After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

A report by The Association of Town & City Management, TBR and MAKE Associates

For The Borough of Lambeth April 2013

1 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy Contents

SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………3 4 THE SIX TOWN CENTRES...... 47 4.1 : ‘Night-time explosion’ ...... 48 1 STUDY PURPOSE...... 10 4.2 Waterloo-: Making the connections...... 88 1.1 Why study Lambeth’s night-time economy? ...... 11 4.3 : 21st Century Pleasure Gardens? ...... 101 1.2 Study objective ...... 11 4.4 : After dark rennaisance ...... 113 1.3 Lambeth’s six town ‘centres’ ...... 12 4.5 : A new kind of high street ...... 123 1.4 Specific aims...... 13 4.6 & : A little TLC ...... 138 1.5 The study approach ...... 14 5 ‘IDEAS INTO ACTION’ - NEXT STEPS ...... 152 2 STUDY CONTEXT...... 16 5.1 Introduction ...... 153 2.1 Why is nightlife so important?...... 16 5.2 Lambeth’s ‘After Dark Vision’ ...... 153 2.2 The national ‘after dark’ landscape ...... 18 5.3 After Dark Targets ...... 154 2.3 National night-time economy policy context ...... 19 5.4 Three Key Drivers ...... 156 2.4 Lambeth night-time economy policy context ...... 22 5.5 Town Centres: Clpaham ...... 161 3 AFTER DARK BENEFITS & COSTS ...... 28 5.6 Closing statement ...... 170 3.1 “If you can’t measure, you can’t manage…” ...... 29 3.2 The economics of Lambeth’s after dark...... 34 3.3 TBR-MAKE NightMix vs. GLA models...... 43

2 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Executive Summary

Summary

3 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Why study Lambeth’s nightlife? What are the main conclusions?

• In autumn 2012 the London Borough of Lambeth commissioned the • The night-time economy is of outstanding importance to Association of Town & City Management, economists TBR and night- Lambeth, particularly compared to most London boroughs. It time strategy specialists MAKE Associates to undertake an economic, provides 4,500 jobs for locals, contributes to successful town social and spatial study into Lambeth’s ‘night-time economy’. centres, and helps create places where people want to live and visit.

• The purpose of the research was to understand for the first time the • However, Lambeth’s night-time economy has evolved in an ad scale and impact of the borough’s night-time economy and make hoc way and the vision, strategy, research and tailored policy appropriate recommendations for changes in borough-wide formation that it needs is absent. This has led to two areas of concern.

licensing, planning, safety, community, tourism and economic policy to • Firstly, some after dark growth has caused problems (e.g. crime, achieve a more sustainable borough ‘after dark’. negative health outcomes). Secondly, areas that have performed well

• The resulting study is the first anywhere in the world to could have done better, while some have been left behind. examine comprehensively a multi-centre night-time economy. • The ‘ideas for action’ located at the end of this study should form the It examines Lambeth’s ‘after dark’ role within London and provides a basis for a new approach for Lambeth’s night-time economy. Lambeth-wide picture of what is happening between 6pm and 6am. It • Lambeth’s new ‘after dark vision’ will need to be food, entertainment also provides specific insight into the borough’s night-time hotspot of and culture, rather than alcohol-led. Clapham, as well as its five other main centres: Waterloo-South Bank, • To deliver this vision Lambeth must demonstrate leadership, Vauxhall, Brixton, Streatham and West Norwood-Tulse Hill. coherent strategy, partnership and more robust enforcement. • The study takes place at a time when the Mayor of London has issued guidance (Alcohol Consumption and the Night-Time Economy) In the night-time economy there is no stasis; just a virtuous upward on better evidencing and managing the capital’s after dark economy journey or a downward spiral. With real focus and political will a further 3,000 jobs could be generated over the next decade in and is, therefore, critically timed. a healthier, safer Lambeth. Without stewardship, our global experience tells us the reverse will happen. Lambeth must seize this once in a generation opportunity!

4 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

this end we estimate frontline policing to cost at least half a million pounds a year, health services at least £1.3m annually (for immediate The upsides care around night-time admissions e.g. A&E presentations, paramedic • Our research shows the night-time economy in Lambeth is worth call outs) and council services such as cleansing and planning cost £505m in annual sales and it directly accounts for around 8,000 around £2.7m annually. In total this is around £4.5m annually. jobs (4,500 of whom are Lambeth residents). These people are • However, these frontline costs are the ‘tip of the iceberg’, the employed by nearly 1,000 after dark businesses. research shows that both health and crime costs will inevitably be

• Night-time economy employment in Lambeth is around three times much higher. For example, a proportionate share of the Met’s the national average for this sector. operational budget for crime committed in the hours of the night-time economy would be in the tens of millions. Likewise, the costs of • The figures show that the Lambeth night-time economy has subsequent treatment and a share of the hospitals’ capital and revenue substantially outperformed many of the borough’s other costs may be of an even greater magnitude. economic sectors over the last ten years. • It’s important to note that most council ‘costs’ are not predominantly • Over 2001 to 2011 the Lambeth night-time economy has delivered the result of ‘negative’ activity in the night-time economy, but of increased gross value added (GVA) to a level of 40%. The rest of the general service provision ‘after dark’ e.g. licensing, planning. Lambeth economy has increased GVA by around 4%. • We estimate that there is the potential for Lambeth to set targets for Measuring progress the sector to grow turnover by 50% (to £750m) by 2025 and to employ at least a further 3,000 people (to 11,000) in more • Whilst the benefits are substantially larger in pure monetary terms than than 300 additional firms (1,300 in total) over that period. costs, they should not be compared as if this is a justification for ‘business as usual’. Only with a clear vision, appropriate

The downsides resourcing, sound strategic management and effective regulation can we expect costs to fall, whilst the number of • The night-time economy, although not wholly causative of the public jobs, firms and sales can simultaneously grow in a way that is service costs between 6pm and 6am, does have a negative impact. To genuinely sustainable.

5 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Clapham Waterloo-South Bank

• Clapham is now the alcohol-led centre of Lambeth and a large • Waterloo-South Bank is the star performer in the borough’s part of its local economy is dependent on the late night-time economy, night-time economy, accounting for the lion’s share of turnover, attracting visitors from outer London, Surrey and Kent. firms and employment. It also has the highest profile for arts, culture, fine dining and as an international business centre. • However, its composition after dark is skewed excessively towards late night drinking, music and dancing. This has brought significant rises • Waterloo-South Bank still has considerable potential for after in crime and health harms and causes distress to many local dark growth, but it is fragmented (e.g. how does the South Bank sit residents. Clapham after dark is reminiscent of a city centre and has with The Cut and with ?), and has serious public realm exceeded the ‘carrying capacity’ of what is only a district centre. issues. A determined effort will be needed to unite the fragments and create the right context for more quality night-time investment. • Exacerbating this is the absence of the late night infrastructure consistent with the good practice in managing a dense ‘destination’

night-time economy (e.g. taxi marshalling, early intervention policing). Vauxhall This has started to change with the arrival of a new night-time • On the face of it Vauxhall is struggling to be a town centre, being split economy manager, a position we recommend is retained. into pieces by road and rail. In addition to its important gay venues, • Clapham requires serious attention. It needs a plan to retain some our statistics show there is more to Vauxhall’s night-time of its later evening vibrancy while refocusing on its natural function economy that many people will be unaware of. as an 18 (not 24) hour district centre; a place primarily offering • However, it is the future of the area and neighbouring Battersea that is local services such as shops, restaurants, a handful of pubs and bars crucial. The Mayor’s Opportunity Area Planning Framework outlines and the cinema to residents with a more modest number of night time Vauxhall’s role in housing, leisure and employment growth, yet the visitors. This is particularly important for local older generations and evening and night-time economy, which is key to ‘place- families who are currently almost entirely absent after dark. making’, is not considered. To correct this, in subsequent delivery plans the night-time economy must have a prominent place.

6 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

activities, such as quality restaurants and bars, have appeared and the Brixton ‘Streatham Hub’ mixed-use development will continue that change. • However, it is time to establish a clear vision and regulatory • Brixton has long been a vibrant but edgy centre both day and night. It structure to shape this trend before it becomes possesses arguably the leading national popular music venue (O2 unmanageable. If controls are stepped up elsewhere in the borough Academy) and a number of other unique attractions but its night- there could be an influx of noisy venues – to the disadvantage of local time economy is relatively low in value. residents. • Recent changes in composition show Brixton is now appealing more to quality-conscious visitors and locals and there is West Norwood and Tulse Hill substantial potential for growth and change in Brixton. This is positive, provided Brixton can retain its distinctive character. • West Norwood and Tulse Hill are the least glamorous of Lambeth’s night-time centres but have some after dark potential. • Like Clapham, Brixton’s late night management infrastructure needs to be raised to meet best practice and it must market its • West Norwood needs a little ‘TLC ‘and just one aspirational food- after dark offer more effectively. led venue will start the ball rolling. Lighting St Luke’s Church and making its car park a multifunction public space would also provide Streatham an opportunity for creative after dark community activities. • Tulse Hill needs public realm and traffic de-prioritisation changes to • Streatham once boasted an unbroken two-mile stretch of shopping, make it less hostile before anything is likely to flourish here. leisure and entertainment. This has gone; leaving gap sites where Both West Norwood and Tulse Hill have a flood of takeaways, major retailers stood and some large and empty buildings. • which do them no favours and need to be curbed urgently • The surrounding, increasingly affluent, residential population is through the use of planning and licensing controls. capable of supporting new aspirational clusters of retail and leisure activity. Indeed, in recent years new night-time economy

7 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

• A night-time economy performance management regime to monitor progress annually against the baseline figures in this study. Ideas into action • State-of-the-art Night-Time Economy Management Plans in the • After many ad hoc initiatives but with no evidence base about one of most active centres: Clapham, Brixton, Waterloo to mitigate problems Lambeth’s most important industries, this study must be the start of and seize short-term opportunities. Addressing issues from de- ‘getting serious’ about Lambeth’s night-time economy’. cluttering, night-time congestion, toilet provision, street pastors etc. as • There are over 60 ‘ideas’ for action in the study’s ‘Next Steps’ section, part of bids to secure Purple Flag accreditation. all of which are geared to turning Lambeth’s night-time economy from good to great. They include: Setting ‘after dark’ targets… • The creation of an ‘After Dark Vision’ for Lambeth that sets out the Below are sustainable growth targets by 2025 for Lambeth’s NTE type of night-time economy the council and partners are trying to and its town centres (the rationale for each is in the main report): achieve and which influences all other policies and plans. • Lambeth: turnover of £750m, creating a further 3,000+ jobs in • A Lambeth Night-Time Economy Action Plan covering the next food (not take-away), entertainment and arts, while halving costs. five years that tests the ideas set out in this study and embeds them in an achievable, costed plan with individual ownership of actions. • Waterloo-South Bank (current employment: 2,355). With 5% annual growth by 2025 this would add 1,178 jobs. • A Lambeth Night-Time Economy Delivery Group of public and private organisations that helps develop the Action Plan and which • Vauxhall (current employment: 998). With 10% annual growth

monitors its implementation. would add 998 jobs. Clapham (current employment: 1,235). No job growth (albeit • A Night-Time Economy Investment Prospectus to set out • Lambeth’s corporate night-time policy for the borough and the type of possibly higher quality ones requiring different skillsets).

‘offer’ and investment that it encourages in each town centre. • Brixton (current employment: 876). With 5% annual growth this • The above to be facilitated by a ‘Night-Time Economy Business would add 430 jobs. Manager’ and supported by specialist courses at a local college-based • Streatham (current employment: 735). With 7.5% annual ‘National Night-Time Economy Centre of Training Excellence’. growth this would add 590 jobs.

• A ‘Night-Time Economy Champion’ of seniority to advocate for the • West Norwood & Tulse Hill (current employment: 495). With sector and to ensure policy works with the vision not against it. 5% annual growth this would add 247 jobs.

8 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

• Specific work to animate the Vauxhall, Battersea & Nine Elms Masterplan to create a genuinely exciting and active new Getting serious after dark… neighbourhood and destination; avoiding the potential for a dull and soulless corporate annexe. The current Cultural Study can help this. Lambeth’s night-time economy can

• Supporting BIDs to deliver a sustainable night-time economy: achieve London-wide Clapham’s BID (if voted in) must address its night-time significance. The Plan for London problems and the Brixton BID needs to be established as rapidly as possible to promote what is an exciting after dark offer. and the Mayor’s framework for

• Detailed Place Plans for all six centres where the night-time economy Vauxhall, Nine Elms & Battersea are is part of a rounded long-term community-led vision for each town. supportive. • A radically enhanced spatial planning approach to the night-time economy for both its growth and mitigation against over-density This is a golden opportunity for including a more nuanced approach to A3, A4, A5 mix, enforcement Lambeth to reinvent itself as a around ‘A3 creep’ and restricting takeaways (A5) wherever possible.

• A much more robust approach to licensing policy and leading player in the after dark enforcement; maintenance of the Clapham Cumulative Impact sector in London, to the benefit of Area and an innovative Waterloo-South Bank & Vauxhall ‘Off businesses, employers, residents, Sales’ Cumulative Impact Area to be considered in order to help address street drinking problems. job-seekers and visitors.

• Hold the Late Night Levy and EMROs in reserve, but only if BIDs work, e.g. if Clapham wants to avoid such drastic tools, it needs its BID Lambeth’s night-time economy to deliver serious after dark change in the town… quickly. must be taken seriously. If it isn’t, • There needs to be a greater commitment to animation and the benefits may well be missed - but events across the borough after dark, utilising spaces such as Windrush Square, Venn Street Clapham and St Luke’s Church in West the negative impacts will surely Norwood as part of Plans and BID business plans. continue to be experienced by all.

9 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

1 STUDY PURPOSE

SECTION 1

Study purpose

10

Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

1.1 Why study Lambeth’s night-time 1.2 Study objective economy? The Association of Town & City Management (ATCM), economists TBR and Increasingly, policymakers and practitioners in the areas of health, crime, night-time strategists MAKE Associates were commissioned by the London urbanism, placemaking and town centre management are realising that Borough of Lambeth to: the night-time economy - broadly that period of town and city operation Carry out a study into economic and social impacts of the between 6pm and 6am - presents a number of major opportunities and night-time economy of Lambeth. threats to creating sustainable places in which to live, work and visit. As a result some locations are taking a much more serious approach to The brief was for Lambeth as a whole, and for its six ‘town centres’: understanding and managing this fast changing urban phenomenon. • Clapham • Waterloo-South Bank This section (Section 1) sets out the aims of this study and the approach • Vauxhall we adopted to deliver it. Section 2 outlines the local and national policy • Brixton landscape that will influence what the borough can do in implementing our • Streatham ideas for a new ‘after dark vision’ for Lambeth. Section 3 summarises the West Norwood-Tulse Hill. costs and benefits of Lambeth’s night-time economy, while Section 4 • examines each of the borough’s six night-time economy town centres in depth. Section 5 brings all this research together into a set of ‘ideas for action’ that form the basis of our recommended ‘next steps’.

11 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 1.3 Lambeth’s six town ‘centres’

Vauxhall struggles to be a town centre with a Waterloo & the South Bank Major gateway to massive bus station, traffic gyratory and viaduct London with Waterloo Station at its heart. World’s

blocking pedestrian links to the Thames. Home to leading cultural hub. Part of the GLA’s Central

thriving gay venues in the railway arches. Ambitious Activity Zone and Lambeth’s leading employment proposals for Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea are and (after dark employment) centre. Unrivalled taking shape. One result could be a new town choice of restaurants but physically fragmented with centre with eating and drinking part of a vibrant mix areas of appeal split by railway lines, arches and

that attracts people to Vauxhall. Another is a bland major road arteries.

anywhere kind of place. Crucial the latter is avoided. Brixton has come of age as a thriving and

Clapham is famous for its leafy common which distinctive shopping centre with a vibrant nightlife. drew affluent residents. Now it attracts visitors from The 02 Academy is the leading UK destination for

, Kent and beyond to the pubs, live music, it has superb later opening markets and restaurants and late night clubs of the High Street Brixton Village is attracting a rich mix of restaurants. and Old Town. It is a sensitive mix: during the day Many are still deterred by the stubbornly high crime

it is a busy neighbourhood high street but at night it rate, which though better, needs continued focus. can spin out of control.

West Norwood/Tulse Hill Defined by its

Streatham used to be a major UK shopping centre eponymous stations this suburban centre has lost with prime entertainment along the two-mile long out to competition from other larger centres. The

High Road. Many brands have moved elsewhere traditional pubs are diminishing in common with current trends and the most common after-hours though the ice rink and swimming pool are being redeveloped. It may not regain its former glory, but activity are takeaways, though one or two the surrounding and increasingly affluent population restaurants have opened. In terms of character and should be able to sustain an emerging cluster of potential, West Norwood has the edge with its

aspirational retail, leisure, eating and drinking. imposing St Luke’s church on the hill, South London and library and community facilities nearby.

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1.4 Specific aims • Advice on interpretation and implementation of planning use categories to both solve problems but also to encourage more diverse night-time There were a number of aims and areas of particular focus within this economy. overall objective. These were: • To suggest good practice in the management of the night-time • To understand the size and dynamic of the night-time economy and its economy that might be adopted in Lambeth from elsewhere. impact on the wider economy of the main town centres in Lambeth. • To advise on bringing together public and private sector partners to • To understand the economic costs and benefits of the night-time promote Lambeth’s night-time economy - where appropriate - and economy in Clapham and other major town centres and districts. ensuring that local businesses have an increased role in minimising its

• To identify tensions and opportunities arising from the growth of the any negative impacts. night-time economy, with a particular focus on the anti-social Throughout all of these aims, a particular focus was paid to Clapham behaviour, environmental crime and health issues and its resulting due to statistics and local perceptions showing that its night-time economy impact on local residents, venues and communities in the main towns. (which runs very late into the night for a suburban centre) had • To assist in understanding the implications for Lambeth in terms of ‘overheated’ and was now a major source of crime and health impacts in promotion, management and control of the night-time economy. the borough. • To suggest approaches to the management of the night-time economy which are tailored to the needs of the specific major town centres and districts.

• To assist in developing a new licensing policy and how to deliver better coordination between planning policy and licensing.

• Review of current planning core strategy and planning policies and how these should be updated under the new localism and Local Plan regime in order to reflect the issues arising from the growth of the night-time economy.

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1.5 The study approach

Below is the approach to the study. Each data stage is shown overleaf.

“The research

process used in

this study of

Lambeth’s evening and night-time economy is the most rigorous and comprehensive yet undertaken in the UK. It is also the world’s first multimodal after dark urban study.” Alistair Turnham, MAKE Principal

14 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Below are further details of the data sources used in the study:

1. Benefit & Cost Audit. Desk research using a business 5. Spatial Analysis & Performance Appraisals. Spatial and database developed by TBR for the night-time economy. An functional appraisals of the six town centres (with a special assessment of costs and benefits using a model developed by emphasis on Clapham) to assess current night-time economy TBR-MAKE for the Mayor of Sydney. performance, management issues and mix of land uses (using Experian’s GOAD mapping of retail, leisure, office uses). 2. Market Demographics. An analysis of MOSAIC 6. Policy/Literature Review. An overview of national, demographic and life-style data to appreciate potential demand regional and 1borough policy to understand existing policies, for types and styles of night-time economy activity in Lambeth key issues and opportunities for the future. and its town centres. 3. Clapham Consumer Survey. An on-street survey of 400 7. Stakeholder Consultation. Telephone and face-to-face visitors to the town centre pre and post 6pm, by ROI Market discussions with policy-makers, practitioners and business in the Research, to understand the views of those that do and don’t borough to understand varied perspectives on the night-time visit the centre at night. economy, consider initiatives under way and estimate partnership capacity. 4. Clapham Overnight Audit. An on-street survey by the 8. Online Business Survey. An on-line survey of businesses in team together with council officers and local residents and Lambeth to understand how the night-time economy affects stakeholders, informed by ATCM’s Purple Flag standards and them. methodologies. opportunities and scope for improvement.

15 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

SECTION 2

Study

context

2 STUDY CONTEXT

2.1 Why is nightlife so important?

16 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

The night-time economy has been the ‘Cinderella’ of economic sectors. It distraction from the traditional view of what a good town centre is. The has either been ignored or misunderstood for far too long. Responsibility dangers of this view are twofold: the benefits of the night-time economy for it in policy terms is split between a multiplicity of professionals and may be lost, whilst the negative impacts will continue to be experienced. agencies, so a coherent view is difficult to achieve. Leading licensing QC and chair of the Purple Flag Board, Philip Kolvin, sets Further, until now the data used to understand the night-time economy out a vision for the night-time economy of the future that we think has been entirely lacking or one-sided; used to highlight specific problems Lambeth should use as the basis for its own after dark development. rather than address the potential. Both are essential. This is because without an understanding of the ‘benefits’ (jobs, business start ups etc) it “If the measure of a society’s economic progress is found in its day- has become abundantly clear that there has been limited will to allocate time economy, its cultural and social progress is principally discerned in resources to areas such as strategy, enforcement, data collection etc. its night time economy. For most people, this does not mean Even those who want to see more rigorous regulation of the licensed and resplendent set-piece occasions such as theatre, opera and rock night-time economies advocate, would also advocate greater resourcing. concerts (although these are certainly part of the mix), but the enjoyment of community interaction with friends and family, lovers and Only when a sector of economic or public life is ‘quantified’ do authorities colleagues, to be acted out in the local pub, café, nightclub, restaurant take it seriously (both supporting and/or restraining it): in policy terms or town square. It is here where relationships are formed, friendships “what is not seen cannot be valued”. Yet the night-time economy has consolidated, and triumphs and defeats shared. been the ‘invisible sector’ and, in short, “what gets measured gets done”. The future cohesion of our society… depends on our town centres In practical terms this has meant that most intelligence regularly used by offering attraction and diversity for all sectors of our society, regardless local authorities and others to quantify town centre performance have of age, wealth, colour, ability or sexuality.“ contained a gap where the night-time economy should be. Despite this it is fast becoming an integral part of town centre vitality.

New shopping centres today may contain 30-35% of floor space in food, drink and entertainment. The night-time economy can represent 25% of town centre turnover. But it is still seen by many as a cause of distress – a

17 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

2.2 The national ‘after dark’ landscape and takeaways have been something of a success story (although the

So, if it’s so important to get the ‘after dark approach’ right, both latter bring their own issues of nuisance, crime and health impacts). regulatory and developmental, then what tools exist to help Lambeth? The picture also varies dramatically from place to place. Locally, for

The new Government has put an end to 10 years of liberalisation and example, some of Lambeth’s town centres are very distinctive and appear deregulation in alcohol licensing. The new to have the capacity to buck the tide of austerity has knocked back arts and trend (Waterloo-South Bank or cultural developments funded by the public Clapham), while others (e.g. sector. Meanwhile the plight of the high Streatham and West Norwood- street, in the face of out-of-town Tulse Hill) are closer to the tough development, cut-price alcohol sales in national picture. supermarkets, online shopping and the In this complex and challenging growth in home leisure, was at least partly climate it is paramount that revealed in the recent Mary Portas review of Lambeth uses the policy tools the ‘high street’ for the PM David Cameron. available to it to their greatest

Whilst high street vacancy levels have been effect in order to deliver the kind of averaging 13% and more, pubs have, at after dark economy that is right for each town centre and for the times over the past few years, been closing Exemplar: Waterloo’s ‘The Cut’ with its mix of theatre (such as the Young at the rate of 12 a day – hit by a ‘triple Vic), quirky shops, independent and chain restaurants occasional pub and borough as a whole. This study convenience stores is the almost perfect round the clock high street. Here whammy’ of higher taxation, rising alcohol is ancillary to entertainment and culture, socialising, good food and further teases out what that ‘after useful local services. A national treasure! commodity prices, the smoking ban and dark vision’ might be in subsequent cheap alcohol in supermarkets. Nightclubs sections, but prior to this we set have been even harder hit with late-night bars taking away much of their out some of the tools that are available to achieve a more sustainable trade. Against this negative backdrop cinema, coffee shops, restaurants after dark economy.

18 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 2.3 National night-time economy policy The significance for this study is the additional control this can provide context for planning new development and for deciding on an application for a

• National Policy Planning Framework 2012. This stripped-down change of use. All night-time economy activities are not the same.

government policy document is notable for not mentioning the night- Success depends on the creation and management of a good mix and

time economy - surely an omission. The reasoning behind the NPPF is too many A4 uses in short strips or ‘drinking circuits’ have in particular

to reduce the size of previous spatial plans (e.g. core strategies and have been the root cause of many night-time economy problems. their subdocuments) from 100s of pages to around 30 or so, all

contained within one ‘local plan’. Exemplar: Liverpool’s ‘Ropewalks’ Night-Time Hotspot: An ‘over-density’ of alcohol-led premises (purple buildings) led to a rise in alcohol-related crime (white dots). As part of MAKE’s 2010 study, a decision to ‘get tough’ This study of Lambeth’s after dark economy will be a key supporting on planning permissions and limit A3 alcohol-led venues opening has helped continue a reduction in crime even with less police. document and evidence base for the development of Lambeth’s Local

Plan for and also for its own Lambeth-specific ‘place plans’ (see below)

for each town centre.

• Reform of planning ‘Use Class Orders’. Dating back to April 2005 but nevertheless relevant to this study, the ‘uses classes orders’ are the

spatial system used to divide up all possible land uses in town planning

from housing to offices; nightclubs to laundrettes. The previous 1987

use class – A3 - included cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaways. It is crucial to note that planning has the ability to be much more The 2005 version split this into A3 Restaurants and Cafes, A4 Drinking prescriptive than licensing about the mix of uses, restricting some uses Establishments and A5 Hot Food Takeaways. Nightclubs remained ‘sui relative to others (when properly evidenced). Licensing, however, must generis’ and are treated individually. treat each licence application on its own merits.

19 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

• Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2012. This draws a line under the ‘continental café culture’ experiment of the last

government. It puts back into local authority hands some of the

controls removed by the 2003 Licensing Act; in particular the

importance of local policy, as opposed to top-down national directives

that were linked to a light-touch or self-regulation philosophy.

• Late Night Levy. A key measure of the above legislation, this has gone live recently. It enables licensing authorities to raise a

contribution from late-opening alcohol suppliers towards policing the

night time economy. They may levy a charge of between £299 and

£4,440 (depending on rateable value) on all late-opening licensees in a

local authority area. The levy is to pay for the costs of policing (70%)

and managing the night-time economy, (30%) by local authorities.

There are exemptions possible, including for BIDs, and 30% reductions

for relevant good practice schemes. Islington was the first London

borough to take this forward, though this has now stalled.

Our view of the Levy is that it should only be used as a last resort after

other attempts have taken place to improve public sector enforcement

and partnership as well as giving businesses (directly and through The Late Night Levy: Better as a ‘stick’ held in reserve in order to BIDs) the chance to better self regulate where there are problems. encourage licensees in hotspots to take full responsibility for the impact of their collective premises on community wellbeing.

20 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

• Early Morning Restriction Orders. Introduced at the same time as but this must be taken further with greater investment in brief the Late Night Levy, EMROs allows councils to impose a new terminal interventions and better alcohol-related presentations / admission data.

hour for alcohol between midnight and 6am on areas where there is a • Business-led and partnership vehicles. These burgeoned under problem with alcohol-related violence. Again our view is that this the last government and are generally considered to be effective where should be used as a last resort, but as we set out in the study’s widely supported and providing they have clear leadership. Often findings and the concluding ideas for action, there are areas where this business-led (or council supported), these initiatives include Business could be useful, e.g. Clapham where you have a late night (4 to 5am) Improvement Districts (BIDs), Pubwatch, Best Bar None, Community city economy in a leafy suburban high street. Alcohol Projects, Behave or Be Banned etc. In most metropolitan areas

• Alcohol strategy. The Government’s Alcohol Strategy 2012 continues with a significant night-time economy a selection of these will be the work of former strategies (e.g. Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy commonplace, but not in Lambeth as yet. for ). It marks a change in policy direction based on the

conclusion that previous policies have not worked. It includes a toughening of the policy approach on the regulation of alcohol and sits alongside the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.

• Health and Social Care Act 2012. Under this act local authorities, from April 2013, will take the lead for improving health and coordinating local efforts to protect the public’s health and wellbeing, and ensuring health services effectively promote population health. Alcohol misuse is one of the key concerns.

The work of the Alcohol Summit in Lambeth shows the potential for Exemplar: A recent study by Leeds Metropolitan University has integrated action between professionals and agencies in town centres shown that most members of Pubwatch schemes believe the scheme has been responsible for a reduction of crime in their area.

21 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 2.4 Lambeth night-time economy policy more a case of avoiding overheating after dark and the potential loss of context character as branded investors start to realise its potential. • London Plan 2011 This is an important strategic framework for this Crucially for our study, the London Plan also denotes Clapham High research. The importance of arts, sports, culture and entertainment is

recognised, including the link with tourism, employment in creative Street as a category NT2 night-time economy (i.e. regional /sub

industries and as a contributor to regeneration. regional). The question is, is this compatible with the way the community sees its high street role, its carrying capacity and how does Waterloo-South Bank forms part of the plan’s Central Activity Zone (the this fit with the London Plan’s overall categorisation of Clapham High area of Central London in which the Mayor wishes to see “a rich mix of Street as a much lower hierarchy ‘district centre’? local as well as strategic uses … forming the globally iconic core of one West Norwood and Tulse Hill are cited in the London Plan as district of the world’s most attractive and competitive business locations centres, though with no discernible night-time economy. This is about [and]… the world’s leading visitor destination.” The South Bank’s right at present, but as we set out in the chapter on these two cultural offer is key to this. locations, West Norwood in particular does have the potential to Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea (of which Vauxhall is in Lambeth) is develop a more inspiring local neighbourhood evening offer. designated an “opportunity area” for major expansion (see below). • Lambeth Unitary Development Plan 2007 / Core Strategy 2011 Brixton and Streatham are designated ‘major’ centres (i.e. one serving This lineage of documents will be replaced in 2013 with the new Local a large and well-connected catchment with a significant retail offer) Plan as required by government. And, while new analysis, consultation and with a category NT2 night-time economy (i.e. regional /sub and fresh thinking will be undertaken (including this study), it is likely regional) for Brixton and NT3 (i.e. local significance) for Streatham. that much of the existing spatial strategy will make it into the Local This seems right, although Streatham will need significant structural Plan – a case of ‘evolution not revolution’ (albeit in a shorter changes and investment to deliver a fuller offer, whereas Brixton is document).

22 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

The current spatial strategy seeks to protect A1 retail uses in town centres by limiting other activities. The Lambeth Core Strategy 2011 has sections on each of the centres and summarises key projects being pursued by the council and its partners e.g. the new Library in Clapham. The excerpt from the emerging Local Plan considered by the team continues the concern for the protection of A1 retail and the control of A3/4/5. The team considers there is scope for a more nuanced approach to each of these land uses and the types of activities that are appropriate within them.

• Opportunity Area Planning Framework for Vauxhall, Nine Elms & Battersea This major document was published by the Mayor of London in March 2012. It is for 195 hectares of land on the side of the Thames and promotes 200,000 sq. m of new development, 16,000 new homes, and 20,000-25,000 new jobs. A new town square is proposed for Vauxhall together with improved links to the river and mitigating the negative impact of the traffic gyratory.

The biggest impact is likely to be the scale of new development in the vicinity and the potential this offers for a new heart and role for Vauxhall town centre. The team’s view is set out in the Vauxhall Vauxhall, Nine Elms & Battersea: Central London’s largest remaining section of this study, but in short it is an excellent technical document development site. The Mayor’s Opportunity Framework is a technically fitting that appears eminently deliverable but needs considerable work in basis for change. But Lambeth and partners must work hard to give its realisation a distinctive, exciting and animated street level feel with a real sense turning from a technical plan into one which creates a ‘real’ place, of community, particularly after dark. Only by doing so will it avoid the fate of ensuring Vauxhall becomes a vibrant town centre with a mixed other bland developments such as Canary Wharf, Central St Giles, Southwark Blue Fin or even More London. community of users, rather than simply a soulless investment location.

23 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

• ‘Place plans’, masterplans and supplementary planning documents There are numerous plans that have been or are being prepared for most of the six town centres. However, the economic context has changed significantly since many of these were produced.

The team feels that there is now a need to consider local economic growth more thoroughly alongside physical development, including a clearer role for the night-time economy. This can be done through the borough’s new ‘place plan’ process where each town will have its own locally led plan that sits underneath the new borough-wide Local Plan. Our research ideas for a more sustainable night-time economy, as set out in this study, should be fully considered by each ‘place plan’ team. The GLA’s recent advisory • Alcohol Consumption in the Night-time Economy This excellent paper on the night-time economy. While it reinforces existing study was published by the Greater London Assembly (GLA) mid-way norms that the night-time economy is through our study and provides an excellent context. It is more a ‘problem’, it does show how to measure the benefits as well as costs narrowly-focused, being concerned solely with alcohol consumption, and offers great examples of best practice. It also clearly shows that related harms, associated costs and measures to deal with these. In an most London areas are doing nothing appendix on methodology the authors make estimates of both benefits like enough to understand and manage their after dark experience. Lambeth, and costs. Whilst acknowledging probable gaps in their methodology on taking forward our study, will put itself at the forefront of London they set out figures for London as a whole and for each of the councils serious about their NTE. boroughs within it. Overall for London they estimate the benefits to be £1.6bn - £1.9bn and the costs to be £214m - £285m. They estimate the net benefit for each borough. For Lambeth this figure is estimated to be between £41m and £53m. This is substantially lower than our calculation and we explain why this is subsequently.

24 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

In the main document the authors suggest sources of data for the time economies in other areas of the borough has been highlighted as

creation of a soundly based night time economy strategy. All of these, an issue that needs greater focus and involvement from agencies

and others, have been addressed in our own work programme. They tackling crime and disorder as part of a preventative approach to

also set out five main ways of managing the night-time economy in reducing crime. These plans should be reviewed in light of our study.

order to reduce alcohol-related harms. These are pricing, licensing, • Lambeth Statement of Licensing Policy 2011-14, This sets out premises design and operation, public realm design, service licensing policy for the borough, but work is already under way on the interventions and community mobilisation. next generation of policies – to reflect new Government policies on the

Helpful examples and illustrations are given for each one. Some of regulation of alcohol. The current policy is more developed and

these are addressed in current Lambeth BC policy, but most are not or detailed than the previous version, prompted by the need to avoid

are at an early stage in development, so we outline how and where noise and nuisance impacts on neighbours. Information required by

Lambeth may wish to implement these as part of the ‘ideas for action’ Lambeth from each premises in its operating schedule is now quite

section at the end of this study. detailed.

• Night-Time Community Safety Action Plans The Safer Lambeth There is a specific Later Hours Policy with separate requirements up to Partnership has highlighted three night time economies with specific midnight and after midnight. Impacts to be considered include type of

crime concerns - Clapham, Brixton and Vauxhall. For each area a venue, hours, access, parking, cumulative effect, frequency of use etc.

targeted multi-agency action plan was developed that sets out specific There is a special scrutiny of applications in Brixton and Clapham. This partnership actions to reduce crime and disorder in the night-time includes evaluation of pavement dining/drinking, cumulative impact economy and reduce the impact on residents. These focus on (saturation) (under which a ‘special policy’ was brought in during 2011 prevention, pro-active use of licensing powers, a focus on for Clapham High Street). A strong link is made to the planning control environmental issues and promoting safer, responsible socialising in co- regime in Section 19 and some joined up operations have now taken operation with businesses. A focus on development of new, safer night place between these two departments.

25 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Following our research, which is outlined in the subsequent sections, A ‘sustainable’ (i.e. not alcohol-led) after dark economy that is tailored

our view is that while improved, there is room to go further in both the to each location will be key to success in an era where high street

tone and tenor of the new policy, using more robust language. Indeed, shopping is under pressure.

we also believe the council should introduce ‘off-licence only’ • Business Improvement Districts (right). At the time of the study cumulative impact areas in the north of the borough. ‘Takeaway only’ two BIDs already existed in Waterloo and Vauxhall. Feasibility work is type cumulative impact polices should also be considered in Brixton, underway in Clapham and Brixton and at the time of writing Streatham Streatham and West Norwood-Tulse Hill. had just voted yes to its own BID, which will start work later in 2013.

• Lambeth Local Economic Assessment 2011 This document sets These must be key partners in the both the place plan process and in

out drivers of change that include population growth and key clusters developing rounded town centres where the after dark experience is

in the north of the borough comprising business information, much more fully considered than it has been traditionally by BIDs. management & support, information & communications technology,

architecture & technical, media & creative, events and tourism.

The extension of the East London Line from Surrey Quays to Clapham

Junction is listed, as are the two London Plan Opportunity Areas and

the Future Lambeth programme. Growth sectors identified are business

services, retail, hotels and restaurants, health, education etc. The SWOT analysis picks out town centres as leaders of growth.

As the subsequent findings demonstrate, we agree with this town

centre focus, but much more work needs to be done to shape the right

vision and for each town centre and identify the capacity and delivery

mechanisms to make this a reality (i.e. via ‘place plans’ noted above).

26 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Summary • Until recently the night-time economy has not been fully appreciated “in the round” – its potential as well as its problems. This report gives

a balanced picture of the sector in Lambeth.

• The data needed to help policy-makers manage the night time economy has in the past been patchy and one-sided. This report makes use of recently-developed economic data to fill in the gaps. • Town centres are currently suffering badly from the recession, changing consumer preferences and obsolescence. The night time economy has been hit too, but there are areas of resilience e.g. the restaurant sector. These areas can be opportunities for Lambeth. • The trend towards liberalisation and deregulation of alcohol has been reversed by the current Government and a new menu of measures and controls is available for Lambeth Borough Council to consider. This enhances the Council's role in creating an acceptable nightlife for all.

27 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3 AFTER DARK BENEFITS & COSTS

SECTION 3

After dark costs & benefits

28 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3.1 “If you can’t measure, you can’t • There are costs beyond the scope of this study, such as lost manage…” productivity from alcohol-related illnesses that might be exacerbated by The concept of the night time economy is relatively recent. Measuring the an alcohol-dominated town centre. Similarly we have not attempted to night-time economy is even more recent. TBR and MAKE have jointly measure the contribution of the night-time economy to sleep loss and pioneered the approach, which we call NightMix, which forms the basis distress suffered by residents in particularly active or “overheated” of this study. For Lambeth the topic is particularly important. The Borough centres. has one of the highest-profile night-time economies in London. It also • Inevitably, as research is still in its infancy, there remain further areas experiences high levels of alcohol-related crime and health harms. It is of potential study; such as the extent to which the night-time economy therefore crucial for the Borough to understand the sector better. may contribute to personal wellbeing, enjoyment and conviviality and The approach used in this study is more comprehensive than any other how a well-balanced evening and night time economy can make a yet undertaken. Most researchers just look at the turnover of pubs, bars, place more desirable to live in. restaurants and nightclubs and compare this with the cost of police and 3.1.1 NightMix: How are benefits calculated? healthcare. We go beyond this to include non-leisure businesses that Night-time economy activities benefit the wider economy and community operate after dark and cultural facilities open in the evening. On the cost in terms of employment and wealth creation. In our NightMix model TBR side we include resources dedicated to the night-time economy by the and MAKE have grouped these into two categories: ‘Core’ and ‘Non-Core’. Council.

There are however some caveats: 3.1.2 The ‘core’ night-time economy • Certain activities can be both a cost and a benefit. An example is This comprises drinks, food and entertainment business categories. These parking. The council receives parking revenues (and fines), yet it costs are businesses that earn the majority of their income from trading in the money to operate and maintain car parks and enforce parking evening and at night: regulations. Wherever possible we have sought to address this • Drinks. Drink activities are those operations where alcohol or ’wet’ potential problem. sales are the most important part of a firm’s revenue and the majority

29 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

of sales are consumed on the premises. This category includes bars, • Transport includes taxis (hackney and private hire), commercial car pubs, nightclubs and social clubs. parking, private bus companies and underground rail / light transit are some of those transit infrastructure systems that that are critical to the • Food encompasses a wide range of establishments where food is effective running of cities after dark. either consumed on or off the premises: fine dining to quick service restaurants, cafes (including coffee retailers) to café-bars (if the • Retail Post-6pm retailing is increasingly the ‘holy grail’ of town and majority of sales are food rather than alcohol). city centre managers. This is because in many western cities, even large ones, the retail offer ceases by 6pm and there is often a soulless • Entertainment includes cinema, theatre, opera, dance, comedy, sex gap while the city waits for its evening users to arrive (if indeed they encounter and circuses, as well as the full range of live music from do!). There are some exceptions to this such as convenience stores classical to folk; jazz to pop and rock. This category also includes and ‘small format’ supermarkets that provide for top up shopping and sporting and leisure venues. Traditionally these have not been thought which almost always all sell alcohol.1 of as part of the night-time economy, but even a cursory assessment reveals that gyms, spas and fitness clubs, swimming pools and sports • Support services are also included here including street cleansing, stadia (whether international or local clubs) play an important part in town centre management and events support. With ‘non-core’ activity the post-6pm city. Entertainment also includes casinos, bingo and there is no attempt to apply a post-6pm percentage to these other gaming based leisure. organisations’ turnover so the figures knowingly overestimate the non- core contribution to the night-time economy (and the reason why ‘core’ 3.1.3 The non-core night-time economy benefits are principally referenced throughout the study). However, the Non-Core describes those activities that form part of the supportive supply reason for measuring the ‘non-core’ is to demonstrate the wide range chain of the night-time economy in varying degrees. This includes of sectors supplying the night-time economy and which are reliant, at transport, accommodation, related retail services, business and advisory least in part, and often critically, on its success. services and the public services that deliver regulation and control, waste management, street lighting and medical support:

1 • Accommodation Encompasses hotels, guesthouses, bed & breakfast In Lambeth there are issues linked to the street drinking population consuming high-strength alcohol from some off-licences which is believe to exacerbate issues and self-catered apartments. around aggressive begging, street fouling and public harassment. This explored in more detail in the Waterloo-Southbank chapter.

30 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

• To this end, the night-time economy is an industry like car also almost entirely reliant on how well data is captured and how manufacturing, house building or retail: a ‘b2c’ (business to consumer) forthcoming locations are in releasing that data. In Lambeth, those sector at the end of the economic chain. It is also crucial to note that data gatekeepers are proactive and supportive but the quality and the night-time economy in London is also an important export industry, depth of cost data is a mixed picture. something that is frequently overlooked. This will be particularly true of The following are the main areas of costs involved in supporting the the South Bank where a considerable amount of the money spent is night-time economy. from overseas visitors. • Police Staff salaries (including overtime, tax and NI and pension) are 3.1.4 The TCR database perhaps the most visible costs in managing the night-time economy. They can be divided into the ‘reactive’ (the borough’s dedicated night- The analysis of benefits in this study is based on TBR’s TCR time patrol team, operating the police stations and custody suites at Database. This is a longitudinal data series covering the years 1981 night) and ‘preventative and planning’ e.g. the cost of the borough’s to the present date. This is as close as it is possible to get to the licensing sergeant and a portion of other officers’ time (e.g. chief equivalent of a ‘UK business census’ since it is based on annually inspector, borough commander) attending meetings, briefings and updated information about the performance of UK firms drawn from planning operations for the night time economy. publicly available data and covering circa 2.5 million of the 4.9 million businesses said to make up the UK firm base (BIS 2009). It • In addition to frontline staff costs there are also substantial capital, allows economic measurement down to six-digit postcode level with revenue and back office personnel costs required to make policing after real accuracy. This database is unique in the UK. dark feasible, such as a share of the vehicles, buildings and IT systems, training and equipment budgets. To address this an apportionment of

3.1.5 How are costs calculated? the Metropolitan Police Service’s overall (non staff) budget is derived to Night-time economy cost measurement is much less developed reflect the borough’s take on resources between 6pm and 6am. than benefits modelling, but there are sophisticated national data • Justice system costs are often overlooked. Once individuals who have sets and studies around the costs of crime and alcohol-related NHS been charged by the police for an offence in the night-time economy, costs which are adaptable. Where local intelligence is used, it is whether cautioned, bailed or remanded, a trail through the justice

31 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

system is set in motion. Whether an individual is subsequently found time economy’s role in chronic wholly alcohol-attributable illnesses such guilty or not, there are costs to the taxpayer, not just covering police as cirrhosis) and these should be further researched at the borough evidence-giving and witness time, but court costs, lawyers (including level. Therefore, the study takes health observatory estimates of legal aid), administration and then probation as well as correctional hospitals admissions between 6pm and 6am in the borough where costs if a custodial or restorative sentence is the outcome. In reality, alcohol is a factor and apportions costs uses updated modelling very little of this will be offset, even if a substantial fine or damages published nationally by the Department of Health and the recently are awarded. released study into London’s night-time economy costs and benefits by the Greater London Authority (GLA).2 • For this study, some outline attributions of the likely costs of those arrested in Lambeth’s night-time economy are made. This is done by • Council The final cost-set is that borne by the council. Most obviously taking national ‘costs per crime’ figures and factoring this by estimated this includes licensing and enforcement around night-time economy levels of these crimes in Lambeth’s night-time economy. premises, planning and development control services linked to ‘core’ night-time economy applications. But it also includes environmental • Health is one of the most challenging areas of night-time economy health (for food and noise), economic development, town centre measurement because of the historical lack of data and modelling, management and night-time economy staff. particularly in the UK around hospital presentations and admissions. Other areas where the night-time economy draws on council resources • The admission of patients who have consumed too much alcohol and / • includes cleansing and street scene, CCTV and systems and staff, or drugs, particularly while visiting licensed premises (or consuming events and festivities, as well as opening and maintaining community alcohol from off licences) in the evening and at night, remains one of facilities such as libraries after 6pm, albeit it for a minority of their the most directly attributable routes into the health service from the overall operating hours. Parking is shown although the income and night-time economy. expenditure on this is limited as the council has only three car parks • The second main route into the health service is by becoming a victim and only one of these opens until 10pm. of crime at the hands of somebody who has consumed alcohol and / or

drugs within a night-time economy setting.

• There is a whole range of contingencies that it is not possible within

this study to examine fully (e.g. post A&E care, primary care, the night- 2 Wickham M / GLA (2012) Alcohol Consumption in the Night-Time Economy

32 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Many council costs would exist even without the night-time economy e.g. CCTV would still be required during the day in locations like Brixton and Clapham. Christmas lights can be attributed to the evening economy, as they seek to encourage later shopping. And library opening (like Clapham’s new facilities) after 5:30pm is a cost, but one that benefits both residents and the overall feel of any town centre.

Street cleansing is one cost that can be disaggregated, as much of the detritus picked up in the first pass of the day is the result of the presence of a late night economy. Indeed, many locations are now introducing later night cleansing services to enhance the user experience.

33 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3.2 The economics of Lambeth’s after dark Figure 2. Jobs in Lambeth’s night-time economy Night-time economy Sector 2001 2009 2011 3.2.1 Night-time economy benefits Drink 1,548 1,920 1,799 The following figure shows the breakdown of Lambeth’s ‘core’ night-time Entertainment 1,255 1,239 1,162 economy between each subsector. Food 4,792 5,079 5,057 Figure 1. Lambeth’s night-time economy firms Lambeth Core NTE employees 7,595 8,238 8019 2001 2009 2011 Total Lambeth employees 112,523 120,327 113,626 Drink 216 286 235 Lambeth’s core night-time economy represents about 7% of the borough’s Entertainment 45 35 27 employment total (the UK average is 4%). Food 636 841 727 The number of employees has risen between 2001 and 2011, though not Core NTE 897 1,162 990 as much as the number of night-time economy firms. It’s worth noting Total all types firm 12,525 13,407 10,961 that both firms and employment have fallen back since a 2009 high when Lambeth’s ‘core’ night-time economy accounted for 9% of all the UK economy entered recession. Lambeth firms in 2011. This is a 10% rise on 2001 and is well above the national or even London average.

The following table shows similar information, but for number of night- Key Fact… time economy jobs. 4.500 of Lambeth’ s residents work in the borough’s own night-time economy. This is almost certainly one of the highest actual and relative numbers in the UK.

34 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Overall the night-time economy has performed better in Lambeth is counter to the national trend of a decline in alcohol sales (e.g. with the than the borough’s economy as a whole, and as a sector that should closure of community pubs) and a growth in restaurants. be considered important in the future economic development of the Entertainment (cinemas to bingo, gyms to theatre) showed some borough. Without the night-time economy the contraction in Lambeth’s growth in the last decade but remained static since the recession. economy during the recession would have been greater. The figure below It is important to note that it’s not just turnover of the industry but also shows the sales of Lambeth’s core night-time economy firms. GVA – or gross value added - that has grown in the borough after dark Figure 3. Lambeth’s night-time economy sales economy. GVA is the government’s priority measure of economic NTE Sector 2001 2009 2011 efficiency – what value is being added to raw materials and employment Drink £86.2m £140.6m £138.0m costs by a firm, and so how much real value is it bringing to ‘UK plc.’ Entertainment £93.9m £108.7m £107.4m Traditionally the hospitality sector is a relatively low GVA sector, and while Food £199.7m £239.8m £259.5m this remains the case (compared to say financial services, Total Lambeth Core NTE £379.8m £489.1m £504.9m pharmaceuticals), it provides a range of opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. It is particularly important in a time of recession when Lambeth’s night-time economy turned over half a billion pounds young people (the core employment stream of hospitality and the night- in 2011 (this excludes any ‘multiplier’ impact on suppliers). Despite the time economy) are suffering most from unemployment. recession, Lambeth’s night-time economy sales have also continued to grow over the past two years. This makes it rare amongst Lambeth’s own Over 2001 to 2011 the Lambeth night-time economy has sectors, and even rarer amongst UK night time economies which (outside delivered increased GVA to a level of 40%. The rest of the London) have nearly all shrunk since 2009. economy has increased GVA by 4%. Therefore it is promising that Lambeth’s GVA in the night-time economy Counter to many perceptions, Lambeth’s night-time economy is segments of drink and food has risen by 60% and 38% respectively. This dominated by food-led businesses. However, while both food and shows that it is not only a large employer, but also a sustainer of many alcohol–led sales have both increased in the borough over the past firms and a crucial part of the South Bank and town centres such Brixton. decade, it is drink firms that have seen the most substantial increase. This It is also outperforming most other industries in the borough.

35 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

However, there are legitimate concerns about the rise of such an Clapham has a large number of efficient and growth-oriented drinks subsector, at the expense of very large and efficient ‘high health and community concerns. This is addressed in more detail in volume vertical drinking premises’. They have high the Clapham section, where data shows the alcohol-led night-time turnovers and are highly profitable, but at what costs to economy has grown even faster than the borough as a whole and that it is health, crime and nuisance? this Clapham growth that is driving the change in the borough figures.

Finally, it is worth comparing against two similar boroughs, neighbours Southwark and Wandsworth. Both of these are relatively central, have northern frontages onto the Thames and stretch southwards into a residential hinterland.

Figure 4. Gross Value Added for three similar London boroughs

Borough 2001 2009 2011

Lambeth £129.1m £165.1m £179.0m

Southwark £114.8m £126.5m £147.1m

Wandsworth £100.7m £131.0m £126.2m

London £3,787m £4,511m £4,580m

All three follow a similar pattern, however, Lambeth has shown much better efficiency gains than the other two boroughs, with a 40% increase in night-time economy GVA (from a £129m in 2001 to £179m in 2011).

Later in the report each of Lambeth’s identified NT Economy centres has its own economic data featured and analysed.

36 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3.2.2 Night-time economy costs staff etc. that the centralised Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) provides to all London’s boroughs. Below are the four areas of night-time economy expenditure addressed by this study: police, justice, health and council. By apportioning the overall costs of the MPS by borough and factoring this 3.2.3 Police costs by relative borough levels of crime (as a proxy for resource distribution

Figure 5. Lambeth NTE ‘frontline’ policing costs (i.e. Richmond upon Thames does not require the same level as Westminster or Lambeth) and then multiplying the total by the fraction of Costs 2011 crime that can be reasonably linked to Lambeth’s night-time economy, we Staffing - preventative & planning £245,000 get the following costs. Staffing - reactive £305,000

Total £550,000

Overall, the cost of the ‘frontline’ officers dedicated to both planning and policing the borough’s night-time economy is relatively small at just over half a million pounds annually. This is because the borough has just one dedicated night-time economy patrol on a Friday and Saturday nights. In one sense, given the size of the borough’s night-time economy, this is a relatively small number of officers and the study makes recommendations elsewhere (e.g. in the Clapham chapter) as to the number, visibility and early intervention tactics of officers policing the borough’s night-time economy.

However, these are only local ‘frontline’ staff costs; there is no share of other force-wide costs such buildings, vehicles, managerial and admin

37 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 6. Lambeth night-time economy operational costs night-time economy, but they operate during the day. For example, senior management from the Chief Commissioner downwards, CID and Expenditure area MPS Costs (£) Lambeth Lambeth investigative staff (forensics etc.), analysts who will be involved in the share (£) NTE (£) follow up after a crime or in prevention operations. Officer salaries 1,963,791,000 61,368,469 16,569,487 So why show these figures if they are not directly attributable to the night- Staff salaries 799,567,000 24,986,469 6,746,347 time economy? Because although most of these base level operating costs Total staff costs 2,763,358,000 86,354,938 23,315,833 (e.g. salaries, revenue and capital costs) would be required even if the Employee expenditure 36,036,000 1,126,125 304,054 borough (or London) did not have a night-time economy,3 there is no

Premises 216,460,000 6,764,375 1,826,381 doubt that by creating a more sustainable night-time economy, the

Transport 66,070,000 2,064,688 557,466 borough’s ‘take’ on these centralised resources would be less and (if repeated across London, the overall costs for after dark poling by the MPS Supplies & services 399,377,000 12,480,531 3,369,743 could be reduced substantially. Financing costs 42,241,000 1,320,031 356,408

Other pension costs 34,288,000 1,071,500 289,305 This would reduce the overall budget of the MPS and / or allow it to invest in other priority areas. Ironically, the cost of officers policing the night- Total operational costs 794,472,000 24,827,250 6,703,358 time economy is small; it is the ‘hidden’ subsequent costs of crimes Total police costs 3,557,830,000 111,182,188 30,019,191 committed in the night-time economy where a reduction in incidents The night-time economy ‘support costs’ figure of around £30m of the would have the greatest financial impact. borough’s £100m take on the MPS’s £3.6bn expenditure comes with a large number of caveats.

Most obviously, the actual cost of dedicated night-time economy officer time (£550k) in Lambeth is clearly a small fraction of the borough proportion of £16.5m that is derived above for all officer salaries. Why does this gap exist? There are a number of reasons, but the main one is 3 I.e. to deal with retail theft, fraud, street drinkers, domestic abuse, serious that staff from a huge number of centralised MPS functions support the organised crime, counter-terror and so on.

38 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3.2.4 Justice costs Overall the figure for night-time economy related justice costs appear high For the purposes here, ‘justice’ costs are taken from the Home Office’s at around £62m for 2011. If we remove the ‘victim impact’ and look purely research into the cost per crime and updated for inflation to 2011. The at the cost of services and lost productivity as the result of incidents in the costs were then multiplied only against ‘night-time economy ‘linked’ crime borough’s night-time economy, the figure is £18.5m for 2011. types for 2011. The factoring we have used is specific to Lambeth’s night- The justice costs (not withstanding personal or social costs) of the time economy (i.e. in and around the borough’s NTE hubs from 6pm to borough’s night-time economy are dominated by serious violence against 6am rather than across the borough as a whole and throughout the day). the person (80% of the total). While there are night-time economy crime For example, Lambeth’s night-time economy has a strong association with types with more incidents (e.g. theft), the cost of dealing with violence is sexual violence, but clearly not all rape and other sexual offences take hugely disproportionate. place in the night-time economy and the factoring takes this into account. It is worth noting here that unlike our benefits figures, for which we have Figure 7. ‘Worst case scenario’ night-time economy costs a very robust methodology, we do not use these factored ‘negative externalities’ in our headline estimates of the cost of the borough’s night time economy. This is because at present there are too many caveats for them to be overwhelmingly reliable. We know that the figures are likely to be in this range, but our recommendations is that the borough and its health partners, in partnership with an academic institution, undertakes a further piece of work to drill down into these initial costings to provide figures that have a ‘gold standard’ solidity.

39 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Counting the ‘after dark cost’. Robbery, criminal damage and assault are the most frequent crimes in Lambeth’s night-time economy, but it is the latter that creates the greatest cost and personal impact. Lambeth and the Met are right to concentrate on reducing alcohol violence as the top ‘after dark’ priority. Initiatives such as investment in a night time economy crime reduction manager is a great place to start, particularly given Lambeth has not been as close to the night-time economy management cutting edge as other large city locations such as Liverpool, Nottingham or Birmingham.

40 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3.2.5 Health costs

The health costs presented here exclude a large number of ‘hidden’ costs which, due to the limitations of the study cannot be pursued. For example, unlike the police costs, it is not feasible to apportion a share of the operating costs of those hospitals that serve the borough’s night-time economy. Like the police, this would almost certainly raise the ‘real’ health costs of the night-time economy many times over.

The best fit here is to take the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in the borough and apply the most established percentages for the likely amount of these that have taken place in the night-time After dark specialist health services. The NHS organisations that economy. We can be certain that these are therefore considerable serve Lambeth (Guys & St Thomas, NHS South East London and Kings underestimates but are defensible. College Hospital) have variously invested in night-time economy related interventions such as alcohol recording (following the Cardiff These are then multiplied by Department of Health figures for the typical model), brief intervention treatments and alcohol specialist nurses at A&E. cost per incident. It does not include potentially huge costs for This shows forward thinking at a time when some locations are cutting reconstructive surgery, subsequent GP visits, nor as noted in the back. The challenge is to maintain and enhance these services and, introduction, any associated costs with alcohol or drug related illnesses. crucially, to more accurately and consistently collect and use that data to better target problem locations and night-time premises.

41 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy Figure 8. Lambeth night-time economy ‘critical’ health costs Figure 9. Lambeth night-time economy ‘critical’ health costs Council function Expenditure NTE Total NTE Health cost Incidents NTE NTE Cost Total NTE (- income) factor cost (£000s) 2010/11 factor incidents unit cost 2010/11 Alc-paramedic (£000s) 2258 60% 1,355 £349 £472,825 callouts Licensing £125 90% £113 Alc-related A&E 4794 60% 2,876 £105 £302,022 presentations Trading standards / £900 30% £270 Alc-related environmental health 1684 15% 253 £1,400 £353,640 inpatient stays Planning, regeneration and £3,544 20% £709 Total £1,128,487 enterprise Street cleansing £3,450 33% £1,139 Overall, the costs of critical night-time economy care (simply getting Libraries £4,487 5% £224 people to hospital, admitting them if serious enough and then the cost of Christmas lights £105 100% £105 CCTV £100 50% £50 keeping them in the hospital until they are discharged) were at least £1m Community Safety NTE budget £148 in 2011. This is relatively evenly split between the three areas. Total £2.757m

Theoretically, by reducing the number of paramedic call outs by a third £2.6m of a £300m+ budget is relatively low. For example, City of Sydney could fund three nurses to provide brief interventions at hospitals in the Council (i.e. Greater Sydney’s equivalent to Westminster) spends borough that would have a proven effect on further reducing alcohol- (Aus)$1m alone each year on its New Year’s Eve fireworks display. related admissions and health harms. When put in these terms, it provides While currently any additional call on council finances is limited, the a stark incentive to shift the borough’s night-time economy away from one amount dedicated to proactively develop the borough’s night-time dominated by alcohol consumption, towards one that is more balanced. economy (town centre management, night-time economy manager and 3.2.6 Council costs studies such as this) appear to be disproportionately small given the Council costs for Lambeth’s night-time economy are shown below and relative importance of the night-time economy to the borough as outlined given a ‘night-time economy factor’. They do not include an overall share in the benefits section earlier. There is clearly room here for carefully of back office, capital costs etc. but they do account for income which considered additional expenditure or reallocation of resources given the offsets the total costs (e.g. licensing fees). economic story emerging from this study.

42 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

3. This difference in statistics should cause an increase of at least c2.6 3.3 TBR-MAKE NightMix vs. GLA models times in the GLA benefit figure if total revenue is used as the factor basis. The Greater London Assembly undertook a costs and benefit study of This is based upon the calculation that average GVA across all businesses London’s night-time economy (specifically around alcohol-led night time in the TBR-MAKE NightMix model is 29.9%. economy) in 2012 as part of wider work by its health improvement board. 4. Source data for the two models should deliver similar broad quantums Whilst it is interesting to compare GLA vs. NightMix, these two approaches although the TBR-MAKE NightMix model is likely to be more accurate in its to cost benefit calculation use very different factor definition for the detail. modelling. Both are valid methods of measuring different facets the night- time economy, but below we set out why they differ. This is because the GLA model relies heavily on data from the government’s own Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). 3.3.1 Benefits Although BRES is reasonably accurate, and tracks quite closely at overall 1. On the benefits side of the comparison, the GLA model is based upon a UK levels to our own TCR database (on which NightMix is based), BRES is calculation of Gross Value Added (GVA) rather than sales revenue. based on a relatively small UK sample (around 40 times smaller than the In studying this calculation basis GVA at the London level we see that the 3m businesses in TCR). Therefore at the local level it can never hope to be GLA model produces aggregate GVA, which is only 38% of the TBR-MAKE as accurate as TCR. NightMix calculation. 5. However, in practice this difference in approach generates a different Other than mathematical error the only reason for such a difference is that top-level picture in the models but the reality is not that different. The the business activity base in the GLA Model is more restricted. There are differences are in what is selected to be measured. different approaches to GVA calculation but they would not produce such The TBR-MAKE NightMix model reflects all costs of business operation, a large difference. which account for the related income of suppliers to the NTE core firms, 2. The TBR-MAKE NightMix model uses total annual sales revenues earned since sales revenue covers costs plus GVA. by our definition of ‘’core’ night-time economy businesses which is NB. In a few statistically unimportant cases at this level this would not be exclusively focussed on post 6pm. service providers. true to the extent that all the businesses made after tax losses but this The TBR-MAKE NightMix model excludes accommodation provision, which would be an extreme and unlikely scenario. is in the GLA Model.

43 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Without the ‘core’ night-time firms as defined in the TBR-MAKE NightMix NB. We do not overlook in this brief review that most of the benefits from model this income from purchases and related jobs would not exist. taxation are not included in the GLA Model (e.g. business rates; taxes; corporation tax; personal taxation) 6. The second key difference on the benefits side is the definition of what constitutes a ‘core’ night-time business. For purposes of comparison we have excluded any tax-derived benefits in the TBR-MAKE NightMix model, although these are considerable and we The TBR-MAKE NightMix model has a justified focus that excludes all have applied theme elsewhere in our work, e.g. Sydney. activities that do not fall within the standard industrial classification (SIC) for sub sector definitions covering entertainment, drinks and food 3.3.2 Costs businesses. The broad approach that is taken by the two models is again similar.

The GLA model includes what TBR-MAKE would call ‘Non-Core’ NTE 1. The GLA model is concerned with the impact of alcohol related activities that are dependent or related, such as accommodation. activities whilst the TBRMAKE NightMix model is concerned with NTE

7. The GLA model also factors in what it calls ‘consumer surplus’, which economic measurement. increases the size of the benefit side of the equation in its model. 2. Accurately identifying and measuring costs remains a major challenge

This is a relevant concept in considering the ‘social value’ of the NTE but across the costs subject. One would be forgiven for believing that research we do not feel we can include it as a measurement factor in our economic and data are readily available. They are not. analysis. 3. Both GLA and TBR-MAKE identify the same key factors such as crime,

As the GLA model states 'it measures the pleasure that people get when hospitalisation, justice and other public service factors. they drink alcohol - from the associated socialising with friends and There are a number of other related factors such as days lost at work but family'. from an economic analysis point of view it is doubtful that such factors

The 'pleasure factor' serves to underline the underlying difference in the should be considered. purpose of the two models. 4. However, the plain fact is that because of a paucity of data (both local

The TBR-MAKE NightMix model focuses on the differences in economic and national) many of these costs cannot be calculated and therefore any costs and benefit that are generated by these activities. The GLA Model is view of their explicit relationship to the NTE economy is difficult to agree. driven by concerns with the alcohol context.

44 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

5. In studying the GLA Model one reads many caveats about the ability to measure accurately, together with repeated statements of 'not valued' e.g. lost economic output; chronic alcohol illness; impact on family and relationships; sale to underage; transport related costs; negative or positive tourism costs.

6. The TBR-MAKE NightMix model specifically covers the elements of crime, health, justice and public services and these are aligned with the GLA model where possible.

As with the GLA model there are many caveats in the TBR-MAKE figures since they are difficult to estimate without positive stakeholder help at very local levels.

If we simply apply the GLA Benefit:Cost Ratio (BCR) to these figures then the Lambeth ratio works out at 5.4 : 1 in this example.

The GLA model suggests the BCR for Lambeth ranges from 6 - 9.2 : 1.

3.3.3 Conclusion

Clearly there are considerable differences between these models. We would argue that the GLA model substantially underestimates the economic benefit of the NTE.

However one must remember the purpose of the GLA study, which is entitled 'Alcohol consumption in the Night Time Economy', is different to the purpose of the TBRMAKE model, which is to assess economic impact without drawing any conclusions about the cross agenda issues of business development and business regulation.

45 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Summary Summary

Lambeth’s night-time economy:

• Is worth £500m and provides 8,000 jobs (more than half for locals).

• Is a critical part of (and has performed better than) Lambeth’s wider economy.

• Is food not alcohol dominated despite a strong drinks sector.

• May have over expanded in certain geographical areas in the alcohol- led subsector. • Presents a major opportunity to create more jobs and support the borough’s economic strategy, if carefully managed.

But…is…

• Costing the borough considerably, particularly in terms of ‘hidden’ police and justice costs (though it has limited demand on ‘frontline’ police costs). • Particularly suffering from the high cost of (mostly alcohol-related)

violent crime. • Probably under-supported (in terms of proactive development) by the council and partners.

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4 THE SIX TOWN CENTRES 4.1

SECTION 4 The six town centres

47 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Clapham: ‘Night-time explosion’ SECTION 4 The six town centres: Clapham

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4.1 Clapham: Night Time Explosion

Clapham is one of the capital’s most desirable suburbs. Halfway between Lambeth’s northern Thames boundary and Streatham in the south, Clapham has a population of around 50,000 in a range of neighbourhoods focused mainly around the 220-acre prime public greenspace of , Clapham Old Town and Clapham High Street. Clapham, above, for 200 years a leafy suburb based around This chapter looks at the evolution of Clapham from rural idyll to its famous common, aspirational suburb and its current incarnation, which embodies both of and today, below, with its city-size night- these, but with the added challenge of now hosting one of South London’s time economy operating till 5am. largest night-time economies.

4.1.1 Clapham then…

Clapham has been a settlement in its own right since Anglo Saxon times, its high street a rare kink (to avoid a stream) in an otherwise straight Roman road from London to Chichester.

For many centuries it housed only a hundred or so residents before the plague forced out central London residents and it further expanded to be a wealthy Surrey village in the 17th and 18th Century only to be subsumed into London in 1889.

49 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

It has long had an attraction the wealthy and notable. Samuel Pepys, Sir cinemas (The Majestic). It had a sliding roof, which was opened on Charles Barry and Edvard Grieg all made their home either on the common summer evenings before the 2nd World War, and had a very fine Compton or in its Old Town. There were strong associations with radical thinkers, in Organ that was played during the intervals in films. particular around the abolition of with resident William Wilberforce In short, Clapham’s history is, with its large open spaces, trees, suburban leading a Christian march from the Common against oppression, location and old town mansions, as well as its well-kept terraces and social something that seems quite at odds with today’s hedonistic hub. housing, rather quiet. It is not the kind of place you might expect to find The railways arrived in the middle half of the 19th century and made what looks like a little bit of Ibiza or Falaraki on a Saturday night, yet… commuting from more distant towns in Surrey and Sussex into London possible and so while the wealthier moved further out and it became a quiet suburb for the middle classes studded with grand mansions dotted between famous ‘estates’ such as Thomas Cubbit’s , one of South London’s most attractive family locations then, and now. In the 20th century the area became increasingly mixed, with more social housing being built and today there remains a mix, not simply the wealthy.

While Clapham Old Town may be the geographical heart of the town, since the development of Clapham High Street this is now the thoroughfare and the commercial centre of Clapham. It is here that Clapham’s first cinema was built in 1910, a building that has served a whole range of uses until its current owners Sainsbury's built the architecturally cutting-edge building that now anchors the whole street.

The area has a long association with the evening economy, with what is now Infernos nightclub being for many years one of the town’s numerous Infernos nightclub: in the middle of Clapham High Street; a professional and proactive venue, but how did a 1,500 capacity nightclub end up in the middle of a suburban district high street?

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4.1.2 …Clapham now

Clapham’s’ gentrification in the 1980s remains one of the most radical and complete in London, perhaps with only Notting Hill or Islington comparing in scale and rapidity. The list of new notables is much longer than its 18th century equivalent, with Vivienne Westwood, JK Rowling and Damon Hill all now resident. However, the majority of those who have moved into the area are young professionals (particularly Australians and Irish over the past two decades) and students, occupying split houses and flats.

Part of the attraction for residents and visitors is the connectivity, with historic links to Victoria and London Bridge as well as the northern line serving the town until midnight. It has TfL’s the highest ‘Public Transport Accessibility Level’ rating (PTAL) of 6.

The East London line has been extended to Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road in the Old Town, opening in December 2012. Cabs are frequent though the area (though some refuse to stop later at night – see below) and the night bus service, which is critical to many of those who now visit the area for its night time economy, is extensive.

Clapham’s night-time economy has grown exponentially over the past twenty years, particularly in the high street. It has not only got bigger, for example, by licensed venues taking over retail (e.g. McDonalds was Marks & Spencer), but it has changed type (many restaurants now operate as bars). It is this change that is at the crux of Clapham’s current and future challenges. The perfect mix? While the High Street needs work, Clapham by day generally has a good mix of shops, restaurants, traditional pubs, local services and a fantastic new library (top left).

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4.1.3 Composition new library, excellent art house cinema and a Saturday market on Venn Street selling fresh produce. Today’s Clapham High Street has around 250 frontages. Of these around

40 are active licensed premises (food, alcohol and entertainment led). This Clapham has the great advantage of being somewhere that could work makes it exceptional. This is higher than full town centres like Romford, (because of its catchment and population diversity) from early morning till

Kingston or Croydon, let alone a suburban neighbourhood town centre. say around midnight or 1am for a whole range of, mainly local, user groups, a bit like Highgate, Richmond or Notting Hill. The GOAD plan overleaf shows this very clearly. A GOAD map is essentially a way of breaking down land use into its various planning However, currently the situation, as this chapter shows, is fundamentally categories, e.g. retail (A1), commercial (e.g. banks - A2), alcohol-led (A3) different to this. But what is crucial is that in an era of change for the food-led (A4) and takeaways (A5) etc. As can be seen the quantity of dark ‘high street’ nationally, Clapham works as a proper neighbourhood town blue (licensed uses) is large and they are spread throughout the town centre serving primarily local residents. It has neither the infrastructure, centre, with some very large premises included. not the spatial setting to act as one of London’s leading night time destinations, though there is no reason why it cannot be an attractive Partly because of its vibrant night-time economy, Clapham town centre place to visit in the evening. has one of the lowest vacancy rates of all centres in Lambeth (and

London) with around 4% of units vacant (nationally is 14% at time of To allow Clapham to have become such an intensive night-time writing). This indicates that it has apparently weathered the recession economy hotspot has been a mistake and one that needs to be well. However, it does have a much lower proportion of comparison retail addressed over time. This chapter concludes with a ‘way forward’ units than the national average and this relatively small selection reflects that sets out how this might be achieved. the centre’s primary role as a local shopping destination, sometimes looking a bit tired, albeit with a handful of outstanding retailers. There is a

52 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 10. Clapham’s balance of NTE land uses

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Figure 11. GOAD map showing Clapham’s land uses

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4.1.4 Economics Overall, the number of ‘core’ night-time economy firms (i.e. pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas etc) barely increases from 2001 to 2011 (from 134 to Our own NightMix economic data for Clapham reveals the true changing 145). Yet, within this figure alcohol-led businesses increased by nature of the town. NB these NightMix figures include all of Clapham not just Clapham High Street and they also show all businesses not just those almost a third while entertainment fell (albeit only by two firms). 4 fronting the street, unlike the previous GOAD map. The employee figures also highlight an important change: alcohol-led Figure 12. Change in Clapham’s NTE employment and turnover businesses have become larger employers while food-led ones stay around Year Alcohol Food Entertainment NTE the same size (again this is contrary to the national picture).

Firms 2001 35 93 6 134 The story of a shift towards larger, more profitable night-time 2011 46 95 4 145 economy venues, particularly in alcohol-led sector is also clear in Change 31.4% 2.2% -27.0% 8.5% annual turnover, which almost doubles between 2001 and 2011 Employees 2001 320 765 177 1,262 2011 436 766 64 1,266 (from £16m to £30m), while food increases by only £8m. By the end of Change 36.3% 0.1% -63.6% 0.4% the decade, turnover in alcohol-led businesses now almost matches food Sales (£m) 2001 £16,252 £25,651 £9,331 £51,234 led businesses (again this is the reverse of the London trend). 2011 £30,048 £33,872 £4,449 £68,369 Change 84.9% 32.0% -52.3% 33.4% Alcohol-led GVA (GVA can be used as a proxy for profitability) shows a GVA (£m) 2001 £5,553 £10,576 £2,753 £18,882 starker picture, with alcohol-led firms driving an even greater increase 2011 £10,383 £13,021 £2,268 £25,672 relative to turnover, suggesting perhaps more investment, more efficient Change 87.0% 23.1% -17.6% 36.0% business models etc.

So in Clapham it is not just the number of alcohol-led premises which is 4 NB. The NightMix data for each town differs to GOAD, because it also includes high for a neighbourhood town centre, but that their scale and efficiency the town’s hinterland and here we find firms such as community pubs, corner takeawasy. NightMix also includes firms abover ground level and head offices of is closer to what one might find in say Nottingham or Liverpool city centre. NTE firms which may not be apparent simply by walking down a high street. Therefore the NightMix figures are nearlly always larger than the ‘high street’ focused GOAD.

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Overall, while alcohol and food are both strong performers, entertainment remains a weak subsector that is underpowered. This is different to the town’s strong history in cinema, dance and theatre. This also reflects local people (see next section) and businesses that feel that the town needs something more diverse than alcohol and food options.

Therefore the question for Clapham, given that it is overheating and is a major alcohol-related and theft crime hotspot for the borough, is how it can deliver change and increased value though quality rather than more drink-led growth. For example, how can the quantity of alcohol-led venues A surprisingly limited entertainment offer Once home to numerous cinemas and music hall events, today Clapham’s main entertainment be limited and their operational style changed to better suit Clapham’s role attraction is the crucial Picturehouse Cinema (above). There is also a limited live music offer and as part of restructuring the area’s after dark as a neighbourhood town centre rather than continue as a misplaced offer, securing more entertainment led venues should be key. major night-time economy destination? Below, Komedia, in Brighton and Bath offers a multi-genre entertainment venue that specifically attracts a diverse crowd, including families, from morning till 1am. It is the kind of offer Clapham really needs.

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4.1.5 Clapham High Street vs. Islington Upper Street warrant most attention with Upper Street much better provided for in terms of its balance towards food outlets (both locations have very few In order to provide a useful comparison, we contrast economic data for take aways). Clapham High Street / Old Town and its immediate catchment with Figure 13. Night-time economic comparison between Clapham High St vs. Islington’s Upper Street which has a similar catchment. The reasons for Islington Upper St choosing the two locations were as follows: Drink Food Entertainment NTE The similar length of inner suburban high street. • Clapham High St 46 95 4 145 Firms • An affluent catchment, although both with some Upper Street 42 115 4 161 social housing. Clapham High St 436 766 64 1,266 Employment Upper Street 344 2,041 41 2,426 • Upper Street has a more attractive feel to its public realm that might point the way for Clapham. Clapham High St £30.0m £33.9m £4.5m £68.3m Sales (£) Upper Street £25.1m £86.4m £3.2m £114.8m • Both have a mixed offer, although while Upper Clapham High St £10.4m £13.0m £2.3m £25.7m Street’s retail offer is stronger, it too is increasingly GVA (£) Upper Street £8.6m £32.6m £1.3m £42.4m dominated by the night-time economy.

However, it’s not just the number of food firms, Upper Street also has • Because like Clapham, Upper Street is perceived to be overheating, almost 3 times the turnover and employment in its restaurants, indicating Islington Council have sought to address this with a similar stress

policy, but they are also considering a Late Night Levy. both larger format outlets, but also a more premium product, which Clapham residents say is missing from their high street (see next section). The following table shows some fascinating comparisons between these two seemingly similar areas. In particular, it is the food comparisons that

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This is important because while both locations have public order and alcohol-related health problems, it does show that there is considerable potential for Clapham to sustain more food. The critical difference is that while Clapham is primarily a ‘drinking destination’, Upper Street combines both drink with being a ‘food and theatre’ destination, with the Almeida

Theatre and high end dining too.

While Islington is now seeking to reduce the impact of its drink-led economy, so that it can focus on a healthier, safer and more community and visitor focused food-led experience, Clapham has first to grow such a reputation for food, while at the same time reducing its own drink-led Superficially similar. On the economy. surface Islington (left) and Clapham (right) seem quite alike: However, the opportunity exists in Clapham for those alcohol-led venues a cinema, many bars and a few takeaways. that currently are competing on very similar terms (e.g. mainly price, However, the analysis shows that Islington has a much greater lateness), to change, particularly if a Business Improvement District is able range and depth of food such as to build a food profile for the area over time and the regulatory regime is the Alemeida restaurant (bottom right) and the Alemeida theatre toughened considerably to place much greater scrutiny on alcohol-led (bottom left). venues.

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4.1.6 What users and non-users want from Clapham! Crucially, the only areas where visitors and residents clearly wanted to see To understand better what local people and visitors to Clapham think the less of a specific use was for bars (particularly for younger people) and town needs, a street survey of 440 users and non-users was undertaken. fast food restaurants (of which the latter Clapham has relatively few given

Full results are shown in separate appendices available from Lambeth the scale of its late night economy).

Council. It is clear that the proliferation of alcohol-led venues noted in the previous

The key outcomes were that most people felt, as the figure below shows, section has impacted negatively both on many visitors and residents’ that there was a need for more community and family friendly styles in perceptions. the evening and night-time economy as well as better restaurants. ‘Live music, comedy and performance’ is the number one after dark entertainment request from residents of and visitors to Clapham. Figure 14. What venue style of Clapham needs more (or less) of

More Less Same Live music / performance / comedy venues 307 18 102 Fine dining restaurant 219 29 185 More for families / under 18s 213 44 148 More / better community / sports facilities 200 7 234

Later opening shops 194 19 212 More / better cinema provision 182 10 235

Family restaurants 171 55 197 Traditional pubs 156 28 244 Bars for older people 139 76 205 Bars for young people 93 99 239 Fast food restaurants 66 156 212

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When asked (below) about what else (beyond night-time economy When asked how safe people feel in Clapham after 6pm, the majority of operational styles) Clapham needs to make it a better place to live in people feel safe in the evening. At night this changes and there is work to (after dark), more police and lighting come out as most important. This do to improve this. It can be a benchmark for measuring progress in ties closely to observations from the night-time audit (see later in this changing Clapham’s night-time economy. section) and businesses’ view that the police presence is minimal in Figure 16. Feelings of safety in Clapham after dark (1 = least safe, 5 = Clapham. Indeed, most night-time economy destinations of this size would most safe) (434 respondents) have at least two officers on duty from about 7pm (providing early intervention policing and 4 to 6 as the night progresses.

Figure 15. What NTE interventions would make Clapham better after dark? (434 respondents)

It is important to note that most of those questioned when they were using the town centre at night (i.e. half of the 440 people interviewed were spoken to between 6 to 10pm) do not find Clapham unsafe.

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There is a clear perception issue here; that those interviewed during the day (and who are mainly locals) have a much higher tendency to think it is dangerous, perhaps because it does feel intimidating, or alien, or perhaps because they simply don’t go out in the evening.

When asked what deterred people from using the town centre more in the evening or at night, those who gave an answer overwhelmingly said that it was due to drunks and drunken behaviour (rather than crime per se).

So while Clapham is hugely popular with one group (18-35 year olds, Nottingham – a leader after dark. Nottingham sought to programme its mainly from beyond Clapham), it struggles cater for others (both locals pre-eminent public space, The Old Market Square, with after dark events all year round, including a partnership with the BBC called Big Night Out, which is and older visitors) and, crucially, it is the behaviour of this one group that specifically for older people and their families. appears to deter higher usage by older people (combined with a limited They have also gone as far as designing the public realm with input from older people too, asking what would make it work for them in the evening. Design non-alcohol offer in the town). ideas incorporated include minimal level changes, high differentiation lighting for visually impaired users, lots of seating and toilets open in the evening. The results strongly suggest that by changing the dynamic of the night- time economy away from an alcohol, providing more community, quality food and family focused activities, Clapham could become a safer and safer feeling place which is more relevant to the local population and in keeping with its historic role as a neighbourhood centre.

61 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.1.7 Night-time economy demographics Figure 17. Clapham socio-demographics Ward “Older Senior “Successful “Single house Part of understanding the right kind of evening and night-time economy Professionals” singles” sharers” for any area involves first understanding the local community as well as Clapham Common   situating a place within its citywide context. Clapham Town  As we see from its history, Clapham has been a relatively sedate, leafy Larkhall    suburb with an historic old town and vibrant retail high street, with a small However, observing the current users of the night-time economy (see selection of pubs, cinemas and shops serving mainly local people. following section), it is clear that there is a mismatch. While there are It cannot be overstated how recently, and in such an unplanned or numerous ‘successful singles’, there are few visible ‘older senior anticipated fashion, Clapham has gone from affluent but mixed professionals’. Indeed, many of those using the night-time economy neighbourhood to full-on late night clubbing destination. venues are ‘skilled working class’ (or ‘big night outers’) looking for

One way of identifying if there is a mismatch between the ‘offer’ and the something that might once have been provided by, say, Croydon but population is to examine the ‘socio-demographics’ of Clapham’s local which Clapham now offers a more aspirational version of. There are also catchment. those that Experian call ‘urban intelligence’ (i.e. students or young

To do this we used Experian's ‘Acorn’ socio-demographic classifications for professionals starting out in life).

Lambeth’s towns. Acorn divides households up into 61 categories e.g. It is clear that Clapham serves those who moved to the area for nightlife ‘Asian enterprise’, ‘single house sharers’, and ‘welfare borderline’. well, but for the others (e.g. ‘Older Senior Professionals’), the offers seems Below is the profile for Clapham’s residents, which reflects its somewhat mismatched. Indeed, while the ‘successful singles’ may have predominantly wealthier older resident and young professional catchment. moved to the area for the nightlife, it may now be that many of them are I.e. most people fit into the following 3 of the 61 categories. increasingly finding that it no longer serves those needs as they gain more responsibilities at work and start families.

62 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.1.8 Crime • The peak of crime is between 1 and 2 am (20% of total for 12 hour evening and night-time economy period). It is critical to put it up front: Clapham has a crime problem. It is not a • Friday night / Saturday morning and Saturday night / Sunday morning wildly dangerous place and the chances of being a victim of crime, if you account for about three-quarter of all crime. are outside the core 18-35 group using the night-time economy, are small. • Crime types are dominated by theft and ASB. ABH and malicious That is because the majority of crime experienced in Clapham’s public wounding are much lower. spaces (both the street and in public accessible business) are either • For 2011-12 ambulance call-outs are hugely concentrated Clapham alcohol-related (perpetrators and victims) or theft from night-time High Street. economy users. While it’s impossible to put an exact estimate on it, it seems reasonable to However, it is hard to believe that Clapham, leafy inner London suburb suggest that Clapham town centre should have no more than a quarter of that it is, can be found in the same crime league as Waterloo-South Bank its current crime levels if it is to reflect London’s other mainly affluent (with its 40m visitors a year) and Brixton (with its gritty urban edge). But inner suburbs such as Battersea, Wandsworth, Primrose Hill, Notting Hill, it is, albeit Brixton’s crime can be considerably more serious. This is not a Putney or say Chiswick. Perhaps only our comparator location Islington sustainable picture. The next four figures show that: has similar challenges. • Clapham is the 3rd highest crime area in Lambeth, after Waterloo- South Ban and Brixton.

• There is a major concentration of incidents around the High Street and the Underground stations.

• Statistics provided by LBL and police for March to September 2012 suggest the premises experiencing highest amount of crimes (in descending order) are Infernos (the largest venue), Aquum, Revolution, Café Sol, Two Brewers and So UK Bar & Nightclub.

63 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 18. Clapham crime by time of day & day of week Figure 19. Clapham ambulance call outs

64 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 20. Clapham crime by hotspot

65 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.1.9 Clapham night-time ‘audit’ THOSE WHO DO NOT EXPERIENCE HOW To avoid this THEIR TOWN CENTRES FUNCTION AFTER we undertook DARK, ARE OFTEN THOSE MAKING a ‘night-time POLICY FOR THE NTE audit’ in Clapham based Experience of how a place really works is essential in order to answer questions like: on a simplified version of the ‘gold-

• What sorts of people are out and about after dark (and who is not)? standard’ Purple Flag methodology.

• Where are the opportunities to reduce crime through better design? We brought together officers,

• How do (intoxicated) people interact with the public realm, street furniture and traffic? councillors, police, local residents, night-time economy businesses and • Are the door supervisors professional and in control, properly briefed by the police at the start of the voluntary groups to tour Clapham evening and effectively using their RadioLink scheme if available? from 6pm on a Saturday evening • How are the police operating, are they using an early intervention approach or just reacting to incidents? through until 4am on Sunday • Is the lighting adequate, not just in terms of acceptable levels of lumens as specified by highways morning, when many socialisers departments, but for people navigating safely, to help deter crime? are trying to find their way home. • What types of leisure, retail and cultural offering are missing, given the likely or potential catchment? The following pages highlight the • What are the real gems that could be encouraged further? observations, concerns, good The list is almost endless, so is it any wonder that licensing, planning and policy decisions taken in practice and assets of Clapham offices during the day are so often ‘day-biased’, partial or just inappropriate for the night? after dark...

66 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Clapham High Street is busy with traffic moving quickly through its Locals are shopping at Sainsbury’s, many purchasing food and wide lanes, creating a hostile pedestrian environment at the limited drink for a night in, while the occasional young man leaves and crossing opportunities. There is a strong feeling that this space’s walks unsteadily from the weight of a 24 pack of lager under purpose is not as a shopping, leisure and commercial his arm, probably for a house party or maybe to pre-load neighbourhood centre serving the needs of the large local before a big night out. population first (which it should be), but that it is designed to smooth the flow of other people’s (motorised) lives through the heart of a community. (Contrast this with Exhibition Road or

Kensington High Street where traffic has been de-prioritised to the benefit of the quality of public realm and local user experiences).

Clapham High Street just doesn’t seem to be somewhere you would go at this

time of day to meet friends, it seems wholly transitional. Where are the locals

having a coffee or a drink after a day in the West End or having taken the kids to Saturday sports? Ah, there they are, a few at least, in the pubs of the Old

Town – but can this not be extended into the high street?

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Crucially, despite Clapham’s demographics showing The pavements are just about wide enough to carry the footfall at this time of that families do live locally, there appear to be none day; they won’t be later. While the light remains, it is easy to see that there out using the facilities that do exist, such as the are few shops open (contrast to Brixton where many shops including Morley’s cinema. And, like the consumer survey, it is clear that department store are open until 7pm, even on a Saturday). this early evening offer is fundamentally missing from Nobody appears to be making use of the limited pavement cafe options and, most of Clapham, particularly the High Street. although it is autumn, this doesn’t stop other locations, from Brighton to

Manchester, having a vibrant early evening offer.

68 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

The fine new library (right) by architects Egret West.

with its transparent frontage and public art, is lit but

remains empty, closing as it does at 5pm on

Saturdays.

It now adds very little to the street. Could it not

have had a broader community use in the early

evening – a space for local groups to use? The restaurants, such as they exist on the high street, are Representatives of Clapham Methodist Church reasonably busy. An older clientele (below) show the team around their fantastic glass (in their 30s to 50s) are eating. fronted space that fronts the high street. But afterwards, where do they go? Currently it is mainly used for church events, but the They are rarely to be seen in the bars or even the pubs in any local minister wants to offer it as a ‘safe-space’ for numbers after 10pm. the night-time economy and a base for a potential

street pastor scheme. There are very few branded restaurants, which is normally It’s probably the best-located and fitted space in the UK for that purpose. During the study it was clear encouraging and reflective of local independence, but in Clapham it that local residents were against the idea, but this feels like they are scared to invest has been overcome and the safe space has been in what should be a ‘no brainer’. created! Next step: street pastors…

69 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Venn Street (right) provides an example of how better quality public space attracts a better type of offer and a more discerning clientele, with restaurants such as the

Rapscallion, Gastro and Kasbah appearing to attract a more local following. Yet

Venn Street Records, while a great looking and sounding bar, sits incongruously on this street, and while it would be at home in Shoreditch, it is out of place in its current operational style in Venn Street.

70 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Back on the street nobody is greeting socialisers when they are arriving The ‘party crowd’ are starting to arrive. This is early. Most or setting out expected standards of behaviour, for example, PCSOs, locations, following the relaxation of licensing laws, don’t pastors, street wardens /angels or police. This needs to be corrected start to liven up until 10pm, often with partygoers arriving because at present, while the door supervisors are well organised and having massively preloaded. And, while some of those in professional, it doesn’t feel like anybody is in control. Fortunately, there queues are intoxicated, it is by no means a scene of is no street begging that blights other parts of the borough. drunken incapacity on the streets…yet.

The volume of people drinking outside all

the alcohol-led premises, from around 8pm

until 3am, is huge and often exacerbated

by the smoking ban.

Even for the likes of a ‘dedicated’ night-

time economy precinct, such as

Birmingham Broad Street, this would be

challenging, but this is a neighbourhood

town centre with 10,000 frequently

intoxicated individuals.

This makes walking up and down the west

side of Clapham High Street almost

impossible without being forced into the road, street furniture or crushed against

cars. And it’s not yet 9pm!

71 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

The street’s ATMs are under severe pressure.

More problematic are the queues that force people out into the road or cause flashpoints as people, often intoxicated, try to push through.

Secondly, they make an ideal location for ‘dippers’ and pickpockets to single out victims, a practice which is known to be a serious problem in

Clapham’s NTE.

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Around 100 people are queuing for Infernos, the town’s main venue, before 9pm. This is very early for a nightclub; most clubs now expect queues after midnight. It’s testament to Infernos’ party reputation and the quality of night it offers. 80% of customers are new (i.e. never been to the club before), and are often from Surrey, Essex, Croydon and West

London, which is astounding and suggests strongly how Clapham has changed.

We step inside to see a well-run operation. Entry process entails identifying every 1 in 4 customers by digitally ID scanner and the club with its 1,500 capacity has 100 staff on a

Saturday night including 25 security personnel. This is key as one of the main crimes in the nightclub was found to be dipping when women are dancing. There is also a free clutch bag check. This shows the club in a proactive light trying to protect customers.

Outside, the club does its best to manage the queue, splitting it in front of neighbouring premises such as McDonald’s (right) to allow people to use these venues. But this flags up one of the main challenges facing Clapham’s night-time economy: the infrastructure wasn’t built for this quantity of people, and certainly not at night.

73 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Clapham is much busier The High Street is already much dirtier Marina, a 22 year old student is handing out ‘2 for 1 now, and with its most than pre-6pm, with wrappers, shots’ cards for Souk Bar at the junction of Venn Street. diverse crowd of the newspapers, boxes and food left around What is Clapham like for her? “Well it’s okay, I tend to a fair bit of abuse; you get evening: a mixture of the from 8pm and increasingly cans and pretty horrible stuff from some men who think they can few over 40s using some of bottles of alcohol left before people enter say what they like“. the smaller bars in the Old venues. Some form of street cleansing Is she ever afraid? “At times yes, but not that often, Town, but with the younger could be incorporated on Fridays & 18+ crowd already there are plenty of people around I guess”. How much is Saturday at 7-8pm and early morning dominating. she paid? “£6 an hour.” (Sunday) on the High Street and nearby Nelson’s Row. She’s not the only one giving our flyers and while not like Falaraki (yet), it’s hard to understand why a

neighbourhood centre has people flyering for night-time

economy businesses; suggesting over-competition and a

lack of diversity.

Because parking restrictions do not operate into the

night in many locations near the town centre, it becomes

difficult for residents to park on Fridays and Saturdays

after 8.30pm. Visitors, customers and employees of the

evening economy park in these spots causing difficulties

for residents who may be returning from an evening out

elsewhere. However, if this was changed, where would

others park?

74 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Because there is no pre-evening for ‘door supervisor briefing ’ Some younger people are leaving Clapham for other late night attended by police (e.g. best practice in Brighton) it is difficult clubbing locations (such as the Ministry of Sound which has a to assess support for partnership working. ‘feeder bar’ in the town).

For example, are other shops / stakeholders included in the This suggests three main types of user from around 10pm to

Clapham Licensing Forum, such as McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, midnight: a few locals looking to get a drink on their way home taxi providers, the Church etc? from the cinema or a restaurant (or who have arrived back from a night in the West End), those who use Clapham as pre-clubbing The answer is generally no but this would give a more holistic meeting place and those who have come to the town for a big view to problem solving and better partnership working. night out.

While the atmosphere remains

friendly, the level of intoxication is

now substantial. It is hard to identify

somebody who has not consumed

considerable quantities of alcohol.

One of the real concerns is the

number of people who run across

Clapham High Street from the main

clusters of bars on the west side to

the east side either to hail a cab or

to visit one of the other bars. It is

only a matter of time before there is

a very serious incident here.

75 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

It’s at this time that ‘A3 to A4 creep’ starts to be visible,

particularly towards the northern end of the high street. A4 creep

is where food-led venues turn, chameleon like, into bars. And, in the case of around six or seven venues in Clapham, they turn into

de facto nightclubs with dancing and very loud music. This needs

to be challenged and existing planning (rather than licensing)

permissions enforced. There is judicial precedent around this.

This A3-A4 creep is exacerbated, according to a resident we meet, A text message is received via Bluetooth around in summer when the bars use their very loud sounds systems to midnight outside of Infernos with an LBL crime & pump out heavy dance music and their sliding doors are pulled disorder safety message. This is a great idea to fully back. This is where a small local high street starts to feel like expand ways of promoting safety, but should we a clubbing strip in Ibiza or Falaraki. be promoting the use of mobiles outside busy venues given the level of theft. This needs re- thinking?

A trip up Bromell’s Road (parallel to the High

Street in the Old Town) reveals evidence of theft as an empty wallet found without cash but with driving licence and credit cards still in it.

76 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

This is now peak time. There is a level of chaos more often seen in Given a 30mph limit, the volume of fast moving traffic

provincial city alcohol-led night time economies. Littering is considerable and a high level of intoxication this creates chaos. Other locations, from Doncaster to Plymouth, have closed off but because of the limit of takeaways the high street it is not out of control, something that must be maintained through stringent planning streets with this number of intoxicated people as a temporary safety measure, but this is not an option here. and licensing controls.

The long-term solution is to change Clapham into a local town centre with a modest, food-led evening and This confusing and increasingly difficult environment is exacerbated by the midnight/1am night-time economy, but in the short term location and type of bins, signage and the solution would be enforce licensing laws around bike racks which are often large, bulky intoxication, to reduce the speed of traffic and provide a and unused at night. This needs to controlled place with taxi marshalls to hail a cab, e.g. the new library, Manor Street or Stonehouse Street. change.

77 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Venues and the street A young woman in her 20s has been assaulted, blood is pouring from her nose Many black cabs are remain hugely busy, and she may require surgery. This is the only ambulance call out this night to turning their lights out often feeling more Clapham High Street. Police from Vauxhall arrive in van – the only police that but clearly have no like the West End, are seen all night. Statements are taken and she is taken into the ambulance passengers, which is a

Soho or Shoreditch for treatment. classic technique to than a community avoid picking up high street. drunks.

This means that non- Urination is a serious licensed taxis are problem in Clapham High picking up girls putting Street and the Old Town.

The absence of public them at risk.

toilets becomes clear There is no ‘one stop around midnight to 2am shop’ for mini-cabs when men are caught short. (Urine trails left are either other than the

very common). three taxi shops, but

The community toilet when asked for cab to scheme helps but the pop- nearby (a up toilet that is not ten minute journey) it currently used needs to be was a 45-minute wait, resurrected by the council and / or any future BID which is unacceptable. and the 20p toilet made free.

78 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

At this point, the north end of the high street has more custom. The

late night drinking venues have people heading towards them. Yet

there are still perhaps 2 to 4,000 people in the various bars and out in

the street, with many of those who aren’t taking buses waiting until

the first underground trains of the day from 5am to get home.

Bus stops are now busy with many of those going home, queuing as real time information from TfL helps people know when their bus is due. In some locations this works well, but in others it is a real Reflections… issue with blockages on Clapham feels like a location that is great fun pavements. for the majority of people from out of town

who visit it. Generally, the bars attract people

who don’t get into fights. But the public realm, the levels of intoxication, theft and the density and scale of night-time economy are

out of all proportion with the kind of town

centre Clapham was just 15 years ago. How

can it regain control?

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4.1.10 Management, infrastructure and planning There is no single model of night-time economy management that can be Best Practice: Birmingham transferred wholesale between locations. However, there is acknowledged Broad Street night-time BID best practice that has worked elsewhere (e.g. Broad Street overleaf), and, until recently virtually none of these have existed in Clapham: Broad Street in Birmingham had a problem. It became the city’s pre-eminent nightspot in of less than five years at the end • Clear leadership and night-time economy ownership. of the late 90s decade. The infrastructure couldn’t keep up; licensed • Wider community engagement. premises proliferated, as did alcohol related violence. • A vision for what the night-time economy should look and feel like. • A night-time economy plan to make the vision happen. Police and council ‘suggested’ it became the first night-time only • Effective policy (planning and licensing) to support the vision. BID in the UK in order to avoid punitive regulation. Resources for quick wins to build consensus behind the plan. • Operators were resistant at first – to paying a small but additional • Strong enforcement of existing police and rules. levy. However, the council and police made clear to them (behind • Public realm improvements. the scenes) that if night-time economy businesses didn’t up their Clapham still performs poorly against a number of these criteria but the game and address issues like Radiolink, dispersal and cleansing then council has recently sought to make improvements: the authorities would be left with no option but to follow a course of • It has commissioned the development of a BID. punitive enforcement rather than a more constructive format. • The library has been completed (a community heart and later opening, at least on weekdays, with urban living above). Businesses realised that the writing could be on the wall and if they • A Cumulative Impact (or Stress) policy to limit new alcohol-led were to avoid heavy-handed regulation they would need to form the development has been introduced. BID. • More joined up licensing and planning enforcement is now taking place. The BID was skilfully brought together and now provides a whole This is positive, but there is still a long way to go. Following a case study range of services, mainly during the night but also during the day to of Birmingham’s Broad Street, the final section suggests ways forward. members, and has built strong relations with the authorities and partners such as the concert halls and and hotels nearby.

80 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Broad Street in

Birmingham has not only addressed many of its crime problems, but the BID now contributes to cleansing, taxi marshalling, feature lighting, wayfinding and activities that enliven and broaden its appeal at quiet times.

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4.1.11 The ‘ideal’ Clapham – ‘A Moodboard’

It is up to the community to create a town centre 6 to 9am Commuters leaving for work, animating 9am to 5pm Parents vision, but shouldn’t it look a bit more like this? the street; coffees and breakfast being ordered. stopping off for a coffee on their way home from playgroup, 1am to 6am ‘Quiet time’. kids on their way to Most visitors have left, and from school, residents get a good night’s older people shopping sleep and the streets can be for small items using cleaned ready for the next services such as the day. At weekends this might bank. be as late as 2am, but not

5am!

5 to 9pm A truly 11pm to 1am A small diverse community, number of later bars serving with all welcome: discerning drinkers looking young families visiting to extend their night with a the early showings at quality, not volume, drink the cinema and offer and a genuine food having a meal, with offer. older people visiting a restaurant or having a pint or two of real ale 9 to 11pm Those who‘ve in a pub, young been to the local cinema or singles or couples into the West End are to be using the casual found catching a later drink dining options before or perhaps a curry before visiting a later cinema making their way home for a showing at the quiet night’s sleep. Picturehouse.

82 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 4.1.12Way Way forward Forward: Clapham

In our view Clapham has four potential ‘after dark’ futures:

1. Maintain the status quo (i.e. some enforcement but limited planning, management and infrastructure improvements). 2. Allow a ‘free for all’ (limited enforcement) but put in the infrastructure to allow very large (perhaps even larger) numbers of young partygoers to dominate. 3. Adopt a highly aggressive regulatory environment for licensed premises and invoke considerable further enforcement that seeks to ‘weed out’ premises. 4. Introduce a short-term management plan to handle the excesses of the current situation, while seeking a wider community vision for the town centre as a whole, which is likely to deliver a family focused evening economy, with (over time) a reduced number of late night bars, operating to earlier closing times. We believe the only solution looks something like option 4. All the others either perpetuate the current problems or risk damaging the viability of the town centre (when high streets no longer have the investment and retail function of the past). Clapham is at the point where it needs a masterplan / vision document (what Lambeth calls a ‘place plan’), not just after dark, but for its whole future…

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Way Forward: Clapham Given the development of the BID, the range of community groups and landowners, there needs to be a wide-ranging consultation that answers questions about the night-time economy and beyond, such as: • What will be the role of Clapham High Street in 10 or 20 years? How will this fit with the Old Town and neighbouring locations? • How will retail decline be arrested (if at all) or what will fill the voids? • How can Clapham’s’ round the clock (but not 24 hour) offer better fit the demographics locally and meet the needs of current and future residents, while still being attractive to visitors, but in a more controlled way? • How will such a vision and place plan fit with the London Plan, the new Lambeth Local Plan, the transport plan and the council’s own economic strategy? • How can the proposed BID help create a viable town centre from 6am to say 1am (late night cessation TBC), with clear functions at different times of day but with a smooth transition? • How can the town be enlivened for locals, for example a night market on Venn Street (see the one in Bermondsey Square) and festivals as part of a plan to change the demographic to which the town appeals? • What will success look like? • How will such a vision and place plan be delivered in an era of funding austerity?

84 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy . Way Forward: Clapham

However, while a Clapham Place Plan is developed, there are some quick wins for Clapham, to be delivered by public agencies and the BID when live: • An updated night-time management plan addressing the issues identified in this study.

• Under this introduce best practice schemes such as Yellow / Red Card for warning / banning offenders; a radionet scheme to support this and enhance coherence; street pastors and a safe space (hub) for them to operate out of; door supervisor briefings to enhance cooperation, fund wardens / ‘meet and greeters’ to enhance the customer (and resident) experience.

• Maintain the cumulative impact (saturation) area and enhance licensing enforcement to ‘weed out’ and review weak operators. • Maintain the Night Time Economy Officer role until crime is substantially down.

• Enforce planning consents more robustly to address ‘A3 creep’ (where restaurants are now operating as de facto late night bars or even clubs).

• Public toilets are required – funding should come from the NTE-private sector, as it is their customers who are creating the problem. The 20p toilet should be free in the meantime.

• De-clutter the High Street – this would be a winner for residents, businesses and visitors. • Allow time for a BID to address NTE problems before introducing the LNL / EMRO.

• Aim for Purple Flag in two to three years as recognition of changing the dynamic of the town. All these quick win and long-term interventions are set out in the final chapter of this study: Next Steps: ‘Ideas into Action’.

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Bringing together the community in Clapham - residents, businesses (day and night-time), voluntary sector, the council, police and other public agencies - to create a ’place plan’. This should map out a future where the ‘after dark’ experience of the town fits better with the wider community aspirations for the town.

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SECTION 4 The six town centres: Waterloo-South Bank

87

Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.2 Waterloo-South Bank: Making connections Hungerford footbridge, is key to the connectivity between Waterloo &

Historically Waterloo was comprised of a number of marshlands, hence South Bank and the tourist heartland of the West End and Charing Cross much of the area was known as Lambeth Marshe and this survives today Station. Indeed, it is easier and more natural to cross the Thames towards and forms one of the area’s key evening economy hubs around Lower Waterloo & South Bank than it is to leave the confusing and fragmented Marsh. This difficult terrain meant that for many centuries, as much of mess that is Waterloo and navigate to either to the South Bank or the Cut- London was developing to the north of the Thames and to the east in Lower Marsh. Southwark, that this area was left untouched with only raised roads There are four geographically distinct but interconnected (albeit at times passing though it. barely) hubs of activity within Waterloo.

Towards the end of the 18th century much of it was drained but it was • Waterloo Station, which is the ‘elephant in the room’, a huge benefit only at the start of the 19th century, post Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon (and potentially a larger one if re-engineered) but a huge obstacle to in Belgium, that the name of Waterloo was affixed, initially by naming one the creation of a fully realised destination. of the original Lambeth council areas after the victory, then in the naming • Lower Marsh, which serves the surrounding neighbourhood as well as of Waterloo Road (which is key to its spatial nature today) and probably office workers at lunchtime and a small number of visitors at night most significantly in the naming of the station. (particularly Tunnels being a major recent venue here, The station, which has been rebuilt a number of times (never with ideas of which has sadly closed – hopefully only temporarily). public realm clarity, navigability and quality of experience in mind), was • The Cut features two of London’s best theatres: The Old Vic and the originally constructed in 1848 and has become the UK’s busiest station New Vic, but also a range of upmarket dining and retail experiences with 90m passengers a year. It has recently had a leisure terrace added to and considerable residential accommodation. it featuring around 20 new shops and bars. It was only after the opening • South Bank, with its mix of world class culture, chain restaurants, of the station that the area became known as Waterloo. riverside walks and distinctive but at times confusing public realm. opened in its earliest incarnation in 1817 and was at that time called the Strand Bridge. Today the bridge, along with the

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4.2.1 Policy, planning and management Figure 21. Waterloo & South Bank development sites 1. Waterloo Waterloo Supplementary Planning Document Station 2. Elizabeth Lambeth Council has been consulting and has set out the planning policy House framework for development activity in this area through a Waterloo 3. Shell Centre Supplementary Planning Document (right). The plan shows 15 potential 4. Southbank Art development sites – some, like the station, major ones. Elizabeth House complex has recently received planning permission and other schemes are in the 5. St Thomas’ Hospital pipeline. 6. York House Taken together, the fifteen sites, plus the proposal for a new Town 7. Becket House Square, have the power to transform the appeal of the area in the evening 8. Founders Place and at night - numbers 1, 2, 3, 14 and 15 especially so. The priorities are 9. 2-6 Hercules Road to reduce the feeling of intimidation, overcome severance, improve 10. 111-141 pedestrian connections and animate the edges of buildings and structures Westminster at street level. Bridge Rd 11. Doon St. The festive character, which has been carefully developed on the South 12. Coin Street Bank, can colour the whole area. Waterloo Station itself is key to this Neighbourhood Centre transformation. Already the new mezzanine within the station has added a 13. Gabriel’s Wharf new dimension to its appeal, but its magnificent exterior remains bleak & Prince’s wharf and forbidding. Lambeth Council’s Supplementary Planning Document is 14. Union Jack Club/Mercury House Waterloo Rd an excellent start to what should be a flagship scheme for the centre of 15. Cornwall Road. The Cut London and the South Bank.

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Evening and night time public realm improvements A public realm strategy should go hand-in-hand with new development proposals. The map overleaf outlines how this might work. The routes at ground level across the Station (no.2) should be opened up to connect Lower Marsh with South Bank. The Waterloo Road façade (no 4) should face out with shops and cafes. In front of Waterloo Arch (no 5) is the location for the Town Square – an opportunity to banish the intimidating experience of crossing the road to catch a train at night, or visiting (via underground tunnels) to reach the Imax Cinema.

Some improvements have already been carried out at no.6 where the roads converge. This is a natural place to create another pedestrian piazza and draw the Old Vic Theatre and the Cut into one with the specialist shops and global cuisine of Lower Marsh.

The future success of the area as a destination is bound up with the implementation of proposals for Waterloo Station: the mix of night-time economy activities it contains, the quality of active frontages at street level and improvements in pedestrian linkage across or beneath the station. David Chipperfield’s designs for Elizabeth House and Waterloo Arch Square are This is particularly important to the rear to Lower Marsh/The Cut and to to be welcomed from a placemaking and traffic mitigation perspective. But it is the front across to the South Bank. There is the potential to create a crucial for the night-time economy that the ‘public gallery’ space shown here is open in the evening to retain users in the area. If it is closed it will only add to world-class destination in keeping with other national cultural centres but the sense of this area as a ‘rush-through’ space for commuters and central at the moment both day, and particularly at night (when it is forbidding), London visitors. it is a long way off this.

90 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 22. Waterloo & South Bank spatial character assessment

1. The Cut: different consumer markets: travellers, social

3 housing, affluent residents, office 5 workers during the day and culture seekers in the evenings and at weekends. 2. Dominated and constrained by Waterloo Station & rail lines. 4 Separate, distinctive sub areas to be opened up better to Lower 1 Marsh and The Cut. 2 3. Needs to link better to South Bank to reach potential as 6 destination, though some notable improvements. 4. Development in and around station is key to improved appeal and connectivity, given role of station as centre for shopping, eating and drinking. 7 5. Town Square proposed by Mayor at Waterloo Arch. Can it be a ‘real’ town square? 6. Second key space at Waterloo Road/ The Cut and Lower Marsh. 7. Animation during the day through street markets in Lower Marsh and at RFH. Night market proposed for Lower Marsh.

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Street drinking better than their regular saturation policy for pubs and bars in another There are clear implications (which were brought out in the stakeholder part of town, with no new off-licences being granted since its introduction. consultations and business survey) that street drinking is a real issue for This is included as a potential intervention in the ‘Ideas into Action’ section businesses, residents and visitors, as well as of course for drinkers’ health at the rear of the document. and safety. Waterloo Qtr Business Improvement District There are 10 late convenience shops in Waterloo. They are mostly The area has a very strong business improvement district in Waterloo Qtr, independents and nearly all of them are selling alcohol throughout the day which works closely with the South Bank Employers Group to advance the and evening. Some are 24 hours. It is clear that there is overprovision brand, reputation and safety of the area. The BID is currently addressing a here given that the ‘legitimate’ core audience for these shops are the small range of issues from street drinking to noise management. number of local residents and the worker take-home market. In particular, the themes that the BID is pursuing and of which we are Recent raids on some of these shops have also found both illegal products most supportive are its initiatives to try and animate the area after 5pm and illegal migrants working in some of them. e.g. a night market in Lower Marsh. While it is only possible through licence review to remove a licence, there However, we would also strongly encourage the BID to continue to lobby is the possibility of limiting future off-licence applications. This would for appropriate street level development and operational uses that suits compliment existing measures (such as the Bishop’s homelessness task the evening and night-time economy in all new development plans and force which is trying to get rough sleepers and drink dependent people off proposals. The BID is the only voice strong enough to ensure that the the streets). night-time economy, which is often misunderstood by planners, This can be done via an innovative ‘off-premises only cumulative impact masterplanners and developers is properly built into the area’s future. The policy’ (similar to the ‘on ‘ trade’ special policy covering pub and bar BID has already demonstrated it really does understand this and should licences in Clapham). This has been very successful in both Blackpool and continue to play to this strength as the area develops, if it to become one Leicester .The former location (where it was introduced to reduce of London’s top after dark destinations. domestic violence in specific neighbourhoods) claim that it has worked

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4.2.2 Economics sales. Much of the former is due to the historic nature of the entertainment and culture sector here. However, the latter is due The figure below shows Waterloo & South Bank’s huge dominance over considerably to the expansion of the South Bank’s food offer since the the borough’s night-time economy and its London-wide significance. To ’s refitting, as well as the growth in restaurants in the put it in context, the turnover of the ‘core’ night-time economy business in Cut and Lower Marsh. this geographically tight area is similar to the revenue generate by all NTE firms that make up whole local authority areas like Hull, Cambridge, As a result, there are 167 night-time economy firms employing 2,340 Greenwich, Norwich or Preston. people. This is nearly 6% of the area’s 42,676 overall employees.

Figure 23. Waterloo-South Bank NTE jobs and turnover However, although Waterloo & South Bank is the strongest of the night- time economies in Lambeth, its performance could be even stronger given 2011 (exc *) Drink Food Ents NTE the relative size of the local employment base, its adjacency to London’s Firms 30 126 11 167 tourist heartlands and the flow of people generated by the station.

Employment 209 1,610 536 2,355 For example, the Waterloo & South Bank economy overall contains 38% of Lambeth’s employment (and together with Vauxhall it is nearer 50%). Turnover (% of borough) 10.0% 56.2% 29.4% 29.8% And, this has grown over the last ten years, whereas many of the Turnover (£) £151m borough’s smaller centres have declined (in general employment terms not Turnover (£) *2001 £83m NTE jobs). So there are still opportunities to better tap into this huge daily inflow of commuters as well as relying on the traditional tourist market. Core night-time economy sales turnover in Waterloo & South Bank was just over £150m in 2011, up from £83m in 2001. This is a huge 82% Waterloo stands at the head of the employment pyramid in Lambeth (both increase, and possibly the largest percentage night-time economy uplift general and night-time economy) and it is likely that its capacity for for a major location in the UK over that time. further growth (in absolute rather than relative numbers) is greatest. Given its location it makes sense for Waterloo to become a strategic Waterloo’s night-time economy sales revenues are by far the greatest in centre for the night-time economy in Lambeth along with neighbouring the borough, with over half its entertainment and almost a third of food Vauxhall.

93 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.2.3 Spatial analysis It is important to note that these GOAD figures do not include the South This analysis uses GOAD map data (overleaf) to show the current night- Bank which is an omission from GOAD’s national mapping. However, time mix in order to understand the wider land use balance at street level. despite this, the following picture emerges: Figure 24. Waterloo (not inc South Bank) NTE land use5 • Waterloo Station outlets account for over half of the visible units in Operational style No % Land Use Traditional pubs 9 10 A4 Waterloo – 58 out of 90 (obviously if South Bank was included this Food-led bars, cafés & branded food 9 10 A4 would rise by around 40 units). pubs Nightclubs & late venues for under 25s 0 0 Sui Generis • Quantity and quality of cultural attractions (e.g. Old Vic and New Vic) Family & global restaurants, coffee bars 39 43 A3 is clearly exceptional, even without the South Bank. Fine dining 6 7 A3 Fast food take-aways 9 10 A5 • Quality dining is particularly significant with several quality Cinema, theatre, concert & dance 3 3 D2 restaurants, global cuisine and international food in and around the Live performance: pop music & comedy 0 0 D2 Cut. Late-opening museum, art gallery, 0 0 D1 library, education & community venues • Lower Marsh maintains a distinctive with ‘village atmosphere’, quirky Late-opening shops & markets 10 11 A1 Sports, leisure & fitness venues 0 0 D2 and specialist independent shops and restaurants. Amusements, bingo & casinos 0 0 Sui Generis • Whilst many improvements have been made to the South Bank Betting shops 5 5 A2 Centre, away from the Riverfront, it still retains a slightly intimidating Totals 90 99 atmosphere after dark – a place to get through rather than to stay in

and relax. It is hoped that the development of the Town Square

connecting it to Waterloo and the redevelopment of the Hayward /

5 NB. NightMix data for each town differs to GOAD, because it also includes the will address this. town’s hinterland and here we find firms such as community pubs, corner takeawasy. NightMix also includes firms abover ground level and head offices of NTE firms which may not be apparent simply by walking down a high street. Therefore the NightMix figures are always larger than the ‘high street’ GOAD.

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Figure 25. Waterloo land use GOAD

95 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.2.4 Demographics

The population of Waterloo & South Bank is limited due to the high numbers of offices, leisure, retail and cultural institutions; therefore typical demographic analysis is not possible to a reliable level. However, of those few people that do live here there is a clear mix between older residents and some families in social housing (both council and housing association) and those living in the small number of newer upmarket developments.

Demographically, our analysis does not find a mismatch between what is There is a broad mix of social and private housing in Waterloo, with terracing, offered to the local community in the evening and at night. Indeed, with estates and new-build apartments. Excellent recent work by Waterloo Qtr BID Lower Marsh and the Cut as well as the South Bank it could hardly be and residents has led to a first rate scheme to mediate between licensed better for food, entertainment and convenience shopping). And, because premises and locals to sort out problems that occur in the night-time economy. there is no ‘late night’ economy near the social housing here this It is a first class example that should be taken up across London. However, challenges remain around street drinkers and a large numbers of off-licences. minimises (though not eliminates) the level of impact on residents in the early hours.

However, there are challenges, particularly with low-level anti-social behaviour, noise from licensed premises in the evening and street drinking, all of which are addressed in the Way Forward section at the end of this chapter.

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4.2.5 Crime crimes such as robbery (mugging) but also ideal for antisocial behaviour and drug dealing. This underlines that the physical impact of Overall crime in Waterloo & the South Bank is the highest in Lambeth and those is not just about an unpleasant feeling environment, but one that is also one of London’s hotspots: is also unsafe to pass through. Figure 26. Waterloo & South Bank crime by hotspot • While much of the crime around here takes place throughout the day, the main incident types after dark are theft and anti-social behaviour, both of which are particularly linked to the presence of a tourist / visitor dominated night-time economy.

• Despite the relatively low numbers of alcohol-led premises (and a different more mature user group to both Lambeth’s and central London’s evening and night-time economies), the area does still have too much alcohol-related violence.

• There are considerable issues with street

• Concentrations of crime are in the busiest areas: Waterloo Station and drinking in the area and suggestions are made later in this chapter at the Millennium Wheel. about how this might be addressed in addition to existing local • There are also problems around Waterloo Bridge where the warren of measures. pedestrian tunnels is both ‘criminogenically’ conducive to predatory

97 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 4.2.6Way Way forward Forward: Waterloo-South Bank Waterloo-South Bank contains world-class arts and cultural attractions and is Lambeth’s leading employment centre. But it is fragmented and far from an integrated destination after dark. Yet it is an area of Lambeth with significant development potential and it is crucial that when this happens plans address both its fragmentary nature as well as providing a cohesive evening and, where appropriate, night-time offer. Our after dark proposals are as follows: • Public realm improvement and integration is paramount. The updated Waterloo SPD (2013) addresses this but delivery is key, particularly around pedestrian navigability, lighting of crime hotspots, underpasses and alleyways as well as improved wayfinding. • Ensure South Bank Centre ‘Phase 2’ provides a more innovative leisure-retail offer and some ‘late‘ venues that fit with the overall character of the area. • Protect and enhance Lower Marsh – e.g. ideas for supporting a night market and later retail, while using planning to ensure there is a maximum % of A4 alcohol-led uses. • Introduce an innovative ‘Off Sales Cumulative Impact Area’ to help address street drinking. • Apply for Purple Flag – the area already hits many of the requirements. • Capture and disseminate (Lambeth and London-wide) the best practice ‘mediation’ scheme facilitated by the BID. It has meant residents and NTE firms solve problems before review. These interventions are fully set out in the Next Steps: ‘Ideas into Action’ chapter.

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Despite some wayfinding difficulties around the original South Bank Centre, the

South Bank as a whole has evolved into ‘model’ place- making - day and night. Culture, food, lighting, activation and a quality public realm for social interaction provides paid and, crucially, free activities for a huge diversity of users. It is a masterclass for the rest of the borough, London and the UK.

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SECTION 4 The six town centres: Vauxhall

100

Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.3 Vauxhall: 21st Century Pleasure Gardens? However, since the 1990s there have been signs of positive change. There is a growing Portuguese community served by numerous Portuguese 4.3.1 Background restaurants and bars offering home-cooked food and drinks and a growing There was little in Vauxhall or Foxhall (and previously Falke’s Hall after its Muslim community too. The area that fronts the Thames has become a original owners) until the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens arrived. It was a magnet for international investors and Vauxhall has the potential to marshy area much like neighbouring Waterloo. As such it grew slowly in maintain a good mix of both the affluent and those living in the area’s an unplanned way and this runs through its history – a location that large quantities of social housing, if carefully managed. All of these people serves London rather than as a place in its own right. could be users of the evening and night-time economy if it is developed in Vauxhall is some way off the leisure paradise that was found here a diverse and positive way, yet few of them currently see their doorstep as between the 17th and 19th centuries when the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens a place to spend an evening. were London’s premier evening destination for the wealthy (and those less Vauxhall has also become most famous for its gay leisure venues, with respectable looking to provide them with services!). Indeed, the pleasure around 10 gay-oriented pubs and nightclubs, mostly located under and gardens, with their attractions ranging from hot air balloon rides to around the railway. As with many gay or mixed venues they are generally acrobats; concerts to fireworks and all the exotic imports of the Empire, free of violence with many a great night being enjoyed by their customers. has a claim to being the very first ‘night time economy destination’. It was However, as the crime figures (see later) show, the highest density of a place for which you paid to enter a world where the rules of everyday problems in Vauxhall is around these venues, where for some drug misuse life could be suspended. is a greater concern than alcohol, with several drug-related deaths Crucial to Vauxhall’s urban form and to understanding its night-time recorded over the last few years. The new BID – Vauxhall ONE - is economy and ‘town centre’ role is its subservience to ‘progress’. For working with clubs to improve this situation in order to ensure the example, during the construction of Waterloo Station many of its streets sustainability of this area as London’s gay clubbing hub. were demolished. German bombing in the Second World War and the The future: the Mayor of London’s strategy for Vauxhall-Nine Elms- privileging of motor-vehicular transport by planners in the 20th century Battersea sets out an ambitious vision for the whole area and incorporates stunted any sense of urban cohesion and much community identity some ideas from the Vauxhall Area Draft SPD (June 2008). Lambeth’s besides.

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Local Development Framework Core Strategy also says Vauxhall is “a place of growth” and proposes 16,000 homes and up to 20,000 jobs. Uses are to include retail, leisure and entertainment. There is to be a new town centre focused around the transport interchange.

In principle these are exciting times, but there are also conflicts and challenges to be faced. Crucially, the night time economy needs to be developed into one that works in the evening for locals and office workers, and which, later into the night, is an after dark destination that is distinct and of quality, but which can sit harmoniously alongside the vast numbers of new residents that are anticipated to arrive in Vauxhall over the next 20 years.

Vauxhall’s gay clubs are a major draw for those looking for a big

night (and morning!) out. But how will these super-late venues fit with

the proposals to create a more

cohesive Vauxhall ‘town centre’?

The Mayor’s Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea framework sets out a blueprint for the future. However, it is crucial that subsequent delivery documents tackle animating the public realm and identify what type of night-time economy is

appropriate for this area if it is to have a cohesive and vibrant after dark offer.

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4.3.2 Management, infrastructure and planning VNEB Opportunity Area Planning Framework “[The Opportunity Area] is the largest remaining development opportunity BID: Vauxhall ONE within the Central Activity Zone [CAZ] and is vitally important in terms of The BID has been a crucial step in recognising that Vauxhall is a changing strengthening London’s CAZ and World City status, providing development destination and one that needs a business and strategic voice. The BID capacity for a range of high value uses including the financial and business will provide street ambassadors and the necessary marketing, but also sector, institutions, communications, retail, tourism, culture and must establish itself as a voice for an area that has often been speechless. entertainment.” This is particularly important in the coming years, as the area becomes Mayor of London et al (2012) The Opportunity Area Planning London’s largest development site. Framework for the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea

Throughout this time, it is crucial that the BID doesn’t just concentrate on The Opportunity Area Planning Framework for the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and the ‘housekeeping’ tasks (its wardens are a great start) but as it gets its Battersea (VNEB) is one of the city’s most ambitious and it presents a feet under the table, it starts to influence policy. While there may be robust technical analysis of the spatial, transport and housing and tensions between club operator members and residents, the two must commercial potential of the area. Yet, unfortunately there are no work closely together to ensure that development, when it comes, works references to the night-time economy or any notable analysis and insight around the clock and is on a properly humane, street level scale. into the more obvious probably land uses such as leisure and entertainment. Likewise, culture is only mentioned once and tourism As the area grows it must do so as a real place not simply as a replication twice. Lighting is mentioned twice. of the well-mannered but rather bland St George’s Wharf. Without such local agitation and lobbying by the BID and residents of the council to While masterplans and spatial frameworks are necessarily high level, they remain ambitious and strong with developers, it is easy to see VNEB have a huge influence over how a place subsequently feels on the ground, simply become a facsimile of Canary Wharf, Central St Giles or other who uses a place, how they use it and when. To fill this missing element a developments where ‘placemaking’ has been an afterthought rather than much more in-depth analysis, vision and ‘activation plan’ is required for these site’s rasion d’être. the area. This should address the ‘hourly transition’, animation, user profiles, and propose how a rich mix will be achieved.

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For example, from an after dark perspective, there are plans for 6,000 sqm of retail, but will there be opportunities for evening shopping, beyond convenience food?

There is the welcome riverside park (as part of the “Missing Link” competition run by Vauxhall ONE). Yet in the strategy there do not appear to be further other multifunction public spaces for local happenings such as markets, concerts, outdoor theatre / cinema and community events. It is these interventions that make the difference between otherwise empty, (albeit high quality) public realms and real places.

At present there are very few locales in London where this type of activity Blue Fin on Southwark Street (top left) by architects Allies & Morrison and takes place. More London at Tower Bridge, with its ‘Scoop’ open air Central St Giles (top right - Renzo Piano) are fine architecture. But the amphitheatre showing films and theatre with events staged on designs failed to create vibrant places after dark. A better example for neighbouring Potters Fields, is a useful if only partially successful example Lambeth and Wandsworth to draw from for VNEB is Duke of York Square in Chelsea, which has a rich mix of galleries, later retail, quality eating, of how such riverside might be animated throughout the day. VNEB has regular events and enticing public space. the potential to be much more exciting and dynamic than this, but

Lambeth and Wandsworth must take a lead to make this happen.

Crucial too is that Community Infrastructure Levy and S106 monies are not consumed simply for physical (particularly transport) infrastructure with little left for creating a unique destination through more modest and creative urban realm projects and creative interventions.

The OAPF is an excellent technical framework, but needs further detailing if it is to create a place with a real heart; a real ‘place’.

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Figure 28. Vauxhall evening and night-time land use6 4.3.3 Economics Might-time economy venues No % Land Use Despite the rather hidden nature of much of Vauxhall’s evening and night- Traditional pubs 5 18 A4 time economy, it has grown quickly, albeit from a relatively small base. Food-led bars, café bars & branded pubs 6 21 A4 Nightclubs & late venues for under 25s 3 11 Sui Generis Figure 27. Vauxhall night-time economy employ and turnover 2011 (exc *) Drink Food Ents NTE Family/global restaurants, cafes/coffee 7 25 A3 Firms 36 76 8 120 Fine dining - - A3 Employment 239 82 707 998 Fast food take-aways 2 7 A5 Turnover (% of borough) 4.6% 3.5% 5.8% 5.0% Cinema, theatre, concert & dance - - D2 Turnover (£) £43m Turnover (£) *2001 £62m Live performance: pop music & comedy - - D2 Later ed, culture & community venues 2 7 D1 Its turnover was £62m in 2011, up from £43m in 2001. Whilst this is one Late-opening shops & markets ? - A1 of the largest percentage increases of the borough’s six centres, it has Sports, leisure & fitness venues 2 7 D2 scarcely more NTE employment than Brixton and c40% of Waterloo. Amusements, bingo & casinos - - Sui Generis Betting shops 1 3.5 A2 There were 120 core night-time economy firms in Vauxhall employing 998 Total 28 people in 2011. This is nearly 8% of the total employment of Vauxhall’s

12,687 jobs, and 5% of total borough night-time economy turnover. There is more to Vauxhall than meets the eye. Analysis of the leisure economy at street level (see GOAD plan), shows only 28 night-time So the context is an area that is increasingly attractive for night-time economy premises, mostly in the railway arches and on Kennington Lane. economy investment, but whilst zoned for growth it remains weak in food But TBR’s analysis shows that there are 120 evening and night-time establishments and entertainment activities.

4.3.4 Spatial analysis 6 NB. The NightMix data for each town differs to GOAD, because it also includes Below is the GOAD analysis of Vauxhall (see plan overleaf), which shows the town’s hinterland and here we find firms such as community pubs, corner the current night-time economy land use breakdown. takeawasy. NightMix also includes firms abover ground level and head offices of NTE firms which may not be apparent simply by walking down a high street. Therefore NightMix figures are always larger than the ‘high street’ GOAD.

105 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy economy firms within the wider Vauxhall area, albeit many of these are Museum on Bermondsey Street. Tate Modern and the Globe on Bankside pubs, cafes and social clubs that are on estates or tucked away from the are a classic example. main strips of activity. Yet Vauxhall has not yet pulled in such an elusive venue; one that signals Overall, the GOAD shows 67 units in Vauxhall town centre with the night- intent to match these other locations for quality of cultural and leisure time economy making up 42% of this. This shows distinctly how offer. underdeveloped the location is as a town centre, as a destination and also Given Vauxhall’s excellent transport connections and opportunity sites, as a service provider for local residents and workers. Yet despite this a there exists a major opportunity here to bring an anchor use to Vauxhall small number of venues, particularly the larger nightclubs, have a major as part of its regeneration: one that works well beyond the hours of 9 to impact on the overall dynamic of the area. 5. As the area grows and a sense of a town centre and community evolves, Therefore, the council, and partners such as Vauxhall One BID, should there should be consideration given to more entertainment, such as adopt a strategy on behalf of the area to proactively seek this flagship cinema, community theatre, later opening galleries and performance anchor institution (which fits with the character and emerging strategy for venues. For example, in Southwark-Waterloo, in areas away from the the area) as part of the overall redevelopment plans. river, there is a thriving theatre scene of smaller venues such as the , Waterloo East Theatre, the Menier Chocolate . Factory, the Union and the Unicorn), as well as the larger Globe, Old Vic, New Vic and National of course.

There are good examples in London of a single major venue (new or relocating) taking a step outside of the West End or Mayfair and making a big difference to the perceptions of less high profile locations; catalysing regeneration and positive change in the process. Examples include the Alemeida theatre in Islington, the Gagosian Gallery / St Martins College of Art / the Guardian in Kings Cross and Zandra Rhodes’ Fashion and Textile

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Figure 29. Vauxhall land use GOAD

107 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 30. Vauxhall development proposals from 2008 SPD This figure shows Vauxhall’s potential as it moves southwest towards Nine Elms Lane, but excluding the Battersea Power Station site. This gives the

scale of development and shows its strategic importance with Pimlico over the river and views north towards Parliament.

It is effectively the southwest bookend to the development of London’s South Bank. Indeed, it is possible to see Vauxhall (along with Waterloo) as part of a single continuous and sinuous ‘South Bank Leisure and Cultural After Dark Ribbon’ that flows, like the river itself, all the way to London

Bridge and Shad Thames. By creating an after dark destination that is increasingly joined - from Battersea Power Station to the Shard - there is an attraction in development which is studded with individual hubs of

character and identity, but which together are also greater than the sum

of the parts. Over time we believe this ‘Cultural Ribbon’ can offer a very ‘real’ and more interesting alternative to the West End.

The figure also shows how the railway viaduct slices through the Vauxhall,

bifurcating residential from waterfront. Plans in both the SPD and the Mayor’s London Plan for the area are technically competent and on a grand scale but lack detail after dark. A series of more St George’s Wharfs without creating an individual location with a sense of community (in its

widest sense – not just residents) and street-level activity after 5pm would miss the opportunity to catapult Vauxhall into both London’s top destinations and great places to live in. The council, BID and GLA need to

do more to instil the plan with an ‘after dark individuality’.

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4.3.5 Demographics of the railway viaduct those gay residents who have moved into some of the streets adjacent to the area’s gay clubs are also missing the daytime Vauxhall is spread over a number of wards including those in north facilities associated with successful gay-led communities such as Brighton Kennington and north and, given the lack of identity associated or Manchester e.g. café bars, gastropubs, delis etc. The plans need to with Vauxhall, it is an excitingly diverse place (see figure below). The mix ensure that a diverse range of services is encouraged. of middle and higher rise social housing, combined with the remaining Victorian terracing and luxury riverside apartments means there are now considerably different requirements for any developing after dark offer.

Figure 31. Vauxhall socio-demographics Social Single Success Young Multi- Older Ward tenants house ful profs & cultural senior sharers singles families 2nd profs gen Too small a population but probably social tenants with Prince's some successful singles and older professionals.

Oval  

Stockwell 

Larkhall

(part)   

Vassal (part)   

Vauxhall where it fronts the river is likely to be an area that is attractive for those groups who geodemographic modellers call ‘urban prosperity’ Vauxhall’s current gay businesses lack the more rounded offer of cafes, food, and ’educated urbanites’, yet at present there is limited provision for the retail that typifies LGBT-led neighbourhoods Brighton or (as above) residents of those towers such as St George’s. Likewise, on the other side Manchester’s Canal Street. This could develop as part of a detailed plan for the area that sits under the Opportunity Area Planning Framework.

109 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.3.6 Crime However, the council (and neighbouring Wandsworth) and the police,

Vauxhall is a moderate location for crime; some way behind Waterloo, working with the BID and landowners, should consider planning the area

Brixton and Clapham. However, as noted earlier, there are spikes of crime to create an environment that is as ‘criminogenically’ neutral as possible. around the clubs located in the arches and at the transport interchange. For example, through the dispersal of drink-led premises alcohol-related The future development of the area will bring in many more visitors and violence can be minimised, while natural surveillance in public spaces and residents, and as a result it is likely to attract criminals practicing crimes effective lighting can help deter opportunistic and predatory criminals. such as ‘theft from a person’ (dipping). These are currently at a relatively low level because the area does not yet have a developed night-time At a micro-scale, working with new night-time economy venues as they economy. Larger numbers of people will provide the opportunity, cover are designed can help ensure that their layout and facilities (e.g. lighting, and escape opportunities for such criminal activity. CCTV, surveillance, access and egress) limit internal opportunities for

Figure 32. Vauxhall crime mapping crime, avoiding the scaling up of problems that have accompanied the

growth of the night-time

economy in other

location such as

Clapham).

110 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.3.7Way Way forward Forward: Vauxhall Despite Vauxhall’s struggles to exist amidst key traffic and railway corridors, yet the

scene is set for Vauxhall’s leisure past to be re-created and for the area once again to be put on the map as a rounded Thames-side destination for locals and visitors. The night-time (and particularly the evening) economy should be factored into the development plans and play a strong part in place-shaping and diversifying the appeal of the area. The following are our proposals: • Commission a VNEB ‘activity plan’ (including a night-time economy implementation section) to sit under the Opportunity Framework. Linking with the Cultural Strategy (below) it should address street level activation, map out a range of innovative leisure-retail options and performance spaces. This will head off the creation of a bland upmarket housing and office development dominated by chain restaurants that is indistinguishable from other locations. • The BID commissioned ‘Missing Link’ competition for the ribbon site at the heart of the VNEB area has drawn 100 entries. It is crucial that the design chosen properly understands Vauxhall’s after dark potential and provides an exciting, deliverable and unique concept. • Lambeth must ensure VNEB’s emerging individual planning briefs, site specific masterplans and SPDs promote a balanced and self-regulating mix of A3 and A4 uses, avoiding hotspots. • The Cultural Strategy, currently in train, should itself address the night-time economy and provides the infrastructure and guidelines for developers to build in culture (both high art and ‘publicly lived’ culture into the future fabric of VNEB). • Consider extending the Off Sales Cumulative Impact Area suggested for Waterloo-South Bank. These interventions are set out fully in the Next Steps: ‘Ideas into Action’ chapter.

111 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy SECTION 4 The six town centres: Brixton

112 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.4 Brixton: After dark rennaisance the town centre have been tackled by the police and partners, levels are still high – the second highest in the borough after Waterloo. 4.4.1 Background Brixton has long been a distinctive centre, featuring a vibrant local culture Topographically Brixton sits on top of the first hill south out of central in its shops, restaurants, markets, music and street life. This is London, directly south from Vauxhall and before Streatham. As such it has increasingly attractive to visitors, who come to enjoy the attractions and first-rate rail, tube and bus connections. This is one of its greatest assets. ambience. Yet despite major change and improvement Brixton has not

After the opened at the start of the 19th century this rural always enjoyed a positive external image. And, while it remains a little backwater became a desirable middle class suburb and over time this has edgy, most people that have yet to visit here would probably be surprised broadened to be a much more diverse town with a mixed working class and impressed by what is now on offer – but getting them here first is and the long established Afro-Caribbean community. It is increasingly critical. attracting a range of residents, from African migrants to artists and An ambitious masterplan for Brixton was prepared for the Council in 2009, bohemians. This bodes well for its economic and cultural future. which envisaged a large amount of redevelopment. It is advisory, has no

Brixton has had strong links to the night-time economy throughout its official status and has inevitably been overtaken by events. Currently the history, initially with Electric Avenue becoming London’s first electrically lit policy focus is on incremental development and partnership. Proposals for street allowing people to enjoy the area’s attractions after dark. In the a Business Improvement District are being developed. The Council intends interwar years Brixton became one of London’s major shopping to submit the centre for Purple Flag accreditation for its night-time destinations, its retail offer complimented by cinemas, a theatre and pubs. economy having undertaken considerable preparatory work on its bid.

Today Brixton still has major after dark attractors: the O2, Ritzy cinema, the leisure centre, the famous street market (open until 7/8pm) and the newly re-vamped Brixton Village Market. Restaurants, bars and nightclubs support these core destinations. However, while crime and drug misuse in

113 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.4.2 Policy, management and infrastructure In terms of supporting the implementation of a BID further, the possibility of a Late Night Levy or Early Morning Restriction Order could provide the A BID for Brixton ‘stick’ that makes the BID an attractive 'carrot'. There is no doubt that the The development of a BID in Brixton has been some time in the making. evidence of excess crime after dark exists to support the introduction of a Brixton, in our experience of town centres across the UK, not just after LNL / EMRO in Brixton. But surely any late night businesses would rather dark but throughout the day, is probably one of the ten centres that would pay a small additional fee towards marketing Brixton, cleaning it up, most benefit from a BID: it would give it the ‘rudder’ it really needs. introducing wardens or similar, than pay towards the existing police and Any BID must of course first meet its members' requirements; our view is council cleansing costs? that Brixton BID also needs to deliver quick wins around cleansing and visual appearance. It needs to become a strong voice for lobbying public sector partners for infrastructure improvements.

There is also a role for it to market the incredible diversity of the area by segmenting the current user groups and identifying who is missing. For example, the Brixton Village scene is popular with ‘hipsters’, but there are many others who would enjoy this yet are probably put off by Brixton’s historic (and generally unfair) image. Once in Brixton, most visitors enjoying a joined up offer of cinema, craft beer and handmade pizza would have any negative perceptions changed forever.

The BID should also court private sector investors. For example, what the town centre would benefit hugely from is a multiuse arts venue, serving The fantastic redeveloped Windrush Square is one of South London’s most both the local community and attracting visitors. Comedy, theatre and exciting public spaces because it is at the heart of Brixton. It has already held performance, packaged along the lines of Brighton’s Komedia (but in a some events, but more could be done to allow the community to manage and distinctly Brixtonian way) would make a real impact on the perception of promote it, generating funding for its ongoing maintenance and to support the area, both from within and from outside. local events.

114 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Town Centre Management

Linked to the BID is the importance of maintaining a town centre management function despite a tough financial climate. The presence of such a function, which stitches together the public and the private and allows a key point of contact, is essential. Research shows clearly that town centre management (done well) enhances the success of town centres on footfall, vacancy rate and user satisfaction metrics.

Purple Flag

The ATCM itself has been involved helping appraise Brixton of its chances of meeting the Purple Flag criteria. There are a number of challenges remaining, including the relatively high levels of overall crime and litter that is sometimes found. However, the area is making real strides and it must continue to pursue Purple Flag as its eventual award will mark a clear sign that Brixton has become a genuine pan-London destination, with all the benefits for the community that brings, e.g. jobs, pride a sense of place.

Brixton has the best reputation for live music venues outside of central

London, with the O2 regularly named the UK’s best live music venue and pubs such as Dogstar and Hootenanny putting on cutting edge music for a local and London-wide crowd.

The council and BID once established should encourage this reputation further.

115 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.4.3 Economics

As the figure below shows, Brixton has huge potential, but is severely underperforming given it could be South London’s major evening and night-time destination.

Figure 33. Brixton night-time economy employment and turnover 2011 Drink Food Ents NTE

Firms 34 126 17 177 Employment 244 474 158 876 Turnover (% of borough) 11.6% 9.4% 8.5% 9.5% Turnover (£) £48m Turnover (£) *2001 £50m

Brixton’s turnover in night-time economy core firms has fallen in the last ten years (the only town in the study to have done so). While it had Pizza joint Franco Manca (above) and tapas restaurant Seven (below) located improved pre-recession, the financial crisis and its impact has pushed in Brixton Village are at the the vanguard of a new type of accessibly priced authentic quality food that Brixton has been missing until recently. Brixton further back. This suggests structural weaknesses in its firm base.

Yet there are 177 night-time economy firms in Brixton – more than any of the other centres including Waterloo. night-time economy employment was 876, more than Streatham and West Norwood/Tulse Hill, but less than the rest. This is because of the relatively small average firm size of only 4.5 employees – about half that of Clapham. Night-time economy employment is almost 5.5% of total Brixton employment of 14,847.

116 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Brixton has 126 food establishments; the same as Waterloo-South Bank and far ahead of the other town centres. A surprisingly small number are takeaways, but the rest (118) are restaurants, particularly cafes, and these are mostly independently owned. However despite this large number of firms, only West Norwood/Tulse Hill has less food sales than

Brixton, whilst Waterloo-South Bank is more than three times higher.

Brixton’s real strength is entertainment, with 17 firms including the O2, the Ritzy cinema and the leisure centre. It also has a vibrant if volatile club scene.

The challenge for Brixton is to develop a stronger, more outward looking after dark offer, with more robust businesses, while not losing too many of Brixton has a surprisingly good post-5pm retail offer, the only one in the borough, with Morley’s department store open late most days of the week, as its distinct locally facing venues. By doing this it will better serve the is H&M. The famous market, which is also open late, brings a real sense of changing population, while enhancing its growing reputation for its identity and uniqueness to the town after 5pm. burgeoning food scene’. As a result Brixton will build a more sustainable night-time economy that creates more and better local jobs.

117 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.4.4 Spatial analysis The GOAD shows 638 town centre units in Brixton. The night-time

This analysis uses GOAD data (overleaf) to show the current night-time economy proportion is 46%. This is high for a town centre, reflecting economy mix in order to understand the wider land use balance in the Brixton’s after dark culture. town centre. The figure reinforces the NightMix analysis of a large number of the Figure 34. Brixton evening and night-time land use7 smaller venues such as cafes and coffee bars as well as takeaways. Night-time economy venues No % Land Use Positively, there are a huge number of later opening shops, which tend to Traditional pubs 4 1.5 A4 Food-led bars, café bars & food pubs 12 4 A4 be independent and therefore small, although there are larger chains, e.g. Nightclubs & late venues for under 25s 6 2 Sui Generis H&M and the anchor department store Morley’s, which opens till at least Family/global restaurants, cafe/coffee bars 38 13 A3 7pm on six nights of the week. Fine dining 3 1 A3 Fast food take-aways 18 6 A5 While the area is a hub for entertainment, there is a lack of performance Cinema, theatre, concert & dance 3 1 D2 and theatre. This is something the area and its emerging BID could build Live performance: music & comedy 1 0.5 D2 Late-opening museum, art gallery, library, upon as its community demographic and visitor catchment changes. It is 1 0.5 D1 education & community venues also interesting that there are few traditional pubs yet with the real ale Late-opening shops & markets 200* 68 A1 Sports, leisure & fitness venues 2 0.5 D2 and food revival, this is an area that Brixton may well capitalise on. A start Amusements, bingo & casinos - - Sui Generis has been made by venues such as Craft, the specialist beer bar. Betting shops 6 2 A2 Total 294 The change in food offer is clearly represented in these figures, with

restaurants like Seven, Franco Manca and Honest Burgers just a few of the

15 café and restaurant units in Brixton Village creating a ‘foodie’ culture

7 NB. The NightMix data for each town differs to GOAD, because it also includes that Brixton had until recently lacked. the town’s hinterland and here we find firms such as community pubs, corner takeawasy. NightMix also includes firms abover ground level and head offices of NTE firms which may not be apparent simply by walking down a high street. Therefore the NightMix figures are always larger than the ‘high street’ GOAD.

118 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 35. Brixton land use GOAD

119 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.4.5 Demographics However, until the opening of Brixton Village, there was a limited offer for

Brixton is a hugely diverse place that is changing rapidly and the after some of the other communities such as those who live in and dark offer is starting to catch up. Ferndale ward (bordering Clapham), who were more likely to look to Clapham or Central London for food experiences. Figure 36. Brixton’s socio-demographics Social Ward tenants Single Success Young Multi- Older Brixton now has a good range of those kinds of restaurants that are likely house ful profs & cultural senior to attract theses residents although with considerable room to grow sharers singles families 2nd gen profs Brixton further. There is no doubt that given Brixton’s strategic proximity to major Hill   populations in south London, as well as its accessibility from central and Coldhar bour   north London gives it the opportunity to become south London’s most prominent food destination, perhaps even challenging the Borough- Ferndale    Bermondsey triangle, which is a bit more upmarket. Herne Hill      There is the perfect possibility of creating a destination where cinema, live Tulse Hill   music, theatre and performance can fit alongside quality drinks-led outlets and high quality but affordable food that fits Brixton’s unusual combination

Brixton has always had a good range of Caribbean restaurants and of being both laid back, but also sometimes a little edgy. takeaways serving the local Afro-Caribbean community, as well as those What would damage such a fruitful future, other than the occasional kinds of food that seem to go down well with these residents, such as Nando’s or Pizza Express, is the proliferation of chain restaurants. Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian (the Satay Bar on Coldharbour Road is still jumping at 1am!).

120 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.4.6 Crime Brixton is not an epicentre for alcohol-related crime, unlike Clapham The incidence of recorded crime in Brixton varies, depending on events. (albeit there are still notable incident levels). But rather there are relatively Hotspots include the junction of Brixton Road and Coldharbour Lane, the high numbers of predatory criminals, particularly at night, which can station and the O2 Academy. There is considerable ASB at these hotspots, commit quite serious offences, often on visitors. theft and a real challenge around robbery. There are health impacts too. It is one of the higher centres in Lambeth Figure 37. Brixton crime by hotspot for alcohol-related

ambulance pick-

ups, with principal

locations being

north and south of

the centre close to

the clusters of

licensed premises.

121 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Way4.4.7 Way forwardForward: Brixton The role of Brixton has changed and is no longer just a local centre. It is now a visitor destination too. If it can balance these two roles and retain its distinctiveness it can do well. A more positive external image and a greater inflow of external spend and investment can help to raise the value of local jobs. But this requires a new vision… • The creation of a ‘place plan’ enabled by Lambeth that brings together residents, voluntary groups, businesses, landowners and public agencies. This would effectively update the existing masterplan and set a direction of travel for the town centre and its neighbourhoods over the next ten years. • A night-time management plan to address issues identified here and in the Brixton Purple Flag Development Programme (ATCM 2011), including visible policing, more robust enforcement, street pastors/wardens, triage, lighting, signage, NTE taxi rank / marshalling etc. • Consider stronger controls for takeaways (by using A5 planning segemtaiton) and innovative use of a takeaway only cumulative impact polcy) to prevent an explosion of nuisance issues. • Retain Brixton’s town centre management function. Without it the town would be rudderless. • Continue supporting the development of the BID – it is crucial as a vehicle to lead on business development and marketing the town and its vibrant after dark offer in particular. • Allow time for the BID to address NTE crime problems before introducing LNL/EMRO – these can be the ‘stick’ if required to increase support from businesses wavering about a BID. • Aim for Purple Flag in three years as recognition for changing the dynamic of the town. • Make more of Windrush Sq in animating the town after dark, e.g. more events and festivals. These interventions are set out fully in the chapter: Next Steps: ‘Ideas into Action’.

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4.5 Streatham: A new kind of high street

SECTION 4

The six town centres:

Streatham

123 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.5.1 Background

Literally meaning ‘hamlet on the street’, Streatham is one of the London Plan’s ‘major centres’. It is dominated by “the longest high street in Europe”: the 2.5-mile Streatham High Road. At its (northern) Streatham Hill end it is about five miles to central London and by the time it reaches the southern Mitcham end it is over seven miles away. The road encompasses a range of different users and communities as well as retail, evening and night-time offers and is a place experiencing notable change.

Because of its function since Roman times of connecting London with the south coast, Streatham is classic ‘ribbon’ development. From the days of Streatham’s historic two mile high road is peppered with former entertainment the horse and cart its character has been dominated by the flow of traffic, ‘battleship’ sites that are in need of a new role. which, despite carriageway improvements, is still frequently congested.

During the 19th century Streatham developed from hamlet into a desirable rural location. It was increasingly connected to London by infill development facilitated by the building of extensive rail lines that quickly made it one of South London’s commuter hotspots.

During the first half of the 20th century Streatham gained a reputation as an entertainment hub, particularly for working people during the evening and at weekends, with everything from film and theatre to late night dancing. At one point Streatham had a major theatre, three cinemas, the Locarno ballroom and, later in the 20th century, the Streatham Ice Rink (nearly all of these are now closed).

124 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

While it was an exaggeration when some people called Streatham ‘the West End of South London’, it was certainly a major London leisure destination, ahead of Brixton, Clapham, Bromley, Kingston or Croydon.

In the 1950s and 60s Streatham also grew a reputation for retail, with many new shops, including full-scale department stores, opening to serve this growing part of London. Streatham was home to the UK’s first supermarket and, later, the first Waitrose, both of which opened in the 1950s.

So what went wrong?

In short, the world changed. The High Road, studded with its ‘battleship’ entertainment venues and retail stores, was a monolith in an increasingly nuanced and innovative market place. As a result the fabric hollowed out as entertainment and retail habits morphed, particularly in the 1980s. The

West End became more aspirational and easier to access, while ‘convenient’ car-borne leisure-retail came to challenge high streets (at least until the ‘town centres first’ polices of the last 20 years gave some respite).

With coming of Internet retail this respite has been short lived.

Despite the large ‘holes’ (opportunity sites) in Streatham High Road (top right), there is some strong retail.

The Odeon remains hugely popular with a diverse range of users. Its small

public space to the fore is a genuinely pleasant addition to what is often a rather harsh public realm.

125 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

This left many vacant units along its full length and in 2002 Streatham High Road was voted "worst street in Britain" in a poll for the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and the Radio 4 Today programme. In many senses this was unfair but local people interviewed identified the hostile traffic dominated environment, the lack of a walkable public realm and poor public spaces as its downfall.

However, green shoots of recovery have been catalysed by a number of environmental improvements since 2003 when Streatham Green was re- landscaped and new lighting and paving was installed on the high road between the Odeon Cinema and St Leonard's Church. This has been further improved recently in a joint project between Lambeth and Transport for London to enhance streetscape between Streatham Station and as far north as the Odeon. This needs to continue in future when the there is more money for infrastructure available. The Streatham Hub is the Streatham has a clutch of new bars and restaurants signalling a more town’s major regeneration project and will offer a huge improvement to aspirational direction, which is complimented by chains such as Nando’s and the southern end of the High Road. Pizza Express.

In the meantime, a changing community towards younger professional families (see ‘Demographics’ below) has seen a number of new and interesting venues emerge. These include the Hideaway jazz and comedy club, restaurants and bars such as Ilili and Bar 61 and quality retailers such as the Thomson Deli adjacent to Streatham Rail Station. It is these that point the way forward to creating a sustainable and diverse after dark offer for Streatham.

126 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.5.2 Management, infrastructure and planning time activities. As we have shown above, the town’s night-time economy has further room to grow too, whereas retail will almost certainly never There has been little coherent development or planned expansion of the again hit its heady 20th century heights. evening and night-time economy in Streatham. What has happened has The BID, working with a broad range of stakeholders, must become the taken place in a fairly ad hoc way. This is certainly positive with operators voice for the night-time economy and one of its proposed aims is to work seeing the potential for change here. towards Purple Flag status, which would be a fine achievement. Purple InStreatham BID Flag would not just recognise that the town is doing a lot right after dark The main urban management tool planned for the town is a business but can be used as a promotional and marketing tool. improvement district called ‘In Streatham’. It was voted in successfully and Other proposed BID initiatives include reducing crime and ASB, controlled will begin operation later in 2013. drinking zones, improving shop (and hopefully night-time economy venue) The BID is not only essential to the night-time economy, but to the fronts, as well as enhancing the public realm and addressing signage and success of Streatham and the High Road as a whole, particularly in an era legibility. These will all be welcome additions not just for the daytime but where councils can no longer access the same finances for discretionary around the clock. projects around marketing, public realm investment and ‘out of hours’ Improving toilets is also a key BID pledge, though at present Streatham cleansing. doesn’t need them to be open much later than 6 or 7pm as there isn’t a The BID will have an income of around £230k a year. It shows in its public urination problem, but any investment should be capable of prospectus that it understands that the after dark offer is crucial, but it is extension as the town grows its night-time economy. vital that this is delivered on when the BID is fully operational. All too Another area that the BID may seek to develop is later night retail. often in BIDs the night-time economy is left behind and retail gets a Perhaps initially an end of month event. It is not enough to just open disproportionate share of BID resources and investment. Yet given the shops late however. There would need to be discounts linked to night-time economy contributes almost half of the equivalent figure for restaurants and the cinema, street animation and activities for families. retail sector sales and employment nationally, the balance of spend in Streatham should roughly reflect the balance between daytime and night-

127 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

The Streatham Hub

The Streatham Hub development is a large-scale public private sector partnership development project Streatham High Road just south of Streatham Railway Station. Due to open in November 2013, it will have a major impact on Streatham town centre.

The development will include a new leisure centre with swimming pool and gym and 100-seat ice rink to replace the former Streatham Ice Rink. A large format supermarket, 250 new homes, bus interchange and improved public realm are also key to this new High Road anchor.

The hub will reinstall the family friendly 5 to 8pm facilities lost when the ice rink closed and which appealed to a broad range of people. Likewise, The Streatham Hub, while located at the South of the High Road, will feature although there is a gym nearby, the leisure centre will ensure people are the relocated ice rink and swimming pool as well as new open space that could visiting and animating the street, using all of its facilities from 6am to be used for a diverse range of uses both during the day and after dark. 11pm.

There is some public space being created as part of the hub between the new Tesco and the United Reform Church. It is worth considering now where the designs can be adapted to include appropriate power outlets to allow for small events and festivals, like craft markets, particularly in the evening.

128 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.5.3 Economics While there is nothing wrong with small firms, the lack of larger venues does suggest that there may be some names which local people could use As the figure below shows, despite tough times, Streatham has that might be added to the Streatham night-time mix without damaging maintained some evening and night-time economy growth, particularly the unqiue offer of the smaller businesses. Nando’s and Pizza Express are given that it has not ‘benefited’ like nearby Clapham from alcohol sales. a start, but a pan-Asian restaurant would fit, as would an Italian that goes

Figure 38. Streatham’s NTE employment and turnover beyond pizza. 2011 Drink Food Ents Total While there are very few firms providing entertainment, the 9.5% is twice Firms 19 99 4 122 that of Clapham and may be a cast back to the remains of Streatham’s Employment 154 463 73 690 Turnover (% of borough night- historic position in this sub sector, and suggests the importance of the time economy) 7.3% 4.2% 9.5% 7.8% Odeon. The ice rink (which closed in 2011, to reopen in 2013) is still Turnover (£) 2011 £39m included in these figures, so it is easy to see how the leisure sector is a Turnover (£) 2001 £32m key part of the broader local economy.

Overall, core night-time economy turnover between 2001 and 2011 grew Employment in this sector will be improved further, both day and evening, by almost 20%, outperforming Lambeth’s general economy. And while the by the arrival of the leisure centre. This is because we know night-time number of firms is less than that found in say Brixton or Waterloo- economy leisure jobs are so frequently occupied by locals, particularly in Southbank, it has more food-based business than Clapham (99 vs. 95), Lambeth. This will surely have many positive effects for the local albeit many of these have a strong link to the daytime economy. community.

Generally firms are small: the 690 jobs are spread across 122 employers, The combination of a few nascent firms with a more innovative after dark which makes them about half the size of those in the north of the offer means Streatham is the reverse of Clapham in many ways. It actually borough. However, the core night-time economy still represents 8% of all needs a few more drink-led or at least café-bar type operations as well as jobs available in Streatham. This is about 50% more than neighbouring more restaurants. It is no surprise that with its large catchment and easy Tulse Hill-West Norwood. This is still small relative to Waterloo and South access from outside Streatham, as well large numbers of residents who Bank’s 2,300 jobs. live locally in the streets off the High Road itself, that the area has huge potential to reconfigure itself as a successful ‘morning to midnight’ hub.

129 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.5.4 Spatial analysis Streatham High Road (rather than Streatham as a whole) has the largest

This analysis uses GOAD data to show the current High Road night-time number of night-time economy units in Lambeth with the exception economy mix in order to help understand the wider land use balance in Brixton town centre and Waterloo & South Bank when combined. the town ‘centre’. However, as the previous section shows, number of units alone does not

8 Figure 39. Streatham High Road’s evening & night-time land use mean the most sustainable and effective job creating after dark economy. Night-time economy venues No % Land Use Yet Streatham’s night-time economy venues as a proportion of the overall Traditional pubs 6 6 A4 High Road units shows it has the borough’s lowest level. This clear Café bars & branded food pubs 6 6 A4 Nightclubs & late under 25s venues 1 1 Sui Generis evidence supports the economic analysis finding above that the town is Family & global cuisine, cafes, coffee bars 50 47 A3 not yet at ‘after dark capacity’. Fine dining 0 0 A3 Streatham has the highest proportion of family restaurants and global Fast food take-aways 23 21 A5 Cinema, theatre, concert & dance 1 1 D2 cuisine in Lambeth (47%) reflecting its diverse nature. It also has the Performance, popular music & comedy 1 1 D2 second highest proportion of take-aways in the borough at 21% of night-

Late-opening cultural & community 4 4 D1 time economy units. venues Late-opening shops & markets 4 4 A1 Sports, leisure & fitness venues 3 3 D2 Of Streatham’s proud entertainment heritage, the Odeon cinema remains Amusements, bingo & casinos 1 1 Sui Generis and there is of course Beacon Bingo, but former large nightclubs near

Betting shops 8 7 A2 Streatham Hill station are now closed. The old ABC cinema is now a fitness Total 107 centre with a landmark restaurant opportunity waiting to let in its former

foyer.

8 NB. The NightMix data for each town differs to GOAD, because it also includes the town’s hinterland and here we find firms such as community pubs, corner takeawasy. NightMix also includes firms abover ground level and head offices of NTE firms which may not be apparent simply by walking down a high street. Therefore the NightMix figures are always larger than the ‘high street’ only GOAD.

130 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Brands are limited with Café Nero, Nando’s, Pizza Express, KFC, and

Wetherspoons being a few of the representatives. There is a good selection of late-opening food stores.

Some new and interesting signs of investment in new businesses and restructuring of the High Road is under way, albeit relatively slowly.

Essentially Streatham is a very long high street with its after dark attractions spread out, although there are some clusters, except at: Streatham Hill Station is developing as a clearly identifiable new ‘place’ along 1. Streatham Hill Station the high road. Here new delis (Thompson Deli above), bars and restaurants are 2. Shrubbery Road/Streatham High Road opening up and capturing the crowd returning from work around 7 till 10pm.

3. Junction with Gleneagle Road This kind of development, both here and at Shrubbery Road, as well as at the junction with Gleneagle Road should be encouraged. It creates a sense of These provide opportunities to use local planning to grow discernible and progression through the High Road to break up some of the stretches that distinct hubs (including the proposed Streatham Hub further south as a suffer from a featureless continuation of fast food chicken premises and bland retailers. fourth node) that will create a rhythm and some sense of continuing identity along the road’s 2.5miles.

131 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 40. Streatham’s land use GOAD

132 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.5.5 Demographics If we match the evening and night-time economy offer of Streatham against local people, there is some mismatch. Streatham is historically a mixed community with both traditional working For example, there has only recently been any development that generally class and middle class residents, and over the past few decades two-fifths suits the ‘successful singles’ such as the Ilili North African restaurant, of the population is now non-white. Residents tend to be living either in Nando’s and Pizza Express. And, though there are a number of bistros and flats above the High Road and the larger gardened terraced and semi- a few wine bars, there is room for more of these if carefully managed. detached houses that adjoin the high road. The 2001 Census showed a Likewise, the opening of both Nando’s and particularly Pizza Express has substantial increase to over 50,000 residents and this is likely to have sated at least some of the appetite of young professional families, as does risen again in the 2011 Census when it’s published in detail. the Odeon with its blockbuster showings and weekend kids films.

The figure below uses Acorn classifications for all the towns in Lambeth. Those BME individuals and families in Streatham are mainly south Asian Acorn divides households up into 61 social categories and those that have (around a tenth) - often towards the south end of the High Road, and the numbers above a threshold are shown below. Afro-Caribbean (a fifth) who are more prominent at the northern end. In terms of leisure patterns for these communities, our observations of the Streatham socio-demographics town centre are that they are not hugely visible after dark, except for Single Successful Young Multi- Older Ward house singles profs & cultural senior some top-up shopping in the late opening food stores and visiting the sharers families 2nd gen profs occasional Caribbean restaurant. Tooting is the natural hub for the south St Leonard's Asian community. Crucially though, young people from all communities    mix at the cinema and this is one of Streatham’s great ‘community’ Streatham Hill    faculties.

Streatham The leisure centre and rebuilt ice rink are the key missing ingredient which South   would bring together most of these communities. It will be a truly multi- Streatham generational, multi-ethnic facility that will bridge communities and bring Wells   out an even wider range of people to use Streatham after dark.

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4.5.6 Crime Overall there is little that requires immediate attention here. The challenge

Generally Streatham is a relatively safe location from an evening and will be to make Streatham even safer while expanding its night time offer night-time economy perspective. This is reflective of its older and more and avoid becoming the ‘new Clapham’. Part of the challenge is also family oriented community and users and the low number of late-night making Streatham feel safer by public realm improvements, enhanced and / or alcohol-led venues. Streatham’s main challenge is ASB, drugs and street activity and marketing the after dark offer to change any negative youth crime in and around housing estates. perceptions amongst residents who are currently non-users of the town in

the evening. However, as the following figures show, there are three concentrations of incidents, both in terms of crime and disorder and ambulance call outs. Figure 41. Streatham ambulance pick ups by hotspot

Firstly to the south around the intersection with Mitcham Lane, and proximate to Streatham rail station where there are above average (for

Streatham) levels of robberies and thefts.

Here there are few alcohol-led venues and those that do exist are not traditionally the type associated with violence, such as the popular

Hideaway jazz and comedy club. However, there are nine takeaways located in the area and these are often violence flashpoints. This is a very high density of A5 fast food use by any standards and planning policy needs to ensure this does not proliferate.

Secondly, the Odeon Cinema can have ASB problems. Thirdly, there are above average levels of paramedic call outs, even though violence is low, near Streatham Hill Station.

134 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Figure 42. Streatham crime by hotspot

135 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 4.5.7Way Way forward Forward: Streatham Streatham is at a critical moment in its history. Finding new uses for the large redundant entertainment buildings that pepper the High Road and attracting more (but not too many) quality bars, restaurants and late opening shops will change the feel of the town and create local jobs. But this requires a bold continuation of the improvements to the public realm and real drive from the new BID. Our specific proposals are: • The creation of a ‘place plan’ enabled by Lambeth that brings together residents, voluntary groups, businesses, landowners and public agencies. This would set a direction of travel for the High Road and its neighbourhoods over the net ten years. • The BID to lead on inward investment of new firms that are currently missing (day and night). • BID to market the town to users who might not normally think of Streatham for an evening out. • Consider stronger planning / licensing controls for takeaways to prevent further proliferation of these venues that bring very little value to the local economy but numerous problems. • Retain the town centre management function. The role is different to that of the BID manager. • Examine the possibility of putting power into the public space in Streatham Hub to allow small community events to take place. • Aim for Purple Flag in three to five years as recognition of what will then be a more rounded evening and night out. These interventions are set out fully in the chapter: Next Steps: ‘Ideas into Action’.

136 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

SECTION 4 The six towns:

West Norwood-Tulse Hill137

Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

th 4.6 West Norwood & Tulse Hill: A little TLC facilitated infill development, and in the second half of the 19 century 4.6.1 Background Norwood went from a village of large villas and workers cottages to the terraced and the semi-detached housing that often remains today. The West Norwood and Tulse Hill, while both small distinct town centres, are best of these are part of conservation areas that mark out the quality of essentially joined along a continuous north-south ribbon (Norwood Road), much of the town’s built fabric. which forks into Knights Hill and Norwood High Street at its southern end. For this reason we have combined them here. There are some fine buildings in West Norwood, such as its Victorian fire station (now home to the South London Theatre) and its Edwardian Tulse Hill is situated north of Norwood, bordering Brockwell, Streatham successor - the present-day fire station. The former public library on and Dulwich, whilst West Norwood is the most southerly of Lambeth’s Knights Hill has become a community centre. Although with a rather cruel towns, sitting just north of Gypsy Hill and Crystal Palace. irony this original library has had to step into temporarily to re-house the From the old English for Great North Wood, West Norwood is the only new library after vandals damaged its more recent home. one of the Norwoods to be in Lambeth (South Norwood and Upper West Norwood has not always been kind to its buildings or indeed its Norwood are mainly in Croydon). West Norwood also has the most distinct evening economy. The Regal, A superb 1920s art deco cinema holding town ‘centre’ of the Norwoods. 2,010 filmgoers lasted only until 1964 in that capacity and then spent the The physical heart of West Norwood is St Luke's church (which was next 15 years as a Top Rank bingo hall. It was demolished in November renovated in 2004). It sits on a raised triangle at the apex of Norwood 1981 and today Norwood’s B&Q sits on the site. Though great for DIY Road, which splits thereafter into Knights Hill and Norwood High Street enthusiasts who live nearby, in terms of high street coherence and quality (which is actually less of a high street than Norwood Road itself). of town centre offer this has to be a site that offers future development

West Norwood developed slowly in the 18th and early 19th centuries as a opportunities for urban living, public realm improvements and units for the genteel place, gaining fame for its cluster of recreational tea gardens that evening economy. attracted day-trippers from some distances.

West Norwood was not contiguous with London until comparatively recently, but as with Clapham and Streatham, over time the railways

138 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Unfortunately, and with implications for today’s night-time economy, Tulse Hill was until 1810 the possessor of only a single building, Tulse Norwood High Street never developed into the town’s key parade as Hill Farm, named after the original owners of the land. By the middle of originally planned. Instead most shops set up on Norwood Road between the 19th century Tulse Hill was connected by a ribbon of development to York Hill and St Luke's Church. This (combined with difficult to cross Brixton, which it was by then connected to London. junctions) leaves the town centre rather disjointed. Like much of South London it was originally comprised of large villas, many of which have been lost and the land has been redeveloped at much

higher densities with considerable council housing since the 1930s.

Historically there has been little evening economy to really ‘get hold of’ in Tulse Hill, except takeaways and a couple of pubs. However, recently

Bubbas upmarket Caribbean restaurant has opened, and the Portuguese community that has grown in the area is served by both a later opening

shop and a couple of restaurants that are busy in the early evening.

In both towns the night-time economy is limited, with its only real mark of distinction being the possession of the dubious title for ‘most takeaways in the borough’ (see later).

There are a small number of businesses that serve Portuguese / Brazilian drinks, meals and products in Tulse Hill which have added some diversity to the area. They tend to be the busiest The magnificent St Luke’s Church stands at the heart of West Norwood and venues in the early evening. has real potential to become and even more iconic feature, particularly after dark.

139 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.6.2 Management, infrastructure and planning Curently its car park, home to the Norwood Feast monthly food market, is in a poor state of repair. This space could be improved at relatively little Currently there has been little development or planned expansion of the cost, not only for car parking, but evening or night-time economy in West Norwood and Tulse Hill. What has the church should think in multi- happened has done so in a fairly ad hoc way. In this way it is like use terms. Why not resurface it Streatham, but that area is perhaps five years ahead of West Norwood- but also put in external power Tulse Hill in its development of new bars, food pubs, quirky restaurants points allowing evening events and music venues. such as a craft market, small While these two towns do not need a radical action plan to address concerts and school events to take problems (e.g. Clapham), nor a strategically significant masterplan to place here? The lack of external address their role within the London context (e.g. Vauxhall or Waterloo), power is often the main reason they do need a bit more ‘after dark’ thought in order to help them realise why otherwise attractive public their potential as great community neighbourhoods, so that locals can spaces are not used more, both have more pride in saying they live in these areas. The most obvious areas day and evening. The West Norwood Feast food to address are as follows. festival is one of the town’s fantastic In addition, given its prominent attractions. Could it be done more St Luke’s Church position, the church desperately often at night, with entertainment – St Luke’s Church is the Greek revivalist centrepiece of West Norwood. Not needs lighting. This is absolutely a night market? just in terms of its architecture but also in its classic urban design setting, critical to West Norwood’s evening perched as it is on a hill elevation with lines of sight up Norwood Road. economy. However, rather than simply choosing to light in a conventional

Its Memorial Gardens have been re-landscaped beautifully in recent times way with white light alone (which of course should be installed to provide and are now surrounded by new railings, which although they cut the a classical setting), why not consider lighting that turns the building into space off from the town, are of the very highest standard, and add a an artwork at night, something really innovative and which puts West handsome curtilage to the church. However, despite these improvements, Norwood on the London map? opportunities still exist to make much more of the church’s external space and help it reach out even more to the community.

140 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

The Library St Luke’s church has already been lit up for local events and proves a worthy setting for community evening activities.

The West Norwood Library: Not the most glamorous building, but one that is

crucial to the heart of the community and a place that could stay open later.

Due to vandalism in early 2012, West Norwood’s library, an absolutely key community focus given the limited other community facilities, was closed. It needs a long-term solution. The council has temporarily moved the library into the Old Library - the irony is not lost on local people, and while

this is better than nothing, it’s not a sustainable solution.

However, in the search for funds to reopen the building, the council and community should consider how a new library (without duplicating the

functions the Old Library now performs as a community centre) could be better used in the evening. Perhaps it could also as a meeting, performance and even food and drink space. Is there a possibility of a joint venture to put that much needed aspirational food-led venture into the building at ground floor and extend upwards for the library?

141 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Traffic planning Road layouts in both Tulse Hill While traffic though Norwood and Tulse Hill is generally not as heavy as (right / below) and, to a lesser that found in Brixton, Clapham or Streatham, there are a number of issues extent, West Norwood (bottom) which are important to change, not just for the evening and night time affect the quality of place of each phases of operation, but to make the area more hospitable, more of a of these town centres. Tulse Hill in community high street throughout the day. particular would benefit from

substantial traffic mitigation, de- Firstly in the north, the junction where Tulse Hill meets Thurlow Park Road cluttering so that the buildings and Norwood Road is one of the most hostile small-scale junctions in currently empty area attractive to south London. While the South Circular runs through here and this limits investors as well as creating a safer place in which to live. what can be done, its current configuration destroys any sense of unity and feels deeply unsafe to cross from the car showroom on Norwood Road to the Tulse Hill Tavern. To do so requires crossing 6 lanes of diagonal traffic. It is also amongst London’s most confusing and cluttered junctions with over 40 pieces of signage and street furniture in a 30m radius.

Secondly, further south, the junction where Norwood Road divides into

Knights Hill and Norwood High Street also requires a substantial overhaul. There are two reasons for this. Firstly the pedestrian and cycle experience is confusing and as a result feels intimidating and unsafe. Secondly, by reengineering and de-cluttering this area it would create a better setting for the church and create a more cohesive feel for what may emerge over time as ‘Norwood village’. In particular the forecourt outside the Tesco Express is a considerable waste of space where something more imaginative could be created that works both day and evening.

142 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

Tulse Hill rail station West Norwood rail station Overall, there is limited evening economy potential in Tulse Hill due to its It is this area – around Knights Hill - that has the best chance of becoming catchment, proximity to a hub for food and drink in Norwood. It could play a critical role in the Dulwich and ribbon-like With the right public realm, Station Rise is a concept of a ‘West Norwood village’, something that can be envisaged but development. However, potential hidden jewel for Tulse Hill. remains an idea. at the station exit and The area has the church, a sense of character from its Georgian and Station Rise there is an Edwardian shop fronts and flats above; it has the passing trade of the opportunity. With Bubbas station and, shortly, the addition of the new Norwood Hall. This will house now offering upmarket the NHS conference and training centre, a cafe and, crucially, a swimming Caribbean food, the pool. The area also has public facilities such as the library and community station café, the Railway centre and the theatre not too far away, all of which bring people to the Tavern and the traditional area. Currently the Norwood Hotel and the Horns Tavern are the only White Hart on the corner, drink-led establishments and food offer is dominated by takeaways, but there is a cluster forming around here would be the ideal location for a food-led pub company such here. as Antic or a similar to provide that catalytic aspirational offer. To stimulate this further, in the longer term The Norwood Hotel is a extending the cobbled fine building in a key parking bays across location but which

Station Rise would make currently has a standard pub offer. A on attractive more aspirational offer pedestrianised enclave away from the traffic soaked high street. This could in this location could allow existing and potentially new premises to open out and create a really help change the courtyard-like space with outside seating that could work through the whole feel of this end week for commuters and local residents at weekends. of West Norwood.

143 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

B&Q site

B&Q’s plans for their Norwood Road site are not known. However, the site of the former Regal cinema, which backs onto a large estate of Lambeth owned council housing, occupies a prime location in the town. The local plan for West Norwood should consider how this might be better used in the medium and long term. It is unlikely that the current limitations on the store (an unusually small format for a DIY operation and with limited parking) is ideal for its operators. West Norwood would benefit from some of the multiple restaurants such as A new development of housing fronting Norwood Road, with outside Pizza Express or Nando’s that nearby Streatham possesses. While nobody eating spaces at ground level would be a much more logical use of this would wish to flood Norwood Road with chains, it is sufficiently weak that the investment by these brands or the likes of Zizzi or GBK as part of a broader key site on the road and offer up some sense of cohesion and identity to place plan would help signal that outside investors are interested in Norwood. an otherwise chaotic thoroughfare. In particular, the town currently lacks large format A3 uses that would fit a 100 to 120 cover restaurant such as those sought out by Ask, Nando’s and Zizzi. And, while Knights Hill provides excellent small opportunities, these larger formats will probably need to be provided though new developments, such as the one potentially offered by this site.

144 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.6.3 Economics Even more than Streatham, there is room for some more aspirational restaurants, albeit not as many units or of such quality. Initially it may not As the figure below shows, West Norwood-Tulse Hill has not really made be the branded ones that invest – they might be reluctant currently given any progress economically over the past ten years in its evening and it is an unproven location, so for the time being at least, this means there night-time economy. While turnover of firms and employment was a little are clear opportunities for local entrepreneurs to fill this gap. This could higher pre-recession, the fact that by 2011 it was the same as in 2001 even occur to the point that the local market for better food and drink shows how weak it is as a sector. Yet it still employs c450 people and could be sewn up before the brands realise its potential. turns over £25m, which although a positive contribution to the local At one point South London pub specialists Antic were developing 17-19 economy is a downturn in real terms over 2001 to 2011. Knights Hill as ‘Knowles of Norwood’ beer parlour, but ultimately the unit Figure 43. West Norwood & Tulse Hill’s NTE employ and turnover proved too small. They are still looking for locations in West Norwood and 2011 Drink Food Ents NTE it is this kind of operator that the town really needs to put it on the map Firms 22 88 2 112 Employment 100 310 52 462 because currently there isn’t a single stand out restaurant or pub which Turnover (% of borough) 4.6% 3.5% 5.8% 5.0% says ‘Norwood has arrived’; the kind of place that brings out those Turnover (£) 2011 £25m professionals on a week night and the families on a Saturday or Sunday Turnover (£) (£) 2001 £25m lunchtime. These are the kind of people who are starting to look to the Average business sizes are tiny at only 4 people per firm. This is partly area. If Antic (or a similar entrepreneur) finds the right venue, it will have reflective of the large number of takeaways that make up a quarter of the a hugely disproportionate effect on the attractiveness of the town to other food offer in the area. A number of the other food offerings are also cafes investors. that close in the early evening and these inflate what seems to be quite a There are only two firms in the entertainment subsector and this is high number of food outlets. reflective of the fact that there is no cinema, bingo or dedicated live music In reality (as the GOAD map later in this chapter shows), is really of a very venue. What the town does have is the South London Theatre Company, low quality. It is also worth noting that this number of food outlets is also which is the busiest amateur company in the UK and has a great further inflated by above ground firms and those off the main high street reputation, which exists well beyond the community. – the number of actual restaurants visible ‘on the high street’ is minimal.

145 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

It is also worthy of note that West Norwood’s library, whose building is now closed, has ‘temporarily’ reopened in the ‘Old Library’ opposite. This is open most nights for community activity and is therefore a lynchpin of the broader community evening offer.

While the overall catchment for both West Norwood and Tulse Hill is comparatively local (more so even than Streatham) the area does have the clientele (see Demographics below) to sustain a few more quality drink Above: West Norwood has some great community facilities (e.g. South London operations and accessibly priced but imaginative restaurants. Theatre - top left). While a solution must be found for a permanent library, the

Whilst London has a continuing appeal to businesses and tourists, we are existing community space must be secured – it is critical for animating the town centre, especially in the evening. operating in a recessionary economy of the like that has not been seen in Below: Antic pub company run around 30 pubs across south London. They this country for 70 years. As such any sensible ‘entrepreneur’ or corporate have the Dogstar in Brixton and Pratts and Payne in Streatham, as well as investor would want to see the opportunity clearly in Norwood. many in neighbouring boroughs. They had secured a site in West Norwood,

So while there are opportunities in Norwood, before seeking to capture but it fell through. Their presence would signify the town is on the up. the possibilities perhaps there should be a more fine-grained understanding of why the economy has generally gone backwards and if this trend shows any signs of reversing.

146 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.6.4 Spatial analysis There is a larger discrepancy here between the NightMix data (112 total units) and the GOAD data (65) than other towns. And, while we are not This analysis uses GOAD data (overleaf) to show the current night-time comparing ‘apples with apples’ here, it is clear that there is considerable mix in order to help understand the land use balance in the town centre. night-time economy activity away from the main drag that makes up the Figure 44. West Norwood-Tulse Hill’s after dark land use9 other businesses found by our analysis. Night-time economy venues No % Land Use In West Norwood there is a cluster of later opening shops, with Traditional pubs 6 9 A4 Cooperative, Tesco and Sainsbury’s all within a few metres of each other Café bars & branded food pubs 2 3 A4 and while this gives choice and animates the town after dark, albeit in a Nightclubs & late under 25s venues 1 1.5 Sui Generis rather samey and bland way. Family & global cuisine, cafes, coffee bars 22 34 A3 Fine dining 0 0 A3 What is utterly clear here is how dominant takeaways are relative all other Fast food take-aways 22 34 A5 uses, yet how café-bars, gastropubs and fine dining are almost completely Cinema, theatre, concert & dance 2 3 D2 missing from the area. While this is reflective of local tastes and socialising Performance, popular music & comedy 0 0 D2 practices (West Norwood is unlikely to ever support a Michelin starred Late-opening arts & community venues 1 1.5 D1 restaurant), it also suggests a mismatch given that there is reasonable Late-opening shops & markets 4 6 A1 disposable income in this part of south London. Sports, leisure & fitness venues 0 0 D2 There are also a large number of betting shops. The occasional betting Amusements, bingo & casinos 0 0 Sui Generis office may be useful in animating town centres between 6pm and 10pm, Betting shops 5 8 A2 and they generally have smartly presented shop fronts, they should be Total 65 seen as a potential cause for concern given the issues of problem gambling and low level crime and disorder that is associated with them. It is important that the council and community keeps a careful eye on the

9 NB. The NightMix data for each town differs to GOAD, because it also includes number of these and takes what action it can should they proliferate. the town’s hinterland and here we find firms such as community pubs, corner takeawasy. NightMix also includes firms abover ground level and head offices of NTE firms which may not be apparent simply by walking down a high street. Therefore the NightMix figures are always larger than the ‘high street’ GOAD.

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Figure 45. West Norwood / Tulse Hill’s land use GOAD

148 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.6.5 Demographics Therefore, if we match the evening and night-time economy offer of West Norwood against local people, we can see at present it generally fits. The West Norwood has an immediate walkable catchment of around 10,000 only area that appears to be underrepresented is for ‘young professionals and Tulse Hill a slightly smaller one. And while there are at least another and families’ and ‘single house sharers’ in Thurlow Park. This is the more 30-40,000 residents within a mile or so of each town centre, they are affluent part of the catchment bordering Dulwich with its more upmarket more likely to see other locations (Streatham, Dulwich, Crystal Palace and terraced and dethatched properties. It is most likely that these people will Brixton) as attractive nights out than West Norwood-Tulse Hill at present. gravitate to Dulwich. There are a large number of migrants from across Europe in the area, in Whilst Tulse Hill is unlikely to compete with Dulwich’s offer, an improved particular Portuguese who have started a number of businesses locally. physical realm and pub /café-bar offer around Tulse Hill station (see later) This adds diversity and interest to the evening operation of Tulse Hill. could appeal to these people for whom Tulse Hill is convenient and who Examining Experian's ‘Acorn’ classifications for West Norwood it is less are looking for a casual meal or after work drink. affluent and ‘experience’ focused than other Lambeth locations.

Figure 46. West Norwood socio-demographics

Single Young Multi- Older Successful Ward house profs & cultural senior singles sharers families 2nd gen profs

Gipsy Hill  

Knight's  Hill West Norwood (Above) & Tulse Hill has the highest number of takeaways in Thurlow the borough. While the ‘horse has bolted’, this situation must be in part Park   redressed through much more rigorous planning rules that prohibit further A5

‘takeaway’ development in the Norwood and Tulse Hill area (based on nuisance and viability of the high street grounds’).

149 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

4.6.6 Crime Figure 47. West Norwood-Tulse Hill crime by hotspot

Overall, West Norwood and Tulse Hill are relatively safe locations to live in and visit, particularly from an evening and night time economy perspective. The lack of a large scale, late-night and alcohol-led culture means it is free of the violence problems associated with these locations.

Likewise theft from the person is not unheard of but is less common here then anywhere else in the borough.

The crime that can be attributable to the night-time economy appears to be around the two stations (Tulse Hill and West Norwood). There are also a small number of pubs and takeaways around these two transport nodes so, this is unsurprising. While not facing the same challenges, as Clapham or Brixton, any improvement or move upmarket for some of the traditional pubs, is likely to further reduce any incidents related to alcohol and violence.

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Way4.6.7 Way Forward:forward West Norwood & Tulse Hill There isn’t a need for a large-scale masterplan for West Norwood or Tulse Hill due to their small nature, slowly evolving character and limited number of strategic sites. However, a place plan is still relevant. They are also places that don’t (and shouldn’t) have a late night economy. However, there are a small number of interventions that will help the evening economy and the quality of life for residents. • The creation of a community-led ‘place plan’ enabled by Lambeth to set out a vision and work with public and private partners to shape opportunities rather than waiting for a magic bullet to address the decline of the ‘high street’. • Lighting the church would signal ‘life after dark’ in West Norwood. The conversion of the church’s car park into a multiuse space, with power, would create an excellent events space. • Tulse Hill Station Rise could make an ideal semi-pedestrianised micro-hub of cafes and pubs. • The traffic domination of Tulse Hill junction needs to be radically addressed; to enhance the pedestrian experience while still coping with the large volume of traffic on the South Circular. • A solution needs to be found for the library, if including a community space and perhaps a commercial food-based opportunity; one that is open after 6pm. • Consider stronger planning / licensing controls for takeaways to prevent further proliferation of these venues that bring very little value to the local economy but numerous problems. • By building a ‘Norwood village’ feel around the church, Knights Hill and station, a more aspirational offer of bars and restaurants could replace the takeaways and empty shops. • Retain the town centre inward investment business manager position. These interventions are set out fully in Section 5. ‘Ideas into Action’: Next Steps.

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5 ‘IDEAS INTO ACTION’ - NEXT STEPS

SECTION 5

‘Ideas into Action’:

Next steps…

152

Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy 5.15.1 IntroductionIntroduction 5.25.2 Lambeth’sLambeth’s ‘After ‘After Dark Vision’ Dark Vision’

The first step towards a cohesive strategy for the borough is to set out the This final section brings together the unique statistical research undertaken for this project; our real-time observations of the borough kind of evening and night-time experience Lambeth wants to encourage. after dark and stakeholders’ views in order to set a broad direction of Lambeth doesn’t currently have an ‘After Dark Vision’. Such a vision should travel for the development of Lambeth after 6pm. be truly transformative and needs to be urgently developed.

It is not the intention of this chapter to provide a costed night-time Our suggested Lambeth After Dark Vision, would look something like: economy action plan with detailed ownership of interventions (though this “Lambeth recognises the importance and potential of its night- is recommended as an early win after this study is published). Such an time economy. As a result, Lambeth aims to become a leading action plan can only follow client and stakeholder engagement with our player in London’s nightlife and for its ‘after dark offer’ to be a study findings as set out in this chapter of our report. key part of London’s case for attracting investment, visitors Rather, here we set out our ideas for action based on both this study in and in providing a first-rate quality of life for residents. Lambeth as well as on our knowledge of national and international best Its town centres in the evening and at night will define an practice. Lambeth Council can use this as the basis for creating the identity for Lambeth as a place where high art meets popular borough’s, and London’s, first genuinely cohesive approach to the entertainment; where cutting edge venues coexist with family night-time economy. evenings out. Crucially, Lambeth will encourage community, Whilst our conclusions require further development into a challenging but cultural and food-led activities to predominate over alcohol- realistic after dark strategy and action plan, Lambeth Council and partners led uses in order to create a borough that offers a vibrant but must be in no doubt that we are not suggesting a pick and mix approach. socially sustainable reputation for world-class nightlife.” Only by developing a truly visionary, comprehensive and cohesive It is crucial that all other borough documents when being drafted must approach to the development of the borough after dark can it both seize reflect the vision, not just in typical policies such as licensing and its opportunities and grow its night-time economy in a way that works for community safety but also in planning, economic development, tourism, nearly everybody, while at the same time reducing problems of health, culture, community development and public realm strategies. crime and nuisance that currently blight parts of the borough at night.

153 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

5.3 After Dark Targets To this end we believe it is realistic for Lambeth to include in its economic 5.3 After dark targets development prospectus the following target:

The unique research for this study shows that the Lambeth night-time Lambeth is seeking to sustainably grow the turnover of its night-time economy from £500 million in 2011 to £750 economy is much larger and more important than previously realised, but million in 2025. its development could be better optimised. This target for increased turnover is a straight-line continuation of the Therefore, it makes sense that underpinning a new Lambeth After Dark change that happened between 2001 and 2011. Vision there needs to be a complementary approach to measuring if the vision is actually working (as is the strategic approach needed to deliver). Lambeth could consider a more stretching target, however…

As part of this measurement there is a need to set some clear targets to • The UK faces an unpredictable future although we might reasonably aspire to. anticipate that the London economy will grow at a rate that permits

Currently there are many local targets around the negative outcomes this expansion. associated with parts of the night-time economy, such as crime and • Despite Lambeth’s night-time economy proving remarkably resilient health, so there is no obvious need to supplant these. They should be to the impact of recession on the wider borough economy, it has pursued vigorously through more robust policy and enforcement (as we lost some ground, and crucially, some of this growth has come from outline in the next section). However, currently there is no target for the clusters of alcohol-led venues that have created problems. sustainable growth of the borough after dark economy. • Lambeth will need to embed the night-time economy in its detailed With the right policy and management tools in place the borough can both future plans and within these encourage ‘displacement’ and ‘de- grow the night-time economy and make it more sustainable, so that by intensification’ as places like Clapham change to the type of 2025 the night-time economy will become an even greater player in the ‘neighbourhood’ night-time economies they should be, whilst life of the borough, to the benefit of inward investment, tourism appeal, apparently less successful centres, such as West Norwood / Tulse business growth, local job creation and community needs. Hill, take a more prominent role in serving their local communities after dark.

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Should this turnover target be achieved, Lambeth will need to • Brixton (current employment: 876). With 5% annual growth (reflecting consider around an additional 3,000 jobs in the night-time substantial diversification opportunities) by 2025 this would add 430 economy and, depending upon the mix of firms, another 300 to jobs and around 80 or so firms (at current size – it is likely to be less as 400 businesses. These are estimates based upon the employment the current firm size in Brixton is very small). and revenue values generated by the unique analysis undertaken • Streatham (current employment: 735). With 7.5% annual growth for this study. (reflecting current and potential demographic changes) by 2025 – this would add 590 jobs and around another 50 or so firms. Scenario modeling will be required to test the impact in what are quite different local geographies within Lambeth and to extrapolate meaningful • West Norwood & Tulse Hill (current employment: 495). With 5% local targets based on the profiles we have developed in this study for annual growth (reflecting limited but realistic opportunities) by 2025 – strategic change. this would add 247 jobs in around another 30 to 40 firms (by attracting more food pubs, restaurants, and entertainment rather than more For example, initial targets for each town centre might look like: small sized fast food operators). • Waterloo-South Bank (current employment: 2,355). With 5% annual The grounds for optimism are real if Lambeth addresses both the more growth by 2025 (reflecting its balance of maturity but remaining effective regulation of night-time economy and takes advantage of the opportunities), this would add 1,178 jobs and around 80 new firms. model already well into development at Waterloo-South Bank, facilitating a Vauxhall (current employment: 998). With 10% annual growth • similar but Vauxhall-specific version at the Battersea Nine Elms Lane site (reflecting wide spatial development opportunities) by 2025 – this with partners Wandsworth and the Mayor of London. would add around 1,000 jobs and at least an additional 80 firms This momentum of sustainable night-time economy growth can generate (depending on size, i.e. new firms are likely to be much larger). the income to pay for the higher standards of design, development, • Clapham (current employment: 1,235). With rate of change of 0% regulation and management that will be needed. (given the need to redress local balance within the night-time economy), no additional jobs (albeit possibly higher quality ones requiring different skillsets) or firms (though there may be exchange – from bars to restaurants).

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5.4 Three Key Drivers 5.4.2 ‘Leadership, Prioritisation & Partnership’

5.4 Ideas for action 1. A Lambeth Night-Time Economy Action Plan – A rigorous document that begins with the Vision, the targets and centres on the 5.4.1 Background individual ideas and interventions set out in these three themes. The We have identified three key drivers of policy change and action action planning process should test feasibility with partners, identify that will be needed in order to deliver the vision and the targets for resources, set out ownership and timescales and a reporting and sustainable after dark economy growth: evaluation mechanism.

1. Leadership, Prioritisation & Partnership. Making the night-time 2. A Lambeth Night-Time Economy Delivery Group – The use of economy a strategic priority. an existing borough-wide group or the development of new 2. Planning, Development & Control. Achieving happy communities, partnership to lead on the delivery of the Night-Time Economy Action vibrant places and business prosperity. Plan and ensure integration of the Night-Time Economy Vision into 3. Resources, Best Practice & ACTION! Developing a connected the borough’s other policies and plans. web of quality management. 3. Lambeth Night-Time Economy Champion – Lambeth should Within these there are a number of individual ‘ideas’ and ‘interventions’ seek a public face for the night-time economy in Lambeth to be the that need to be tested for feasibility and then embedded in a more formal delegated or appointed owner of the vision and programme and chair night-time economy action plan (see idea 1) that is adopted by the of the Night-Time Economy Delivery Group. The individual must be council and then reviewed on a regular basis. passionate about the night-time economy and knowledgeable of the challenges to be addressed in order to achieve change.

4. Lambeth Night-Time Economy Communications Plan – Lambeth should draft a plan to better communicate the importance of the night-time economy, what it is doing to seize opportunities and to address problems. The first step in the plan would be to disseminate the findings of this study.

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5. The Lambeth Night-Time Economy Prospectus – An aspirational entrepreneurs. This would be similar to the role of the leader of outward facing document that sets out Lambeth’s vision for the night- Sydney’s team of 4 night-time development staff. time economy and the current and emerging opportunities – the 9. Night-Time Economy Monitoring – Lambeth should udnertake vehicle for securing resident, investor and multi-sector buy-in. Linked annual performance management with this study as the baseline to place marketing – like the ‘It’s Liverpool’ strategy. reference, repeating the TBR/MAKE night-time economy model and 6. ‘Project London After Dark’ – Promoting Night-Time London assessing dynamics of success with ATCM’s ‘Night-Time Economy on the World Stage - Lobbying the Mayor, the GLA and London & Performance Management Model’. Partners for a more strategic approach to the optimisation of the 10. Detailed Cost Modelling – While we have made a first attempt at city’s night-time economy. Lambeth should work with other central measuring night-time economy costs, within the resources of the night-time economies such as Westminster, Camden, Kensington & project there was no room to go deeper. However, if the borough is Chelsea, Islington and Southwark to achieve this. serious about reducing the costs of crime and health (rather than 7. Lambeth & Islington: Partners in Reducing Crime - Lambeth & council costs, which are relatively low and limited to ‘must haves’ Islington should work together to exchange best practice on such as lighting and general cleansing), then public health and managing anc changing late night entertainment zones. Using Upper policing must work with community safety to produce more regular Street and Clapham High Street as examples of areas that have and robust data. This can then be built in to the annual monitoring become out of control, both councils can support each other in their phase above of the Lambeth Night-Time Economy Action Plan. bids for change. These locations could become both London and 11. Cardiff Model The health trusts serving Lambeth have gone some national exemplars of turning alcohol-dominated crime hotspots into way to introducing the ‘Cardiff Model’ for reporting alcohol-related more sustainable and diverse evening economies. presentations and have invested in a supporting brief intervention 8. Night-Time Economy Business Manager – Lambeth (perhaps co- alcohol nurse resource. However, this is in its infancy and both health funded by BIDs) should consider recruiting a business manager who partners and the council (in its new role as lead on public health) works on the broad agenda to grow the shape of the night-time should back the increasing resourcing, collection and more effective economy, while encouraging and aligning the interests of new use of A&E data for targeting problem premises in the borough.

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5.4.3 ‘Planning, Development & Control’ would leave 70% for retail and commercial uses. Yet if pubs and 12. Planning for the NTE – Planning must, as a matter of course, takeaways took up the proposed total A3/4/5 figure of 25%, this consider the night-time economy for every area or development. This would be a disaster for the area. A more nuanced approach to each means borough-wide in the Local Plan, the upcoming ‘Place Plans’ for location must be taken in the final Local plan, including a complete each town centre and in individual Supplementary Planning moratorium on further A5 takeaways in most locations. Documents and site-specific masterplans. This will only work if the 14. Stemming ‘A3 Creep’ – There needs to be more robust Director of Planning assumes charge of this. enforcement of planning permissions where restaurants have ‘crept’ 13. Getting the ‘Night-Mix’ Right – Through planning (and licensing into bars and even nightclubs in the early hours, e.g. Clapham. via cumulative impact areas where required) the borough needs to 15. Firming up Licensing – With the new Licensing Policy there is an get the density and clusters of venue types appropriate to the opportunity to tighten up the existing licensing approach, making it character and carrying capacity of each centre. This can in part be clear that the council will be more robust in tackling problem locations achieved through a more fine tuned use of the Use Classes Orders. and premises, including enforcement on promotions and intoxication, So, instead of, as the Local Plan currently in consultation suggests, and by ‘weeding and seeding’ (to remove problem licences), as per saying that (excluding the Waterloo / Vauxhall Opportunity Areas) Westminster, in order to achieve a more balanced mix. This should be that A3/4/5 applications will normally be refused if they ‘exceed 25% done through tough wording in the new policy and (to avoid a judicial of ground floor uses in primary shopping locations’ or ‘2 in 5 review) the drafting of a separate ‘Highway Code’ type document consecutive frontages in other areas’. A better policy (until local Place setting out what Lambeth expects to see as minimum standards and Plans are adopted under the local plan as the material document for processes in premises if they are to be considered ‘good neighbours’ each location) would be to break A3/4/5 into separate categories. and therefore subject to less oversight and enforcement.

For example, 20% A3 restaurant use would be perfectly reasonable in 16. Late Night Levy and Early Morning Restriction Orders – Given a newly adapting Streatham High Street (given we must expect retail the problems and costs associated with parts of the NTE, e.g. Clapham, it is perfectly reasonable for the council to implement a late to shrink), with 5% A4 (pubs / bars) and ‘no further’ takeaways. This night levy to part cover costs and to impose an EMRO where

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residents’ quality of life is compromised. Further the evidence base each centre and why their role should include specific after dark of the problems and costs is robust in the borough (though more responsibilities. evidence from A&E would help build any case). 19. Local Night-Time Economy ‘Activity Management Plans’ – However, the use of the LNL and/ or EMROs must be the last resort. While the borough needs an overall Night-Time Economy Action Plan, The council should give the BIDs and businesses in the late night certain hotspot locations also need their own activity management economy an agreed timetable (12 months from the publication of this plans that fit with what Lambeth, the BIDs and partners are seeking report) for achieving demonstrable improvements in health, crime to achieve. Specifically, Waterloo-South Bank, Clapham, Brixton (and and streetscene outcomes in hotspot areas (Clapham, Brixton, in due course Vauxhall). Vauxhall) if they are to avoid the imposition of such measures. These plans could combine locally relevant issues such as multi- While police, council and health services must play a more proactive agency inspections, early intervention policing, street pastors / partnership role than they have previously, the responsibility for guardians such as street ambassadors, night-time taxi ranks and delivering positive change in late night culture must fall squarely on marshalling, dedicated lighting, CCTV, Radionet, yellow card / the businesses that wish to benefit. banning schemes, triage centre, street de-cluttering, waste management, crack downs on taxi touts, Best Bar None, server 5.4.4 Resources, Best Practice & ACTION! training etc. The list is almost endless, but much of it is not yet 17. Retain Night-Time Economy Coordinator – The new role of present in Lambeth.

night-time economy coordinator is a welcome addition. Over time Night Time Cleansing – A Priority for the Private Sector. however, there should be a shift from an enforcement and regulation- Currently evening and night-time cleansing is provided in some based role to a promotional and customer experience one. locations by the council. A clean environment is essential both for a 18. Town Centre Management – It is vital that Lambeth’s Town sense of order but also for residents to walk home through. Where Centre Management (TCM) functions are retained, particularly in this nuisance is the result of the night-time economy, e.g. takeaways Brixton and Norwood in the absence of BIDs. The sections on each and pre-loading drinks bottles in Brixton and Clapham, this should be town centre below highlights why each TCM is uniquely important to paid for in whole or in substantial part by the firms that benefit from

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running their businesses in these locations, not by the council. jobs outside the borough, there are already over 11,000 people Discussion with the emerging Clapham and Brixton BIDs should make engaged in this sector with some connection to Lambeth. it clear that cleaning after say 7 or 8pm is their responsibility and that Growth in the night-time economy just within Lambeth itself could the council will hold them to account by enforcing under planning, take this figure to 14,000 jobs in total. Within this an increasing environmental health or licensing where litter is found near premises. number of Lambeth residents would be employed locally and in 20. Early Intervention Policing – Best practice shows that in night- neighbouring boroughs (perhaps an increase from the current 4,000+ time economy crime hotspot areas policing is most effective when residents employed to around 7,000) over the next decade. proactive and operating to ‘early intervention’ principles. That is, The range of skill and training issues, which surround this part of the officers patrolling, meeting and greeting and sending out a clear economy, suggest consideration is given to a Lambeth-based message of ‘ownership’. Currently the borough has adopted what is specialist college, which could of course serve other parts of London known as a ‘reactive policing’ model, i.e. responding to incidents. This and provide linkage and funding with the businesses that work in the needs to be changed to a more proactive one, particularly in night time economy. Clapham, until problems of late night disorder have been reduced. 23. Lambeth: ‘The Purple Flag Borough’ – It would be a satisfying 21. Animation and Events – Currently there is a creative use of the measure of success if all the borough’s town centres are eventually public space around the South Bank for evening events, but much accorded Purple Flag status – the gold standard for a well run night- more could be done elsewhere. More activity is needed after dark in time economy. In the first instance, Waterloo-South Bank may the other town centres that attract different clientele such as open already meet the standards (see below) while Vauxhall, Brixton and film screenings, night markets, festivals and concerts like those that Streatham and Clapham could over the medium term with West are routinely programmed in places such as Kingston, Birmingham or Norwood-Tulse Hill perhaps doing so over the longer term. This could Nottingham. then be used as part of the wider promotional development of the 22. Developing the Local Skills Base – Taking into account employees after dark economy in the borough. from across London who work within Lambeth, as well as Lambeth Overleaf are the individual ideas for beginning the transformation of the residents who work locally or travel to work in night-time economy night-time economy in each town centre.

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licensing enforcement, planning and so on. This could be developed 5.5Town Town centre: Centres :Clapham Clpaham by the Clapham Licensing Forum of local after dark businesses, which

We have identified a number of actions that need to be further tested with is supported by the council’s community safety team, with partners for their feasibility and then embedded in both a long-term local involvement of the BID once it is voted in. ‘Place Plan’ for Clapham and a short-term Night-Time Economy Activity 23. The Clapham BID – A BID, once operational, needs to take a strong Management Plan for Clapham High Street. These include: lead on managing the negative impact of the High Street’s night-time 21. Clapham Vision and Place Plan – While there is a sound Draft economy and also playing a full role in shaping a new more Clapham Delivery Plan that highlights many of the issues facing the sustainable after dark vision as part of the Place Plan process. While town and sets out some actions, at present there is no community the BID process has been commissioned, it is key that the ‘business agreed vision for the town for any time of day. Yet it critically needs plan’ that emerges from this process takes on board the ideas for one that sets out the kind of place that residents, businesses and action in this section and includes them where appropriate. other interested parties want to see develop over the next 20 years. 24. Licensing Policy – Some enforcement in Clapham has taken place. The imminent Clapham ‘Place Plan’ process should combine fresh However, in line with our recommendation for a firmer borough-wide consultation with residents, businesses and users about an holistic Licensing Policy, this is particularly relevant to Clapham. The new future plan for the town with the relevant parts of the existing delivery policy should set out that, as of 2013, there are too many late night plan. venues and that these compromise the licensing objectives. Like 22. Night Time Activity Management Plan – As noted previously, Westminster, Lambeth should set out in its policy that for Clapham it while the Place Plan is in genesis, there is a need for a more wants to see a more balanced evening offer, where food and comprehensive ‘Night-Time Activity Management Plan’ for Clapham. entertainment are the main reasons for a night out. There have been previous attempts at this but a fresh approach 25. Maintain Cumulative Impact (Saturation) Policy – Viewing the should be developed. The plan should have the support of the licensed crime statistics, it is crucial that the Cumulative Impact (Saturation) trade, public partners and the community. This should encompass Area is retained, monitored and modified if necessary. Currently it many of the actions and interventions below, such as toilet provision, does not include off-sales and this should be considered given the

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large amounts of cans, bottles and other alcohol vessels that are (i.e. through shared space, traffic mitigation, shop frontage and deposited nearby late night venues. heritage enhancements etc.)

26. Early Morning Restriction Order - In reality Clapham High Street 29. De-cluttering – Given funds are short for such a major public realm sits in a leafy residential area and while its night-time offer is often initiative, an early win for the public realm would be to de-clutter the fun, it is problematic and it feels strongly out of place in Clapham. high street, benefiting users both day and night. After dark queues While the BID must be given time to work, the council should not be seriously obstruct and intimidate non-venue users and provide easy afraid to consider an Early Morning Restriction Order to reduce late opportunities for theft and ‘dipping’ by thieves targeting those using night problems. 1am would be a logical terminal hour for a suburban ATMs on the high street. Short term de-cluttering could be done as neighbourhood centre. This would still allow locals to have a late drink part of the Night Time Activity Management Plan with the BID leading while allowing visitors to use the Underground as part of a viable once formed. transport mix out of the area post midnight. This would be 30. Safe Space & Street Pastors – A quick win, and one that is controversial with late night businesses. currently being trialled, is the creation of a safe space at the Methodist 27. A3 Creep – While the Place Plan and (at a borough level) the Local Church. In turn this could be a base for Street Pastors, which are Plan will set out what balance of land uses should be in Clapham, currently much needed. particularly in the High Street, it is crucial that in the meantime the 31. Toilets – The current toilet provision in Clapham is poor, even given council is much firmer on enforcing planning permissions. Any premise the Community Toilet Scheme. It is recommended that the BID leads that is permitted planning for A3 food use should be restricted to that on providing the toilet solution given the majority of street urination use. This could ‘remove’ three or four late night ‘bars’ immediately observed is from users of the licensed premises. In the meantime from the overheated Clapham mix. making the 20p toilet free may help. 28. Major Public Realm Project – Clapham deserves a first rate public 32. Yellow Card Scheme – Proven to work in other locations, this realm given its history and ‘village’ style, but at present it is messy, scheme, which gives warnings and then bans to individuals who cause low quality, profoundly cluttered and traffic dominated. The Clapham problems, has been introduced in Clapham’s venues. We recommend Place Plan should identify how the public realm is to be transformed

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the continued trialling of this due to its effectiveness elsewhere. But it 5.5.1 Waterloo-South Bank must be reviewed, as it is a scheme that benefits from excluding local Town centre: Waterloo-South Bank troublemakers and Clapham has a very transient late night economy 36. Public Realm Improvement and Integration – There are a that attracts a high number of people from beyond Clapham. number of schemes - South Bank Centre Phase 2, Waterloo Station, 33. Radio scheme There is no borough-wide ‘radionet’ type scheme Waterloo Plaza / Elizabeth House - that are currently seeking to allowing premises to warn others of troublemakers. It needs one, with provide cohesion within Waterloo-Southbank. =It is crucial that the Clapham being the most immediate beneficiary. council, Waterloo BID, South Bank Centre, South Bank Employers Group, TfL, Network Rail and the Mayor, as well as landowners, 34. Event and Festivals –Despite Venn Street Market and events on the ensure that within this overall vision they embed a coherent and Common, the town’s animation is surprisingly limited and takes place distinctive after dark offer. mainly during the day. Therefore, there is room for more events and There is a clear need to provide seamless navigation between the festival activity that is locally driven and which is family focused and distinct parts of the offer (South Bank, Waterloo Station, The Cut and this is something that the BID once established should look to enable. Lower Marsh) through better signage, lighting, junction redesign, street

35. Purple Flag – Part of the Clapham Place Plan should be to achieve a furniture, shared space etc. However, it would be easy to redesign this Purple Flag. However, at present due to the alcohol-related disorder area simply for the 100,000s of workers who come into London each day or for weekend South Bank tourists. The emerging vision and and the over-density of alcohol-led venues, this is some way off. As projects for the area set out in the updated SPD (approved April 2013) the after-dark economy is regulated towards a more diverse and must ensure it works around the clock, seven days a week. It must be appropriate offer it is possible that its other facilities, e.g. cinema, a seamless destination and a ‘real’ place, retaining office workers after library etc. will form a feasible alternative to alcohol-led activities. work, providing appropriate facilities for the increasing volume of residents, as well as the ever-growing number of tourists.

37. South Bank Centre Redevelopment: Phase 2 – Fielden Clegg Bradley’s delivery of the Rick Mather Masterplan for Phase 2 of the South Bank Centre redevelopment really needs to ensure the evening

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and night time offer is not simply ‘more of the same’. But, considers ideas of extending the market into the evening, as well as securing how a more individual and independent leisure-retail (and ‘quiet new tenants for premises that augment the existing independent feel space’) environment can be provided in what has to now been a of the street. It is also crucial is that the BID and the council keeps a generally corporate and chain-based offer. Phase 1 has been effective close eye on the number of licensed premises here – around 20% in business and footfall terms, but the future night-time ‘non-culture’ being restaurants and bars would be ideal, but much more and it offer should be as stimulating and innovative as the cultural offer. could replicate the problems of Clapham High Street.

38. South Bank ‘Late’ – There is both the apparent demand and the 40. Off-Sales Cumulative Impact (Saturation) Policy - There are capacity around the South Bank Centre area to deliver a late night real anti-social behaviour issues in and around Waterloo-South Bank. cultural and leisure-retail offer, such as music, performance, comedy Lambeth should consider following the successful lead of Blackpool and cabaret combined with food and some drink till at least 1am and and Leicester and introduce a Cumulative Impact (Saturation) Policy possibly 2am. Currently the South Bank / North Waterloo becomes for off-sales only in the area, to limit future access to take-away deserted after 11pm, yet due to its limited number of residents, it is alcohol. It will not cure the problem (there are numerous other one of the few areas in central London that that would actually benefit initiatives under way), but it can prevent future exacerbation. There is from more venues that open past midnight. no current need for such a policy to extend to on-premises.

The South Bank / North Waterloo are only a ‘stone’s throw’ from 41. Purple Flag – The South Bank is certainly good enough to attain Covent Garden / Charing Cross where there is little 11pm to 2am offer Purple Flag status, and so this should be an aim for the BID / SBEG / due to Westminster’s licensing policy. South Bank – North Waterloo Lambeth. (Purple Flag is the ‘gold standard’ accreditation for a well could take advantage of this. As such, the feasibility of this should be run night-time economy). It may wish to encompass Waterloo (Lower investigated as part of phase 2 of the South Bank Centre Marsh / The Cut) in any application, although this may create redevelopment, for the future use of the railway arches, and in any complexity. But in working together with the Purple Flag masterplans / development briefs for the area. administrators, theses agencies can together decide the best route to Purple Flag status. 39. Protect and Enhance Lower Marsh – The BID should continue to promote this historic but hidden street, particularly working to open it up to Waterloo Station’s huge user numbers and by taking forward its

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once office workers go home. Vauxhall must and can avoid this 5.5.2 Vauxhall Town centre: Vauxhall scenario from the outset. 43. Maximising the Cultural Strategy – Lambeth have commissioned 42. Animating the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity a cultural strategy to compliment the development of the Vauxhall Framework: An Activity Plan – This thorough technical plan has Nine Elms Battersea Masterplan. This will go some way to delivering widespread support, but in the next stage of preparation and delivery this activation of the street level and ensuring that the area has ‘life it needs to seriously revisit the evening or night-time economy, which after dark’. The strategy must cover both ‘Culture’ (e.g. staged art and at present it has not addressed performance) but also wider ‘culture’ – creating a set of tools for the The council must lobby (both the Mayor and landowners) to ensure area that permits the expression of a wide range of ‘community and that individual development briefs, masterplans and building designs ‘lived’ culture e.g. from skateboarding to people-watching, window art are fully ‘activated’ through the 24-hour cycle (from breakfasting office to children’s play. workers to residents late night gay clubbers). 44. BID – The Vauxhall BID has numerous late night members and the There is a case for going even further and commissioning an ‘Activity night-time economy is clear priority. While its primary role is to deliver Plan’ which sets out how the area will develop, look and feel at street / its business plan, there is an opportunity for the BID to support the public realm level with distinct phases (including evening and night- development the area as a ‘destination’ identifying complementary time economy e.g. from 5pm to 8pm, 8pm to 11pm, 11pm to 2am and uses that might enhance the current evening offer while co-existing very late night.) with the late night offer. This would compliment the emerging Cultural Strategy by ensuring the 45. Off-Sales Cumulative Impact (Saturation) Policy - Consideration public realm has the infrastructure, such as lighting, powerpoints, should be given to an Off Sales Cumulative Impact (Saturation) Policy, performance spaces and seating to facilitate both a sense of place and preferably at the same time as adjoining Waterloo-South Bank. Street real ownership as well as the creation of a vibrant public realm. This drinking and nuisance behaviour is a problem and a joined up would avoid the creation of a slick but sterile neighbourhood, such as approach would save resources and help minimise displacement. Southwark Street in neighbouring Southwark or Central St Giles in Holborn which become what placemakers call a ‘tumbleweed town’

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48. Purple Flag – Brixton has been working at achieving Purple Flag and 5.5.3 Brixton Town centre: Brixton is close in many criteria, though crime and safety (albeit improved), remains a stumbling block. Lambeth, the Met and the BID (once 46. Brixton Place Plan – The Future Brixton Masterplan has been a operational) should work with ATCM to attain this gold standard. useful steer for change but was completed a number of years ago. The forthcoming Place Plan process should take the valuable insights 49. Marketing Brixton – Brixton’s after dark offer is first rate, even for in Future Brixton, combine them with the analysis in this study and London. It’s not to everyone’s taste, nor should it be, but the cinema, that of other work (e.g. the developing BID) to create a new vision for Brixton Village, the O2 as well as emerging businesses, such as Craft the town centre and its surrounding neighbourhoods. independent beer house, now mean that Brixton has the critical mass for a night out. Yet it is not known widely enough for this – a Crucial to this is embedding Lambeth’s now greater understanding of marketing plan is required and should be part of the BID’s early work. the town’s after dark economy in this plan to reflect the recent success and potential of attractions such as Brixton Village, the 50. Animating Brixton After Dark – The BID, once formed, together fantastic market, and falls in crime as a platform to attract new with community groups and Lambeth town centre management investors and new users. We believe this can happen without fear should ‘think big’ about how to animate the town through festivals and that Brixton will lose its soul and become gentrified, but a better events that continue into the evening and in particular how to use balance could be achieved. Windrush Square to greater effect. There are some excellent one off events, (e.g. Brixton Splash and the proposed Light Night for 47. Supporting the Brixton BID – A Brixton BID is the single most November 2013), but the town needs a year round programme that important development that the town’s night-time economy (and town makes people (local and across London) ask this question “Shall we go centre) can have to build on its recent success. It needs to happen into Brixton this weekend – there’s usually something interesting on?” urgently. While BID development is always a challenging process and requires determination and patience, particularly where there is little Currently Lambeth’s approach to the Square is reactive: waiting for previous partnership, further support of the Brixton BID could be people to come to it to hire it, and at a high cost, Perhaps instead, considered to accelerate the process. devolving power to local businesses and communities to regularly host activities and events on the Square, through Lambeth’s cooperative

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model, would be a better model. And taking a look at Kingston’s use of 5.5.4 Streatham its Market Place with its calendar of events is a good exemplar. Town centre: Streatham

51. Town Centre Management – Lambeth must be lauded for retaining 54. The Streatham Place Plan - This is particularly crucial for town centre management when many areas have divested it to save Streatham, because while there is a solid retail offer in the high road, money in tough times. There is clear evidence that towns without TCM it is one that has been, and is likely to remain, under threat, despite lose their way (and the Portas Review clearly said that town teams the positive developments such as the Streatham Hub. The and leadership were the top priority). This is particularly true in community, the council and partners, such as the nascent BID, must Brixton, which is both a resilient and endlessly inventive community identify a bold future direction that enhances the best of what is in Streatham now, but also looks to the evening (rather than late-night) but also one that needs support to help oil the wheels of positive economy to help secure a sustainable future for the high road. change. The retained TCM function for Brixton must retain a strong focus on its night-time economy. 55. Planning for a Different Kind of Streatham - As part of this Place Plan process, a review of planning policy is needed into the current 52. Early Intervention Policing - Policing is more visible in Brixton than land use mix and use classes restrictions in order to revaluate whether in Clapham. However, the policing plan should put more emphasis on the current protection of retail units is viable for the longer term and early intervention and ‘meet and greet’ standards settings, with police whether there needs to be a new mix of uses that better reflects the often seen in cars or vans as the night progresses. A more foot patrol, changing role of retail and leisure in society. standards setting policing model could be helpful in assuring visitors of 56. Licensing: A Watching Brief – Alcohol licensing policy does not their personal safety and deterring potential criminality later in the need to change markedly in Streatham. However, in order to avoid evening. ‘another Clapham’ the council, police and community groups should 53. Takeaway Restrictions. While currently there is no immediate need retain a close eye on the figures for alcohol-related crime in the for a restriction on alcohol-led premises (A4 in planning), a restriction evening and at night. They should also identify any trend for operators on any further takeaways (using both A5 planning control quotas and seeking to open more alcohol-led premises that seek to attract an 18 also an innovative ‘takeaway only cumulative impact policy’ could be to 30 crowd, which would unbalance the family-led nature of the easily justified on grounds of nuisance and crime hotspots. town. At that point licensing restrictions may be required.

167 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

57. After Dark Investment Plan - Streatham would benefit from but also to reduce negative health impacts and to maintain making its after dark investment potential more widely known. It could Streatham’s move to a more aspirational feel, something which be the perfect mix of independent and branded leisure-retail premises, takeaways demonstrably damage. though careful planning will be needed to ensure that the latter do not 60. An Even Better Public Realm. The public realm has genuinely come to dominate. The demographic, as our analysis shows, has really improved in Streatham High Road’s northern end. However, it still changed and there are more affluent families choosing Streatham as a remains heavily traffic-dominated in other parts and it needs further place to live. The BID should lead on a gap analysis and target specific lighting, public space enhancement, pedestrian and cycle businesses (both branded and local multiples and entrepreneurs) it improvements and traffic mitigation methods to continue as far south feels fit well with the catchment. More analysis of the catchment will as Streatham Hub and the park, to create one cohesive and vibrant demonstrate to investors how businesses such as Nando’s and Pizza ribbon development. Some of this is underway through funding from Express, as well as local concepts, have opened in Streatham and the Outer London Fund Round 2. done well. 61. Streatham Green Lighting – During the study, the recently 58. Marketing Streatham The other side of the development coin, is for improved Streatham Green had 5 of its 8 lights out. It is important the BID to market to consumers what currently exists in the town, that general maintenance is carried out as it sends out a signal that which is seriously underrated / misunderstood beyond Streatham the space and therefore the surrounding area is not under control. itself. From The Hideaway to Bar 61, Thomson Deli to the Odeon (and soon the ice rink and pool), amongst many others, there is a phoenix rising again.

59. Take-Away Restrictions - Streatham, after West Norwood, is a South London hotspot for takeaways. It is crucial that this subsector of the economy does not expand in empty retail premises and planning and licensing must combine to produce a policy that resists further development. This is not just to avoid crime and nuisance concerns,

168 Lambeth After Dark: Getting Serious About the Night-Time Economy

5.5.5Town West Centre: Norwood -WTulse Norwood Hill -Tulse Hill 65. ‘After Dark Anchor’ and Leisure Multiples - West Norwood needs an ‘anchor’ food/entertainment-led business e.g. gastro pub, comedy 62. The West Norwood & Tulse Hill ‘Place Plan’ – This is crucial for club. Lambeth and the West Norwood Business Manager should these two locations (either developed together or separately), which identify the right kind of business and operator and seek to pair them of all the town centres have had the least masterplanning and with an existing premises, perhaps examining leases on existing pubs envisioning so far. Critical issues for the local place plan team will be and the feasibility of changing the offer on an existing venue.

to identify how to retain good businesses and to attract in new, more 66. Public Realm Improvement for Station Rise, Tulse Hill - The aspirational ones who have so far steered clear of the town, despite one area of character in Tulse Hill is Station Rise, with its cobbles and more families being attracted to Norwood in recent years. courtyard feel. Yet at the moment it is basically used as a car park. 63. Take-Away Restrictions – An even more urgent issue than in Funding could turn this into a small public space with limited vehicular Streatham or Brixton is a policy that resists further development of A5 access, which then allows the pub and restaurants to put chairs out (takeaway) use. This can most obviously be done through planning, and offer table service, capturing those on their way home form work but it should also be considered by licensing (post-11pm) who may be and even providing a space for a small weekend food market.

able to collate specific data relating to higher incidents around the 67. Mitigating Traffic – It is clear that traffic dominance needs to be clusters of late night takeaways. Our analysis suggests that the mitigated both in Tulse Hill (at the corner of Tulse Hill itself with problems that do occur in West Norwood are in the proximity of fast Thurlow Park Road) and in West Norwood (at the junction of Knights food outlets. If this is possible, then an innovative ‘Takeaway (only) Hill and Norwood High Street). Both junctions need re-modelling in Cumulative Impact Policy’ could compliment planning restrictions. favour of easer pedestrian crossings and de-cluttering (particularly at 64. St Luke’s Church – The church is the centrepiece of West Norwood Tulse Hill). This will help create a sense of a place that allows local due to its community role, its imposing nature and its elevation. The people to feel safe in their own neighbourhood and improve their memorial gardens have demonstrated improvement, but more needs quality of life. The junction of Knights Hill-Norwood High Street has to be made of the building, particularly at night. Lighting the church the potential for a shared space / raised table that could accentuate imaginatively and addressing the car park could really put the town on the connectivity to the cemetery, church and Norwood Rd. the map and should form part of the public realm improvements delivered through the Outer London Fund before March 2014.

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5.6Closing Closing statementstatement

Only by recognising the value as well as the addressing the negatives of Lambeth’s

incredibly important night-time economy, can those who want to make a change for the better argue for more investment and resources to take the borough in the right direction after dark. Lambeth (like most other areas) must move beyond traditional arguments in the night-time economy if it is to develop a first-rate sustainable after dark experience. “Leave us alone, we are creating jobs and pay our rates” often comes from alcohol- led businesses. While diametrically opposed to this is: “Some of these businesses are a menace, how do we close them down” which often emanates from the police, health and community. The most proactive way to think about the borough’s after dark future is this: “The night-time economy is crucially important to us in employment, prestige, community wellbeing and town centre viability terms; how do we work together to maximise the opportunities, whilst better tackling the threats?” Our view is that if Lambeth implements the ‘ideas for action’ in this report and takes a strong lead on the development and management of the night-time economy across the borough, then it has the potential to become a model of good practice for the whole of London, bolstering its aim to be a first rate ‘co- operative’ authority.

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6 Contact Contacts Lambeth Council For more details about the project, please contact Sandra Roebuck, Regeneration Programme Manager, Lambeth Council at [email protected]. Consultant team Paul Davies, Association of Town & City Management (for all planning, urban design and Purple Flag enquiries). [email protected] Terry Bevan, TBR (for all benefits auditing, economic analysis, TCR database use and NightMix data). [email protected] Alistair Turnham, MAKE Associates (for all costs and NightMix News, socio- demographics, night-time economy strategies, BIDs and licensing) [email protected]

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