CIT appointed Four to develop and deliver a communications programme to help secure permission for a change of use for Kings Reach Tower. Four had helped the previous owner, Capital & Counties Properties PLC, secure planning consent for an office development on the site. CIT sought to change this permission to residential-led mixed use with offsite affordable housing.

The key challenge for the project was the proximity of the tower to neighbouring residential properties in the London Borough of Southwark. We worked closely with CIT and the project team to develop a strategy and messaging to tackle this challenge within project timescales.

We delivered a political and community engagement programme, which involved leading discussions with Southwark councillors and liaising with local residents' groups and interested parties. The aim was to understand local issues and expectations, use this to inform project development and then feed back to stakeholders; involving them in the process whilst managing expectations.

Four delivered three public exhibitions (including logistics and all collateral) that saw close to 800 people view the plans. This was supported by the distribution of over 15,000 newsletters to residents in the area during the engagement programme.

The project gained planning consent in July 2011.