Project outline

What was the challenge?

The Heathrow Community Engagement Board (HCEB) serves as an independent oversight body, established and funded by Heathrow Airport in accordance with Section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act. The board’s primary function is to advocate for local community interests regarding both current airport operations and proposed future developments.

Temple was tasked with developing innovative community engagement approaches that would overcome these barriers and ensure more inclusive representation of diverse community voices in discussions about Heathrow’s expansion and its long-term impacts on local areas.

What was our solution?

Temple worked with HCEB to design, build and manage a bespoke digital platform that encourages people to share their stories, ideas, concerns and aspirations. Rather than voting on pre-conceived ideas or assumptions, the platform is a tool to encourage participation and let communities develop their own vision for the future.

• provide guidance on topics including digital delivery, community engagement, social value and construction best practice;
• design, build and manage a bespoke digital platform to support community engagement and act as a hub of local information;
• monitor, analyse and feedback responses to HCEB;
• research and assess examples of construction best practice to ensure effective management of the airport expansion and its effects on the communities living alongside it;
• identify case studies of sustainable communities living alongside other airport developments following successful consultation exercises;
• examine and make recommendations for a community fund that could deliver longer term strategic goals for those living in and around Heathrow;
• develop a strategic vision alongside the local community to maximise social value, and feed this back to the airport; and
• develop performance indicators and a scorecard to evaluate and measure Heathrow’s performance in meeting the needs and aspirations of local communities.

How did we add value?

Temple’s innovative approach to community engagement around Heathrow Airport expansion delivered significant value to the HCEB and the communities they represent.

By developing a bespoke digital platform, we created an accessible engagement tool that reached segments of the community traditionally excluded from consultation processes. Our platform’s design prioritised inclusivity, allowing diverse voices to contribute on their own terms rather than responding to predetermined questions, giving community members agency in shaping their future.

Our comprehensive digital strategy combined with expert guidance on community engagement and social value helped HCEB shift from a reactive position to a proactive one. Instead of simply responding to airport expansion plans, communities were empowered to articulate their own vision for sustainable development.

The performance indicators and evaluation scorecard we developed provided HCEB with concrete metrics to hold Heathrow Airport accountable for community commitments. This transformed abstract promises into measurable obligations, strengthening the community’s negotiating position.

Our research into construction best practices and case studies of other airport communities provided valuable insights that informed more effective advocacy strategies. This expanded HCEB’s knowledge base beyond local concerns to include successful models from similar developments globally.