Crayford Strategy and Action Plan July 2005 Development proposals and projects to promote environmental, cultural and economic improvements to regenerate a sustainable town centre Bexley Council Strategic Planning and Regeneration Department Wyncham House, 207 Longlands Road Sidcup, Kent DA15 7JH Acknowledgements This Strategy is the product of an integrated process to regenerate Crayford Town Centre in a working partnership between the community, businesses and Bexley Council. Special thanks go to those Council officers most closely involved, including Daphne Lowe, Sue Formolli, Jean Keeler and Brenda Johnson, for their secretarial and technical services, to Richard Hawkins and Steve Burke for their ongoing focus on traffic issues, and to Glyn Bryant and Lois Bowser in the Strategy and Regeneration Department for their enthusiasm and commitment to the future of Crayford. Our thanks also to Paul Davies and the Civic Trust Regeneration Unit for their earlier work on the Crayford Development Framework and for most of the illustrations used in this document. Aerial photo by Commission Air, Peterborough All photos copyright Bexley Council Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Bexley Council Foreword The Crayford Strategy and Action Plan is the exciting culmination of over two years of partnership working between the Council, private developers and landowners, local businesses and shopkeepers, local residents and the Crayford Community and Business Forum. Its vision and objectives are rooted in local aspirations and commercial reality. I feel we have a real opportunity to use the Strategy to guide valuable new development, community projects and to achieve top quality design of buildings and public spaces. I welcome the Strategy as a tool to focus ideas and aspirations, to draw in additional funding where needed and to direct the energy of individuals, businesses and the Crayford Forum to move forward together. We must remember that the adoption of this Strategy is part of a process that will continue for many years to come. I am confident that it will help us to achieve our vision for Crayford Town Centre. Councillor Margaret O’Neill, Cabinet Member, Town Centres, Industry and Regeneration. Bexley Council July 2005 3 Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Bexley Council Contents Page Page Page Executive Summary ....................................... 6 5. A Vision for Crayford .......................... 26 12 Crayford Bridge 13 Shopping Opportunities 1. Background ............................................ 9 6. Key Objectives of the Strategy ............ 28 14 Stadium Link 1.1 TheNeed for a Strategy and Action Plan 15 Riverside Housing Opportunities for Crayford 7. The Strategic Development 16 Town Hall Lands 1.2 The Process of Preparing the Strategy and Framework ............................................ 29 17 Station Link Action Plan 7.1 The Guiding Principles 18 Crayford Road 1.3 The Status of the Strategy and Action Plan 7.2 The Development Framework 1.4 Public Consultation 7.3 Guidance for New Development Appendices.................................................... 97 Appendix 1: Summary of Issues 2002/03 ....... 98 2. Policy Context ...................................... 12 8. Action Plan ............................................ 38 2.1 Strategic Policy Context 8.1 Site Development Proposals Appendix 2: Consultation on Draft Strategy 2.2 Local Policy Context 8.2 Projects 2004/05.................................... 101 8.3 Key Initiatives Appendix 3: Business Improvement 3. Crayford Past and Present .................. 17 District..................................... 123 3.1 A Brief History 9 Next Steps ............................................. 57 Appendix 4: River Cray Programme: 3.2 The Use of Land and Buildings Issues and Projects................... 126 3.3 Townscape and the Public Realm Figures .......................................................... 59 Appendix 5: Traffic Studies ......................... 131 3.4 Physical Constraints 1 Study Area Boundary 3.5 Traffic Movement Appendix 6: Action Plan Timescale ............ 141 2 Historic Context 3.6 Public Buildings and Community Facilities Appendix 7: Contact Details ........................ 145 3 Existing Land Use Analysis 3.7 Commercial Considerations 4 Townscape Analysis 5 Physical Constraints 4. Working in Partnership ....................... 21 6 Existing Circulation 4.1 The Key Issues 7 Character Zones 4.2 ‘Planning for Real’ 8 Movement Strategy 4.3 Crayford Community and Business Forum 9 Public Realm 4.4 Business Capacity Building 10 Development Framework 4.5 Consultation on the Draft Strategy 11 BT Island July 2005 5 Bexley Council Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Executive Summary The Crayford Strategy and Action Plan is the projects and proposals since, and is the agreed alignment to facilitate pedestrian and traffic product of extensive consultation with the local way forward. movements. community and businesses, landowners and developers since October 2002. The Strategy Pedestrian network - To create a safe and reflects, as far as practicable, the aspirations of The Vision accessible pedestrian network within the town local people, businesses, land owners, A partnership working to create a centre and linking to adjoining areas including developers and service providers. It is based on the station, along the river and to new housing sustainable and cohesive town with a commercial realities and should give the private developments sector confidence to come forward and to clear identity that reflects local civic progress innovative, responsive and sustainable pride, meets the cultural, shopping, development proposals. Local residents can be employment, community and leisure confident that only viable schemes bringing needs of all users, and is: agreed benefits to the town will be supported. • Accessible and pedestrian friendly The Council is confident in the Strategy as a tool to promote and to co-ordinate regeneration in • Prosperous and thriving for business and around the town centre, and to realise • A pleasing, clean, attractive and safe opportunities that might not otherwise be place to be achieved. The Strategy is the result of a two-part process. The first involved detailed consultation on Its Key Objectives derive from the Vision and identifying the main issues that it should respond to the main issues: address. The second part responded to the issues Public Transport - To promote improved in the draft Strategy of July 2004, setting out Identity - To create a strong identity for public transport including a public transport area ideas for improving the town and its facilities Crayford, with focal points, quality design, at, or easily accessible to, the station. through a Development Framework, related key landmarks and a safe, attractive, public realm initiatives and action projects. It was considered that will help to give a sense of place Local Employment and Businesses - To regularly at public meetings and by the Crayford support and promote local employment and Community and Business Forum and other local Roman Way -To reduce the adverse effect of businesses groups. This revised Strategy takes into account Roman Way by alterations to lanes, comments on the draft and progress on the management of traffic flow, junctions and 6 July 2005 Crayford Strategy and Action Plan Bexley Council Town Centre Viability - To support the as water features, public art, gateways, viability of the town centre, including landmarks, views Waterside, High Street and Crayford Road shopping areas and the extension of the Tower The Movement Strategy aims to reduce or Retail Park and Sainsbury’s in so far as this restrict through-traffic by alterations to Roman meets the wider objectives of the Strategy. Way, and improving pedestrian accessibility along the river and between town centre Housing - To promote a range of dwelling attractions, Sainsbury’s, Crayford Bridge and types, including affordable housing in and between the Zones of Character. around the town centre. Good quality Public Realm is the key to the Community and Civic Facilities - To provide viability, vitality and identity of Crayford and community uses to meet the needs of youth, new development will be required to be co- health, leisure and culture, and encompass the • Creating a high quality public realm of soft ordinated in accordance with an agreed design Town Hall as part of a mixed use scheme to and hard landscape, including the riverside theme. include civic/community uses within the site. and settings for major buildings • Restructuring land uses to permit and The fundamental desire is to re-focus the heart Water - To exploit the River Cray and use encourage investment to create attractive of Crayford to its original location at Crayford water as an environmental feature for public development sites, such as housing alongside Bridge and to recapture its vitality and viability. spaces, the setting of buildings, views, public the river There should be a new public park or open space access, bridging points, flood mediation and on the northern part of the BT Island site, linked nature conservation. • Using streets and frontages to create by pedestrian routes to the town centre and meaningful public space, with public art and possibly incorporating a restaurant. The bus lane The Council appointed the Civic Trust high quality landscaping will be removed from the High Street and left Regeneration Unit (CTRU) to help turn the • Creating mixed use zones with dominant uses turns along Crayford Way