Barwell Capital:
Eton House

Refurbishing a landmark building in Richmond

Background

When Barwood Capital acquired Eton House, a landmark building in the centre of Richmond, they knew that effective engagement with the local community was a necessity.

They planned a complete makeover of the building which would be gutted, updated, upgraded and extended with a focus on sustainability.

The site backed immediately on to a residential street which would be heavily impacted during construction, with a possibility that residents could have just cause to get the application refused. Barwood Capital appointed Silverstone Communications to lead on community engagement.

Solution

From the start, we worked very closely with local residents and politicians to build and embed trust.

We held two engagement events, one of which was specifically for residents who lived closest to the Eton House site. We also spent time individually with residents and acted as a point of contact between all parties and the resident community.

Impact

By spending so much time with residents, we established a really strong relationship of trust and helped them to better understand the development project. This meant that when the impact of the construction work was significant, we were able to act quickly and sensitively to respond to issues.

The upshot of our efforts was that we were able to reassure the Local Planning Authority that the risk of construction would be minimal and the scheme was consented through delegated powers.

We established a strong relationship of trust by spending quality time with local residents.

“Silverstone Communications were always on hand to respond to our concerns.

They were empathetic to our situation.”