An interview with Peabody Chair Chris Strickland

‘We have emerged very much stronger’

With a reenergised Peabody poised at the beginning of a new decade, chair Chris Strickland talks about his vision for the future and what he loves about living in London.

Peabody estates have been at the heart of London for almost 150 years, with more than 50,000 Londoners living in 18,000 Peabody homes today. Do you feel a certain weight of responsibility as you take on the role of chair?

I feel immensely honoured. I am following in illustrious footsteps. And I do feel a great sense of responsibility. And also of opportunity – the opportunity to lead an organisation that has so much history and that has done so much good.

What I’m really excited about is the sense of direction that Peabody has now. If we go back a few years we weren’t having the best of times – the organisation had lost its direction, really.

But to their credit, [former Peabody Chair] Pam Alexander and [Peabody Chief Executive] Stephen Howlett have rebuilt the foundations of Peabody over the past five years and, to a large extent, its reputation. We have emerged very much stronger, and with the financial firepower to realise our ambitions.

What are some of the key challenges Peabody faces in the coming years?

First and foremost, we still haven’t fulfilled all that we would like to in terms of our service to residents. We want to ensure that the service we provide is of the highest standard.

Are you passionate about any issues in particular?

I’m passionate about positioning Peabody for the future. The seeds for that have already been sown by the work we’ve done for 21st Century Peabody, which we launched in December last year. The challenge ahead is how we implement that vision.

With our existing estates we are trying to find new ways to involve residents with what we do and to engage with their wider communities. Expanding Peabody estates into the surrounding communities is very much what 21st Century Peabody is about.

We coined the phrase, the Peabody Village – not in the sense of a village that Peabody owns, but one that Peabody has influence over – a place of community that has strong alliances with the outside world in areas such as health, education and commerce.

In some ways that is quite alien to Peabody estates, which were originally designed, in Victorian times, to turn their back on the degradation and threat of the surrounding areas. But that isn’t the case any more. Our ambition is to get Peabody residents engaging with everybody around them.

The grand plan of 21st Century Peabody is in the redevelopment of our estate near Clapham Junction, which was identified as, if you like, beyond its useful life. And that is a perfect opportunity for us to be able to put into plan all the individual aspects of the vision.

Our mission statement – to ensure as many people as possible have a good home, a real sense of purpose, and a strong feeling of belonging – really encapsulates what we’re trying to achieve.

What inspires you about Peabody?

As well as Peabody’s history, the people who work here are inspiring. They are dedicated; they have integrity. They want to improve people’s lives. If it weren’t for that, Peabody would not be able to deliver all that it does.

I am also inspired when I visit our estates. We’ve done so much work to improve them, to transform them, particularly the external spaces. And that is what we should be working towards – improving the quality of life of our residents.

And I am inspired by the future. With 21st Century Peabody I think we have a fantastic opportunity to set the agenda for the future. In my time here I want to see the 21st Century Peabody vision developed into a fully-fledged business plan.

What drew you to your career?

As a developer I like to leave a legacy. What is important to me is seeing the physical fruits of your labour.

Part of the interest for me has always been the design side – it’s something I was very taken with at Peabody: the desire to improve the built environment through design. It’s something that I want Peabody to continue to do. We’re doing that very successfully at Peabody Avenue, our estate in Pimlico, for example.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Guildford, but I’ve lived in London for the best part of 30 years. I live in Wandsworth, about a quarter mile from the Clapham Junction estate, and my office overlooks one of Peabody’s central London estates.

London is, without a doubt, one of the very best cities of the world to live in. We are blessed with fantastic historic and modern buildings, both for the way they look and for what they contain.

One of my favourite moments is crossing Battersea Bridge at night – on a clear, still night. You look down the river and you see the the city lit up. It’s a magical sight. That’s London for me.

Read Peabody's 21st Century Peabody report (PDF)