Planning Officers Society Spring Conference: Working in Partnership 15 May 2014 Stewart Murray Assistant Director Planning Email: stewart.murray@london.gov.uk;
Mayor s 2020 Vision Global Leading City Double London s Housing Supply Growth focus: Opportunity Areas Town Centre Transport Corridors Enhance leading commercial sectors: Tech/Med city
London s demographic challenge Population growth 1971-2036
London Housing & Affordable Housing challenge 9 m population by 2020 10m population by 2030 mega city! 42,000 new homes pa Possibly 49,000 with higher densities, particularly town centres Affordable housing: 17,000 pa Borough Targets: Croydon Borough Housing target: 14,348/ 1,435 homes pa Croydon Town Centre: Opportunity Area Targets: - 7,300 new homes - 7,500 new jobs
London s demographic challenge Distribution of population growth 2011-2036
Opportunity Areas
London Plan: town centre Policy 2.15 Main focus beyond CAZ for commercial development, intensification, including housing Structure for sustainable access to goods and services Together with local neighbourhoods, foster sense of place and local identity
Further Alterations to the London Plan 2014 Consultation draft
Croydon Town Centre Opportunity Area Planning Framework (OAPF) Adopted by the Mayor of London and London Borough of Croydon 2013 The Croydon OAPF is Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to the London Plan (part of the development plan )
A Strategic Partnership in preparing the OAPF GLA, TfL and Croydon worked collaboratively on the OAPF Croydon adopted the OAPF as an SPD Work on the OAPF began in March 2011 Public consultation ran from August to October 2012 30 detailed comments were provided The OAPF was finalised in late 2012 Adopted early 2013
The Opportunity Whitgift Centrale
OAPF objectives: 7,300 new homes Provide facilities for 17,000 residents Regenerate the Retail Core Support 95,000 sqm of new/improved office space Encourage conversion of redundant office space Deliver a quality public realm Plan for transport capacity
Croydon Opportunity Area COA has excellent transport links 15-20 minutes from Victoria/London Bridge and Gatwick Airport Significant physical capacity for growth Political support for change, growth and strategic scale development COA has a diverse built heritage, with historic and modernist buildings side by side 6 different character areas
Retail Core: London Metropolitan Centre Promotes regeneration of Retail Core: - Centrale/Whitgift shopping centres Retail-led regeneration: - should deliver qualitative improvement & additional floorspace Must also deliver a mix of uses: - including residential and leisure, all within an improved public realm and built environment
Regenerating the Retail Core Retail-led regeneration New department store 1,100 homes and leisure 24hr East / West routes North / South routes New public spaces Improved highway spine: Wellesley Road Protect heritage assets Tall buildings close to Wellesley Rd
Enhance Commercial uses Focus new commercial space around the New Town and East Croydon area Support 95,000 sqm of new office space in COA Encourage conversion of redundant office space to other uses (PD challenges) Continued support for hotels and student accommodation
Intensify Residential 7,300 new homes across the whole of the COA 17,000 new residents On top of an existing residential population of app. 8,000 Minimum of 15% affordable 20% family (3 bed) housing across COA, broken down by six character areas
Public realm improvements Quality of public realm in COA mixed Public realm strategy prepared and will be delivered by various projects/agencies, coordinated via Public Sector Strategic Board Public/Private Sector Group Private development: S.106 Public Funding: - Mayor ( 18m) - Croydon and TfL 50m total
Improving Wellesley Road is a key project
Improving Croydon s High Streets
Tall buildings & Intensification OAPF proposes 3 building height areas: - - The central area: the majority of new tall buildings - The edge area: will house some tall buildings but less then the central - The outer area: tall buildings will generally not be appropriate Planning applications will still need robust detailed visual assessments
Transport study TfL detailed transport model Understand impacts of planned level of intensive total COA development Whitgift (Westfield/Hammerson) scheme generates most impacts 65m contributions to transport improvements General conclusion: planned level of development can be accommodated on the transport network subject to the delivery of a number of interventions
Improving transport provision in the town centre
Off-street public parking A challenge with intensification and highways constrained 7,000 public car park spaces in COA 3,000 of these underused 2 approaches: If there is significant redevelopment of the Retail Core relocation of 1,000 surplus spaces into Retail Core from elsewhere in COA If no significant redevelopment / investment in COA then opportunity to reuse surplus car parks for other uses i.e. residential
Supporting delivery DIF and public / private sector funding
PLACESHAPING: INNOVATION AND BUSINESS SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE PLACE BASED WORKING Mayor s Regeneration Fund Outer London Fund
Inside the Whitgift Centre
Delivery in Partnership Croydon: Development Infrastructure Funding Study (DIF) OAPF Targets and quantum of developments modelled Delivery: Whitgift / Centrale shopping centre redevelopment strategy Westfield / Hammerson JVCo. Jan.13 Outline Planning Application: approved early 2014 CPO process in partnership with LBC, GLA/TfL, Landowners/developers Catalyst and unlocks huge residential and mixed use schemes in TC
All of us working together to deliver the Croydon vision