What have we done so far?
- We've held open meetings for potential users and stakeholders, to gather ideas and support, and collected Expressions of Interest.
- We've set up this website and a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/topokut/.
- We've had positive meetings with Kingston Councillors from both main parties, 3 Council leaders, and relevant Council officers.
- We've met with other Kingston community groups, including some that are also interested in developing community hubs (and found little or no overlap with our proposals).
- We've attended a conference and read up on "the death of the High Street".
- We've visited other arts/environmental/community centres to see how they work.
- We've written, published and disseminated a Prospectus, also available on this website here.
- We've researched possible sources of funding and expertise, and we awarded a small Neighbourhood Grant from Kingston Council to cover printing, postage and other admin costs, up to recently carried by members of the steering group.
- We've viewed the former Sorting Office and the former Main Post Office building.
- We've met with the new owners (subject to planning permission), developer St George and visited and responded to their exhibitions in the Sorting Office and pre-planning onsultations in 2014.
- We made a brief response to the planning application in early 2015, and attended a couple of relvant Council planning meetings in 2015.
- We re-iterated our comments when St George submitted an revised planning application in January 2016.
