Westwick Row, Hemel Hempstead for The Crown Estate and TOWN with Archio, Periscope and David Lock Associates

Westwick Row, Hemel Hempstead for The Crown Estate and TOWN with Archio, Periscope and David Lock Associates

 

Westwick Row is a proposed development of 75 homes, co-designed with the local community with input from future renters. The project is exploring innovative community engagement methods and alternative housing models, including collaborative housing and intergenerational living and builds on the spirit of the nearby Hemel Hempstead, a post-war New Town renewing its original promise of community, homes and green space for a new generation.

 

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Describe the context of the community engagement. Why did the engagement take place?

 

Westwick Row in Hemel Hempstead will deliver 75 homes — 31 for a cohousing community and 44 for rent — alongside almost 4,000 square metres of public open space. Westwick Row explores how meaningful community engagement can lead to more inclusive, connected and sustainable neighbourhoods. Its ambition is to create a participative community shaped and stewarded by its residents and local people, with their needs and aspirations influencing decisions from the earliest design stages through to long-term management. TOWN was selected as development partner, drawing on its experience working creatively and collaboratively with communities on projects ranging from large mixed-use developments to cohousing neighbourhoods. The experience informed a bespoke programme of engagement designed to both refine the plans and test what genuine collaboration looks like in practice – exploring how open dialogue, shared learning and local knowledge can lead to better outcomes in the design and delivery of a new community. The engagement process also aimed to build trust and transparency around development, addressing concerns early and creating space for sustained participation. Learning from Westwick Row will inform The Crown Estate’s wider portfolio of projects across the UK.

 

Who did you engage with and how?

 

Pre-planning engagement ran from September 2024 to November 2025, combining open public consultation with a structured programme of codesign – over 35 hours of dedicated workshops in total. 
 
The codesign process was the heart of engagement, enabling sustained and focused involvement in shaping the proposals. This included three workstreams:
 
 • The Westwick Row Ideas Exchange brought together 15 local residents, selected through Sortition to reflect the area’s demographics, for a series of in-depth sessions exploring design, access, landscape and sustainability. 
 
 • The Renters’ Panel gathered people with lived experience of renting to advise on the design and management of the proposed rental homes. 
 
 • The Cohousing Group worked closely with the team to design their future community and homes. 
 
Participants from the Renters’ Panel and the Ideas Exchange were reimbursed for their time. Sessions took place both in person and online with TOWN, TCE and the design team, with joint meetings between groups at key points to exchange ideas and shape the emerging masterplan.Public consultation complemented this deeper work, reaching across Leverstock Green through letters sent to more than 3,000 households. Residents were invited to three exhibitions at Leverstock Green Primary School, online briefings and the Commonplace platform. Alongside this, there was targeted engagement with immediate neighbours, councillors and local organisations as well as creative workshops with pupils from the local primary school. Digital tools, including AI-assisted analysis, helped capture complex and layered conversations and interpret feedback accurately, ensuring every comment was reflected in design discussions.

 

Have you continued the conversation? Will the community stay involved? 

 

Engagement at Westwick Row is ongoing. The Ideas Exchange, Renters’ Panel and Cohousing Group continue to act as reference points as the project moves through planning and towards construction. Their involvement will extend into detailed design, governance and long-term management, ensuring that community participation remains embedded in the life of the neighbourhood. The Ideas Exchange will be consulted on the construction management plan and wider community impacts. The Renters’ Panel and Cohousing Group will help shape the detailed design including internal layouts, kitchens and shared facilities. All three groups will be involved in discussions about the community hub, estate management and stewardship. Dialogue with local councillors, neighbours and community organisations will also continue, maintaining the relationships established during the early stages. Residents of Leverstock Green will be kept informed through updates and invited to take part in further activities and consultation as the scheme progresses. Once the homes are occupied, residents who took part in the engagement process are expected to play a central role in neighbourhood governance. The cohousing community will take on long-term stewardship of the site, and future residents across the development will have a voice in ongoing management. The aim is to establish a lasting model of partnership, one that evolves with the community and keeps decision making close to the people who live there.