Surrey County Cricket Club

Sport

For over 10 years, Local Dialogue has supported the Club on their development and refurbishment plans, including a £35m development for a new stand and a 168 bed four-star hotel, a major pavilion redevelopment including a grand façade looking out over Kennington Park and Oval tube station, and more recently, their plans for One Oval Square – which will create new food stalls and a public restaurant, and an atrium for conferences and trade fairs.

Challenges

• Working with one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues means that interest in their plans is always high among the community and councillors
• Not all community supportive of plans
• Historic lack of support and enthusiasm for plans among the local council
• SCCC’s redevelopment plans are rolled out in stages over a number of years
• Engagement is long-term

Response

• Established and chair regular community meetings
• Forged close ties with the wider community
• Communicating the long term plans as coordinated
• Work hard to identify and motivate long-term supporters
• Established regular communication channels to community, monthly newsletters, website and Twitter
• Undertake detailed community research to highlight the positive role SCCC plays in the local community and widely promote its services to Lambeth Council