SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL Cabinet Report 8
Report of: Simon Green Executive Director Place ______
Date: 23 March 2011 ______
Subject: Attercliffe Action Plan ______
Author of Report: John Bownes ______
Summary: Attercliffe lies at the heart of the Lower Don Valley and is a mixture of local shopping centre, manufacturing and a growing residential population. It performs an important function locally and sub regionally but is generally under performing. The Attercliffe Action Plan outlines a series of interventions which together will ensure the area thrives and prospers and fulfils its full potential to the benefit of local people, local firms and visitors to the centre and leisure facilities nearby.
This report summarises the proposals in the draft Action Plan, how it will be delivered and the implications that will arise. ______
Reasons for Recommendations: The recommendation will enable officers to pursue the delivery of projects and proposals contained in the draft Attercliffe Action Plan and for Members to monitor and review the plan at regular intervals
Recommendations: It is recommended that Cabinet: a) endorses the objectives, strategy, projects and other interventions contained within the action plan to secure a vital and sustainable future for Attercliffe; b) requests the Director of Housing Enterprise and Regeneration to investigate potential funding sources, drive forward delivery of the action plan and provide feedback at regular intervals on progress being made.
Background Papers: NONE
Category of Report: OPEN/CLOSED * Statutory and Council Policy Checklist
Financial Implications
YES Cleared by: PAUL SCHOFIELD
Legal Implications
NO Cleared by: JULIAN WARD
Equ ality of Opportunity Implications YES Cleared by: IAN OLDERSHAW
Tackling Health Inequalities Implications
NO
Human rights Implications
NO:
Environmental and Sustainability implications
YES Economic impact
YES
Community safety implications
YES
Human resources implications
YES
Property implications
YES
Area(s) affected
EAST
Relevant Cabinet Portfolio Leader
PENNY BAKER
Relevant Scrutiny Committee if decision called in
CULTURE, ECONOMY & SUSTAINABILITY
Is the item a ma tter which is reserved for approval by the City Council? NO
Press release
YES
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PLACE REPORT TOCABINET 23 MARCH, 2011 ATTERCLIFFE ACTION PLAN
1.0 SUMMARY
1.1 Attercliffe lies at the heart of the Lower Don Valley and is a mixture of local shopping centre, manufacturing and a growing residential population. It performs an important function locally and sub regionally but is generally under performing. The Attercliffe Action Plan outlines a series of interventions which together will ensure the area thrives and prospers and fulfils its full potential to the benefit of local people, local firms and visitors to the centre and leisure facilities nearby.
1.2 This report summarises the proposals in the draft action plan, how it will be delivered and the implications that will arise.
2.0 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SHEFFIELD PEOPLE ?
2.1 The draft action plan for Attercliffe provides a guide to reinvigorating this important local centre. It will result in an improved environment, more jobs, more enterprises, better support for local firms and services for both the growing local population and visitors to local leisure facilities and a secure future for Attercliffe local centre.
3.0 OUTCOME AND SUSTAINABILITY
3.1 The proposals contained in the draft action plan will help deliver a number of Corporate Plan priorities and in particular Thriving district and local centres; Delivering for business and encouraging enterprise; Creating the infrastructure for a modern strong economy; Reducing carbon footprint; Streets to be proud of and Promoting sustainable development.
4.0 BACKGROUND
4.1 Thriving District and Local Centres is one of the key priorities identified in the Council’s Corporate Plan ‘A City of Opportunity’. Attercliffe is one of these but is unique amongst the local centres across the city in that currently it has only a relatively small residential population but serves as a service, business and specialist shopping centre for the Lower Don Valley which remains the most important employment area for the City Region outside Sheffield City Centre.
4.2 Historically Attercliffe was the commercial, retail, entertainment and cultural/religious centre for the whole of the East End. Shops, banks, chapels, pubs and cinemas etc lined Attercliffe Road and Common well beyond the current site of the Arena. It retains a strong identity with many local families.
4.3 Relocation of the residential population in the 1970s and the huge structural changes in the steel industry since the 1980s led to decline and a significant reduction in the size of Attercliffe centre. Between 1986 and 1996 considerable public investment went into creating landscaped sites for development in Attercliffe, initially for the Sheffield Technology Park which attracted significant investment and employment whilst others were later developed as the successful Huntsman’s Gardens housing scheme. Crucially Attercliffe also became the location for many of the city’s key sporting assets including the English Institute of Sport, the Sheffield Arena, Don Valley Stadium and Bowl and Ice Sheffield.
4.4 The greening of East End Park, the Canal Corridor and the Five Weirs Walk have also created a wider landscape setting restoring a natural environment degraded by 200 years of heavy industry. In recent years there has also been the beginning of substantial new housing development nearby stimulated by the Housing Market Renewal Programme and there is capacity for much more as set out in the Area Development Framework.
4.5 However all of this investment has had only a limited impact on the Attercliffe centre itself, which still has a slightly neglected feel to it. Whilst there are many buildings with character and quality and relatively few empty premises there are prominent vacant sites and premises in need of improvement and a number of sex businesses which dominate first impressions. The large numbers of visitors and employees at the sports and technology companies do not choose to shop or linger in Attercliffe.
4.6 A group of property owners and businesses based in the centre have established themselves into a forum called Attercliffe Business Connection (ABC). ABC members are actively seeking to promote development in the area and want the Council to do the same. They are also trying to get all businesses and property owners in Attercliffe to improve the appearance of their premises and for the Council to clean up and maintain landscaped areas and public car parks.
4.7 In response to the enthusiasm of ABC members and in order to make the most of future regeneration opportunities an action plan has been commissioned by the Council. This has been produced by a team of external consultants led by Building Design Partnership and Council officers with a representative of ABC on the steering group.
4.8 The action plan will be used to promote economic regeneration and the renewal of Attercliffe Centre and will provide a clearly defined guide for development and investment decisions within the area by the public and private sectors. It will be interim planning guidance and will supplement and, where necessary, update existing planning policy for the area and inform completion of the new Sheffield Development Framework (SDF) documents. It will also be used in support of applications to public funding bodies to deliver these key projects where such support is necessary.
5.0 OBJECTIVES
5.1 The draft action plan aims to achieve the following objectives:
• A more sustainable and diverse centre that serves and attracts surrounding workers, passing trade and an increasing local residential population; • An enhanced public realm that bolsters investor confidence; gives greater priority to the pedestrian within the ‘High Street’ environment; maximises access and enjoyment of the canalside and green Chichester spaces and enhances the first impressions of the city • A continued and growing employment role, building on Attercliffe’s very accessible location and its mix of manufacturing , technological, sports and service businesses and attracting new start ups and enterprises • An increased provision of residential accommodation between Darnall and Attercliffe • An excellent reputation as a sports / leisure destination and increasing the dwell time of visitors to these sports and leisure facilities in Attercliffe. • More imaginative harnessing of the heritage interest of Attercliffe. • Support and promote the educational and cultural activities already present in the centre
6.0 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
6.1 The draft action plan sets out an overall direction for the future regeneration of the Attercliffe area. It seeks to build on the existing assets and address some of the issues and threats that have been identified through the action plan process.
6.2 In the current economic context, flexibility in the delivery of projects is critical to respond to continuing changes in the property market and economy and the need to anticipate and prepare for an upturn in the market. The Development Strategy therefore provides flexibility in setting an overarching framework to the more detailed land uses and interventions identified as transformational and key projects in section 7. It sets out guiding principles for the future of the area, to ensure the vision for Attercliffe is achieved.
6.3 There is not a commonly held view amongst firms as to how best to manage heavy goods vehicles travelling between the City Centre and the M1 at Tinsley, some of whom use Attercliffe Road / Attercliffe Common rather than the purpose built Don Valley Link Road at the present time. It is fully recognised that there is a need to ensure continued access to the centre and to firms who depend for access to their premises on (roads running off) Attercliffe Road/Attercliffe Common. It is considered that, through appropriate signing and possible physical measures, HGVs travelling through Attercliffe from outside Attercliffe centre should be encouraged rather than required to use the Don Valley Link Road rather than Attercliffe Road / Attercliffe Common. It is this approach which, subject to further discussion with the community & local businesses, it is proposed the Council pursues to resolve the current conflict in the centre. Furthermore, the Action Plan proposes a number of initiatives to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists and a review of existing car parks in Attercliffe.
7.0 TRANSFORMATIONAL AND KEY PROJECTS
The draft action plan proposes four transformational projects (A-D below) which will make a significant catalytic impact on Attercliffe supported by 5 key projects all of which are shown on the attached plan. The projects are summarised below with the more detailed proposals contained in the draft a copy of which is deposited in the Member’s library :
A Attercliffe ‘High Street’ Creating an environment where people will want to run a business, visit and shop through public realm, shop frontage and building façade improvements and changing the traffic dominated perception of the area.
B Zion Square A new heart to Attercliffe with frontage onto Attercliffe Road for people to ‘stop and shop’ in a new convenience store with other retail and landscaped car parking to the frontage.
C Adelphi Square Refurbishing existing buildings (Adelphi and Burton) for new uses with a mix of small scale community, retail, office and commercial, leisure, including a new landmark commercial building at the gateway to the centre around a new setting of ‘Adelphi Square’.
D Attercliffe Waterside Major opportunity for new and refurbished buildings on the canalside, creating access points and landscaped spaces that enjoy views of the canal with a mixture of leisure, retail, café and bars with a bridge link to a substantial new housing development proposed on the opposite side of the canal
E Stadia Technology Park Expansion of the business area from Stadia Technology Park to Attercliffe Road through small self contained office buildings. Landscaping and car parking improvements and a link from the commercial area to Attercliffe Road.
F Stadium View Business Park Linking the existing sports/leisure cluster and new Adelphi Square, this corner gateway site should accommodate a high quality development, potentially including a hotel and new industrial units which would fit with existing uses on Leigh Street.
G New Housing on Titterton Close To support the existing popular residential community with ‘mews’ housing facing the pedestrian / cycle path to enhance the feeling of safety and security and 3 storey apartment buildings on Worksop Road.
H Cocked Hat Piece Re-establish the historic village green creating a focal point for existing developments fronting onto the green.
I Memorial Gardens Enhancement of the open space with improved links to the Five Weirs Walk and possibly including a sculpture garden
8.0 MAKING IT HAPPEN
8.1 The Attercliffe Action Plan is being proposed at a time of great uncertainty in the economy. Private sector development is constrained by the availability of funding and only the most viable of projects are progressing. Public sector funding has shrunk and thus spend will need to be prioritised.
8.2 However, at the same time new opportunities are potentially emerging in respect of Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Regional Growth Fund and new mechanisms to provide funding for infrastructure schemes. The availability of Lottery funding should improve as the costs of building facilities for the Olympics reduces.
8.3 The area has very significant and unique potential and improvements at Attercliffe will benefit the whole city and potentially the wider City Region given its strategic location and its major sporting and commercial assets.
8.4 The majority of the proposals will be led and delivered by the private sector but supported in certain cases by the public sector. This may be through project development and planning and ultimately land assembly. This will also mean working in partnership with organisations which come forward looking to invest. Attercliffe could, and should, become a magnet for new business start ups and entrepreneurs.
8.5 Attercliffe also has a fantastic stock of goodwill and support from its business community, its local resident community and the voluntary/environmental sector. Some sections of the business community have expressed an interest in taking a more active role in stewardship of the car parks and promoting the centre The power of volunteering and local involvement can also be harnessed much more than at present.
9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 9.1 Costs to be incurred in printing the Attercliffe Action Plan will be borne from HERS mainline funding & LABGI funding secured by the City Council from Central Government.
9.2 Implementation of the projects identified in the action plan will be dependent on securing funding contributions from a number of potential sources: private sector investments, the Lottery, Regional Growth Fund, the Local Transport Plan as well as the City Council's mainline funding budgets, possible small grants from the East Community Assembly & any monies made available in the future for the Thriving District & Local Centres Initiative. 9.3 There could potentially be cost implications for the Council from the expectation of the business community that a higher level of maintenance will be given to car parks and landscaping in the area. However this could be partially offset by a reduction in the costs of clearing fly-tipping as the area becomes busier and if the business community and voluntary sector take on a larger role in stewardship
10.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
10.1 None as a result of this report.
11.0 HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
11.1 There are no human rights issues arising as a direct result of the actions and recommendations contained in this report.
12.0 EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY IMPLICATIONS
12.1 An equality impact assessment has been completed for this project.
12.2 Asian business people are reasonably well represented in Attercliffe local centre. The centre also serves the residential population in the East End & the growing population in the Darnall - Attercliffe area which is characterised by poorer than average households & relatively large numbers of members of Sheffield's Asian community. Both traders and the local community will benefit from improvements proposed in the Attercliffe Action Plan.
13.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPLICATIONS
13.1 Proposals in the Action Plan will significantly improve the environment of one of the more run down centres in Sheffield located in one of our more deprived communities. Removing extraneous traffic from the centre, in particular, will contribute to its enhancement. Encouraging people to use local facilities & the restoration of existing buildings & the reuse of vacant & derelict land will contribute locally to both carbon reduction and sustainability.
14.0 ECONOMIC IMPACT
14.1 Developing vacant & derelict land for commercial purposes will contribute to the economic revitalisation of Sheffield's East End & the creation of new employment opportunities in an area where unemployment is above the city average & rising.
15.0 COMMUNITY SAFETY IMPLICATIONS
15.1 Removing extraneous traffic from Attercliffe centre, improving footways & crossings and increasing visitor numbers to the centre will all impact positively on community safety.
16.0 HUMAN RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS
16.1 Driving forward the development strategy and the transformational and key projects in particular will require the involvement of staff in HERS and other departments in Place in marketing, promoting and co- ordinating development.
17 .0 PROPERTY IMPLICATIONS
17.1 The Council has only limited landownership within Attercliffe centre although a number of the projects identified and referred to in section 7 are partially on Council owned land. Improving investment potential in Attercliffe is likely in due course to result in an uplift in the value of these sites.
17.2 The Director of Property and Facilities Management will be fully involved in all decisions regarding proposals for the disposal and development of these sites 18 .0 CONSULTATION
18.1 Local businesses and residents groups have helped to shape the draft Attercliffe Action Plan. In January/February 2010, a series of stakeholder meetings were held to explore the key issues and opportunities in Attercliffe.
18.2 In March 2010 businesses and community representatives as well as councillors and council officers explored what the vision for Attercliffe should be and where the focus of intervention should be.
18.3 Finally a public consultation event on 13 th May at the Banners Centre was attended by traders and local community representatives. One of the key issues debated was the potential conflict between improving the environment of the high street, the potential encouragement of HGVs to use an alternative route and ensuring legitimate access to local firms who require access from Attercliffe Road. Comments received after this event reflected this particular issue.
18.4 The preparation of the action plan has also involved numerous meetings with individuals and groups of businesses beyond those involved in Attercliffe Business Connection and this has helped to begin to establish better communications with these businesses. It is hoped that this will lead to closer working with the businesses taking an active role in promoting and maintaining the centre in future
18.5 This report is to be presented to the East Community Assembly on 17 th March and comments made at that meeting will be reported verbally on 23 rd March.
19 .0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
19.1 The alternative to delivery of the programme of interventions and initiatives identified in the action plan is for current maintenance and service provision activities to be continued in Attercliffe. At best this will see no improvement in the fortune of this local centre.
19.2 The action plan states that Attercliffe is ‘at the cliff’ edge and if nothing is done then there is likely to be an increasing spiral of decline in the attractiveness of the centre and reduced numbers of visitors, traders and investment and its huge potential will be lost.
20.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
20.1 The following recommendation will enable officers to pursue the delivery of projects and proposals contained in the draft Attercliffe Action Plan and for Members to monitor and review the plan at regular intervals.
21.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
21.1 It is recommended that Cabinet: a) endorses the objectives, strategy, projects and other interventions contained within the action plan to secure a vital and sustainable future for Attercliffe; b) requests the Director of Housing Enterprise and Regeneration to investigate potential funding sources, drive forward delivery of the action plan and provide feedback at regular intervals on progress being made.