Community Hubs are open to all Redbridge residents to use, whether for their own activities or to access services. Gants Hill Community Hub will focus in particular on serving residents living in the wards of Barkingside, Clayhall, Cranbrook, Fullwell, Valentines and Aldborough.

We will be working with residents to design the spaces and services within the hubs, which could include a hireable space for community events if it is a community priority.

This will be open for consultation with residents, but we envisage space will primarily be available for community groups and services over business.

No, and we want to protect all libraries in Redbridge from closing. The feasibility study undertaken with residents identified expansion of library services on the site as a high priority.

We will work with local people to design the new library space, but would be open to the Community Hub expanding the service offer, space and opening hours available. 

This question also seeks to answer ‘Will the new library be open for the same hours as now?’

When construction needs to take place we will explore options which can reduce disruption, for example doing a phased build or sourcing a temporary location for the library close by. As with any building work, the Council will ensure that any contractor has a robust management plan to minimise the inconvenience to residents.

We are working with the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group who direct local health services on the Gants Hill Community Hub. They have indicated that they want to provide a new GP practice in the area and we want to look at whether this can be on the Gants Hill site as part of the more detailed design work to come.

We understand the concerns with the closure of Barkingside Police station. The Community Hub could be a good opportunity for the police to have a base, and we will be exploring this through the process.

The costs will be determined when final designs and plans are drawn up with residents. Consolidating services in one place will help provide economies of scale, efficiencies and the potential for income and capital generation from any housing. This will cross-subsidise the hub; if additional funding is required then we will explore how it can be secured.

We are working towards a planning submission in 2023.

This will depend on the hub designs and the complexity and nature of the build.

We will continue to share documents as they are completed and where they can be shared.

This question also seeks to answer ‘Can we have the minutes from board meetings?’

The decision to deliver a Community Hubs programme and the decision on the locations and basic model of the Community Hubs have been decided. This was outlined in the Council’s Cabinet report from November 2018. 

The design of the Community Hub and the wider site/scheme is yet to be decided. in 2020-21, RCKa Architects were appointed to undertake a feasibility study in collaboration with a ‘Design Group’ of local residents and representatives. In addition to the designs, local people can shape what the Hub includes and how it is run.

The reason for using the word ‘shape’ is because there are a range of different views within the community, and between the community and representatives of different organisations. We believe that developing an excellent Gants Hill Hub and scheme will require creativity, feedback and compromise to produce the best outcome.

The Council’s approach for selecting the locations for the Community Hubs is outlined within the November 2018 Cabinet report. The Council has sought to select accessible locations which would enable residents across Redbridge to easily access a Community Hub. As a result, nearly 80% of residents will be able to walk to a hub within 20 minutes, or 96% within 30 minutes. This is based on five Community Hubs and a Civic Hub based in accessible locations.

Within those broad locations, the Council has focused on sites which are:

• Within the Council's ownership so as to avoid additional costs of land acquisition;
• Are in locations to encourage people to visit and use the Borough’s town centres;
• Are large enough to accommodate the possible 1,500sqm Community Hubs; 
• Are well-positioned to improve and expand libraries and key services; and
• Have scope for development to help cross-subsidise the costs of delivering the Hubs.

The Gants Hill Library site was found to provide the best fit for these criteria of the available options, in order to serve residents living in Barkingside, Clayhall, Cranbrook, Fullwell, Valentines and Aldborough wards. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to safeguard Gants Hill library provision into the future and help deliver the housing targets in our Local Plan.

This question, taken along with other questions, also seeks to answer ‘Why is a Gants Hill Hub needed?’ and ‘Why is the Council delivering a community hub on the Gants Hill site?’

The sites in and around Gants Hill which have been considered but not found to provide a better location include:

Fullwell Cross Library: This site is in the Council’s ownership and in a town centre location. However, it is much further north and overlaps significantly with the Hainault Community Hub catchment area, leaving a large unserved area to the south. The building is statutorily listed offering limited scope for adaptation to accommodate new services and the wider site presents little scope for development to support the costs of providing the Hub.

Kenwood Gardens Clinic: This site is not in the Council’s ownership.

Queen Victoria House: This site is in the Council’s ownership but is not in a town centre location, offers limited scope to accommodate the anticipated Hub services and limited scope for development to support the costs of providing the Hub. It is to the north of the target area and offers lower levels of accessibility than the library site.

Redbridge Institute of Adult Education: This site is a fully operational base for the Institute and related activities. It is also in a less accessible, non-town centre location and would not safeguard Gants Hill Library services.

Valentines Pub: This site is not in the Council’s ownership.

In summary, the above locations have been considered and subsequently discounted primarily on the basis of site ownership, location/accessibility and/or scope for development. As such, they have not reached the stage at which a feasibility report would be required. 

This question also seeks to answer ‘Why is the Council delivering a community hub on the Gants Hill site?’ and ‘Have these alternative sites been investigated and to what degree?’ In addition, it corrects previous information about site ownership. 

Yes, the Council owns the Gants Hill library site and car park, and all prospective community hub locations.

The Council is facing extreme financial pressures with a c.60% cut in funding from central government since 2010. The Council needs to act now to protect libraries and other services from future closures, as as demand increases and funding becomes more pressured. 

In addition to the criteria outlined above, this location provides an opportunity to secure the library's future by redesigning it to suit current needs, including addressing severe flooding issues which have required relocation of the Council's archives.

This question also seeks to answer ‘What happens if residents just ask to keep the existing facility?’ 

The feasibility study found that expanding library provision was a top priority, but there were different views on the future of the building. 16% of residents felt the library should be retained in its current form, with 84% feeling that it should either be re-provided in a purpose-built space and/or that character features should be retained.

If the outcome of the design process is to be re-development then careful consideration will be taken to the heritage features of the library and their retention or incorporation within the new design. The design proposals will have continuous engagement with residents.

The building is not statutorily listed but is locally listed. Any changes or demolition would need to be considered and consulted upon as part of the process before a decision is made.

No, this facility is an asset to the locality and will not be affected by the new hub opening. Redbridge Institute and other groups will be able to use space in the hubs to deliver activities for residents.

Some car parking will be lost to the Community Hub and wider development but we also want to maintain the right level of car parking to support local shops and businesses. The local Planning Policy will also advise on the level of car parking provision that needs to be provided. The Council will be reviewing on-street parking across the borough, including mitigating parking on residential streets, as a separate exercise.

This question also seeks to answer ‘How many car parking spaces will be kept?’

We are at the very early stages and there is no detailed design work as yet. However, indicative feasibility work suggests around 100 new homes could be accommodated as part of any development. Care will be taken in creating a place with sustainable homes and services that are accessible.

The type of housing expected would have to be a mix from one bedroom to family sized homes. At least 35% of the scheme would need to be affordable housing.

The assessment of capacity in local services is part of the Local Plan process, which has identified areas within the Gants Hill Investment and Growth Area in order to deliver new housing, at a relatively low level in comparison with the rest of the borough. The hubs programme is an important part of providing additional capacity to meet existing and new needs by increasing local services in accessible areas, and working with local people to identify and address needs is an important part of the programme.

This question also seeks to answer ‘What does the Council plan to do about infrastructure needs in traffic, schools and health?’ 

The current play area at Martley Park will be protected, re-provided and/or improved. It is part of the wider site and as such will be looked at through the feasibility study with RCKa architects and local people. Green and open space is important in Redbridge and this will be maximised as far as possible.

This question also seeks to answer ‘Is the green space staying?’ and ‘Will there be any open space in the new scheme?’