The community share their insight for the future of Buckskin and South Ham

The community of the Buckskin and South Ham have told community researchers, and shared their insights at listening events, that they want their neighbourhoods to feel safer and more connected, with greater opportunities for young people, and better designed homes that are more sustainable and cheaper to run.

Residents and businesses in Buckskin and South Ham were invited to give their views to the Community Researchers – a team of local people, at local drop in listening events or by completing a survey on-line. More than 5,000 people visited the dedicated website, over 500 filled in a survey, and 200 people visited the seven drop-in events.

The engagement was run by Sovereign Hill Partnership (SHP). SNG selected The Hill Group to form the SHP in 2023 - a strategic investment partnership to look at opportunities for improvements and change. This helps bring additional expertise and capability to look at the options and identify the plan for the future alongside the community.

Feedback received during the engagement highlighted that local people value the sense of community that they have with neighbours and friends in Buckskin and South Ham, as well as the green space of Stratton Park and Russell Howard Park and the variety of types of homes in the area alongside the space inside their homes. You can find out more about the feedback/insight received here.

Tom Titherington, Chief Investment and Development Officer at SNG said: “I’d like to thank the residents that participated in the conversations and the local people that enabled them; we’ve heard very clearly about living or working in Buckskin and South Ham and what SNG could do to make positive future investment.

“We want communities to thrive over generations and it struck me that while residents value the people and local groups around them, many who responded felt that that it was not an area where they would want their children to live in the future. This feedback gives us confidence we are right to start work with residents and businesses to look at options for change and improvements. We want to focus on keeping and enhancing what the community value about these neighbourhoods, while also finding ways to tackle their issues and concerns. We also want local residents to get in touch if they feel we have missed anything.”

Sovereign Hill Partnership now plans to continue to engage with the communities in Buckskin and South Ham to develop a deeper understanding of resident aspirations and their vision for the future of the neighbourhoods, to improve the area and increase opportunities for everyone. This forms a key part of its ambitious plan to bring additional investment to the area to make that happen. Possible options may include refurbishing homes, and the potential regeneration or renewal of parts of the neighbourhoods. 

In the meantime, SHP is engaging a team of Community Co-design Associates to play a pivotal role in shaping the future vision of the neighbourhoods, and will continue to act on the feedback received by collaborating with the police and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to improve people’s feeling of safety, supporting greater opportunities for young people, and fostering connections through initiatives such as its recent support for the Westside Community Centre Association.

To find out more about shaping the future of Buckskin and South Ham, you can email: yourcommunity@sovereign.org.uk or call: 0300 7771010.  

You’ll also find useful information on our engagement website and registered for future updates here: www.shapingthefuture.commonplace.is