Ca b
CABINET APPENDICES PACK II
Date and Time: Monday, 27 July 2009 7.00 pm
Venue : Room 8, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW
Secretary to Cabinet Anne Nunn Finance and Resources Tel/Voicemail: 020 7926 0028 Legal & Democratic Services Fax: 020 7926 2361 London Borough of Lambeth, Email: [email protected] Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, Website: www.lambeth.gov.uk London, SW2 1RW
Published: Friday, 17 July 2009
CABINET MEMBERS:
Councillor Lorna Campbell - Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing Councillor Jim Dickson - Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources Councillor Rachel Heywood - Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities Councillor John Kazantzis - Cabinet Member for Employment and Enterprise Councillor Mark Bennett - Cabinet Member for Community Safety Councillor Paul McGlone - Cabinet Member for Children and Young People Councillor Jackie Meldrum - Deputy Leader of the Council Councillor Lib Peck - Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration Councillor Sally Prentice - Cabinet Member for Environment Councillor Steve Reed - Leader of the Council
AGENDA
Appendices to reports – Appendices are published to accompany reports, as indicated below. The appendices are published on the Website www.lambeth.gov.uk and hard copies are sent to Cabinet members, Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee, relevant Scrutiny Chairs and lead Opposition members, the party group offices and SMB only unless otherwise indicated below. Copies of appendices may be obtained from report authors or Democratic Services before the meeting, and will be available at the meeting.
Page Nos. 6. Streatham Town Centre Masterplan 1 - 98
(Report 105/09-10 and appendices)
Streatham Hill, Streatham Wells, Streatham South, St Leonard’s Wards Key Decision Executive Director Housing, Regeneration and Environment Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration Contact: Detlev Munster, 020 7926 2594 E-mail: [email protected]
8. Positive Ageing - an Older People's Strategy for Lambeth 99 - 114
(Report 108/09-10 and appendix)
All Wards Key Decision Executive Director of Adults and Community Services Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing Contact: Barbara Smith, 020 7926 4518 E-mail: [email protected]
9. Departmental action plan responses to the Asbestos Safety in 115 - 158 Housing Refurbishment scrutiny commission report
(Report 112/09-10 and appendix)
All Wards Key Decision Executive Director of Housing, Regeneration and Environment Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration Contact: Paul W. Cooper, 020 7926 4208 E-mail: [email protected]
10. Annual Property Performance Report 2008/09 159 - 264
(Report 109/09-10 and appendix)
All Wards Non-Key Decision Executive Director of Housing, Regeneration and Environment Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration Contact: Uzo Nwanze, 020 7926 9929 E-mail: [email protected]
12. 2008/09 Year End Council Performance Digest 265 - 348
(Report 113/09-10 and appendix)
All Wards Non-Key Decision Chief Executive Deputy Leader of the Council Contact: Sophia Looney, 020 7926 2960 Email: [email protected]
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 1 Agenda Item 6 masterplan ÆM@K
July 20 09 Page 2 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009 Contents
0.0 Foreword p3
1.0 A vision for Streatham p4
2.0 Introduction p6
3.0 Baseline and Key Issues p10
4.0 Developing a brand for Streatham p14
5.0 Masterplan Objectives p18
6.0 Key Spatial Diagram p19
7.0 The Masterplan p20
8.0 Development Capacity p40
9.0 Strategy for the Road p47
10.0 Guidance on public realm development p54
11.0 Delivering the Vision in the Credit Crunch p64
12.0 Implementation and Delivery p68
Appendix A Glossary of terms p86
Appendix B Development Schedules p90
Appendix C Sustainability Assessment p94
2 Page 3 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
A Foreword
This Masterplan has been developed over the course of 2008 and early 2009 with the help of local residents, business people, Councillors, officers and other stakeholders. It is the product of a significant collective effort that demonstrates the depth of feeling and pride that many local people have for Streatham.
The Masterplan sets out an agenda for change across Streatham over the next 15 or so years. By undertaking the necessary strategic planning now, Streatham should be well positioned for the future. Key proposals include the new Hub development (with an ice rink and leisure centre); a new Station Square and Market Square; a refurbished or redeveloped library; and additional retail, residential and commercial development to encourage more people to visit and spend time in the town centre. Improvements to the High Road through pavement widening, planting of trees and removal of the central reservation will contribute to the improved enjoyment of the centre’s facilities.
Lambeth Council, working with public and private sector partners, has a vital role to play in taking this Masterplan forward. The Masterplan will help support core services and deliver key strategies through physical change to Streatham. Moreover, community involvement in the proposals will need to continue to build on the good work already undertaken to ensure full ownership of change in the town centre.
Resident engagement has been phenomenal and has helped shape this masterplan. In addition input from Transport for London (TfL), London Development Agency (LDA), Network Rail, Lambeth Primary Care Trust, Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, EDF and Thames Water is gratefully acknowledged.
Please read this document. We hope it will engage and excite you about the potential change in Streatham. Then keep an eye out for further consultation and get involved in shaping the future of your area.
Councillor Lib Peck Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration
3 Page 4 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
1.0 A Vision for Streatham
Vibrant and successful town centres play a critical role in the life of local communities. They offer “Streatham will become an the best way of providing easy access for local people to jobs, shops, and other facilities and increasingly attractive place to live, services. Strategies to promote town centres with schools, leisure facilities and and develop new or stronger roles for them are cultural activities catering for young encouraged by the Government. The London Plan encourages Councils to focus shops, leisure, families, people of all ages and the commercial activity, community facilities and area’s diverse mix of nationalities. The housing in town centres to ensure that more High Road will remain at Streatham’s people live and work in them and that they are more attractive as places to visit. This helps to heart and will be an asset to the whole strengthen the local economy, making town ?PC? 'RUGJJPCkCARRFC@CQRDC?RSPCQ centres more attractive, and positioning them of Europe’s leading boulevards, more strongly within the communities they serve. with distinctive quarters possessing Lambeth Council has commissioned this high quality shops and restaurants, Masterplan to provide a framework for regeneration in Streatham over the next residential accommodation and public ÆESDDMÄXD@QR spaces. Streatham will have improved
3GDQDÄHRÄMNÄhNMDÄRHYDÄÆSRÄ@KKiÄ@OOQN@BGÄSNÄ public transport including tram links revitalising town centres. This Masterplan both north and south and dedicated takes into account and promotes the individual bus lanes. This will make Streatham a character and strengths of Streatham. It has been developed in close consultation with the place people can travel to, from and in local community’s aspirations by maximising with ease.” opportunity sites to release funds and deliver the infrastructure, facilities and services, public realm, @MCÄ@RRNBH@SDCÄQDFDMDQ@SHNMÄADMDÆSR ÄÄ RÄVDKKÄ@RÄ improving services for local residents it will, over time, help to attract new people and investment to the area.
The Masterplan is guided by the vision in the Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan (2007), which states that:
4 Page 5 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Building on this vision the Masterplan has created and the centre will become a nicer place to walk a brand for Streatham ‘Real Streatham’. This around on foot. brand is much more than a strapline. It will be used to guide and shape the Masterplan’s There will be new community facilities provided proposals for the town centre. with the extension to the Tate Library, the new Caesars Development and the new building Streatham will become a sustainable major facing onto Streatham Green. Further leisure town centre with a good range of services that facilities will be provided as part of the Hub support the local economy and Borough-wide development. Detailed proposals for community offer. There will be new, higher quality shops facilities in these locations will be developed as and a better range of restaurants and cafes for RODBHÆBÄOQNIDBSRÄ@QDÄS@JDMÄENQV@QC people to enjoy. A market will take place in the new Market Square and along Gleneldon 2SQD@SG@LÄVHKKÄADBNLDÄLNQDÄDMDQFXÄDEÆBHDMSÄ Mews, providing a focus for the community in and ‘green’ through the incorporation of green the town centre. There will be new employment walls, green roofs and through sustainable urban opportunities and homes and this will bring more drainage in new development. In addition, people to the town centre, which will result in enhanced green links will be provided to Streatham better shops and facilities. The homes will be Common and Tooting Bec Common through the mixed in type and ownership providing homes for town centre. Sustainability will underpin all new families wherever possible and making use of the forms of development in Streatham to ensure the TOODQÄÇNNQRÄNEÄATHKCHMFRÄENQÄ@O@QSLDMSRÄVGDQDÄ proposals meet the Code for Sustainable Homes desirable. Mixing tenure and typologies will help level 4 by 2010 rising to Level 6 by 2016 and bind existing and new populations to create one BREEAM ‘very good’ standard. integrated community. The new jobs will be in The heritage of Streatham’s key built and natural the new commercial and retail space around the assets encompassing the Conservation Areas transport nodes at either end of the High Road, will be celebrated and enhanced through the encouraging local entrepreneurs and businesses Masterplan to help create a greater identity and to locate in Streatham. sense of place. At the same time, the quality of the environment Above all, facilities for the existing community will will be improved with wider pavements and be improved. Where plausible the co-location the planting of a boulevard down the High of different services will be encouraged. The Road and the creation of two new public opportunity that new people will bring will be squares in Streatham Central and outside NEÄETQSGDQÄADMDÆSÄHMÄRTOONQSHMFÄRGNOR ÄOK@BDRÄSNÄ Streatham Hill Station. The railway stations work and the evening economy. will be redeveloped and improved in terms of accessibility to encourage their better use. People These changes will take place over the next 10-15 will inevitably still want to travel to Streatham years in a careful way that links development with by car and so a new central car park will be facilities and strives for contemporary architecture created on the existing Lidl site and Streatham balanced with the historic character of Streatham Hub in addition to improvements to the Leigham and respects the scale of existing buildings and Court Road car park. Sustainable travel options opportunities. will be encouraged wherever possible and new development will be expected to include This Masterplan represents an exciting milestone OQNONR@KRÄSNÄLHMHLHRDÄSGDÄHLO@BSÄNEÄSQ@EÆBÄCNVMÄ in the history of Streatham as it evolves to the High Road. New pedestrian crossings will be embrace the opportunities and challenges of provided in key locations down the High Road the next 15 years.
5 Page 6 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
2.0 Introduction
Lambeth Regeneration Delivery Plan 2007 (RDP) Lambeth Council’s RDP encapsulates a vision for Lambeth outlining the approach to change and listing key projects to be undertaken. Streatham High Road is currently considered the longest shopping street in Europe, but there is a general dissatisfaction with the quality of the retail offer and the lack of focus in the town centre. A need Streatham High Road 1905 V@RÄSGDQDENQDÄHCDMSHÆDCÄSNÄDMG@MBDÄSGDÄSNVMÄ centre’s attractiveness as a retail centre and bring about an increase in the overall environmental quality.
A key project for Streatham is the preparation of a Masterplan for the Town Centre, which should be based on the following interventions: lÄ Emphasis on the creation of a European-style boulevard, with coherent quarters and villages; lÄ A variety of uses spread along the entire length of the High Road; lÄ Improvement in the quality of homes, shops, restaurants and commercial premises; Pratts Department Store 1978 lÄ Improvements to the pedestrian environment, to help rejuvenate the High Road’s retail offer; lÄ A tram service, to link Streatham to Croydon in the south through to Brixton and north of the lÄ The way these come together to create unique places; river; lÄ Built form in relation to history, culture, environment and lÄ More primary schools and nurseries to encourage landscape; more families in the area; lÄ A genuine sense of commitment to the sustainable lÄ A wide food and cultural offer to service its development agenda; communities; and lÄ The provision of sustainable services; lÄ 3Q@EÆBÄB@KLHMFÄLD@RTQDRÄSNÄQDCTBDÄBNMFDRSHNM lÄ 3GDÄDMF@FDLDMSÄNEÄKNB@KÄODNOKDÄ@MCÄTRDQRÄHMÄCDÆMHMFÄ@MCÄ being involved in the process of change; Brief lÄ ,@WHLHRHMFÄSGDÄADMDÆSÄSNÄSGDÄKNB@KÄ@QD@ÄNEÄSGDÄCHUDQRHSXÄNEÄSGDÄ The Council commissioned EDAW, together with local population. Faber Maunsell, DTZ, Thinking Place and Space Syntax, in January 2008 to prepare a Masterplan lÄ 3GDÄDBNMNLHBÄ@MCÄÆM@MBH@KÄQD@KHSXÄ@MC for Streatham High Road. Building on the Council’s lÄ The role of different agencies in delivering investment and RDP, the Masterplan Brief has highlighted a number change. of key issues to be addressed to make Streatham a successful place: The Council’s Brief demanded a Masterplan which deviates from traditional approaches to incorporate branding elements lÄ The quality of the buildings and spaces and their and create clear product development guidelines cutting across management;
6 Page 7 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Figure 1: Study area plan
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road
Streatham High Road
Tooting Bec Common
Becmead Avenue
Gleneldon Road
Mitcham Lane 8) 2008 8)
Streatham Common
N 0 100 200 300 400 500 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
7 Page 8 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
several themes such as business support and presented in chapter 7, must comply with UDP/LDF policies. These physical improvements. The Masterplan study proposals, including height, massing and design elements are indicative and area is shown in Figure 1. will be subject to further design and development work. Ultimately they will be taken forward as planning applications which will be assessed against the It focuses on the High Road from the junction relevant statutory planning policies. The Masterplan also proposes a number with Telford Avenue to the north of Streatham of elements that could be taken forward in a Supplementary Planning Hill Station down to the southern edge of MOD71 Document under the current UDP. The aims of the Masterplan are to: RHSD Ä@CI@BDMSÄSNÄ-@S@KÄ1N@C ÄÄ6GHKRSÄSGHRÄCDÆMDRÄ a linear boundary along the High Road and the lÄ Provide a comprehensive development and urban design strategy for the immediate buildings that front it, the Masterplan area, following from the Conservation Area Appraisal where appropriate; OQNBDRRÄG@RÄ@CCQDRRDCÄ@ÄVHCDQÄYNMDÄNEÄHMÇTDMBDÄ lÄ Identify key sites with opportunities for development; based on the wards of St Leonards, Streatham Hill, Streatham South and Streatham Wells. It lÄ Provide practical initiatives and proposals for implementation; HRÄHMSDMCDCÄSG@SÄSGDÄADMDÆSRÄNEÄSGDÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄ lÄ /QNUHCDÄ@ÄBKD@Q ÄCDS@HKDCÄDBNMNLHBÆM@MBH@KÄ@OOQ@HR@KÄNEÄSGDRDÄHMHSH@SHUDR will be dispersed into the surrounding area as the proposals for the opportunity areas come lÄ Provide a clear and deliverable phasing plan for the work; forward. lÄ Form the basis for the preparation of development briefs for development opportunities where appropriate; and Purpose lÄ Provide clear short, medium and long term strategies for improving the The purpose of this Masterplan is to provide vitality and vibrancy of the town centre. a framework and strategic principles for regeneration in Streatham town centre. However Process the Masterplan is not a statutory document. The The process of preparing this Masterplan has involved a number of key Unitary Development Plan (UDP) (2007) is the stages, each of which has built on the previous work undertaken and statutory planning document. In due course, consultation responses. it will be replaced by the Local Development Framework (LDF). The Masterplan proposals, Stage One focused on drawing together existing baseline information
Streatham High Road in 1912
8 Page 9 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
and previous studies. Stage 1 was based on 2 JDXÄS@RJR ÄÄ3GDÄÆQRSÄV@RÄSNÄCDUDKNOÄ@ÄAQ@MCÄENQÄ Streatham through consultation, which looked at what the people who currently live, work and visit Streatham want it to become in the future. This part of work was led by Thinking Place. The second key element was to look at movement across the High Road and through the town centre in terms of how accessibility could be improved. This part of work was led by Streatham Space Syntax. Stage One culminated in a Think High Road Masterplan Piece Paper (June 2008) which was intended Think Piece Paper to stimulate debate on the future direction of Streatham High Road. July 2008
Consultation undertaken at this stage took the form of two community workshops, along with a PTDRSHNMM@HQDÄ@MCÄDWGHAHSHNM ÄÄ3GDÄÆMCHMFRÄEQNLÄ this round of consultation are set out in a Stage One Consultation Report (April 2008). STREATHAM MASTERPLAN INTERIM REPORT Stage Two developed a series of spatial options Stage 2 for the High Road building on the baseline, August 2008 consultation and branding work. Following consultation, the preferred approach was to create hubs around Streatham Hill and Streatham Stations with a series of quarters between them focused on civic, community and retail and uses. The options are detailed in the Stage Two Interim Report (August 2008).
Stage Three developed proposals for each of the opportunity areas along the High Road using the OQDEDQQDCÄGTARÄ@MCÄPT@QSDQRÄ@OOQN@BGÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ in stage 2. The proposals varied in terms of intensity of development and were tested against sustainability criteria, community responses and through the economic development strategy.
This information and assessment was set out in 1 the Stage Three Report (December 2008).
The options were tested through a further stage of consultation, which included two community workshops and four focus groups with local businesses, property owners and developers, young people and the Somali population in Streatham. Further consultation was undertaken by the London Borough of Lambeth, including questionnaires (postal and on-street) and an DWGHAHSHNM ÄÄ3GDÄÆMCHMFRÄEQNLÄSGHRÄQNTMCÄNEÄ consultation were set out in the Stage Three Streatham Consultation Report (December 2008). Town Centre Masterplan From top to bottom, Streatham Stage One Think Stage 3 report Piece Paper, Stage 2 Interim December 2008 Report and Stage 3 Report.
9 Page 10 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Existing shop frontages in Streatham 3.0 Baseline and Key Issues @QD@RÄ@QDÄRDDHMFÄDLOKNXLDMSÄ@MCÄQDS@HKÄTRDÄQDÇDBSHMFÄSGDÄKNB@KÄONOTK@SHNMÄ Socio-Economic diversity, for example Gleneagle Road is represented by a range of White The population of Streatham, which includes British, Somali, Thai and Turkish businesses amongst others. Although there the four surrounding wards of St Leonard’s, is a very low vacancy rate of shops along the High Road, there is a general Streatham Hill, Streatham South and Streatham dissatisfaction by the local residents with the quality of the retail offer and Wells, stood at 51,771 in the 2001 census and is the lack of focus due to the market decline over the last two decades. This BG@Q@BSDQHRDCÄAXÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄCHUDQRHSX ÄÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ is apparent through the loss of popular shops, the impact of changing has a greater proportion of working-age adults, shopping patterns, the deterioration of the physical environment and the and a smaller proportion of children and people low spend by an altered customer base. Due to Streatham’s poor retail offer, of pensionable age compared to London as a it suffers leakage of residents, visitors and workers to nearby town centres whole. GLA projections (2007) have been used because of the higher quality offer and greater variety of shops and services, to forecast changes in population up to 2011, in locations such as Croydon, Brixton and Clapham. and these suggest a rise in the number of young families living in Streatham. While the current population shows a high level of economic activity Transport residents tend not to work locally. Streatham is bisected by the A23, which is a strategic arterial route connecting Central London to Gatwick and Brighton. Where the A23 Streatham and its environs are a popular location passes through Streatham, it forms ‘Streatham High Road’, which is for new housing development and are particularly considered to be the longest shopping street in Europe. Streatham popular amongst young professionals who are High Road boasts two overland railway stations as well as a number of enticed by the area’s proximity to employment dedicated bus routes providing links to London Bridge, London Victoria and opportunities in central London, and the vibrant Farringdon. nightlife and culture of the nearby centres of Clapham and Brixton. The house prices are relatively affordable compared to other parts of Lambeth and South London. Key Issues 3GHRÄRDBSHNMÄRDSRÄNTSÄSGDÄJDXÄHRRTDRÄSG@SÄG@UDÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄCTQHMFÄSGDÄ Employment and Retailing baseline and branding work as well as through consultation exercises in 3GDÄ@QD@ÄBNMS@HMRÄRDUDQ@KÄK@QFDÄNEÆBDÄAKNBJR Ä Stage One. However they date from the 1960s/1970s and are Retail MNSÄOQHLDÄRSNBJ ÄÄ,NRSÄNEÆBDÄRSNBJÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ lÄLack of car parking services for shoppers; G@RÄRL@KKÄÇNNQÄRO@BD Ä@MCÄNESDMÄSGDRDÄOQDLHRDRÄ @QDÄKNB@SDCÄ@ANUDÄFQNTMC ÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄTMHSR ÄNQÄ lÄPoor quality shop frontages; NMÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄRGNO EQNMSDCÄOQDLHRDR ÄÄ,@MXÄ
10 Page 11 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
lÄ No large, good quality units, which prohibits high Road; and quality retailers locating in Streatham; and lÄ Uncoordinated development. lÄ Poor quality and range of retail offer. Jobs Competition lÄ Leakage of residents to work in central London; and lÄ Leakage of residents and shoppers to nearby town lÄ Lack of working opportunities for the economically active population. centres as a result of a better quality of retail offer; and The High Road lÄ 3Q@EÆBÄBNMFDRSHNMÄ@KNMFÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@C ÄVGHBGÄBNMSQHATSDRÄSNÄ@MÄ lÄ Poor pedestrian environment. unpleasant pedestrian environment (air and noise pollution); Employment lÄ The central barrier down the centre of the road reduces the ability for lÄ +@BJÄNEÄ@BBNLLNC@SHNMÄ@OOQNOQH@SDÄENQÄNEÆBDÄTRD pedestrians to cross with ease; lÄ .TSÄNEÄC@SDÄNEÆBDÄRSNBJÄ@MC lÄ The speed at which cars travel down the High Road, which reduces lÄ Lack of demand from larger companies. safety for pedestrians; and Role lÄ Parking and accessibility for cars. lÄ Lack of a clear identity to attract visitors and retain Green Spaces local people; and lÄ Areas of nature conservation importance need to be conserved and lÄ Perception of Streatham as a through route into protected; and out of London, rather than somewhere to stay lÄ Poor quality of the public realm; and work or live in. lÄ Lack of vegetation within and on the buildings in Streatham (i.e. Leisure green roofs) due to the built up nature of the town centre; and lÄ Lack of public spaces for members of the community to come together. lÄ Lack of linkages between the open spaces. Development Sites lÄ Lack of development sites located along the High
The Tate Library
Streatham High Road
Streatham Station
11 Page 12 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Key Policy Background 3GDÄ4#/ÄHCDMSHÆDRÄSVNÄ,@INQÄ#DUDKNOLDMSÄ.OONQSTMHSXÄ,#.ÄRHSDRÄ Streatham town centre is currently designated as along the High Road. These are MDO 71 (Destination Streatham) a Major Town Centre in the London Plan (2008). which will include a new ice skating facility of regional importance, RÄ@Ä,@INQÄ3NVMÄ"DMSQD ÄHSÄG@RÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ Tesco supermarket and leisure facilities. MDO73 (Caesars/Megabowl) as providing the opportunity for more intensive which will include retail provision as part of a mixed-use scheme and development to meet retail and other consumer reprovision of retail frontage along Streatham Hill. needs and to increase capacity for mixed-use Three MDO sites are located adjacent to but outside the Masterplan development. The high accessibility of the town Area. These are MDO 72 (Streatham Vale, Homebase Store), MDO74 BDMSQDÄRGNTKCÄADMDÆSÄEQNLÄCHUDQRHÆB@SHNMÄNEÄTRDRÄ (Unigate Depot) and MDO75 (Valley Road Yard). and environmental improvements to serve the suburban population. A retail capacity study has been undertaken on Streatham High Road by GVA Grimley (2006). This looks at the issues the area faces, such Lambeth’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP) @RÄK@QFDÄKDUDKRÄNEÄSQ@EÆB ÄCNLHM@SHNMÄNEÄSGDÄQN@CÄ@MCÄBNLODSHSHNMÄEQNLÄ supports the regeneration of Streatham town other nearby centres. The report does identify that there are retailers centre through improvements to the quantity interested in locating in Streatham but that the physical appearance and quality of shopping provision and street of the High Road needs to continue to be improved upon to raise the management measures along the A23 (Policy OQNÆKDÄNEÄSGDÄSNVMÄBDMSQD ÄÄ3GDÄQDONQSÄ@KRNÄQ@HRDRÄSGDÄONRRHAHKHSXÄNEÄ 73). Much of the Masterplan study area is a identifying a development partner and using compulsory purchase conservation area and development proposals powers to assemble larger sites to provide space and opportunities will be required to preserve and enhance their ENQÄNEÆBDÄRO@BD ÄÄ setting. As stated in Planning Policy Guidance 15- Planning and the Historic Environment (PPG15), ÄQDS@HKÄB@O@BHSXÄRSTCXÄV@RÄB@QQHDCÄNTSÄAXÄ-@SG@MHDKÄ+HBGÆDKCÄ/@QSMDQRÄ the general presumption should be in favour in December 2008, and a study of Food and Drink capacity and of retaining buildings which make a positive Revised Retail Market in Town Centres in Lambeth was carried out in contribution to the character or appearance August 2004. of a conservation area. Proposals to demolish buildings that make a positive contribution will Transport for London has undertaken an analysis of the High Road: require conservation area consent. Applications Drive Thru to Destination (2003). This looked at the detailed layout of of this nature will be required to meet the Streatham High Road and includes a number of measures to reduce demolition tests set out in PPG15. Improvements SGDÄHLO@BSÄNEÄSGQNTFGÄSQ@EÆBÄ@MCÄRDUDQ@MBDÄOQNAKDLRÄB@TRDCÄAXÄSGDÄ to shop fronts and business premises are required.
Telford Park Leigham Court Estate Conservation Area Conservation Area MDO sites Streatham Hill Major centre - core Theatre MDO73
Major centre - edge Leigham Court Road Former ABC Cinema North Conservation Area Conservation areas Leigham Court Road South Conservation Area Streatham Hill and High Road Conservation Area MDO75
MDO74 R.C Church of English St Leonards Church Martyrs No. 177 Streatham High Road Sunnyhill Road 8) 2008 8) Conservation Area 2008 8) MDO71 Streatham United Garrads Road Reformed Church Conservation Area
Streatham Common Conservation Area MDO72 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS © © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
Figure 2: Plan of MDO and Major Center Sites. Figure 3: Plan of Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings. 12 Page 13 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Streatham Green
A23. These measures include the narrowing of part of the dual carriageway to single carriageway, improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and creating a continuous bus (and possibly tram) lane down the High Road (see page 52). The implementation of these measures has now reached Phase 3, with work commencing on a section of the road in front of the Odeon Cinema in early 2009. The Masterplan adopts the TfL proposals whilst recommending a series of further measures to the Road.
The following best practice guidance should inform any detailed proposals and planning applications that come forward in the Masterplan area: lÄ Buildings in Context, CABE and English The former Caesars Nightclub Heritage 2001; lÄ By Design: Urban Design in the Planning System - Towards better practice, DETR and CABE, 2000; lÄ Streets for All: a guide to the management of streets, English Heritage 2000; lÄ Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention, ODPM 2004; lÄ Manual for Streets, CLG DfT 2007; and lÄ Better Places to Live - a Companion Guide to PPG3, DTLR and CABE 2001. Please note these documents are not exhaustive and the list of best practice guidance will be extended to inform proposals as new guidance is introduced.
Streatham High Road
13 Page 14 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
4.0 Developing a Brand for Streatham “The Ice Rink is a special asset to In line with the Council’s brief a brand for Streatham was developed early in the process to inform and shape the Masterplan proposals. The brand was Streatham that HCDMSHÆDCÄ@RÄMDDCHMFÄSNÄG@QMDRRÄ2SQD@SG@LiRÄ@RRDSR ÄRDSÄSGDÄPT@KHSXÄRS@MC@QCRÄ nowhere else has” and focus on the elements that make it different and competitive, so as to attract people to Streatham and make it a successful town centre.
The foundations of the Streatham brand have emanated from the Council’s Regeneration Strategy (2007), which sets out the Vision (see page 4). Building on this vision, Thinking Place undertook a rigorous consultation process to help understand the aspirations of the local community, what type of place Streatham is now and what the people who currently use, live and visit Streatham want it to become in the future. A number of interviews were held with nominated individuals, as well as community groups, to “There aren’t assess their views on the area and to assess aspirations for the future. enough sport 3GDÄL@HMÄHRRTDRÄSG@SÄVDQDÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ@RÄGHMCDQHMFÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ facilities here, like were: football pitches. I lÄ People live in Streatham but don’t work or play there; tend to spend my lÄ Streatham is not a destination; there is no reason to go there; spare time outside lÄ Streatham is seen as grubby and unattractive; of Streatham” lÄ The community of Streatham is very diverse but not integrated; and lÄ There is no focal point in Streatham, so people relate to different parts of it but do not use the centre as a whole. However, balanced against these negative issues, a number of assets VDQDÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ@RÄADHMFÄ@OOQNOQH@SDÄSNÄGDKOÄCHEEDQDMSH@SDÄ2SQD@SG@LÄEQNLÄ surrounding competing centres:
lÄ Cultural Diversity: The community of Streatham is highly diverse with residents from a range of ethnic backgrounds, including British, Black British and Somali Population. lÄ "GNHBDU@QHDSXÄNEÄENNCÄÄ3GDÄCHUDQRDÄKNB@KÄBNLLTMHSXÄHRÄQDÇDBSDCÄHMÄSGDÄ range of restaurants, shops and cafes along the High Road. “Streatham should be a place for everyone, it needs to be unique and “We need more clothes stores, to preserve including high street names the existing like Marks and Spencer” community and not force them out”
“The A23 creates a barrier for pedestrians and makes the Quotes from Stage 1 Consultation Events environment dirty”
14 Page 15 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
FIgure 4: What do you like least about Streatham?
32 29 Range and quality shops 3 27 7 ÄÄ3Q@EÆBÄBNMFDRSHNMÄ@MCÄO@QJHMF 29 13 Lack of arts and cultural facilities 7 8 Lack of recreational sports and leisure % 7 Poor public transport of responses 8 7 other 3 Schools 13 3 Housing affordability, quality or density 27 2 Quality and amount of health services
Figure 5: What do you like most about Streatham?
25 Easy access to London 24 Parks and open spaces 16 Architecture and sense of history Stage 1 Consultation Events 9 Affordable decent housing 6 Sense of community 6 Pubs, bars and restaurants lÄ Connectivity: Streatham is highly accessible 4 Health services and well connected to central London via public 3 Shopping range and quality transport. 3 Clean streets lÄ Ice Rink: One of Streatham’s greatest assets is the 2 Schoools Ice Rink, which is a popular leisure facility for both 2 Other the local community but also for people within 1 Arts and cultural facilities South London. Figure 6: What would improve Streatham? lÄ Longest High Road in South London: the length 30 Better use of public art and of the High Road is a key trait for Streatham and 13 10 creative lighting to improve the makes it unique. environment 28 Better landscaping along lÄ Green Spaces: Streatham has a range of attractive Streatham High Road including % open spaces within and surrounding it, which are wider pavements and pedestrian 30 of responses a huge asset to the local community, including the 28 crossings Rookery and Streatham Common. 19 Increasing the numbers of open spaces inlcuding the creation of lÄ Streatham Festival: Is a key calendar date for the a public square local community as a celebration of the cultural 19 13ÄÄ1DCTBHMFÄSQ@EÆBÄBNMFDRSHNM diversity of Streatham. This helps to promote 10 Other Streatham as a fun and quirky place to live and visit. lÄ Architecture: Streatham boasts a number of conservation areas and a range of buildings NEÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄ@QBGHSDBSTQ@KÄPT@KHSXÄVHSGHMÄSGDÄ conservation area, which differentiates it from other town centres in South London.
Stage 1 Consultation Events
15 Page 16 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
“Streatham used to be stylish and desirable”
Odeon Cinema, Streatham
The Real Streatham
The results from the consultation demonstrated that whilst Streatham faces a number of issues, it also possesses a range of assets, such as the Commons, Ice Rink, Streatham Festival and the rich architectural heritage, that need to be developed and promoted as a basis for town centre regeneration. It became apparent that residents and other stakeholders wish to exploit these assets as features that are unique to Streatham. While they want to see change they do not want Streatham to become another ‘Clone Town’ with the same high street as many other town centres. They want Streatham to offer something different building on its heritage and independent streak. In particular, Streatham’s: The Tate Library lÄ real people (a longstanding community with real connections) lÄ real history (a town rich with history and heritage) lÄ real place (with genuine diversity from cuisine to faiths) “Streatham has a number 3GDRDÄCDÆMHMFÄBG@Q@BSDQHRSHBRÄG@UDÄGDKODCÄSNÄENQLTK@SDÄ@ÄAQ@MCÄ of historic buildings that we for Streatham: “Real Streatham”. This brand is much more than need to protect” a strap line. It will be used to shape a future vision for Streatham as well as principles guiding regeneration and the Masterplan proposals themselves.
Using the brand the Vision should be developed to:
“create a place that continues to be a destination where people choose to live or visit because they get a unique experience and choice through a range of independent stores/shops and an array of alternative facilities and entertainment venues to meet a range
“Streatham needs a heart”
16 St Leonards Church, Streatham Page 17 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
of needs. In addition, residents will have access to lÄ Restoring quality - conserving and promoting architecture and heritage quality living in good housing stock, which is close by promoting active frontages and vibrant uses, good design, quality to a vibrant High Street that offers good quality shopfronts, and through the use of lighting and public art. shops and community facilities including a library, swimming pool and world class ice rink.” lÄ Making it easier to get around - wider pavements, a reduced High Road carriageway, improved crossings and tree planting to reduce the impact of 3GDÄOQHMBHOKDRÄTMCDQKXHMFÄSGDÄRODBHÆBÄOQNONR@KRÄ SGDÄ1N@CÄ@MCÄSQ@EÆB ÄQDLNU@KÄNEÄRSQDDSÄBKTSSDQÄ@MCÄADSSDQÄRHFM@FD have also been shaped by the brand. In particular lÄ Making better use of unique assets - such as improved green links to the by: Commons. lÄ Drawing more people into the town centre by introducing new uses - retail, community facilities, employment and residential. lÄ Creating places for people to meet to bring different communities together - public spaces and community facilities.
Streatham Green - the heart of Streatham?
17 Page 18 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
5.0 Masterplan Objectives
Objectives 3GDÄENKKNVHMFÄNAIDBSHUDRÄVDQDÄHCDMSHÆDCÄSNÄ@CCQDRRÄSGDÄHRRTDRÄSGQNTFGÄSGDÄA@RDKHMDÄ@MCÄAQ@MCÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄVNQJÄ@MCÄEQNLÄ public consultation. These objectives are necessary to ensure that genuine change is delivered in Streatham.
Table 1 Masterplan Objectives
Retail Offer lÄ Create large development sites which provide space for larger retailers lÄ #HUDQRHÆB@SHNMÄNEÄRGNOOHMFÄNEEDQ lÄ Provide opportunities for common uses to agglomerate together to encourage sustainable living lÄ Improve the physical appearance of the High Road lÄ Encourage good quality retailers into the area lÄ Reduce the impact of the A23 on the pedestrian experience
Economic lÄ Streatham High Road becomes a destination of choice in South London, with a high quality retail and leisure offer that differs Competition from surrounding town centres lÄ Improvements to the quality of the street and associated pedestrian environment
.EÆBDÄ4RD lÄ Create appropriate accommodation for larger, regional companies to occupy to drive demand in Streatham
lÄ Create the opportunity for residents to work locally in Streatham
Role lÄ Understand the role and function of Streatham
lÄ Establish a strong brand to guide regeneration in Streatham
Leisure lÄ Improve the quality of the pedestrian environment through public realm improvements
lÄ Create places where the community can come together
lÄ Promote and enhance Streatham’s existing assets (e.g. the ice rink)
lÄ Promote new leisure facilities
Development lÄ "QD@SDÄ@BSHUDÄKHMJ@FDRÄADSVDDMÄSGDÄ,#.ÄRHSDRÄ@MCÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄSGQNTFGÄBG@Q@BSDQÄYNMDRÄ@MCÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄOTAKHBÄQD@KLÄ sites improvements
lÄ Create development opportunities along the High Road to link the two stations together
lÄ Management structure to ensure all development sites are coordinated and uses proposed are complimentary and contribute positively to the High Road’s offer
Jobs lÄ Increase employment opportunities within Streatham to retain economically active local residents
Residents lÄ Develop high quality shops and leisure offer to retain the young professional residents during the evenings and weekends
lÄ Increase housing stock along the High Road and within the immediate catchment area
Movement lÄ Create a safe pedestrian environment, which reduces east/west severance and encourages people to actively engage with the uses located along the High Road
High Road lÄ To address the barrier of the road and enable pedestrians to move more easily and safely across the High Road
lÄ Create a more pleasant pedestrian environment
lÄ Ensure that cars travel at a consistent speed along the High Road, to increase safety and reduce congestion by rationalising the number of lanes
lÄ Improve the visual quality of the High Road through continued public realm improvements
Green Areas lÄ Explore the opportunity of creating a public space around Streatham Hill Railway Station.
lÄ Replant the area running alongside Streatham Green bounded by Streatham High Road – the planting of heavy native standards should be considered
lÄ Create a green link between Streatham Common and Tooting Common through improved tree planting and/or other landscaping
lÄ Explore the opportunity of the provision of a new green walkway running parallel to the High Road. The use of native species should be encouraged wherever possible.
lÄ Encourage sustainablility through the incorporation of green roofs, green walls, and planting down the High Road. 18 Page 19 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009 6.0 Key Spatial Diagram
Towards the Preferred Option
During Stage 3, options for regeneration within four opportunity lÄ Socio-economic characteristics: meeting the future population areas were developed and consulted upon. This process led to needs. the selection of a preferred option. The preferred option was lÄ Deliverability and Viability: feasibility and success. tested against the criteria below and the analysis is summarised in the Stage 3 Report: lÄ Planning Policy: meeting policy requirements. The key spatial diagram below shows the preferred option proposals lÄ Community support: engaging with local residents. within the whole study area. lÄ Sustainability: combating climate change.
Opportunity area 1: Streatham Hill: Green link to Tooting Bec on Sternhold Ave Emerging Planning application supplemented with further regeneration to the north and redevelopment of the station, with a new station square. Potential to develop over the railway STREATHAM HILL STATION cutting and the single storey buildings onto Leigham Court Road
Key road improvement area
TOOTING BEC COMMON
New market place Opportunity area 2: Streatham Central New central focus for Streatham around the existing Cinema, Library and Grace eld Gardens Health Centre strengthened by redevelopment of the Kwik Fit/o ce building. Potential comprehensive long term regeneration of the retail block between Becmead Avenue and Prentis Road for improved retail, town centre parking and residential uses Opportunity area 3: Streatham Village UNIGATE Improving the historic centre Green link focal point at WOOD - Regeneration of Gleneldon Streatham Green Mews and new mixed use community focused ‘hub’ Key building. Emerging plans by others to redevelop the mosque. Main station opportunity areas STREATHAM STATION High Street opportunity areas Opportunity area 4: Streatham Hub Areas with potenial for development Current planning application plus New public spaces improvements to Streatham Station and the former Safeway site for hotel, High Road road improvement employment and residential uses. areas Other public realm and road STREATHAM improvements COMMON Park ‘green’ links Shared surfaces Data source: Ordnance Survey N 0 100 200 300 400 500m Map Source: © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (100019338) 2008
Figure 7: Key Spatial Diagram Plans are Indicative 19 Page 20 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
7.0 The Masterplan
Sustainability The Masterplan has been informed and shaped by six key The principles guiding the Masterplan have been based principles. These are summarised below: on BREEAM, the Code for Sustainable Homes, and the Council’s Sustainable Design and Construction SPD. They Urban Design: include:
lÄ Reducing carbon dioxide and other emissions that relate lÄ 1DCTBHMFÄSGDÄHLO@BSÄNEÄSQ@EÆBÄ@MCÄHLOQNUHMFÄSGDÄODCDRSQH@MÄ to Climate Change; environment along the High Road; lÄ #DRHFMHMFÄMDVÄATHKCHMFRÄSG@SÄ@QDÄÇDWHAKDÄHMÄSGDHQÄTRDÄ lÄ Creating new public squares and spaces to provide meeting for many generations to come, i.e. longevity and areas to bring different communities together; adaptability; lÄ Enhancing existing retail frontages and promoting the lÄ Minimising energy use and light lost to the night sky; conservation and heritage assets of Streatham; lÄ Reducing air and water pollution; lÄ Enhancing existing green spaces (Commons and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation - SINCs) and linkages lÄ ,@M@FHMFÄÇNNCÄQHRJ ÄSGQNTFGÄRTRS@HM@AKDÄCQ@HM@FDÄ to them through the creation of attractive green routes and systems (SUDs); the introduction of green walls (see image below right of an lÄ Conserving and enhancing the natural environment, in example of a green wall within a Square); relation to biodiversity; lÄ Encouraging the use of planting native species to enrich local lÄ Promoting sustainable waste behaviour in new and biodiversity; existing CHP schemes; lÄ #DÆMHMFÄF@SDV@XRÄSNÄSGDÄSNVMÄBDMSQDÄSGQNTFGÄSGDÄHMSQNCTBSHNMÄ lÄ Encourage major developments to incorporate green of landmark buildings and the use of public art; walls where appropriate; lÄ Promoting active frontages onto Streatham Green to increase lÄ Ensuring all residential development meets Level 4 Code its vibrancy; for Sustainable Homes if built by 2010 and rising to Level 6 by 2016; lÄ Preserving and enhancing the existing character of the Conservation Area and ensuring that new development is in- lÄ Ensuring that all non-residential development adheres to keeping with the existing heritage character; and BREEAM ‘very good’ standard as a minimum; and lÄ Bringing different communities together. lÄ Promote sustainable travel through measures to encourage walking and cycling and reduce dependence on car travel (such as car clubs).
Example of a Green Wall in a Square in La Caixa, Madrid
Example of active frontages onto Islington Green
20 Page 21 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Plans are Indicative %HFTQDÄÄÄ4QA@MÄCDRHFMÄEQ@LDVNQJ
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road
Streatham High Road
Tooting Bec Common
Becmead Avenue
Conservation Areas Gleneldon Road Listed buildings Unigate Existing landmarks Wood
Landmark opportunities
Key frontages Mitcham Lane
New squares/spaces
Shared surface connections 2008 8)
Key pedestrian connections
Vehicular connections
Bus only access
Landscape improvements Streatham Improved/new green spaces Common Green links N 0 100 200 300 400 500 Local schools © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
21 Page 22 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Scale and Massing
A framework for indicative scale and massing is set out in Figure 9. This is indicative and emerging proposals will be tested against statutory planning policy. The key principles are as follows: lÄ Taller buildings will be focused around the transport nodes at either end of the High Road (Streatham Hill Station and Streatham Station) following planning policy on sustainable living, which encourages higher density near Stations. Due to the lack of space along the High Road, this density has to be provided vertically (see image below left of Fulham Broadway Station). lÄ Within the two remaining opportunity areas, Streatham Central and Streatham Village, the existing building GDHFGSRÄVHKKÄFDMDQ@KKXÄADÄL@HMS@HMDCÄSNÄQDÇDBSÄSGDÄDWHRSHMFÄBG@Q@BSDQÄNEÄSGDÄ@QD@ lÄ +@MCL@QJÄATHKCHMFÄNOONQSTMHSHDRÄG@UDÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄSNÄOQNUHCDÄNQHDMS@SHNMÄONHMSRÄCNVMÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@C Ä including a new hotel on the existing Safeway site and a community building on the ‘Island Site’ to the north of Streatham Green. It should be noted that landmark buildings can be unique in shape and size, as well as in height. lÄ The proposals to extend and improve the existing Tate Library will require a sensitive approach to the building heights to the rear and adjacent to it. lÄ The indicative heights shown on the adjacent plan are intended to provide a broad framework which would be taken forward in the context of planning policy on heights and conservation. In adition, it should be sensitive to the surrounding buildings and preserves and enhances the character of the Conservation Area (see image below illustrating how sensitive massing can be developed around sensitive landmarks).
Example of increased density and height around Fulham Broadway Station Paternoster Square, City of London - example of massing around key Landmarks (St Pauls Cathedral)
22 Page 23 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Plans are Indicative Figure 9: Spatial Strategy – Scale and Massing 8) 2008 8)
N 0 100 200 300 400 500
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
Streatham High Road
Tooting Bec Common
Becmead Avenue
Gleneldon Road
Mitcham Lane
Landmark Building Streatham Common Station gateways: 4 storeys and above Central focus: Under 6 storeys
Village: 2-4 storeys
23 Page 24 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Land Use lÄ 2SQDMFSGDMHMFÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HK ÄDRODBH@KKXÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ"DMSQ@KÄRDDÄHL@FDÄADKNVÄQHFGSÄ@RÄ@MÄ DW@LOKDÄNEÄGHFGÄPT@KHSXÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HK lÄ Encouraging the creation of larger units to attract a wider number of retailers. lÄ The creation of commercial units and a focus of opportunity around the Stations/Transport hubs. lÄ Diversifying the uses around the Stations to include commercial, retail, residential and leisure uses. lÄ (LOQNUHMFÄSGDÄPT@KHSXÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄTRDRÄNMÄÆQRSÄÇNNQRÄRDDÄADKNVÄANSGÄHL@FDRÄ@RÄDW@LOKDRÄNEÄ GHFGÄPT@KHSXÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄNMÄTOODQÄÇNNQR lÄ The creation of smaller studio space off the High Road.
&QNTMCÄÇNNQÄB@EDRÄVHSGÄTOODQÄÇNNQÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@MCÄ &QNTMCÄ%KNNQÄQDS@HKÄVHSGÄTOODQÄÇNNQÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄCDUDKNOLDMS NEÆBDÄRO@BDÄNEEÄ"KDQJDMVDKKÄ1N@C
24 Page 25 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Plans are Indicative Figure 10: Spatial Strategy – Land use (ground)
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road
Streatham High Road
Tooting Bec Common
Becmead Avenue
Gleneldon Road
Mitcham Lane 8) 2008 8)
Retail/cafes
Community
Office/Commercial
Residential
Leisure Streatham Common Transport
Hotel/Tourism N 0 100 200 300 400 500 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
25 Page 26 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
%HFTQDÄÄ2O@SH@KÄ2SQ@SDFXÄmÄ+@MCÄTRDÄTOODQÄÇNNQR Plans are Indicative
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road
Streatham High Road
Tooting Bec Common Becmead Avenue
Gleneldon Road
Mitcham Lane 8) 2008 8)
Retail/cafes
Community
Office/Commercial
Residential
Leisure Streatham Common Transport
Hotel/Tourism N 0 100 200 300 400 500 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
26 Page 27 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Public Realm lÄ Introduce a tree buffer along the pavement to create a more attractive and sheltered pedestrian environment. lÄ Create a series of public spaces set back from the High Road that can be enjoyed as community assets/facilities and provide a focal point for residents and the introduction of green walls (see image below right). lÄ To enhance Streatham Green to make it a safer environment and encourage its use and vibrancy. lÄ Create walking routes for pedestrians which take them off the High Road to make use of retail spaces in quieter and more attractive environments (see eimage below left). lÄ Upgrade existing bus shelters, where appropriate to be in keeping with the existing architectural character of the area. lÄ Create green links from the High Road to Unigate Wood and the Commons. lÄ #DÆMDÄSGDÄF@SDV@XRÄHMSNÄSGDÄSNVMÄBDMSQDÄSGQNTFGÄSGDÄSGDÄTRDÄNEÄOTAKHBÄ@QS Detailed guidelines to improve Streatham’s public realm are set out in Chapter 10.
Example of high quality public space set back from the main road, A green wall within a development in Clerkenwell Birmingham
27 Page 28 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Figure 12: Spatial Strategy – Public Realm Framework Plans are Indicative
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road
Streatham High Road
Tooting Bec Common
Becmead Avenue
Gleneldon Road Unigate Wood
Mitcham Lane 8) 2008 8)
New squares/spaces
Courtyards
Surface car park Streatham Widening of Pavement and Tree Planting Common Green Spaces N Green links 0 100 200 300 400 500 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
28 Page 29 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Transport lÄ Widening the pavements along the High Road. lÄ Improving the quality and location of the pedestrian crossings. lÄ Improved cycle parking facilities at Streatham Hill and Streatham Stations. lÄ Rationalisation of lanes to create two lanes in each direction along the High Road. lÄ Junction improvements around Streatham Hill Station and Streatham Green. lÄ Rationalisation of parking within the town centre, to improve the Car Park on Leigham Court Road and provide additional parking within Streatham Central. lÄ Measures to encourage residents to use sustainable modes of transport to move in/out and through the Town Centre. lÄ A modal transport interchange is proposed adjacent to the Streatham Hub development for bus, rail, cars and a potential future tram extension from Croydon. A more detailed strategy for the High Road is set out in Chapter 9.
High quality, wide pavements on O’Connell Road, Dublin Road improvements on Walworth Road
29 Page 30 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Figure 13: Spatial Strategy – Transport and Movement Plans are Indicative
Streatham Hill
Leigham Court Road
Becmead Avenue Tooting Bec Common
Gleneldon Road
Town Centre car park (u/ground)
Town Centre car park (surface) Mitcham Lane Modal Transport Interchange
Improved station facilities 8) 2008 8) Improved crossing points
New crossing points
Cycle parking
Road/junction improvements/ amendments Streatham TfL Road 2009 improvement area Common Central barrier removed, pavement widened and on street parking zone improvments N 0 100 200 300 400 500 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
30 Page 31 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Key Projects The Masterplan for Streatham is focused on the High Road with key development being focused in 4 opportunity areas: Streatham Hill, Streatham Central, Streatham Village and Streatham Hub. Within each opportunity area are a number of key projects, which remain conceptual at this stage. The projects aim to improve the quality and offer of Streatham for local people and visitors creating a focus of activity that will drive forward regeneration. The associated plans are indicative and provide an illustration of what the proposals could look like.
The proposals detailed below will need to conform to statutory planning policies and will be subject to the planning approval process including associated public consultation.
Taller buildings focused around the Station at High Street Kensington Additional Development Opportunities A series of blocks, which are either vacant or hold potential, G@UDÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ@KNMFÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@C ÄÄ3GDÄKNB@SHNMÄNEÄ these blocks is shown on the opportunity sites plan on page 42. These blocks are: lÄ Block HR1 (42 Streatham High Road) – 495sqm lÄ Block HR2 (9-19 Streatham High Road) – 4500sqm lÄ Block HR3 (78ab Streatham High Road) – 300sqm lÄ Block HR4 (130-132 Streatham High Road) – 825sqm lÄ Block H45 (Streatham Mosque) These blocks fall outside the opportunity areas that form the Masterplan as set out in the following pages and as a result have not been subject to detailed design work. However, given their potential it is hoped that they will be taken forward in association with the wider regeneration activity. Lyric Square in Hammersmith
4RDÄNEÄ&QDDMÄ1NNERÄVHSGHMÄ@Ä3Q@HMÄ2S@SHNM
31 Page 32 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
$W@LOKDÄNEÄRSQDMFSGDMDCÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄVHSGÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@MCÄNEÆBDÄ Proposals for the Caesars/Megabowl Site uses above in the Duke of York Square, Chelsea
Streatham Hill
lÄ!KNBJÄ2'Ä2SQD@SG@LÄ'HKKÄÄÄ/QNONRDRÄ@ÄKHMD@QÄQDS@HKÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄAKNBJÄE@BHMFÄNMSNÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄVHSGÄÄ storeys of residential above. In addition, 3 storeys of residential development fronting onto Blairderry Road and FQNTMCÄÇNNQÄBNLLDQBH@KÄVHSGÄÄTOODQÄÇNNQRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄEQNMSHMFÄNMSNÄ QCVDKKÄ1N@CÄ@QDÄOQNONRDC ÄÄ High Road improvements are proposed directly in front of Block SH1 to reduce the width of the road to 2 lanes HMÄD@BGÄCHQDBSHNMÄ@MCÄL@JDÄ@ÄVHCDQÄO@UDLDMSÄVHSGÄSGDÄOK@MSHMFÄNEÄ@ÄANTKDU@QC ÄÄ3Q@EÆBÄB@KLHMFÄLD@RTQDRÄ@QDÄ proposed along Blairderry Road with restrictions for local access only. lÄBlock SH2 (Streatham Hill 2): The emerging planning application coming forward for the Caesars/Megabowl site includes a linear retail block fronting onto the High Road, with residential development and leisure uses (performance arts space) to the rear of the block facing onto Blairderry Road. SH2 proposes an open courtyard between the retail and residential uses and a community building on the junction of Blairderry Road and Sternhold Avenue. High Road improvements are proposed in front of this block to reduce the width of the road to 2 lanes in each direction to make a wider pavement with the planting of a boulevard. lÄBlock SH3 (Streatham Hill 3): Proposes the redevelopment of the Station building set back from the High Road with a new Station Square incorporating public realm improvements. A buffer of trees should be provided along the side of the Square that fronts onto the A23. After exploring feasibility studies, proving that refurbishment/ improvements are not a viable option, the proposed redeveloped Station building should preserve and enhance the character of the Conservation Area and adjacent buildings. A linear block of residential development of 3 storeys fronting onto Drewstead Road is proposed. A further 3 storey residential block on either side of the road bridging NUDQÄSGDÄQ@HKV@XÄKHMDÄHRÄOQNONRDCÄÇ@MJDCÄAXÄSVNÄÄRSNQDXÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄAKNBJRÄNMÄSGDÄVDRSDQMÄRHCDÄNEÄSGDÄAQHCFD ÄÄ3GHRÄ HRÄRTAIDBSÄSNÄETQSGDQÄED@RHAHKHSXÄRSTCHDRÄHMÄSDQLRÄNEÄVDHFGSHMFÄ@MCÄRS@AHKHSX ÄÄ ÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄHRÄ proposed on the corner of Sternhold Avenue with 3 storeys of residential development above. Improvements to SGDÄDWHRSHMFÄQDS@HKÄTMHSRÄ@KNMFÄ2SDQMGNKCÄ UDMTDÄ@QDÄOQNONRDC ÄÄ3Q@EÆBÄB@KLHMFÄLD@RTQDRÄ@QDÄOQNONRDCÄSNÄSGDÄMNQSGÄ and south of the Station Square on Sternhold Avenue and Drewstead Road through shared paving and public realm improvements, such as new street furniture, planting and paving, to create a more attractive environment. The closure of Sternhold Avenue is not proposed as part of this Masterplan, however a longer term aspiration would be to undertake studies to ascertain the feasibility of its closure (as set out on page 49). lÄBlock SH4 (Streatham Hill 4): A linear block is proposed along Leigham Court Road between the High Road ITMBSHNMÄ@MCÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ"KNRD ÄSNÄHMBKTCDÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄTMHSRÄVHSGÄ@ÄL@WHLTLÄNEÄÄRSNQDXRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@ANUDÄ as a mixed use scheme. The car park to the rear of the block is proposed to be retained with improvements, such as LNQDÄDEÆBHDMSÄK@XNTSÄNEÄRO@BDR ÄOK@MSHMFÄ@MCÄMDVÄRTQE@BDR Ä@MCÄ@ÄMDVÄQDETQAHRGDCÄ6"Ä@MCÄO@QJHMFÄNEÆBD ÄÄ)TMBSHNMÄ improvements are proposed to provide a right hand turn for cars from Leigham Court Road onto the High Road.
32 Page 33 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
SH1
Streatham High Road Central barrier re- Blairderry Road moved and pave- SH2 ments widened
Sternhold Avenue Existing shopfronts improved Drewstead Road New station square
SH4 SH3 Leigham Court Rd Improved town centre car park
Figure 14 : Illustrative plan of Streatham Hill New retail develop- ment with residential above New hous- New retail development ing over railway with residential above
Existing shops improved
New station building
New housing New station Improved Caesars Mega- on Drewstead Road square town centre car park bowl Development
Figure 15: Sketch view from east of Streatham Hill Plans are Indicative - detailed layout will be shown at planning application stage
33 Page 34 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
TfL proposals outside the Cinema
Colombia Road Market Camden Passage, Islington
Streatham Central
lÄ!KNBJÄ2"Ä2SQD@SG@LÄ"DMSQ@KÄÄÄ/QNONRDRÄ@ÄMDVÄOTAKHBÄRO@BDÄNMÄSGDÄITMBSHNMÄNEÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄ@MCÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMRÄSNÄ include planting, new surfacing and the creation of kiosks to allow the space to be used for weekly markets. An L shaped AKNBJÄVHKKÄEQNMSÄSGHRÄ2PT@QDÄVHSGÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄ@MCÄÄRSNQDXRÄNEÄLHWDCÄTRDÄ@ANUD ÄVGHBGÄBNTKCÄBNLAHMDÄBNLLDQBH@K Ä community and residential use. This mixed use scheme will include commercial space to ensure employment uses and DLOKNXLDMSÄÇNNQRO@BDÄHRÄQDS@HMDCÄNMÄSGHRÄRHSD ÄÄ ÄRDQUHBDÄX@QCÄSNÄSGDÄQD@QÄHRÄOQNONRDC ÄVGHBGÄBNTKCÄADÄ@BBDRRDCÄUH@ÄSGDÄ High Road directly opposite Woodbourne Avenue for the retail and commercial blocks as well as for storage for the weekly L@QJDS ÄÄ3NÄSGDÄQD@QÄNEÄSGHRÄ@ÄÄRSNQDXÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄATHKCHMFÄHRÄOQNONRDCÄEQNMSHMFÄNMSNÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMR ÄCHQDBSKXÄNOONRHSDÄ the existing Health Centre. High Road improvements are currently proposed in this location, through the TfL Drive Thru to Destination Scheme, which includes the reduction to 2 lanes in each direction and the planting of an avenue of trees down the central reservation. lÄBlock SC2 (Streatham Central 2): Improvements are proposed to the existing retail unit (former Woolworths), with ground ÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄ@MCÄÄRSNQDXRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ@ANUD ÄÄ3GDÄEQNMS@FDÄNEÄSGHRÄAKNBJÄHRÄOQNONRDCÄSNÄADÄHLOQNUDCÄSGQNTFGÄ the removal of the existing modern facade to restore the period frontage. High Road improvements are currently proposed in this location, by the TfL Drive Thru to Destination Scheme, which include the reduction to 2 lanes in each direction and the planting of an avenue of trees down the central reservation. lÄ!KNBJÄ2"@Ä2SQD@SG@LÄ"DMSQ@KÄ@ÄÄ(LOQNUDLDMSRÄ@QDÄOQNONRDCÄSNÄSGDÄDWHRSHMFÄQDS@HKÄTMHS ÄVHSGÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄ@MCÄÄ storeys of residential development above. The frontage of this block is proposed to be improved through the removal of the existing modern frontage to restore the period facade. lÄBlock SC3b (Streatham Central 3b): The longer term proposals for this block include a 3 storey retail development fronting onto the High Road (on the existing Lidl site). A pedestrian walkway is proposed to wrap around the back of the block (from directly opposite Pinfold Road to Shrubbery Road) to create a lively thoroughfare. This offers a more attractive and quieter pedestrian walkway off the High Road and a new frontage onto a new block to the rear with 2 storeys of retail development. The size of this site, creates a potential location for a department store. A further linear block is proposed to front onto .BJKDXÄ1N@CÄVHSGÄÄRSNQDXRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄCDUDKNOLDMS Ä3GDÄRNQSHMFÄNEÆBDÄNMÄSGDÄBNQMDQÄNEÄ/QDMSHRÄ1N@CÄ@MCÄ.BJKDXÄ1N@CÄ HRÄOQNONRDCÄSNÄADÄQDS@HMDCÄHMÄTRDÄVHSGHMÄ@ÄMDVÄATHKCHMFÄVHSGÄÄÇNNQRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@ANUD Ä@MCÄL@HMS@HMHMFÄSGDÄ$CV@QCH@MÄ DKDLDMSÄNEÄSGDÄRNQSHMFÄNEÆBD ÄRTAIDBSÄSNÄETQSGDQÄED@RHAHKHSXÄRSTCHDR ÄÄ#HQDBSKXÄ@CI@BDMSÄSNÄHS Ä@ÄBNLLTMHSXÄATHKCHMFÄHRÄOQNONRDCÄ VHSGÄÄÇNNQRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@ANUDÄVHSGÄ@ÄETQSGDQÄAKNBJÄNMÄSGDÄITMBSHNMÄNEÄ/QDMSHRÄ1N@CÄ@MCÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄVHSGÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄ QDS@HKÄ@MCÄÄÇNNQRÄNEÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@ANUD ÄÄ3GHRÄBNLLTMHSXÄRO@BDÄBNTKCÄOQNUHCDÄLDDSHMF Ä@QSRÄ@MCÄODQENQL@MBDÄRO@BD ÄÄ MÄ underground car park is proposed as part of this block, which could be used by all visitors to Streatham, regardless of the shop they are visiting. lÄBlock SC4 (Streatham Central 4): The internal refurbishment of the existing Tate Library is proposed, whilst retaining the existing façade. An extension to the facility to the rear of the building is also proposed, to be in-keeping with the existing character of the Tate Library. This extension would incorporate further community space, which could provide meeting/ learning space. This proposal has been developed taking into consideration the Feasibility Study undertaken on the 1DCDUDKNOLDMSÄNEÄSGDÄ3@SDÄ+HAQ@QX ÄBNLLHRRHNMDCÄAXÄSGDÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ QD@Ä"NLLHSSDD ÄÄ3GHRÄRSTCXÄHCDMSHÆDCÄSGQDDÄNOSHNMRÄENQÄ how the Library could be improved. This Masterplan proposes a combination of Option 2 (Partial demolition and newbuild) and Option 3 (refurbishment). This would retain the conservation and heritage value of the Library building but would create additional modern community space in a building to the rear. The internal refurbishment would need to ensure that the layout could meet the requirements of the Library and be Disability Discrimination Act 1995 compliant (DDA).
34 Page 35 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Woodbourne Avenue SC1 New market square SC2 Grace eld Gardens
TfL road improvement- works Becmead Road Pendennis Road SC3a
SC4 Pinfold Road
Ockley Road SC3b
Sunnyhill Road Prentis Road Shrubbery Road
Figure 16: Illustrative plan for Streatham Central
streatham existing high road existing health centre cinema
New retail development with mixed uses above (including commeri- New retail devel- cal, community and opment with pedestrian residential) walkway o the High Road, GP and sorting o ce New Market New retail Square Improved and and o ce building extended library facility
Figure 17: Sketch view from west of Streatham Central
Figure 18:Indicative cross-section of Streatham Central proposals through Blocks SC1 and SC2 - Illustrating the Market Square
Plans are Indicative - detailed layout will be shown at planning application stage 35 Page 36 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Streatham Village
lÄBlock SV1 (Streatham Village 1): A new triangle shaped development at SGDÄITMBSHNMÄNEÄ,HSBG@LÄ+@MDÄ@MCÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄVHSGÄFQNTMCÄÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄ TRDRÄVHSGÄ@BSHUDÄEQNMS@FDR ÄÆQRSÄÇNNQÄBNLLTMHSXÄRO@BDÄVHSGÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ above. Given its location and size, this space could become the central community heart in Streatham. This new block will not compete with the existing architectural quality of the surrounding Churches, but will be designed to be in keeping with the character of the area. This block is proposed to be triple fronted onto Streatham High Road, Mitcham Lane and Streatham Green. This block could be scalable and built out incrementally with the western side of the block being introduced ÆQRS ÄÄ ÄMDVÄOTAKHBÄRO@BDÄNMÄSGDÄBNQMDQÄNEÄSGDÄAKNBJÄVHKKÄBQD@SDÄ@ÄLNQDÄ attractive entrance with planting and signage improvements. This public space could potentially be used for key events, such as the Streatham Festival and could provide a location for the local Christmas Tree or other Entrance to St Christophers Place seasonal features. New pedestrian crossings are proposed on Mitcham from Oxford Street Lane and Streatham High Road directly into the northern corners of Streatham Green. lÄBlock SV2 (Streatham Village 2): Refurbishment of the frontages along the southern edge of Streatham Green is proposed to provide new retail and café space. This will create more natural surveillance of the Green and more vibrancy. These recommendations are key to providing a space to bring different communities together. lÄBlock SV3 (Streatham Village 3): Regeneration of Gleneldon Mews by opening up and refurbishing the frontages and buildings themselves. These units could be used by creative industries and artists’ studios, in the same way that Lonsdale Road in Queens Park has been (see adjacent image). This will also create a potential location for future street markets with units opening up onto the street. A new link provided through the existing retail frontage from Streatham High Road is proposed to make Studios on Lonsdale Road the Mews more accessible and approachable (see example of Camden Mews, Queens Park Passage and St Christopher’s Place in adjacent images). lÄNew pedestrian crossings will be created that run from Gleneldon Mews, through Streatham Green and across Mitcham Lane to link to Streatham Mosque. This will help to increase the footfall into the Mosque and promote diversity.
Camden Passage in Islington - which has weekly vintage clothes and jewellery markets
36 Page 37 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Tooting Bec Gardens
Streatham High Road
Central meeting space SV1 SV3
SV2
Mitcham Lane
Babington Road
Figure 19: Illustrative plan of Streatham Village
St Leonards Streatham Church High Road
New pedestrian link to Gleneldon Mews
Improved pedestrian crossings to the Mosque
Active front- Gleneldon Improvements New landmark ages on Streatham Mews regenerated to crossing points mixed use building Green Figure 20: Sketch view from west of Streatham Village Plans are Indicative - detailed layout will be shown at planning application stage
37 Page 38 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Streatham Hub
lÄBlock SHU1 (Streatham Hub 1): A new hotel, incorporating function and meeting rooms space, on the existing Safeways site (junction of Streatham High Road and Station Approach) is proposed as a 6 storey building creating a key landmark at the southern entrance into the Town Centre. Public realm improvements are proposed down Station Approach through planting and improved surfaces to enhance the environment. To the rear of the hotel a 6 storey commercial building is proposed, which backs onto the railway line. A service yard for the hotel and commercial block is proposed in the space between the two, accessed via Station Approach. Further residential development of between 2 and 4 storeys is proposed on the remaining western end of Station Approach, which incorporates a series of public spaces and walkways through the buildings. A new Station building is proposed, which is set back from the High Road. The Station is then linked to the bus interchange through a small Station Square surrounded by new ground ÇNNQÄQDS@HKÄTMHSRÄSNÄOQNUHCDÄ@BSHUDÄEQNMS@FDRÄVHSGÄÄRSNQDXRÄNEÄBNLLDQBH@KÄ@ANUD ÄÄ3GHRÄBNTKCÄADÄ@ÄRTHS@AKDÄKNB@SHNMÄENQÄ larger retailers. Tree planting is proposed around the Station entrance and bus interchange to improve the quality of the environment. lÄBlock SHU2 (Streatham Hub 2): The planning application for Streatham Hub (issued in November 2007 and amended in 2008) includes a new ice rink, leisure centre and retail and residential elements. A new public square is included within the application and an underground car park. The existing church, on the High Road, is to be retained as part of this application. The design of this Gateway site should support the view of the ice rink from the South. lÄBlock SHU3 (Streatham Hub 3): Retail and commercial development up to four storeys is proposed fronting onto the High Road with improved pedestrian crossings across to the Station. lÄBlock SHU4 (Streatham Hub 4): A new 5 storey residential development is proposed to replace the existing hoardings and development sites directly south of the Streatham hub development, further enhanced by planting along the pavement, new street furniture and signage. This is a prominent gateway position and should be subject to careful design. lÄPublic realm improvements are proposed along Gleneagle Road to include tree planting, improved signage, information boards, new paving and improved street lighting. This will help to develop the growing strength of businesses in this area targeting particular ethnic communities and helping to develop a business environment reaching out to the whole community.
Shopping Centre linked to Wimbledon Station
Streatham Hub Scheme
38 Page 39 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Community
Business Gleneagle Road Quarter
SHU1
SHU3 Station Approach
SHU2
Streatham High Road
SHU4
Figure 21: Illustrative plan of Streatham Hub Community Business Quarter
Streatham Hub Bus inter- Upgraded New hotel and retail development change station entrance housing Figure 22: Sketch view from west of Streatham Hub Plans are Indicative - detailed layout will be shown at planning application stage
39 Page 40 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
8.0 Development and Capacity
A key element of the Masterplan is to determine the potential development that could be achieved from the Masterplan proposals. Using this information, it is crucial to ascertain whether the existing infrastructure has the capacity to support the level of new development. This capacity testing has also informed the costing and viability work, which underpins the Implementation and Delivery chapter. It is important to note that the development schedules are estimates and the exact development outputs VNTKCÄCDODMCÄNMÄSGDÄCDS@HKÄNEÄRODBHÆBÄOQNONR@KRÄ@MCÄSGDÄ@U@HK@AHKHSXÄNEÄETSTQDÄETMCHMF
Development Assumptions Residential The Masterplan seeks to ensure an appropriate mix of dwelling sizes to address the anticipated needs of the future population of Streatham, including its increasing diversity. The social rented mix is based NMÄSGDÄÆFTQDRÄOQNUHCDCÄHMÄSGDÄ#Q@ESÄ+NMCNMÄ!NQNTFGÄNEÄ+@LADSGÄ'NTRHMFÄ2SQ@SDFX ÄÄ3GDÄOQHU@SDÄLHWÄ is based on the proportion of different bedroom numbers for houses completed in 2006/7 (Lambeth Annual Monitoring Report, 2006/7). The apartment sizes are based on English Partnership’s policy guidance (Quality Standards: Delivery Quality Places, 2007) and have been applied across both tenures ÆFTQDRÄ@QDÄ@RRTLDCÄSNÄADÄMDS ÄÄ MXÄETSTQDÄOQNONR@KRÄVHKKÄADÄ@RRDRRDCÄ@F@HMRSÄSGDÄ"NTMBHKiRÄONKHBXÄ documents. English Partnerships comprehensive Guidance now includes Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3, measures to prevent overheating and noise penetration, environmental quality measures and space requirements. The Lambeth Housing Development, Housing Conversion and Sustainable Design and Construction SPDs have been taken into account in the formation of the following assumptions.
Table 2: Housing Tenure Mix Housing tenure mix and room size
Tenure 1 BED 2 BED 3 BED 4 BED
Social 10% 40% 25% 25%
Private 38% 47% 12% 3%
Room Size 51sqm 77sqm 93sqm 106sqm
It is proposed that all new residential units proposed will be required to meet Lifetime Homes (or subsequent) standards and 10% of all developments should meet more demanding wheelchair accessibility standards and must comply to the Lifetime standards under the following aspects: lÄ Car Parking Width lÄ Access from Car PArks lÄ Appropriate Gradients lÄ Entrances lÄ Communal stairs and lifts lÄ Doorways and hallways lÄ Wheelchair Access lÄ Living Room lÄ Entrance level bed space lÄ Entrance level WC and Shower drainage lÄ Bathroom and WC Walls lÄ 2S@HQKHESSGQNTFGÄÇNNQKHES lÄ Tracking hoist route lÄ Bathroom layout lÄ 6HMCNVÄRODBHÆB@SHNM lÄ "NMSQNKR ÄÆWSTQDRÄ@MCÄÆSSHMFR 40 Page 41 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Meeting Sustainability Targets The development proposals within the Streatham Masterplan should aim to meet regional and national environmental performance standards in the LNRSÄBNRS DEÆBHDMSÄV@XÄONRRHAKD ÄÄ MÄ@QD@ VHCDÄDMDQFXÄ@MCÄV@SDQÄRSQ@SDFXÄ will be required to clarify the potential extent of future community heating and cooling networks.
Development should meet Code Level 4 (residential) and BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard (non-residential) at the outset, rising to zero carbon homes (Level 6) by 2016 and zero carbon non-residential buildings by 2019, which VHKKÄQDPTHQDÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄHMUDRSLDMSÄENQÄNM RHSDÄQDMDV@AKDÄSDBGMNKNFHDR ÄÄ3GDÄ high density, urban nature of Streatham means that maximising energy DEÆBHDMBXÄ@MCÄSGDÄDEÆBHDMSÄRTOOKXÄNEÄDMDQFXÄSGQNTFGÄKNB@KÄMDSVNQJRÄVHKKÄ ADÄBQTBH@KÄHMÄLDDSHMFÄQDMDV@AKDÄDMDQFXÄS@QFDSR ÄÄ!DHMFÄV@SDQÄDEÆBHDMSÄHRÄ essential within the context of London’s water shortages and the limited RDVDQ@FDÄRDQUHBDR ÄÄ6@SDQÄDEÆBHDMBX ÄQ@HMV@SDQÄG@QUDRSHMFÄ@MCÄFQDXV@SDQÄ recycling will have to be integrated as core parts of the Code and BREEAM ratings. Development should include the space and facilities required for waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Employment $LOKNXLDMSÄRO@BDÄHRÄRDSÄNTSÄ@RÄFQNRRÄÇNNQRO@BD ÄÄ3GDÄDLOKNXLDMSÄ generation outputs are based on assumptions made by DTZ, which are based on their previous analysis, which assumes the further provision of B1 uses.
Retail 3GDÄQDS@HKÄÆFTQDRÄRGNVMÄHMÄSGDÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄRBGDCTKDRÄ@QDÄSGDÄSNS@KÄ@LNTMSÄ NEÄMDVÄCDUDKNOLDMS ÄÄ(SÄHRÄ@RRTLDCÄSG@SÄSGDÄOQNÆKDÄENQÄSGHRÄQDS@HKÄVNTKCÄADÄ ÄRGNORÄ ÄÄÆM@MBH@KÄ@MCÄOQNEDRRHNM@KÄRDQUHBDRÄ Ä@MCÄÄ restaurants and cafes (A3).
Leisure/Community The community and leisure uses have been based on the existing proposals coming forward at Streatham Hub and Caesars, and community consultation responses, which demonstrated a local desire for new community spaces in the centre of Streatham.
Car Parking "@QÄO@QJHMFÄ@MCÄNODMÄRO@BDÄÆFTQDRÄRDSÄNTSÄHMÄSGDÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄRBGDCTKDÄ are those required by current policy (UDP). Further detailed work will need to be undertaken with stakeholders to assess actual site capacity (demand versus supply) based on constraints and detailed design through the planning process. They are included here to provide an indication of likely requirements. The requirements of car parking are maximum standards based on Policy 14 of the adopted UDP, but as stated above are subject to further technical work as part of any planning application.
Amenity Space Amenity Space requirements are based on the adopted Supplementary Planning Guidance and Standards for Housing Development and Housing Conversions. It will be important to refer to these documents when developing these proposals further.
41 Page 42 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Figure 23: Opportunity Sites plan Plans are Indicative
SH1
SH2 Streatham Hill
SH3 SH4
Leigham Court Road HR2
HR3 HR1
HR4
SC4 SC1
Becmead Avenue SC2 SC3
SV1 Gleneldon Road HR5
SV2 SV3
Mitcham Lane
SHU1
SHU3 2008 8)
SHU2
SHU4
Streatham Common /KD@RDÄMNSDÄSG@SÄRHSDRÄ'1 Ä'1 Ä'1 Ä'1Ä@MCÄ'1ÄG@UDÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ@RÄG@UHMFÄ development potential, but have not been costed as this stage because they fall outside the opportunity areas. N 0 100 200 300 400 500 © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (10001933 reserved rights All copyright. Crown OS ©
42 Page 43 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Streatham Masterplan Summary Development Schedule The detailed schedules are provided in Appendix A of this document. Please note that the development schedule relates to development in the opportunity areas. Therefore, this table excludes sites HR1, HR2, HR3 and HR4, which have not been subject to detailed design work.
Table 3: Development Schedule
Open Space A1, A2, A3 D1/2 Residential Required Floorspace B1Floorsapce Floorspace Maximum Opportunity Area Dwellings Sqm Sqm Sqm Sqm Hotel Car parking
SH1 57 622 990 0 0 0 29
SH2 292 2969 2970 0 1030 0 151
SH3 97 1067 880 0 0 0 40
SH4 41 464 2075 0 0 0 34
SC1 0 0 750 7500 0 0 13
SC2 14 185 1065 0 0 0 15
SC3 46 512 11000 1000 360 0 135
SC4 0 50 0 0 1000 0 25
SV1 23 275 720 0 700 0 32
SV2 0 0 280 600 0 0 3
SV3 0 0 180 0 0 0 2
2'4 68 776 350 4500 0 4500 29
2'4 250 2550 8009 0 10532 0 560
2'4 0 0 200 3610 0 0 4
2'4Ä 23 280 680 0 0 0 14
Total 910 9951 30149 17210 13622 4500 1086
3GDÄGNTRHMFÄÆFTQDRÄRDSÄNTSÄHMÄSGDÄS@AKDÄ@ANUDÄ@QDÄHMSDMCDCÄSNÄADÄCDKHUDQDCÄHMBQDLDMS@KKXÄNUDQÄ@ÄÄXD@QÄODQHNC ÄÄ,NQDÄCDS@HKDCÄ VNQJÄMDDCRÄSNÄADÄTMCDQS@JDMÄSNÄCDSDQLHMDÄSGDÄKHJDKXÄOQNÆKDÄNEÄSGHRÄGNTRHMFÄNMSNÄSGDÄL@QJDSÄVGDMÄ@ÄOG@RHMFÄOQNFQ@LLDÄG@RÄADDMÄ developed. However, based on the above this would be an average of 46 units a year.
Utilities This section of the report provides an overview of the existing capacity of the utilities infrastructure within Streatham Town Centre. A review of the existing infrastructure has been carried to assess whether the existing network would be capable of catering for the proposed development outlined in this report.
,DDSHMFÄVHSGÄ@KKÄSGDÄL@HMÄ4SHKHSXÄOQNUHCDQRÄVHKKÄMDDCÄSNÄS@JDÄOK@BDÄSNÄCHRBTRRÄSGDÄRODBHÆBÄQDPTHQDLDMSRÄNEÄD@BGÄRHSD Ä3GDRDÄ CHRBTRRHNMRÄVNTKCÄMDDCÄSNÄ@CCQDRRÄMDSVNQJÄB@O@BHSX ÄOQNFQ@LLDÄ@MCÄSGDÄBNRSÄNEÄOQNUHCHMFÄSGDÄBNMMDBSHNMR Ä(EÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄ network reinforcement is required, there will need to be an agreed framework for sharing these costs equitably between all the CDUDKNOLDMSRÄSG@SÄVHKKÄADMDÆS Ä+@LADSGÄ"NTMBHKÄRGNTKCÄOK@XÄ@ÄJDXÄO@QSÄHMÄSGHRÄEQ@LDVNQJÄSNÄDMRTQDÄSQ@MRO@QDMBXÄ@MCÄDPTHSX
Telecommunications There is currently an extensive network of telecommunications cables within Streatham with two exchanges. Any future developments could be serviced by this existing capacity, depending on location. If any proposals necessitated the relocation of BT assets, connections would need to be maintained through the relocation of existing cables. The taller developments proposed around Streatham Hill and Streatham Station could interfere with the mobile phone radio signals due to their proximity
43 Page 44 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
to the masts. Further feasibility studies would L@HMRÄVHSGHMÄSGDÄRSTCXÄ@QD@ Ä@MCÄHSÄHRÄKHJDKXÄSG@SÄSGDQDÄHRÄRTEÆBHDMSÄB@O@BHSXÄ be required to ascertain the extent of the in the area to support future development. However, Thames Water interference. VNTKCÄQDPTHQDÄ@ÄÇNVÄ@MCÄOQDRRTQDÄHMUDRSHF@SHNMÄENQÄSGDÄL@INQÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ proposals at Streatham Hill and Streatham Hub to determine whether the .UDQ@KK ÄSGDQDÄ@OOD@QRÄSNÄADÄMNÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄHRRTDÄ local network has available capacity to serve the peak requirements of for the proposals in terms of telecommunications. the proposed Masterplan, whilst maintaining supplies to existing users, or whether enhancement may be required to facilitate the development. Electricity There are currently twenty local substations Overall, water supply does not appear to be an issue due to the large water within the study area, which serve the majority mains within the area. of the premises and residences within Streatham town centre. However, the capacity of these Drainage substations is not known. Only one primary There is currently a combined foul and surface water drainage network CHRSQHATSHNMÄQNTSDÄG@RÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄHMÄSGDÄRSTCXÄ within the study area, which is operated and owned by Thames Water. In area and this crosses Streatham High Road and addition, there is a storm relief drain that runs south of the railway line (for terminates at West Norwood Main Substation: Streatham Station), for peak rainfall events. this is currently at capacity. The new development proposals will need to separate foul and storm Network reinforcement may be required for the water systems to limit any new discharges into the drainage network. The larger development sites, depending on their type provision of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and rainwater and location. The introduction of a CHP plant(s) harvesting should be considered to encourage natural recharging of ground would help to mitigate the need for network water and ameliorating the impact on and development costs for water and reinforcement, to supply the local electricity drainage utilities. There are no obvious surface water courses to discharge demand. The Streatham Hub development, stormwater to and therefore all drainage solutions will need to be provided which includes a supermarket, would hold a locally. GHFGKXÄRTHS@AKDÄKN@CÄOQNÆKDÄSNÄOQNUHCDÄ@ÄUH@AKDÄ CHP Plant, however this does not form part of The Streatham Hill proposals are split by major roadways therefore ruling out the proposals. The hotel proposal within the opportunities to collect combined runoff for reuse. The new development Masterplan would similarly provide a good load is predominantly retail and residential (Blocks SH1, SH2 and SH4) including OQNÆKD ÄÄ3GDÄOQNWHLHSXÄNEÄSGDÄGNSDKÄSNÄSGDÄGTAÄ open space which could incorporate landscaping with attenuation ponds, development would create a good opportunity to in-ground storage for re-use and seasonal plant irrigation. develop a small district heating system based on a Within the Streatham Central area, rainwater could be collected from Block CHP. This concept should be investigated further. SC1 with storage located within the car park service area and re-used for car/ Other ways of reducing the overall electricity vehicle washing facilities. demand would be the use of small scale Streatham Village proposals at the junction between Mitcham Road and renewable energy sources. These could include Streatham High Road includes retail, residential, commercial and possible roof mounted PV panels or small wind turbines. community elements. Blocks SV1 and SV2 open out onto Streatham As with CHP plants, further study would be Green and will include A3 retail units, therefore opportunity for reclaiming needed to assess these options. Q@HMV@SDQÄ@MCÄTRHMFÄHSÄENQÄSNHKDSÄÇTRGHMFÄBNTKCÄADÄ@ÄUH@AKDÄNOSHNM ÄÄ/QNONR@KRÄ Overall, electricity presents an issue in terms of around Streatham Green should incorporate soft landscape features and its limited future capacity for new development. ONQNTRÄO@UHMFÄL@SDQH@KRÄSNÄDM@AKDÄRSNQLÄV@SDQÄSNÄÆKSDQÄCHQDBSKXÄHMSNÄSGDÄ Research into renewable energy generation, such ground where possible. as CHP Plants should be investigated. The Streatham Hub proposals incorporate the redevelopment of Streatham Gas Station. Blocks SHU1, SHU3 and SHU4 are mixed use areas consisting of There is currently a comprehensive network of low residential, retail, commercial, a hotel and station redevelopment. The area pressure gas mains within the town centre, provided provides more opportunity to use natural soft landscaping for storm water by Scotia Gas Networks. The new development attenuation. The hotel with high water usage would be suitable for grey proposed should feed off this network. Further V@SDQÄ@MCÄQ@HMV@SDQÄQDBXBKHMFÄENQÄSNHKDSÄÇTRGHMFÄ@MCÄ@ÄFQDDMÄQNNEÄSDQQ@BDÄ discussions would be required to assess capacity amenity could be considered. Residential and retail around Streatham once the Masterplan proposals have been designed Station would be suited to green or brown roof rainwater attenuation. Soft in detail. landscaping and porous paving materials should be incorporated into the residential car park and external areas and the Station Square. Overall, gas could present an issue for future capacity, without the future provision of a CHP Plant. Overall, drainage does present a potential problem for any future development in Streatham. Methods to mitigate against run off should be Water Supply incorporated into the detailed proposals through sustainable systems such as There is currently an extensive network of water SUDs and green roofs.
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Sustainability A sustainability assessment was undertaken to appraise the Masterplan against a series of sustainability criteria (see Appendix C). These criteria have been derived from the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), One Planet Living and the EDAW Sustainability Assessment within the Stage 3 Report. This assessment also took into account of the Council’s SPD on Sustainable Design and Construction.
The full assessment is set out in Appendix C of this report and demonstrates that the Masterplan is likely to have a very positive effect in Streatham against each of the criteria. In summary, the Masterplan contributes to the sustainability agenda by: lÄ Encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport in Streatham. Green Wall around a Car Park in Miami lÄ Providing new residential development around the Stations which will encourage people to live locally, use public transport and reduce reliance on car travel. lÄ Ensuring that developers taking on the key proposals within the Masterplan are committed to encouraging sustainable living. lÄ Ensuring new residential development meets the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 for earlier projects rising to Level 6 by 2016. lÄ Improving the ecological value of Streatham through tree planting, green routes and green walls. lÄ 3GDÄBQD@SHNMÄNEÄMDVÄQDS@HK ÄNEÆBD ÄBNLLTMHSXÄ@MCÄGNSDKÄ space which will create new jobs in the town centre. A Green Roof providing local biodversity lÄ The creation of new community space and the extension of the Tate Library will provide more community facilities and services for local residents. lÄ The provision of new well-designed residential units will help promote healthier lifestyles. lÄ The creation of new active frontages onto Streatham Green @MCÄCDMRHÆB@SHNMÄVHKKÄGDKOÄBQD@SDÄM@STQ@KÄRTQUDHKK@MBDÄ@MCÄ make the town centre a safer place for those who live and visit. lÄ Encouraging sustainable modes of transport. lÄ The promotion of a new district heating system in Streatham Hub, using a CHP Plant.
A Green Roof on top of a commercial building in London
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Equalities The baseline research carried out as part of this Masterplan highlighted the diverse local population and range of cultures that Streatham is home to. A crucial driver for the Masterplan is to preserve the diversity of the population through the proposals. This has been achieved through proposals to preserve the independent stores, which are located along the High Road; enhance the development of community businesses such as the growing number of Somali businesses through public realm improvements, and improve Gleneldon Mews to provide space for local creative industries and cafes. In addition, the creation of the Market Square in Streatham Central has been designed to provide a space for local retailers and producers to sell their goods. The new public spaces, the Station Square and the Market Square and the new community building overlooking Streatham Green, are all designed as locations for the community to unite and come together. It is also anticipated that these spaces can be used to reinforce Streatham Festival and encourage it to expand. The aim is to strengthen community pride and cohesiveness.
A key part of the Masterplanning process has been consultation with the local community at each stage of the process. This has included stakeholder and local community events as well as focus groups with key groups, including young people, business and different ethnic groups. This has encouraged a dialogue between these groups and has allowed them to assist in bringing about positive change in Streatham. This is in-line with the Government’s Community Cohesion Strategy and work to increase community involvement in local engagement and service provision between different communities. %TQSGDQLNQD ÄSGDÄÆM@KÄCQ@ESÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄG@RÄADDMÄCQHUDMÄAXÄBNMRTKS@SHNMÄ responses on the preferred option presented in Stage 3.
The intial stages of EqIA being conducted to support this masterplan should be continued as detailed proposals come forward for key sites. This would need to target key communities within Streatham.
Examples of how to get social groups incorporated into the redevelopment of Streatham, i.e. through school activities, training schemes and the Library.
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Examples of other strategic roads in London and Ireland 9.0 Strategy for the Road
Objectives for the Road The key characteristic of Streatham Town Centre is its location on a strategic vehicular route, connecting Central London to Gatwick Airport and Brighton: the A23. As a strategic north south route, it BNUDQRÄÄSQ@EÆBÄK@MDRÄHMÄOK@BDR ÄVGHBGÄ@QDÄBNMFDRSDCÄ VHSGÄGHFGÄONKKTSHNMÄKDUDKR ÄÄ3GHRÄG@RÄ@ÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄ impact on the character and environment within the town centre, which is effectively severed in two.
A key priority for the Masterplan was to explore how the High Road currently functions and is used by the people that live and work there, and those that pass through the town centre. Space Syntax was commissioned to focus on this aspect Kensington High Street of the Masterplan by looking at local movement within the town centre; exploring the town centres relationship to its immediate surroundings; and placing it within the London metropolitan area as a whole. On a more local level, a ‘spatial accessibility’ model was used to identify the scope for new routes that take pedestrians off the High Road to improve the pedestrian experience.
3GDÄ@M@KXRHRÄG@RÄBNMÆQLDCÄSG@SÄVGHKDÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ has good strategic links on a major transport connection between Gatwick and Central London, transport connections locally are less advantageous. Compared to other local centres in the area, Streatham is severed by surrounding rail KHMDRÄ@MCÄK@BJRÄKNB@KÄBNMMDBSHNMRÄL@JHMFÄHSÄCHEÆBTKSÄ to get to and around the town centre. This has had 4OODQÄ2SQDDS Ä(RKHMFSNM knock on effects on Streatham’s image and has HMÇTDMBDCÄHSRÄK@BJÄNEÄGHFGÄPT@KHSXÄQDS@HKÄNEEDQ ÄÄ
The spatial accessibility modelling highlighted that Streatham High Road has large building blocks with little opportunity to use routes off the High Road to travel between major uses. This affects permeability and proximity. Access to the High Road and its facilities is not always as convenient as it could be, and the distance to travel between buildings and spaces in the town centre are often longer than is desirable.
Nevertheless, in spite of these features Streatham High Road has a high concentration of retail uses and pedestrian concentration that makes it ideal for retail activities. This chapter sets out a series of measures to reduce the impact of the High Road O’Connell Street, Dublin and improve pedestrian accessibility.
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Figure 24: High Road Strategy Plans are Indicative
Remove central barrier and remove/reduce width of the Telford Avenue central reservation. Increase pavement widths to either side Possibility for boulevard/ avenue tree planting Key location for pedestrian crossing points: Opportunity for more on introduce/improve crossing points street car parking to connect Streatham Hill Station to surrounding area create direct and straight crossing points Improve and rework junction Leigham Court Road to allow for all tra c movements and right hand turns
Mount Ephraim Road
Leigham Avenue Pendennis Road
TfL works planned January 2009
Key location for pedestrian crossing points: Becmead Avenue introduce/improve crossing points to better connect the proposed ‘Meeting Place’ to Key location for pedestrian crossing points surrounding area at Streatham Green: introduce pedestrian crossing points to Gleneldon Road better integrate Streatham Green with surrounding area
Drive through to destination works completed KEY Drive thru to destination works MITCHAM LANE completed New road layout as proposed by Hub development Works programmed for 2009 Key location for pedestrian areas for future works reducing crossing points at Streatham roadway width, widening Common: pavements and introducing street trees introduce/improve pedestrian crossing points to better Road works proposed by the hub integrate Streatham Common development with surrounding area Lewin Road N reduce area covered by Key areas for future pedestrian junction crossing improvements
Parking
0 100 200 300 400 500m Data source: Ordnance Survey Map Source: © OS Crown copyright. All rights reserved (100019338) 2008
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Traffic Movement lÄ Improvements to Streatham and Streatham Hill Stations, including LNCHÆDCÄATHKCHMFRÄ@MCÄHLOQNUDCÄOTAKHBÄQD@KLÄHMÄEQNMSÄNEÄSGDÄ2S@SHNMR Ä As set out in Chapter 5 of this report, TfL have been lÄ The creation of small spaces, conducive to social activity, that front undertaking works to the High Road to enhance onto the High Road (the Station Square and the new Market Square) the environment for pedestrians, cyclists and public and the creation of pedestrian routes connecting into the adjacent transport users. However, in addition to this, the neighbourhoods (at the existing Lidl site). Masterplan proposes a series of complementary proposals to address and reduce the impact of the lÄ Encouragement of sustainable travel (walking and cycling) through the High Road: widening of pavements, improved public realm, provision of cycle parking at both Stations and car clubs. lÄ Removal of the central barrier down the High Road. This is proposed from Streatham These proposals aim to provide a more pedestrian friendly and attractive Hill Station up to Telford Avenue and from environment through wider pavements, open spaces, better crossings, and Streatham Hill Station down to Woodbourne new trees. This will be complemented by the proposals for the public realm Avenue. set out in the following section of this report. The reduced road width and other road works proposed will help to create a constant, steady speed of lÄ Widening of the pavements and the SQ@EÆBÄCNVMÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@C ÄQ@SGDQÄSG@MÄSGDÄRSNOÄRS@QSÄRHST@SHNMÄSG@SÄBTQQDMSKXÄ introduction of trees on either side of the exists as a result of the changing number of lanes. This is intended also to High Road. This is proposed from Streatham prevent pockets of congestion on the High Road. Hill Station up to Telford Avenue and from Streatham Hill Station down to Woodbourne Avenue. Long Term - Further Feasibility Studies: lÄ Introduction of new and/or improved (MÄ@CCHSHNMÄSNÄSGDÄOQNONR@KRÄ@ANUD ÄSGQDDÄRODBHÆBÄOQNONR@KRÄG@UDÄADDMÄ pedestrian crossings at the Streatham Hill HCDMSHÆDCÄ@RÄONRRHAKDÄETSTQDÄOQNONR@KRÄ@MCÄ@RÄRTBGÄG@UDÄADDMÄDU@KT@SDCÄ@SÄ Station junction; the Becmead Avenue junction; a high level. These would require more detailed analysis as part of further Gleneldon Mews junction; across Streatham feasibility work. Green (on Streatham High Road and Mitcham Lane); and at the Lewin Road/Streatham Sternhold Avenue Common junction. These crossings were The proposal would close a section of the B221 Sternhold Avenue to the consulted on based on the movement studies north of the railway line and Streatham Hill Station, between its junctions carried out by Space Syntax in Stage 1. with Blairderry Road and the A23 Streatham High Road. This would be a longer term proposal to extend the Station Square to the north and lÄ Creation of shared surfaces between Sternhold pedestrianise part of Sternhold Avenue. This would be assisted by the Road and Drewstead Road to link proposed creation of a right turn out of Leigham Court Road onto the High Road. development blocks. lÄ Proposals for new or improved parking facilities The implications of this include: off Leigham Court Road and at Prentis Road, lÄ Conversion of Drewstead Road to allow two-way movement; and parking facilities are proposed as part of the Streatham Hub redevelopment. lÄ Conversion of the railway bridge to allow two-way movement; lÄ A series of car parking bays could be created lÄ Altering junctions between Drewstead Road/Sternhold Avenue and the on the High Road, to the north of Woodbourne railway bridge, to allow two-way movement; Avenue to be solely available to disabled drivers lÄ 1DPTHQDLDMSÄSNÄÆMCÄ@ÄMDVÄKNB@SHNMÄENQÄ!TRÄÄSNÄRS@MCÄ@MCÄSTQMÄ@QNTMC and members of car clubs. It is recommended that this is the subject of a feasibility study as lÄ The limitation of loading opportunities for commercial units; part of a Car Parking Strategy for Streatham. lÄ The displacement of pedestrian crossings and the creation of severance lÄ Introduction of a right hand turn out of between the residential area to the west and Streatham Hill Station; and Leigham Court Road onto the High Road. lÄ !KNBJHMFÄNEEÄ!K@HQCDQQXÄ1N@CÄSNÄKNB@KÄSQ@EÆB lÄ Pedestrian link to connect Gleneldon Mews to Pendennis Road/Gracefield Gardens Streatham High Road. The proposal would close the junction between Streatham High Road and lÄ Improved links from Streatham Common to DHSGDQÄ/DMCDMMHRÄ1N@CÄNQÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMR ÄÄ3GHRÄBNTKCÄDHSGDQÄBQD@SDÄ@Ä Tooting Common. K@QFDQÄ,@QJDSÄ2PT@QDÄNMÄSGDÄBNQMDQÄVHSGÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMRÄNQÄ@ÄMDVÄRL@KKDQÄ public space in front of Pendennis Road adjacent to the Odeon, adding to
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Pedestrian Movement public space in the town centre. Through the development of the Masterplan, it has become The implications of the Pendennis Road junction closure increasingly evident that unlocking the problems associated with the include: High Road will play a critical role in rejuvenating the town centre and restoring its image and former success. Put simply a more attractive lÄ CCHSHNM@KÄSQ@EÆBÄOQDRRTQDÄNMÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMR and accessible pedestrian environment will ultimately attract new businesses to Streatham and encourage people to spend more time lÄ Local residents on Pendennis Road would experience there rather than going elsewhere to shop and enjoy themselves. It @ÄRHFMHÆB@MSKXÄCHUDQSDCÄINTQMDXÄSGQNTFGÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ will also encourage inward investment. streets; and lÄ Reduced delay for vehicles on the A23 and Becmead A key focus for the Masterplan is to put a framework in place to Avenue through the reallocation of green time at the SQ@MRENQLÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄEQNLÄ@ÄSQ@EÆBÄBNQQHCNQÄSNÄ@ÄQNTSDÄSG@SÄHRÄ signals. characterised by a series of attractive and welcoming spaces. This will be achieved by joining up both sides of the road and improving access 3GDÄHLOKHB@SHNMRÄNMÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMRÄITMBSHNMÄBKNRTQDÄ to local services and facilities. include: Space Syntax have undertaken an analysis of the key proposals for lÄ CCHSHNM@KÄSQ@EÆBÄOQDRRTQDÄNMÄ/DMCDMMHRÄ1N@C the High Road and assessed how they will improve movement and permeability within the town centre. The two plans compare the lÄ +NB@KÄQDRHCDMSRÄNMÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMRÄVNTKCÄ existing pedestrian movement (red being the most popular choice DWODQHDMBDÄ@ÄRHFMHÆB@MSKXÄCHUDQSDCÄINTQMDXÄSGQNTFGÄ residential streets; of route, and green/blue being the least popular choice) with the proposed pedestrian movement following implementation of the lÄ Access to the service area and medical centre need Masterplan proposals. SNÄADÄL@HMS@HMDCÄUH@Ä&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMRÄTMKDRRÄ@ÄA@XÄ can be provided on the High Road; Pedestrian Crossings As shown on Figure 28, the existing crossings along Streatham High lÄ Maintaining this access may have implications on the Road are poor. If they are off-set and staggered, crossings can reduce size of the Market Square. continuity and ease of travel for pedestrians. The existing crossing Mitcham Lane E@BHKHSHDRÄ@QDÄONNQKXÄ@KHFMDCÄVHSGÄODCDRSQH@MÄCDRHQDÄKHMDRÄ@MCÄSQ@EÆBÄ The proposal would close a section of Mitcham Lane orientated landscaping discourages safe and informal crossing. to vehicles between the junction with Mitcham Lane and Tooting Bec Gardens. This would effectively The proposed new crossings along the High Road will increase pedestrianise the area of Mitcham Lane directly north crossing frequency between both sides of the High Road; help of Streatham Green to create a larger public space, but to increase access into and through Streatham Green; improve connections from Streatham Station to Tooting Common; improve @KKNVÄATRÄRDQUHBDRÄ@MCÄKNB@KÄSQ@EÆBÄNMKX ÄÄ3Q@EÆBÄVNTKCÄ need to be diverted to other routes. the ease of pedestrian access on the western side of the High Road; increase the accessibility between the High Road and surrounding The implications of this include: residential streets;. lÄ CCHSHNM@KÄSQ@EÆBÄNMÄ LAKDRHCDÄ UDMTD Ä3NNSHMFÄ!DBÄ Gardens, Gleneagle Road and Streatham High Road RNTSGÄNEÄ,HSBG@LÄ+@MD ÄQDRTKSHMFÄHMÄCDK@XRÄ@MCÄSQ@EÆBÄ BNMÇHBSR lÄ 2HFMHÆB@MSÄHMBQD@RDÄHMÄSGDÄCHRS@MBDÄSQ@UDKKDCÄAXÄSGDÄ vehicles on this route; lÄ Buses routed via this diversion would bypass several stops currently located on Mitcham Lane; and lÄ Potential issues with buses turning from Gleneagle Road onto Ambleside Avenue. It is suggested that it may be more preferable to continue to maintain access for buses along Mitcham +@MDÄVHSGÄSGDÄB@QQH@FDV@XÄBKNRDCÄSNÄFDMDQ@KÄSQ@EÆB ÄÄ However, the closure of Mitcham Lane would greatly ADMDÆSÄODCDRSQH@MÄLNUDLDMSRÄ@MCÄBQD@SDÄ@ÄLTBGÄ Figure 25: Indicative cross section of the High Road propsoals larger public space linked to Streatham Green and Streatham Mosque.
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Figure 26: Space Syntax diagram illustrating exsting pedestrian accessibility
Figure 27: Space Syntax diagram illustrating proposed pedestrian accessibility as a result of the Masterplan
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Green Links A key element of the Masterplan is to reinforce and improve the existing links to Green Spaces. These not only include Streatham and Tooting Bec Commons, but also the local areas of ‘Nature Conservation Importance’ (SINCs). These include St Leonards Church and Unigate Wood (Borough Grade 1 SINC). These new links should encourage people to enjoy and make use of these areas of ecological and biodiversity value and promote their management. The use of information boards should be used to publicise their beauty and importance. These links will help to support local habitats (nesting birds and bats), which are present within Streatham.
Public Spaces As shown on Figure 29, the new public spaces proposed as part of the High quality pedestrian crossing on High Street Kensington Masterplan help to reinforce the green links and Green Spaces referred to above. The public space at Streatham Green will provide a focal point in its own right and also improve the ease by which pedestrians will be able to get to Streatham and Tooting Bec Commons. The Station Square at Streatham Hill Station provides an attractive arrival point in a prominent location within the town centre and is convenient to Tooting Common. The creation of the public spaces as part of the ‘boulevard effect’ on the High Road will furthermore encourage safe and more informal movement within the town centre and create a stronger connection between the retail core and the surrounding Commons via the improved green links. These public spaces must include disabled access and should encourage community cohesion to bring together different groups and ages in a safe environment.
Road Treatments The key road treatments proposed as part of the Masterplan are to remove the central barrier and widen the pavements to improve the pedestrian environment. High quality green link/route in Swindon This will ensure that vehicle speeds are reduced, but existing capacity is maintained. Pedestrian comfort will increase, as a result, to create a better balance between pedestrians and road users. Precedents, such as Walworth Road and Trafalgar Square, demonstrate that increasing the pavement width and removing pedestrian barriers can have a dramatic and positive impact on the character and use of roads and public spaces.
Cycling The key cycling proposals include the proposed use of bus lanes by cyclists; the OQNUHRHNMÄNEÄ@CU@MBDCÄRSNOÄKHMDRÄ 2+RÄENQÄBXBKHRSRÄ@SÄITMBSHNMRÄSNÄADMDÆSÄSGDÄ cyclists on approaches; and the provision of improved cycle parking facilities at Streatham Hill and Streatham Stations and along the length of the High Road.
Trams The Cross River Tram (CRT) is a TfL proposal for a new tram that would run from Brixton and Peckham to Camden and Kings Cross via Euston and Waterloo. There was a suggestion that this could then be extended further from Brixton down to Streatham. These proposals to build the CRT have now been put on hold due to constraints on TfL funding. Future work will concentrate on working with the Boroughs, the London Development Agency (LDA) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to assess a potential alternative to the scheme. High quality public space, with public art, in Liverpool Street, London There have also been discussions to extend the Croydon Tram Link along the A23 to Streatham and possibly onto Brixton, however this is currently not being considered by TfL.
The provision of tram facilities to Streatham is seen as an important step in enhancing the area’s accessibility and sustainability. Future highways proposals in the Masterplan area over the short to medium term will need to have a long term view about accommodating a tram on the high road with minimum disruption.
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Figure 28: Space Syntax diagram showing existing and proposed new crossing points Existing Crossings
Proposed Crossings
Areas of pavement widening and removal of the central reservation
Figure 29: Space Syntax diagram showing new pedestrian links to green spaces within the town centre
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10.0 Guidance on Public The objectives of the public realm guidance The public realm is made up of streets and spaces that can be freely accessed Realm development by the public. It encompasses streets, parks, squares, pedestrian and cycle routes as a network of interconnected spaces. The existing quality of the public realm in 2SQD@SG@LÄCNDRÄMNSÄQDÇDBSÄSGDÄ@ROHQ@SHNMÄENQÄ@Ä The public realm guidance aims to achieve accessibility through the following successful place and an attractive town centre. measures: Consultation during the preparation of the lÄ Improve existing streets and spaces and to provide a new public realm of Masterplan highlighted the public’s concern about the highest quality. the deteriorating quality of the town centre as a result of the impact of the A23. It was felt that lÄ Reinforce the image and identity of the Real Streatham Brand. this poor image had a direct impact on the quality lÄ Enhance and promote Streatham’s existing heritage assets. and variety of retailing and other town centre facilities. However, at the same time, there was a lÄ Support the provision of usable and high quality meeting places. very strong consensus that any future proposals lÄ Build on the principles of sustainable development. must reinforce the distinctiveness and special character of the town centre rather than making it lÄ Improve the pedestrian experience. look like any other town centre in London. lÄ Green the town through a programme of landscaping and environmental enhancement. Developing the strategy for the public realm in chapter 5, this chapter sets out detailed lÄ Ensure the public realm is managed and maintained. guidelines to improve the appearance of the town lÄ Provide a framework for development of key sites to ensure improvements centre. It should be used to guide the treatment to the public realm are delivered as part of comprehensive development of key public spaces along the High Road as schemes. development proposals come forward. The overall objective is to ensure that the public realm lÄ Remove street clutter. is distinctive, attractive, adheres to the highest design standards and enhances the image and identity of Streatham. These guidelines have been informed by the English Heritage ‘Streets for All’ guidance. The guidance is not intended to be over-prescriptive, rather to provide a co- ordinated approach to the design and treatment of the public realm in terms of hard and soft landscaping, lighting, signage and street furniture in order to enhance the appearance of the town.
High quality public realm in High Street Kensington
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Active local street market in Camden High quality public square in Islington Green
Effective use of the central barrier for cycle storage in High Holborn High quality cycle parking in the central reservation in Holborn
Effective creation of a public space off the main road at Battersea Square Mews in Notting Hill
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Public Realm Guidance This section of the report provides public realm guidance that applies across the whole study area to ensure that all public realm proposals coming forward are consistent and appropriate for Streatham’s townscape. Together these strategic elements should ensure that Streatham’s public realm is of the highest quality, and is both inspiring and robust.
Wayfinding 6@XÆMCHMFÄHRÄ@ANTSÄL@JHMFÄBNMMDBSHNMRÄ between places and making places legible and HMUHSHMF ÄÄ&NNCÄV@XÆMCHMFÄRGNTKCÄRSHLTK@SDÄ and communicate the quality of the place and make people feel secure and comfortable as they move around. It will be particularly important on Streatham High Road and on routes off the High Road. Guidance for signage on the High Road is set out below: lÄ Signs should be visible during the day and illuminated at night. lÄ "NMRHCDQ@SHNMÄRGNTKCÄADÄFHUDMÄSNÄRODBHÆBÄ graphics that are branded to include the Streatham brand and Lambeth Council’s logos. lÄ Key spaces and destinations should be highlighted, particularly green spaces. lÄ Pedestrian and cycle routes, including links to Green Spaces, should be highlighted. lÄ The signs must be seen clearly from a distance. lÄ Information boards should be provided informing people of the conservation heritage of Streatham and the SINCs, such as Unigate Wood and St Leonards Church. These could be located at the Station entrances and adjacent to the features themselves. These can be used as an educational tool and must be readable for all user groups. lÄ Materials must be used that are easily maintained. lÄ Use should be made of LED low energy lighting. lÄ The possibility of integrating signage with new technology such a telephone or website information should be explored. lÄ Rationalisation of street signage to reduce street clutter. lÄ Use of tactile signs to ensure accessibility for disabled people. $WW@LOKDRÄNEÄDEEDBSHUDÄRHFM@FDÄ@MCÄV@XÆMCHMF
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Surface Materials 3GDÄRDKDBSHNMÄ@MCÄTRDÄNEÄRTQE@BDÄL@SDQH@KRÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@LÄRGNTKCÄBNMSQHATSDÄSNÄ@ÄGHFGÄPT@KHSX ÄTMHÆDCÄ and coherent streetscape, reinforcing the established distinctiveness of the public realm. A consistent approach to the selection and use of surface materials through Streatham should be adopted, although this does not preclude creative variations from the standard materials in the key projects and sites to highlight the distinctiveness of the different ‘villages’ on the High Road.
Materials should complement the surroundings, particularly in areas where the historic setting is more prevalent, i.e. around the Library and St Leonards Church.
High quality and durable paving material is paramount to ensure the long term quality of the public realm. The following guidelines are proposed: lÄ Materials should be appropriate to the Conservation Area. lÄ Edgings and kerbs should match the surrounding paving to ensure co-ordination. lÄ All material should have a recycled content over 30%. lÄ All materials should be robust and easily replaceable. The new public squares should have a consistent paving. Accented paved roads and shared surfaces should have distinct homogenous paving to provide a recognisable identity. Tactile and raised paving should be used to announce crossing points. This should raise awareness of car drivers and pedestrians SG@SÄSGDRDÄ@QD@RÄRGNTKCÄMNSÄADÄBNMRHCDQDCÄ@RÄSQ@CHSHNM@KÄQN@CÄDMUHQNMLDMSRÄ@MCÄSGDQDENQDÄSQ@EÆBÄRODDCRÄ need to be reduced.
Examples of high quality paving
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Lighting Lighting should not be used as a purely functional element within the public realm. It should also be used to create an element of ‘spectacle’ for Streatham by providing interest whilst emphasising key buildings and spaces within the town centre. Any new lighting must conform to Lambeth’s street lighting Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The lighting of buildings should play a key part in identifying routes, highlighting distinctiveness and the quality of the architecture and Conservation Areas. Strategic lighting should provide an important role in creating an attractive town centre environment at night. Proposed lighting RGNTKCÄHMSQNCTBDÄMDVÄRTRS@HM@AKDÄ@MCÄDEÆBHDMSÄKHFGSHMFÄBNLONMDMSRÄSG@SÄ@QDÄ@MHL@SDCÄ@MCÄHMSDQ@BSHUD Ä thus creating a distinctive sense of place within Streatham, whilst also creating a safe pedestrian environment. Materials used should enhance the accessibility of the built environment for disabled communities.
Bright lighting should be used to illuminate the key spaces along the High Road, for instance the Station Square, the Market Square, Streatham Green and the area around the new Hub Development. Dimmer lighting should be used to illuminate shared surfaces and key primary crossing points to and from the Stations. Those buildings which are particular assets to Streatham in terms of heritage, should be lit using warm lighting techniques, these include the Tate Library, St Leonards Church and the Mosque. Where iconic features are included in the key sites, for instance a Green Wall at the Station Square, the use of lighting to create a twenty four hour spectacle. Lighting should be designed to cater for the needs of disabled people.
Lighting could be used as part of a public realm strategy in Streatham Green, Station Square or the Market Square.
Examples of high quality lighting
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Street Furniture 3GDÄRSQDDSÄETQMHSTQDÄBNLONMDMSRÄRGNTKCÄBNMRHRSÄNEÄ@ÄQ@MFDÄNEÄGHFGÄPT@KHSXÄBNLOKDLDMS@QXÄL@SDQH@KRÄ@MCÄÆMHRGDRÄ creating furniture that should serve the diverse needs of all of Streatham’s local and visitor population. Where possible, street furniture should be built into and integrated with the surrounding landscape. The provision of new street furniture should be introduced in an incremental fashion to replace the existing furniture and complement the high quality urban environment. These proposals have been created in line with English Heritage’s ‘Streets for all’ guidance.
The location of street furniture has the potential to play an important role in reducing the impact of the High Road on pedestrians. This can be achieved by positioning street furniture and trees in a way which creates a natural ATEEDQÄADSVDDMÄSGDÄODCDRSQH@MRÄ@MCÄSGDÄSQ@EÆB ÄÄ3GDÄRSQDDSRB@ODÄRGNTKCÄADÄGHFGÄPT@KHSX ÄBKTSSDQÄEQDD ÄTMHÆDC ÄD@RXÄSNÄ maintain and safe to use.
All materials should be co-ordinated to produce a family palette of materials, to ensure all elements of street furniture (litter bins, seating, bollards, cycle stands, railings, signage) sit comfortably with one another and are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) guidelines. They should also contribute to the heritage and conservation character of Streatham’s Conservation Areas.
Street furniture should have the following characteristics: lÄ Co-ordinated, robust and suitable for ongoing use; lÄ Attractive in design and appearance; lÄ Accessible street furniture for all sectors of the community; lÄ Located at regular intervals; lÄ Litterbins should provide for the separation of non recyclable waste and recyclable materials; lÄ Arrangements of new seating should promote the Masterplan objectives of creating meeting and focal points; lÄ "@QDETKKXÄKNB@SDCÄRHFM@FD ÄVGHBGÄCNDRÄMNSÄNARSQTBSÄODCDRSQH@MÄÇNVRÄNQÄCDRHQDÄKHMDR lÄ Creation of attractive new bus shelters in appropriate locations; lÄ New railings should be simple and have a co-ordinated design throughout the town with the potential for creative bespoke design in key locations; and lÄ Cycle Parking provision at Streatham Hill Station and Streatham Station.
Examples of high quality street furniture
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Shop Frontages Key to enhancing the shopping environment along the High Road should be the improvement of shop frontages, which are currently of poor quality and many mask original Victorian frontages. Any original shop frontages should be retained and modern extensions removed to expose the original brickwork and windows. Where necessary and appropriate, improved fascia signage should be provided.
The character and appearance of the buildings within the Conservation Areas, should be preserved and enhanced. Any changes to shop frontage should be in accordance with the Shop fronts and Signage Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
Examples of high quality shop frontsges
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Planting The planting of trees down the side of the pavements should help to protect Planting that is able to adapt and grow in a highly the public realm from the effects of the road (pollution, noise, safety), by urban environment will be integral to the success providing shelter and creating a buffer. The planting of the following trees of the public realm in Streatham. Characteristics are proposed because of their size (4-8m height) which can be container of plants suitable for Streatham’s environment are grown. They all have a good track record as street trees in other similar as follows: locations and will attract wildlife to encourage and protect native species and biodiversity in Streatham. lÄ Robust and adaptable requiring minimal maintenance; lÄ Prunus cerasifera ‘Atrapurpurea’ – attractive purple foliage lÄ Heavy native species with a mixture of structural lÄ Acer campestre – pale yellow autumn foliage and seasonal planting; and lÄ Acer palmatum ‘Silberlocke’, attractive autumn foliage lÄ 3GDÄ@AHKHSXÄSNÄBNODÄVHSGÄGHFGÄKDUDKRÄNEÄSQ@EÆBÄ@MCÄ lÄ Acer palmatum ‘’Sango-kakii’, attractive autumn foliage some potential damage from buses travelling up and down the High Road. lÄ Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’, deciduous and has steel grey bark It will also be important to choose a range of lÄ Fraxinus excelsior ‘Rancho’, pale yellow autumn foliage OK@MSRÄSG@SÄÇNVDQÄ@MCÄAKNNLÄSGQNTFGNTSÄSGDÄXD@QÄ lÄ Aesculus x carnea ‘Briotii’, red blooms in May to enhance the public realm. Planting in the new squares and spaces should encourage people lÄ Arbutus unedo, the strawberry tree SNÄRSNOÄ@MCÄQDÇDBSÄ@MCÄ@KRNÄSNÄGDKOÄFTHCDÄSGDÄ It is important that the trees, and more importantly their roots, do not pedestrian through the town centre. interfere with utilities routes running down the High Road. Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill are highly serviced areas which include primary There is potential for a horticultural strategy to infrastructure serving other nearby areas of South London. These services provide an opportunity for local residents to run both under the carriageway and the pavements. Containers and get involved in the greening of the town centre planting boxes should be used to ensure that tree roots do not damage the through: TSHKHSXÄBNQQHCNQR ÄÄ2TEÆBHDMSÄRO@BDÄVHKKÄMDDCÄSNÄADÄOQNUHCDCÄENQÄSGDÄQNNSÄA@KKRÄ lÄ Making use of the new spaces and square for for the selected species. Further detailed investigation will be necessary in seasonal displays; certain locations to establish the exact position of underground utilities, and the feasibility and cost of providing the appropriate space for the trees. lÄ /QNUHCHMFÄÇDWHAKDÄRO@BDRÄENQÄBNMS@HMDQHRDCÄ displays; and Trees should be planted sensitively and at wider spacing near the landmark/ listed buildings in Streatham to ensure that their architectural features are lÄ Planting of mature trees of local prominence. celebrated.
Tree planting within containers Field Maple Prunus Cerasifera Atropurpurea
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Public Art Public art is an integral part of a stimulating environment: it awakens all the senses, and can be exciting, thought provoking, moving and fun. Used well it can enhance the quality of life and create a dynamic, sustainable, economically successful and inclusive environment.
Public art should be used to announce the key gateways into the town centre and to help guide people to destinations within it. Additionally art could be located in the new Station Square, the Market Square, Streatham Green and Gleneldon Mews. Some art could change and respond to the seasons and key cultural events, such as the Streatham Festival.
Examples of public art as attractions engaging young people
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During the Stage Three Focus Group with young people, one of the key messages was their desire for some form of public art at either of the Station entrances to welcome people into Streatham. In addition, they voiced a desire for some form of local public art in the new Squares for young people, RTBGÄ@RÄ@ÄFQ@EÆSHÄV@KK ÄÄ3GDÄTRDÄNEÄOTAKHBÄ@QSÄBNTKCÄADÄTRDCÄSNÄOQNLNSDÄSGDÄh1D@KÄ2SQD@SG@LiÄAQ@MCÄ through the promotion of local talent.
There is the potential for a comprehensive Arts Strategy in Streatham to help create this sense of identity and place that is so desired. The intention would be to embed art creatively into the townscape of Streatham: in new developments, through abstract lighting installations, sculptures and a BNMBDOST@KÄFQ@EÆSHÄV@KK ÄÄ QSÄRGNTKCÄ@HCÄSGDÄHMSDQOQDS@SHNMÄNEÄSGDÄHCDMSHSXÄNEÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ@MCÄDMDQFHRDÄSGDÄ cultural life of the town centre.
Effective forms of interactive public art to engage young people
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continuing to rise and house prices continuing to fall. This in 11.0 Delivering the Vision in a Credit turn places pressure on central government to inject more funding into the economy, which will ultimately lead to Crunch increases in the tax burden in later years.
As such, scarcity of available credit and reduced consumer BNMÆCDMBDÄG@RÄHLO@BSDCÄGD@UHKXÄNMÄ@KKÄRDBSNQRÄVHSGÄE@KKHMFÄ 3GDÄÆM@MBH@KÄL@QJDSRÄG@UDÄRDDMÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄSTQATKDMBDÄNUDQÄSGDÄK@RSÄRHWÄ R@KDRÄ@MCÄNTSOTSÄKDUDKRÄ@MCÄG@RÄADDMÄ@ÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄBNMSQHATSNQÄ LNMSGRÄQDRTKSHMFÄHMÄ@ÄRDUDQDÄK@BJÄNEÄKHPTHCHSXÄ@MCÄBNMÆCDMBD Ä+DMCDQRÄG@UDÄ to the recessionary trend within the economy. There have been RNTFGSÄSNÄQDCTBDÄKDUDQ@FDÄTRHMFÄCDASÄÆM@MBD Ä3GDÄBNRSÄNEÄCDASÄG@RÄQHRDMÄ RHFMHÆB@MSÄQDCTMC@MBHDRÄ@BQNRRÄ@KKÄDLOKNXLDMSÄRDBSNQRÄMNSÄ dramatically and the quantum of debt, as a percentage of loan to value, ITRSÄHMÄÆM@MBH@KÄRDQUHBDR ÄATSÄ@KRNÄQDS@HKÄ@RÄLNQDÄNODQ@SNQRÄE@BDÄ has fallen. administration with high street names such as Woolworths and #DASÄÆM@MBDÄENQÄOQNODQSXÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄHRÄMNVÄDWSQDLDKXÄCHEÆBTKSÄSNÄ 9@UUHÄE@KKHMFÄUHBSHLÄSNÄQDCTBDCÄBNMRTLDQÄRODMCHMFÄ@MCÄÆQLRÄ obtain at workable levels, whilst speculative development is virtually such as MFI and Sofa Workshops closing due to a lack of activity non-existent. These changes have slowed or, in some instances, even in the residential markets. Construction, manufacturing and halted the delivery of projects from development pipelines. This is due to the motor industry, have also not escaped with large numbers developers backing out of projects, putting projects on hold, or having to of redundancies announced over recent months. In terms seek pre-lets in an attempt to help secure funding. of consumer spending, sales values for the UK between the reporting periods for December 2007 and December 2008 fell by This will impact upon Streatham Masterplan’s delivery and 0.8 per cent, based on non-seasonally adjusted data. implementation. This chapter considers the global, national and regional HLOKHB@SHNMRÄNEÄSGDÄBTQQDMSÄÆM@MBH@KÄRHST@SHNMÄADENQDÄ@RRDRRHMFÄSGDÄ In the residential market, permanent dwellings construction impact on regeneration. This provides the context for chapter 10 which in Q3 2008 was 27% down on the previous quarter and sets out a strategy for delivering the Masterplan. 45% down on the year before in the South East alone. With Registered Social Landlord (RSL) activity consistent with previous years, the decline is driven mainly by the private Global Economy sector with house builders suffering as home owners struggle The credit crunch began in the United States in mid 2007 when lenders’ SNÄÆMCÄ@EENQC@AKDÄLNQSF@FDRÄ@MCÄ@ÄQDKTBS@MBDÄSNÄRS@QSÄMDVÄ exposure to billions of dollars of bad debt mortgages began to spiral. projects amid falling house prices. The credit crunch has had Worries about the viability of sub-prime mortgage lending spread extremely detrimental effects on house builders due to the @QNTMCÄSGDÄÆM@MBH@KÄRXRSDLÄ@MCÄBNMSHMTDCÄSNÄTMCDQLHMDÄSGDÄ@AHKHSXÄNEÄ RHFMHÆB@MSÄCDBKHMDÄHMÄCDL@MCÄHMÄSGDÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄL@QJDSÄ@MCÄ A@MJRÄ@MCÄATHKCHMFÄRNBHDSHDRÄSNÄANQQNVÄRTEÆBHDMSÄQDRNTQBDRÄNQÄSNÄEDDKÄ SGDÄK@BJÄNEÄ@U@HK@AKDÄCDASÄÆM@MBD Ä3GDÄQDRTKSÄG@RÄADDMÄ@ÄRO@SDÄ BNMÆCDMSÄ@ANTSÄBNMSHMTHMFÄKDMCHMFÄSNÄBTRSNLDQR ÄÄ BQNRRÄSGDÄFKNADÄNUDQÄ of redundancies and equity rising including giants Taylor the past twelve months there has been a chain reaction as it gradually Wimpey, Barratt Developments and Persimmon. The effects ADB@LDÄBKD@QÄSG@SÄHMÄ@ÄFKNA@KHRDCÄÆM@MBH@KÄRXRSDLÄA@CÄQHRJRÄG@CÄROQD@CÄ have rippled out to contractors, with a number of small and into many national and international banks with no clarity about where niche house builders and some mixed use developers going into the risks lay. There appears to have been a loss of trust between and administration. amongst banks. As a consequence banks are reluctant to lend to borrowers and more importantly to themselves. The trend began in House prices across the country are somewhere between the property and construction industry which has dramatically affected 12% and 17% down from the peak. However, the South East regeneration. But the reluctance to lend to borrowers, and lending at has not seen such a drop with prices 7% lower than at the HMBQD@RHMFKXÄGHFGÄHMSDQDRSÄQ@SDRÄHRÄROQD@CHMFÄLNQDÄFDMDQ@KKXÄHMSNÄÆQLRÄ beginning of 2008. and families, creating the threat of recession which has now been It is hard to envisage any improvement in the UK housing BNMÆQLDCÄHMÄSGDÄ4* market until the current mortgage drought starts to ease, and even then it is not thought there will be a situation where National economy lending practices return to the pattern of the mid 2000s. The contraction in the UK economy resulting from the turbulence in the There is no incentive for either potential home owners or ÆM@MBH@KÄL@QJDSRÄ@MCÄSGDÄ@RRNBH@SDCÄBQDCHSÄBQTMBGÄG@RÄG@CÄ@MÄ@CUDQRDÄ investors to enter the housing market until they believe that effect on the British economy as it is more aligned with that of the house prices have reached close to the bottom. Even then 4MHSDCÄ2S@SDRÄ@MCÄSGDÄÆM@MBH@KÄRDBSNQÄSG@MÄ@MXÄNSGDQÄM@SHNMÄHMÄ$TQNOD Ä economic uncertainty will deter all but equity rich existing or The impact of the credit crunch is that as re-pricing of toxic assets by ONSDMSH@KÄNVMDQRÄNQÄHMUDRSNQRÄEQNLÄATXHMF Ä@KNMFÄVHSGÄÆQRSÄSHLDÄ banks and companies takes place, the write downs of these assets will buyers supported by their families. Conditions will deter lenders result in sharp falls in company values, forcing lenders to “de-leverage” from lending on anything other than very well secured terms. (reduce the amount of equity in loans to get to a more sensible loan to The likely effect on Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) value ratio). This will result in further capital reductions in the markets. who do not have the balance sheets of large corporations is a The impact of this in the macro-economy is that the loss of credit will rise in their borrowing costs, assuming they can get access to result in consumer spending continuing to fall sharply, unemployment
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KDMCHMFÄE@BHKHSHDRÄHMÄSGDÄÆQRSÄOK@BD Ä2@KDRÄQ@SDRÄ@QDÄ@KRNÄKHJDKXÄSNÄCDBKHMDÄ@RÄ In terms of performance of the London economy: personal expenditure contracts and consumers save rather than spend. lÄ London’s Gross Value Added (GVA) growth rate should fall to 0.2 The Government’s response to the economic situation has been a per cent in 2009 before rising to 1.9 per cent by 2010. number of radical measures. These have included the nationalisation lÄ London is likely to see contractions in employment in 2009, NEÄ@ÄMTLADQÄNEÄSGDÄKDMCHMFÄA@MJRÄHMBKTCHMFÄ-NQSGDQMÄ1NBJÄmÄSGDÄÆQRSÄ followed by stabilisation in 2010. bank to request an injection of capital from the Bank of England. The FNUDQMLDMSÄ@KRNÄHMSDQUDMDCÄVGDMÄ'!.2ÄEDKKÄHMSNÄCHEÆBTKSXÄVHSGÄSGDÄ lÄ London household spending will probably fall in 2009 before result that Lloyds TSB bought the group. In an effort to encourage growing slowly in 2010. consumer spending and ease the burden on businesses, VAT was cut to Key questions concern the accuracy of such predictions and the 15% from December 2008. The Bank of England base rate was reduced geographical and sectoral pattern of the changes. In terms of to an all time low of 0.5% at the last monetary policy committee potential changes in certain sectors: meeting in March 2009. There is currently little evidence that base rate cuts will unlock liquidity in the lending markets as banks are failing lÄ Financial and Business Services (FBS) – this sector is clearly at to pass the rate cuts on to borrowers. In addition, the Government risk in terms of short and medium term prospects. The direct has made pledges to accelerate public works, infrastructure and impact on Streatham will be low as the town is not home to regeneration projects in order to stimulate the economy and accelerate RTBGÄRDBSNQRÄSNÄ@MXÄCDFQDDÄNEÄRHFMHÆB@MBD Ä'NVDUDQ ÄHMCHQDBSÄ the road to recovery. effects on local catchment spending power as the FBS sector BNMSQ@BSRÄ@BQNRRÄ+NMCNMÄVHKKÄADÄRHFMHÆB@MS RÄHMÇ@SHNMÄADFHMRÄSNÄE@KKÄ@SÄHSRÄE@RSDRSÄQ@SDÄENQÄÄXD@QR ÄK@QFDKXÄCQHUDMÄ by falling oil and energy prices, there is a growing concern that we will lÄ Creative & cultural – this sector is one that remains forecast DMSDQÄ@ÄODQHNCÄNEÄCDÇ@SHNMÄVGDMÄ@ÄODQRHRSDMSÄCDBQD@RDÄHMÄSGDÄFDMDQ@KÄ to grow in London. The Streatham Masterplan highlights price level of goods and services falls below zero percent, resulting in an opportunities to accommodate growth in this sector. HMBQD@RDÄHMÄSGDÄQD@KÄU@KTDÄNEÄLNMDXÄnÄ@ÄMDF@SHUDÄHMÇ@SHNMÄQ@SD However, the recession may adversely affect Streatham’s price competitiveness compared to other locations – creative industries typically seek out low cost locations but if the cost differential between Streatham and more established locations Regional economy for creative industries falls, Streatham will struggle to grow this 6HSGÄ+NMCNMiRÄDBNMNLXÄHMSQHMRHB@KKXÄKHMJDCÄSNÄSGDÄÆM@MBH@KÄ@MCÄATRHMDRRÄ sector. services sector the region has been particularly hit by the reduction in lÄ Construction - orders are currently down due to the housing SGDÄÆM@MBH@KÄL@QJDSRÄ@MCÄJMNBJÄNMÄDBNMNLHBÄDEEDBSR Ä sector and businesses not investing. Over the longer term, the capacity of the development industry has fallen due to 3GDÄE@KKÄNTSÄHMÄ@BSHUHSXÄG@RÄADDMÄK@QFDKXÄEDKSÄHMÄSGDÄL@HMÄÆM@MBH@KÄBDMSQDRÄ redundancies and people leaving the property sector. of The City, Canary Wharf and Central London areas where job cuts have been particularly harsh. This has begun to spiral to outer London and the lÄ Transport and infrastructure investment – creates certainty, Home Counties as the effects take hold. QDCTBDRÄQHRJ ÄQ@HRDRÄOQNÆKDÄ@MCÄDMG@MBDRÄU@KTDR Ä3GDÄOTAKHBÄ sector can play an important role in Streatham (for example in 3GDÄDEEDBSÄNMÄSGDÄOQNODQSXÄL@QJDSÄHRÄSG@SÄNEÆBDÄQDMSRÄG@UDÄRS@QSDCÄSNÄ relation to improvements at the two rail stations). decline and vacancy rates have increased. As such, many speculative NEÆBDÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄRBGDLDRÄHMÄSGDÄ"HSXÄNEÄ+NMCNMÄ@MCÄSGDÄ6DRSÄ$MCÄ lÄ Health and education – the role of the public sector in have either been put on hold or aborted. Only schemes which are already promoting and funding such development will be fundamental some way down the construction phase that it would be more costly to to the future of Streatham town centre. halt are continuing. Activity in the residential and retail markets has also lÄ Logistics – this sector could be at risk as consumer demand VHSMDRRDCÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄQDCTBSHNM Ä,@QFHM@KÄOQNIDBSRÄ@MCÄSGNRDÄHMÄEQHMFDÄ slows. However, this will have relatively little impact on KNB@SHNMRÄ@QDÄMNVÄ@SÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄQHRJÄHEÄSGDXÄG@UDÄMNSÄADDMÄ@KQD@CXÄB@MBDKKDCÄ Streatham’s economy since it is not a major home to this sector CTDÄSNÄ@ÄK@BJÄNEÄÆM@MBD ÄÄ due to its constrained transport infrastructure. Some comfort can be drawn from the fact that the weaker pound is lÄ Manufacturing – the relatively low exchange rate could give making London more affordable to overseas visitors especially those from short term competitive advantage to exporters. This could the Middle East and the Euro Zone which is assisting in preventing retail ADMDÆSÄRNLDÄNEÄSGDÄATRHMDRRDRÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@L activity in the central areas falling as sharply. lÄ 1DS@HKÄmÄSGHRÄRDBSNQÄHRÄRHFMHÆB@MSKXÄTMCDQÄSGQD@S Ä'NVDUDQ Ä While London has been hit the hardest it is expected, like previous supermarkets are proving resilient and this heightens the recessions, that the region will bounce back faster. However forecasters importance of securing a good quality convenience retail are divided about when this is likely to be and certainly nobody believes anchor in Streatham town centre to assist in the regeneration this will be before 2010. London’s major infrastructure projects such of the town as a whole. as Crossrail and public sector projects such as the Olympics and Legacy developments are expected to lead the charge in the road to recovery for the region.
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Local economy The credit crunch and resulting recession are likely to have a negative Impacts on physical regeneration – what could happen? impact in Streatham in line with the rest of London, the South East The past decade has witnessed increasing levels of development and the UK as a whole. The vacancy rate on the High Road is likely to activity in urban areas and cities in the UK. There is considerable BNMSHMTDÄSNÄQHRDÄ@RÄSGDÄCHEÆBTKSÄQDS@HKÄSQ@CHMFÄBNMCHSHNMRÄBNMSHMTDÄ@MCÄ DUHCDMBDÄSG@SÄQDFDMDQ@SHNMÄ@QD@RÄmÄCDÆMDCÄ@RÄSGDÄ@QD@RÄVGHBGÄ QDS@HKDQRÄÆMCÄHSÄHMBQD@RHMFKXÄG@QCÄSNÄLDDSÄSGDHQÄQDMS@KÄO@XLDMSR Ä3GHRÄ receive current government regeneration programmes – shared is not just being felt by small independent retailers but also a number in that improvement. Extensive analysis by the Investment of national multiples who are struggling to balance the demands of Property Databank (IPD) compared the investment performance quarterly rental payments and falling sales. of properties in deprived areas with those in the rest of England As more shop units become available in Streatham, landlords will need to between 1980 and 2001. It showed that property in the 20% review their leasing strategies. They could be more inclined to offer better most deprived wards on the Index of Multiple Deprivation incentives or enter into service charge and business rates only deals in delivered real returns on investment that compared favourably order to cover these outgoings rather than risk having an empty unit. The with non regeneration areas. Their investment performance quality of potential occupiers could also start to decline as currently only over the long run had been close to and, on balance, slightly retailers at the budget and value sectors seem to be performing well. better than the national average. Property total returns in the regeneration areas averaged 10.7% per year between 1980 and 3NTFGÄSQ@CHMFÄBNMCHSHNMRÄ@MCÄCHEÆBTKSHDRÄHMÄ@BBDRRHMFÄBQDCHSÄÆM@MBDÄ 2001, against 10.2% per year in the remaining 80% areas of could also result in an increase in the number of business failures as England. The trend was found in all three of the main property RSQTFFKHMFÄÆQLRÄFNÄTMCDQ Ä3GDÄL@MTE@BSTQHMFÄRDBSNQÄHRÄDWODBSDCÄSNÄADÄ RDBSNQRÄmÄQDS@HK ÄNEÆBDÄ@MCÄHMCTRSQH@K one of those hardest hit, which could adversely affect the Masterplan area in Streatham. The resulting increase in unemployment in the local However, by looking at areas that exhibit many of the area could cause an increase in job seekers allowance claims and intensify characteristics of Streatham it is possible to draw more worrying demand on other council services such as housing, especially as the conclusions in the short term. A more recent analysis by the IPD number of home repossessions could increase. has shown that since 2007, property in regeneration areas has been more vulnerable to the market downturn than other types Council budgets are likely to continue to be put under pressure as income of investment property. For example, in 2007 the total return for through business rates and council tax falls, while expenditure is likely to all property fell by 6.0% in regeneration areas, in comparison increase due to higher demand on services and rising costs. As a result with falls of only 3.4% average across the UK. It was easier A@K@MBHMFÄSGDÄANNJRÄBNTKCÄADÄLNQDÄCHEÆBTKS to get increased capital value in regeneration areas earlier in a property cycle when values were growing from a low base. .MDÄNEÄSGDÄLNRSÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄHLO@BSRÄVHKKÄADÄSGDÄCDK@XÄNEÄOGXRHB@KÄ They coincided with the middle of an economic and investment regeneration schemes from the private sector. Potential development cycle when funds were freely available, infrastructure and other schemes, which have been previously discussed or consented, will public investments had already been made, and development ADÄHMBQD@RHMFKXÄCHEÆBTKSÄSNÄCDKHUDQÄHMÄSGDÄBTQQDMSÄBKHL@SD Ä6HSGÄKHLHSDCÄ and land costs were relatively low. The early stages of a property sources of funding there will be added pressure on the public sector to market downturn may be felt most in regeneration areas where plug viability gaps (through the Homes and Communities Agency or ETMCHMF ÄHMUDRSNQÄBNMÆCDMBDÄ@MCÄNBBTOHDQÄCDL@MCÄVNTKCÄ NSGDQÄCDO@QSLDMSRÄNQÄSNÄRDDJÄ@ÄQDCTBSHNMÄHMÄOQNIDBSÄCDÆBHSRÄSGQNTFGÄ dissipate because the sector was considered more marginal amendments to affordable housing levels and developer contributions. or risky when development costs rise. In the IPD’s judgement The delivery of community infrastructure and affordable housing by the regeneration property will underperform as long as the property private sector is expected to fall sharply this year throughout London market remains depressed. and the South East. Streatham is unlikely to counter this trend.
The former theatre on Streatham High Road Existing shops on Streatham High Road
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However, the IPD’s view is also that in the long-term there is real potential Committed public works and infrastructure projects are also in regeneration areas. Since returns in those areas are more volatile it important in raising aspirations in regeneration areas as well is reasonable to expect regeneration property to start outperforming as softer activities linked to branding and marketing to raise a other property soon after any recovery. For new investors in the sector, it KNB@SHNMiRÄOQNÆKDÄ@MCÄCDUDKNOÄ@ÄRDMRDÄNEÄHCDMSHSX Ä3GDRDÄHRRTDRÄ stressed that the property market slump is an opportunity for acquisition will be particularly pertinent in delivering the Streatham with prospects of renewed future out-performance. In particular Masterplan. residential properties were seen as a largely untapped source of potential investment enhancement; especially where development is changing the Why now is a sensible time to be planning M@STQDÄNEÄ@ÄKNB@SHNMÄ@MCÄQDRTKSHMFÄHMÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄU@KTDÄHMBQD@RD Local authorities have a key role in de-risking projects In summary, the credit crunch is likely to impact on development over the and ensuring that their proposals are more attractive to short term in the following ways. First, development projects associated CDUDKNODQRÄ@MCÄHMUDRSNQRÄ@MC Ä@RÄRTBG ÄSG@SÄSGDXÄ@QDÄÆQRSÄHMÄ with regeneration areas located outside central London are likely to be the queue as the market improves. RHFMHÆB@MSKXÄCDK@XDC ÄQD RB@KDCÄNQÄMNSÄS@JDÄOK@BDÄ@SÄ@KK Ä2DBNMC ÄSGDQDÄVHKKÄ Undertaking essential preparatory works such as planning, be a marked slowdown in the construction of affordable housing units. ÆM@MBH@KÄ@MCÄED@RHAHKHSXÄ@M@KXRHRÄB@MÄNESDMÄADÄSHLDÄBNMRTLHMFÄ 3GHQC ÄMDVÄCDUDKNOLDMSRÄHMÄSGDÄNEÆBD ÄQDS@HKÄ@MCÄBNLLDQBH@KÄL@QJDSRÄVHKKÄ given the complexities of property development. However, continue to contract in number, with construction schedules delayed. the economic downturn provides a good opportunity for Fourth, the development sites most likely to achieve completion and preparation in all of these areas. Well planned projects are retain their value are those close to existing or new transport hubs such as likely to secure funding quicker and be delivered faster once Kings Cross, and those taking place around the London 2012 Olympics. the market returns. The downturn is also an opportunity to Finally, it is likely to place the Government’s target for the construction of take advantage of lower land values and assemble sites in new housing in jeopardy. order to further expedite development. Exploring additional .MÄ@ÄLNQDÄKNB@KÄKDUDK Ä@RÄRL@KKÄ@MCÄK@QFDÄCDUDKNODQRÄ@KHJDÄÆMCÄHSÄLNQDÄ funding sources that can be provided to assist regeneration CHEÆBTKSÄSNÄNAS@HMÄÆM@MBDÄSGDÄKDUDKÄNEÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄNTSOTSÄVHKKÄCDBQD@RDÄ projects is also an important area of work. and with that the delivery of all important social and affordable housing Good preparation also demonstrates to the local community @MCÄBNLLTMHSXÄE@BHKHSHDR Ä RÄCDUDKNODQRiÄLHMHLTLÄOQNÆSÄQDPTHQDLDMSRÄ that the Council is committed to regeneration projects increase in line with increased risk it is likely that they will begin to even if the ideal market conditions are not present; that it negotiate harder for reductions in levels of affordable housing and is committed to encourage private sector development in development contributions as project viability is paramount. This is likely those locations; and that it intends to build on the Masterplan to delay key regeneration projects and only projects which are viable with process and consultations that have taken place. committed funding being delivered. It is also important that planning continues on regeneration It is expected that projects in partnership with the more robust RSLs and projects as failing to keep momentum potentially means those within the more resilient asset classes - currently supermarkets, other centres competing for similar types of investment budget hotels and public sector-backed facilities - are the most likely to could overtake Streatham resulting in even greater levels of be delivered within the short term. Therefore it is important to encourage effort and investment required to compete and readdress the these schemes as they are likely to be the best physical regeneration balance. B@S@KXRSÄVHSGHMÄSGDÄHLLDCH@SDÄGNQHYNMÄ@MCÄSGDXÄVHKKÄFHUDÄBNMÆCDMBDÄSNÄ the rest of the market that activity is still taking place.
Streatham Green Gleneldon Mews
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Rationale 12.0 Implementation and Delivery Whilst the direction for change in Streatham is set by the Masterplan, the physical plan for change needs a strong delivery The Masterplan will provide a tool to promote and facilitate the and implementation focus if the regeneration of the area is to be development and regeneration of Streatham town centre. It a success. A number of key development proposals are already comprises a comprehensive package of projects, which have the coming forward and are expected to be delivered by the private potential to come forward over varying timescales throughout the sector. Given the current economic conditions these catalytic Masterplan timeframe. The challenge of delivering the Masterplan projects need to be further encouraged to ensure they are will require concerted and co-ordinated action and commitment delivered and are exemplar developments for future projects. The from the public, private and voluntary sectors. This chapter sets out implementation and delivery of projects within the Masterplan will guidance on the implementation and delivery of the Masterplan. It depend on: includes the implementation mechanisms that will be required to lÄ The overall strength of the UK, London and local economies and move from concepts to delivery. Recommendations are made to property markets; the Council and its partners regarding the delivery of key projects, including advice on the following areas:- lÄ Improving the inherent attractiveness of Streatham as a place to invest and do business; lÄ Rationale lÄ The ability to provide appropriate physical development lÄ Viability opportunities and secure funding; lÄ Development Appraisal lÄ The timing and delivery of physical regeneration initiatives elsewhere within the borough and other competing locations lÄ Delivery Strategy within South London; and lÄ Delivery risks lÄ Effective partnership working between stakeholders. lÄ Roles and Responsibilities; and In this context it is important to consider both the current situation lÄ Implementation in Streatham and potential opportunities for future improvement. The following table sets out this context, based on our analysis of the baseline situation.
This SWOT analysis sets the context for our analysis. Table 4: Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths Weaknesses
lÄ Local diverse population and cultures lÄ Two sets of retail multiples, reducing rental potential and stopping any one area reaching lÄ &NNCÄHCDMSHSXÄ@MCÄOQNÆKDÄNEÄ@QD@ critical mass lÄ Good housing stock in surrounding area (terraced and older family lÄ Architecture and conservation areas pose housing) constraints on new development lÄ Good transport links lÄ Few large development sites available lÄ Outward shift from Clapham of the right demographic e.g. families lÄ Lack of non-religious community space and buying bigger houses youth facilities lÄ Development coming forward through pipeline lÄ Cultural / social gap between young lÄ Quality architecture, producing a good image professionals and more marginalised groups
lÄ PCT building lÄ Fragmented land ownerships with limited public sector ownership lÄ .EÆBDÄNBBTOHDQR ÄOQNUHCHMFÄ@ÄQD@RNM@AKDÄMTLADQÄNEÄDLOKNXDDRÄKHJDKXÄ to spend money in the area lÄ Lack of open space and a constrained streetscape
lÄ New leisure centre i.e. Fitness First lÄ /NNQÄNEÆBDÄL@QJDSÄVHSGÄ@BBNLLNC@SHNMÄADHMFÄ converted to residential and other uses lÄ Closeness of the High Street to residential accommodation adds vitality to the area lÄ Town centre very linear with the main arterial road causing a considerable barrier to pedestrian lÄ Conservation Areas and architecture make Streatham distinct movement
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Table 5: Opportunities and Threats
Opportunities Threats
lÄ Key opportunity sites: Caesar’s, Ice Rink, Mecca Bingo and other lÄ Leakage of comparison shopping to Clapham medium-large sites Junction, Clapham High Street, Balham, West End and Croydon and centres with major development lÄ 2NLDÄRL@KKÄhHMÆKKiÄRHSDRÄ@KNMFÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄEQNMS@FD proposals, for instance Elephant and Castle and lÄ Opportunity for development of the site and hall next to the Hub Battersea Power Station
lÄ Extension of the tram from Croydon lÄ Leakage of convenience shopping to Sainsbury’s in Streatham Common, and Sainsbury’s and lÄ .OONQSTMHSXÄSNÄTRDÄKHLHSDCÄOTAKHBÄRDBSNQÄ@RRDSRÄD F ÄBNTMBHKÄNEÆBDRÄ Waitrose in Balham opposite Streatham station lÄ Leisure leakage to Croydon, Clapham and Balham lÄ Scope to build on the current High Road’s character areas / quarters / themes lÄ Funding for the cross-river tram
lÄ $WBDRRHUDÄFDMSQHÆB@SHNM
lÄ Recession and market uncertainty / downturn
lÄ Limited public sector funding
lÄ Risk of public sector partners being unable to work effectively together
lÄ Loss of leisure facilities, e.g. Megabowl and Caesars
conditions. In this way the Council will be prepared and well placed to move forward effectively when Viability the economy picks up. Streatham in turn will be well Chapter 9 has described current economic conditions, positioned to capitalise on growth. which are having a severe effect on the property market. The vast majority of indicators are suggesting that property Development Appraisal development is not an attractive proposition at present. #39ÄG@RÄOQNCTBDCÄ@ÄÆM@MBH@KÄ@OOQ@HR@KÄENQÄSGDÄ Analysis and views of an expected recovery are currently Masterplan to provide an indicative assessment of the costs and sales values. It should be noted that LHWDCÄETQSGDQÄBNLONTMCHMFÄOQNAKDLRÄ@MCÄBNMÆCDMBDÄHMÄ the marketplace. Since development is typically a relatively it is indicative only and does not represent a formal highly leveraged exercise, the lack of availability of debt valuation in accordance with Redbook standards. It draws on costs produced by Gardiner & Theobald ÆM@MBDÄLD@MRÄSG@SÄUDQXÄEDVÄRBGDLDRÄ@QDÄBTQQDMSKXÄADHMFÄ built. In addition, construction costs are changing and (cost consultants) and development values based on potential returns from property are decreasing. Furthermore DTZ research into prevailing and potential rental and the lengthy lead-in period is encouraging development sales rates for the various uses that are proposed. The inertia amongst mid to niche market players. As a result outcome of the appraisal provides an indication of the regeneration projects, even in many prime locations, are residual land value of the Masterplan. Where this is currently showing at best marginal and in most cases @ÄMDF@SHUDÄÆFTQD ÄHSÄOQNUHCDRÄSGDÄKDUDKÄNEÄOTAKHBÄRDBSNQÄ negative results. In fringe and suburban locations such as funding that would be required to enable the schemes to be delivered. 2SQD@SG@L ÄSGDXÄVHKKÄG@UDÄ@ÄBQHSHB@KÄHMÇTDMBDÄNMÄSGDÄD@QKXÄ phases of the Masterplan. The appraisal is for illustrative purposes only in order to However, it is important to remember that the Masterplan is support assessments of viability by Lambeth Council proposing a 15 - 20 year regeneration programme. Short term and its partners. Furthermore, it is based on the design market conditions will not hold for the entirety of this period assumptions set out in the Masterplan. The models and and there is expected to be a recovery, as previous cycles have therefore the results are based upon a snapshot in time. shown, albeit not to the same market conditions witnessed in For this reason more detailed viability work will need the preceding two to three years. This is taken into account in to be undertaken for each site as it comes forward to the delivery strategy and proposed phasing set out below. support development decisions.
The economic downturn also provides an opportunity to The differential between the estimated total address planning and land assembly as well as develop development cost and the estimated total development a marketing strategy in expectation of stronger market value provides a Residual Value. The Development
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Appraisal for the Streatham Masterplan shows a combined be required to deliver the masterplan in partnership. negative Residual Value of circa -£19 million. A positive return lÄSG@SÄOTAKHBÄRDBSNQÄQDRNTQBDRÄ@U@HK@AKDÄSNÄCDKHUDQÄSGDÄOQNIDBSÄ VNTKCÄG@UDÄQDÇDBSDCÄSGDÄONSDMSH@KÄB@OHS@KÄQDBDHOSÄSNÄSGDÄ are limited and that a combination of public and private sector K@MCNVMDQ Ä'NVDUDQ ÄSGHRÄMDF@SHUDÄQDSTQMÄHCDMSHÆDRÄSGDÄKHJDKXÄ resources will be required. requirement for subsidy to enable the development to come ENQV@QC Ä+@LADSGÄ"NTMBHKÄB@MÄTRDÄSGHRÄÆFTQDÄSNÄVNQJÄVHSGÄ lÄÄSG@SÄ@MÄDMG@MBDCÄ@MCÄBNNQCHM@SDCÄAQ@MCHMFÄ@MCÄOQNLNSHNM@KÄ partners, landowners and developers to begin the assessment strategy will build upon Streatham’s rich cultural heritage of how to take forward future development across the town highlighting its competitive advantages to improve existing centre. perceptions and build a strong image. The development appraisal costs do not include land values which will require more detailed studies. Moreover, they are based on a number of assumptions. These include assumed Roles and Responsibilities unit sizes, values, affordable housing split, construction costs The key to the successful implementation of the Masterplan lies and take up rate. The costs were estimated at the end of 2008 in a strong and sustained partnership approach between the and the appraisal is intended to provide a starting point for public and private sectors. Lambeth Council has a vital role to any future Masterplan Implementation Team in taking forward play in ensuring the successful regeneration of Streatham. The development. Actual development costs will depend on the Council will need to provide strategic direction and assist in the RBNODÄNEÄCDUDKNOLDMS ÄSGDÄRODBHÆBRÄNEÄSGDÄRHSDÄ@MCÄSGDÄL@QJDSÄ coordination of organisations and potential stakeholders and conditions. As such, robust due diligence, detailed costings partnerships, including service providers, actively seeking to and further appraisals will need to be undertaken to provide an secure the economic and social prosperity of Streatham and the accurate development cost. long term delivery of the Masterplan.
Delivery Strategy The Council will need to mobilise its own resources but also A number of principles underpin the implementation of the encourage others to do the same. By taking the lead and Masterplan proposals, which must be in accordance with the showing its commitment to the future of the town centre and key existing planning policy:- projects, the Council will show its commitment to the future of Streatham. lÄSG@SÄÇDWHAHKHSXÄVHKKÄADÄQDPTHQDCÄCTDÄSNÄSGDÄRB@KDÄ@MCÄQ@MFDÄ of uses proposed. This means that the masterplan will be The following partners will need to be involved in the delivery of delivered as a series of projects on a phased basis as private the Masterplan. sector appetite presents itself, rather than as a single scheme. lÄSG@SÄ@ÄBNLAHM@SHNMÄNEÄOTAKHBÄ@MCÄOQHU@SDÄRDBSNQÄDWODQSHRDÄVHKKÄ
Table 6: Masterplan partners
Public sector Private sector Other
Lambeth Council Local businesses Community groups
Transport for London Landowners Tenants Resident Associations
London Development Agency Developers Voluntary Sector
Homes and Communities Agency South London Business
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Of these organisations, it is Lambeth Council London Development Agency – funding for which has the widest involvement in the town development projects and infrastructure, centre (through its Housing, Planning, Education, business support and skills/training, town centre Libraries, Economic Development and Urban management. Regeneration roles) and the broadest set of powers under the Local Government Act 2000. Homes and Communities Agency – funding to support and accelerate housing delivery. As such, whilst the Council alone cannot deliver the Masterplan (this will depend on the Local businesses – participation in town centre HMUNKUDLDMSÄNEÄ@KKÄSGDÄNSGDQÄANCHDRÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ management, active engagement in the delivery @ANUD ÄHSRÄQNKDÄHRÄSGDÄLNRSÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄNEÄ@KKÄSGDÄ process were appropriate, support and promotion delivery agencies and it has a critical role to play in of the wider Masterplan principles. stimulating developer interest. It is fundamental to the success of the Masterplan that the Council: Landowners – participation in the planning and development process, facilitation of the lÄ Is the champion and lead for the project; engagement process with local businesses and residents were appropriate. lÄ Takes a joined up approach to the delivery of @KKÄHSRÄRDQUHBDRÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@LÄENQÄSGDÄADMDÆSÄNEÄ South London Business – to provide a business delivering the Masterplan; network and voice for business, lobbying, linking lÄ Commits to using all its relevant powers the Masterplan to the City Growth initiative, skills (planning, land assembly, etc.) where necessary initiatives, support and training identifying and to deliver the Masterplan; OQNLNSHMFÄGNVÄATRHMDRRÄB@MÄADMDÆSÄEQNLÄSGDÄ Masterplan proposals. lÄ Ä(MÇTDMBDRÄ@MCÄVNQJRÄVHSGÄNSGDQÄ@FDMBHDRÄ required to be part of the delivery of the Community Groups – participation in planning Masterplan; process, participation in design and potential management of community facilities. lÄ 1DRNTQBDRÄ@ÄCDCHB@SDCÄNEÆBDQÄSD@LÄBNUDQHMFÄ all its relevant functions in the area with clear We set out below what these roles would mean reporting lines through to the Council’s Senior at a detailed level for both the implementation Management Team and Council Members with NEÄRODBHÆBÄDKDLDMSRÄNEÄSGDÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄ@MCÄSGDÄ project sponsors at both SMT and Member regeneration of the town centre as a whole. level; and lÄ Communicates internally and externally about the project and its aspirations through a range Masterplan Implementation of marketing and branding initiatives. The Council will also play an important Enabling Studies role in enabling partnership working with community groups in line with the Government’s As part of Masterplan development process some ‘Communities in Control’ White Paper which key studies and areas of further investigation have signals the key role of community groups in future ADDMÄHCDMSHÆDC ÄÄ3GDRDÄ$M@AKHMFÄ2STCHDRÄVHKKÄADÄ service delivery and management. important to assist masterplan delivery. The table below sets out policy related Enabling Studies. Potential roles for the other partners are as (MÄ@CCHSHNMÄLNQDÄRODBHÆBÄED@RHAHKHSXÄRSTCHDRÄ@MCÄ follows: HMUDRSHF@SHNMRÄG@UDÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄSNÄRTOONQSÄSGDÄ Transport for London – funding for proposed CDKHUDQXÄNEÄRODBHÆBÄOQNIDBSRÄVHSGHMÄSGDÄ.OONQSTMHSXÄ transport improvements as set out in the Areas and these are listed in the sections below. Masterplan.
Local Government Act 2000
The Act states that local authorities have power to do anything which they consider is likely to achieve any one or more of the following objects: (a) the promotion or improvement of the economic well-being of their area, (b) the promotion or improvement of the social well-being of their area, and
(c) the promotion or improvement of the environmental well-being of their area
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Table7: Enabling Studies
Junction and Road Capacity Study Assessment of community infrastructure needs
Green travel plan Waste Study
Valuation of council assets Energy Study
Housing needs survey Water Study
Cinema Redevelopment Feasibility Study Study into potential use of materials for the public realm
Rail Capacity Study Cultural Diversity - study into the implications for the Masterplan
Arts Strategy Broadband Capacity Study
Study into location of trees along the High Road Role of the Third Sector
Study into phasing of shop front replacements Car Parking Strategy ( demand v supply)
Study into suitable locations for street furniture Feasibility study into integrating new technology into signage
Streatham Hill Station redevelopment feasibility study School Places requirement study
Study into loading facilities along the High Road Bus integration study
Lighting Study Public Art Strategy
Masterplan Projects diligence, detailed costings and further appraisals will need The Masterplan projects for each Opportunity Area are to be undertaken to provide an accurate development cost. listed below together with key supporting actions and information required for delivery. This includes project In assessing the indicative phasing for the delivery of the phasing; preliminary work required and associated costs; various Opportunity Sites we have assumed that each area and potential funding and partners. and site has the potential to be developed independently and that one area is not predicated on another The costs for the various studies, strategies or reports set out within the tables are estimates for 2009 based BNLLDMBHMFÄÆQRS Ä(SÄHRÄKHJDKXÄSG@SÄRHSDRÄ@MCÄNOONQSTMHSHDRÄ which have already been subject to extensive studies and on previous experience. Accurate costs will need to BNMRTKS@SHNMÄ@QDÄKHJDKXÄSNÄADÄAQNTFGSÄENQV@QCÄÆQRSÄ@KNMFÄ ADÄ@RRDRRDCÄA@RDCÄNMÄSGDÄÆM@KÄ@FQDDCÄAQHDER Ä3GDXÄ@QDÄ with those that have less complex land assembly issues. included here for illustrative purposes only and to provide a basis to draw down funding to kick start the masterplan. They are not a commitment to funding at this stage.
It is recommended that Lambeth Borough Council provides funds for a Masterplan implementation team. Where a project or action set out in the tables could be delivered by this team, we have noted ‘Masterplan Implementation Team’.
As part of the Masterplan development, development costs were estimated by Gardiner Theobald and fed into a development appraisal run by DTZ. These costs did not include land values, which will require more detailed studies. The development costs and appraisal are intended to provide a starting point for the Masterplan Implementation Team in taking forward development and were estimated at the end of 2008. They have not been included here as actual development costs, which will CDODMCÄNMÄSGDÄOQDBHRDÄRBNODÄNEÄCDUDKNOLDMS ÄSGDÄRODBHÆBRÄ of the site and the market conditions. As such, robust due
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Early “Soft” Interventions Streatham Hub. The scale and impact of the current economic downtown is still lÄ Ensure that lists of vacant properties and shop units are kept unclear. However, its severity and the speed of contraction has up-to-date and circulate data to local commercial property had an adverse effect on many Masterplan and development agents. proposals and it is likely to delay the delivery of proposed and emerging schemes in Streatham. Against this background a lÄ Contact landlords of vacant shop units such as the former MTLADQÄNEÄRNESÄHMSDQUDMSHNMRÄG@UDÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄVGHBGÄBNTKCÄ ONRSÄNEÆBDÄ@MCÄSGDÄQNVÄNEÄTMHSRÄADSVDDMÄ*HMFRBNTQSÄ1N@CÄ be implemented to reduce the impact of the downturn on and Broadlands Avenue to investigate the possibility of people and businesses in Streatham. This would provide them temporary community use or creative industries seeking with skills and resources to cope with the downturn and up-skill space. Central Government has recently announced a £3m or re-skill to take advantage in the upswing. Some of these initiative to make small grants of up to £1,000 available to interventions would also act as catalysts for Masterplan delivery ODNOKDÄVGNÄÆMCÄBQD@SHUDÄQD TRDÄENQÄU@B@MSÄRGNOR ÄÄ/K@MMHMFÄ when the economy recovers. rules will be relaxed to allow changes of use which go against local guidelines. For example, a disused clothes shop could Residents become an art gallery or an empty Woolworths an NHS drop- in centre. Temporary lease agreements will enable owners to lÄ Freezing council tax helping to reduce the tax on family retain the use of a vacant property in the long term to make it budgets. available for community or creative use during the recession. lÄ Ä(LOQNUDÄADMDÆSÄS@JDÄTO ÄFQD@SDQÄOQNLNSHNMÄNEÄDMSHSKDLDMSÄ 3GDRDÄÇDWHAKDÄ@QQ@MFDLDMSRÄVHKKÄMDDCÄSNÄS@JDÄ@BBNTMSÄNEÄ through channels such as the library and other community the loss of business rates income and the need to ensure facilities – perhaps introduce drop in service to discuss what is that shop fronts are well maintained and attractive. Vacant available. units could be used for static space, exhibition space and community space. This could contribute to regeneration by lÄ Promote and support credit unions and co-operatives that provide loans to individuals who can’t access normal banking creating a point of attraction for wider audiences. routes. Promotion through the library and community Skills facilities. lÄ Improve skills through promotion of training, apprenticeships and volunteering. lÄ Subsidise and promote local shopping through a loyalty card or voucher system. lÄ Reduce worklessness – focus on creating opportunities to Property keep residents job ready. lÄ Lobby Central Government by supporting Local Government lÄ Utilise vacant space in town centres or other central locations Association calls for VAT relief on long-term empty homes to to deliver these training needs. bring vacant properties back into use. Cutting VAT on homes lÄ Promote increased take up of central government schemes that have been empty for more than six months to stimulate such as contribution towards IT equipment and training for the building trade and prevent further job losses in the sector. low income families. Organise seminars and presentations on lÄ BBDKDQ@SHMFÄQDSQNÆSSHMFÄSNÄQDCTBDÄETDKÄAHKKRÄ@MCÄBTSÄ".Ä this topic in Streatham Tate library. emissions – greater promotion of government schemes for Business rebates for lagging and pipes and insulating lofts. Promotions lÄ Support for small businesses through greater promotion of can be undertaken in the library and other community the Business Link Service. More promotion of allowances facilities. available to SMEs for training and investment in business lÄ Identify local investment opportunities that can be equipment. This can be undertaken through the South implemented quickly highlighting these to Government, for London Business Network or the local chamber of commerce. example affordable housing schemes. lÄ Review supply chain and more effective use of local SME lÄ Review any relevant planning applications previously refused businesses in procurement of goods and services by the planning permission – work in partnership with applicants Council. to resolve issues particularly those related to the delivery of lÄ Free car parking days to promote shopping in local centres on affordable housing and community facilities. Take a more council owned car parks. proactive stance to engage and get some development activity underway. lÄ Lobby Central Government for business rates relief on small businesses. lÄ Continue to support and promote private sector development within Streatham such as the redevelopment of the former Caesars/Megabowl site and Tesco’s proposals for
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Opportunity Area Projects
Streatham Hill
Delivery of this part of the Masterplan will be complex. As the lead delivery body, the Council has relatively few levers at present with which to deliver change. This situation is the same for any other individual partner. For example, land ownership is likely to be in several hands. In addition initial discussions with Network Rail suggest that there are no planned major improvements for the station in their current development programme
Whilst this element of the Masterplan could be delivered as a single scheme, this would involve considerable time, risk and cost in terms of gaining control of the land – either for the public sector with a development partner or for a developer acting alone or as part of a consortium. There is potential to promote Streatham Hill Station’s role as an important rail link into Central London and CDKHUDQÄ@ÄLHWDCÄTRDÄRBGDLDÄ@QNTMCÄSGDÄRS@SHNMÄ@QD@ÄENBTRRHMFÄNMÄNEÆBD ÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@MCÄQDS@HKÄ@BBNLLNC@SHNM ÄÄ KSGNTFGÄBTQQDMSKXÄ there is a limited critical mass of occupiers or quality retail offer. Land assembly and ownership issues are likely complicate the CDKHUDQXÄNEÄSGHRÄRHSD Ä L@KF@L@SHMFÄ@ÄRTEÆBHDMSÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄOK@SENQLÄ@MCÄRHSDÄ@QD@ÄVHKKÄADÄJDX Ä RÄRTBG ÄVDÄQDBNLLDMCÄSG@SÄSGDÄADRSÄ and most realistic strategy to deal with the delivery of this element of the Masterplan is for the Council to promote the opportunities to a range of appropriate residential and mixed use developers on the back of the Masterplan launch. The production of appropriate development briefs should be considered to complement the Masterplan and give a clearer direction to potential developers thus ensuring that the likely piecemeal nature of development is as coordinated as possible. Section 106 contributions should be considered as a tool to fund environmental improvements in the area.
In this area, junction and road improvements are proposed. These will be subject to feasibility studies as part of delivering the Masterplan proposals.
Table 8: Streatham Hill Programme
Yr
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15+
Engage with Network Rail regarding future mixed use development.
Research into land ownerships and land assembly strategy
Feasibility study into potential development of a mixed use scheme encompassing whole area
Develop Planning Brief for Streatham Hill proposals
Marketing wider development opportunity / developer selection
Phase 1 of development (Block SH2 - Caesars/Megabowl)
Phase 2 - Planning Application and development (Block SH1 and SH3)
Phase 3 - Planning Application and development (Block SH4)
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Table 9: Streatham Hill Action Plan
Preliminary Work and Potential Funding Potential Partners Possible Timescale Links to Other Requirements Estimated Costs Projects / Programmes
Streatham Hill 1 lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium Term lÄ Potential to link lÄ Scheme development developer developer in with Station lÄ Planning brief lÄ More detailed development and lÄ Registered Social lÄ Lambeth Borough Feasibility study into adjacent sites. lÄ Consider land assembly Landlord Council potential development strategy of a mixed use scheme encompassing whole lÄ Negotiations with area (£40k including landowners land assembly strategy). Streatham Hill 2 lÄ Private sector lÄ Lambeth Council Short term lÄ Potential to link lÄ Review planning application Engage with Network lÄ developer in with Station Rail regarding lÄ Adjoining lÄ Complete public development and refurbishment landowners consultation adjacent sites. of station and lÄ Finalisation of s.106 future mixed use lÄ Planned highways agreement development as improvements. part of a Planning Streatham Hill 3 lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium termlÄ Links to adjoining lÄ Dialogue with Network to Brief (Masterplan developer developer development sites, gauge aspirations Implementation Team) particularly Caesars lÄ Network Rail lÄ Network Rail lÄ Scheme development lÄ Research land redevelopment. ownerships and lÄ Landowners lÄ Transport for lÄ Planning brief lÄ Planned highways lengths of leases London improvements (£10k). lÄ Market testing of vision lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Develop Planning Brief lÄ Consider land assembly for Streatham Hill lÄ Adjoining strategy landowners proposals (£30-35k). lÄ Negotiations with lÄ Market the area landowners to land owners lÄ Consideration of and developers development contribution (initially Masterplan strategy (tariff) Implementation Team)
lÄ Marketing wider Streatham Hill 4 development lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium / Long term lÄ Potential to link lÄ Scheme development opportunity / developer developer in with Station lÄ Planning brief developer selection development and lÄ Registered Social lÄ Lambeth Borough £75 - £100k Planning adjacent sites. lÄ Consider land assembly Landlord Council Application (successful strategy developer will bear lÄ Negotiations with cost). lÄ landowners
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Streatham Central
This location has a number of community facilities which will need to be funded from development surplus elsewhere. Acquisition NEÄDWHRSHMFÄQDS@HKÄTMHSRÄB@QQXÄ@ÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄQHRJÄ@MCÄBNRSÄHLOKHB@SHNMÄ@RÄBNLODMR@SHNMÄBK@HLRÄL@XÄQDMCDQÄQDCDUDKNOLDMSÄTMUH@AKD Ä Consideration will need to be given to phasing with potential redevelopment only coming forward once units become vacant to minimise site acquisition and compensation costs.
3GDÄBG@KKDMFDÄVHKKÄADÄHMÄDMRTQHMFÄSG@SÄMDVÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄBQD@SDRÄ@ÄRTEÆBHDMSÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄENNSOQHMSÄVGHBGÄCDKHUDQRÄADSSDQÄ BNMÆFTQDCÄTMHSRÄSG@SÄG@UDÄSGDÄONSDMSH@KÄSNÄ@BGHDUDÄGHFGDQÄQDMS@KÄU@KTDRÄSNÄL@JDÄQDCDUDKNOLDMSÄUH@AKD Ä(MBQD@RHMFÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ density and developing residential on top of the retail units will assist with viability but may challenge existing development densities.
Table 10: Streatham Central Programme
Yr
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15+
Research land ownerships and lengths of leases together with Land Assembly Strategy
Instigate brand development strategy
Scheme feasibility and Land Assembly Strategy
Prepare Planning & Development Briefs
Soft market testing to land owners and developers
Community Consultation
Market the opportunity to developers and potential delivery partner selection
Submission of planning applications by selected developers
Phase 1 of development (Blocks SC2)
Phase 2 of development (Blocks SC1 and SC3a)
Phase 3 of development (Block SC3b)
Phase 4 of development (Block SC4)
76 Page 77 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Table 11: Streatham Central Action Plan
Preliminary Work and Potential Funding Potential Partners Possible Timescale Links to Other Requirements Estimated Costs Projects / Programmes
Streatham lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium to Long lÄ Improvements to lÄ Scheme development Central 1 developer developer Term public realm and lÄ Planning brief highways projects lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Transport for lÄ Consider land assembly London lÄ Development strategy proposals for lÄ Lambeth Council other Streatham lÄ Negotiations with lÄ London Central projects. landowners Development Agency
lÄ Adjoining landowners lÄ Scheme Feasibility Streatham (£40K) lÄ Occupiers lÄ Occupiers Medium TermlÄ Improvements to lÄ Development of branding Central 2 public realm and strategy lÄ Landlords & lÄ Transport for lÄ Research land highways projects ownerships and landowners London lÄ Scheme development lÄ Development lengths of leases (£5k) lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Planning brief proposals for lÄ Instigate brand lÄ Adjoining other Streatham lÄ Negotiations with development landowners Central projects. landowners strategy Masterplan implementation Team)
Streatham lÄ Undertake land lÄ Occupiers lÄ Occupiers Medium - Long termlÄ Improvements to lÄ Development of branding Central 3a assembly strategy public realm and strategy lÄ Landlords & lÄ Transport for (£5k). highways projects landowners London lÄ Scheme development lÄ Prepare planning briefs lÄ Development lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Planning brief (MIP) (£30k). proposals for lÄ Adjoining other Streatham lÄ Negotiations with lÄ Community landowners Central projects. landowners consultation (MIP)
lÄ Soft market testing Streatham to land owners lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Long TermlÄ Links to adjoining lÄ Scheme development Central 3b and developers developer developer development sites. (initially Masterplan lÄ Planning brief lÄ Landowners lÄ Transport for lÄ Planned highways Implementation Team) lÄ Market testing of vision London improvements. lÄ Market development lÄ Consider land assembly lÄ Lambeth Council opportunity / strategy developer selection lÄ Adjoining lÄ Negotiations with £75 - £100k landowners landowners lÄ Planning Application (successful developer lÄ Consideration of will bear cost). development contribution strategy (tariff)
Streatham lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Lambeth Council Medium TermlÄ Links to adjoining lÄ Completion of a feasibility Central 4 development sites. study lÄ Development lÄ Public sector contributions from stakeholders lÄ Planned highways lÄ Consultation with other projects. improvements. community groups
lÄ Town centre lÄ Development of planning branding strategy brief
lÄ Complete funding plan
77 Page 78 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Streatham Village
The most realistic delivery mechanism for Block SV1 is for the opportunity to be promoted to a range of appropriate residential and mixed use developers on the back of the Masterplan launch. The production of appropriate development briefs should be considered to complement the Masterplan and give a clearer direction to potential developers and thus ensuring that a high quality scheme is produced. Land assembly issues may propose a potential obstacle, however with public sector support these could be overcome through the appropriate mechanisms. Section 106 contributions should be considered as a tool to fund environmental improvements in the area.
Table 12: Streatham Village Programme
Yr
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15+
Discussions with land owners & Occupiers
Implementing branding strategy
Scheme development and Feasibility incorporating land assembly strategy
Planning & Development Brief Preparation
Public Consultation
Site marketing and developer selection
Phase 1 - planning consent and development (Blocks SV2 and SV3)
Planning applications for physical development of phase 2 (Block SV1)
Phase 2 of development (Block SV1)
78 Page 79 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Table 13: Streatham Village Action Plan
Preliminary Work and Potential Funding Potential Partners Possible Timescale Links to Other Requirements Estimated Costs Projects / Programmes
Streatham Village 1lÄ Discussions with lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium TermlÄ Links to adjoining lÄ Scheme development land owners and developer developer development sites. lÄ Planning brief occupiers (Masterplan lÄ Landowners lÄ Transport for lÄ Planned highways implementation team) lÄ Market testing of vision London improvements. lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Implementing lÄ Consider land assembly lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Town centre branding strategy lÄ Development strategy branding strategy (Masterplan contributions from lÄ Negotiations with implementation team) other projects landowners lÄ Scheme development and feasibility incorporating land Streatham Village 2lÄ Occupiers lÄ Occupiers Short - Medium TermlÄ Links to adjoining lÄ Development of branding assembly strategy development sites. strategy (£20 -£30k) lÄ Landlords & lÄ Lambeth Council landowners lÄ Town centre lÄ Planning brief Planning and lÄ Adjoining lÄ branding strategy development brief landowners preparation (£15 - Streatham Village 3lÄ Occupiers lÄ Occupiers Short - Medium TermlÄ Links to adjoining lÄ Development of branding £20k) development sites. strategy lÄ Landlords & lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Public consultation landowners lÄ Town centre lÄ Planning brief (Masterplan lÄ Adjoining branding strategy implementation team) landowners
lÄ Marketing of the site / developer opportunity (£75-100k)
lÄ Planning applications for physical development (successful developer to bear cost)
79 Page 80 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Streatham Hub
Streatham Hub 1
3GDÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄHRÄKHJDKXÄSNÄADÄOQHU@SDÄRDBSNQÄKDCÄ@MCÄÆM@MBDCÄATSÄVHKKÄQDPTHQDÄOTAKHBÄRDBSNQÄRTOONQSÄSNÄTMCDQVQHSDÄONSDMSH@KÄ land assembly. Elements of the development are not currently likely to be viable and may require public sector assistance and/or Network Rail to fund the station improvements.
.UDQ@KKÄSGDÄRHSDÄG@RÄSGDÄONSDMSH@KÄSNÄOQNUHCDÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄ@CCHSHNM@KÄBNLLDQBH@KÄÇNNQRO@BDÄ@MCÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ@BBNLLNC@SHNMÄSNFDSGDQÄ VHSGÄRTOONQSHMFÄTRDRÄVHSGHMÄ@ÄGHFGÄOQNÆKDÄKNB@SHNMÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@L Ä3GDÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄSNFDSGDQÄVHSGÄ@ÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄAQHDEÄ@MCÄETQSGDQÄ UH@AHKHSXÄSDRSHMFÄVHKKÄ@RRHRSÄ@MCÄ@ÄOQNÆBHDMSÄL@QJDSHMFÄRSQ@SDFXÄVHKKÄAQHMFÄSGHRÄNOONQSTMHSXÄSNÄSGDÄ@SSDMSHNMÄNEÄ@ÄQ@MFDÄNEÄCDUDKNODQRÄ who have experience in delivering this type of scheme.
Development in this location could come forward independently, however for a comprehensive development to be undertaken it would be best undertaken as a single project with a number of phases. Any development would need to improve the linkages and DMBNTQ@FDÄLNUDLDMSÄSNÄSGDÄQDRSÄNEÄSGDÄSNVMÄBDMSQDÄ@MCÄLTRSÄADÄNEÄ@ÄGHFGÄPT@KHSXÄHMÄSDQLRÄNEÄCDRHFMÄSNÄQDÇDBSÄSGDÄHLONQS@MBDÄNEÄ this gateway site and to create a landmark development.
Streatham Hub 2
3GDÄOQNONR@KRÄENQÄSGHRÄRHSDÄ@KQD@CXÄG@UDÄ@ÄBKD@QKXÄCDÆMDCÄCDKHUDQXÄ@MCÄHLOKDLDMS@SHNMÄRSQ@SDFXÄKDCÄAXÄSGDÄOQHU@SDÄRDBSNQ Ä
Streatham Hub 3
Delivery for this site is likely to be linked with SHU1 (Streatham Hub 1) and will be driven by Network Rail and delivery partner and therefore faces the same issues as Block SH1.
Streatham Hub 4
In the present climate it is unlikely that redevelopment of this block will be viable and as such the timing of delivery is likely to be delayed until conditions improve. We consider that the implementation of this element of the project could take place incrementally over the next 10 years.
Further proposals include the public realm improvements along Gleneagle Road. These will be captured under the site wide public realm action plan (as set out on page 82).
Table 14: Streatham Hub Programme
Yr
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15+
Engage with Network Rail regarding refurbishment of station and future mixed use development
Research land ownerships and lengths of leases
More detailed feasibility study into potential development of a mixed use scheme encompassing the whole area
Planning and development brief
Soft Market testing to land owners and developers
Marketing wider development opportunity / developer selection
Planning application for remaining phases
Phase 1 of planning consent and development (Block 2'4
/G@RDÄÄNEÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ!KNBJÄ2'4Ä@MCÄ2'4
/G@RDÄÄNEÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ!KNBJÄ2'4
80 Page 81 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Table 15: Streatham Hub Action Plan
Potential Funding Potential Partners Possible Timescale Links to Other Requirements Projects / Programmes
Streatham Hub 1 lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium - Long TermlÄ Improvements to lÄ Dialogue with Network to developer developer public realm and gauge aspirations highways projects. lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Network Rail lÄ Scheme development lÄ Development lÄ Network Rail lÄ Transport for lÄ Planning brief proposals for London lÄ London Development Streatham Hub, lÄ Market testing of the vision Agency lÄ Lambeth Council particularly Tesco proposals. lÄ Consider land assembly lÄ London strategy Development lÄ Negotiations with Agency landowners lÄ Adjoining lÄ More detailed lÄ Consideration of landowners Feasibility study into development contribution potential development strategy (tariff) of a mixed use scheme encompassing whole area (£40k). Streatham Hub 2 lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Short - Medium TermlÄ Improvements to lÄ Planning granted in lÄ Engage with Network developer developer public realm and November 2008 Rail regarding highways projects lÄ Transport for lÄ Complete evaluation of refurbishment London lÄ Development proposals of station and proposals for the future mixed use lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Finalisation of s.106 Streatham Hub development as agreement area. part of a Planning lÄ Development of branding Brief (Masterplan strategy Implementation Team)
lÄ Research land Streatham Hub 3 ownerships and lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium TermlÄ Improvements to lÄ Dialogue with Network to lengths of leases developer developer public realm and gauge aspirations (£10k). highways projects. lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Network Rail lÄ Scheme development lÄ Develop Planning Brief lÄ Linked in with lÄ Network Rail lÄ Transport for lÄ Consider land assembly (£30-35k). Streatham Hub site London strategy 1 development. lÄ Market the area lÄ London Development to land owners Agency lÄ Lambeth Council lÄ Negotiations with landowners and developers lÄ London (initially Masterplan Development lÄ Consideration of Implementation Team) Agency development contribution strategy (tariff) lÄ Marketing wider lÄ Adjoining development landowners opportunity / developer selection £75 - £100k. Streatham Hub 4 lÄ Private sector lÄ Private sector Medium TermlÄ Potential to link lÄ Scheme development lÄ Planning Applications developer developer in with other lÄ Planning brief (successful developers developments in lÄ Registered Social lÄ Lambeth Borough to bear cost). the Stratham Hub lÄ Market testing Landlord Council area. lÄ Consider land assembly strategy
lÄ Negotiations with landowners
81 Page 82 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Town Centre Management The above analysis has concentrated on the delivery of the separate physical elements of the Masterplan. In order to ensure the town centre’s success, however, the ongoing management and promotion of the area will be critical. This links to the Council’s Economic Development Strategy which states that:
“A new approach to being responsive to the business community and implementing locally appropriate models of town centre management across the borough’s town centres to help improve the local trading environment will help to develop local businesses. The sustainable regeneration of the borough will provide the environment that businesses need to thrive.”
%TQSGDQLNQD ÄSGDÄCNBTLDMSÄBNMÆQLRÄSG@SÄSGDÄ"NTMBHKÄVHKK
“Alongside the promotion of inward investment in the town centres we will introduce best practice in commercial town centre management. We will work with local businesses to:
s Create an environment which is safe, clean and attractive; s Improve transport, parking signage and accessibility; s Provide a coordinated and professional marketing and events programme; s Promote visitor attractions and tourism; and s Integrate the daytime and evening economies.” Each of these strands of action is relevant to the future success of the Masterplan area.
Whilst it is for the Council to instigate such work and support it until the local economy grows stronger, we consider that it is for local businesses to ultimately lead and manage such town centre management. This would follow the path of many town centre management partnerships as they have evolved in the UK over the past 15 years. Ultimately, a Business Improvement District (BID) structure may be plausible, but we would recommend that a town centre management scheme of critical mass is achieved before SGHRÄHRÄBNMRHCDQDC Ä(MÄSDQLRÄNEÄÆQRSÄRSDOR ÄSGDÄ"NTMBHKÄRGNTKCÄOQN@BSHUDKXÄDMF@FDÄVHSGÄKNB@KÄATRHMDRRDRÄ@MCÄK@MCNVMDQRÄSNÄHCDMSHEXÄ what their priorities would be for a town centre management scheme and what potential management structures would work best. Other early issues to consider should include identifying the actions needed to encourage inward investment and to market Streatham as a place to visit and do business. Involving the Association of Town Centre management in such a discussion would @KRNÄADÄADMDÆBH@K
Section 106 funding could potentially be used as a source of establishing a fund with which to take forward town centre management initiatives in Streatham.
&NNCÄOQ@BSHBDÄDW@LOKDRÄNEÄVG@SÄSNVMÄBDMSQDÄL@M@FDLDMSÄB@MÄ@BGHDUDÄ@QDÄMNSÄG@QCÄSNÄÆMCÄHMÄSGDÄKNB@KÄ@QD@ Ä%NQÄDW@LOKD Ä Battersea’s town centre management partnership worked with a local bookshop to organise a SW11 Literary Festival to promote Battersea town centre. Also, Shepherds Bush town centre management worked with the Council and Transport for London to improve the local transport interchange and pedestrian links.
In terms of phasing, work on town centre management needs to take place immediately and would need to run continuously throughout the Masterplan implementation period. The actions needed to establish and develop a town centre management framework in Streatham are set out in the table below.
Site Wide Transport and Public Realm 3NÄHMENQLÄRHSDÄRODBHÆBÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄOQNONR@KRÄ@RÄSGDXÄBNLDÄENQV@QCÄ@MCÄSNÄDMRTQDÄSGDÄOTAKHBÄQD@KLÄ@MCÄSQ@MRONQSÄRSQ@SDFXÄ is holistic, it is important that detailed design and modelling work is undertaken of the highway and public realm proposals. /QDKHLHM@QXÄVNQJÄMDBDRR@QXÄHRÄHCDMSHÆDCÄHMÄSGDÄS@AKDÄADKNV
Table 16: Transport and Public Realm Action Plan
Preliminary work and Potential Funding Potential Possible Links to Other Requirements estimated costs Partners Timescale Projects / Programmes
Site wide lÄ Commission detailed lÄ Private sector lÄ Transport for Short - Long TermlÄ All lÄ Scheme development transport design and modelling developers London development lÄ Feasibility study infrastructure of masterplan highway proposals lÄ Transport for and public realm and public realm lÄ Planning brief London proposals (including electronic information boards and parking strategy) 82 Page 83 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Utilities Capacity
3GDÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄG@RÄHCDMSHÆDCÄONSDMSH@KÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄHRRTDRÄHMÄQDK@SHNMÄSNÄRTQE@BDÄV@SDQÄCQ@HM@FDÄ@MCÄDKDBSQHBHSXÄB@O@BHSXÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@L Ä More detailed work is required to assess how energy and water can be better utilised and managed across the potential development proposed in the masterplan. This would then inform development decisions and possible planning briefs moving forward.
RÄHCDMSHÆDCÄHMÄSGDÄ#DUDKNOLDMSÄ"@O@BHSXÄBG@OSDQ ÄDKDBSQHBHSXÄB@O@BHSXÄHMÄ2SQD@SG@LÄHRÄTMKHJDKXÄSNÄADÄ@AKDÄSNÄ@BBNLLNC@SDÄSGHRÄKDUDKÄ of development. Lambeth Borough Council will need to work with EDF to ascertain the cost of increasing electricity capacity for Streatham and then develop a funding schedule across the potential development sites to share the costs of increasing electricity capacity across the Masterplan proposals. This could be part of a potential development contribution strategy.
Table 17: Utilities Capacity Action Plan
Preliminary work and Potential Funding Potential Possible Links to Other Requirements estimated costs Partners Timescale Projects / Programmes
4SHKHSHDRÄ lÄ Commission energy lÄ Private sector lÄ EDF Short - Long TermlÄ All lÄ Consideration Capacity and water strategy developers development of development (30k-40K) proposals contribution strategy (tariff) lÄ Liaise with EDF Energy regarding costs of increasing electricity capacity and establish mechanism for sharing costs across development (Masterplan Implementation Team)
Masterplan funding In terms of funding, we consider that the following sources could assist in delivering the Masterplan:
Table 18: Masterplan funding sources
Type of funding Sources
Grant lÄ Lambeth Borough Council
lÄ London Development Agency
lÄ Homes and Communities Agency
Other public sector funding lÄ Transport for London
lÄ Network Rail
lÄ Primary Care Trust
lÄ Department for Communities and Local Government
Business rates lÄ Business Improvement District
lÄ Local Authority Business Growth Incentive
lÄ Business Rate Supplement
Borrowing lÄ Prudential borrowing
lÄ Public Works Loan Board
lÄ Bonds
Planning gain lÄ Section 106
lÄ Community Infrastructure Levy
Asset values lÄ Land in public sector ownership
Private sector investment
83 Page 84 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
To maximise the potential from the above sources we recommend that:
lÄ !TRHMDRRÄB@RDRÄENQÄETMCHMFÄ@QDÄCQ@VMÄTOÄENQÄRODBHÆBÄOQNIDBSRÄVHSGHMÄSGDÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄSNÄ@KKNVÄ@OOKHB@SHNMRÄSNÄADÄL@CDÄENQÄFQ@MS lÄ A lobbying strategy is put in place to tap other sources of public sector funding lÄ The potential for business rate-related funding and borrowing is tested by the Council lÄ Section 106 policy is implemented and a view is taken from within the Council regarding whether to implement a CIL lÄ The value of public sector land that could be added into regeneration schemes is assessed and decisions taken by landowners to proactively use their landholdings to assist the delivery of the Masterplan lÄ A marketing and awareness raising process is undertaken, led by the Council, to raise private sector interest in investing in the area
Section 106 Contributions Lambeth Borough Council has an adopted S106 Planning Obligations SPD. Based on this document an estimate of S106 contributions for development within the Masterplan can be calculated by applying £5,000 per dwelling and £155 per sq m of commercial or retail space. A breakdown of these costs on a site by site basis is provided below. Please note that this is indicative.
Table 19: S106 funding sources
Type of funding Sources
Streatham Hill sites 1,2,3,4 £607,760
Streatham Central sites 1,2,3a,3b,4 £1,063,688
Streatham Village sites 1,2,3 £25,100
Streatham Hub sites 1,2,3,4 £1,517,263
Total £3,213,811
S106 contributes will be negotiated on a case by case basis. How these funds are distributed depends on the applications and negotiations with other public and private partners. The Masterplan provides an indicative framework to allow for consideration NEÄ@ÄQ@MFDÄNEÄOQNIDBSRÄNUDQÄSGDÄRGNQSÄSNÄKNMFÄSDQLÄSG@SÄBNTKCÄADMDÆSÄEQNLÄRTARHCX Ä*DXÄ@QD@RÄENQÄBNMRHCDQ@SHNMÄ@QDÄHLOQNUDLDMSRÄ to the public realm, public services, town centre management and social inclusion.
Streatham Festival
84 Page 85 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
85 Page 86 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Community Strategy A strategy prepared by a local authority to improve local quality of life and aspirations, under the Local Building Research Establishment Government Act 2000 Environmental Assessment Method (BREEM). A tool for measuring the environmental Comparison Goods performance of new and existing buildings. An RÄCDÆMDCÄHMÄ,@O(MENiRÄ&NNCRÄ!@RDCÄ1DS@HKÄ ‘Excellent’ is the highest rating, signifying a score of Expenditure Estimates & Price Indices – over 70 Information Brief 07/02):
lÄ Books Code for Sustainable Homes A national standard for sustainable design lÄ Clothing & footwear and construction of new homes launched lÄ Ä%TQMHSTQD ÄÇNNQÄBNUDQHMFRÄ@MCÄGNTRDGNKCÄ in December 2006. The Code measures the textiles sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the ‘whole home’ lÄ Audio-visual equipment and other durable as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 goods star rating system to communicate the overall lÄ Hardware and DIY supplies sustainability performance of a new home. The lÄ Chemists’ goods Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level and, within England, lÄ Jewellery, watches and clocks replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the lÄ Bicycles Building Research Establishment (BRE). In February ÄSGDÄ&NUDQMLDMSÄBNMÆQLDCÄ@ÄL@MC@SNQXÄ lÄ Recreational and other miscellaneous goods rating against the Code will be implemented for new homes from 1 May 2008. Conservation Area Areas of special architectural or historic interest, Combined Cooling Heat and Power the character or appearance of which it is (CCHP) desirable to preserve or enhance. A power plant (producing electricity) that simultaneously generates both heat and cooling Core Strategy for use in buildings (space-heating or air- A Development Plan Document setting out the conditioning). Also known as ‘tri-generation’. spatial vision and strategic objectives of the planning framework for an area, having regard to Combined Heat and Power (CHP) the Community Strategy. A power plant (producing electricity) that will A document produced by the Council that makes also produce heat, usually in the form of steam, up part of the LDF and thus the Development which can be used for heating space or water. Plan. Also known as ‘co-generation’. Both CHP and ""'/Ä@QDÄLNQDÄDEÆBHDMSÄSG@MÄBNMUDMSHNM@KÄOK@MSRÄ because they harness heat that would otherwise Development Plan Document (DPD) be lost as a waste product. A document produced by the Council that makes up part of the Local Development Framework and thus the Development Plan. Community Infrastructure Levy A new charge which local authorities are able, Sets out the Council’s policies and proposals for but not required, to charge on most types of new development. The Council must make decisions development in their area. CIL charges will relate on planning applications in accordance with the to the size and character of the development DPDs (together with the London Plan), unless paying it. The proceeds of the levy will be spent on other material considerations indicate they should local and sub-regional infrastructure to support do otherwise. the development of the area. The Development Plan Document requires the
86 Page 87 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Council to prepare the Core Strategy. Further deprivation, barriers to housing and services, documents prepared can include: crime and the living environment. lÄ 2HSD 2ODBHÆBÄ KKNB@SHNMRÄCNBTLDMS Ä@MC Each SOA is assigned a national rank, so that the most deprived SOA for each index is given a rank lÄ the Proposals Map. of 1 and the least deprived SOA is given a rank of In addition the Council can prepare optional Local 32,482. The same is done for Districts (ranking Development Documents: them from 1 to 354). This enables a comparison of SOAs (and Districts) across the country. lÄ Area Action Plans (see AAP) lÄ Supplementary Planning Documents. These Lifetime Homes are thematic documents, concerned for Ordinary homes designed to provide accessible example with housing, employment, shopping and convenient homes for a large segment of development, and generic the population from young children to frail older lÄ Development Control Policies. people and those with temporary or permanent physical or sensory impairments. Lifetime Homes Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) have 16 design features that ensure that the A method for assessing the likely impacts of a GNLDÄVHKKÄADÄÇDWHAKDÄDMNTFGÄSNÄLDDSÄSGDÄDWHRSHMFÄ policy, strategy or project on certain groups of and changing needs of most households, as set out in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report ODNOKDÄJMNVMÄ@RÄDPT@KHSXÄS@QFDSÄFQNTOR ÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ by the London Borough of Lambeth as covering ‘Meeting Part M and Designing Lifetime Homes’. race, disability, faith, sexual orientation and age. The Physical Regeneration Team also looks Local Development Framework (LDF) at issues of social inclusion - health, wellbeing, Term used to describe a folder of documents, worklessness and general quality of life. An EqIA which includes all the local planning authority’s is designed to anticipate these consequences and local development documents. The Planning identify steps to ensure that, as far as possible, and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires the any negative impacts are eliminated or minimised eventual replacement of UDPs with a new LDF. An and opportunities for promoting equality are LDF is comprised of: maximised. lÄ Development Plan Documents (which form part of the statutory development plan) Flood Risk Assessment MÄ@RRDRRLDMSÄNEÄSGDÄKHJDKHGNNCÄNEÄÇNNCHMFÄHMÄ@Ä lÄ Supplementary Planning Documents particular area so that development needs and lÄ The local development framework will also mitigation measures can be carefully considered. comprise of: lÄ the Statement of Community Involvement Inclusive Design Aims to remove barriers that create undue effort, lÄ the Local Development Scheme separation or special treatment, and enables lÄ the Annual Monitoring Report everyone to participate equally in mainstream activities independently, with choice and dignity. lÄ @MXÄ+NB@KÄ#DUDKNOLDMSÄ.QCDQRÄNQÄ2HLOKHÆDCÄ Inclusive design creates an environment where Planning Zones that may have been added DUDQXNMDÄB@MÄ@BBDRRÄ@MCÄADMDÆSÄEQNLÄSGDÄETKKÄ range of opportunities available to members of Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) society. Cross-sectoral, cross-agency umbrella partnerships focused and committed to improving the quality of life and governance in a particular Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) locality. They seek to enable services to be aligned Based on a series of statistics revealing in a way that effectively meets the needs and information on aspects of deprivation for Districts aspirations of those who use them. and for Super Output Areas (SOAs).
The information covers 10 aspects of deprivation, London Plan making up the IMD–income deprivation, A Spatial Development Strategy for the capital employment deprivation, health deprivation produced by the Mayor. It is London’s Regional and disability, education, skills and training Spatial Strategies are made outside of London.
87 Page 88 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
This replaces the previous strategic planning centres, NHS Direct, pharmacies) and works with guidance for London (known as RPG3), issued local authorities and other agencies that provide by the Secretary of State. The London Plan is the health & social care locally, to make sure that the strategic plan setting out an integrated social, local community’s needs are being met. economic and environmental framework for the future development of London looking forward Regional Economic Strategy 15–20 years These statutory strategies take an integrated and sustainable approach to economic development and London Plan Density Matrix regeneration by tackling business competitiveness, Sets out a strategic framework for sustainable productivity and the underlying problems of residential densities at different locations. It aims unemployment, skills shortages, social exclusion and SNÄQDÇDBSÄ@MCÄDMG@MBDÄDWHRSHMFÄKNB@KÄBG@Q@BSDQÄAXÄ physical decay. They provide: relating the accessibility of an area to appropriate development lÄ a regional framework for economic development, skills and regeneration to ensure better strategic focus for, and co-ordination of, activity in the Metropolitan Town Centre region whether by the agency or by other regional, ÄSXODÄNEÄBDMSQDÄHCDMSHÆDCÄHMÄSGDÄ+NMCNMÄ/K@MÄ@RÄ sub-regional or local organisations; making up the London Town Centre Network. Mainly in the suburbs, Metropolitan Town lÄ a framework for the delivery of national and Centres serve wide catchment areas covering $TQNOD@MÄOQNFQ@LLDRÄ@MCÄHMÇTDMBDÄSGDÄ several boroughs and offer a high level and range development of government policy; and of comparison shopping. They typically have lÄ the basis for the RDAs’ detailed action plans. NUDQÄ ÄRPT@QDÄLDSQDRÄNEÄQDS@HKÄÇNNQRO@BD Ä including multiple retailers and department Sequential Test RSNQDR Ä3GDXÄ@KRNÄG@UDÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄDLOKNXLDMS Ä A planning principle that seeks to identify, allocate service and leisure functions or develop certain types or locations of land before NSGDQR Ä%NQÄDW@LOKD ÄAQNVMÆDKCÄGNTRHMFÄRHSDRÄADENQDÄ Major Development Opportunities (MDO) FQDDMÆDKCÄRHSDR ÄNQÄSNVMÄBDMSQDÄQDS@HKÄRHSDRÄADENQDÄNTS 2HSDRÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ@RÄRTHS@AKDÄENQÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ of-centre sites. by Lambeth Council in the adopted Local Plan (2007). Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) One Planet Living Designation used in many parts of the UK to protect A global initiative based on ten principles of areas of importance for wildlife at a county scale. sustainability developed by BioRegional and These sites are protected by local authorities from WWF. most development through planning policies in their development plans. Opportunity Site ÄRHSDÄVHSGHMÄSGHRÄ /ÄVGHBGÄG@RÄADDMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄ South London Sub-Regional Development as suitable for redevelopment, but is not currently Framework (SRDF) designated in adopted policy Policy directions and focus for implementation ENQÄSGDÄ2NTSGÄ+NMCNMÄRTA QDFHNMÄHCDMSHÆDCÄHMÄSGDÄ London Plan, produced by the Mayor in 2006 in Preferred Options partnership with boroughs and other stakeholders. A stage in the preparation of a Development Plan The sub-regional frameworks provide guidance on Document (following on from the Issues and .OONQSTMHSX Ä(MSDMRHÆB@SHNMÄ@MCÄ1DFDMDQ@SHNMÄ QD@R Ä Options Stage and before the Submission Stage), town centres, suburbs and Strategic Employment at which the Council is trying to identify the main Locations. The frameworks were consistent with, choices they have. At this stage the public will be and provided further guidance on, the policies in the asked for their views – the Council will prepare a London Plan. report for them to comment on.
Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) Primary Care Trust (PCT) Adopted by the government as part of the UK An organisation that manages health services national methodology for calculation of the energy (e.g. hospitals, dentists, opticians, NHS walk-in
88 Page 89 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
performance of buildings. It is used to demonstrate lÄ Cycle and bus lanes compliance with building regulations for dwellings - Part lÄ high-occupancy vehicle lanes L (England and Wales), Section 6 (Scotland) and Part F (Northern Ireland) - and to provide energy ratings for Needed to restrict certain actions on the highway to dwellings ensure safety, accessibility, and minimum disruption to local life. Strategic Flood Risk Assessment MÄ@RRDRRLDMSÄNEÄSGDÄKNB@SHNMÄ@MCÄM@STQDÄNEÄÇNNCÄQHRJ Ä Unitary Development Plan (UDP) carried out by a Council for its area in consultation with A development plan prepared by Local Planning the Environment Agency. The assessment is used to Authorities, which contains policies equivalent to those inform Local Development Documents in both a structure plan and local plan. These plans will continue to operate for a time after the commencement of the new development plan system, by virtue of Sustainability Appraisal RODBHÆBÄSQ@MRHSHNM@KÄOQNUHRHNMR ÄATSÄVHKKÄADÄRTODQRDCDCÄAXÄ An appraisal of the economic, environmental and social the Local development Framework. effects of a plan from the outset of the preparation process to allow decisions to be made that accord with sustainable development.
Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) ÄCNBTLDMSÄSG@SÄÆKKRÄNTSÄONKHBHDRÄ@MCÄOQNONR@KRÄHMÄ@Ä Development Plan Document. There are several possible types of Supplementary Planning Document, e.g.: lÄ design guides lÄ development briefs, master plans lÄ village design statements lÄ that part of a parish plan that deals with development. They are part of the Local Development Framework and, if relevant, can be a material consideration in decisions on OK@MMHMFÄ@OOKHB@SHNMR Ä'NVDUDQ ÄSGDXÄ@QDÄMNSÄ@MÄNEÆBH@KÄ part of the Development Plan and not subject to Independent
Examination; and so have less formal weight than the
Development Plan Document to which they refer. The Council have to involve the community in their preparation.
3Q@EÆBÄ1DFTK@SHNMÄ.QCDQRÄ31.Ä Ä3Q@EÆBÄ1DFTK@SHNMÄ Order (TRO) is the statutory legal document necessary to RTOONQSÄ@MXÄDMENQBD@AKDÄSQ@EÆBÄNQÄGHFGV@XÄLD@RTQD
TROs are required for a range of restrictions, including: lÄ waiting and loading lÄ one-way streets lÄ speed limits lÄ weight and width restrictions lÄ access and turning restrictions lÄ road and footway closures
89 Page 90 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Appendix B: Development Schedules
Dwelling Number and Size - Market
Sq m #VDKKHMFÄ2HYDÄ2OKHSÄAXÄÇNNQRO@BDÄRPÄL -NÄNEÄCVDKKHMFRÄA@RDCÄNMÄÇNNQRO@BDÄRS@MC@QCR
Opportunity Resi- Resi- Private 1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds 1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds total Area dential dential Floor- number ÇNNQ- ÇNNQ- space of space space homes gross net
Variable 0.825 0.500 0.38 0.47 0.12 0.03 51 77 93 106
SH1 5070 4183 2091 795 983 251 63 16 13 3 1 32
SH2 25888 21358 10679 4058 5019 1281 320 80 65 14 3 162
SH3 8580 7079 3539 1345 1663 425 106 26 22 5 1 54
SH4 3675 3032 1516 576 712 182 45 11 9 2 0 23
SC1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SC2 1200 990 495 188 233 59 15 4 3 1 0 7
SC3 4100 3383 1691 643 795 203 51 13 10 2 0 26
SC4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SV1 2000 1650 825 314 388 99 25 6 5 1 0 12
SV2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SV3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHU1 6000 4950 2475 941 1163 297 74 18 15 3 1 37
SHU2 16300 13448 6724 2555 3160 807 202 50 41 9 2 102
SHU3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHU4 2040 1683 842 320 396 101 25 6 5 1 0 13
90 Page 91 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Dwelling Number and Size - Affordable
#VDKKHMFÄ2HYDÄ2OKHSÄAXÄÇNNQRO@BDÄRPÄL -NÄNEÄCVDKKHMFRÄA@RDCÄNMÄÇNNQRO@BDÄRS@MC@QCRÄ
Opportunity Area Afford- 1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds 1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds total Total able number Private Floor- of and Af- space homes fordable Dwell- ings
Variable 0.500 0.10 0.40 0.25 0.25 51 77 93 106
SH1 2091 209 837 523 523 4 11 6 5 26 57
SH2 10679 1068 4272 2670 2670 21 55 29 25 130 292
SH3 3539 354 1416 885 885 7 18 10 8 43 97
SH4 1516 152 606 379 379 3 8 4 4 18 41
SC1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SC2 495 50 198 124 124 1 3 1 1 6 14
SC3 1691 169 677 423 423 3 9 5 4 21 46
SC4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SV1 825 83 330 206 206 2 4 2 2 10 23
SV2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SV3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHU1 2475 248 990 619 619 5 13 7 6 30 68
SHU2 6724 672 2690 1681 1681 13 35 18 16 82 250
SHU3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHU4 842 84 337 210 210 2 4 2 2 10 23
910
Open Space Residential Planning Requirements !@RDCÄNMÄÇ@SRÄMNSÄGNTRDR
Opportunity Area Open Space Requirement based Add number of blocks here Open space based on blocks - 5o Total open space required on dwellings 10sq m per dwelling sq m per dwelling
SH1 572 1 50 622
SH2 2919 1 50 2969
SH3 967 2 100 1067
SH4 414 1 50 464
SC1 0 0 0
SC2 135 1 50 185
SC3 462 1 50 512
SC4 0 1 50 50
SV1 225 1 50 275
SV2 0 0 0
SV3 0 0 0
SHU1 676 2 100 776
SHU2 2500 1 50 2550
SHU3 0 0 0
SHU4 230 1 50 280
91 Page 92 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Planning Requirement Car Parking - Residential
Affordable car parking Market Total
Opportunity Area 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed Total parking
0.25 0.40 0.50 0.50 0.19 0.30 0.38 0.38
SH1 1 4 3 2 3 4 1 0 19
SH2 5 22 14 13 15 20 5 1 95
SH3 2 7 5 4 5 6 2 0 32
SH4 1 3 2 2 2 3 1 0 14
SC1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SC2 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 4
SC3 1 4 2 2 2 3 1 0 15
SC4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SV1 0 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 7
SV2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SV3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHU1 1 5 3 3 4 5 1 0 22
SHU2 3 14 9 8 10 12 3 1 130
SHU3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHU4 0 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 8
Total 338
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Other floorspace and car parking requirements
Floorspace Sq M Car parking
Use Class A1 A2 B1 Flo- D1/D2 C Hotel A1, A2, B1 Flo- D1/D2 C Hotel Total A3 Flo- orspace A3, Flo- orspace orspace Sqm orspace Sqm Sqm Sqm
100 1500 40
SH1 990 0 0 0 10 0 0 10
SH2 2970 1030 0 30 0 26 55
SH3 880 0 0 0 9 0 0 9
SH4 2075 0 0 0 21 0 0 21
SC1 750 7500 0 0 8 5 0 13
SC2 1065 0 0 0 11 0 0 11
SC3 11000 1000 360 0 110 1 9 120
SC4 0 0 1000 0 0 0 25 25
SV1 720 0 700 0 7 0 18 25
SV2 280 600 0 0 3 0 0 3
SV3 180 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
SHU1 350 4500 0 4500 4 3 0 7
SHU2 8009 10532 0 80 0 263 430
SHU3 200 3610 0 0 2 2 0 4
SHU4 680 0 0 0 7 0 0 7
Other floorspace and car parking requirements
Car Parking Total Residential Other Total
SH1 19 10 29
SH2 95 55 151
SH3 32 9 40
SH4 14 21 34
SC1 0 13 13
SC2 4 11 15
SC3 15 120 135
SC4 0 25 25
SV1 7 25 32
SV2 0 3 3
SV3 0 2 2
SHU1 22 7 29
SHU2 130 430 560
SHU3 0 4 4
SHU4 8 7 14
1067
93 Page 94 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
Appendix C: Sustainability Assessment options. Please note that although this document uses indicators and standards from One Planet Living to assist This assessment provides an appraisal of the with the Sustainability Assessment, it is not a One Planet Masterplan in relation to the nine sustainability Living Document. criteria listed in the table below. These criteria are derived from the BRE Environmental Assessment Sustainability targets will be reviewed on an on-going basis Method (BREEAM), One Planet Living and the through revisions of strategies and standards such as the EDAW Stage 3 sustainability assessment of the Lambeth Sustainability Charter.
No. Sustainability Criteria Source and associated objective
1 Living within environmental limits BRE Environmental Assessment Method Climate Change One Planet Living Zero Carbon
2 Energy, Water, Waste and Materials BRE Environmental Assessment Method Resources One Planet Living Sustainable Water Zero waste Local and sustainable materials
3 Transport and Movement BRE Environmental Assessment Method Transport One Planet Living Sustainable Transport Stage 2 Interim Report Encourage sustainable transport and living through pedestrianisation and public transport Create a more pleasant pedestrian environment
4 Ecology and Biodiversity BRE Environmental Assessment Method Ecology One Planet Living Natural habitats and wildlife Stage 2 Interim Report Encourage native tree planting Create a green link between Streatham Common and Tooting Common through landscaping
5 Economy and Employment BRE Environmental Assessment Method Business Stage 2 Interim Report Create the opportunity for local people to work locally within Streatham. Retain the economically active residents with young families in Streatham
6 Public Realm and Identity BRE Environmental Assessment Method Placemaking One Planet Living Culture and Heritage Stage 2 Interim Report Improve the quality of the pedestrian environment through public realm improvements Creation of a safe pedestrian environment, which reduces east/west severance and encourages people to actively engage with the uses located along the High Road.
7 Community and Equity BRE Environmental Assessment Method Community One Planet Living Local and sustainable food Equity and fair trade Stage 2 Interim Report Create a central area where the community can come together
8 Health and Happiness BRE Environmental Assessment Method Health and Happiness
9 Building Design and Sustainability BRE Environmental Assessment Method Buildings
94 Page 95 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
The Masterplan options are marked ++ Likely to have a very positive effect against the sustainability objectives using the following scoring system: + Likely to have a positive effect 0, Likely to have a neutral effect or positive effects would balance out negative effects +/-
- Likely to have a negative effect
- - Likely to have a very negative effect
? Unknown or could have a positive or a negative effect depending on how it is implemented
Sustainability Objective Impact Explanation
1. Living within environmental limits ++ The Masterplan encourages people to travel into and through Streatham by sustainable means, such as public transport, walking and cycling. New pedestrian links are proposed between the High Road and Tooting Bec and Streatham Commons. New pedestrian crossings are proposed at key sites down the High Road to make it easier for pedestrians to cross the Road. New cycling stands are proposed as part of the public realm improvements to make is easier for people to travel by bicycle.
A concentration of development around the Streatham Hill and Streatham Stations with new residential units proposed, will reduce residents need to travel and commute by car. The additional residential units are proposed between Becmead Avenue and Prentis road.
It is proposed that new commercial and other buildings will need to meet BREEAM Very Good and be zero carbon by 2019 to minimise the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is in line with current London Plan policy and sustainability objectives for the Masterplan. These guidelines will need to be enforced as part of the development briefs and by future developers.
2. Energy, Water, Waste and Materials + The Masterplan meets Code for Sustainable Homes level 4 for all quick win projects, rising to level 6 by 2016.
Green Walls are proposed at each of the new Squares/Spaces along the High Road (Station Square and Market Square). In addition, it is proposed that green and brown roofs should be incorporated into detailed development briefs, wherever possible.
3. Transport and Movement ++ The Masterplan improves the ease with which people move around and through Streatham. It includes the QDLNU@KÄNEÄSGDÄBDMSQ@KÄA@QQHDQÄ@MCÄSGDÄBNMRNKHC@SHNMÄNEÄSQ@EÆBÄK@MDRÄSNÄSVNÄHMÄDHSGDQÄCHQDBSHNM ÄÄ3GHRÄVHKKÄDMRTQDÄ @ÄBNMRS@MSÄRSQD@LÄNEÄSQ@EÆBÄCNVMÄSGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@CÄ@SÄ@ÄBNMRHRSDMSÄRODDC
The widening of the pavements will encourage pedestrians to walk up and down the High Road and the new crossings will make it easier for pedestrians to cross the High Road. In addition, the creation of new walkways off the High Road, for instance through the Lidl site and Gleneldon Mews, will create a more attractive and interesting environment for pedestrians.
Additional housing around Streatham Hill Station will increase density and reduce the need to travel by car. The creation of the new pedestrianised Station Square will reduce the reliance on car use in this location and encourage people to travel by train and walk through the Square.
Finally, the improvements to the public realm and pedestrian environment up and down the High Road through tree planting, new shared surfaces and cycle stands will make the Town Centre more inviting to those on foot or bike.
4. Ecology and Biodiversity + The Masterplan improves the ecological value of Streatham through tree planting down the widened pavements of native tree species. The new Station Square and Market Square will include new planting and landscaping of appropriate species to green the new space. New green walls are also proposed at the two Squares to create an iconic feature(s) in Streatham but also to provide new habitats and improve the KNB@KÄTMCDQRS@MCHMFÄNEÄAHNCHUDQRHSXÄHRRTDR ÄÄ3GDÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄHLOQNUDLDMSRÄSNÄSGDRDÄ@QD@RÄNEÄ2SQD@SG@LÄVHKKÄ RHFMHÆB@MSKXÄHLOQNUDÄSGDHQÄ@LDMHSXÄU@KTDÄ@MCÄVHKKÄL@JDÄSGDLÄLNQDÄ@SSQ@BSHUDÄSNÄKNB@KRÄSNÄRODMCÄSHLDÄHMÄSGDL
Landscaping improvements and the opening up of Streatham Green (through improved pedestrian crossings) with new planting and landscaping will create a more inviting space for people to move through.
The peaceful environment around St Leonards Church will be retained by the natural environment, despite improved access to it.
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5. Economy and Employment ++ 3GDÄ,@RSDQOK@MÄOQNONRDRÄSGDÄOQNUHRHNMÄNEÄ RPLÄNEÄQDS@HKÄRO@BD Ä RPLÄNEÄNEÆBDÄRO@BD ÄRPLÄ community space and 4,500sqm of hotel space. All of which will provide employment opportunities across a range of sectors in Streatham, which will help boost the local economy.
The extension and refurbishment of the Library with more modern facilities included will positively contribute to the educational offer within Streatham for local people.
3GDÄBQD@SHNMÄNEÄMDVÄNEÆBDÄRO@BDÄ@QNTMCÄSGDÄ2S@SHNMRÄVHKKÄQDOQDRDMSÄ@ÄADSSDQÄTRDÄNEÄRO@BDÄ@MCÄVHKKÄDMBNTQ@FDÄ more B1 uses through better space and improved amenity in the area, through the new Station Square and QDS@HKÄTMHSR ÄÄ3GHRÄVHKKÄOQNUHCDÄTOKHESÄHMÄINARÄNUDQÄSGDÄÄXD@QÄKHEDRO@MÄNEÄSGDÄ,@RSDQOK@M ÄÄ3GDÄMDVÄ!ÄNEÆBDÄ space will also encourage and promote smaller local businesses and medium sized enterprises. The opening up and refurbishment of Gleneldon Mews will also encourage and support local businesses and creative industries.
In addition, the proposed provision of retail and employment at Streatham Hub (MDO71) and Caesars Megabowl (MDO73) will greatly enhance the employment opportunities in the area.
6. Public Realm and Identity ++ The Masterplan includes a Public Realm Strategy with a number of improvements to the existing character of Streatham. Proposals include removal of the central barrier and widening of the pavements, tree planting down the pavements to create a boulevard, improved pedestrian crossings in key locations and new pedestrian and cycle routes that cross the High Road and link to Tooting Bec Common and Streatham Common. Public art features are also proposed at the gateways into the Town Centre to create a sense of arrival and to engage local people in the improvements to Streatham.
The opening up of Streatham Green through active frontages, new pedestrian links and more planting will create a more attractive and approachable environment. This will also promote natural surveillance and will be enhanced further through distinct lighting.
These proposals should contribute to a greater sense of pride in Streatham and will encourage local residents to spend more time in the Town Centre, instead of going elsewhere to shop and relax.
7. Community and Equity ++ The Masterplan proposes a total of 3,090sqm of community space within Streatham Town Centre in the following locations: First Floor of the Island Site facing onto Streatham Green, extension to the Tate Library, /QDMSHRÄ1N@CÄ@MCÄNMÄ&Q@BDÆDKCÄ&@QCDMR ÄÄ(SÄHRÄHMSDMCDCÄSG@SÄD@BGÄNEÄSGDRDÄRHSDRÄVHKKÄOQNUHCDÄ@ÄCHEEDQDMSÄNEEDQÄ ENQÄSGDÄBNLLTMHSX ÄVGDSGDQÄHSÄADÄDCTB@SHNM@KSQ@HMHMFÄRO@BD ÄÆSMDRRÄBK@RRDRÄNQÄ@ÄKNB@SHNMÄNEÄKNB@KÄLDDSHMFR
The creation of new public Squares will also create outdoor community space, which can be used for weekly L@QJDSR ÄSGDÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ%DRSHU@K Ä&TXÄ%@VJDRÄ-HFGSÄ@MCÄÆQDVNQJRÄDSB ÄÄ3GDRDÄRO@BDRÄRGNTKCÄDMBNTQ@FDÄ community cohesion to bring different groups together in one place.
In addition, the MDO sites coming forward both include community facilities.
All new developments proposed will be required to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) guidelines.
The removal of the central barrier, lowering of the crossing points and the creation of straight across pedestrian crossings will make vehicles more aware of the pedestrians around them and help to foster connectivity between the various community facilities within Streatham.
The extension and refurbishment of the Tate Library with more modern and a wider range of facilities will help provide essential educational services to the local community.
8. Health and Happiness ++ One of the main aims of the Masterplan is to create more community spaces within the town centre for local residents to come together. The Masterplan provides 4 new community spaces (with a total of 3,090sqm) spread out along the High Road, all of which are locally accessible.
2 new outdoor spaces are proposed at the Station Square and Market Square, which will improve the quality and quantum of existing open space and will help to encourage a more healthy and active lifestyle within the community.
The Masterplan encourages local people to move around and in/out of Streatham by using public transport and via pedestrian/cycle links that are being created.
The increase in well-designed residential units will help promote healthier residents.
96 Page 97 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009 Stage 4 Report Streatham Masterplan February 2009
9. Building Design and Sustainability ++ Buildings should be built to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 for residential and BREEAM Very Good for all other.
Additional housing from residential proposals, and the MDO development coming forward at either end of SGDÄ'HFGÄ1N@C ÄVHKKÄOQNUHCDÄRHFMHÆB@MSÄMDVÄGNTRHMFÄHMÄSGDÄ@QD@ ÄVGHBGÄRGNTKCÄGDKOÄLDDSÄGNTRHMFÄMDDCÄ@MCÄ reduce the lack of housing affordability.
The Masterplan promotes high quality design and architecture, which is in-keeping with the existing urban fabric of Streatham. This should reduce the opportunities for crime and have a positive effect on perceptions of crime.
#DMRHÆB@SHNMÄNEÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄ@QNTMCÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ'HKKÄ@MCÄ2SQD@SG@LÄ2S@SHNMRÄ@RÄHMSDQBG@MFDRÄVHSGÄQDRHCDMSH@KÄ @MCÄNEÆBDBNLLDQBH@KÄCDUDKNOLDMSÄRGNTKCÄGDKOÄENRSDQÄ@ÄFQD@SDQÄRDMRDÄNEÄBNLLTMHSXÄR@EDSX
The opening up of Streatham Green with new active frontages will create natural surveillance and a greater feeling of community safety after daylight hours. This should help encourage more people to make use of the Green.
The widening of the pavements and the creation of the Station Square, Market Square, access into Gleneldon Mews and the pedestrian link through the Lidl site should create more lively public spaces that are better design, have good visibility and lighting and generally a more attractive public realm.
97 Page 98 FINAL
Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 1.01 Develop a communication strategy with older people and their advocates Within current 2014 NHS Lambeth Communication Communication Older People can expect to resources Adult Social be treated with dignity and Services respect throughout their lives 1.02 Work with Age Concern to update the Directory for Older People on an annual basis and to explore different formats to £4,000 Annual Age Concern Communication Communication Older People are aware of ensure that people with sensory impairments or language problems are able to access the information. Adult Social Care and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 1.03 Work with specific communities to address language barriers and to ensure that information is provided in appropriate £20,000 2011 Adults Social Care, Communication Communication Older People are aware of formats for people with sensory impairments Equalities (PEP) and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 1.04 Raise the profile of Older People through regular articles in Lambeth Life No additional cost Ongoing Communications Communication Communication Older People are aware of and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people
and enable older people to Page 99 continue to develop. 1.05 Target advertising of services for older people at advocates for older people, as well as older people themselves. No additional Cost 2009 Adult Social Care Communication Communication Older People are active and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
1.06 Ensure that front line staff from all partner agencies (particularly health, social care and housing) are aware of all No additional Cost Ongoing Adult Social Care Communication Communication Older People are aware of services available for older people and are able to “join up” those services to provide seamless care for older people Housing Strategy and can access a wide and Partnerships range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop.
1.07 Implement a one stop call centre linked to direct access to the Handyperson scheme, reliable building trades people £40,000 customer 2009 Adults social Care Communication Communication Older People are active Agenda Item 8 and Lambeth Living housing repairs to enable a prompt response to minor and major repairs. service centre costs Trading Standards and important members of HIAs their community, who do Lambeth Living not fear crime or isolation Age Concern
1.08 Develop a “free” advocacy service to be commissioned by the Council/PCT from the independent sector in order to £100,000 2010 Adults Social Care Communication Communication Older People are active support older people in interactions with public services. PCT and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
2.1 To develop a better understanding of the level of alcohol abuse amongst older people Funded through 2010 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Staying healthy Older people are able to current provision Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
Annex 1 OP Strategy Delivery Plan PDF conversion FINAL
Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 2.2 To increase access to dentists for older people, raising awareness of good dental health to older people and launch of Funded through 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Staying healthy Older people are able to local publicity campaign about availability of NHS dentistry in 2009 existing budgets Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.3 To ensure the new Specialist Health Promotion Team incorporates the needs of older people in their strategy and Within existing 2010 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Staying healthy Older people are able to increases the provision of physical activity opportunities for older people . capacity Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.4 Lambeth PCT aims to increase the number of older people having the flu vaccination from 65% to 70% of the over 65s Funded through 2013 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Reducing the risk of Older people are able to population registered with a GP in the borough within the next 5 years by raising awareness through various channels existing budgets Independent disease live independent and such as Lambeth Counci healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them Page 100 2.5 To extend the age range for breast cancer screening services by 2012 Year 1 breast 2012 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Reducing the risk of Older people are able to screening extension Independent disease live independent and to be funded by the healthy lives and be able to Department of choose from a range of Health. Will require flexible care and support mainstream funding services if they need them 2010 onwards
2.6 Provide screening for breast and bowel cancer and campaign to raise awareness of these services. From existing 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Reducing the risk of Older people are able to specific Department Independent disease live independent and of Health funding healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.7 To work with Breast Cancer Care to provide local workshops and training to raise breast awareness for older women From existing 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Reducing the risk of Older people are able to specific Department Independent disease live independent and of Health funding healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.7 To increase the coverage of cancer screening from 62% to 65% for breast cancer and 36% to 50% for bowel cancer by From existing 2014 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Reducing the risk of Older people are able to 2014 specific Department Independent disease live independent and of Health funding healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
Annex 1 OP Strategy Delivery Plan PDF conversion FINAL
Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 2.8 To put vascular risk screening programme in place and increase the detection of those people who are at risk of New investment to 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Reducing the risk of Older people are able to diabetes, stroke heart and kidney disease. deliver Vascular Independent disease live independent and Risk Programme healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.9 To increase the prescribing of bone health medication in order to reduce the risk of fracture following a fall - needs to Funded through 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Falls Older people are able to be checked out exisiting budgets Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.10 To increase the usage of assistive technology in order to try and reduce falls and enable older people to stay Within provision for 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Falls Older people are able to independent Assistive Adult Social Independent live independent and Technology Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.11 To develop a care pathway with the London Ambulance Service to ensure that those who do not go to hospital Within current 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Falls Older people are able to following a fall do not miss out on having a falls assessment resources Independent live independent and
healthy lives and be able to Page 101 choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.12 To work collaboratively with the Council’s Sports & Recreation Department to provide more exercise opportunities for Funded through the 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Falls Older people are able to older people once they have completed the falls postural stability programme Staying Healthy Adult Social Independent live independent and programme Services healthy lives and be able to Culture and choose from a range of Leisure flexible care and support services if they need them
2.13 Redesign intermediate care services to best meet the needs of the Lambeth population by providing more intermediate £233,000 non- 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Managing long term illness Older people are able to care in the clients own home. recurring Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.14 Develop a re-enablement service that will improve people’s quality of life and reduce the need for on-going home care. £1.18m 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Managing long term illness Older people are able to Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.15 Help people to organise services where they can afford to pay the full cost of their care £50,000 to be 2009 Adult Social Healthy and Maintaining Independence Older people are able to confirmed Services Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 2.16 Train staff engaged in assessment and care management to support people to support people in developing flexible Within existing 2009 Adult social Healthy and Maintaining Independence Older people are able to care packages that meet their individual needs training and services Independent live independent and development healthy lives and be able to budgets choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.17 Assess/audit the quality of medicines review carried out in primary care Within current 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Medicine Management Older people are able to clinical governance Independent live independent and programme healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.18 Social care providers to be compliant with CQC standards on medicines administration Within current 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Medicine Management Older people are able to clinical governance Independent live independent and programme healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them Page 102 2.19 Agree a joint process across the economy to support older people to manage medicines in their own homes. Within current Annual NHS Lambeth Healthy and Medicine Management Older people are able to resources Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.20 Ensure systems are in place for the safe handling of medicines in care homes and to carry out regular medication Through Local 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Medicine Management Older people are able to reviews for residents– link to Locally Enhanced Service (additional money paid to GPs for extra time spent improving Enhanced Service Independent live independent and the quality of care in Ca for nursing homes healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.21 To develop patient information regarding their medicines and the importance of taking them Within current 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Medicine Management Older people are able to community Independent live independent and resources healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.22 To promote the role of local pharmacists, health trainers, health care workers, expert patient programs in medicines Within current 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Medicine Management Older people are able to management community Independent live independent and resources healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.23 To improve the awareness of stroke amongst health and social care stuff by undertaking specific training programmes Within existing 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to for staff and contracted services training budgets Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 2.24 Already in 2.8 above Funded as part of 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to long term conditions Independent live independent and and vascular risk healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.25 To engage in future national stroke awareness campaign ensuring information is available for all groups Within existing 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to capacity Independent live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.26 To improve access to urgent specialist stroke care by implementing the recommendations in the London Stroke Funding to be 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to Strategy on hyperacute and acute stroke services confirmed following Independent live independent and further work healthy lives and be able to undertaken by choose from a range of healthcare for flexible care and support London services if they need them
2.27 To ensure continued improved access to early supported discharge and community rehabilitation services £225,000 (operating 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to plan 2009/10) Independent live independent and
healthy lives and be able to Page 103 choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.28 To develop a stroke advisory service which will provide a practical and supportive link between hospital and home for £100,000 per year 2009 Lambeth Adult Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to people who have had a stroke for 3 years from Social Services Independent live independent and 2008/09 healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.29 To ensure user engagement and peer support via a stroke user support network. £98,000 the Guys 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Strokes Older people are able to and St.Thomas’s Independent live independent and Charitable Trust healthy lives and be able to and £15,000 from choose from a range of the PCT flexible care and support services if they need them
2.30 To develop and consult on a 5 year Mental Health Older Adult Strategy 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.31 To reduce social isolation and help maintain good mental health through: Funded through 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to - befriending and “buddying” services SLAM Charitable Adult Social Independent live independent and - building capacity in local community and faith organisations particularly working with “hard to reach” communities Trust Services healthy lives and be able to such as the Somali Communi £50,000 choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 2.32 To improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of depression amongst older people including access to talking £300,000 as part of 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to therapies (counselling and psychological support) overall talking Adult Social Independent live independent and therapies budget Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.33 To develop a memory service jointly with Southwark – work on this will start in 2009 £250,000 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.34 To develop integrated MHOA resource centres, co-located with locality Community Mental Health Teams To be determined 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them Page 104 2.35 To increase the provision of specialist home care to enable more people to remain living in their own home £600,000 2009 Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.36 To provide carer assessments and respite care as per the Carer’s Strategy Included Carers’ 2013 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to Strategy 2008 - Adult Social Independent live independent and 2013 Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.37 To redesign continuing care services for older adults with long term mental illness and dementia to enable more choice 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dementia Older people are able to and flexibility Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to SLAM choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
2.38 To commission end of life care communication training for community nursing, hospital social work and home care £10,000 2010 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to staff. Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives 2.39 To develop local systems to ensure wishes are documented and care plans are in place to ensure care and support Funded by 2010 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to needs are met mainstream Adult Social Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and community nursing Services respect throughout their budget lives 2.40 To have 80% of GP practices signed up to the GSF by 2013 £18,000 2013 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 2.41 To have 42% of nursing homes signed up to the GSF and 35% using the LCP by 2013 £16,000 2014 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to Adult Social Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and Services respect throughout their lives 2.42 To increase the number of appropriate hospital wards who are using the LCP to 90% by 2013 Within existing 2015 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to budget Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives 2.43 To fully engage with the Marie Curie Delivering Choice Programme and the End of Life Care Modernisation Initiative Within current 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to charitable funding Adult Social Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and programmes Services respect throughout their lives 2.44 Implement and evaluate the “tell us once” project linking with Registrars services based at Kings Hospital and Guys £xxx 2009 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to and St Thomas’ Hospitals - not sure on this one Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives 2.45 Explore the potential for the registrars service to open earlier and later and on Saturdays Within existing 2010 Culture - Parks Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to budgets and Crematorium Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives 2.46 To commission a bereavement counselling service over the next three years. £60,000 per year 2010 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to jointly funded by the Adult Social Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and Council and the Services respect throughout their
PCT lives Page 105 2.47 Our aims for the future is to continue spreading good practice recruiting more “Dignity Champions” and ensuring that Within existing 2013 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Dignity in care and at the Older People can expect to older people are treated with dignity and respect in all settings. resources Adult Social Independent End of Life be treated with dignity and Services respect throughout their lives 2.48 Develop 5 primary care neighbourhood resource centres (polyclinics) over the next 5 years to provide care closer to £XXXm 2014 NHS Lambeth Healthy and Care closer to home Older people are able to home for patients across Lambeth development costs Adult Social Independent live independent and Services healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
3.01 Increase the use of assistive technology as part of a package of preventative measures aiming to help people remain £1.48m 2014 Adult Social Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the in their own home. We will increase the number of community alarms to cover 8,000 people in Lambeth using assistive Services their own homes choice to live in their own technology, f home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.02 Set up an equipment demonstration centre and retail outlet for assistive technology by 2009 to help people become Within existing 2009 Adults Social Care Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the familiar with the technology and its benefits. budgets their own homes choice to live in their own home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.03 Increase the proportion of older people receiving a Home Fire Safety Visit and smoke alarms. Aim for more than 12% £163,000 notional Ongoing Fire Brigade Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the of these visits to be to older people. cost Adult Social Care their own homes choice to live in their own home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.04 100% of publicly owned housing in Lambeth that receives gas will also receive a Home Fire Safety Visit, creating a 2% Within existing 2010 Fire Brigade Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the reduction in accidental fires year on year. This will affect a large number of older people. resources their own homes choice to live in their own home safely and independently for as long as possible.
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 3.05 Over the first year of the strategy the Home Improvement Agency will complete 75 major adaptations of private sector Within current Targets achieved Home Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the homes and 150 public sector ones. The HIA will look to continue this year on year, depending on future budgets. budgets on an annual basis Improvement their own homes choice to live in their own Agencies home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.06 Older people to have access to specialist help and advice to support them through the Choice Based Lettings system £37,000 2009 Supporting People Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the funded by Supporting People their own homes choice to live in their own home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.07 Older People will be able to identify adapted property on the choice based letting system, a result of creating a register Included in March 2014 Housing Strategy Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the of adapted social rented properties, by 2014. Lambeth’s Housing and Partnerships their own homes choice to live in their own Strategy home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.08 Inventive use of Home Improvement Agency funding to approach people on waiting lists for allotments and other Within current March 2011 Home Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the volunteering services to get volunteers to help older people look after their gardens. budgets Improvement their own homes choice to live in their own Agencies home safely and LVAC independently for as long Age Concern as possible. Adult Social Care Page 106
3.09 Target “Decent Homes” investment programme through Lambeth Living to improve housing for Older People To be determined December 2014 Housing Strategy Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the and Partnerships their own homes choice to live in their own home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.10 Expand the handyperson service to advise and assist on home safety and security as well as providing a range of £100,000 2009 Age Concern Staying Safe Helping people to remain in Older People have the small tasks such as window cleaning their own homes choice to live in their own home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.11 Increase Extra Care Housing by 250 units funded by redirecting current investment in care homes and increased £1.24m 2014 Supporting People Staying Safe Being in the right type of Older People have the investment through Supporting People funding Housing Strategy accommodation at the right choice to live in their own and Partnerships point in your life home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.12 Change allocation system for older people to incentivise downsizing No additional cost 2011 Housing Strategy Staying Safe Being in the right type of Older People have the and Partnerships accommodation at the right choice to live in their own point in your life home safely and independently for as long as possible. 3.13 Increased monitoring visits to care homes to ensure they are delivering a high standard of care. Within existing 2012 NHS Lambeth Staying Safe Protection from abuse at Older People are active capacity home and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.14 Increased monitoring of care at home and care homes through lay assessors £30,000 2012 Lambeth Adult Staying Safe Protection from abuse at Older People are active Social Care home and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 3.15 Further enhance the Safeguarding Adults team with the following additional posts. £617,000 for the 2009 Safeguarding Staying Safe Protection from abuse at Older People are active a. Safeguarding Adults Policy and Development Manager Safeguarding Adults - Adults home and important members of b. Safeguarding Trainer service Social Care their community, who do c. Senior Management Information Officer not fear crime or isolation d. Safeguarding Practitioner Manager
3.16 Improve the governance arrangements of the Safeguarding Adults Team by setting up a Safeguarding Adult’s Within existing 2009 Adult Social Care - Staying Safe Protection from abuse at Older People are active Partnership Board. capacity Safeguarding home and important members of Adults Team their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.17 Address perceptions by communicating success in addressing crime. Provide older people with regular updates on Within current 2011 Community Safety Staying Safe Fear of Crime in the Older People are active crime in their areas and improve the perception indicators by 2011. planned capacity of community and important members of £100,000 their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.18 Increase the awareness amongst older people of services that already exist and ensure that all older people are aware £23,000 for 2 2011 Community Safety Staying Safe Fear of Crime in the Older People are active of the role of Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Community Support Officers and are aware of how to contact them by newsletters a year community and important members of 2011. for each team their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.19 Increase profile of community safety team by ensuring they attend at least 4 Lambeth First public events per year. Within current Annual Community Safety Staying Safe Fear of Crime in the Older People are active planned capacity community and important members of
their community, who do Page 107 not fear crime or isolation
3.20 Explore the potential costs and benefits of re-introducing Neighbourhood Watch schemes around the borough. Within current 2009 Community Safety Staying Safe Fear of Crime in the Older People are active resources Lambeth Police community and important members of Home Office their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.21 Reduce perception of drug dealing and drug use as a problem from 63% of the population to 54% in 2010/11. (LAA) Within current 2011 Community Safety Staying Safe Fear of Crime in the Older People are active planned capacity community and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.22 Develop a neighbourhood level intergenerational project To be identified 2010 Adults Social Care Staying Safe Fear of Crime in the Older People are active Children and community and important members of Young People their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.23 Strengthen safer neighbourhood working within each of the 21 wards Within existing 2012 Safer Lambeth Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active resources Partnership and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.24 Create more local policing teams which are known by the community and visible on a day to day basis. £494,000 current 2010 Community Safety Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active baseline and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.25 Increased quality of CCTV targeting crime hotspots through the CCTV strategy to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Currently being 2010 Community Safety Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active To employ mobile CCTV at identified hotspots. costed Trading Standards and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 3.26 Introduce more cold calling zones in Lambeth by 2 per year from the first year of this strategy based on identified £3,000 contribution Annual Trading Standards Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active concentrations of older people. for community and important members of safety their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.27 Create a list of credible contractors that older people can access via the Trust Mark Scheme, in place by summer 2009. Currently being 2009 Trading Standards Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active costed and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.28 Implement resettlement strategy to tackle re-offending. £114,000 spent in 2009 Community Safety Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active 2008/09 and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.29 Tackle anti social behaviour through the Anti Social Behaviour Strategy which will put in place a hotline for people £6,000 per year for 2010 Community Safety Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active experiencing anti social behaviour and a database of hotspots. the hotline and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.30 Improve physical environments to promote safety for older people through secured by design standards. £80,000 from April 2010 Community Safety Staying Safe Crime Reduction Older People are active Page 108 2009 Housing Strategy and important members of and Partnerships their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
3.31 We will work with Transport for London to increase awareness of older people’s needs on public transport. This will Within existing 2009 Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of include lobbying during 2009 to increase training for bus drivers in how to care for older people whilst on their buses. capacity and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 3.32 Reduce crime on public transport through working with TfL and the A23 police team in order to make older people Within existing 2010 Community Safety Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of more confident in using public transport. capacity Transport and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 3.33 Support the planned increase in police presence on public transport. Within existing 2009 Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of capacity and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 3.34 Continue to identify and repair uneven pavements Current funding Ongoing Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of £1.2m and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop.
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 3.35 Continue with programme of traffic calming schemes. £1.03m a year Ongoing Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of current funding and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 3.36 Continue with the programme to introduce pedestrian crossings in strategic places that enable people with a disability Current funding Ongoing Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of or a sensory impairment to safely cross the road £40,000 and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 3.37 Continue with the programme of awareness raising of road safety measures in sheltered housing and other community Within existing Ongoing Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of groups frequented by older people such as the Older People’s Forum. capacity and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 3.38 Through planning increase the number of areas where blue badge holders can benefit from appropriate dispensations No additional cost 2009 Transport Staying Safe Safety whilst out and about Older People are aware of to improve access to services. Planning and can access a wide
range of services in the Page 109 community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.01 Increase capacity in the third sector to develop flexible services for people to choose from with their new personalised £50,000 2010 Personalisation Enjoy and Achieve Choice and control Older people are able to budgets. live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
4.02 Support the third sector to set up the infrastructure, such as invoicing systems, as they move away from “block £30,000 2010 Personalisation Enjoy and Achieve Choice and control Older people are able to contracts” to services that older people pay for themselves from their individual budget. live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
4.03 Set up a system within Adults and Community Services to administer personalised services by 2010. £100,000 2010 Personalisation Enjoy and Achieve Choice and control Older people are able to live independent and healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
4.04 Develop support services (brokerage) for people who wish to have a personalised budget in place by 2010 to assist £250,000 2010 Personalisation Enjoy and Achieve Choice and control Older people are able to people in organising services to deliver their support plan. This will be both within the council and also in the third live independent and sector. Increase the healthy lives and be able to choose from a range of flexible care and support services if they need them
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 4.05 Social activities to be provided in the community and sometimes attached to Extra Care hubs. There are 3 planned £300,000 2011 Adults Social Care Enjoy and Achieve Reducing Isolation Older People are active community hubs attached to extra care schemes due to start being in use in 2011. and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
4.06 Increase befriending schemes capacity and coverage (see Health and Independence). £61,000 2010 Adults social Care Enjoy and Achieve Reducing Isolation Older People are active and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
4.07 We will provide commitment to Luncheon Clubs and Day Centres as valuable resources in the community for older £50,000 2010 Adults social Care Enjoy and Achieve Reducing Isolation Older People are active people. and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
4.08 Build capacity in local communities through faith groups, and ethnic community groups to improve the social £50,000 a year over 2010 Adults social Care Enjoy and Achieve Reducing Isolation Older People are active opportunities for hard to reach groups. 3 years and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
4.09 We aim to increase the amount of older people using our leisure facilities and provide a wider range of activities that Additional income 2010 Culture and Enjoy and Achieve Culture and Leisure Older People are aware of Page 110 cater for them. of £xxx,xxx Leisure and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.10 Evaluate the take-up of free leisure activities for older people during celebrating age month and explore providing No additional cost 2010 Culture and Enjoy and Achieve Culture and Leisure Older People are aware of activities for older people for £1 per session Leisure and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.11 Expand the community library service by linking in with Age Concern’s befriending service and sheltered housing/extra £xx,000 2009 Libraries Enjoy and Achieve Libraries Older People are aware of care schemes. Age Concern and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.12 Assess the priority older people give to mobile libraries and look to alternatives such as above. Within existing 2009 Libraries Enjoy and Achieve Libraries Older People are aware of capacity and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.13 Get more older people using libraries by making them into welcoming areas. £xxm 2009 Libraries Enjoy and Achieve Libraries Older People are aware of and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop.
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 4.14 Use libraries as areas to teach older people about modern technology and media, increase the capacity of the Silver £20,000 2009 Libraries Enjoy and Achieve Libraries Older People are aware of Surfers group. and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.15 Reminiscence linking with archive services £20,000 2009 Libraries Enjoy and Achieve Libraries Older People are aware of and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.16 We will continue to improve the state of our parks in Lambeth, with 6 parks to have Green Flag status by 2012. £90,000 over 3 2012 Parks Enjoy and Achieve Parks Older People are aware of years - funding to and can access a wide be identified range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.17 Introduce dog runs in parks so that dogs can be exercised safely £69,000 over 3 2010 Parks Enjoy and Achieve Parks Older People are aware of years - funding to and can access a wide
be identified range of services in the Page 111 community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.18 Learn from the work being undertaken in Myatt’s Fields Park in involving older people and younger people in improving £30,000 2010 Parks Enjoy and Achieve Parks Older People are aware of their park to roll out to other local areas. and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.19 Roll out community toilet scheme across Lambeth where people can access toilets in a number of different public £10,000 2009 Public realm Enjoy and Achieve Public toilets Older People are aware of buildings. Ensure there are a range of toilets available and that they aren’t all in pubs or restaurants. and can access a wide range of services in the community which are relevant to older people and enable older people to continue to develop. 4.20 Increase adult learning services to adults outside of government funding as added value services provided by the Explore use of 2010 Adult Learning Enjoy and Achieve Adult Learning Older People are active partnership. Staying Healthy and important members of funding their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
4.21 Explore the use of libraries day centres and leisure facilities to provide services for older people that encourages their Explore use of 2010 Adult Learning Enjoy and Achieve Adult Learning Older People are active well being and mental health and helps to reduce loneliness. Increase adult learning services to adults outside of Staying Healthy Culture and and important members of government fundin funding £100,000 Leisure their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.01 Develop a Carers Hub based at Woodlawn's in Streatham with satellites across the borough that will provide access to £368,000 for all 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are information, advice, healthy living sessions, advice on training, support groups and drop in cafe. £1m has been carers in Lambeth Contribution supported in their caring awarded to the Darby and J role.
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Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 5.02 Emergency Respite scheme where carers will be able to register with Careline 24 and will have a Carers Emergency £180,000 for all 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are Card “I am a carer, someone depends on me” with the Careline number to ring. Careline will have details of what to do carers in Lambeth Contribution supported in their caring if the Carer is suddenl role.
5.03 More flexible breaks through an expanded “fix yourself a break” annual grant of £200 and more respite at home £180,000 for all 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are through the Crossroads service carers in Lambeth Contribution supported in their caring role.
5.04 More assessments for carers to ensure that their needs are identified so that they can access support as appropriate £248,000 for all 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are carers in Lambeth Contribution supported in their caring role.
5.05 Financial advice as part of the Every Pound Counts Campaign and through the Carers Hub to ensure that Carers get £100,000 for all 2010 Adults Social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are all the financial support that they are able to claim carers in Lambeth (Customer and Contribution supported in their caring Community role. Relations) 5.06 Assistive technology to support working carers or carers in training £20,000 for all 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are carers in Lambeth Contribution supported in their caring role.
5.07 Support in maintaining health through regular healthy living advice £50,000 for all 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Caring for others Informal carers are Page 112 carers in Lambeth PCT Contribution supported in their caring role.
5.08 Involve older people in designing and delivering services at neighbourhood level through implementing the three £xxx 2010 Policy, Equalities Making a Positive Involvement in the Older People are active neighbourhood working pilots. and Partnership Contribution community and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.09 Through the Citizens First project improve communication with older residents. £xxx 2009 Policy, Equalities Making a Positive Involvement in the Older People are active and Partnership Contribution community and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.10 The future capacity building programme for Lambeth includes a number of different projects that will have a positive £xxx 2011 Active Making a Positive Involvement in the Older People are active benefit for older people. This includes establishing communities Contribution community and important members of their community, who do • a volunteer centre, not fear crime or isolation • a multi-faith forum, • a Local Leaders programme, • Civic 5.11 Review the terms of reference and operation of the Older People’s Partnership Action Board No additional costs 2009 Lambeth First Making a Positive Involvement in the Older People are active Contribution community and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.12 Support the development of the Lambeth Older People’s Forum through the user support worker £5,000 2009 Lambeth First Making a Positive Involvement in the Older People are active Contribution community and important members of their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.13 Explore ways of meaningfully engaging with older people, including the establishment of an Elders Council Within existing 2010 Active Making a Positive Involvement in the Older People are active resources communities Contribution community and important members of Adult Social Care their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
Annex 1 OP Strategy Delivery Plan PDF conversion FINAL
Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 5.14 LVAC to establish volunteer centre to co-ordinate the resource of volunteers and enable older people, along with other Funded by the Big 2009 LVAC Making a Positive Volunteering Older People are active groups of people, to become volunteers more effectively. Lottery and City Contribution and important members of Bridge Trust their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.15 Set up an Active Citizens’ Hub to promote active Within £140,000 2009 LVAC Making a Positive Volunteering Older People are active citizenship throughout Lambeth and to support individuals, allocated from Contribution and important members of which of course includes older people, who would like to the Working their community, who do get more involved in Lambeth life and want to make a Neighbourhoods not fear crime or isolation positive difference/contribution by, Fund in 2008/09 5.16 Change negative perceptions of older people and ageing in Lambeth by promoting positive stories about the Within existing Ongoing Adults Social Care Making a Positive Age Discrimination Older People are active contribution made by older people in the local media and Lambeth Life. resource Communications Contribution and important members of Policy, Equalities their community, who do and Performance not fear crime or isolation
5.17 Develop Single Equalities Scheme within the Council that addresses age discrimination Within existing Ongoing Adults Social Care Making a Positive Age Discrimination Older People are active programme Policy, Equalities Contribution and important members of and Performance their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
5.18 Pilot neighbourhood level intergenerational projects that bring older people and younger people into contact with one Within existing 2009 Adults social Care Making a Positive Contact between the Older People are active another by 2009. programme CYPS Contribution generations and important members of
their community, who do Page 113 not fear crime or isolation
5.19 Work with the Youth Council and Children and Young People’s Services to develop an intergenerational strategy Within existing 2010 Adults social Care Making a Positive Contact between the Older People are active building on the current examples of good practice programme Youth Council Contribution generations and important members of CYPS their community, who do not fear crime or isolation
6.01 Support 1300 people to make a new benefit claim or increase their existing benefits in order to increase peoples £517,000 jointly 2010 - Ongoing Adults Social Care Economic Wellbeing Benefits Older people are not income, of which a significant amount of benefactors will be older people. funded by the (Customer and constrained by their Council and the Community financial situation and can PCT until 2010, Relations) afford to enjoy their then £275,000 PCT retirement. recurring commitment from the Council. 6.02 Develop an information pack for older people which informs them of services available to them and benefits they £10,000 2009 Adults Social Care Economic Wellbeing Benefits Older people are not should be claiming. Reissue bi-yearly. constrained by their financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement. 6.03 We propose to hold a fuel poverty forum twice yearly to ensure that all stakeholders are brought together and made £500 2009 Housing Strategy Economic Wellbeing Fuel poverty Older people are not aware of current developments and opportunities for tackling fuel poverty. and Partnerships constrained by their financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement. 6.04 We propose to secure funding to offer ‘Energy Action Zones’ where energy advisors would intensively focus on TBC – the proposal 2009 Housing Strategy Economic Wellbeing Fuel poverty Older people are not particular area of the borough and reach those who would otherwise be unlikely to access the range of advice and for this (estimated and Partnerships constrained by their support that exists on energy eff £75K) is going to financial situation and can cabinet next week. afford to enjoy their retirement.
Annex 1 OP Strategy Delivery Plan PDF conversion FINAL
Order in What are we doing? Additional Cost Timescale Lead Chapter Section Outcome Strategy Organisation 6.05 We propose to ensure that all professionals in the borough who provide services for older and vulnerable people are Within existing 2009 Adult Social Care Economic Wellbeing Fuel poverty Older people are not offered training on fuel poverty and energy efficiency and are able to effectively signpost to relevant grants and budgets Housing Strategy constrained by their services. and Partnerships financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement. 6.07 Support to those who wish to continue in employment through equalities policies developed and implemented by No additional costs 2010 Regeneration and Economic Wellbeing Employment Older people are not Lambeth First partners Enterprise constrained by their financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement. 6.08 Information and advice on downsizing in order to save running costs Within existing 2011 Adult Social Care Economic Wellbeing Housing Costs Older people are not resources Housing Strategy constrained by their and Partnerships financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement. 6.09 Flexible allocations policy to allow single people (or couples) to downsize to 2 bed accommodation. Ensure this in Within existing 2009 Housing Strategy Economic Wellbeing Housing Costs Older people are not place in 2009 resources and Partnerships constrained by their financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement. 6.10 Provide older people with information and advice to maximise assistance with transport costs Within existing 2009 Transport Economic Wellbeing Transport Older people are not Page 114 resources constrained by their financial situation and can afford to enjoy their retirement.
Annex 1 OP Strategy Delivery Plan PDF conversion Agenda Item 9 Page 115 Appendix 1 Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee June 2008
Asbestos safety in housing refurbishment report of the scrutiny commission
All Wards
Report authorised by: Executive Director Finance and Resources, Mike Suarez
Executive summary
In September 2007, residents in council-owned housing in the Central Hill area began raising concerns with central heating refurbishment contracts taking place in their homes. Their most pressing worry was the potential of asbestos hazard and its management.
The commission held two public sessions in October and November 2008. Witnesses to the commission included senior officers from the Council and Lambeth Living (the arms length management organisation), representatives of the contractors, an independent asbestos specialist, and a number of concerned residents. It met again in January 2009 to formulate its conclusions.
The commission has now completed its work and has adopted its report in accordance with paragraph 20.5(a) of the Scrutiny procedure rules. As the membership of the commission represents a majority of the Housing Scrutiny Subcommittee, it was agreed with the chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee that once all members of the commission had agreed the report, it would be considered adopted by the parent committee.
Summary of financial implications
There are no direct financial implications arising from this report.
Recommendations
(1) That officers from Housing work with officers in Lambeth Living and others as appropriate to prepare an action plan and Cabinet report for July in response to the recommendations of the Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment commission report. (2) That this report be appended to the July Cabinet action plan report (3) That the Cabinet approve the recommendations of the Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment commission report and direct that the action plan be implemented
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Consultation
Name of consultee Directorate or Organisation Date sent Date response Comments to received from appear in consultee consultee report para: Internal Mark Hynes For ED FR 26.06.09 26.06.09 Greg Carson Legal 26.06.09 26.06.09 4.1 Jason Hinton Departmental Finance 26.06.09 01.07.09 3.1 Frank Higgins Corporate Finance 26.06.09 02.07.09 3.1 Councillor Adedamola Aminu Commission & HSSC 26.06.09 26.06.09 member Councillor Peter Bowyer Commission & HSSC chair 26.06.09 29.06.09 Rita Fitzgerald Co-opted member 26.06.09 29.09.09 Councillor Jeremy Clyne Commission member 26.06.09 Councillor John Whelan Commission member 26.06.09 28.06.09 Councillor Mark Harrison HSSC member 29.06.09 Councillor Andrew Sawdon HSSC member 29.06.09 Councillor Roger Giess OSSC Chair 29.06.09 Councillor Lib Peck Cabinet Member for Housing 29.06.09 and Regeneration Councillor Kirsty McHugh Deputy Cabinet Member for 29.06.09 Housing & Neighbourhoods Derrick Anderson Chief Executive 29.06.09 Chris Lee ED HRE 29.06.09 Rachel Sharpe DD Housing Strategy & 29.06.09 Partnerships Paul W Cooper AD Strategy and 29.06.09 Regeneration, HRE Bob Gleaves Manager of Professional 29.06.09 Services, VAMS, HRE Kate Zaki Client Manager, HRE 29.06.09 Claire Butcher Lead Scrutiny Officer (HSSC) 29.06.09 Dave Burn Head of Dem Services & 29.06.09 Scrutiny Tom Barrett Scrutiny Manager 29.06.09 External Cathy Deplessis CE, Lambeth Living 26.06.09 David Thompson Director of Lambeth Living 26.06.09 Jacqui Alexander Planned Maintenance 26.06.09 Manager, Lambeth Living Ros Munday Tenants’ Council Chair 26.06.09 Nora-Anne Sheehy Leaseholders’ Council Chair 26.06.09 Jean Haley Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ 26.06.09 and Residents’ Association
Report history
Date report drafted: Report Date report sent: Report no.: deadline: 25.06.09 XX.XX.08 XX.XX.08 /09-10 Report author and contact for queries: Byron R. Green 020 7926 2510 [email protected]
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Background documents
Asbestos Commission Minutes 281008 Supplement to minutes 2811008 Asbestos Info and Evidence Pack 1 Officer Report 1 Asbestos Commission Minutes 251108 l Asbestos Sub Committee Report from Lambeth Living including 11 appendices Copy of Communal Asbestos Excel-Database Decisions flow chart Responses to questions arising from the meeting of 28th October 2008 Health and Safety Executive website - http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/
Appendices
Addendum: Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, the scrutiny commission’s report
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Asbestos safety in housing refurbishment report of the scrutiny commission
1. Context
1.1 In September 2007, residents in council-owned housing in the Central Hill area began raising concerns with central heating refurbishment contracts taking place in their homes. Their most pressing worry was the potential of asbestos hazard and its management. It was resolved that a scrutiny commission would be a suitable forum to explore the issues. The commission has completed its investigation and produced a full report.
2. Proposals and reasons
2.1 It was through the persistence over a year of Mrs Jean Haley, Chair of Norwood Area Housing Forum and Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, that resident and member demands for an independent enquiry escalated through the Council.
2.2 To ensure that the enquiry was very much resident focussed and led, the Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association worked closely with scrutiny officers and members to develop the commission’s terms of reference. In addition, another Lambeth resident, Rita Fitzgerald, was co-opted to sit with Councillors Adedamola Aminu, Peter Bowyer, Jeremy Clyne, and John Whelan on the panel.
2.3 The commission held two public sessions in October and November 2008. Witnesses to the commission included senior officers from the Council and Lambeth Living (the arms length management organisation), representatives of the contractors, an independent asbestos specialist, and a number of concerned residents. It met again in January 2009 to formulate its conclusions.
2.4 In summary, the recommendations drafted by the commission as a result of the enquiry include the need for:
••• the development of, and public access to, an asbestos register for council- owned domestic premises ••• guidelines for supporting residents impacted by works involving asbestos hazards, and ••• much improved communication and consultation, both of which must become more resident-centred
2.5 Please refer to the addendum to this report for full details of the scrutiny commission’s findings
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2.6 The full list of recommendations are as follows:
Recommendation 1. The Commission acknowledges with grateful thanks the efforts of Jean Haley, Central Hill resident and chair of the local Residents Association, for her work and tenacity in getting the issue of asbestos within domestic council premises taken seriously and moving the issue up the agenda for the benefit of all Lambeth residents.
Asbestos Register/Data Management System
Recommendation 2. An agreed policy process needs to be developed that will enable residents access to the asbestos register.
Recommendation 3. It is recommended that access to electronic information on the asbestos register for officers, contractors and consultants continues to be improved and that this information is made accessible to tenants and leaseholders as soon as possible.
Recommendation 4. The Commission agreed that the current Excel spreadsheet is not a suitable format for maintaining an effective asbestos database management system. It therefore recommends the prioritisation of an appropriate internet-based I.T. solution for the asbestos register that is effective in the collection and sharing of information on asbestos in Lambeth dwellings. The Commission also asks that:
• this recommendation be implemented by relevant officers in Lambeth Living; Lambeth Housing, Regeneration and Environment (HRE); and Lambeth ICT Services; • the package must be compatible with SX3 or its upgrade; • safe storage, back-ups and ownership of the data by Lambeth must be ensured to avoid future losses; and • this internet-based I.T. solution should be in operation by end December 2009
During domestic refurbishment projects, responsive repairs and maintenance
Recommendation 5. In addition to accessing the asbestos register prior to any works taking place, all contractors and officers across all sections of Housing and Lambeth Living (or other agents) on domestic housing projects, responsive repairs and maintenance, must use the asbestos specialists Hyder (or successor contractor) when undertaking surveys to ensure there is a consistent approach to inspection, and immediate reporting and recording of findings on the asbestos register.
Recommendation 6. Develop clear and proper procedures for assisting residents barred from their homes due to asbestos disturbance, with guidelines for an appropriate support package. The package should take into account the possible requirement for emergency provision of clothing, accommodation, financial or other practical support (e.g. access to telephones).
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Communications
Recommendation 7. The Commission agreed that the refurbishments contracts, particularly in dealing with issues that cause concern such as asbestos, must be much more resident-centred. It recommends that the Council and Lambeth Living develop guidance and mechanisms for consultation with occupants, resident associations, ward councillors, neighbours, and others at a suitably local level. This includes both prior to domestic refurbishment projects getting underway and for informing and dealing with their queries and concerns throughout the process.
Recommendation 8. The Commission agreed that communications for residents need to be improved and noted the production by other local authorities of good quality materials for communications on domestic asbestos and managing its risks, such as reader friendly leaflets, letters and internet sites. They recommend obtaining guidance about best practice communications in this area in conjunction with communications professionals and in consultation with residents by the end of December 2009.
Recommendation 9. Communications must go out to tenants and leaseholders in council-owned housing stock about the existence or potential existence of asbestos in their homes. This should be to both new and existing tenants and leaseholders, and then whenever there is a tenancy change.
Recommendation 10. Consideration must be given to advise and support tenants and leaseholders who may wish to carry out DIY and other relevant projects in accessing the asbestos register and in obtaining asbestos surveys. This to ensure that they aware of the risks to themselves and those carrying out the works.
Recommendation 11. The full communications strategy is to be developed within three months and reported back to Housing Scrutiny.
Recommendation 12. The Commission has asked that the revised asbestos policies and procedures, along with the comprehensive training programme for officers and the requirements for contractors and their operatives, be returned to the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee for further review.
3. Comments from Executive Director of Finance and Resources
3.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. An action plan will be produced for Cabinet by officers from HRE with the assistance of Lambeth Living officers. Responding to the report requires any financial or resource implications arising from the commission’s recommendations to be set out.
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4. Comments from Director of Legal and Democratic Services
4.1 Arrangements for Scrutiny Commissions are set out in Rule 20 of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules, at Part 4, Section 5 of the Council’s Constitution. Rule 20.1 states:
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee or relevant scrutiny sub-committee will establish all scrutiny commissions and determine their constitution, the appointment of co-optees, terms of reference and tenure of each commission.
Rule 20.5 states:
“Commission reports will be submitted to Overview and Scrutiny Committee or the relevant Scrutiny Sub-Committee for consideration, prior to submission of the report to the Cabinet, unless otherwise specified by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.”
4.2 By virtue of section 2, Local Government Act 2000, local authorities have the power to do anything which they consider is likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area. This power may be exercised in relation to, or for the benefit of, the whole or any part of the authority's area or all or any persons resident or present in their area.
4.3 The section 2 power includes power for a local authority to, inter alia, give financial assistance to, enter into an agreement with, or provide staff, goods, services or accommodation to, any person. However, the well-being power does not enable the authority to raise money, nor to do anything which it is unable to do by virtue of any existing statutory prohibition, restriction or limitation on its powers.
5. Results of consultation
5.1 The commission consulted widely with council officers, expert and professional witnesses and welcomed contributions from the public. The commission was grateful for the contributions made and have taken the information received into account in reaching their findings.
.
6. Organisational implications
6.1 Risk management: Many of the reports recommendations complement existing council projects and priorities. Failure to implement could reflect risks in these other areas.
6.2 Equalities impact assessment : Equalities impacts were considered during the course of the commission.
6.3 Community safety implications : It is important to understand that there are serious legal and regulatory standards regarding asbestos.
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6.4 Environmental implications :
The aim of this report is to improve the management of asbestos in council- owned housing stocking, particularly during maintenance and refurbishment. Better management practices should bring positive environmental implications.
6.5 Staffing and accommodation implications : None
6.6 Any other implications : None
7. Timetable for implementation :
7.1 This will be clearly outlined in the action plan produced in response to the report and its recommendation and put to cabinet on 27 July 2009.
______
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b
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment Scrutiny Commission
June 2009
Commission Members: Councillor Adedamola Aminu Councillor Peter Bowyer (Chair) Councillor Jeremy Clyne Rita Fitzgerald Councillor John Whelan
Contact for enquiries:
Byron R Green Lead Scrutiny Officer
London Borough of Lambeth Scrutiny Team Room 200, Town Hall email – [email protected] Brixton Hill telephone – 020 7926 2510 London SW2 1RW website – http://www.lambeth.gov.uk
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Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 2 Page 125
Contents
Contents ...... 3 Chair’s Foreword ...... 5 Executive Summary...... 6 List of recommendations...... 7 Section 1 - Introduction ...... 9 Background to this review...... 9 Terms of reference ...... 10 Methodology ...... 10 Timeline of events...... 11 Acknowledgments...... 12 Section 2 - Commission Findings ...... 13 What is asbestos and why is it problem?...... 13 Examples of asbestos common in domestic dwellings (images) ...... 14 Some important safety information ...... 15 Legal requirements for dealing with asbestos...... 15 The current situation...... 17 Work underway to improve the management of Asbestos...... 24 Ongoing commitments from Lambeth Living: ...... 26 Section 3 - Concluding remarks ...... 28 Section 4 - Asbestos Timeline (1997 to 2009) ...... 29 Section 5 - Glossary ...... 33
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 3 Page 126
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 4 Page 127
Chair’s Foreword
In September 2007, residents in council-owned housing in the Central Hill area began raising concerns with central heating refurbishment contracts taking place in their homes. Their most pressing worry was the potential of asbestos hazard and its management.
That may have been the end of the matter, had it not been for the tenacity of Jean Haley, the chair of Norwood Area Housing Forum and Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, who continued to pursue the issue through various Council channels. By the time it came to the attention of the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee, following correspondence between Councillor Andrew Gibson (Gipsy Hill Ward) and the Chair of the Committee. It was readily agreed that the matter was of sufficient concern that a scrutiny commission should be established to explore the issues that had been raised further.
It was important to the Scrutiny Commission that it should be resident-centric. To that end, Jean Haley worked closely with officers and members to develop the Commission's terms of reference. Additionally, another leading member of Tenant's Council, Rita Fitzgerald was asked to sit on the Commission itself.
The Commission met twice in public at the end of last year to consider the evidence, first from Jean Haley, supported by Councillor Gibson, and then from council officers and contractors as well as an independent asbestos specialist. In addition, it also heard from a number of other residents of the borough. The Commission then met in private earlier this year to formulate its recommendations.
The three key themes touched upon by the recommendations focus on: public access the asbestos register, support to residents who are effected by asbestos works, and more resident-centred communication and consultation
It is the hope and expectation of this Scrutiny Commission that all our recommendations are examined seriously by the Cabinet and Lambeth Living and that they together draw up a robust action plan to achieve these recommendations. I believe that if they do so, Lambeth can become a leader in this field.
Finally, I would just like to say a word of thanks to all the members of this Commission for their contributions: Councillor Jeremy Clyne, Councillor Adedamola Aminu, Councillor John Whelan and Rita Fitzgerald. In addition, the Commission wishes to place on record its gratitude to Jean Haley for her determination to deal with this issue on behalf of the tenants and leaseholders she represents and to Councillor Andrew Gibson for bringing the issue to the attention of this Committee in the first place. I would also like to thank Byron Green, Lead Scrutiny Officer for his hard work throughout the commission and in preparing this report.
Councillor Peter Bowyer Scrutiny Commission Chair Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 5 Page 128
Executive Summary
In recent years, tenants and leaseholders have voiced concerns around the impact of refurbishment, repairs and maintenance to their homes and the possible disturbance to any asbestos, which may be present. This has large been managed by contractors on behalf of Lambeth Council, who are the overall owners of the housing stock.
Since mid-2007, the persistence of Mrs Jean Haley, Chair of Norwood Area Housing Forum and Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, resident and member demands for an independent enquiry escalated through the Council. It was resolved that a scrutiny commission would be a suitable forum to explore the issues.
To ensure that the enquiry was very much resident focussed and led, the Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association worked closely with scrutiny officers and members to develop the commission’s terms of reference. In addition, another Lambeth resident, Rita Fitzgerald, was co-opted to sit with Councillors Adedamola Aminu, Peter Bowyer, Jeremy Clyne, and John Whelan on the panel.
The commission held two public sessions in October and November 2008. Witnesses to the commission included senior officers from the Council and Lambeth Living (the arms length management organisation), representatives of the contractors, an independent asbestos specialist, and a number of concerned residents. It met again in January 2009 to formulate its conclusions.
Recommendations drafted by the commission as a result of the enquiry include the need for:
• the development of, and public access to, an asbestos register for council- owned domestic premises • guidelines for supporting residents impacted by works involving asbestos hazards, and • much improved communication and consultation, both of which must become more resident-centred
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 6 Page 129
List of recommendations
Recommendation 1. The Commission acknowledges with grateful thanks the efforts of Jean Haley, Central Hill resident and chair of the local Residents Association, for her work and tenacity in getting the issue of asbestos within domestic council premises taken seriously and moving the issue up the agenda for the benefit of all Lambeth residents.
Asbestos Register/Data Management System
Recommendation 2. An agreed policy process needs to be developed that will enable residents access to the asbestos register.
Recommendation 3. It is recommended that access to electronic information on the asbestos register for officers, contractors and consultants continues to be improved and that this information is made accessible to tenants and leaseholders as soon as possible.
Recommendation 4. The Commission agreed that the current Excel spreadsheet is not a suitable format for maintaining an effective asbestos database management system. It therefore recommends the prioritisation of an appropriate internet-based I.T. solution for the asbestos register that is effective in the collection and sharing of information on asbestos in Lambeth dwellings. The Commission also asks that:
• this recommendation be implemented by relevant officers in Lambeth Living; Lambeth Housing, Regeneration and Environment (HRE); and Lambeth ICT Services; • the package must be compatible with SX3 or its upgrade; • safe storage, back-ups and ownership of the data by Lambeth must be ensured to avoid future losses; and • this internet-based I.T. solution should be in operation by end December 2009
During domestic refurbishment projects, responsive repairs and maintenance
Recommendation 5. In addition to accessing the asbestos register prior to any works taking place, all contractors and officers across all sections of Housing and Lambeth Living (or other agents) on domestic housing projects, responsive repairs and maintenance, must use the asbestos specialists Hyder (or successor contractor) when undertaking surveys to ensure there is a consistent approach to inspection, and immediate reporting and recording of findings on the asbestos register.
Recommendation 6. Develop clear and proper procedures for assisting residents barred from their homes due to asbestos disturbance, with guidelines for an appropriate support package. The package should take into account the possible requirement for emergency provision of clothing, accommodation, financial or other practical support (e.g. access to telephones).
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 7 Page 130
Communications
Recommendation 7. The Commission agreed that the refurbishments contracts, particularly in dealing with issues that cause concern such as asbestos, must be much more resident-centred. It recommends that the Council and Lambeth Living develop guidance and mechanisms for consultation with occupants, resident associations, ward councillors, neighbours, and others at a suitably local level. This includes both prior to domestic refurbishment projects getting underway and for informing and dealing with their queries and concerns throughout the process.
Recommendation 8. The Commission agreed that communications for residents need to be improved and noted the production by other local authorities of good quality materials for communications on domestic asbestos and managing its risks, such as reader friendly leaflets, letters and internet sites. They recommend obtaining guidance about best practice communications in this area in conjunction with communications professionals and in consultation with residents by the end of December 2009.
Recommendation 9. Communications must go out to tenants and leaseholders in council-owned housing stock about the existence or potential existence of asbestos in their homes. This should be to both new and existing tenants and leaseholders, and then whenever there is a tenancy change.
Recommendation 10. Consideration must be given to advise and support tenants and leaseholders who may wish to carry out DIY and other relevant projects in accessing the asbestos register and in obtaining asbestos surveys. This to ensure that they aware of the risks to themselves and those carrying out the works.
Recommendation 11. The full communications strategy is to be developed within three months and reported back to Housing Scrutiny.
Recommendation 12. The Commission has asked that the revised asbestos policies and procedures, along with the comprehensive training programme for officers and the requirements for contractors and their operatives, be returned to the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee for further review 1.
1 note that the action plan for these recommendations is monitored by the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee six and eighteen months after adoption by Cabinet. Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 8 Page 131
Section 1 - Introduction
Background to this review 1.1 Asbestos is an emotive issue due to the debilitating and usually fatal conditions that can result from inhaling its fibres. 1.2 Although there is a raft of regulation governing the management of asbestos in buildings, there is a particular grey area concerning domestic premises. 1.3 Its common use in building materials is therefore a matter for concern for those who reside in dwellings that may contain asbestos. Lambeth owns around 36000 properties consisting of about 26000 tenanted and just under 10000 leaseholders. The management of asbestos represents a significant responsibility for Lambeth as a borough and for Lambeth Living as the arms length management organisation currently responsible for managing most of the housing stock on Lambeth’s behalf. Other organisations such as United Resident Housing (URH) and other agents also manage a small amount of the housing stock. 1.4 Naturally, residents want to know that any asbestos in their homes is managed safely, particularly when any works are being carried out. 1.5 In September 2007, a contract for the installation of central heating in Lambeth council-owned residences began in the south of the borough with a high concentration of households in the Central Hill Estate area. 1.6 The Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association attended the site of the pilot flat for the contract at the end of August 2007 and raised some initial concerns about the project with officers present, including the issue of the presence of asbestos. 1.7 Complaints and issues arising from the works continued to be communicated by the Chair to Housing officers managing the contract. Becoming increasingly concerned, particularly about being unable to access the statutory asbestos register, the matter was escalated via a number of routes to the Chief Executive of Lambeth Council. 1.8 On the 21 st July 2008, the Chief Executive attended Tenants’ Council where the subject of asbestos was raised. The need for a scrutiny committee commission into managing asbestos in the Council’s housing stock was stressed. 1.9 Work began immediately in the Scrutiny Team on scoping the enquiry and drafting terms of reference. This involved the Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and local members, and brought in appropriate Lambeth Living officers at an early stage. 1.10 The Asbestos in Housing Refurbishment Commission was established and initial terms of reference formally adopted by Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee on 12 th September 2008.
Recommendation 1. The Commission acknowledges with grateful thanks the efforts of Jean Haley, Central Hill resident and chair of the local Residents Association, for her work and tenacity in getting the issue of asbestos within domestic council premises taken seriously and moving the issue up the agenda for the benefit of all Lambeth residents
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 9 Page 132
Terms of reference 1.11 To provide complete and detailed answers to questions previously raised via the Area Forum and Tenants’ Council with housing officers, Councillor Andrew Gibson’s March 2008 Freedom of Information (FOI) request, and queries outlined in letters to the Chief Executive. 1.12 To investigate and report the past and future proper use of an asbestos register, including clarity of procedures, a named point person, and sharing of information with contractors. 1.13 To clarify what asbestos register exists now. 1.14 To review how the Central Hill contract has been handled to date, including complaints from the TRA and ward councillors, and draw lessons for the future. 1.15 To look at the contract management of projects, particularly with regard to health and safety, and public information – with a focus on asbestos. 1.16 To limit this enquiry to a small number of sessions over a short time-scale.
Methodology 1.17 From the outset of the commission, there was a determination to demonstrate the independence of scrutiny for residents. The Chair of the Central Hill Residents association, also chair of the Norwood Area Housing Forum, was involved at every stage to ensure focus on resident concerns. The commission also drew upon the skills within the community by inviting Rita Fitzgerald, a local resident, to become a co-opted member of the panel. 1.18 Ensure the involvement of residents and a focus on their concerns at every step of the way. 1.19 The commission received large quantities of documentation including technical manuals, asbestos survey data, results of freedom of information searches, and responses to queries arising from residents and local councillors. 1.20 These were distilled at two public meetings drawing upon the expert opinion of asbestos specialists and representation from Legal Services along with senior officers from Housing Technical Services in Lambeth Living and the Housing, Regeneration and Environment department. 1.21 A crucial part of the process, however, was hearing directly from residents, and indirectly from other local councillors, about the real impact that asbestos was having on their lives during the refurbishment of domestic properties. More importantly, they were able to articulate what assurances they needed regarding the management of asbestos in their homes. 1.22 On completion of the commission’s work, the constitution requires departmental officers to draw up an action plan in response to report’s recommendations and report to Cabinet. This will be monitored at regular intervals by the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee. 1.23 The commission expressed the hope that stretching targets would be set by Council and Lambeth Living officers in responding to its recommendations in the action plan to Cabinet and in other commitments made to the commission designed to resolve the issues that have been identified around asbestos management.
Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 10 Page 133
Timeline of events 1.24 The timeline below is an outline of dates specifically related to the commission itself. For a fuller list of events turn to Appendix 1 which contains a more detailed history of asbestos issues over a number of years.
21 July 2008 Lambeth’s Chief Executive attended Tenants’ Council where the subject of asbestos was raised. The need for a scrutiny committee commission into managing asbestos in the Council’s housing stock was stressed. 5 August 2008 Lead Scrutiny Officer meets with Chair of the Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and Councillor Andrew Gibson to discuss the key concerns to aid the development of draft terms of reference for an asbestos commission. 11 September 2008 Commission formally established at Housing Scrutiny meeting, and initial scope agreed. 12 September 2008 Nominations for commission membership requested. 30 September 2008 Commission membership agreed as Councillors Peter Bowyer, Jeremy Clyne, Adedamola Aminu, and John Whelan. 30 September 2008 Further discussions undertaken between Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and Lead Scrutiny Officer in order to produce guidance for officers providing initial evidence to the Commission. 28 October 2008 First meeting of Asbestos in Housing Refurbishment commission held. Co-option of local resident Rita Fitzgerald onto commission. Presentation of initial evidence. 25 November 2008 Second meeting of Asbestos in Housing Refurbishment commission. Report by Director of Property Services delivered. Evidence includes that of an external asbestos specialist. 26 January 2009 Commission meets for the last time to discuss final recommendations. 25 February 2009 Final recommendations drafted and circulated to commission members for comment and approval. 27 February 2009 Meeting with Manager of Professional Services from Housing, Regeneration and Environment to clarify information requests from commission. 2 March 2009 Final recommendations circulated to Lambeth Living Director of Property Services, Planned Maintenance Manager, Councillor Gibson and Chair of Central Hill Residents Association. They were advised that Lambeth Living and Council officers would have to respond to the recommendations with an action plan to Cabinet.
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Acknowledgments
The Commission Councillor Adedamola Aminu Councillor Peter Bowyer (Chair) Councillor Jeremy Clyne Rita Fitzgerald, Lambeth resident co-opted member Councillor John Whelan Witnesses Bob Gleaves – Interim Manager of Professional Services, Valuation and Asset Management Services, Housing, Regeneration & Environment Richard Clements – Contract Administrator, John Pelling and Partners Robert Fox – Asbestos Consultant, EC Harris Jean Haley – Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ & Residents’ Association and Norwood Forum Councillor Andrew Gibson – Gipsy Hill ward Thank you also to the other members of the public who attended commission meetings and for the valuable contributions you made to the discussions. Officers : Jacqui Alexander – Planned Maintenance Manager, Lambeth Living Greg Carson, Principal Lawyer, Housing Legal Team, Finance &Resources Paul W. Cooper - Interim Assistant Director Strategy & Regeneration, Housing, Regeneration & Environment Bob Gleaves – Professional Services Manager VAMS, Housing, Regeneration & Environment Byron Green - Lead Scrutiny Officer, Finance & Resources Darren McCabe - Executive Support Officer, Lambeth Living David Thompson – Director of Property Services, Lambeth Living Joanne Tutt, Scrutiny Administrator, Finance & Resources Kate Zaki – Client Manager, Housing, Regeneration & Environment
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Section 2 - Commission Findings
What is asbestos and why is it problem? 2 2.1 Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material that was extensively used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s. It was used for a variety of purposes and was deemed ideal for fireproofing and insulation. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 (houses, factories, offices, schools, hospitals etc) can contain asbestos. Asbestos materials in good condition are safe unless asbestos fibres become airborne, which happens when materials are damaged. 2.2 Some common places you will find asbestos materials are: • ceiling tiles; • coating on ceilings, walls and stairwells (textured coatings); • sprayed coating on ducts, pipes and some ceilings; • boards around radiators, windows, fireplaces, building columns, pillars (asbestos insulating boards or AIBs); • inside fire doors; • soffit boards; • insulation on pipes; • sealants on pipe joints, gaskets; • ropes and yarns; • fuse boxes; • electrical switchgear; • water tanks; • cement products: roof sheets, down pipes 2.3 Working on or near damaged asbestos-containing materials or breathing in high levels of asbestos fibres, which may be many hundreds of times that of environmental levels could increase your chances of getting an asbestos-related disease. 2.4 When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases which are responsible for around 4000 deaths a year. There are three main diseases caused by asbestos: mesothelioma (which is always fatal), lung cancer (almost always fatal) and asbestosis (not always fatal, but it can be very debilitating). 2.5 There were over 2,000 deaths in 2005 due to the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. In addition, it is estimated that there were a similar number due to asbestos-related lung cancer. 2.6 These diseases will not affect people immediately but later on in life, so there is a need for people to protect themselves now to prevent the contraction of an asbestos-related disease in the future. Due to the 30-40 year average latency period between the exposure to asbestos fibres and the onset of these diseases, currently occurring cases relate to exposure in the past when asbestos was less well regulated than today and more widely used in industry.
2 For this information and more, go to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website or the Asbestos “hidden killer” site at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/hiddenkiller/index.htm Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 13 Page 136
Examples of asbestos common in domestic dwellings (images) 3
Asbestos textured coating Perforated AIB ceiling tiles damaged around the light fitting
Asbestos panelling inside heater AIB window sill cupboard
Torn asbestos pipe lagging Pipe insulated using both asbestos lagging and rope
Asbestos rope used as insulation on a Asbestos containing vinyl floor tiles pipe
3Source: HSE webite http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/gallery.htm Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 14 Page 137
Some important safety information 2.7 The Health and Safety Executive advises that it is important to remember that “if the asbestos is in good condition and not likely to be disturbed, it is usually safer to leave it in place and manage it. Removal may be unnecessary and costly!”4 2.8 In addition, high hazard asbestos products (i.e. sprayed coating, lagging, insulation and AIB) should only be worked on by a licensed contractor unless the work is of very short duration, and if you have been trained. Legal requirements for dealing with asbestos 2.9 The commission received advice on the legal requirements for dealing with asbestos from officers from the Council’s Legal Division. 2.10 The commission was told that the duty to manage asbestos in premises was introduced into law on 21 May 2004 and is enforced under regulation 4 of The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. 2.11 The duty requires those who have responsibilities for maintenance activities in non-domestic premises to assess whether there is any asbestos in their premises, and, depending on its condition, either remove it or manage it — making sure that maintenance or other activities carried out subsequently do not expose the workers to any avoidable risk. They must ensure that information on the location and condition of these materials is given to anyone likely to disturb them. 2.12 This duty requires the duty holder to take the following key actions: • to take reasonable steps to find any asbestos in the premises and assess the condition of these materials; • to presume that materials do contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not; • to prepare a record of the location and condition of these asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) and assess the risk from them; • to prepare and implement a plan to manage those risks, e.g. fibre release from friable AIB panels; and • to provide information on the location and condition of the material to anyone who is liable to disturb it; • to monitor the condition of the material left in place, and to review the assessment of risk periodically. 2.13 There is little in the way of legislation that deals specifically with asbestos in domestic premises. Most of the legislation is directed to work related activities and some legislation specifically excludes domestic premises and domestic servants. 2.14 The Council is subject to various repairing and maintenance obligations. Some of these are implied (see section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Ac 1985). These repairing obligations are also backed up by the express conditions contained in the Council's tenancy conditions. These obligations will only arise once the Council as landlord has notice of the disrepair and repair does not include improvement. The presence of asbestos alone would not necessarily constitute disrepair. If it was in good condition and adequately managed, the Council would be under no obligation to remove it.
4 Health and Safety Executive (01/2008), “Manage buildings? You must manage asbestos”
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2.15 In addition to this, there is section 4 of the Defective Premises Act 1972. However this does not really take the Council's duty as a landlord much further than those that are set out by section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act, in that they only relate to what is regarded as 'disrepair'; and only then when the Council has been given notice by the tenant of the disrepair or by the express conditions contained in the Council's tenancy agreement. 2.16 The repairing duty towards leaseholders (where the original lease is in excess of 7 years) is governed by the terms of the lease. There are no implied repairing obligations. 2.17 The principal protection for tenants is under s79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1980 where the Council would be required to act if the premises constitute a statutory nuisance. 2.18 The Housing Act 2004 introduced new categories of hazards to determine whether there is a statutory nuisance, including Category One and Category Two hazards. The Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005 sets out a complex rating system for determining which category the harm falls into. This is done by setting out classes of harm and assessing the percentage of likelihood of the harm occurring. Risks of exposure to asbestos is one of the classes of harm that can be taken into account. Where a Category One harm exists an abatement notice can be served on the Council as the landlord and require the Council to abate the notice within 21 days. Failure to abate the Hazard within that period can result in criminal prosecutions and fines. 2.19 The HSE provides little guidance on asbestos in domestic premises and as stated above most of the legislation refers to asbestos in the work place. Good practice would however indicate that if workers are required to work in domestic premises this should be regarded as a place of work. Aside from the Asbestos Regulations 2007, there is also other work related legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, which will cover work whether it is carried out in domestic or non-domestic premises. There are a number of general duties such as 3.1 in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act, which would be wide enough to cover workers and residents, regardless of the type of property. 2.20 The HSE refers you to their guide to the Directgov site for what to do if you find asbestos in your dwelling and you want it inspected or removed. However, all the guide does is direct the viewer to their local authority’s website. 2.21 The Council has other common law duties of care e.g. in negligence, nuisance, quiet enjoyment and occupiers liability. 2.22 If the Council was aware of the presence of dangerous asbestos, apart from the statutory nuisance liability the Council could be forced to abate the nuisance. If a person were to suffer damage as a result of the presence of asbestos and this is something the Council did or should have known about the council may be liable in negligence for any personal injury that the tenant or lawful occupant of that property suffers. 2.23 The question is what is the duty of care? In the HSE's "'A short guide to Managing Asbestos in premises" at page 11 the HSE recommends that once the presence of asbestos has been identified it is necessary to implement and plan to manage those risks. 2.24 Where asbestos is in good condition; and it is not likely to be damaged; and it is not likely to be worked on or disturbed, the HSE states it is usually safer to leave
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it in place and to manage it. However, where asbestos is in poor condition or is likely to be damaged or disturbed it is necessary to decide whether it should be repaired, sealed, enclosed or removed. The guide then goes on to describe what the HSE considers appropriate action to manage the asbestos. 2.25 There is little in the legislation or common law that would place a positive duty on the Council to seek out asbestos in dwellings. However once the Council is aware of the presence of asbestos in a property the Council's duty of care to tenants and contractors (and any breach thereof) would need to be evaluated depending on the circumstances. 2.26 The commission asked whether the council had an obligation to advise tenants of the presence of asbestos in their property, and if so, whether there was a legal requirement for the council to have a register of all the properties with asbestos. 2.27 Mr Greg Carson, Principal Lawyer (Housing Legal Team) advised that the council had a common law duty of care rather than a statutory obligation. It was also noted that the council did not have a register of properties with asbestos, but did need to carry out the same checks. The current situation 2.28 Members noted that one of the key issues raised by the Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association was not being able to gain access to an asbestos register. 2.29 Officers advised the commission that the current asbestos database is being managed by Hyder through a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, and that the database was commissioned by Hyder in 2005. 2.30 A member of the public expressed the view that this is an out of date and unsafe form of information management. 2.31 Officers agreed that this is not the best system to manage large volumes of data and the preferred solution would be through a database system customised to the requirements of the Council. 2.32 Members also asked for an explanation for the “lost” evidence of previous asbestos surveys dating back to 1997 raised by the Chair of Central Hill Resident’s Association. 2.33 It was noted that Lambeth Scientific Surveys had undertaken an asbestos survey prior to 2000 and that this information is now on the spreadsheet. However, there had been a period when this information was not held centrally and in a variety of forms. Until recently no complete version could be recovered and uploaded onto the asbestos database. Following recent efforts, which resulted in the recovery of the dataset, the information has been on the system since October 2008. 2.34 The independent asbestos consultant, Mr Robert Fox, from EC Harris, who attended the second commission meeting as an expert witness, also noted that the current database is simplistic and needs expanding. 2.35 Members were keen to see the continued improvement of the asbestos database with preparations for allowing resident access at an early stage. They noted that clear policy guidelines will need to be developed to govern such a process, such as who can again access to what information and in what timeframe and communicate to residents how they can go about it. 2.36 Members also asked for assurances that Lambeth housing stock under the control of agents other than Lambeth Living and residences classed as
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temporary accommodation would benefit from the recommendations contained within this report. Recommendation 2. An agreed policy process needs to be developed that will enable residents access to the asbestos register.
Recommendation 3. It is recommended that access to electronic information on the asbestos register for officers, contractors and consultants continues to be improved and that this information is made accessible to tenants and leaseholders as soon as possible. 2.37 One commission member referred to the following statement by officers. “Our plans are to have access to the asbestos data base by all contractors though an open interface by December 2010. 5” He queried why it was taking so long to achieve integration and asked if it could be addressed sooner. 2.38 The Director of Property Services noted that this date was a reference to when new contractors would connect to the system and agreed to investigate integrating now with Morrison and Connaught. 2.39 However, there is currently no ‘off the shelf’ solution to this system and whichever system is selected there will need to be some degree of customisation to ensure compatibility. All the systems currently investigated and on the market do not readily interface with SX3 (examples include Multibase, Ms SharePoint, PSI and Techforge.) 2.40 Members wanted to ensure that through co-operation between officers across the Council and Lambeth Living, work to upgrade and integrate electronic asbestos register systems would be completed by the end of 2009. Recommendation 4. The Commission agreed that the current Excel spreadsheet is not a suitable format for maintaining an effective asbestos database management system. It therefore recommends the prioritisation of an appropriate internet/I.T. solution for the asbestos register that is effective in the collection and sharing of information on asbestos in Lambeth dwellings. The Commission also asks that:
• this recommendation be implemented by relevant officers in Lambeth Living; Lambeth Housing, Regeneration and Environment (HRE); and Lambeth ICT Services; • the package must be compatible with SX3 or its upgrade; • safe storage, back-ups and ownership of the data by Lambeth must be ensured to avoid future losses; • and this solution should be operational by end December 2009 2.41 Officers informed the commission that in the past, Lambeth Project Managers have furnished contractors and contract administrators with hard copies of the relevant part of the asbestos database. Contractors have used this information in preparation for the specification for works and in deciding to carry out further asbestos investigations. 2.42 The absence of internal asbestos information on the Lambeth register has meant that at the commencement of a contract the Council often identified that it had no information to share. At that point, the contractor would make a judgement about the need to undertake a further asbestos survey dependant on the works in the
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contract, the age and overall condition of the property. Contractors have either used their own specialists or have used Hyder. 2.43 Officers from professional services and the independent asbestos consultant provided the commission with explanations of the requirements and practices of carrying out asbestos surveys. They outlined the types of asbestos surveys and sampling arrangements as summarised below and in the box opposite. 2.44 During a contract, the contractor holds the asbestos survey material in a contract Health and Safety Plan. It presents this to the Council at the end of the contract as part of a Health and Safety File for recording. At this point the Council updates the asbestos register. 2.45 The commission observed that Health and Safety regulations apply to all contractors whether internal or external and that the council has an obligation to ensure the contractor carries out certain regulations including a risk assessment. It queried if council officers had seen the relevant documents from the contractor involved in the Central Hill refurbishments and asked what copies of risk assessments the council had. 2.46 It was pointed out that contractors should submit their Risk Assessments and Method Statements to the appropriate council and Lambeth Living or other agent’s officers before commencing works on-site. Members stated that this is standard industry practice for all building works without which any properly run company would not allow a subcontractor on-site. They noted that the contractor could duplicate this information when handing in the Health and Safety File at the end of the contract. 2.47 The Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association pointed out that she had received a copy of a Rommany Prospect Residence Asbestos Survey in April 2007 highlighting the presence of asbestos. She noted that the Council did not receive a copy of this report until 27 February 2008, and queried why it had taken so long for the report to be passed to the council. 2.48 Officers replied that at the point at which the heating contract commenced there was no information on the asbestos register for the inside of domestic properties on Central Hill. 2.49 The heating installation contractor, EPS, was required to produce a Health & Safety Plan concerning the approach to be taken to each property within the heating replacement contract. It is only at the very end of the contract that a contractor is formally required to present that Plan in the form of a Health & Safety File to the Council. EPS undertook a Type 2 Asbestos Survey at the commencement of their work. This was a sample survey and informed their approach. This was complemented further into the contract by a Type 3 survey which again informed the approach to work in homes. 2.50 Lambeth Living officers confirmed that the Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association was supplied with a copy of a survey report for a Rommany Prospect property in April 2007. The information she received was part of a larger, final set of reports and other information that is standard for the contractor to hand over to the council once the formal contract processes are completed. This full report was subsequently handed over to the council in February 2008 as this was when the contract was completed. 2.51 The commission expressed alarm that immediate notification of a positive asbestos survey had not taken place centrally and the information made available. Such a delay in the passing on of knowledge of the location of
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asbestos meant that it could not be shared with subsequent contractors and sub- contractors. Members were concerned that the risks to workers and residents could have been reduced had this not been the case. 2.52 Lambeth Living officers also noted that it is unusual for a second contract to begin before a first contract is completed. This had also contributed to the delay in passing on the information obtained on asbestos. 2.53 Officers agreed that there was a need to change the notification process due to the length of contracts. 2.54 The commission pointed out that it would have been desirable to share the information in the Rommany Prospect report earlier. Officers confirmed that they now instruct contractors to pass on asbestos reports immediately. This should occur in the future, particularly if Hyder is used as the asbestos contractor, as is required. 2.55 Members were concerned to hear of residents who had clearly had distressing experiences because of the works carried out in their homes, especially where asbestos hazard compounded them. 2.56 They pointed out that risk from asbestos could occur when any type of work was carried out. In addition to major works contracts, examples could include maintenance and responsive repairs to heaters systems and boilers. 2.57 Members wanted to emphasise that that ALL contractors, including responsive repairs contractors and other sub-contractors have to seek out the register before carrying out works that may disrupt the structure of a property, and carry out and report asbestos surveys appropriately. Members also asked that there was clarity around the role of the council’s own asbestos officer(s) and how that role fits in with contractors like Hyder. Recommendation 5. In addition to accessing the asbestos register prior to commencing any works, that all contractors and officers across all sections of Housing and Lambeth Living (or other agents) on domestic housing projects, responsive repairs and maintenance, must use the asbestos specialists Hyder (or successor contractor) when undertaking surveys to ensure there is a consistent approach to inspection, and immediate reporting and recording of findings on the asbestos register. 2.58 In one serious example, residents found themselves excluded from their homes overnight without notice due to asbestos contamination and suffer with rooms boarded up without being properly informed of what was going to happen or when. It was also apparent that the contractors on-site were not always appropriately equipped to advise or support residents in such situations. 2.59 Other issues included the loss of amenities such as heating for indeterminate periods, stopgap measures whilst residents remained in occupation that appeared to be safety risks in themselves. 2.60 Members saw evidence of recurrences in safety issues caused by the storage of asbestos materials on-site. Evidence suggests these could have been avoided if the risks had been assessed and communicated better to other contractors after the first incident. Members hoped that such incidents, which placed both workers’ and residents’ health at risk, could be avoided in future.
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Types of Asbestos surveys 6 TYPE 1 Location and assessment survey (presumptive survey) The purpose of the survey is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building and assess their condition. This survey essentially defers the need to sample and analyse for asbestos (or the absence thereof) until a later time (e.g. prior to demolition or major refurbishment). The duty holder bears potential additional costs of management for some non-asbestos-containing materials. All areas should be accessed and inspected as far as reasonably practicable (e.g. above false ceilings and inside risers, service ducts, lift shafts, etc.) or must be presumed to contain asbestos. Any material which can reasonably be expected to contain asbestos must be presumed to contain asbestos and where it appears highly likely to contain asbestos, there should be a strong presumption that it does. All materials which are presumed to contain asbestos, must be assessed. No samples are taken during this survey type.
TYPE 2 Standard sampling identification and assessment survey (sampling survey) The purpose and procedures used in this survey are the same as for Type 1, except that representative samples are collected and analysed for the presence of asbestos. Samples from each type of suspect ACM found are collected and analysed to confirm or refute the surveyor's judgement. If the material sampled is found to contain asbestos, other similar homogeneous materials used in the same way in the building can be strongly presumed to contain asbestos. Less homogeneous materials will require a greater number of samples. The number should be sufficient for the surveyor to make an assessment of whether asbestos is or is not present. Sampling may take place simultaneously with the survey, or as is the case of some larger surveys, can be carried out as a separate exercise, after the Type 1 survey is complete.
The number of samples taken varies according to factors such as the building size, age, construction type, complexity, etc. Typical sampling can be estimated as follows: specific area/room (2 samples); 3 bedroom dwelling - full survey (average 4 samples); small communal area (2 samples); large communal area - e.g. including stairwell, corridors, bin stores, loft areas, electrical cupboards, etc (6 samples); small office (7 samples); large office/building (10 samples); full school/ library (20 samples).
TYPE 3 Full access sampling and identification survey (pre-demolition/major refurbishment surveys) This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable all ACMs in the building and may involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A full sampling programme is undertaken to identify possible ACMs and estimates of the volume and surface area of ACMs made. The survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering the removal of ACMs from the building prior to demolition or major refurbishment so the survey does not assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to note areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris may be expected to be present. The number of samples will be in line with the Type 2 survey process but with additional sample numbers of approximately 20%.
6 Evidence provided by Lambeth’s Manager of Professional Services Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 21 Page 144
2.61 The commission decided that much more must be done to prepare residents and contractors for the possibility of such an occurrences, to let them know what level of support residents can expect and where to get it from, and to agree with them a plan in advance in the eventuality of any incidents. Recommendation 6. Develop clear and proper procedures for assisting residents barred from their homes due to asbestos disturbance, with guidelines for an appropriate support package. The package should take into account the possible requirement for emergency provision of clothing, accommodation, financial or other practical support (e.g. access to telephones). 2.62 One member pointed out that, from experience, difficulties often developed when residents were asked to contact contractors directly when problems arose due to works. 2.63 Members also discovered that the council were not picking up complaints that were made to EPS, the contractor responsible for installing the heating systems in the Central Hill area. They felt there was a need for better monitoring of contracts as residents could not be expected to complain to both the council and the contractor. 2.64 Councillor Andrew Gibson (Gipsy Hill ward) commented, “that what has been discussed is the basis of a good policy but that the focus is wrong.” He noted that in the Communications section of the draft Asbestos Management Plan 7 “residents are listed last and that this sends out completely the wrong message.” 2.65 He described it as a two-legged dairy stool, with the resident-centred third leg missing and stated, “We need to ensure that the whole process is resident centred. Information needs to be communicated in a form that can be easily understood by residents and their concerns need to be taken into account.” Recommendation 7. The Commission agreed that the refurbishments contracts, particularly in dealing with issues that cause concern such as asbestos, must be much more resident-centred. It recommends that the Council and Lambeth Living develop guidance and mechanisms for consultation with occupants, resident associations, ward councillors, neighbours, and others at a suitably local level. This includes both prior to domestic refurbishment projects getting underway and for informing and dealing with their queries and concerns throughout the process.
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2.66 One local councillor cited the heavy text in a generic advisory letter to residents from the “Guidance on Managing and Working with Asbestos” 8 and described it as a dinosaur. In contrast, it was suggested that literature produced elsewhere such as in Sutton and other boroughs was resident facing and there were many best practice examples to draw upon. 2.67 A commission member observed that, with many communications professionals around the table, the commission needed to ensure that communications were a key consideration and not a knee jerk reaction. Communication materials needed to convey clear, comprehensive information and transmit exactly the right messages. Messages though urgent, must not be rushed. Recommendation 8. The Commission agreed that communications for residents need to be improved and noted the production by other local authorities of good quality materials for communications on domestic asbestos and managing its risks, such as reader friendly leaflets, letters and internet sites. They recommend obtaining guidance about best practice communications in this area in conjunction with communications professionals and in consultation with residents by the end of December 2009. 2.68 Residents attending the commission mentioned that new tenants used to receive a letter informing them if there was asbestos in their home, but that this no longer occurred. The commission asked officers to look into this. 2.69 Officers were unable to confirm that there was a borough wide policy to inform new tenants of the presence of asbestos in their homes. They suggested that from 2000 to 2005, some neighbourhoods were more proactive in supplying the local data base information than others. However, they stated that no such letters were currently provided to new tenants. 2.70 The Director of Property Services confirmed that there will be a revised section on asbestos in the Tenants’ Handbook. 2.71 It was pointed out that all Lambeth tenants and leaseholders received regular personalised correspondence such as annual rent statements or service charge bills and that this would seem an easy and inexpensive way circulate asbestos notifications. 2.72 The commission Chair agreed that the notification of tenants was a simple and obvious recommendation to address and there was little or no cost implication attached. 2.73 One commission member suggested that letters should be sent to new and existing tenants about asbestos in their properties, including a generic letter where the presence of asbestos was unknown. Recommendation 9. Communications must go out to tenants and leaseholders in council-owned housing stock about the existence or potential existence of asbestos in their homes. This should be to both new and existing tenants and leaseholders, and then whenever there is a tenancy change. 2.74 One resident present also noted that the growth in DIY culture in recent years, especially with leaseholders, needed to be considered with respect to asbestos policies. He pointed out that residents could be putting themselves at risk without realising it and would be unlikely to notify the Council, Lambeth Living or other agents about such work.
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2.75 Commission members agreed, with one noting that tenants also need to be covered in this, as they might just as easily drill into a wall e.g. to hang a cupboard or carry out other work for which permission is not required. 2.76 It was also suggested that, in the present economic climate, people would be more likely to undertake home improvements themselves or use less expensive tradesman who may not be so well trained in asbestos procedures. 2.77 Members wanted to ensure that residents undertaking DIY or other projects without advising the Council, Lambeth Living or other agents were aware of the risks to themselves and those carrying out the works. Recommendation 10. Consideration must be given to advise and support tenants and leaseholders who may wish to carry out DIY and other relevant projects in accessing the asbestos register and in obtaining asbestos surveys. This to ensure that they aware of the risks to themselves and those carrying out the works. 2.78 The commission felt that the need to reassure residents on matters concerning asbestos was an urgent one. They recommended that a strategy to tackle the issue of communication with residents be developed as quickly as possible. Recommendation 11. The full communications strategy is to be developed within three months and reported back to Housing Scrutiny.
Work underway to improve the management of Asbestos 2.79 As mentioned previously, the commission heard evidence from an independent external expert witness, Mr Robert Fox from EC Harris. Mr Fox’s background is as a chartered surveyor working in asbestos issues since the early 1980s. 2.80 At Lambeth, he is assisting the development of a procurement contract for maintenance work and asbestos management risks (part of the Lambeth Housing Procurement Project). 2.81 He explained that there are two areas that need managing – the risk within a property and the risk from disturbance activities. 2.82 There are several procedures for managing risks and the risk assessment process is at the core of this. The issue depends on whether the work undertaken is reactive, planned maintenance or installation work. 2.83 The core risk assessment process is undertaken in 3 stages, as outlined in the decision flow chart below. 2.84 The Chair asked if Mr Fox had been engaged to look at policy development. 2.85 Mr Fox confirmed he had been employed to look at policy but was now looking at procedures. The procedures needed updating as the 2002 regulations had been superseded. Members suggested that the procedures could be brought forward wherever possible in the interim period before the start of the new procurement contracts in 2010. 2.86 Members were keen to ensure that this knowledge was captured within the council. 2.87 It was confirmed that all procedures had been clearly documented. It was also pointed out that processes, such as the whole risk assessment process, were driven by authorised officers and not contractors, thereby ensuring that ownership was retained.
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Decision flow chart
Use this simple flow chart to help you decide who needs to do the work.
Asbestos cement Loose asbestos, Asbestos insulating sheet articles insulation, lagging board (AIB) or block containing asbestos fibre, fabric, textured coating
Does work with this material involve someone working for more than one hour in a week?
YES NO
For two or more workers does their total work time exceed two hours, start to finish, in a week?
YES NO
Task is not licensed.
The task needs an HSE-licensed Use the appropriate task sheet with the contractor. relevant equipment and method sheet. Minimise the number of people present.
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2.88 One member enquired if the policies and procedures were based on models elsewhere and if they were being adapted to suit Lambeth. 2.89 Mr Fox stated that the processes were based on the regulations. He also confirmed that EC Harris worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the development of the new procedures and they were classing the work as best practice. 2.90 For example, the reactive maintenance procedure is based on the decision flow chart produced by the HSE. It can be found in their “Asbestos Essentials” publication designed to help people comply with asbestos procedures in maintenance. 2.91 This was welcomed by the commission. 2.92 He emphasised that appropriate training was in place to recognise asbestos and that clear procedures were in place to deal with any discovery of asbestos as appropriate. This should be evident from the new documentation. 2.93 The contract manager from Pellings noted that although asbestos surveys are undertaken where needed for planned works, it is still possible that during the course of work something could be found. It is therefore important that all operatives are “asbestos aware” and have received appropriate training.
Recommendation 12. The Commission has asked that the revised asbestos policies and procedures, along with the comprehensive training programme for officers and the requirements for contractors and their operatives, be returned to the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee for further review 9.
Ongoing commitments from Lambeth Living: 2.94 Lambeth Living’s Director of Property Services stated, “Clearly Lambeth Living with and on behalf of the Council take the responsibilities in respect of the management of asbestos seriously and we want to learn lessons from the Central Hill heating contract.”10 2.95 The commission welcomed this and the following points and commitments made in the report from the Director to the second meeting: • We have introduced a significant amount of pre-2005 internal information to the asbestos register. • We are already comprehensively renewing policy and procedures and will build in a comprehensive training programme for staff following. • We will develop information on asbestos for all tenants and leaseholders and for new tenants. • We will improve electronic access information on the asbestos register for officers, contractors and consultants. • This enhanced electronic information will also assist in responding to queries from tenants and leaseholders. • We will continue to enhance the external and internal asbestos register database.
9 note that the action plan for these recommendations is monitored by the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee initially six months after adoption by Cabinet. 10 Page 7, report by Director of Technical Service to Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment Scrutiny Commission, 25 November 2008 Asbestos Safety in Housing Refurbishment, June 2009 PAGE 26 Page 149
• We will ask all contractors to use our specialists Hyder, when undertaking surveys to ensure we have a consistent approach to inspection. • Where we plan schemes for work that cover wide geographical areas, we will ensure that the approach to consultation and asbestos management is consistent with contracts based on smaller neighbourhoods. • We will ensure that contractor surveys are immediately added to the asbestos data base and will not wait for the Health and Safety File to be formally handed to Lambeth Living. 2.96 The commission again expressed the hope that stretching targets would be set by Council and Lambeth Living officers in responding to its recommendations in the action plan to Cabinet and in other commitments made to the commission designed to resolve the issues that have been identified around asbestos management.
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Section 3 - Concluding remarks
3.1 Although the commission managed to obtain answers and clarity on the vast majority of its enquiries, there was some criticism about the presentation of paper-based evidence particularly early on in the commission. The sheer volume of papers supplied made it extremely difficult for the commission to access. One member described it as unsatisfactory and confusing documentation. Members suggested that to avoid hampering future commissions in a similar way, clear guidance is prepared on how to set out and reference such evidence in a much more accessible way. 3.2 The original terms of reference allowed for a wider investigation into more general project and contract management issues. Members expressed concern that there was evidence of poor practices in these areas; however, they decided to focus their report on asbestos related matters. The commission suggested that management issues not related specifically to asbestos be referred back to the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee for attention. 3.3 The commission were pleased to hear of the ongoing work to update Lambeth’s own asbestos management policies and procedures, and that the Health and Safety Executive were classing it as best practice. 3.4 The resulting recommendations from this commission, however, do point out that while delivering best practice based on meeting regulations and legal obligations is important, it is not sufficient. Without the right focus on residents, asbestos management becomes the management of fear and anger. 3.5 The commission believes that the recommendations it has framed in the course of it enquiries will allow Lambeth to become a leader in asbestos management and safety, particularly in domestic settings. 3.6 The three main areas of recommendations were around: • the development of, and public access to, an asbestos register for council- owned domestic premises • guidelines for supporting residents impacted by works involving asbestos hazards, and • much improved communication and consultation, both of which must become more resident-centred 3.7 The commission challenged officers to be ambitious when developing the action plan, which will drive through the recommendations. They noted that though targets and milestones for delivering the actions need to be realistic, they must also be stretching to ensure improvements in the way that asbestos is managed benefits residents in Lambeth’s council-owned housing stock as quickly as possible.
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Section 4 - Asbestos Timeline (1997 to 2009)
This is a more extensive history of events affecting the management of asbestos in Lambeth owned residential properties. By no means exhaustive, it covers instances documented in evidence supplied to the commission.
27 July 2009 Report of the Asbestos in Housing Refurbishment Scrutiny Commission and the action plan produced in response to its recommendation by officers in Lambeth Living and the council’s HRE department put before Lambeth Council’s Cabinet 2 April 2009 A précis of the commission’s conclusions and recommendations provided for reporting to Tenant’s Council. 1 April 2009 The lead scrutiny officer attended a meeting to support key Lambeth Living and council officers who would be involved in developing the action plan. The background for each recommendation was explained, an approach for each was discussed, as were the requirements for the development of the action plan. A copy of the action plan template and guidance with updated recommendations already incorporated was provided to Lambeth Living officers by email. 2 March 2009 Final recommendations circulated to Lambeth Living Director of Property Services, Planned Maintenance Manager, Councillor Gibson and Chair of Central Hill Residents association. They were advised that Lambeth Living and Council officers would have to provide an action plan to Cabinet in response to them. 27 February 2009 Meeting with Manager of Professional Services to clarify information requests from commission. 25 February 2009 Final recommendations drafted and circulated to commission members for comment and approval. 26 January 2009 Commission meets for the last time to discuss final recommendations. 25 November 2008 Second meeting of Asbestos in Housing Refurbishment commission. Report by Director of Property Services delivered. Evidence includes that of an external asbestos specialist. 14 November 2008 Local Member of Parliament, Tessa Jowell, writes to the commission supporting a recommendation to include internal asbestos in its (domestic) properties on the register. She expressed concern that there is no legal requirement to keep such information on a register and committed to work towards remedying this situation in her own capacity as an MP. 28 October 2008 First meeting of Asbestos in Housing Refurbishment commission held. Co-option of local resident Rita Fitzgerald onto commission. Presentation of initial evidence. October 2008 Recovery of Lambeth Scientific Surveys survey information prior to 2000 and this information is now on the available on the asbestos register spreadsheet. 30 September 2008 Further discussions between Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and Lead Scrutiny Officer in order to
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produce guidance for officers providing initial evidence to the Commission. 30 September 2008 Commission membership agreed. 12 September 2008 Nominations for commission membership requested. 11 September 2008 Commission formally established at Housing Scrutiny meeting, and initial scope agreed. 5 August Lead Scrutiny Officer meets with Chair of the Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and Councillor Gibson to discuss the key concerns to aid the development of draft terms of reference for an asbestos commission. 21 July 2008 Lambeth’s Chief Executive attended Tenants’ Council where the subject of asbestos was raised. The need for a scrutiny committee commission into managing asbestos in the Council’s housing stock was stressed. 26 March 2008 Tenant from Barker Walk was informed disturbed asbestos had been discovered and not to return home. Tenant given £30 for overnight clothing and spends the night at a friend’s house. Found upon return to her home it had been left in an unacceptable condition and heaters left in the garden. 20 March 2008 Asbestos issues discussed at Tenants Council. Tenants’ Council approve a call for a special enquiry by the Office of the Chief Executive. Councillor Gibson writes to Chief Executive requesting a special council inquiry to investigate this matter. 13 March 2008 The meeting with senior officers requested by the Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association takes place but she is informed there is not a copy of the asbestos register available. 03 March 2008 Email from Gasbestos reporting a third breakage of panelling on the Central Hill Estate. 13 February 2008 Officer response issued to Norwood Forum reference. December 2007 Issue discussed at Norwood Forum and referred up to Tenant’s Council. 3 December 2007 Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association requested a meeting with senior officers via the Executive Director and asked to see the asbestos register. 29 November 2007 Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association raises questions regarding the asbestos register with Planned Maintenance Manager. 24 th / 25 th to 30 EPS instruct Gasbestos to come to site to inspect the two November 2007 properties. Samples taken of the board and internal walls for analysis. Air samples were also taken, which came back negative. Notification of AIBs to be removed is given but work not at this stage commenced. 20 November 2007 Press Statement drafted for the Regeneration and Housing department in response to the issue of asbestos found on Central Hill. 05 November 2007 Email from the council’s Asbestos Officer confirming the first he heard of the project was on 29 October 2007 via EPS. Late October 2007 Two months into the project, and after 30 flats have had work done, Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association receives a letter informing her asbestos specialists will have to
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be brought in. 29 October 2007 September 1997 memo re asbestos survey confirming presence of asbestos in Central Hill area circulated to housing officers and the contract manager. 25 October 2007 EPS return to Wychwood Way to complete work 24 October 2007 Work begins in London Prospect residence. Tenant informs EPS officer that asbestos is present in the property. 22 October 2007 EPS officer returns from annual leave and made aware of the Wychwood Way situation. 17 October 2007 EPS enter Wychwood Way to remove boxing. Following an incident, they leave the site with the system part complete and no heating or hot water for the tenant. September 2007 Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association onwards continues to receive complaints from tenants from early on in the contract, raising various issues and expressing dissatisfaction with the management of the contract particularly that of asbestos. Makes particular enquiries about access to the asbestos register. 6 September 2007 Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association calls Housing officers to raise concerns. September 2007 Central heating installation contract in the south of borough incorporating the Central Hill area commences. 24 August 2007 Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association visits pilot flat and ascertains that officers confirmed they were aware of the presence of asbestos. Mid-August 2007 Chair of Central Hill Tenants’ and Residents’ Association notified by a tenant that works are taking place on Central Hill. November 2006 New windows were put in to Rommany Prospect (site of the pilot flat in 2007). An internal asbestos survey took place, which proved the presence of asbestos. 13 November 2006 The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006[1] came into force. (Asbestos Regulations - SI 2006/2739) These Regulations bring together the three previous sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing. The Asbestos Regulations also include the 'duty to manage asbestos’ in non-domestic premises. 12 December 2005 Date of an asbestos register that has details on the communal stair casing and some of the flats. 12 July 2005 Date of an asbestos register containing details on some of the flats and the communal staircasing, which fulfils the legal requirement. 2005 Hyder was commissioned to carry out non-domestic and domestic property surveys and keep a database. There would have been around 500 to 1000 domestic surveys, which would have been Type 2. 2005 Reframing process. A large amount of asbestos information was misplaced during the reframing process and there was an information gap from 2005 until the appointment of the asbestos manager in 2008. November 2002 The UK introduced new regulations called The Control of
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Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 2000 Contractual arrangement with Lambeth Scientific Surveys comes to an end. Intellectual property rights were not owned by the council. Information lost from Lambeth Scientific Surveys for several years. Information from Lambeth Scientific Surveys had been disseminated via neighbourhood housing managers to neighbourhood housing officers, who were then responsible for maintaining information. This was maintained in a variety of forms and degrees of success from 2000 to 2005. 1997 Neighbourhood housing manager issued letters to new tenants giving them information about asbestos in their properties. Sept 16 1997 Memo issued to the neighbourhood housing manager from client officer confirming publication of asbestos survey results showing the presence of asbestos on Central Hill, a meeting with local residents to discuss the matter, and the availability of £5000 for consultancy costs from emergency funds. 1995 to 2000 Lambeth Scientific Surveys commissioned to undertake a survey of asbestos and keep a register.
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Section 5 - Glossary
ACM Asbestos-containing materials AIBs Asbestos insulating boards ALMO Arms length management organisation. A not-for-profit company set up by a local authority primarily to manage and improve all or part of their housing stock. Ownership of the housing stock itself normally stays with the local authority. AMP Asbestos management plan Asbestos An asbestos register is a document that contains information about register asbestos identified within an organisation or building. It is a working document that changes as and when the status of your asbestos containing materials changes. Asbestosis Asbestosis is the scarring of lung resulting from the inhalation of asbestos fibres. It is not always fatal, but it can be very debilitating. The primary symptom of asbestosis is generally the slow onset of shortness of breath on exertion. In severe, advanced cases, this may lead to respiratory failure. People with extensive occupational exposure to mining, manufacturing, handling or removal of asbestos are at risk of developing asbestosis. About one in seven people with asbestosis will eventually develop lung cancer. Asbestos-related Asbestos-related lung cancer is the same as (looks the same as) lung cancer lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes. This condition is usually fatal. While much of the focus on cancers caused by asbestos is on mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lung, heart, or abdomen), other thoracic carcinomas, such as adenocarcinoma, are also caused by exposure to asbestos. Like mesothelioma, the latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of asbestos related lung cancer may be two, three, four, or even more decades. Very often, asbestos-related cancer victims also suffer from asbestosis. Central Hill A council housing estate found in the south of the London Borough Estate of Lambeth in the Norwood area. Control of The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006came into force on 13 asbestos November 2006 . regulations 2006 These regulations bring together the three previous sets of regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing. The regulations prohibit the importation, supply and use of all forms of asbestos. They continue the ban introduced for blue and brown asbestos in 1985 and for white asbestos in 1999. They also continue to ban the second-hand use of asbestos products such as asbestos cement sheets and asbestos boards and tiles; including panels that have been covered with paint or textured plaster containing asbestos. Co-opted The people of Lambeth may be invited to sit on scrutiny sub- member committee commissions and reviews by the councillors appointed to the panels. Directgov The official UK government website for citizens found at www.direct.gov.uk/ DIY Do it yourself home improvements and repairs. EC Harris Consultancy retained to support Lambeth Living and Lambeth
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Council in assembling new asbestos procedures and policy guidelines, via the support of an external expert advisor. EPS EPS were the appointed installation contractor for both contracts used for the heating works at Central Hill. FOI Freedom of information HRE Housing, Regeneration and Environment – department within Lambeth Council since 2008 HSE Health and Safety Executive Hyder A specialist asbestos inspection organisation which was appointed as the survey and inspection contractor in 2005 and immediately commenced a full external survey in accordance with the Council’s responsibility under the asbestos regulations. ICT Information and Communications Technology Lambeth Living This is the ALMO which manages the majority of Lambeth’s council- owned housing stock. Lambeth This organisation which was part of the Council’s Environmental Scientific Services Department, was the main survey agency in the borough Service during the period from 1995-2000. From 2000-2005, the Lambeth Scientific Service Unit was externalised. Lambeth A council housing estate found in the south of the London Borough Prospect of Lambeth in the Norwood area. Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer. It is a cancer of mesothelial cells. Mesothelioma cancer can develop in the tissues covering the lungs or abdomen. It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. Pellings John Pelling and Partners is a contract management consultancy retained to manage a number of contracts including the heating installation contract on Central Hill. Pleural This is generally a problem that happens after heavy asbestos thickening exposure. The lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest. R&H Regeneration and Housing – Lambeth Council department prior to restructuring in 2008 Rommany A council housing estate found in the south of the London Borough Prospect of Lambeth in the Norwood area. Soffit If you stand under the overhang of the roof and look up, the covering between the wall of the house and the outer edge of the roof is called a soffit. Previously manufactured using asbestos. SX3 IT Data management system used to manage Lambeth housing. Tenants’ Council Overarching body representing all tenants’ and residents’ associations in Lambeth. Membership is made up from residents in Lambeth council-owned housing stock. TRA Tenants’ and Residents’ Association Type I asbestos Location and Assessment Survey (presumptive survey). survey The purpose of the survey is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect Asbestos
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Containing Materials in the building and assess their condition. This is done by a visual inspection of the building to identify materials which may contain asbestos. This type of survey defers the need to sample and analyse for asbestos until a later time. Type II asbestos Standard Sampling, Identification and Assessment Survey survey The purpose and procedures used in this survey are the same as for Type 1, except that representative samples are collected and analysed for the presence of asbestos. Samples from each type of suspect Asbestos Containing Material found are collected and analysed to confirm or refute the surveyor's judgement. Sampling may take place simultaneously with the survey, or as in the case of some larger surveys, can be carried out as a separate exercise, after the Type 1 Survey is complete. Type III Full Access Sampling and Identification Survey. asbestos survey This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all Asbestos Containing Materials in the building and may involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A full sampling program is undertaken to identify possible Asbestos Containing Materials and estimates of the volume and surface area of Asbestos Containing Materials made. The survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering the removal of Asbestos Containing Materials from the building prior to demolition or major refurbishment so the survey does not assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to note areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris may be expected to be present. URH United Residents Housing – a tenant led ALMO Gasbestos Specialist asbestos company retained to obtain and test for asbestos during the Central Hill Estate heating contracts.
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 159 Agenda Item 10
Annual Property Performance Report 2008/9
SERVICE DIRECTIONS RESOURCE IMPLEMENTATION SERVICE DEMANDS PLANNING DELIVERY
GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ASSET NEW POLICY PLAN PLANNING ASSETS
SERVICE
COMMUNITY DEPARTMENTAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF DELIVERY STRATEGY SERVICE PLANS EXISTING ASSETS
INFORMATION DISPOSAL OF TECHNOLOGY SURPLUS ASSETS
FINANCE
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Contents Page No . Executive Summary 3
1. Introduction 9
2. Strategic Approach to Asset Management I. Overview 10 II. Corporate Property Vision and Corporate Plan 11 III. Asset Management Corporate Working Arrangements 13 IV. Asset Management Planning 14 V. Asset Management Process 15
3. Property Portfolio Description and Value I. Property Portfolio Description (Asset Class) 17 II Property Portfolio Summary and Value 17
4. Managing Assets to Provide Value for Money (VFM) I. Overview 20 II. Fitness for Purpose of the Property Portfolio (Asset Efficiency, Effectiveness, Sufficiency and Suitability) 20 III. Acquisitions and Disposals (Capital Receipts) 42 IV. Asset Maintenance (Repair/Maintenance/Health and Safety) 46 V. Asset Management and Sustainability 49 VI. Investment Needs 50 VII. Capital Projects Delivery 55 VIII. Rating (National Non-Domestic Rates) 55 IX. Current Level of Service –Customer Satisfaction 56 X. In-Use Performance Measurement 57
5. Partnership and Community Working I. Overview 60 II. Joint Use of Assets and Inter-Agency Use 60 III. Lambeth First Investment Board 61
6. Asset Management Improvement Plan I. Overview 63 II. Asset Management Process Improvements 65 III. Asset Management Information System Improvements 66 IV. Asset Management Data and Knowledge Improvements 66 V. Immediate Improvements Projects Scope 67
7. Risk Management I. Overview 71 II. Risk Management Practice 71 III. Risk Management Process 71
Definitions 72
Appendices Appendix 1 74-103 Appendix 2 104-105
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Executive Summary
In 2002 local authorities in England were first requested to prepare annual asset management plans and to collect, benchmark and report property performance against a set of national property performance indicators published by the Office of Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). Initially, part of the process involved a submission of this plan (together with a Capital Strategy) to the Government Office for assessment, with plans being assessed as Good, Satisfactory or Poor. The level of assessment determined an element of capital allocation from Central Government under the Single Capital Pot, and more recently contributed partially to the council’s overall assessment score under Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), undertaken by the Audit Commission.
Since 2004 however, local authorities have not been required to submit their Asset Management Plan and Capital Strategy for assessment by the Government Office and at that point, the detailed independent assessment of those plans ceased. Since that time the overall assessment of asset management approaches has been brought under the wider umbrella of the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), and for 2009 this has further developed into the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).
The CAA Proposals provide a structure that pays greater regard to the use of council resources including property assets. Indeed the Audit Commission states that “Managing public assets effectively provides value for money, enhances public services and delivers wider economic, environmental and social outcomes for local communities”. Under this arrangement, the 2008 CPA “Efficient Use of Resources” which includes “Asset Management”, the Council was scored 3 out of a maximum score of 4.
Collectively the Council is the largest owner of built assets in the borough. The replacement value of this estate is in the order of £2.23bn and each year it spends significant sums of revenue and capital funds on the portfolio to support the delivery of services. Managing this significant commitment of resources requires a carefully planned strategic approach to enable the Council to meet community needs, provide and sustain the assets and achieve agreed service delivery outcomes. It is for this reason that the Government is putting an emphasis on the necessity for good asset management. In view of this the production and approval of this report is an important process. It enables Cabinet and stakeholders to review the council's asset management position for the year including arrangements for continuous improvement. Furthermore, it forms an important component of the Use of Resources Block – Asset Management element of the Comprehensive Area Assessment and hence the requirement to report annually to Cabinet.
The content of the formal Asset Management Plan is somewhat prescriptive and, as a result, arguably of reduced value to Members. The attached Annual Property Performance Report for 2008/9 augments the Corporate Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007 – 2010.
Although the report is retrospective in that it presents a picture for the year ended 31 March 2009, it seeks to set out for Members the pertinent issues for the Council, whilst incorporating the appropriate pPI information by setting out a ‘position statement’ of where asset management in the Council currently stands in its progress with implementation and provides some indication of areas for potential improvement, against the backdrop of relevant guidance such as the CLG sponsored asset management guidance published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the new CAA requirements. The report will also help inform the July Finance Review, when the council's current financial position will be reported in detail.
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Strategic Approach to Asset Management
The Council has a Corporate Plan (2008-11) which sets out its corporate vision, priorities and outcomes. It is produced after a robust combined service and financial planning process which ensures that budget proposals are based on the outcomes framework. The Council's Corporate Plan is based on the same long-term vision and goals as the Sustainable Community Strategy (2008-2020) and is refreshed, through stakeholder consultation, on an annual basis to ensure that it still reflects the needs and priorities of Lambeth residents and the administration.
This vision directs all property decision-making and links property decisions back to business decisions on service delivery as set out in the Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007 – 2010. The Strategy is a collaborative two-way process which engages the whole Council whilst balancing service and corporate perspectives. This framework ensures that the Council makes the best use of its property assets by taking robust business decisions regarding the investment of new and existing resources in property including delivery. This way it ensures that this scarce resource is managed in the best interest of the citizens of the borough and is able to demonstrate that its asset management practices and decisions are robust.
Property Portfolio Description and Value
In 2008/09, the Council’s assets were valued at £2.23bn including the commercial portfolio (investment properties) which accounts for 1.7% (£40m) of all assets by value and despite its reduction through disposals has provided a steady increase in rental income (£4.3m in 2008/09). The shops portfolio continues to be economically viable and making a satisfactory annual return averaging 13.6%, however, in view of their non-operational asset classification there is little strategic purpose for their retention.
To successfully maintain and operate these assets within acceptable levels of service balanced against available funding presents a challenge to the Council.
Managing Assets to Provide Value for Money
Service Asset Plans – The Council continues to make progress in its overall approach to the management of the corporate estate. Comprehensive Departmental Service Asset Plans were produced by all departments for the first time this year and formed an essential part of this report.
An overview of the current property assets and requirements for each service/output including identified gaps are as follows:
Cultural Services
Libraries – Significant investment is required across the library portfolio. Issues of building condition in Clapham, and size of facility in Streatham are being addressed in turn by new facilities at Mary Seacole House and refurbishment/extension proposals at Streatham. The principal gap however remains unaddressed and concerns the North of the Borough where the existing Waterloo Library facility is not fit for purpose and a new facility is required;
Cemeteries & Crematoria – Within this service the provision of a new mortuary is being investigated, otherwise the main issue here is the current maintenance costs of the listed and redundant chapels on the sites.
Leisure Centres – Whilst the council has some excellent facilities within its leisure centre portfolio, there are a couple of centres which pose a significant risk to the council in meeting its provision requirements. Leisure centres at both Clapham and Streatham have reached the end of their expected life and need replacing. Maintenance costs for the facilities are currently extremely high as the Council aims to keep them open whilst alternative provision is put in place.
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Other gaps have been identified in the provision of leisure facilities in the north of the borough at Waterloo, and in the south of the borough at Norwood. Although at an early development stage schemes which may address this gap is under consideration.
Car Parks – The Council owns one large car park in central Brixton which is in a very poor state of repair and only capable of use in part. The cost of maintaining the structure of the existing car park is high and the facility is beyond its useful life expectancy.
Adult Services Day Centres and Residential Homes – There is currently a great deal of change underway in the provision of these services with the introduction of the Personalisation Agenda and as such demand for these services into the future is unclear and asset related initiatives will be developed as the addenda becomes clearer.
Generally, the property needs and requirements for these commissioned services are provided for by the commissioned external partner agencies and as such there is not a huge amount of property left to be directly managed. There are five different buildings that the Council owns and from which the Service operates a level of Day Care facility for a wide range of community users. There is also the Lambeth Resource Centre which operates a facility for Disabled users under the age of 65 years.
Early Years Services – By March 2008 at the end of Phase 2 of the Children’s Centres programme, the Council had 26 Children’s Centres established across the borough. The additional £1.3m allocated to the borough for Phase 3 of the programme will be spent to further enhance this provision. The majority of the provision is based on existing school sites, as part of the extended schools provision, while those Centres which were originally Nursery Schools are the majority of the stand alone facilities in this category. The latter also forms part of the borough’s statutory provision and receive Devolved Formula Capital funding for their buildings as a result. The other Centres receive only revenue monies in order to fund their service delivery. High quality data sets are held for the sites within this category; detailed information is available about the condition, sufficiency and suitability of the internal accommodation and external facilities for these sites. Following detailed consultation, the Council will partner 1 o’clock clubs with Children’s Centres which will enable further services to be delivered from these already well used community access points. Integrated services are being fully delivered from many of the centres in co-operation with the local PCT, Job Centre Plus and a range of parenting and other agencies.
Playgroups – There is limited data available on the physical condition of the properties and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of children using these facilities and/or wishing to use the facilities. There is no information available about the suitability of the accommodation for the delivery of services and currently there are no plans in existence for investment in these facilities. Collection of data for these groups of assets has been factored into the work programme for 2009/10 and will inform development of asset related initiatives.
One O’clock Clubs – There are 15 One O’clock Clubs operating across the borough from properties owned by LBL CYPS, the facilities are used by children under the age of five accompanied by an adult. There is limited data available on the physical condition of the properties and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of children using the facilities and/or wishing to use the facilities. Collection of data for these groups of assets has been factored into the work programme for 2009/10 and will inform development of asset related initiatives.
Based on the data collection exercise undertaken for the purposes of developing the SAP it is evident that there has been no financial investment in the majority of these properties within the last five years. The exceptions are the facilities at Brockwell Park and Myatts Fields which have had significant capital investment in that period.
Adventure Playgrounds and Grant Aided Adventure Play-grounds - The Adventure Playground provision falls into two categories; sites owned and operated by CYPS, of which there are currently 7, and sites owned by third parties and operated with grant assistance from LBL
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CYPS, currently there are seven sites in this category. There is limited data available on the physical condition of the properties and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of children using the facilities and /or wishing to use the facilities. Collection of data for these groups of assets has been factored into the work programme for 2009/10 and will inform development of asset related initiatives.
Playing Fields – The Council has an interest in three school playing fields at Rosendale Road, Stockport Road and Abbotswood Road. There are no major issues.
Office Accommodation – There is an inefficient use of space overall that directly affects the ability to (a) provide the necessary additional work settings and facilities for service delivery to have optimal performance; (b) co-locate staff in fewer buildings (c) generate associated savings.
With a more efficient planning rationale and the introduction of a more consistent and coherent approach to a staff desk sharing policy, the Authority could potentially release up to 9 buildings. (This finding is from a strategic 'desk-top' study which has been calculated using the total given headcount of the Council and the total square metres available in the retained buildings. Further details to understand the headcount per department, necessary adjacencies and the potential 'stack and block' of retained buildings are necessary activities to validate this strategy and would need to be undertaken in the next phase of work.)
A 'one size fits all' design will not be appropriate to the Council which has a spectrum of working styles that require some specific responses;
The Council's HR policies adequately cover the issues surrounding more flexible working practices and processes; it is their current inconsistent implementation by management which has generated a lack of trust from staff generally that there is coherency;
The current technology infrastructure cannot adequately support existing flexible working demands and would need substantial reconfiguration in order to support the strategy being proposed
Current Backlog of Repairs (Asset Management Plan Priorities) – The building condition data identifies that the current backlog of building repairs is £35.20m; this figure excludes £70m for the schools portfolio.
The total value of the maintenance backlog (recommended work which is as yet unfunded) of which £12.5m represents Priority 1 works – urgent work that will prevent immediate closure of premises; and/ or remedy a serious breach of legislation.
However, since 2002 the Council has made considerable progress towards ensuring that property assets contribute fully to service delivery and service improvement. This is being achieved through:
• Targeting capital investment to reduce the repair and maintenance backlog. • Continuing with a programme of condition surveys. • Investment on Disability Discrimination Act Adaptation works. • Investment on Asbestos surveys and remedial works. • The development and implementation of a number of property based strategies, plans and reviews. • Individual property projects.
In addition the significant investments in the Schools (BSF and Primary Schools programme), Office Accommodation, Future Lambeth Proposals (new Leisure Centres in Clapham and Streatham including the new Library in Clapham) represents the Council’s structured approach to addressing this backlog and when completed will reduce the backlog significantly.
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Disability Discrimination Act – Since 2003 a programme of adaptation works has been undertaken and currently 52.56% of the Council’s buildings from which a service to the public is provided and where the building has open public areas are compliant with the Act.
Sustainability - Emphasis on energy management and water conservation has concentrated on controlling energy costs through effective energy procurement and a well organised energy awareness campaign. Work regarding identifying opportunities for energy savings is ongoing and the Council is working with the Carbon Trust in this regard. However, funds will need to be identified on an ‘invest to save’ basis to help achieve reductions in consumption.
Prioritisation – not all of the investment needs can be met, at least not in the short term. By assessing which are most critical to the Council’s business needs and strategic objectives and prioritising accordingly, the Council can deliver on its key targets more effectively. This prioritisation process already takes place through the annual service and financial planning round, which is informed by the sustainable community strategy objectives.
Capital Projects Delivery – historically the Council has tended not to deliver its annual capital programme. Underspends have either been carried forward, or sometimes used to finance revenue pressures. As a result the annual maintenance pressures have tended to increase. Capital Programme delivery for the year stood at 90%.
Disposals – The Council’s rigorous approach to identifying and disposing of surplus property is based on the notion that it will not hold property for the sake of ownership. This policy partially informed a series of thematic systematic reviews on an area and service basis over a long period of time and has since generated in excess of £160m (excluding RTB sales) over the last 6 years. The outcome of the exercise has informed the Council’s Disposals Programme 2007 – 2011 of which £4.96m was generated during the year.
Investment Needs – A number of high profile land/property related projects have been undertaken or initiated during the last 12 months, all of which facilitate the delivery of services to residents of the borough including benefiting the Council’s long-term financial and other interests. However, despite the development of proposed or new facilities such as those highlighted in the Asset Management Plan, there still remain significant demands on the portfolio which remain unmet, for example, the significant backlog maintenance, funding the “gaps” identified through the Service Asset Plan’s process including the delivery of initiatives proposed through the various Future Lambeth initiatives.
Meeting these Council’s asset requirements and other wide regeneration strategies requires significant investment (revenue and capital). If the Council is to achieve its aspirations in this regard a new partnership approach which not only levers in much needed investment, transfer risk, harnesses external expertise and a share in returns is required. Officers are considering options in this regard with a view to presenting an options report to Cabinet in due course.
A dedicated officer has also been appointed to co-ordinate bids for grant funding across the Council.
National Non-Domestic Rates – Rates are a significant liability for any large-scale property occupier and the Council is no different in this respect. Rating assessments for buildings where the Council is the rateable occupier are regularly reviewed and appeals submitted where opportunities for reduction is identified. This process has proven to be particularly cost effective with a sizeable saving of circa £600k achieved this year.
In-Use Performance Measurement – A computation of performance indicators based on the CLG guidance has not been undertaken this year as it is understood that the CIPFA – IPF comparative indicators will not be published until October 2009 and as such too late for this report. However, performance has been benchmarked against another source - the Association of Chief Estate Surveyors in Local Government (ACES) – a pooling of performance data from all London
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Borough’s . A detailed assessment is being considered in areas of unusual performance to identify reasons with a view to taking appropriate action to improve performance.
Asset Management Improvement Plan
Lessons learnt from the year have assisted in the development of areas requiring further improvements. Principally four key areas entailing the establishment of funding for a 5 – year planned maintenance programme, improvements in asset related Lifecycle – financial planning, collection and analysis of data including financial tracking of expenditure on assets and activities were identified.
Partnership & Community Working
Through the Local Strategic Partnership the Investment Strategy Group is working with other key partners within the borough with a view to mapping where there may be potential synergies in the provision of capital assets and the services they support. Recent examples of joint use of assets his includes co-location of services where and when feasible, examples include – Streatham JSC, the Springfield multi-service centre in Stockwell and the joint use of assets in several Council and PCT buildings.
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1. Introduction
I. Purpose of the Annual Property Performance Report
The Council has a duty in ensuring that its property assets is safeguarded and properly accounted for, and used economically, efficiently and effectively. It also has a duty under the Local Government Act 1999 to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
In discharging this overall responsibility, the Council is responsible for putting in place proper arrangements for the governance of its affairs, facilitating the effective exercise of its functions, which includes arrangements for the management of property assets.
This report explains how the Council property assets has been managed and covers the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, setting out the performance of the Corporate Property Estate excluding the HRA (Residential Portfolio) and GF (Schools Portfolio). Both these portfolios are covered in other separate reports to Cabinet.
It describes the key elements of the Council's asset management governance arrangements, processes including the processes applied in reviewing the effectiveness of the portfolio, and lists the actions proposed as part of its asset management continuous improvement.
A key outcome in the delivery of asset management is providing Cabinet with the assurance that assets are being used, managed and maintained effectively and efficiently, and that they fully support service delivery. The physical, operational, functional and financial performance of the property portfolio therefore needs to be monitored continually and plans put in place to address performance deficiencies or to initiate plans for performance improvement.
The report comes in 7 sections which identifies and documents the following:
• Council approach to strategic Asset Management – Existing asset management practice and policies based on an analysis of the need to deliver strategic priorities, service need and intended outcomes; • Managing Assets to ensure Fitness for Purpose and Provide Value for Money – The financial implications of the existing and future asset base, maximising income, capital receipts, and ensuring value for money, existing levels of service; • Demonstrates how the Council works with Partners and Community Groups – Maximise the Use of its Assets for the benefit of the Local Community; • Identifies Future Asset Management Requirements, Underpinning Corporate Priorities and the Actions and Resource Implications to Implement these; and • Asset Management Improvement Plan over the short to medium term as part of continuous improvement in asset management.
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1. Strategic Approach to Asset Management
I. Overview
Asset Management decisions in the Council are not made in isolation. They are part of the overall Council decision making framework.
This is because the Council recognises that property is a long term investment:
• It takes time to identify and define property needs; • It takes time to procure and provide new property solutions; • Property is costly to provide and operate which makes it important to ensure that property solutions meet needs for as long as possible; • Property is therefore relatively liquid – it cannot be bought, changed or sold “over night”. That makes it important to forward plan property needs as much as possible.
At the same time, property needs for the Council is changing as demands for services change and expectations for performance increases. Achieving changes in services or service performance improvements often involves utilisation of assets, as well as other resources.
Asset planning is therefore considered equally and concurrently with the other resource requirements used in achieving service delivery objectives. The corporately revised Service and Financial planning process requires that service delivery plans are converted into specific asset plans (Service Asset Plans (SAPS), thereby providing an opportunity to identify methods of improving asset performance, to alter the mix of assets used and to explore solutions which do not require asset ownership.
This places importance on:-
• Forecasting future corporate and service needs and being clear about their property implications, in order to ensure successful outcomes; • Policies and procedures by which to manage the Council’s property; and • A commitment to the principles of good estate management and maintenance.
The Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007-2010 sets out a framework to enhance the capability of the Council to manage its properties. It emphasises that properties are platforms on which services are delivered to residents by reinforcing the focus of the Corporate Plan on service delivery.
The strategy is logical and based on a systematic concept. Supporting guidance is included to ensure that each part of the strategy is properly implemented to achieve the principal objective of matching asset capacity to the service demand. It illustrates the issues and key activities involved and demonstrates their relationships. It sets out a formal corporate approach in identifying the Council’s asset management requirements and an appropriate management model for its delivery.
Asset Management in the Council involves the processes of planning, managing, maintaining and monitoring physical assets during their useful lives and their eventual disposal. Managing and maintenance requires an appropriate level of management interest to be maintained well beyond the “ribbon cutting” stage of acquisition.
The Council’s asset management objective is principally to achieve the best possible match of assets with service delivery strategies as informed by the Corporate Plan. This is predicated on a critical examination of alternatives to the use of assets. The expectation is that “non-asset solutions” will enable delivery of services at a lower cost .
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With pressure on resources available to deliver services, it is important to understand that asset consumption is a real and significant cost of service delivery. The application of life- cycle costing techniques and the establishment of appropriate accountability frameworks are integral to achieving this understanding. Effective implementation of the Council’s core asset management principles address effective, efficient and economic service delivery in terms of:-
• Reduced demand for new properties by adoption of “non-asset” solutions; • Maximising the service potential of existing assets; • Reducing the overall cost of owning assets through the use of life-cycle costing techniques; and • Ensuring a sharper focus on results by establishing clear accountability, responsibility for assets and performance measures.
II. Corporate Property Vision and Corporate Plan
In its published Corporate Plan, the Council set out its vision for the future of the borough.
Lambeth Council’s vision 2020:
“Lambeth is a diverse, dynamic and enterprising borough at the Heart of London”
The Corporate Plan sets out how the Council works to underpin the aims of the Sustainable Community Strategy, guiding the service planning process and the development of departmental service plans. The Corporate Plan incorporates objectives from the Sustainable Community Strategy and sets out the Council’s six priorities for the borough. These are:
• A safer Lambeth with strong communities • More opportunities for children and young people • Better housing and flourishing local economies • Respect for the environment • Developing personalised care services • Serving our customers well
During the course of the year the Council took a wide range of actions towards achieving the vision. The Council recognises that it must focus on issues where there are particular challenges for the borough, taking account of local priorities and national programmes and priorities.
Achieving VFM in the utilisation of its capital resources is fundamental to achieving this vision.
Departmental Service Plans
These plans translate the broad aims of the Corporate Plan into:
• The specific service outcomes the Council wants to achieve • The service strategies to be adopted (ie how the department proposes to achieve its service outcomes • The indicative resources (physical assets, people, information, financial) required as input to the development of the Departmental Service Asset Strategy and the subsequent Corporate Asset Plan.
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• To fulfil their secondary service obligation of contributing to Sustainable Development departments also include Sustainable Development objective and strategies in their Service Plans.
Asset Management Vision
On the 11 June 2007, the Cabinet adopted the Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007-2010. This strategy guides all asset related decision-making and relates back to the Council’s Corporate Plan priorities. The strategy sets the context for a Strategic Asset Management Planning as expressed below:
“To optimise the contribution the Council’s estate makes to the achievement of the Authority’s Corporate Plans and the delivery of the Council’s services to the citizens and communities in the borough.”
Asset Management Objectives
The key objectives of the Corporate Property Strategy are to enable the Council to meet its service delivery objectives effectively, efficiently, economically and to provide a foundation for the wellbeing of those who live and work in the borough, in summary:
• To provide the service required by residents; • To optimise the service potential of assets; • To maximise value for money; • To contribute to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of communities; • To assign responsibility and accountability.
These objectives are achieved by a process of continuous improvement guided by the following:-
Asset Management Core Principles: Service delivery needs form the basis of all asset management practices and decisions; An integrated approach to planning; Informed decision making; Asset management within a “strategic” policy framework; Clear accountability and responsibility; and Sustainability.
This vision directs all property decision-making and links property decisions back to business decisions on service delivery as illustrated in the Corporate Property Strategy Framework below:
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SERVICE DIRECTIONS RESOURCE IMPLEMENTATION SERVICE DEMANDS PLANNING DELIVERY
GOVERNMENT CORPORATE ASSET NEW POLICY PLAN PLANNING ASSETS
SERVICE
COMMUNITY DEPARTMENTAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF DELIVERY STRATEGY SERVICE PLANS EXISTING ASSETS
INFORMATION DISPOSAL OF TECHNOLOGY SURPLUS ASSETS
FINANCE
Corporate Property Strategy Framework Flowchart
III. Asset Management Corporate Working Arrangements
The decision-making and consultation process for asset management is a collaborative two- way process which engages interested groups across the Council while balancing service and corporate perspectives. The “backbone” of this is illustrated below with “links” established to other corporate and service activities at each stage of the process.
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Key Links Group Role
Cabinet Ensure AMP reflects LBL needs (Senior Members) and Strategic Objectives
Cabinet Members for Ensures consistency of AMP with overall LBL objectives Finance and Regeneration & Housing
Strategic Leadership Board (Chief Officers)
Link with other corporate & Capital Programme Review Oversee AMP processes and service strategies – Group production of Corporate AMP resolving conflicting objectives/priorities Lead Cabinet Members and Senior Officers
Strategic Asset Management Group
Link with service managers within directorates through Capital & Asset Group Identifying property needs arising Service Asset Plans (SAPs) (Cross-Departmental) from service priorities and assist in developing AMP concepts
Property Occupiers and Identify problems & pressures in Users the LBL estate from an operational perspective
Asset Management Corporate Working Arrangements
IV. Asset Management Planning
Asset management planning does not exist in isolation but is set within the context provided by other corporate and service plans. A summary of this is illustrated below.
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Service Plans Corporate Plans AMP
Sustainable Community Strategy
Adults’ & Community Corporate Plan Services
Children & Young People’s Services Budget Process
Chief Executive Dept (Strategic Planning)
“Service & Financial Housing, Planning Regeneration & Environment Capital Strategy & Corporate Monthly/Annual Asset Management Plan Property Finance & Resources performance report
Departmental Plans Key Activities & Targets
Business Unit Plans Objectives, Targets & Budgets
All underpinned by Budgets and MTFS (Medium Term Financial Strategy)
Asset Management Planning Framework
The overall strategic planning context for the AMP is set out in “The Corporate Property Strategy – Organisational Arrangements, Accountability and Responsibility”. These are themselves a response to wider external and internal drivers impacting on the Council.
This planning framework ensures that the Council makes the best use of its property assets by taking robust business decisions regarding the investment of new and existing resources in property including delivery. The Council continues to engage across the authority, build upon existing consultation platforms thereby ensuring a balance between corporate and service perspectives of assets.
V. Asset Management Process
The Council’s service delivery needs guide asset management and the Council ensures that property planning and management are integrated with corporate and service planning. This way it ensures that this scarce resource is managed in the best interest of the Council and is able to demonstrate that its asset management practices and decisions are robust.
At the departmental service planning level the planning process adopted matches the prospective demand for assets with the current asset supply profile as illustrated in the diagram below:
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Capital Works – Programmed Existing Asset Holdings acquisitions and commitments Departmental Service Plan
Inventory and Asset Needs to Non-Asset Condition Assessment Support Strategy Solutions
Asset Supply Profile Asset Demand Profile
Supply-Demand Comparison
Asset Asset New Asset Asset non- Fair Condition Good Condition Requirement functional Poor Condition
Operate and Create or Refurbish Maintain Acquire Dispose
New Properties (Future Lambeth)
Planned Maintenance Programme
Disposal Programme
Capital Programme
The diagram illustrates a four-step approach entailing:
• Determination of asset needs by reference to the Departmental Service Plans; • Evaluation of existing assets in terms of their capacity to support service delivery; • Undertake a “gap analysis” between existing assets and assets required; and • Development of a service asset plan comprising steps for addressing the gap.
These set of principles have been developed to guide the management and maintenance of Council properties. They help ensure consistency in the Council’s approach to the management of its property portfolio, by directing officers with responsibility for property through a comprehensive set of procedures.
The procedures are presented as a series of operating procedures each comprising a set of sequential actions and are set out in the Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007-2010.
The framework covers five key points, the first dealing with general estates management housekeeping issues and the remaining four relating to a property’s life cycle of:
• Property planning • Property acquisition • Operational estate management and maintenance • Property disposal
The guidelines are not exhaustive in their coverage. They represent a benchmark within the Council, arrived at achieving incremental to substantial improvements in existing practices and are under regular review with a view to ensuring their continued relevance
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3. Property Portfolio Description and Value
I. Property Portfolio Description (Asset Class)
Assets are used and deployed in many different ways in order that the Council can meet its objectives. Assets may be held for operational and non-operational reasons. The operational reasons for holding property have been divided into five Classes, for the purposes of defining policies.
All fixed assets are shown in the Balance Sheet at value consistent with the recommendations of CIPFA contained within the Capital Accounting Provisions of SORP, and in accordance with the Statement of Asset Valuation Principles and Guidance Notes issued by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Fixed Assets are classified into the groupings required by SORP.
Fixed Assets Category Valuation
Council Dwellings Existing Use Value (EUV) - Social Housing; The market value has been adjusted to reflect the fact that it is social housing and that full market rents are not receivable by the Authority. Specialist Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) or Existing Use Value Operational land & (EUV) where market evidence of EUV is available. property Non-Specialist Operational land & These assets are included in the Balance Sheet at the lower of Net property Current Replacement Cost (NCRC) and Net Realisable Value in Existing Use (NRV-EU). This has been represented by the open market value in existing use (OMV-EU) or, where no market exists for a particular type of property, the Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) or Open Market Value (OMV) where appropriate.
Non-operational Non-operational properties, including those surplus to properties requirements and Investment Properties are shown at Market (Investment and Value (MV) Surplus assets) Community Assets Parks and Open spaces are shown at nominal value. Equipments and Buildings within the boundaries of the Parks and Open Spaces are included at Depreciated Historic Cost (DHC) Assets Under Construction These assets are shown at cost until they come into operation, at which time their treatment will follow Operational Properties.
II. Property Portfolio Summary and Value
The Council owns approximately 26,513 dwellings (including hostels and garages) - £1.635bn, Operational land and Buildings - £159m , Schools - £247m, Community Assets - £22m, Non-Operational Assets comprising the Commercial portfolio - £40m, Assets under construction - £74m and Surplus assets - £42m with a combined value of £156m.
The aggregate value of these interests is £2.23bn (this is a value for capital accounting purposes rather than market value) as at 31 March 2009. Most of this value (84%) is in the housing residential stock and Schools.
The Council’s non-operational portfolio (investment properties retained for income generating and socio-economic purposes) comprises shops, industrial estates, car parks, leasehold ground rent investments and other miscellaneous interests. The majority of the shop
17 Page 176 investments are owned under the housing powers and retained within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).
The investment portfolio as at 31 March 2009 is valued at £40m. The portfolio is currently retained for the generation of rental income (revenue) and meeting other socio-economic objectives. The continued ownership of the portfolio is at the Council’s discretion and as such it is paramount that the Council satisfies itself that continued ownership is in the best interest of the community. An appraisal of the portfolio is undertaken 3 yearly and reported to Members accordingly.
As required by SORP, all expenditure on the acquisition, creation and enhancement of fixed assets is capitalised on an accrual basis, and added to the value of the assets shown in the Balance Sheet.
Expenditure on the enhancement of assets, including housing stock is added to the value of that stock in the year it is incurred. Subsequent re-valuations will adjust the asset values, reflecting upward/downward movement in the carrying value.
Assets acquired under Operating Leases are not shown in the Balance Sheet - lease rentals on these assets are charged directly to service revenue accounts and are outside the arrangements for capital charges to revenue.
Revaluation and Impairment
The Council has a five year rolling programme of revaluation of assets to ensure that all assets are revalued at least once during that period. All asset re-valuations are carried out on behalf of the Authority by Lambert Smith Hampton - Property Solutions, a RICS qualified valuer.
Impairment reviews on all groups of assets are conducted on an annual basis. Where an impairment loss is caused by the clear consumption of economic benefits, the loss is recognised in the relevant service revenue account in the Income and Expenditure Account and thus charged against the Net Cost of Services and Net Operating Expenditure. Impairments caused through a general fall in prices are recognised in the Revaluation Reserve to the extent that there are accumulated revaluation gains for the asset to absorb the loss and thereafter, in the Income and Expenditure Account.
Depreciation
Depreciation is provided for on all operational fixed assets with determinable finite useful life on a straight-line basis over the period for which they are expected to yield economic benefits to the Council. The periods over which assets are depreciated are determined by the valuer. In the absence of such a determination the following applies:
Asset Category Useful Economic Life Council Dwellings 60 Years Other Land & Buildings 40 Years Infrastructure, commercial 40 Years properties & surplus assets
Depreciation is not charged on Parks and Open Spaces which are included within the Community assets as they are held in perpetuity.
Fixed assets acquired during the year are not depreciated until the first full year of use, i.e. the year following the year of acquisition. Assets disposed of during the year are charged a full year's depreciation in the year of disposal.
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Depreciation is charged to service revenue accounts where an asset is clearly identifiable with provision of service. The whole effect of depreciation in the General Fund is reversed out in the Statement of Movement on the General Fund Balance. The charge to the Housing Revenue account is limited to the amount of Major Repairs Allowance received; the excess is reversed out into the Major Repairs Reserve and then to the Capital Adjustment Account.
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4. Managing Assets to Provide VFM
I. Overview
The Council has been undertaking a thematic systematic review over a period of time, based on the fundamental principle that “it will not hold property for the sake of ownership”. These reviews are additional to the requirement to annually revalue 20% of its property holdings. The following three principles are applied in undertaking reviews:
• The Council will not hold property for its own sake and will measure its use of property in financial terms just like its other resources. • The Council will occupy the minimum possible amount of property measured in financial terms which it needs to perform its duties and attain its objectives. • It will expend the minimum necessary resources on the day-to-day management of its property.
At its most strategic level this means that in making the following decisions, the financial measure which will be used is that which results in the minimum possible amount of the Council’s resources being used, ie “opportunity cost”.
• To retain or dispose of existing property; • To invest further capital in property it already owns; or • To transfer or let property to a community organisation or partner agency; or • To retain property for other strategic purposes, eg land assembly for regeneration purposes; • To acquire new property.
The review is not simply to identify surplus properties for the disposal programme but also to identify opportunities to enhance the value of properties, including possible consolidation of uses (which may lead to reduced running costs) or service improvements.
Since 1996 these reviews are undertaken on a 3 year rolling programme with the last major review undertaken this year as part of the preparation of Departmental Service Asset Plans. In the 12 years since 1996 the Council has realised circa £0.3 billion in capital receipts (excluding Right-to-buy disposals) from the sale of its surplus property assets
With such a sizeable property portfolio it is appropriate that both operational and investment assets are regularly ‘challenged’ to identify whether they justify continued retention by the Council.
II. Fitness for Purpose of the Property Portfolio (Asset Efficiency, Effectiveness, Sufficiency and Suitability)
Through its asset management planning, the Council matches its asset portfolio to its service delivery requirements. The relationship between the Corporate Plan and the Capital Programme, Asset Maintenance and the Asset Disposal Programme determines how these plans interlink. Furthermore, to fulfil its secondary service obligation of contributing to Sustainable Development, the Council incorporates Sustainable Development principles in its Asset Strategy Planning. The focus has been on the impact the assets and their operation have on sustainable development. This way it achieves a better match between service delivery and assets by assessing asset need, utilisation levels, suitability of location, capacity, functionality, and condition.
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Property Review/Departmental Service Asset Plans
This year the Valuation and Asset Management Services in conjunction with Service Departments embarked on a comprehensive property review involving a process of Departmental Service Asset Planning (SAPs).
On a departmental basis, the asset portfolio is first segmented into asset classes and then asset groups. A process encompassing the principles of Sustainable Development is then used to determine the environmental impacts/benefits of particular asset groups entailing:
• An assessment of the assets; and • An evaluation of the options for improvement identified during the process, as follows:
Gate1: Asset Service Dependency - Can service delivery be made less asset dependent?
This part of the process assess whether a physical asset is essential to deliver a service. Generally speaking, physical assets consume more natural resources than non-asset solutions over their life span.
Gate 2: Asset Utilisation - Are assets fully used in service delivery?
In most cases under-utilised assets do not provide value for money. They consume, for example, materials, energy and water to remain operable, and unnecessarily tie-up capital.
Gate 3: Asset Location - Are assets appropriately located for the effective service delivery?
The sustainability implications of the service being delivered in particular locations is assessed. The provision of services may have socio/cultural and economic effects on the community and the local area Sustainable Development implications of the asset operating in a location is also evaluated.
Gate 4: Asset Capacity - Have the assets sufficient capacity to provide the required services?
Schools that cannot support the delivery of particular services may result in poorer education standards being achieved. Insufficient capacity suggests that desired service outcomes are not being achieved. Prior to increasing asset capacity, all asset solutions are considered including non-asset solutions.
An overview of the current property assets and requirements for each service/output including identified gaps are as follows:
Adult and Community Services Department
The provision of service covers Adult Services, Cultural Services, Leisure and Sports. Each service sets its own objectives to meet the departmental priorities and objectives with the property asset implications set out as follows:
Adult Services
Adult Services – The Service is delivering a programme of change over the next 3 years, entailing Personalising Care Services. The programme will deliver flexible, personalised and cost effective support options to people and carers that enable people to organise and have control over their own support.
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Day Centres and Residential Homes – There is currently a great deal of change underway in the provision of these services with the introduction of the Personalisation Agenda and as such demand for these services into the future is unclear, and additionally the move to commissioning also limits the amount of property required to be held within the council.
There are a number of differing ranges of property provisions required in facilitating the Adult Service. Council property assets are used within Adult Social care for the provisions of Day Centres and Residential Homes. There are also a number of organisations that use Community Buildings (properties are covered within the SAP for Housing, Regeneration and Environment as these properties are currently let to third sector partners and agencies and as such are under the management of Valuation and Asset Management Services).
With respect to Day Centres and Residential Homes, the property portfolio held by the Council is a small percentage of those services provided as 95% of Adult Social Care services are commissioned from the Partner Agencies. The property needs and requirements for these commissioned services are provided for by the commissioned external partner agency and as such there is not a huge amount of property left to be directly managed within the Council.
There are five different buildings that the council own and from which the Service operates a level of Day Care facility for a wide range of community users. There is also the Lambeth Resource Centre which operates a facility for Disabled users under the age of 65 years.
Historically, the Council owned and directly operated a number of residential homes most of which have now been disposed as the mode of service delivery changes. However, there are 3 properties still remaining and form part of a commissioned service.
Each building covered by the review has been assessed in terms of the 4 gateways set out in the overview and gaps in property provision identified where a gap is a factor which prejudices the provision of efficient council services. Gaps occur for the following reasons:
• Insufficient or ill-balanced provision over a geographical area • Existing facilities not fit for purpose and replacement facilities required • Existing facilities are not fit for purpose which can be addressed through refurbishment and repair.
Cultural Services
Libraries – Library standards state that there should be a library within 1 mile of every resident. There are 9 libraries across the borough and additionally 2 mobile libraries to serve local residents and supporting schools. As well as lending books, the library service is also responsible for running activities, providing free internet access, and organising a range of events. The archive service is the guardian and promoter of local history and assists in heraldry activities, this service is currently housed in the Minet Library
Significant investment is required across the library portfolio. Issues of building condition in Clapham, and size of facility in Streatham are being addressed in turn by new facilities at Mary Seacole House and refurbishment/extension proposals at Streatham. The principal gap however remains unaddressed and concerns the North of the Borough where the existing Waterloo Library facility is not fit for purpose, and a new facility is urgently required.
Cemeteries and Crematoria – The Council operates three cemeteries and two crematoria, many of which have historical significance and consequently have listed structures and buildings. Property values in the borough are unlikely to facilitate any further cemetery sites within the borough, and as such the focus in this service area is to maximise utilisation of the existing property available.
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Within this service the provision of a new mortuary is being investigated, otherwise the main issue here is the current maintenance costs of the listed and redundant chapels on the sites.
Leisure Centres – There are a number of Government standards to be met in the provisions of sports and recreation facilities. In operating this service, the council has 6 leisure centres offering a wide variety of facilities, and additionally a wide variety of outdoor facilities
Whilst the council has some excellent facilities within its leisure centre portfolio, there are a couple of centres which pose a significant risk to the council in meeting its provision requirements. Leisure centres at both Clapham and Streatham have reached the end of their expected life and need replacing. Maintenance costs for the facilities are currently extremely high as the department aims to keep them open whilst alternative provision is put in place. In both cases planning consent has been secured on mixed use redevelopment sites, however proposals are under review in terms of viability on account of the collapse in the residential market which underpin the development.
Other gaps have been identified in the provision of leisure facilities in the north of the borough at Waterloo, and in the south of the borough at Norwood. In both cases there are schemes which may address this gap. In the north there is a private developer who is proposing a mixed use development which will incorporate leisure facilities, the question remaining as to whether this will be a council or private facility. In the South there is a joint venture proposed with the PCT at Norwood Hall which will be funded as a LIFT initiative.
Gap Analysis
Libraries The gap in provision arising from the historic Library provision at Clapham Common North will be addressed through the provision of a new facility at the former Mary Seacole House site as part of the Future Clapham initiative.
There are also proposals to address the service gap in Streatham through initiatives to extend and refurbish the existing library. The principle gap which remains unaddressed is in the north of the Borough where the Waterloo Library is not fit for purpose. Feasibility for new provisioning is currently ongoing. This requirement has been linked into work already done on identifying vacant sites in the borough, reviewing existing schemes and possible S106 payments including reviewing the Councils own portfolio, particularly the community buildings portfolio.
Otherwise the library portfolio is fairly static. Whilst gaps exist, major change is unlikely on- account of strong community preference to retain many of the older libraries. In these cases, investment to put and keep the buildings in good condition and DDA compliant is necessary.
In the case of Nettlefold Hall the service is taking steps to determine whether to maintain this service and it would be a prudent exercise to investigate the potential alternative use of this building to enable the service to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the available options.
The Council has identified a requirement for an Archive Centre. The key characteristics and specification for this facility are not yet available, but once the requirement is crystallised opportunities for synergies will be investigated and a search carried out to establish the best means of accommodating the service
Cemeteries and Crematorium The principle requirement of the Cemeteries Service is to acquire and operate a mortuary, rather than lease such facilities. An options appraisal for cabinet paper is being prepared on the basis of an ‘invest to save’ initiative.
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Otherwise there are two redundant chapels and an office building at Lambeth Cemetery which are considered not fit for purpose. Options include refurbishment and reuse, disposal or demolition. As a first step feasibility studies are being carried out into potential alternative uses of these buildings and/or the costs of refurbishment.
Leisure Centres The Councils ability to provide leisure services across the Borough is at risk. The existing leisure centres in Clapham and Streatham have reached the end of their expected life and need to be replaced. In both locations service delivery is severely compromised and both centres have started to wind down.
However, contracts to demolish the existing facility and to re-provide to Sport England standard has been awarded. In Clapham the new leisure centre is linked to wider proposals by Cathedral Group to provide a community library, health centre and 136 new homes. In Streatham re-provision is linked with Streatham Hub proposals, a development of a Tesco store, 250 homes and associated parking.
In both cases planning consent has been secured but proposals are under review in terms of viability on account of the collapse of the residential sales market which was underpinning the development.
In addition the Council has gaps in service provision in the north of the Borough (Waterloo) and in the South of the Borough (Norwood) where there is currently no provision.
In the south the Council is addressing the gap itself through the proposed joint development with the PCT at Norwood Hall which will see the construction of a joint service centre comprising a leisure centre and a Healthcare facility which will provide a fully integrated service. It is proposed that the new facility be funded as a NHS LIFT initiative and is at an advanced stage of negotiation.
In the north of the Borough the gap may be filled by a proposal by Coin Street Community Builders to develop the site on Doon Street in Waterloo as a mixed use development including a public leisure centre. This scheme is outside the control of the Council and whilst it has planning consent, it is again underwritten by sales of residential homes. When completed this facility, which will receive a contribution from the Council towards running costs will plug the gap to the north of the Borough. Financial pressures on the scheme may present an opportunity for the Council to acquire additional space in the development to address other gaps in provision, such as library or community space and this is being considered in the wider context.
Other leisure centres appear to be well located strategically and require some refurbishment and on-going maintenance, most notably the changing facilities at Brixton Leisure Centre.
If all of these schemes are delivered, the Council’s targets for the provision of leisure centres across the Borough will be satisfied.
Day Centres and Residential Homes Currently there is a great deal of change in the way that these services are being delivered and the supporting assets portfolio will be reviewed in tandem.
Children & Young People (Community Buildings) Department
Through the government’s Building Schools for the Future programme and the Primary Schools Strategy for Change, the Council has undertaken an extensive review of both its secondary and primary schools estate. The conclusion of this process has resulted in a programme for investment in all secondary schools and secondary stage special schools which it is envisaged will be delivered by 2015.
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The outcome of the government’s scrutiny process resulted in the Council being given full unqualified approval to proceed with its plans to significantly transform the provision of the primary school stock across the borough over the life of the programme.
However, this Annual Property Performance Report will not cover the Secondary and Primary Schools estate.
The remaining assets which comprise the CYPS estate form the Community Buildings portfolio and represent that category of the estate which is in most need of further consideration and investment appraisal in order for potential linkage to development opportunities emerging through the main schools capital programmes. In addition, potential opportunities to link up with wider stakeholder capital programmes such as in the areas of health and community regeneration are being explored through this approach.
Child directed Community services in the borough are diverse and provision includes:
• CYPS staff using CYPS premises • CYPS staff using premises owned by others • Voluntary groups using CYPS premises with Lambeth funding • Voluntary groups using premises owned by others with Lambeth funding • Voluntary groups using premises owned by others with independent funding • Provision by other Council departments e.g. Housing and Recreation.
This first phase of the CYPS Estate Master Plan (Service Asset Plan) concentrated on service provision at sites and premises owned by the Council and administered by CYPS. The CYPS Community Property portfolio is summarised as follows:
Type of Location of establishment by Town Establishment Centre Number of establishments No. of establishments in a development programme No. of establishments currently being considered for a development prog. No. of establishments not in aprog developmentor being considered for inclusion
North Lambeth Brixton Clapham & Stockwell Norwood Streatham Children 27 6 6 6 4 5 0 N/A N/A Centres Playgroups 7 1 2 0 1 3 0 All 0 1 O’clock Clubs 15 4 3 2 2 4 All N/A N/A Adventure 9 2 4 2 0 1 All N/A N/A Playgrounds Grant Aided 5 0 1 0 0 4 2 All 0 Adventure Playground Playing Fields 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 N/A N/a School Keepers’ 4 N/A N/A Properties
Miscellaneous 10 0 N/A N/A TOTAL 168
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The provision of services covers Playgroups, Children’s Centres, One O’clock Clubs, Adventure Playgrounds, Youth Centres and a collection of other targeted Council and voluntary sector provision for children and young people
Early Years Provision
The provision of Early Years services is driven by the Lambeth Early Years Brightstart Childcare Strategy which was first published in September 2005 and which is aligned with the government’s Every Child Matters.
During 2003 the DCSF Sure Start Unit provided funding to Local Authorities to establish Children’s Centres. From the initial strategic plan the Council developed the Brightstart strategy for the under 5’s and a programme was established to deliver 10 Children’s Centres in the Borough between April 2004 and March 2008. The programme is delivering the Centres in three phases, with estimated total capital funding of £12m.
By March 2008 at the end of Phase 2 of the Children’s Centres programme, the Council had 26 Children’s Centres established across the borough. The additional £1.3m allocated to the borough for Phase 3 of the programme will be spent to further enhance this provision. Following detailed consultation, the Council will partner 1 o’clock clubs with Children’s Centres which will enable further services to be delivered from these already well used community access points. Integrated services are being fully delivered from many of the centres in co-operation with the local PCT, Job Centre Plus and a range of parenting and other agencies.
Play and Sports Provision
The government has included play as one of the key areas for development in delivering the outcomes for children as set out in Every Child Matters. Play is part of Council’s Children and Young People’s Plan, responsibility for delivery of the Plan rests with the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board.
Lambeth’s Play Strategy 2007-17 sets out the vision for children’s play for the next ten years. It recognises all children’s rights to play from birth to 18 years of age, as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Play Strategy is linked to the Brightstart Strategy and the Youth Strategy. it was shaped by the outcomes arising from a forum convened to listen to the views of children; parents; schools; community organisations and council departments.
The Play Service has five main aims:
• Provide better quality facilities which are more varied, easily accessible and driven by “what children want” • Ensure all children can access and use play facilities which are safe for all • Involve children and their parents • Show how important play is by getting everyone working together and creating more fit for purpose play opportunities • Work in partnership with Lambeth Council and other partners and stakeholders to ensure resources are utilised to maximum effect and benefit of all users
The Play Service is committed to undertaking an evaluation of its achievements annually. The outcomes arising from this review will inform future assessment of investment priorities and estate planning identified through the Estate Master Planning Process.
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Youth Provision
Lambeth’s Youth Strategy 2006-9 relates to young people aged between 11 and 19 years of age. The strategy was developed following consultation with internal and external stakeholders including young people in Lambeth. The Strategy complements the Borough Play and Sports Strategy and the delivery of the Education Achievement Plan.
Youth Provision in the borough is supported by The Youth Partnership Board which reports to The Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership.
The Youth Strategy aims to ensure that every young person living in Lambeth is able to make the transition from childhood to adulthood in a safe, secure and positive environment; and is able to access a range of opportunities to develop their physical and mental health.
Gap Analysis
Whilst the asset management data for the schools’ estate are very comprehensive, although in some areas in need of update, much less data is held for the community buildings estate. This is illustrated by the table below.
Type of Availability of information Establishment DDA DDA Number of of Number Comments Comments Asbestos Asbestos Condition Condition Site plans Site plans Suitability Suitability Establishments Photographs Photographs Building plans Building Secondary 13 All Partial Partial Partial Partial Partial Partial BSF Schools schemes in progress Primary 61 All All All All All All All Schools Special 5 All Partial Partial Partial Partial Partial Partial BSF Schools schemes in progress Children’s 27 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Mostly Centres recent schemes Playgroups 7 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Feasibilities 1 O ’Clock 15 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Feasibilities Clubs Youth Clubs 8 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Adventure 9 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Playgrounds Grant Aided 5 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Adventure Playgrounds Playing Fields 3 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial School 4 All None N/A Partial N/A Partial Partial Keepers’ N/A Properties Miscellaneous 10 All Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Sites
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Key To Table Above Extensive AMP Data / plans / Information Available Partial AMP Data / plans / Information Available
The gaps identified are as follows:
Playgroups There are 7 playgroups operating across the borough from properties managed by LBL CYPS, providing services for children under the age of 5. There is limited data available on the physical condition of the properties and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of children using the facility and /or wishing to use the facility. There is no information available about the suitability of the accommodation for the delivery of the services and currently there are no plans in existence for investment in these facilities. The services delivered from these premises are provided under the direction of Lambeth CYPS Family Support.
One O’clock Clubs There are 15 One O’clock Clubs operating across the borough from properties owned by the Council, the facilities are used by children under the age of five accompanied by an adult. There is limited data available on the physical condition of the properties and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of children using the facility and /or wishing to use the facility.
Based on the data collection exercise undertaken for the purposes of developing this Estate Master Plan it is evident that there has been no financial investment in the majority of these properties within the last five years. The exceptions are the facilities at Brockwell Park and Myatts Fields which have had significant capital investment in that period. The remaining sites had feasibility studies commissioned in July 2008 which explored the physical condition of the sites, the reports are expected to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year. It is the intention of Lambeth CYPS to carry out works at a number of these establishments to allow them to ‘partner’ with Children’s Centres across the Borough. Lambeth CYPS has Phase 3 Sure Start Children’s funding from the DCSF to support this initiative.
Children’s Centres There are 26 Children’s Centres on sites owned and operated by CYPS. The majority of the provision is based on existing school sites, as part of the extended schools provision, while those Centres which were originally Nursery Schools are the majority of the stand alone facilities in this category. The latter also form part of the borough’s statutory provision and receive Devolved Formula Capital funding for their buildings as a result. The other Centres receive only revenue monies in order to fund their service delivery.
High quality data sets are held for the sites within this category; detailed information is available about the condition, sufficiency and suitability of the internal accommodation and external facilities for these sites. Since they are subject to inspection/approval by Ofsted there is also reliable data on the capacity of each site. The commitment of the nationally funded Phase 3 Sure Start funding for Lambeth is to be focussed upon the further development of 1 O Clock clubs as mentioned above.
Adventure Playgrounds and Grant Aided Adventure Playgrounds The Adventure Playground provision falls into two categories; sites owned and operated by CYPS, of which there are currently 7, and sites owned by third parties and operated with grant assistance from LBL CYPS, currently there are seven sites in this category. There is limited data available on the physical condition of the properties and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of children using the facility and /or wishing to use the facility. There is no empirical data available about the suitability of the accommodation for the
28 Page 187 delivery of the services therefore it is difficult to gain a picture of the “fitness for purpose” of the individual sites. This deficiency needs to be addressed.
Based on the data collection exercise undertaken for the purposes of developing this Estate Master Plan it is evident that there has been no financial investment in the majority of these properties within the last five years. However, following a report to SLB in May 2008 feasibility studies were commissioned in November 2008 to explore the physical condition of the sites, the reports are expected to be completed by the end of this fiscal year.
Play Facilities The following key issues with regard to the Play Service have been identified:
• An identified lack of play facilities in Norwood and Streatham • Improvement of the quality of existing open access play areas • Areas with high density child population needs to be prioritised • Consult children and young people • Home zone areas and safe play streets needs to be extended • Creation of additional play areas for over 8s • Develop a play worker training programme • Liaison/consultation with internal Council departments to ensure new housing developments include play facilities
A strategy is required to incorporate these priorities in the future development and improvement of the facilities which support the work of the Play Service
Youth Clubs There are 7 Youth Clubs operating across the borough from properties owned by LBL CYPS, the facilities are used by young people aged between 11 and 19. There is additional youth provision commissioned by the Youth Team for the delivery of services from other sites which do not form part of the asset portfolio held by CYPS. This provision is largely on housing estates.
There is limited data available on the physical condition of the facilities and the sufficiency of the physical spaces for the number of young people using the facility and /or wishing to use the facility. There is no empirical data available about the suitability of the accommodation for the delivery of the services therefore it is difficult to gain a picture of the “fitness for purpose” of the individual sites.
Based on the data collection exercise undertaken for the purposes of developing the CYPS Estate Master Plan it is evident that there has been no significant financial investment in the majority of these properties within the last five years. The exception is the facility at the Old West Norwood library which was extensively refurbished four years ago and is now dedicated to youth provision (although funding was insufficient to entirely renovate the building). The Living Space (Coral Street, Waterloo) was newly built six years ago. Further consideration of development needs across this part of the Community Buildings property portfolio is being explored as set out below.
During 2008 The Youth Service undertook a significant piece of work which focused on the youth service provision in each town centre in the borough. The work was split into six geographical areas for each of which an Area Development Report was produced. The published reports highlight all activity for young people in each geographical area together with an identified set of key priorities which are to be developed during the forthcoming year.
The six development reports which have been produced by The Youth Service cover the following areas:
• North Lambeth Town Centre
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• Brixton Town Centre • Streatham Town Centre • Norwood Town Centre • Stockwell Area • Clapham Area
The six reports contain a considerable amount of detail set within a contextual framework of both national government and local Lambeth drivers for improvement. The Key Priorities which have been adopted as a result of this piece of work are linked to Lambeth Youth Strategy and its existing Strategic Priorities.
The Lambeth Youth service has been developing proposals for refreshing the service and its facilities, this is called Lambeth Young People (LYP). The intention is that the LYP approach will be adopted in all facilities in the Borough.
At an early stage in the programme consultation was held in each of the Lambeth run youth centres which led to the design of ‘new look’ youth centres. The design for the new centres include a comfortable lounge and reception area; space for either media, sport or arts activities; training rooms; offices for service providers for example Connexions; computer access and other appropriate spaces as requested by young people. Designs for each centre have been worked up and will be costed.
The only available capital funding for the LYP programme is from the Youth Capital Fund Plus This funding is targeted to deliver one non-statutory centre. It should be noted that although the design proposals have been through a process of rigorous consultation and meet the service objectives of the Youth Service in transforming the provision and delivering improvements at Lambeth Youth Centres, there is no capital funding stream to implement a programme of delivery.
The new design for the Youth Centres aims to address issues of territory often experienced by young people when they attend youth provision in areas which are not close to their homes. It is also hoped that the LYP proposals will be rolled out to non Council run provision, so that young people receive the same experience whether they attend a Lambeth or non Lambeth run centre or activity.
The youth service is attempting to address the lack of capital funding via application for additional Capital funding via the DCSF funded, Big Lottery administered MyPlace capital funding programme. However due to an urgent need in the south of the borough as identified in the Town Centre Development plans for Norwood and Streatham, this funding application has been targeted to the Norwood area. A response to this is expected in March 2009.
There is a clear need in other centres for investment into the fabric of the buildings to bring them up to a standard and quality that is attractive to young people.
Local implementation, Building Schools for the Future and developments in early years’ provision provide the opportunity to transform delivery for children and young people in the long term. Young people’s services aspire to maximise these opportunities by developing mutually beneficial relationships with schools at local and Borough wide level to ensure services for young people are at the heart of these future developments. Addressing the acute challenges faced by The Youth Service in accessing capital funding to implement a programme of improvement must remain a high priority.
Playing Fields The Council has an interest in three school playing fields at Rosendale Road, Stockport Road and Abbotswood Road.
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The playing field at Rosendale Road is held under lease from the Dulwich Estate. The lease tenure is for a maximum 21 of years with the current lease ending in 2026. At such time the Council will be required to refurbish the site and hand it back to the Dulwich Estate. There is a break clause every 7 years on 12 months notice. Rent is £15,000 per annum. As Part of the Building Schools for the Future Programme, £250,000 is being invested to allow the Rosendale Playing Fields to be refurbished and upgraded. A feasibility study has been commissioned and, in principal, there is agreement that once refurbished the Elmgreen School will take over the responsibility for management, on behalf of the Borough, with the aim of increasing use by Lambeth Schools and community groups.
Stockport Road Playing Fields are owned by Lambeth. The Field is located at the southernmost end of the Borough, at the back of Woodmansterne Primary School. The recent development of a Children Centre at the Woodmansterne School site adjacent to the playing fields has provided the opportunity to invest into the site. Through this CYPS capital programme, a new dedicated changing room, with shower and toilet facilities has been provided which significantly enhances the site, providing a greater opportunity for wider usage.
Abbotswood Road Playing Fields immediately adjoins Streatham Hill and Clapham High School, a public school owned by Girls Day School Trust (GDST). In March 2008 the Council granted a 50 year lease to the GDST (at an initial peppercorn rent - to be reviewed every five years) as part of CYPS strategy for the management of playing fields and adventure playgrounds. The GDST had secured funding to improve the land and are currently building a new pavilion, erecting new fencing, providing a new all weather pitch and refurbishing the grass pitch the total cost is estimated at £800,000. As part of the agreement the parties will ensure, with the full support of CYPS, that local schools and community groups will be able to use the facilities during certain periods. The GDST will also be responsible for the management of the fields and contractually obliged to actively market the facilities to nominated Council schools.
School Keepers’ Houses Many Lambeth schools include on-site houses for Premises Officers. Information on these is included with the relevant school data (in many cases the houses are no longer occupied and are used by the schools for educational or community activities). There are four houses which are not on school sites and are still occupied. No strategy will be developed for these assets until such time as the residents leave. The properties have potential for the generation of capital receipts and their long term future will be considered as part of the High Level Strategic Options Appraisals being carried out on adjoining primary school sites through the Primary Capital Programme.
Miscellaneous Sites The CYPS estate includes ten properties which do not fit into any of the categories above. These include the Beaufoy Institute and Old Lilian Baylis – both declared surplus to requirements and awaiting disposal/reuse; the Adare Centre, Jubilee Centre and Brixton Child Guidance Unit – leased to other users; four office facilities; an empty school awaiting reallocation (Woodfield); and Norwood Park Primary being used temporarily for BSF decant purposes.
Finance & Resources Department
Office Accommodation Portfolio
The implementation of the first phase of the office accommodation strategy was completed on schedule. The strategy principally involved eliminating the compliance liabilities on the core office portfolio and undertaking cost effective reconfiguration of office space to enable buildings to be rationalised and capital receipts released.
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The office portfolio review is as follows:
Acre House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively small floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
This is old building stock with poor and defective quality interior finishes. Developing this building on par with Phoenix House will be difficult and costly and will not achieve the same quality space, and therefore does not represent a good investment. It is therefore not recommended for continued retention.
Blue Star House – The Building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively small floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision. The floor to ceiling height is somewhat restrictive.
Although capable of being upgraded to a modern standard, due to the small floor plates and limited floor to ceiling height, it is not recommended for continued retention.
392 Brixton Road – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively small plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
Although capable of being upgraded to a modern standard, due to the small floor plates and limited floor to ceiling height it therefore does not represent a good investment. It is not recommended for continued retention.
Gracefield Gardens – The building has a mix of small open plan and cellular accommodation in two locations within the building. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
There interior is functional with a high standard of finish as it is the most recently constructed LBL office. It is recommended to retain.
Hambrook House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively good sized floor plates. Generally it has a good circulation and good natural light provision.
Although capable of being upgraded to a modern standard; due to extensive work required, it is not recommended to retain for subsequent redevelopment unless there were other overriding factors.
Herne Hill – The building is a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively small floor plates. Generally it has good circulation but limited natural light provision.
Herne Hill Road is old building stock with poor and defective quality interior finishes. Developing this building on par with Phoenix House will be difficult and costly and will not achieve the same quality space, and therefore does not represent a good investment. It is not recommended to retain.
Hopton House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively large floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
Although capable of being upgraded to a modern standard; due to the extensive work required, it is not recommended to retain for subsequent redevelopment unless there were other overriding factors.
International House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within a relatively good size floor plate. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
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It is recommended to retain.
Ivor House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively small floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
Olive Morris House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively large floor plates. Generally it has a good circulation and good natural light provision.
It is capable of being upgraded to a modern standard, and due to the large floor plates it is recommended to retain for subsequent redevelopment.
Phoenix House – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively large floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
It is recommended to retain, although a review of furniture planning and provision be considered.
Phoenix House has been identified as the benchmark building for the Council. Whilst appreciating that the building is “ not perfect” it does provide a recognised, known, benchmark for the Authority.
205 Stockwell Road – The building has a mix of open plan and cellular accommodation within relatively small floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
Stockwell Road is old building stock with poor and defective quality interior finishes. Developing this building on par with Phoenix House will be difficult and costly and will not achieve the same quality space, and therefore does not represent a good investment. It is not recommended to retain.
Town Hall – The building has mainly cellular accommodation within relatively large floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
Although highly cellular and therefore not flexible, it is understood that this is a landmark building in Brixton and would be retained. Works undertaken within the subsequent design phase would need to be tailored to suit the building type.
Town Hall Parade – The building has mainly a cellular environment within relatively small floor plates. Generally it has constricted circulation and poor natural light provision.
The Town Hall Parade is old building stock with poor and defective quality interior finishes. Developing this building on par with Phoenix House will be difficult and costly and will not achieve the same quality space and therefore does not represent a good investment. It is not recommended to retain.
Wanless Road – The building has cellular accommodation within very small floor plates. Generally it has good circulation and good natural light provision.
Although not ideal building stock the building location and facilities are particularly suited to the department based there. It is therefore proposed that it is retained and a focused package of works is reviewed specifically to provide a comparable environment to other buildings in the subsequent design phase.
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Building NIA No of Total Staff No. of Square Desk (m2) Floors Occupancy Desks Metre Usage Desk Ratio(%) Acre House 996 2 45 85 11.72 53 Blue Star 2,674 7 422 399 6.7 106 House 392 Brixton 703 3 46 59 11.92 79 Road Gracefield 321 2 51 46 6.98 111 Gardens Hambrook 2,297 6 283 282 8.14 92 House Herne Hill 502 3 52 57 8.81 93 Hopton House 2,186 4 264 269 8.13 100 International 5,281 12 647 560 9.43 117 House Ivor House 2,140 4 181 212 10.09 88 Olive Morris 4,847 4 527 571 8.49 92 House Phoenix House 5,891 12 569 549 10.68 101 205 Stockwell 661 2 59 67 9.8 91 Road Town Hall 6,599 3 256 336 19.64 79 Town Hall 1,921 5 133 156 12.31 80 Parade Wanless Road 314 3 25 36 8.7 78 Total/Average Schedule of Office Accommodation
The second phase commissioned external consultants specifically to respond to (validate) a building rationalisation programme proposed by the Council which would see the office estate shrink from 15 buildings to 6 core sites.
The workplace strategy study focused on those future needs of the Council, investigating how the workspace might evolve, with a view to implementing the findings and recommendations of the report potentially during 2009.
The Council recognises that it has a number of issues with its current office accommodation. The buildings do not seem to 'work well' on a number of levels for staff and visitors; the Council wishes to rationalise its property portfolio significantly; technology is seen as a hindrance rather than an enabler; there is a need to respond to external government efficiency initiatives; there is a mounting sense of a 'one off' opportunity to approach the physical asset management in a consistent and coherent manner; and there is a legacy of 'flexible working' pilot spaces that trialled desk sharing with varying degrees of success.
Review Process
Turner & Townsend were commissioned to undertake the necessary review based on a workplace strategy study which focussed on engaging as much as possible with the Council and staff through a number of activities (including a questionnaire, focus groups, user groups and interviews) to generate real involvement and feeding of information to drive the recommendations.
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Gap Analysis
The Turner and Townsend Workplace Strategy Study concluded that:
• There is an inefficient use of space overall that directly affects the ability to (a) provide the necessary additional work settings and facilities for the business to have optimal performance; (b) co-locate staff in fewer buildings (c) generate associated savings. • With a more efficient planning rationale and the introduction of a more consistent and coherent approach to a staff desk sharing policy, the Authority could potentially release up to 9 buildings. (This finding is from a strategic 'desk-top' study which has been calculated using the total given headcount of the Council and the total square metres available in the retained buildings. Further detail to understand the headcount per department, necessary adjacencies and the potential 'stack and block' of retained buildings are necessary activities to validate this strategy and would need to be undertaken in the next phase of work.) • A 'one size fits all' design will not be appropriate to the Authority which has a spectrum of working styles that require some specific responses • The Council's HR policies adequately cover the issues surrounding more flexible working practices and processes; it is their current inconsistent implementation by management which has generated a lack of trust from staff generally that there is coherency • The current technology infrastructure cannot adequately support existing flexible working demands and would need substantial reconfiguration in order to support the strategy being proposed
The next steps to taking the study forward include:
• Drafting and delivery of the business case by Turner & Townsend • Ratification of the business case by the 0ffice Solutions Project Board, SLB and Cabinet.
Housing Regeneration & Environment Department
Housing, Regeneration and Environment consists of the following seven divisions:
• Regeneration and Enterprise • Planning • Valuation and Asset Management Services (VAMS) • Resources (Housing and Regeneration) • Housing Strategy and Partnerships • Public Realm • Resources (ECCS)
HRE has over 700 staff and covers a range of services from preventing homelessness to supporting business and developing enterprise, to implementing transport policy and ensuring that the borough’s streets are free from waste. The department was formed in 2008 to combine a range of functions in a single location to provide greater capacity for the new departments Place Shaping role. Key strategies developed within the department include:
• Local Development Framework/ Core Strategy • Housing Strategy • Regeneration Delivery Plan • Economic development Strategy • Local Implementation Plan (Transport) • Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan
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An overview of current property assets and requirements for each service area is as follows:-
Valuation and Asset Management Services (VAMS) – One of the functions of VAMS is to manage and maintain a large portfolio of Community Buildings, and a smaller number of Hostel buildings. These buildings are used by a large range of community groups, some of whom occupy on historical basis with no legal occupation structure in place. In addition many of the groups are in arrears with rent, and many of the buildings themselves have no strategic significance within the LBL portfolio. There is currently a review underway that will identify these groups and their space requirements. From this review, LBL will be able to identify a strategy that will facilitate provision of space for those groups who need to be supported, and allow the VAMS team to work towards releasing those assets which are no longer required in the portfolio, be that either by Sale to generate capital receipts, or alternatively by transferring assets or leasing to other LBL departments who can utilise these properties in more appropriate ways.
Housing Strategy – The housing strategy sets out that “by 2013 there will be an extra 6,000 new homes, significant improvements to existing dwellings and a high quality, carbon friendly, physical environment.” Housing will continue to require more properties, of better quality with improved access and in improved environments.
Public Realm – The aspects of the division that utilise Council’s property assets are Street Management with Parking Services and a number of street located Toilets. The division also manages Depots within Streetcare and Sustainable Waste Business Units.
Car Parks – There are only three car parks owned by the Council and these are in varying levels of use and repair. There does not appear to be any strategy or requirements to change car parking provision.
Public Conveniences – This service is adapting and changing its style and type of provision to meet decreasing budgets and changing demands. These changes are generally resulting in a move away from using traditional Council owned buildings providing public convenience facilities to a variety of more modern ways of service provision.
Depots – There are currently four depot sites within the borough, although these used to be situated on a single site. There is an aspiration for this to again be the case. Depots are shared with waste contractors under a clear leasing arrangement. Generally the contractor pays nominal rent whilst they deliver services to the borough. From an office perspective, Brixton is a good central location for the Public Realm. The Parking Team have a CCTV suite within their office accommodation which has a large amount of IT equipment and which would be costly to relocate.
Gap Analysis
Car Parks The Council owns one large car park in central Brixton which is in a very poor state of repair and only capable of use in part. The cost of maintaining the structure of the existing car park is high and the facility is beyond its useful life expectancy.
The Brixton Masterplan does not provide for like-for-like replacement of the spaces with provision being split over a number of locations and it is not clear if an assessment of requirement has been undertaken.
A site has been identified on Gresham Road which may be suitable for the construction of a replacement car park and is being investigated further. A site search for other potential sites is also ongoing.
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The Council also wishes to bring it’s car pound into the borough from Lewisham where the current leasing arrangement presents a high risk on account of the break clause in the lease which means that it could be terminated at short notice, giving the Council insufficient time to secure a replacement facility.
A search needs to be carried out to identify a suitable site and this could be located with a new car park or within a new depot site.
Public Conveniences Assuming the review of the Community Scheme is positive, then there could be potential to consider either disposing of, or letting, some of the existing toilet facilities. In any event, those toilet facilities that are already rented out are also being assessed for the cost/revenue return benefit including those facilities that are closed which are being assessed for alternative use/disposal options.
Depots The relocation of the Council’s Depots from a single location ideally located centrally. There is a desire to consolidate the Council’s services in a single location. A search for a suitable site is ongoing. However, bearing in mind the built-up nature of the borough it is likely that this may necessitate a site assembly including the Council exercising its CPO powers. In any event, the establishment of a new depot may present opportunities to co- locate other Council services, such as the proposed new archive centre and office accommodation, and these should be explored.
Operational Indirect Properties
Voluntary Sector Premises
There has been a history of VCO groups occupying premises without formal agreements. This favours neither the council nor the group. Services provided by some groups are not monitored and the council does not receive any credit for allowing the use of its property asset with the loss of income that could be used for service provision elsewhere. Moreover, the groups do not benefit from any security of tenure and often do not appreciate the council's contribution.
In 2004 the council adopted a policy to regularise occupation of properties. This has since been augmented by a Community Asset Transfer Policy. All occupiers must have tenancy agreements. The rental value of properties will be established and groups will be required to pay rent. If the council wants to support an occupier then support will be by way of grant or contracted services where payment includes a contribution towards the rental value. Ideally rent charged will be covered by grant or rent will be regarded as in lieu of grant whilst services are provided.
The policy allows a pragmatic approach to lettings that is transparent and equitable. In certain circumstances a phased rent can be used to soften the blow to a group and allow a period to adjust finances.
To monitor progress on regularising the voluntary sector lettings and particular issues and sensitivities arising from the process there is a Cabinet Members' Voluntary Sector and Asset Management Working Group which meets quarterly.
The working group meetings consider progress generally and occupation of specific properties and the circumstances and approach to be adopted to regularise occupations. This has involved considering draft letters to 11 groups setting out the history of the occupation, fully explaining the reasoning for the policy and the process to be adopted to regularise matters The letters are forwarded to Ward members for information and comment prior to the commencement of any action.
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In addition there has been liaison with other council departments, particularly CYPS, to recognise property issues as part of funding options.
Progress on Regularisation
The table below sets out the current position.
Properties occupied by VCS as at April 2008 135 Properties occupied by VCS as at March 2009 128
Groups with Agreements 64 Action deferred (eg pending redevelopment) 2 Action ongoing (eg rent review/renewal) 5 New agreement awaiting signature 1 New agreement with solicitors 1 Renewal of agreement completed 5 Renewal agreements offered: awaiting 6 response Rent review agreed 3 Properties repossessed 5 Grant of agreements completed 10 Total 102 Groups without Agreements Action deferred (eg pending redevelopment) 2 Action ongoing 3 Agreement awaiting signature 2 Agreement offered awaiting response 15 Properties repossessed 4 Total 26 Financial Summary Capital Value of all properties occupied by 20,000,000 VCS Estimated Rental value of properties occupied 1,432,000 Rents receivable 925,000 Rent arrears as at 31 March 2009 201,000
The list is continually changing as agreements come to an end and groups are unable to accept new agreements at modern rents. Funding and support to groups change and getting groups to accept agreements and actually pay rent is only part of the process. Dealing with reviews of rent and arrears of rent is a continuous and sensitive issue.
There still remains challenging cases where council funding is minimal or the occupier is not engaged with the council. In some of these cases the council does not know the benefit of services provided by a particular occupier and often groups do not appreciate the value of the premises occupied. As part of the 3rd Sector Review it is proposed that Community Matters will be engaged to carry out an independent review of the services provided by occupiers.
Effectively there are 15 major cases yet unresolved.
Non-Operational Property Portfolio
The Council holds property for a variety of purposes. The key priorities of the management of the non-operational property portfolio are a balancing act between the competing demands of:
• Income maximisation,
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• Generating capital receipts, • Providing facilities and services for local communities, • Assisting the Council’s regeneration polices.
The non operational property portfolio comprises a mixture of assets let on a variety of terms.
As at the 31 March 2009 the make up of the portfolio held by the Council is set out below:-
Advertising Hoardings 2 Aerials 16 Cafes 9 Car parking licences/garages 14 Community Use 28 Ground Rents (sites) 58 Ground Rents (residential) 34 Industrial Units 10 Miscellaneous interests 18 Nurseries 13 Offices 47 Pub 1 Shops 195 Sites 18 Surgeries 11 Total 474
Rent Collection
During the year the rent roll increased from £3,372,789 at 31 March 2008 to £3,674,792.83 at 31 March 2009.
This increase was primarily due to the completion of various lease renewals and rent reviews.
Collection of Rent Arrears
By continuing to chase rent arrears promptly and where necessary appointing bailiffs, historic rent arrears have been reduced and current rents collected. This is reflected in the rent collection statistics set out in the schedule below:-
01 April 2008 to 31 March 2009
Client Name Demanded Received Collected CYPS £69,389.19 £65,943.02 95.03% HRE Industrial Estate £465,084.92 £477,364.91 102.64% HRA £2,624,728.88 £2,537,884.47 96.69% Finance & Resources: Facilities Mgmt £303,738.24 £304,231.05 100.16% ACS £244,812.71 £235,351.18 96.14% Unidentified Receipts £0.00 £-45,041.36 N/A HRE Depots £197,933.66 £179,935.06 90.91% HRE Admin Building Surplus £57,826.27 £9,954.54 17.21% ACS Parks £114,563.58 £112,900.98 98.55% Totals £4,078,077.45 £3,878,523.85 95.1%
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The poor performance in respect of the properties held by HRE Admin Building Surplus is due to the fact that though most of these properties are let at subsidised rents to community groups, the tenants do not pay the rent on time. Only 17.21% of the rent demanded was collected thus reducing the overall rent collection to 95.1%.
New Lettings
Premises became available to let during the year as a consequence of voluntary surrender or repossession due to non payment of rent by the tenant. In general these premises were quickly re-let on improved terms.
On a month to month basis the number of voids has remained fairly constant. However, some vacant properties have proved difficult to let at any price.
This was particularly noticeable in respect of the Council units at Lambeth Walk. Advantageous terms were offered in respect of all these properties and some are currently under offer.
At the end of March 2009 the Council had 14 vacant commercial properties. Of these 4 units (ERV of £46,500 pa) were under offer and waiting completion by solicitors, 2 units (Full ERV of £28,000) on hold on the instruction of the Client Department, and the remaining 8 units (ERV of £76,000) were advertised as available to let.
The estimated rental value of the properties available to let or pending completion of letting was £122,500. This represents only 3.3% of the rent roll, and the estimated rental value of the properties available to let was £76,000. This represents only 2.0 % of the rent roll, as at the 31 March 2009.
Lease Renewals and Rent Reviews
The majority of lettings provide for reviews of rent on 3 or 5 yearly cycles. During the year negotiations took place with the tenants and 25 renewals and 24 rent reviews were completed. These negotiations resulted in an increase in the rent roll by approximately £250,000.
Non-Operational Estate - Internal Rate of Return
The following approach and assumptions were adopted in the calculation of internal rate of return for the investment portfolio.
• The IRR calculation is calculated over a twenty-year term.
• A current valuation of each unit has been adopted as the ‘year 1’ opening investment value.
• The exit value in year 20 is calculated by applying the current capitalisation yield to the forecasted rental value.
• There is an allowance for stamp duty and professional fees (4.75%) on the notional purchase price at commencement and notional sale at the exit.
• An assumed rental growth rate has been applied to each category in the range of 0% to 4% depending upon the particular characteristics of the property.
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• A deduction will be made from the rental income each year to reflect external management fees and potential unrecoverable expenditure. This has been applied as a percentage of rental income.
Based on these assumptions the IRR calculation of the main asset groups in the investment portfolio are summarised as follows:
Detail of the Property Internal Rate Of Return % Advertising Hoardings 8.77 Aerials 11.27 Cafes 14.54 Car Parks 15.93 Community Use 37.26 Surgery 13.59 Industrial 13.96 Nursery 12.13 Office 15.99 SHOPS - Acre Lane 17.68 Amesbury Av 15.48 Arlington Parade 13.27 Ascot Parade 14.61 Black Prince Road 13.74 Brixton Station Road 15.97 Coldharbour Lane 13.51 Dorset Road 13.56 Jeffreys Road 13.56 Kennington Park Road 12.39 Knights Hill 13.82 Lambeth Walk 15.93 Landor Road 12.36 Loughborough Road 13.41 Newington Butts 14.25 Prague Place 13.56 Railton Road 12.39 Sanders Parade 11.25 Streatham Hill 11.55 Vassall Road 13.56 Vauxhall Street 14.71 Wandsworth Road 12.6 Wilcox Road 12.39 Other Shops 10.55
The above indicates that the portfolio continues to be economically viable and making a satisfactory annual return, however, there is little strategic purpose for their retention. The risks associated with continued retention are positively managed to minimise any potential liability upon the Council.
Income Forecast for next Five Years for Individual Departments
The following assumptions have been made in the estimation of possible income for the next five years.
• That the commercial rental market will not grow as it has in the past years. • On lease renewals and rent reviews, we will endeavour to achieve the market rental but have regard to local issues and pressure.
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• All properties occupied by community groups will be let on market rent. • No consideration that there will be future disposals affecting the investment properties. • The income forecast is Gross Income and no adjustment made for the repairs/management of the properties.
Actual Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated Income Income Income Income Income Income Owners Name 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
CYPS £69,389.19 £68,579.30 £54,179.30 £68,179.30 £68,179.30 £68,179.30
HRE - Industrial Estate £465,084.92 £865,625.60 £893,225.52 £894,225.52 £888,475.52 £890,975.52
HRE - Housing. £2,624,728.88 £2,596,808.83 £2,739,540.18 £2,773,439.98 £2,780,414.32 £2,780,949.14
F&R - Facilities Mgmt. £303,738.24 £328,570.04 £258,570.00 £258,570.00 £258,570.00 £258,570.00
ACS - Adult & Community Services £244,812.71 £221,850.92 £212,601.00 £212,601.00 £212,601.00 £212,601.00
HRE - Depots. £197,933.66 £156,000.00 £156,000.00 £156,000.00 £156,000.00 £156,000.00
HRE - Admin Building Surplus £57,826.27 £56,534.96 £56,534.96 £56,534.96 £56,534.96 £56,534.96
HRE - Parks £114,563.58 £116,611.00 £117,611.00 £117,611.00 £117,611.00 £117,611.00
Total £4,078,077.45 £4,410,580.65 £4,488,261.96 £4,537,161.76 £4,538,386.10 £4,541,420.92 Annual Rental Income Forecast
Right to Buy
Under the terms of the Valuation Services Contract, Lambert Smith Hampton are responsible for valuing residential properties subject to 1 Right to Buy applications and providing the floor plans and Ordnance Survey extracts together with fire insurance valuations, in respect of leasehold sales.
Over the year 174 RTB valuations were carried out a reduction of 60% on the year before. The number of new applications is on average 13 per month and this is likely to decrease as more estates are transferred out of Lambeth ownership and as the credit crunch affects the availability of mortgage monies.
In summary the statistics for the year are:
Total number of valuations completed 174 Aggregate value reported £35,303,000 Average value reported £202,900 Total number of plans prepared 142
III Acquisitions & Disposals (Capital Receipts)
In view of the importance of the Council’s portfolio as a resource, choices made regarding their utilisation have a considerable affect on the Council’s finances. The duty and objectives
42 Page 201 of the Council has traditionally been to deliver services to the community and in the context of Asset Management, the following three policies are pursued:-
• The Council will not hold property for its own sake and will measure its use of property in money, just like its other resources; • The Council will occupy the minimum necessary amount of property measured in financial terms, which it actually needs to perform its duties and attain its objectives; and • It will expend the minimum necessary resources on the day-to-day management and use of its properties.
The Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007-2010 sets out the process for guiding the acquisition, use and disposal of assets to make the most of their service delivery potential and manage the related risks and costs over their entire life.
Acquisitions
Section 3, paragraph 3.1 set out the Council’s approach to new asset demand. In 2007/08 financial year, Cabinet agreed to the expansion of two primary schools and the establishment of a new secondary Academy. These new demands necessitated the need to acquire properties not in Council ownership.
• Expansion of Stockwell Primary School – Acquisition of part of the CAFOD building for £2.695m. • Clapham Manor Primary School – The acquisition of 28a Grafton Square (adjacent to school) for £3.150m.
Disposals
The preparation of a Disposals Programme (DP) is to a large extent informed by property reviews, referred to earlier is a component of the Council’s Asset Management planning and budgeting cycle. The DP:-
• Separately identifies properties which have strategic or non-strategic value; • Identifies assets that are still being used for core service delivery but are underutilised and requiring further assessment; and • Identifies assets that are vacant or formally declared surplus to core service delivery requirements.
This decision-making and consultation process for the production of the Disposals Programme is a collaborative two-way process designed to engage interested groups across the Council while balancing the service and corporate perspectives. The approach is one in which departments assess their service demand over an agreed planning period, based on their respective departmental service plans and any other relevant material that defines the Council’s intended service delivery, for example, the Community Strategy and new Government initiatives. Through this process, the long term implications of corporate level decision making on assets are identified and appropriate responses developed.
The DP is reviewed by the Capital Programme Review Group (CPRG), Finance Strategy Board (FSB), Capital and Asset Group (CAG), Strategic Asset Management Group (SAMG) and the Strategic Leadership Board (SLB) prior to presentation to the Cabinet. Any of these may request additional information to clarify issues identified in the DP or the removal/addition of a property.
The process is summarised as follows:
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The Disposals Process
Stage 1 – Assets Surplus to Service Delivery Determine Assets that are surplus to service delivery requirements both now and over the planning time frame. Assets are considered surplus if they are not required to deliver services or no longer contribute to Sustainable Development objectives.
Stage 2 – Benefits of Disposal vs Retention Assess the advantages to Council and the community in divesting assets.
Stage 3 – Value Maximisation Identify opportunities for increasing asset value. The value of the asset to both the community and the Council may be a combination of ecological, socio/cultural and economic value.
Stage 4 – Disposal mechanism Identify disposal requirements including probity considerations. Evaluate options for disposal.
Stage 5 – Prepare and implement the Disposal Programme and monitor performance The cost plan should also include cost estimates for implementing environmental related changes. The impact of the proposed costs of maintenance should also be considered for its impact on sustainable development. If an asset is not economically viable, then the service it supports may be jeopardised.
The Council relies upon the generation of capital receipts from land and property disposal in order to support its Capital Programme. In accordance with the Council’s Capital Strategy, the Head of Asset Strategy seeks to maintain a 3-5 years rolling programme of disposals, undertaken in close liaison with the Executive Director of Finance and Resources.
Where possible, receipts are generated from the sale of non-revenue generating assets (principally development land) as a means of preserving a sustainable long term income stream for the Council.
Whilst the level of capital receipts generated from land/property disposal continue to fluctuate from year to year, it has averaged around £36.16m pa over the last 3 years. Clearly there is a finite supply of such assets and bearing in mind that land/property disposal has been commonplace since the early 1990’s, ‘surplus’ assets are now fewer in number.
Although there is currently a small number of other assets identified for disposal it is currently difficult to identify how the Council will continue to generate receipts at the current level beyond 2010, unless it elects to dispose of investment assets, with the inevitable impact on revenue.
A summary of completed disposals/receipts over the last 6 years including capital receipt estimates for 2009/10 is set out below:
Account 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 Group £m £m £m £m £m £m £m Right to Buy 27.80 21.82 7.54 5.000 5.02 1.16 1.50 Housing 7.82 18.53 19.46 6.363 3.43 2.35 28.50 Revenue Account (HRA) General Fund 29.99 11.74 20.74 8.186 33.67 1.45 9.30 (GF) Total 65.61 52.10 45.75 19.549 43.22 4.96 39.30
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The Council presently follows the conventional public sector approach to land and surplus property disposal of focusing on maximising capital receipts. This has meant providing outline planning permission and/or incorporating overage provisions in the terms of sale. Overage provision enables the sellers of land to recoup a proportion of any additional value achieved at a later date.
Whilst the main objective of the Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007-2010 continues to be relevant under this approach, several recent regeneration initiatives are being frustrated due to the conflicting short term requirement of maximising capital receipts generation against the wider to long term regeneration of the borough. An emerging approach amongst local authorities is that instead of seeing their land and property portfolio as a liability to be converted into one-off windfalls, it is seen as an asset which can create value in which an Authority wants to retain a stake.
In recognition, the Council is presently undertaking an options appraisal with a view to determining the most advantageous course of action.
Market Commentary
It is now official that in 2008 the economy was in recession following two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. Thus GDP growth for 2008 as a whole stood at 0.7% although this somewhat disguises the slow-down experienced in the latter part of the year with negative growth forecast to continue throughout 2009. Indeed, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is forecasting that 2009 will see 3.3% decline in GDP which has been revised down from an estimate of -1.7% published at the end of 2008. The CBI also forecasted that in total there will be six consecutive quarterly falls in GDP before a gradual recovery in output occurs in 2010 in response to the various measures that have and will be in place to stimulate growth and increase liquidity.
According to The Land Registry which covers all residential property transactions in England and Wales, House prices in England and Wales fell by 0.4 per cent in March. In March 2009 the average house price was £152,895 and represented an annual decrease of 16.2%. In London the average house price fell 15.4% to £299,613 during the year to March 2009. In Lambeth the average house price fell 15.4% to £299,342. This was the eighteenth month in a row the rate of change has fell, in contrast to 21 months of uninterrupted increase in the annual rate of change between December 2005 and August 2007. In terms of sales volume, the latest figures available from December 2008 show a 55% decline from 12 months previously.
The commercial property market continued to witness significant falls into 2009. IPD’s all property index of total returns saw a 2.5% fall during February with a fall of 24.3% recorded over the 12 months period up to February 2009. Capital values have continued to fall with values falling 29.03% since February 2008. The rental value index peaked in October and has turned downwards with values falling 3.37% in the year to February. The shorter term one- and three-month variables have showed increasing rates of decline in each of the last seven months reflecting the slowing growth trend. Capital Economics predict that commercial property rents will fall by 20% peak to trough, in 2009 and 2010. As further evidence of the risk facing the occupier market, the Experian Retail Footfall Index are predicting that the average vacancy rate on the high street could rise to 12%, which will be the highest since records began.
The implications for the Council is that this trend will adversely impact on the ability of the Council to generate rental income and capital receipts from its non-operational estate and through the sale of surplus properties
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IV. Asset Maintenance
Repair and maintenance represents the most apparent liability arising from the Council’s property holdings and to a large extent the Council is still suffering the legacy of previous year’s under-investment in physical assets.
All buildings have been the subject of a condition survey during the last 5 years and the results used to define a repairs profile, identifying the future maintenance requirement for each asset. This information is regularly used to inform decisions on retention/ disposal as well as presenting an overview of the condition of the Council’s portfolio.
The backlog maintenance for non-housing properties following the 2004/2006 condition surveys is summarised below. However, it should be noted that this would have reduced slightly in the light of recent investments in, for example, the operational offices, Leisure Centres, Parks and Schools:
The level of maintenance undertaken in any single year continues to be governed by budget rather than need. However, general spend has rightly concentrated priority on health and safety compliance works.
A minimum sum of £1.5m is required in addition to funds already committed to Planned Maintenance.
Summary of Backlog Maintenance Identified from 2004-2006 Condition Surveys (excluding Housing Stock) Departments Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Total (£) (£) (£) (£) (£) 10,280,990 10,280,990 10,280,990 10,280,990 10,280,990 CYPS Schools Secondary Schools* 1,300,008 13,358,583 15,777,285 1,901,266 32,337,142 Primary School* 307,981 20,748,314 11,728,777 660,055 33,444,227 Nursery Schools 1,142,000 Special Schools 2,858,000 CYPS Community Buildings Youth Centres 19,800 173,250 180,675 47,025 420,750 Adventure Playgrounds 22,400 196,000 189,800 53,200 461,400 Sports Fields 8,752 76,580 79,862 20,786 185,980 1 0’Clock Clubs 30,976 271,040 282,656 73,568 658,240 Nurseries & Children 43,336 379,190 395,441 102,923 920,690 Centres Miscellaneous 89,016 778,890 812,271 211,413 1,891,590 Reserved Sites 6,934,000 *Only Community and Foundation Schools ACS Parks 3,415,000 2,372,500 641,500 - 6,429,000 Leisure Centres 2,989,000 2,732,000 840,000 - 6,561,000 Libraries 1,605,000 1,240,000 887,000 - 3,732,000 HRE Cemeteries/Crematoria 620,000 1,309,500 - - 1,929,500 All Properties 211,676 311,606 152,126 1,529 676,938 F&R Core Council Officers 2,796,000 2,456,120 3,672,000 1,356,720 10,280,990 Voluntary Sector Premises All Departments 561,779 268,153 138,564 51,564 1,020,060 GRAND TOTAL 14,020,724 46,671,726 35,775,957 4,480,049 120,953,857 TOTAL (excluding 12,412,735 12,568,829 8,269,895 1,918,728 35,197,189 Schools)
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It is worth noting that the maintenance of the Schools portfolio (Secondary/Primary) is being addressed through the BSF and Primary Schools initiative. Furthermore, over the last 3 years concerted attention has been focused on the core office accommodation portfolio and as such it is most likely that the backlog maintenance of both asset categories would have significantly reduced .
Priority Gradings Priority 1 Urgent work that will: Prevent immediate closure of premises; and/or address an immediate high risk to the health and safety of occupant; and/or remedy a serious breach of legislation Priority 2 Essential work required within 2 years that will: Prevent serious deterioration of the fabric or services; and/or address a medium risk to the health and safety of occupants; and/or remedy a less serious breach of legislation Priority 3 Necessary work required within 5 years that will: Prevent deterioration of the fabric or services and/or address a low risk to the health and safety of the occupants; and/or remedy a minor breach of legislation Priority 4 Desirable work required within 5 years that will: Prevent possible deterioration of the fabric or services
Maintenance works are generally classified into three types and the actual spend over the last 3 years (excluding schools, parks and residential) are set out below:
Asset Maintenance Strategic Planning
The purpose of maintenance planning is to ensure the productivity and reliability of the asset by appropriately managing the risk of asset failure or deterioration.
The Council’s Asset Maintenance Strategic Planning process is a structured and systematic process aimed at ensuring that the corporate estate remains fit for purpose at the lowest possible long-term cost.
Sustainable Development principles is integrated into maintenance planning in terms of minimising adverse environmental impacts of the asset, and ensuring all environmental benefits of the services delivered continues by focusing on:
• The health and safety of the asset users and the community • Ensuring maintenance works are affordable and so service delivery remains affordable • Improving efficiency in resource use and decreased waste production.
The Process
The process entails the following:
Stage 1 Define and segment assets to meet service delivery strategy. Assets may be grouped by location, capacity, age or any other category that is significant to its service delivery support role.
Stage 2 Determine required asset performance Performance criteria that will allow the assets to perform as required should be assessed to ensure any Sustainable Development impacts are identified and those criteria amended.
Additional performance criteria may have to be developed to ensure the asset delivers Sustainable Development outcomes.
Stage 3 Define maintenance resources and overall strategies
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Stage 4 Assess conditions of assets and recommend maintenance
Stage 5 Prepare Maintenance Cost Plan The cost plan should also include cost estimates for implementing environmental related changes.
The impact of the proposed costs of maintenance should also be considered for its impact on sustainable development. If an asset is not economically viable, then the service it supports may be jeopardised.
Stage 6 Implement Maintenance Programme
Stage 7 Monitor and review Maintenance Plan and programmes
Current Backlog of Repairs (Asset Management Plan Priorities)
The building condition data identifies that the current backlog of building repairs is £35.20m; this figure excludes £70m for the schools portfolio.
The total value of the maintenance backlog (recommended work which is as yet unfunded) at March 2008/09 is an estimated £35.20m of which £12.5m represents Priority 1 works – urgent work that will prevent immediate closure of premises; and/ or remedy a serious breach of legislation.
Progress to date
Since 2002 the Council has made considerable progress towards ensuring that property assets contribute fully to service delivery and service improvement. This is being achieved through:
• Targeting capital investment to reduce the repair and maintenance backlog. • Continuing with a programme of condition surveys. • Investment on Disability Discrimination Act Adaptation works. • Investment on Asbestos surveys and remedial works. • The development and implementation of a number of property based strategies, plans and reviews. • Individual property projects.
The significant investments in the Schools (BSF and Primary Schools programme), Office Accommodation, Future Lambeth Proposals (new Leisure Centres in Clapham and Streatham including the new Library in Clapham) when completed will reduce the backlog significantly.
Condition Surveys
Condition surveys have been undertaken on all the Council’s buildings. The condition data has been entered into the Property Information Management System. The data has facilitated the identification of the total backlog of required repairs to the buildings. However, to ensure the continued relevance of the data, funds will need to be provided for a rolling programme of condition surveys.
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To ensure that capital resources are used effectively in meeting the Council’s Corporate Priorities and ensuring performance on the Asset Management Plan and Capital Strategy, bids are submitted for capital funding to reduce the current backlog of repairs.
Disability Discrimination Act
Access audits were undertaken in 2005/06 and the early part of 2006/07 of Council buildings from which a service to the public is provided and where the building has open public areas.
The Access Audits established the necessary building works required in order to comply with the Act. Since 2003 a programme of adaptation works has been undertaken and currently 52.56% of the Council’s buildings from which a service to the public is provided and where the building has open public areas are compliant with the Act.
BVPI 156 measures the Council’s performance on this issue.
The BVPI 156 target for March 2007/08 and March 2008/09 is 48.68% and 57.50% respectively. Allocations under the Council’s revenue and capital budgets to departments provide for compliance adaptation works.
Asbestos
The Council undertook asbestos surveys on all its buildings in order to identify the location of all asbestos containing materials. All surveys were completed in 2006 and all buildings containing asbestos now have a management process in place, thereby ensuring compliance with the new Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
The 2006/07 Capital Programme allocated funds for remedial works to defective asbestos material, which were identified in the Surveys and majority of the necessary action has been undertaken.
V. Asset Management and Sustainability
The Corporate Property Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2007-2010 has the following key sustainability commitments:
• integrating environmental protection into all activities; • achieving equality for all members of the community; and • encouraging economic development and sustainable employment
In addition to these commitments the Council is a signatory to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change.
The Council has a secondary service obligation to provide services in a manner that will not adversely affect ecological, socio/cultural and economic sustainability and as such endeavours to integrate sustainable development objectives over the full spectrum of its business practices from Corporate Planning through to Service Delivery and Resource Planning as well as at the detailed implementation level.
Sustainable development objectives are generally considered at various stages of major projects:
Energy Management and Water Conservation
The Council is a signatory to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change. Arrangements for gathering the necessary data with a view to targeting and programming improvements to the least sustainable efficient buildings are in place. However, delivery has been to some
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extent hampered by lack of funds dedicated for this purpose and as such current emphasis is concentrated on controlling energy costs through effective energy procurement and a well organised energy awareness campaign. Work regarding identifying opportunities for energy savings is ongoing and the Council is working with the Carbon Trust in this regard.
VI. Investment Needs
Overview
Capital Investment Strategic Planning
Capital Investment Strategic Planning involves assessment of all investment options to meet service delivery requirements including purchase, lease, service contract, private sector involvement and non-asset solutions together with all the resources required (assets, financial, HR and IT).
The Capital Investment Strategic planning process is a system for selecting the best procurement option for capital investment projects identified by the Asset Management Plan.
The Process
The analytical stages used are
Stage 1 - Prepare service delivery functional analysis for each project. In this stage departments are required to translate service delivery outcomes into detailed project objectives as set out in their SAP’s Sustainable Development objectives are included here and incorporated into the functional brief. Stage 2 - Generate project options that meet service delivery functions. Stage 3 - Short list project options, develop each, and evaluate. Stage 4 - Compare project options and select preferred option. In Stages 2, 3 and 4 the Sustainable Development Performance of project options is factored into the process. Stage 5 - Prepare Capital Investment Plan.
Criteria for ranking project proposals are set out in the Capital Strategy. Those projects that offer the greatest benefits to the user group and the wider community are generally given high priority.
Appendix 1 sets out the initial investment requirements emerging from Departmental Service Asset Plans (SAP’s) and summarised below.
Summary of Emerging Asset Investment Demands
Though not conclusive the future demand factors are been identified. These have largely been informed through master planning exercises spanning the borough and departmental Service Asset Plans. The impact is gradually being quantified and it is envisaged that this will be undertaken as part of the 2010/11- 2012/13 service and financial planning process.
However, the total cost of bringing the existing estate up to a satisfactory or better standard was estimated at £653.54m of which £525m related to the estimated cost of meeting the Government’s “Decent Homes” standard for the housing stock. Since then there have been significant developments within the Council’s financial model for delivery of the “Decent Homes” standard to the extent that the Council was able to satisfy the DCLG that this gap had been bridged. Excluding the Housing and Schools portfolio the funding gap for the existing estate is estimated at £35m.
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There is no ring-fenced capital funding available to address the needs of the Community Buildings property portfolio other than that arising from specific targeted ad-hoc grant allocations. The absence of a coherent development plan coupled with heavy dependence on bid funding means that it is difficult to adopt a consistent and effective approach to developing and maintaining the community buildings estate
Future asset demands identified through the service and financial planning process including associated planned delivery will be utilised in the preparation of future capital programme bids and the financial projections included in the Asset Management Plan due for review in 2010/11.
The projects in the current Asset Management Plan are based on current technologies and service provision methodologies. Technological changes may alter the method of delivery and management of services.
Examples of technology change and their impact can be highlighted by looking at urban renewal issues:
• Advancement in wireless communication and integrated information systems has led to new ways of working, resulting in less demand for office accommodation; and; • Increased efficiency of alternative energy source technologies such as solar energy, may present an opportunity for the Council to refurbish buildings and facilities with solar panels becoming energy self sufficient.
The Council will continue to identify and account for such technological changes and make any necessary changes to its asset portfolio as a result of these technological changes.
The key long term strategy is to manage the demand so that services can still be provided into the future at a reasonable cost.
Future demand indications from each service area collated from Departmental Service Asset Plans is as follows:
Adult and Community Services
Short & Medium Term Asset Implications
Cultural Services – In 2008-9 a new 10 year contract to upgrade crematorium infrastructure was put in place.
Libraries – The existing stock of libraries is becoming increasingly not fit for purpose and there is a need to address the ever widening gap. This can be done either by substantial refurbishment/extension of the existing buildings, which may still not provide the best solution; or alternatively by replacing the existing libraries with a hierarchy of new libraries in strategic locations across the borough.
Cemeteries – With regard to Cemeteries, the service has implemented a number of measures to increase the capacity of the cemeteries and the major initiative is to develop a new mortuary rather than continuing to rely on the rented facilities currently used.
Sports & Recreation – Leisure facilities in Clapham and Streatham are now uneconomic to repair, and there are currently no Council provision in the North and South of the borough.
Adult Social Care – With the Personalisation Agenda high on the priority list, it is uncertain as to how much demand there will be for either Day Centres or Residential Homes. As such
51 Corporate Asset Management Plan 22 Page 210 there is uncertainty as to whether to improve the services currently provided – bearing in mind some buildings are not fit for purpose nor are centrally located; change the way in which these services are provided; or simply continue with the current services until such time as it is clear where the general trend is moving, and at what rate.
Informed by borough Demographics a need has been identified for Sheltered Housing in the South of the Borough.
CYPS – Community Assets
Short & Medium Term Asset Implications
The properties within the community buildings portfolio have very limited or no funding streams currently available. However, a methodology for identifying and determining investment priorities regarding how investment priorities can be identified has been determined.
As part of the process of determining investment priorities across these parts of the estate, condition surveys have been undertaken to a substantial number of the assets, and the remaining sites are programmed to be surveyed before the end of summer 2009. On completion of the surveys an assessment of the extent of the backlog maintenance and repairs will be made which will inform the prioritisation of available funding.
Provision in Age Range 0-5 Years
Capital investment prioritisation and related activities are being developed across the Early Years property portfolio as part of the Strategic Estate Master Plan process.
Summarised below are details of emerging and recently established initiatives together with additional information regarding challenges identified as a result of the EMP process which require further development.
• Improvements to childcare provision for the under 5’s across Playgroups, Children’s Centres & Nursery Schools and 1 O’clock Clubs. • Phase 3 funding from Children’s Centres which is being committed to developing partnered 1 O’clock provision (and possibly Adventure Play Grounds) • Feasibility studies are currently in progress for many sites, outcomes will be condition focussed rather than suitability/sufficiency biased. • There is a need for detailed suitability and sufficiency measures to be developed together with identifying the funding for commissioning this piece of work. • There is a need for more detailed work on existing partnered provision including scope and funding together with an exploration of partnered peripheral provision. • Statutory provision issues linked to geographical considerations. • Development opportunities linked to disposal/site considerations arising through either the BSF or PCP programmes.
Provision in Age Range 5-11 Years
Capital investment prioritisation and related activities are being developed as part of the Estate Master Plan in respect of the 5-11 years Community Play and Sport property portfolio.
During 2008 Community Play & Sport commissioned a Review of the Adventure Playground (APG) provision in the Borough, a report was taken to Strategic Leadership Board in May 2008. Implementation of the recommendations made in the Report will drive further development of this provision and raise the profile of the investment needs. A brief summary is set out below:
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The APG review has three stages with the aim of securing a sustainable future for each APG within the context of local developments and need. The first phase of the review process identified key strategic issues in the management of the APGs which will be implemented by the Play Service over an agreed period.
The review also identified potential options for each APG, the options will be considered as part of the ongoing Estate Master Plan process and will inform possible future investment priorities/gap analysis
Phase 2 of the review proposes a broader site by site consultation with ward members, APG staff and key partners on the identified options. Following this a full review report will be produced with details on the development of each APG, in the context of working to secure continued open access play opportunities across the Borough. This report will take account of the voluntary sector APGs and the implications of the future commissioning process.
Following in principle approval of the report, Phase 3 of the review will be undertaken involving public consultation with a range of local providers and with children and parents at each of the sites.
Provision in Age Range 11-19 Years
Capital investment prioritisation and related activities are being developed as part of the CYPS Estate Master Plan in respect of the 11-19 Youth directed property portfolio.
In October 2008 a Report was taken to Cabinet entitled “Youth Strategy Progress and Youth Services Developments”
The report details progress to date in the delivery of the Lambeth Youth Strategy and other aligned initiatives using three key themes of Getting involved, More things to do and Staying out of Trouble . The report also explored key developments, performance, funding and governance arrangements. The summary of financial implications provided within the report highlights key points set out below which will need to be considered as part of the Estate Master Planning process linked to short and medium term investment priorities
• Over the last two years the Youth Service has received base budget growth of just over £1 million; the bulk of which (£750k) was allocated in 2008/09. A further £630,000 has been committed for 2009/10, which together with agreed growth of approximately £300,000 in the same year for the implementation of the Young and Safe action plan amounts to a total base budget growth of £2 million. • The Council has also been allocated external funding through the DCSF for positive activities and the Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) managed by young people. The Mayor’s Youth Offer valued at £679,000 over two years coupled with the DCSF allocation for YOF are all short-term (2-3 years) targeted at young people with additional needs. Whilst very much welcomed, this nevertheless creates an issue of sustainability, the effective management of which is entirely dependant on the achievement of the committed base budget growth for 2009/10 detailed above. • All financial implications detailed in the report will be met from within existing cash limits including achieved and committed youth growth for 2008 – 2010. The capital project budget for the proposed My Place bid is currently under development for submission with the application. Implementation of the project is totally contingent upon a successful bid application with running costs being met from within existing Community Youth budgets and partnership contributions.
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Meeting the Investment Challenges
Given the long term nature of the capital investment some of the identified needs may not develop into certainties. This is normal during asset planning for any organisation that holds significant assets. The principal uncertainties are:
• The cost of bringing certain classes of assets up to a satisfactory standard. • The level of future funding available, which for some sources can only be forecast with a reasonable degree of confidence over a two to three year time frame. • The potential pressure on the revenue budget of continuing to maintain assets at a satisfactory level. • The full scope of the major projects and the extent of the sources of finance to resource these.
The Council’s strategy must seek ways to bridge the gap between the investment needs and the resources available. There are five principal strategies by which this can be achieved. These are set out below, with the actions taken to date and to be taken against each.
These strategies are being brought together by the Council’s investment strategy group. This comprises senior officers from all departments. Crucially, the group is taking a longer term view of assets – aiming to establish how to meet the Council’s anticipated infrastructure needs in 2015, and has a brief to options that may address the funding gap. In particular the group should begin to take a lead on the corporate overview of all capital investment. This group is in its early stages and will report progress to the Executive in summer 2006. At present all options are open for consideration and it is too early to comment on the likely proposals:
The Council’s strategic vision in relation to its operational property portfolio (service delivery) and the physical and economic regeneration of the Borough is ambitious and requires long term and sustained financial investment and operational commitment. In the main, its successful delivery is dependent upon private sector financial support and expertise.
Furthermore, in general terms the Borough's MDO (Major Development Opportunities) sites and emerging Master Planning initiatives are characterised by substantial private ownership and areas, such as Brixton and Norwood will require significant site assembly and preparation costs.
The major challenge will be ensuring sustained public and private investment to keep up the momentum.
The Council is currently seeking ways to bridge the gap between the investment needs and the resources available.
The government is encouraging local authorities to examine ways of achieving this and against this background the Council is considering options with a view to establish what it can offer in relation to:
• Unlocking significant additional investment for the Council’s asset needs and wider regeneration initiatives; • Creating a “self-sustaining cycle” of regeneration funds; • Help raise the standard of management for regeneration projects; and • Increasing the pace of regeneration.
The ABDV and/or other models cold provide a means to lever in private sector funding and expertise to facilitate meeting the Council’s asset needs and accelerating the pace of change in the Borough as a more effective way of improving service delivery and securing
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regeneration compared with the current approach (Future Clapham, Streatham Hub, Myatts Field etc) of releasing individual or a portfolio of sites to the development market.
Officers are currently exploring available options which will be presented to Cabinet this year.
VII. Capital Projects Delivery
Historically the Council has tended not to deliver its annual capital programme. Underspends have either been carried forward, or sometimes used to finance revenue pressures. As a result the annual maintenance pressures have tended to increase. To address this leading Members and Senior officers hold regular “Capital Challenge Sessions” to assess the realism of departmental capital programmes. Monthly monitoring reports now track progress on a scheme by scheme basis, listing capital expenditure to progress “on the ground” in delivering schemes, and variances are highlighted, investigated and rectified wherever possible. Performance over the last two years is set out below:
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE – 2007/08 Department Budget Spend Variance £M £M £M Adults' and Community Services 0.8 0.4 (0.4) Children and Young People's Service 16.5 15.4 (1.1) Building Schools for the Future 29.4 28.4 (1.0) Environment, Culture & Corporate Safety 34.7 26.4 (8.3) Regeneration & Housing 70.6 68.1 (2.5) Strategy & Corporate Services 10.3 8.8 (1.5) Finance & Resources 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 162.3 147.5 (14.8)
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE – 2008/09 Department Budget Spend Variance Variance £M £M £M % Adults' and Community Services 5.0 3.9 (1.1) 22 Children and Young People's 24.6 24.4 (0.2) 1 Service Building Schools for the Future 42.0 36.8 (5.2) 12 Housing Regeneration and 78.8 71.1 (7.7) 10 Environment Office of the Chief Executive 3.0 1.9 (1.1) 37 Finance & Resources 1.3 1.3 0.0 0
Total 154.7 139.4 (15.3) 10
Some of the underspends are substantial, but are in practice either the result of delays in obtaining necessary planning approvals and/or letting the relevant contracts or represent approved carry forward of capital budgets into 2009/10 for schemes with a project completion phase spanning two or more financial years.
VIII. Rating – National Non-Domestic Rates
Every five years the Valuation Office (part of the Inland Revenue) publishes a revised Rating List setting out rating assessments for every non-residential property in the country – this assessment forms the basis of the rates liability payable by the occupier of each property. As with other significant property owners/occupiers, the Council bears significant rates liability. One of the less publicised roles of Valuation and Asset Management Services is to identify
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scope for reducing assessments for Council occupied buildings and subsequently negotiate a reduced assessment (and hence liability) through the rating appeals process.
2005 Rating Appeals - The timetable for dealing with appeals is set by the Valuation Office and in most instances those submitted by local authorities tend to be the last to be dealt with due to volume. Due to the specialist nature of the work, the vast majority of appeals are outsourced to the Council’s external property consultants, Lambert Smith Hampton, who work alongside Valuation and Asset Management Services to identify scope for appeals.
A Rating List was introduced wef 1 April 2005 prompting a fresh round of appeals. The Council appealed on 33 properties and during the course of the year several major cases have been settled including Olive Morris House and Mary Seacole House and savings in excess of £600,000 generated. Some cases are still outstanding and are generally settled without recourse to a Valuation Tribunal.
2010 Business Rates - The CLG has announced their initial results of the 2010 Rating Revaluation and Consultation document proposals for transitional arrangements for the 2010 Rating List.
Their view is that after taking into account transitional relief provisions (a 12.5% cap on increases in rate liability from this year to next), on average retailers and offices will see an increase of 1% in their rate bills next year, with industrial and manufacturing seeing an average reduction of 3%.
However, there will be significant variances depending on the location and property type, for example, we understand that there may potentially be an average increase in Rateable Values of offices in Westminster in the order of 100%.
The small Business Rate multiplier is predicted to fall from .481 to .413 whilst the rate for large properties (Rateable Value £21,500 or more in London, £15,000 elsewhere) may be reduced from .485 to .417.
IX. Current Level of Service
A 2 year rolling programme of Customer Satisfaction surveys have been established for asset management. A robust survey was undertaken last year with the outcome reported to Cabinet as part of the Annual Property Performance Report 2007/08. The next survey is scheduled to commence in January 2010.
Generally the levels of service measured are ‘customer’ and ‘technical’ based.
The Customer based Levels of Service relate to the function of the service provided and the customers’ perceptions of what they receive from the service. These levels of service tend to focus on:
• Responsiveness (of staff to a defect or failure); • Reliability (of a service supplied); • Safety (of the infrastructure throughout the life of the asset); and • Quality (of a service supplied).
Technical based Levels of Service relate to the operational management and outputs the Council delivers. These levels of service typically relate to:
• Quality (against industry or legislative standards); • Quantity • Availability; • Maintainability;
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• Reliability and Performance; • Capacity; • Environmental Impacts; • Cost/affordability (whole of life); • Comfort; and • Safety (against legislative standards).
The current levels of service have been defined by Council officers based on Council’s existing practices, known customer expectations, industry guidelines and budget allocations for asset management. As more customer consultation is undertaken and these expectations defined the levels of service will be reviewed.
X. In-Use Performance Measurement
The Council’s leadership ensures that performance management remains at the heart of the Council’s business, supporting service delivery and the Council’s sustainable direction of travel. Each department produces its own performance digest, reported monthly to their respective Departmental Leadership Teams where service areas are challenged and held to account. Digests contains the department’s key performance indicators. Each indicator has graphical representation of the performance profile and targets as well as commentary on recent performance and detail of remedial action being undertaken to address poor performance.
The primary focus of the Corporate Property Strategy is to achieve optimal service delivery outcomes through more effective asset solutions and more efficient management. It follows therefore, that while it is possible to measure process performance, particularly through the measurement of inputs, what really counts at the end of the day is whether the community is better served (service delivery).
However, a framework for performance measurement of the property has been developed which relates property performance indicators (PPIs) to LBL’s corporate service objectives through property management objectives. An outline of this showing how PIs are related to objectives, links with national PIs (such as FPS/CIPFA PIs) and collection processes is shown in illustrative form below. The framework is not static, but continues to be refined in use and as national performance initiatives are established. The Corporate Performance Digest includes some of these Property Performance Indicators. The digest is discussed at Cabinet each quarter and is also published on the Intranet
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Relationship between Corporate Objectives and Property Performance Measures
Corporate and Property Performance Targets Service Management Indicators (pPIs) Objectives Purpose and Objectives
Set within LGBL Purpose Context Measures These will be Key Corporate To optimise property Relating scale of defined (& associated services portfolio and and Service Plans to meet LBL’s associated services to incrementally as objectives) authority size & spend performance measurement processes & Asset Management DCLG pPIs information Objectives As defined by latest development To achieve optional DCLG guidance on service delivery asset outcomes Progress against targets are measured through Service Provision Local pPIs Objectives Defined by LBL to monthly, quarterly To achieve optional underpin ongoing & annual property service delivery property management performance outcomes objectives reports
Measuring Processes
LBL local PIs and internal data gathering/FPS/CIPFA Property Performance Indicators District Audit Benchmarking of Property Running Costs/ ACES Benchmarking for Local Authority Property Annual Client Satisfaction Survey Five Yearly Survey of Building
CIPFA working with the CLG and the Audit Commission recognise that the key questions which reflect a modern, value for money asset management function which Councils need to address are:
• Is the Council’s property management function efficient and cost-effective? • Does the property management function help to ensure the Council has buildings which are fit for purpose and which comply with key statutory requirements such as DDA? • Does the property management function help to ensure the Council makes best use of the estate? • Does the property management function effectively support the Council in minimising the impact of the estate on the environment? • Does the property management function manage maintenance and capital programmes effectively? • Are internal customers satisfied with the services provided by the property management function? • Are internal customers satisfied with the functional suitability of the estate?
They have therefore identified indicators as either “local” (which authorities may wish to adopt, depending on local priorities) or “national” (which authorities are strongly advised to adopt). Indicators PMI. 1 and PMI. 2 currently have “national” status while indicators PMI. 3 - 6 have “local” status.
The indicators fall under the following main headings:
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1) PMI 1 ~ Condition and Required Maintenance This national indicator includes the more tightly defined concept of “Required Maintenance”, defined as “The cost to bring the property from its present state up to the state reasonably required by the authority to deliver the service and/or to meet statutory or contract obligations and maintain it at that standard”. This should exclude improvement projects but include works necessary to comply with new legislation e.g. asbestos and legionella.
2) PM 2 ~ Environmental Indicators Local Authorities must be able to obtain information for this national indicator on a per building basis to comply with EU directives regarding Energy Certificates, thus providing useful base information to build up by Service and CIPFA Property Category.
3) PMI 3 ~ Suitability Surveys This local indicator is intended to encourage Local Authorities to carry out Suitability Surveys enabling them to identify how assets support and contribute to the effectiveness of frontline service delivery i.e. are they fit for purpose. The indicator is to be reported for all operational buildings.
4) PMI 4 ~ Building Accessibility Surveys This local indicator is to be reported for Operational Properties from which a service is provided and which are open to the public and supports collation of statistics relating to Best Value Performance Indicator 156 which records the percentage of authority buildings open to the public in which all public areas are suitable for, and accessible to, disabled people.
5) PMI 5 ~ Sufficiency (Capacity and Utilisation) of the Office Portfolio This local indicator measures the capacity and utilisation of the office portfolio with the implicit assumption that services should be delivered in the minimum amount of space, as space is costly to own and use. For a similar reason, an authority should occupy a minimum of administrative accommodation.
6) PMI 6 ~ Property Spend This local indicator measures all costs associated with the running of property (excluding all management costs) and changes over time. This will be backed up by a number of local indicators (e.g. Indicators 1 & 2 above) relating to various elements of buildings.
A computation of performance indicators based on the CLG guidance has been undertaken. However, it is understood that the CIPFA – IPF comparative indicators will not be published until October 2009 and as such it has not been possible to benchmark Council performance. Though not ideal, performance has been benchmarked against another source - the Association of Chief Estate Surveyors in Local Government (ACES) and the details is set out in Appendix 3 of this report.
A detailed assessment is being considered in areas of unusual performance to identify reasons with a view to taking appropriate action to improve performance.
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5. Partnership and Community
I. Overview
Strong public services are often the last line of defence for families who need security and protection. Excellent services will enable all individuals and communities to grasp new opportunities for the future.
Lambeth First, the Borough’s award winning Local Strategic Partnership, has set out a shared vision for the borough in the 2008/20 Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). The key focus of the SCS is tackling worklessness in the borough. The LAA is a clear three year action plan balancing both local and national priorities and acts as the delivery plan for the SCS.
The Audit Commission recognised the strength of this ambition during the last corporate assessment:
In addition to the Corporate Plan the Council has a number of strategies setting out the Council’s vision in key service areas. These have been developed with partners following extensive consultation with the people most directly affected. Key strategies are included in the supporting evidence.
Its vision addresses the needs of the area and its communities, and reflects local risk and opportunities. Decisions are based on a robust understanding of current and future local needs and aspirations. The Council is using relevant intelligence from its partners and other credible sources, where possible.
Asset related examples which empower Community and Voluntary organisations include the following:
• The letting of Council premises to third sector partner/Voluntary on affordable rents and flexible terms; • Building capacity of Voluntary Sector organisations through the transfer of Council assets to Community Organisations; and • The provision of premises to partner organisation as part of service commissioning.
II. Joint Use of Assets and Inter-Agency Use
Subsequent to the 2003 AMP submission, significant progress has been made in the identification of opportunities for shared accommodation use, with a view to providing a complimentary approach to service delivery, for example:
As a result of joint working with the local NHS Trust (Social Services and Mental Health Teams now share a number of buildings:
Phoenix House – SLAM (Operational Team) and PCT 9 Commissioning Team;
390 Brixton Road – Youth Offending Team and Probation Services;
PCT Headquarter Building, Lower Marsh – ACS staff share with PCT;
Various SLAM Buildings – ACS Mental Health Social workers;
Gracefield Gardens- PCT, Council Customer Service Centre and ACS Social workers;
International House – LBL and Children Looked After Mental Health Services (CLAM);
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205 Stockwell Road – Community Safety Team and Metropolitan Police; and
The Livingspace Centre in Stockwell comprising Council offices, a GP Surgery, Pharmacy, Offices for Voluntary organisations and a community hall.
Other opportunities include proposals in Clapham entailing a combination of affordable housing, Library, Leisure Centre and a Joint Service Centre with the PCT and in Norwood, a new Leisure Centre incorporating facilities for the PCT.
The potential for joint working on health issues, through lead commissioning, service integration and pooled budgets, continues to expand in this area generally in response to the Health Act 1999. In a move towards a more joined-up approach, the Corporate Property Officer is engaged in exploring strategies for shared resource with partner agencies.
Following detailed consultation, the Council will partner 1 o’clock clubs with Children’s Centres which will enable further services to be delivered from these already well used community access points. Integrated services are being fully delivered from many of the centres in co-operation
III. Lambeth First Investment Board
The Council together with its partners has began developing a strategic approach to investment in the borough.
It is intended that this will enable the borough to plan, generate and deliver the investment needed to enable the realisation of the vision and goals of the Sustainable Community Strategy to 2020.
There are a number of different, if related, dimensions that such an approach encompasses and as an initial step the Council has commissioned a brief study to establish the key areas that need to be taken forward. These include:
The Regeneration Delivery Plan (RDP): This was a first for the borough and instigated productive partnership working in drawing together investment plans across the borough and in key regeneration areas.
The restructuring of the LSP, Lambeth First, has established an Investment Board which provides strategic oversight of the RDP’s development and implementation. These arrangements need to develop to increase co-ordination and integration of partners’ investment plans and delivery, both generally and in the main regeneration and development areas identified in the RDP. The RDP Partnership Team is, in turn, to co-ordinate project development and delivery.
The LDF Core Strategy: This is critical in setting a policy framework and approach that provides a positive context for private and public investment in the borough.
Area Regeneration: A programme and model approaches to appraisal, planning and implementation across the main regeneration areas and MDOs is required that provide clarity above the complementary roles of planning and regeneration, govern engagement with the private sector and integration with economic development.
Housing: Appraisal of development and investment opportunities across major estates, and integration with key regeneration areas.
Corporate Asset Management: Model approaches to investment planning and commercial management, integration in key regeneration activities and the Council’s Accommodation Strategy.
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Grants and External Funding: A strategic approach including integration of policy and programme forecasting, lobbying and marketing strategies, and development of partnership bidding activities.
The study, on completion, will provide a business case and brief for further project work and development to establish a strategic approach to investment in support of the Sustainable Community Strategy.
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6. Asset Management Improvement Plan
I. Overview
Asset Management is a journey not a destination, where continuous improvement is the only constant.
The council has a data quality management framework in place comprising the Performance and Quality Management Framework (PQMF) and the annual cycle of data quality audits. Data quality audits are carried out internally twice a year focusing on performance indicators at risk of under performing. This is supported by the completion of a system form and analytical review form for each national and corporately reported performance indicator.
The purpose of the Improvement Plan is to outline how asset management processes, information systems, data and knowledge can be improved based on the weaknesses identified from the Service Asset Plans gap analysis and asset management delivery.
Each improvement will outline the importance and urgency of the project with an indicative timeframe. The improvement projects and timeframes will be reviewed on a regular basis
A selection of projects for immediate action in the 2009/10 and the medium term will be scoped and cost estimates prepared for consideration in the 2010/11-2012/13 service and financial planning considerations.
Including learning from previous years the plan will mainly be informed by the CAA Use of Resources – Asset Management KLOE’s and the 9 Aspects of OGC Strategic Asset Management capability which are based on international public sector best practice and cross-referenced with the BSI Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 55 on Asset Management and determining any weakness. Both benchmarks are summarised below:
CAA Use of Resources Block- Asset Management Related KLOE
Organisational Assessments
The inspectorate will assess the Council on its organisational arrangements at the same time as the area assessment. The assessment will follow two themes, “Use of Resources” and “Performance Management”.
Manages Resources assessment is based on three themes; managing finances, governing the business and managing resources, i.e. considers how well the authority manages its natural resources, physical assets and people to meet current and future needs and deliver value for money. There are a series of key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) for each theme. Paragraph 3.2 Asset Management – “Does the organisation manage its assets effectively to deliver its strategic priorities and service needs” focuses on the following KLOE: “The organisation
• Has a strategic approach to asset management based on an analysis of the need to deliver strategic priorities, service needs and intended outcomes; • Manages the asset base to ensure that assets are fit for purpose and provide value for money: and • Works with partners and community groups to maximise the use of its assets for the benefit of the local community.”
Manages Performance assessment is currently much less specific and looks at how well the Council delivers priority outcomes to local residents and whether it has the leadership, capacity, capability to deliver future improvements.
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Under managing performance the inspectorate will look at how effective the Council is at:
• identifying and delivering priority services, outcomes and improvements; • improving the services and outcomes for which we are responsible; • contributing to improving wider community outcomes, including those set out in formal agreements such as LAAs or multi-area agreements; • tackling inequality and improving outcomes for people whose circumstances make them vulnerable; • providing the leadership, capacity and capability we need to deliver future improvements.
An important part of the assessment will be how well councils contribute to the wider community outcomes being considered under the area assessment, and how well they are addressing inequality and the needs of vulnerable people.
Alongside these scores the organisation assessment will contain explicit statements on the performance of key council services. These are not outlined in the guidance, and it is expected that they will be agreed upon between the CAA lead and the council.
OGC Strategic Asset Management Maturity Matrix
The descriptors for each aspect of SAM in the Matrix typify each level of knowledge, understanding and application of SAM. This ranges from no knowledge to full knowledge and application of excellent practice. At innocence, or unawareness level SAM planning and decisions are fragmented, bottom up and inconsistent. At excellence, SAM is led from the top with a fully integrated approach.
• Corporate Governance . The distribution of rights and responsibilities for SAM among stakeholders and participants. The focus of corporate governance for “High Performing Property” (HPP) is within SAM Boards, or their equivalent, and includes the management of delegation. The ‘Intelligent Client’ role is also important where governance works through into the supply chain; • Organisational Structure, Roles and Responsibilities . The management and sufficiency of SAM Capability throughout the organisational structure. Includes formal roles, responsibilities and authority levels made explicit at the tactical and strategic levels of the organisation; • SAM Policy, Objectives and Strategy . How objectives and targets in property asset- related matters are set. How property asset strategy is developed and implemented. How government policies such as sustainability and service transformation are incorporated; • SAM Information Systems and Communication Strategy . The corporate systems for SAM information collection, access and reporting. It includes use of e-PIMS, supply chain and management information interactions. It does not refer to a particular software system; • SAM Planning . Development and implementation of formal SAM Plans linked to business strategies and corporate objectives. Includes the extent to which whole life performance, risk management, prioritisation of investments and benchmarking are formally brought together and documented; • Acquisition and Disposal . How acquisition and disposal of property within the organisation is evaluated and managed as part of an integrated SAM framework, relative to the SAM Plan and business drivers, such as business need, VfM, finance and sustainability; • In-use Performance . How operation, maintenance and performance of the retained estate are managed. Includes factors such as planned maintenance strategies, risk assessments, evaluation of return, effectiveness, sustainable operations and linkages to business delivery;
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• Performance Review . Part of a continuous improvement regime that an organisation has put in place for self-development. The enabler sets out how review processes within an organisation are managed, supported by data and linked back into objectives, targets and plans; and • SAM Audit . Includes audit of SAM policy & strategy, SAM Plans, the Matrix Profiles and Transition Strategy, skills and training needs, approaches to risk management, quality of data and use of technology and benchmarking.
II. Asset Management Process Improvements
Asset Management processes is defined as the processes, analysis and evaluation techniques needed to support effective lifecycle asset management. This includes the following asset management functions:
• Knowledge of assets; • Levels of service; • Condition assessments; • Asset accounting – valuation, revaluation, depreciation; • Lifecycle planning; • Asset operations and maintenance; • Asset creation/disposal; • Performance monitoring; • QA/continuous improvement; • Risk management; • Design/project management; and • Review/audit processes.
The improvements identified and prioritised in the table below will seek to improve the processes Council utilise to manage its assets.
Process Improvement Urgency Importance Timeframe Responsibility Knowledge of Assets -Ensure all assets are captured. High High 2009/10 VAMS Review ‘as con’ processes. Levels of Service -Develop process to review and Medium Medium 2010/11 VAMS customer satisfaction surveys Condition Assessments -Undertake rolling programme of High High 2010/11 Building condition surveys for at least 20% Technical off the estate. Services Asset Accounting VAMS/ DDRs/Building -Align capital and revenue expenditure High High 2010/11 Technical to asset types. Services Lifecycle Planning -Whole of life costs of new capital High High 2010/11 All disclosed and considered. Performance Monitoring -Determine data and system High High 2009/10 CAG requirements to monitor performance. Risk Management -Apply risk management principles in High High 2009/10 All developing budget. Design/Project Management -Move to 5 year capital work High High 2010/11 All Programme to allow for sufficient Design and project management. Asset Management Process Improvements
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III. Asset Management Information System Improvements
Asset management information systems are defined as the systems to support asset management processes and manipulate the data. This includes the following asset management functions:
• Asset registers; • Financial system; • Maintenance management system; • Condition monitoring; • Capital works programming; • Geographical information systems; and • Advanced applications eg deterioration modelling.
Such systems may replicate and/or automate the asset management processes.
A need for improvement in the current asset management information systems has been identified. As a consequence incomplete data sets have been utilised to prepare the financial forecasts. The improvements identified and prioritised in the table below will seek to improve the information systems the Council utilises to manage and store data on its assets.
Information System Improvement Urgency Importance Timeframe Responsibility Asset Registers -Reconcile all registers with the High High 2009/10 Corp Finance/ Capital audit register. VAMS Financial System -Better tracking of activities to assets, High High 2010/11 VAMS/Corp particularly with respect to Oracle. Finance Maintenance Management Systems -Implement MMS for most asset High High 2010/11 Building Tech classes Services Condition Monitoring -Formal condition monitoring required Medium High 2010/11 Building Tech for all asset classes. Service Capital Works Programming -Move to 5 year capital works High High 2010/11 Corp Finance programme. -Capital works programme and Prioritisation database to be Developed. Geographical Information Systems -Link GIS with PIMS and Capital Low Medium 2010/11 CAG Asset Register. Asset Management Information System Improvements
IV Asset Management Data and Knowledge Improvements
Asset Management data and knowledge is defined as appropriate, accessible and reliable data for manipulation by information systems to produce outputs required for effective asset management. This includes the following asset management functions:
• Asset classification/identification; • Asset physical attributes; • Condition; • Cost and maintenance histories; • Benchmark data; • Valuation; and • Lifecycle costings.
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A need for improvement in the current asset management data and knowledge has been identified. A common weakness across all asset classes has been the availability of accurate and useful financial and asset data. Various examples are available showing where the reactive and planned maintenance costs cannot be disaggregated to an asset group. This has made the analysis of the current operations difficult. Similarly condition data for Council’s assets is not robust, consequently making it difficult to analyse the impact of the investment to address the backlog maintenance e.g. is the backlog maintenance increasing, decreasing or maintaining the overall condition of the asset class.
The improvements identified and prioritised in the table below will seek to improve the quality of Council asset data and knowledge.
Data and Knowledge Urgency Importance Timeframe Responsibility Improvement Asset Classification/Identification -Align Oracle Coding with asset High Medium 2010/11 Corp Finance/ class. VAMS Asset Physical Attributes -Minimum data requirements to be High High 2010/11 CAG determined and captured. Condition -After minimum data sets determined High High 2010/11 Building Tech collection condition data on an Services ongoing basis. Cost and backlog Maintenance -Determine the required data, High High 2010/11 Corp Finance/ implement MMS and ensure Building Tech financial tracking to asset group Services level is possible. Benchmark Data -Determine suitable benchmarks Low Medium 2010/11 CAG And data requirements in Consultation with surrounding LGs. Lifecycle Costing -Above changes to financial tracking Medium High 2010/11 All will capture the required data for lifecycle costing to be undertaken. Asset Management Data and Knowledge Improvements
V. Immediate Improvement Projects Scope
The following four projects have been determined as the most urgent and important to corporately improving the management of Council assets. These projects will be undertaken in the 2009/10 financial year provided the recommended resources are allocated to the projects.
Upon completion of the projects listed the Continuous Improvement Programme will be reviewed and another handful of projects will be selected for implementation.
(a) Five Year Planned Maintenance Programme
Background
The Council has traditionally only approved an annual budget which is prepared in consultation with Council officers and Councillors from August to December.
Best Practice recommends the Council’s move towards five year programme, similar to the desired outcome of a five year programme would be to identify the projects and alternative
67 Page 226 funding sources from such areas as; grants, infrastructure charges and joint funding arrangements with other agencies.
A five year programme is being prepared for the 2010/11 Service and Financial Planning considerations.
Implementation Steps
The move to a 5 year programme is not difficult to develop, however, a commitment to the following bulk of the programme is needed for it to be successful. To implement a 5 year programme the following steps would be required:
• Review priority system; • Review and prioritise all identified maintenance works; • Determine the level of funding required for each segment of planned maintenance; • Determine the 1 st year programme; • Determine the highest priority projects for the 2 nd year; • Determine the highest priority major projects for the remaining years. There will be some uncertainty associated with a programme for 3+ years time and there will be some unallocated funds to accommodate changing priorities and/or unknown projects; • The above steps are done in consultation with all relevant stakeholders; • Present and adopt the 5 year programme; and • Annually review the 5 year programme.
Benefits
The benefits of a 5 year planned maintenance programme include:
• Certainty in two years worth of projects for officers and Councillors; • Opportunity to market to the community; • Planning, design and permits can be finalised in advance allowing projects to start 1 July each financial year; • Increased opportunity for inter-programme co-ordination; • Increased efficiency in project delivery; • Assessment of maintenance funding levels associated with new works; • Assessment of medium term plant, material and staffing needs; • Increased opportunity to secure external funding; and • Open and transparent priorities.
Resources
The major identified resources of implementing a 5 year programme include:
• Initially senior officer time, to determine the priorities of projects. This may impact the officers other duties and delegation of some duties or commissioning external consultants may be required. Consequences of this could include the need to employ external project officers for a short term (6 months). • Ongoing cost should be minimal as processes will be developed to ensure an ongoing review of projects being recommended for inclusion onto the capital works programme. • Depending on the database used for storing, prioritising and reporting the capital works programme, there could be some information technology support required. The level associated with this is unknown at this time.
(b) Lifecycle Financial Planning
Background
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The Council has not embedded consideration of the long term impact of its various capital projects and strategies. This subsequently can lead to maintenance and operations in subsequent years being under funded, which in turn can lead to increased refurbishment costs.
Implementation Steps
• Whole of life templates to be developed for calculating this cost. • Whole of life costs to accompany all Council reports recommending new capital works.
Benefits
• Informed decisions on the total cost to Council is presented and considered when approving strategies and new capital projects; • The best “whole of life” options are taken, rather than just the best capital cost; • Better long term management of assets; • Better long term financial forecasting based on real data.
Resources
Staff training on how to calculate whole of life costs.
(c) PIMS and Collection of Condition Data
Background
The data supporting the forecasts in this document have been based on asset age, primarily due to limited amount of condition data available. This is recognised as presenting a good assessment of the average position, however, there are many factors that can result in an asset exceeding or failing to reach its useful life.
As Council’s move towards the more advanced asset management model it becomes a necessity to verify the PIMS database and to collect current condition data. This allows a snapshot of the condition of the asset in time that can be compared against future condition to determine the rate of deterioration of the asset. Most asset classes have identified the need for Maintenance Management Systems (MMS), which will provide ongoing condition information.
Accurate asset registers and condition data will ultimately lead to deterioration predictive modelling to occur, thus enabling optimised proactive refurbishment programmes to be developed.
Implementation Steps
• Determine the asset and condition data to be collected for each asset class. • Determine if there is a need to collect additional data for critical assets within an asset class. • Ensure PIMS can store the asset and condition data and/or integrate with stand alone software packages containing/analysing the data. • Determine how the asset and condition data will be collected (in-house, consultancy, will there be a need to hire/purchase specialist equipment). • Collect the data. • Determine frequency of ongoing condition inspections.
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Benefits
• A snapshot in time of the condition of the asset base. • A condition based replacement profile. • Allows for more sophisticated analysis of maintenance requirements. • The potential for a condition based revaluation of Council’s assets. • Potential reduction in risk of catastrophic failure of assets. • Allows for future predictive deterioration modelling.
Resources
• Financial resources will depend upon level of asset and condition data to be collected. The more data to be collected will increase the time spent per asset, resulting in a higher cost. • Various Council officers to collect, manage consultancy contracts, validate, input, store and analyse the data. • Information Technology support for changes to corporate software packages and assessment of integration with stand alone systems with corporate systems.
(d) Financial Tracking of Expenditure on Assets and Activities
Background
Most asset classes fail to track the lifecycle costs associated with an asset, making it impossible to compare against benchmarks.
There is also the difficulty in that some of the natural assets such as open stormwater drains assets need to be identified in the financial system so that this expenditure in respect of their operation and maintenance can be tracked against the assets.
Implementation Steps
Review financial tracking so that the lifecycle costs and activity costs at an asset level can be undertaken.
Benefits
Provide better data for asset and financial management analysis.
Resources
• Condition inspections for updating PIMS. • IT support for changes to financial tracking arrangements.
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7. Risk Management
I. Overview
The Council's risk management is fully integrated into service areas and major projects. The council uses the proven JCAD risk management system to record risks on a central register. The council manages and monitors both risks that are threats as well as opportunities. Internal Audit review the quality of operational risk registers as part of reviews as standard and management can use the information to update the risk profile for their area of responsibility. Risk reporting is undertaken regularly to the governance fora including the Corporate (Audit) Committee, Strategic Leadership Board and Departmental Leadership Teams.
II. Risk Management Practice
The Asset Management risk management practice entails identifying, evaluating and treating the uncertainties relating to asset and service provision.
Risks are typically categorised as:
• Natural events. Council has virtually no control over the timing or extent of the event, however, the probabilities may be understood. • External impacts. Council has some control over these risks, associated with other organisations providing goods and services to Council. • Physical failure risk. Where condition or performance of an asset could lead to failure. Council can control these risks through its targeted maintenance; and • Operation risks. Where management of the asset or asset management activities might impact on an asset. The Council controls these risks through targeted maintenance of the portfolio.
III. Risk Management Process
The processes of risk assessment and management are fully documented in the Council’s Risk Management Manual.
The major elements of risk assessment and management are:
• Risk Management Context . Establishes the objectives, stakeholders, key issues and criteria against which risk will be evaluated. • Identify the Risk . Identifies what risk events are likely to impact on assets. • Analyse the Risk . Reviews the existing controls and then analyses the likelihood of an event occurring and the consequence of the event to determine a level of risk. • Assess the Risk . Assesses and ranks the identified risks in risk register. • Treat the Risks . Identifies what actions can be taken to reduce the risk. • Monitor and Review . Ongoing process to constantly review the risks and treatments to ensure risks are kept at an asset level.
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Definitions
Acquisition – The investment in a new asset to increase a level of service.
Asset Hierarchy – A framework for segmenting an asset base into appropriate classifications. The Asset Hierarchy can be based on asset function, asset type or a combination of the two. The Asset Hierarchy levels have been defined below:
• Asset Class : the logical grouping at the highest functional level.
• Asset Group: the general grouping of asset types that allows for reporting of like asset types.
• Asset Type : the lowest level of grouping of similar assets.
Asset Management – The combination of management, financial, economic, and other practices applied to property assets with the objective of providing the required level of service in the most cost-effective manner.
VAMS – Valuation and Asset Management Division of Council.
Capital Expenditure – Expenditure to increase an assets capacity, useful life or level of service provided.
Customers – Any person or group that uses a service provided by the Council.
Demand Management – Strategies to influence the demand for an asset or service in such a way as to satisfy the real needs within the available resource allocations, typically to avoid or defer capital expenditure.
Depreciation – The consumption of an asset, whether arising from use, passing of time or obsolescence through technological and market changes. It is accounted for by the allocation of the cost (or revalued amount) of the asset less its residual value over its useful life.
Disposal – Activities necessary to dispose of surplus assets.
Key Stakeholder – Any person or group that have an interest in the service provided by an asset.
Level of Service – The defined service quality for a particular activity or service area against which service performance may be measured.
Lifecycle Cost – The total cost of an asset throughout its life including planning, design, construction, acquisition, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation and disposal costs.
Maintenance – The investment in an existing asset related to the ongoing upkeep to ensure it meets its useful life.
Operational Expenditure – The investment in an existing asset on the day to day activities of asset ownership and business operations.
Planned Maintenance – Planned maintenance is proactive in nature and falls into three categories:
• Periodic Maintenance : necessary to ensure the reliability or to sustain the
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design life of an asset. • Predictive : condition monitoring activities used to predict failure. • Preventative : maintenance that can be initiated without routine or continuous checking (eg maintenance manuals/manufacturers’ recommendations) and is not condition based.
Recurrent Expenditure – Expenditure to ensure an asset will continue to perform at a satisfactory level.
Refurbishment – The investment in an existing asset, maintaining the current level of service by reinstating the original life of the asset.
Renewal – The investment in a new asset to replace an existing asset while maintaining the current level of service.
Routine Maintenance – Day to day operational activities to keep the asset operating and which form part of the annual budget, including preventative maintenance.
Reactive Maintenance – Corrective work required in the short term to restore an asset to working condition.
SAP’s – Departmental asset plans linking their service delivery objectives with the assets utilised for service delivery.
Useful Life – The period over which the future economic benefits embodies in a depreciable asset is expected to be consumed. The useful life of an asset may vary from its design life and can be significantly impacted by maintenance activities.
73 Appendix 1 Libraries and Archives:
Asset Demand/Requirements
• Library standards state that there should be a library within 1 mile of every resident. Currently there are gaps in Clapham Park and Streatham Vale where this criterium is not met. • There needs to be a facility in North Lambeth/Waterloo to replace the small portacabin that is not fit for purpose. • Ideal scenario would be to have four main libraries in Streatham, Brixton, West Norwood and Clapham Town with mini satellite libraries in Streatham Vale, Clapham Park and Waterloo. • General comment is that Durning, Minet and South Lambeth are all too close to each other.
Asset Supply/Existing properties Property General Description/ Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Clapham Common Located to the north of Clapham Common in a 2 storey Victorian purpose built This property would need refurbishment, even if the library R Library library. Top floor of the building is occasionally rented to CYPS for training vacated. Vacating creates the risk of limited hours due to
purposes. Not DDA compliant and in a bad state of repair. Proposed closure and no having income generation. Page 232 relocation to the Mary Seacole House site, however there is a large funding gap and may suffer from limited opening hours as the move will not generate any increase in revenue. Carnegie Library Brick built, grade II listed property which also accommodates the Community High running costs and poor location suggest this facility R Services Department and Stock services. Building operates well as a library should be closed and relocated to Herne Hill. A move to however its location is not ideal and suffers from low service numbers, high close the facility was resisted by councillors and residents maintenance and high running costs. in 98/99. This property would be ideal for sale for a private residential flat conversion. Durning Library Brick built Victorian library over 4 floors with architectural merit. High maintenance Not fit for purpose, however local residential interest in the R and running costs as the property has problems with heating, electrics and roof. It library. is unfit for purpose, not DDA compliant and too small. North Lambeth This is housed in a very small portacabin which is neither large enough nor fit for Not fit for purpose and currently new opportunities are G Library/ Waterloo purpose. This building was purchased by the Jobshop as a joint initiative and is being sought through the Waterloo Plan. Library co-occupied with them. Would like a replacement purpose built facility, however no site has been identified. The Waterloo plan is exploring the need for a Waterloo Library. West Norwood Built in 1969 has possibility of being listed for its architectural significance. Performs well and is fit for purpose, however some A Library Purpose built in a good location, fit for purpose and flexible. Good disabled maintenance issues regarding concrete structure and flat access, although needs a lift. Flat roof leaks, heating is central oil, electrics have roof. been replaced in 2001-2. Has capacity to co-locate another service. South Lambeth Old Victorian library with architectural significance. Good location and size, fit for Fit for purpose, however high maintenance costs. A Road Library purpose and DDA compliant however has maintenance issues particularly boilers. Streatham Tate Built in the 1890s with the Tudor Village Hall attached at the back. Good location Not fit for purpose or large enough with high maintenance R Library but not large enough or fit for purpose. Have considered installing a mezzanine costs. Potential to co-locate with ACS or CYPS. floor which may make the space large enough however would need a lift installed and also has high maintenance costs. The Library House, which is within the
74 Property General Description/ Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating library, accommodates offices and an IT training centre. Potential capacity to provide an ACS day centre or CYPS service. Brixton Central Grade II listed building and fit for purpose. Not DDA compliant as needs a lift. Performs well although not fully DDA compliant. G Library Refurbished in early 2000s. Would be a good location for the Black Cultural Archive as would have synergies with the National Archive collection. The Library House which is within the library, accommodates offices and the accommodation also includes an IT training room. Minet Library Was gifted to the Council and purpose built in the late 1950s and currently houses Gifted purpose built library. A the Archives department. The Library House is being squatted. Nettlefold Hall Purpose built with West Norwood Library offers a unique facility in Lambeth Unique offering in the borough, however outdated A consisting of 2 large halls. The upper hall is used as a cinema/theatre and has equipment and no disabled access to upper hall. provisions for seating 175 people in theatre style or 300 standing/dancing. The Currently running at a cost to Libraries. sound equipment is outdated and poor restricting the rates chargeable. The lower hall is smaller capacity of 80 seated, 100 standing. There is a kitchen including electric oven and hobs however these facilities are outdated again restricting the amount chargeable. Together there is a huge range of uses for these spaces, which are currently used on most days of the week.
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Individual Property Performance Property Review Operational Utilisation Functionality Condition Remaining Life WITHOUT Running Costs Significance/ INTERVENTION Address Owner-Ship Criticality Asset Description 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
Clapham Library Library: Service FH due for relocation 2011 Carnegie Library Library Grade II FH listed building
Durning Library Library Grade II FH listed building
North Lambeth Library FH Library/ Waterloo Page 234 West Norwood Library FH Library
South Lambeth Road Library FH Library
Streatham Tate Library FH
BrixtonTate Central & Library Grade II FH Library House listed building
Minet Library Library & Archives FH
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Gap Analysis Property/Area Gap Action Required Clapham Common The existing library is in a poor state of repair and not DDA A permanent replacement is required in Clapham. Library compliant. Carnegie Library The existing building is poorly located and attracts low service A suitable replacement should be secured in Herne Hill in order to increase numbers. It is in a poor state of repair and attracts high accessibility to the public. Otherwise substantial investment in the repair of the maintenance costs. building will be required. Durning Library The existing building is not fit for purpose and is not fully DDA Ideally a suitable replacement would be acquired and there is a general desire to compliant. rationalise the functions of Durning Library, South Lambeth Library and Minet Library. Otherwise substantial investment in the repair of the building will be required. North The existing Waterloo Library operates from a temporary building A permanent replacement is required. Lambeth/Waterloo and is not fit for purpose. Library West Norwood Library The existing building is generally fit for purpose but needs Investment in new lift and a programme of major repairs is required. investment in improving accessibility by the installation of a lift and addressing repair issues. South Lambeth Road The existing building is generally fit for purpose but needs Ideally a suitable replacement would be acquired and there is a general desire to Library investment into the heating and electrical installations. rationalise the functions of Durning Library, South Lambeth Library and Minet Library, but, in the foreseeable future, closure of the existing facility would be politically unacceptable and further investment in the existing building will be required.
Otherwise investment in heating and electrical installations in particular is required. Page 235 Streatham Tate The existing building is in a good location but is too small and, on Investigate increasing the amount of accommodation by the installation of a Library account of its age, running costs are high. mezzanine floor and lift access and/or the extension of the existing building. Increased space may facilitate opportunities to co-locate with other services. Alternatively, look at re-provision through the acquisition of a new facility, possibly involving co-location with other services. Brixton Central Library Good location and fit for purpose. Not fully DDA compliant. Capital investment required for DDA works and general maintenance. Minet Library Library in strategic position but not fit for purpose. This library could be closed and replaced with a modern facility and there is a general desire to rationalise the functions of Durning Library, South Lambeth Library and Minet Library. Otherwise substantial investment in the repair of the building will be required. Archive Centre The Archive is currently located in Minet Library which is not fit for A new archive centre needs to be identified/acquired. purpose. We understand that none of the other existing library buildings are suitable to house this facility. Nettlefold Hall Income generated by this facility is failing to cover the operating A review is required as to how significant the hall is in the context of the services cost. provided by the borough and whether the council should provide the facility. If so, proposals should be drawn up as to how the hall can be made to be viable together with a cost and delivery programme to achieve this. If not, an alternative use for the building, or redevelopment should be investigated, possibly with the private sector or through redevelopment.
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Cemeteries and Crematoria:
Asset Demand/Requirements
There will always be a need for burial facilities, the existing facilities are getting close to full capacity, however it is unlikely that new facilities will be created as land values in the Borough will be too high. Consequently the utilisation of the existing facilities must be maximised.
Mortuary spaces are currently bought in by the council at a cost of £100k pa. There is an opportunity for Lambeth to have its own facility which could be income generating.
There are some listed structures that need special consideration
A facility for a Heritage Centre for education offering refreshments for visitors would be an attractive facility to be able to offer.
Asset Supply/Existing properties
Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Page 236 Streatham Cemetery Burial site only. Some land previously unsuitable is being reclaimed in In creating greater capacity the life of the A Garratt Lane 9-25 partnership with a private partnership to provide double depth concrete graveyard is being extended. Renovation to the graves. 160 have been installed, 20 have been sold. Otherwise the chapel would provide an opportunity for leasing Council is operating intermediate grave locating. This site accommodates and income generation. two chapels, one in use and one dilapidated in the centre of the plot. Lambeth Cemetery Cemetery and new Crematorium. Crematorium chapel renovated 5 years The new crematorium is effective and provides A and Cremetoria, ago along with memorial rose garden and cremated remains garden. Site capacity a number of years. The cemetery Blackshaw Road includes 5 other buildings, the Book of Remembrance building, 2 further capacity has potential for increasing. The office chapels, one in a very dilapidated condition, a Lodge occupied by a needs relocating, and there is high cost in housing tenant, and an office building which is not fit for purpose. Some maintaining the dilapidated chapel which could land has a high water table and consideration is being made for a burial be renovated. village to be installed here to increase capacity. West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium. Many elements of this site are listed A number of elements are listed and this needs A Cemetery and including railings and structures. Site includes cemeteries offices and a consideration. Crematoria, Norwood lodge currently occupied by a previous employee. The lodge may be Road 286-292 suitable location for a Heritage/Heraldry information centre.
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Individual Property Performance Ad d r es s Asset Property Review Operational Utilisation Functionality Condition Remaining Life Running Costs
Descriptio 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 Streatham Cemetery x2 cem x2 cem cem infrastru cem infrastru cem chapels cture chapels cture Lambeth Cemetery & Crematorium 2nd 2nd chapel & chapel & cem cem cem infrstruct cem infrstruct cem & crem cem Crem chapel crem chapel crem ure ure West Cemetery & Norwood Crematorium cem cem i n f r a s t r cem & infrastru Crem cem crem cem Crem crem cture crem cture
Page 237 Gap Analysis Property Gap Action Required/In Hand to Address Gap Streatham Cemetery Dilapidated church requires investment. Maintenance programme required. The Council should investigate: (1)Alternative uses for the existing building by the Council and the private sector (2)The practicalities of a disposal to the private sector on a long lease to bring the building into reuse and to mitigate the repairing liability. Lambeth Cemetery Dilapidated chapel requires capital investment. Maintenance programme required. The Council should investigate: (1)Alternative uses for the existing building by the Council and the private sector (2)The practicalities of a disposal to the private sector on a long lease to bring the building into reuse and to mitigate the repairing liability.
The office building is not fit for purpose. Re-provide or refurbish office accommodation.
If re-provided consider alternative uses for existing building. West Norwood Cemetery Catacombs in poor state of repair. Maintenance programme required. Mortuary Service The Council currently purchases mortuary spaces at a cost Identify and procure a site for the construction of a new mortuary within the Borough. of £100,000pa which is considered an inefficient solution. Specification to be provided Heraldry Centre There is a desire to establish a heraldry centre in the There are a number of chapels and buildings in cemeteries which may be suitable for Borough. use as a heraldry centre, but most will need substantial refurbishment
79
Leisure Centres
Asset Demand/Requirements
Generally the Council meets government requirements of providing facilities within demographic criteria, however the quality of some of the facilities are in question, and as such are not assisting with increasing visitor usage.
Streatham Leisure Centre and Clapham Leisure Centre have proposed redevelopments in place. For each of these sites, it is imperative that the redevelopments are commenced as soon as possible. Leisure Centre is part of the Streatham Hub redevelopment project currently linked with Tesco. Land ownership is complicated and includes land held by Tesco. Proposals include providing a new Tesco superstore, Transport Hub and National Ice Arena as well as a leisure facility. The leisure facility will meet the Sport England guidance which includes:- a 25m, 6 lane Pool and separate Learner pool, 100 station gym, 4 court sports hall, community rooms, 1 dance studio and café.
Clapham Leisure Centre is part of Future Clapham redevelopment plan which includes a Library and, healthcare centre and new homes, as well as a new leisure facility which will meet the Sport England guidance and includes:- a 25m, 6 lane Pool and separate Learner pool, 100 station gym, 4 court sports hall, community
rooms, 1 dance studio and café. Page 238
Brixton Recreation Centre is in good condition, although there is a need to upgrade the changing area to facilitate better family access and also improve disabled access. This is being undertaken with the support of a Sport England Free Swim funding grant.
Asset Supply/Existing properties Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Flaxman Sports A 1970s built facility which is fit for purpose in relatively good order. There Property performs well, is fit-for-purpose and h as good G Centre, Carew Street have been some improvements to the roof and some dilapidations (from attendance, although this is assisted by specialist weights area previous lessee) are outstanding. The location is not ideal as it is situated in and not by location. an industrial zone, on the border of the Borough with Southwark. The facility includes a 100 station gym, 2 squash courts, 1 gym/sports hall, 1 dance studio. The centre has a specialist weight area which is a key attraction. Ferndale Community A new facility built in 2002 with Lottery Funding. It is well used and in good This property performs well, is fit for purpose and benefits from G Sports Centre, condition, albeit with limited expansion potential. The facility is a mainly good usage. There is a small triangle piece of land to the rear Nursery Road outdoor centre with 4 floodlit synthetic turf pitches, 2 floodlit hard courts for which has potential for either a climbing or complimentary tennis, hockey, 5 a-side and 1 internal dance studio. development (such as a youth centre) which could be explored. Streatham Leisure 2 centres, Streatham Leisure Centre and Clapham Leisure Centre, are in Whilst this property is used well by schools, it is well past life R Centre, Streatham particularly bad condition and state of repair. There are plans for expectancy and is neither fit-for-purpose nor cost effective. High Road 293-384 redevelopment for both of these facilities, which is on reason why little Money is being spent on keeping the property health and safety money has been invested in the sites, however they are beginning to have compliant, there are questions as to whether it should be shut high maintenance costs just to keep them compliant with health and safety. prior to its redevelopment. Streatham has a very short life. Streatham Leisure Centre is a 1930s build and currently houses a 33m pool, 2 studios/meeting rooms, 100 station gym, 1 dance studio, 1 health suite (including sauna and steam) and flat which is empty and in poor condition.
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Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Clapham Leisure A 1930s build and currently houses at 30.5m pool and learner pool, a 62 The property is not fit-for-purpose and the pool only has a life R Centre, Clapham station gym, 2 court sports hall, 1 dance studio and a training/viewing room expectancy of 4 years remaining. Maintenance to keep it open is Manor Street 149 which is a recent development. Upstairs there are treatment rooms and high, and the redevelopment programme is currently uncertain. other rooms leased for voluntary and community groups. Recent upgrade to the facia, and to support underneath the pool, was undertaken within the last 5 years, but there is only 4 years life left for the pool. Brixton Recreation Brixton Centre has had significant recent investment and offers the largest This property is in good order and offers an excellent facility post G Centre, Brixton dedicated children’s gym in the country and an excellent modern facility over recent renovations in 2007. The property is fit-for-purpose and Station Road 15-53 6 levels. It was initially opened in 1982 and refurbished in 2007 with the benefits from good usage which is improving. There is a grant in expansion of the gym, development of the children’s section, a new function place to renovate the changing facility to improve access for room and crèche as well as redecorated the reception and soft play areas. disabled and family access to the pool. The plant room is shared The facilities include: 6 lane bowling, climbing wall, crèche, 120 station gym with Council owned International House, and this means that it is and separate 30 station gym for programmes, 8 court sports hall, health run by LBL rather than the contractor. There are plans to split suite with sauna and steam room, 3G artificial pitch, dedicated children’s some services over time. area including a gym, a multi sports hall for 5-15 year olds and a dance mat studio; 3 meeting/social rooms, soft play area, 5 squash courts, 25m pool plus separate teaching and learning pools, 2 dance studios, and a cafe. Brockwell Park Lido A listed Grade II Art Deco open air pool which recently received £2m from This property performs well and has been subject to recent G Fusion and English Heritage Investment. The facility includes a 50m pool, 3 investment.
dance studios, 100 station gym, hydrotherapy pool, changing room and Page 239 cafe. The property was let to Fusion in 2006 for 25 years with KPIs.
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Individual Property Performance Information provided by LBL Service Line Managers Property Review Operationa Utilisation Functionality Condition Remaining Life Running Costs l Significance/ Address Asset Description 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
Flaxman LC, Carew Leisure Centre Street
Ferndale Sports Leisure Centre Centre, Nursery Road
Streatham leisure Leisure Centre Centre, Streatham and Pool High Road 293-384
Clapham Leisure Leisure Centre & Centre, Clapham Pool Manor Street 149
Brixton Recreation Leisure Centre & Page 240 centre, Brixton Pool Station Road 15-53
Brockwell Park Lido Leisure Centre & Pool
82 Gap Analysis Property/Area Gap Action Required/In Hand to Address Gap Streatham Leisure Centre The leisure centre is well beyond its life expectancy and is in a very poor Procure replacement leisure facilities in state of repair. Consideration is being given to closure and steps have Streatham. been implemented to re-provide facilities to local schools in alternative locations. Closure of the centre without re-provision will leave a significant gap in the provision of leisure services in Streatham. Clapham Leisure Centre The leisure centre is beyond its life expectancy and despite some Procure replacement leisure facilities in investment about five years ago it is estimated that there is a maximum of Clapham. just four more years life in the pool. Closure of the centre without re-provision will leave a significant gap in the provision of leisure services in Clapham. Brixton Leisure Centre The changing area requires refurbishment to improve family changing Refurbish changing areas. arrangements North of Borough There is no leisure centre serving the north part of the borough. May be necessary to procure replacement leisure facilities in north of borough. South of Borough There is no leisure centre serving the south (Norwood) part of the May be necessary to procure replacement
borough. leisure facilities in south of borough. Page 241
83
Public Conveniences in Parks
Asset Demand/Requirements
Asset Supply/Existing properties Property General Description/Fitness for purpose Performance Comments Rating Clapham Common Convenience Beneath the clock tower by Clapham tube. The old Open. A underground gents is closed and incorporated into the original ladies buildings which is a white timber building – possibly listed? Clapham Common South Side Closed but remain in situ. Closed and within Metropolitan Open Land. R
Limited redevelopment potential. Explore Page 242 demolition or change of use. Vauxhall Park Convenience, Fentiman Change of use. Rented out and under parks portfolio Let G Road management. Clapham Polygon Closed but remains in situ. Closed. Alleged to be part of common land. R Limited redevelopment potential. Explore change of use or demolition.
Gap Analysis
No information to comment on this section.
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Day Centre and Residential Homes
Asset Demand/Requirements
• As 95% of the Day Centre and Residential Home facility are outsourced, there is little property left within the portfolio to provide services. • All Day Centre services are provided for by the LBL. Each day centre offers slightly different services aimed at differing ages and abilities and consequently for all of the services, the users have to travel a long way across the borough to reach their centre. • There is a need for more services to be provided in the north of the borough as the majority are centred around the south. • There is a reasoned argument which would suggest having 3 multi-service day centres offering facilities for a wider range of users, situated in the north, south and mid-borough areas – hence providing services without the need for users to travel. • With the Personalisation agenda, there is uncertainty as to how much day centre services will be in demand over the coming years, there is therefore the need to remain flexible with day centre provision moving forward. • With regard to residential centres, information has been very hard to clarify, however the demand generally is likely to decrease as people are encouraged to
stay at home, and be supported from home for longer under the Sustainable Communities Strategy. Page 243 • It is yet to be established how quickly demand will fall away.
Asset Supply/Existing Properties Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Stockwell Day Centre Day centre for over 65s offering care for elderly mentally infirm The lift operation is intermittent – but questions over R facility is provided over ground and first floor with access by 2 x lifts, how much to spend on replacement/repair. 100% one internal, one external fire escape. The first floor is used as the utilised by residents from all over the borough who are layout is better that the ground floor. However considerable bussed in. Have considered rebuilding, perhaps as inconvenience as access via lift. Busy road with limited space for part of a wider project with SLAM, however future use unloading outside and building is not fit for purpose. High staffing in question with Personalisation agenda. Has capacity service ran by the borough. Meals provided by meals-on-wheels. for a loft extension. Tulse Hill/Landmark Adult learning disabilities for 18-c70 year olds. Previously known as Recently spent money for refurbishment of this facility G House “Landmark”. Occupies 2 adjacent buildings, one is a period listed including the toilet facilities. Considered using money building over basement and 2 two upper storeys, the other is a on improving access to car park as bus drivers not 1960s extension over 2 floors. using it, however it’s a user issue rather than access Facility provides day care with education. In the period building the issue. It is a significant facility with 100% utilisation. basement is used for meeting and group rooms, toilets and laundry room, the middle floor is rented out and the top floor is used for group rooms and shared with the health service which has a counselling room and clinic. The 1960s extension is over 2 floors and offers offices upstairs and reception and dining/sitting room, however this room is small especially with the number of wheel 85
Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating chairs in the building. It is a hard room to access by wheel chair. The building was not built for purpose and is not really fit for purpose for disabled wheel chair users. Central Hill Day Centre Day centre over 65s for physical frailty. Facility is provided in Heating system is linked to the housing estate and as G building over 2 levels. It h as huge floor to ceiling rooms, so such ran by Housing. The centre is 100% utilised as a question the efficiency of heating it. Upstairs is used for offices and day centre, with people being bussed in. There is is partly rented out. Situated on a housing estate and as such potential for increasing evening usage for other suffers from vandalism. Day activities include, socialisation Council services – eg youth centre, and there is also a programmes, social skills, exercise. hope that this would reduce the amount of vandalism as local residents would benefit from the facility. Lambeth Walk Day Adult learning disabilities. Purpose built c 24 years ago works well Boiler recently replaced. WCs in urgent need of A Centre and is a good design for wheel chair users. It is a single storey upgrading as they are original and the type of caring building, with roof access, perhaps to boiler room and it has a requires a lot of toileting help. People are bussed in Page 244 garden. It has a kitchen large enough for training and staff do from across the borough as it is the only facility offering sometimes cook for users. these services. Brockwell Day Centre Day centre with disabled access, parking, kitchen large enough to 1960s building which has regular maintenance and is A cook meals at the premises. They run a coffee club, have group reasonably well kept. Open from 10am til 3pm so rooms, garden, computer room, wcs. could be used more outside of these hours. There is a review currently underway regarding this facility. Lambeth Resource Day centre for people with physical disabilities under age 65. This Well used by people across the borough as this is the G Centre is the only facility provided for these people. Purpose built facility c only facility provided for this client type. 1970s providing activities such a social inclusion, vocational training, cooking etc. Facilities include a small gym and computer centre. Situated over the ground floor in a single storey building which has disabled access – works well, however looks like a shed and is run down. Parking with disabled access is good. Benshurst Court, Residential home. . Leased to Partner Agency G Leigham Court Road Riggindale Road Residential home. To be Leased to Partner Agency R Mount Villas Residential home. Leased to Partner Agency G
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Individual Property Performance Property Review Operational Utilisation Functionality Condition Remaining Life Running Costs Significance/ Address Owner-Ship Asset Description 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
Stockwell Day Day Centre FH Centre Tulse Hill/ Day Centre LH Landmark House Central Hill Day Day Centre, FH centre Lambeth Walk Day Day Centre Centre Brockwell Day Day Centre FH Centre Lambeth Resource Centre
Benhurst Court Residential Home FH Page 245
Riggindale Road Residential Home FH 96 Mount Villas 30 Residential Home FH
GAP Analysis Property/Area Gap Action Required/In Hand to Address Gap Day Centres – General The 2 day centres for the elderly are situated There is a strategy that would develop 3 facilities for the elderly, mentally and Comments in the south of the borough, as are the vast infirm units working along with SLAM which would provide a mixture of majority of the other day centres. facilities and introduce a new facility in the north of the borough. However this is offset by the Personalisation agenda and an uncertainty of demand for future provision of day centres.
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Investment Needs
Adult and Community Services
New Investment Requirements
Libraries Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirement – Detail New Library, Mary Seacole House, There is a proposal to redevelop this site to provide a mixed 1.Construction costs of new library. 91 Clapham Road, SW4 use development in a building ranging from 1 to 12 storeys in 2.Cost of relocation. height (plus basement). The scheme is to include a 1.652m 2 library, a 108m 2 cafe, a Costs to be determined. Page 246 1,866m 2 primary care centre and 136 residential units with 43 basement parking spaces. North Lambeth/Waterloo Library Acquisition of new library premises. Cost of relocation. 1.Acquisition cost of new site/building. 2.Construction/fitting out costs. 3.Relocation costs. Costs to be determined. West Norwood Library Major repairs. Costs to be determined. Streatham Tate Library Extend and refurbish existing library in accordance with the 1.Construction cost of extension and refurbishment of Streatham Masterplan Proposals. existing library. 2.Disturbance of existing functions. Costs to be determined. Archive Centre New Archive Centre to be acquired. 1.Carry out site search for suitable premises. 2.Acquisition of land/buildings, or 3.Reuse of existing Council building.
Cemeteries and Crematorium Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirement – Detail Mortuary Procurement/construction of new mortuary building. Acquisition of site. Construction Costs. Costs to be determined.
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Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirements – Detail Streatham Leisure Centre Council contribution to provision of replacement leisure Costs are currently under review. centre in Streatham. Clapham Leisure Centre Council contribution to provision of replacement leisure Costs are currently under review. centre in Clapham. North or Borough Council contribution to provision of replacement leisure It is anticipated that the Council will procure the development centre in Doon Street Development. under a Local Investment Finance Trust (LIFT) and that no capital contribution will be required. Other option appraisals are still ongoing.
Refurbishment/Renewal Requirements
Libraries Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirements – Detail
Carnegie Library DDA works required to secure compliance. Cost to be determined. Page 247 Durning Library DDA works required to secure compliance. Investment Cost to be determined. required to upgrade/replace the heating and lighting installations. Norwood High Road Installation of new lift and major repairs. Cost to be determined. South Lambeth Road DDA works required to secure compliance. Cost to be determined. Brixton Tate Library DDA works required to secure compliance. Cost to be determined. Minet Library DDA works required to secure compliance. Cost to be determined.
Cemeteries and Crematorium Property Possible Funding Requirements – Action Estimated Funding Requirement – Detail Streatham Cemetery Repairs to church. Cost to be determined. Lambeth Cemetery Repairs to chapel. Re-provision or refurbishment of offices. Cost to be determined. West Norwood Cemetery Repairs to catacombs. Cost estimated at £1m.
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Housing Regeneration and Environment
Asset Analysis
The following Analysis addresses each service in turn and seeks to identify and highlight current misalignment between the existing property provision and current property requirement. This has been determined through a process of consultation with each service department to compile a candid and front end view as to the suitability of the property service portfolio.
The asset demand/requirements and the asset supply/ existing properties which considers, along with a general description and comment on fitness for purpose, a summary of performance comment, including an assessment of the properties overall suitability and performance using red and green flags for either properties with major issues or alternatively properties that are performing well and do not need current attention.
The information was compiled using the working knowledge of the property portfolio from within the department. Page 248
There follows a summary of the gap in each service, and proposed actions required to overcome this gap.
Valuation and Asset Management Services (VAMS)
Community Buildings and Hostels:
Unlike the other services where the assets are occupied for their operations, the functions of VAMS is to manage and maintain these buildings. As such this portfolio of buildings has been addressed in a different way. A summary includes broad comments on their use and condition and a view of their disposability. Clearly this is taken from a property perspective only, and indeed following the review of the functions of the community groups that occupy these buildings, the VAMS service will be better placed to prioritise which buildings in the portfolio need further investigation by way of condition surveys, change of use analysis and valuations for disposal.
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Public Realm
Car Parks
Asset Demand/Requirements
• Brixton town centre needs a car park for shoppers and workers. Current car parking provisions are for 550 cars, however some of these are not functional. • There is a requirement for a vehicle pound within the Borough (with 1 .5x standard ceiling height if located inside) for 200 spaces. Brixton would be a good central location. Complaints from the public are centred around the inaccessibility of the pound currently in Lewisham. • There is a preference to replace the existing car park with a new, more efficient building, which could provide offices on the upper floors for the Technical Parking Team and contractors staff, all of whom are currently located in differing locations with lease expiries in 2010-2011. In addition the building would provide the car parking requirement and a 1.5 height lower floor for the vehicle pound. • Approximately 15-20 public spaces should be provided in Streatham.
Page 249 Asset Supply/Existing Properties Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Popes Road, Brixton 550 spaces. Currently this car park is only 69% operational Top floor currently unsafe and therefore not operational, R Town Centre due to major structural issues. The Council is trying to stop losing c.30% capacity. Operating hours are restricted until further deterioration as there is insufficient funding to refurbish 11.30pm, 6 days a week, reducing income potential. or replace. Currently scaffolding along is costing £20k pa. Uncertainty of future provision as part of Brixton The car park is currently part of the Brixton Masterplan and as Masterplan. such the site is likely to be reallocated. Leigham Court Road, 30 spaces. Used partly by South London Press and There is potential to use this site more effectively and G Streatham remainder by public. create value, by locating a building on the site, subject to a soil survey, however there would need to be some provision for public car parking spaces. Waylett Place, West 10-12 spaces. No longer required as there is equivalent on- This property can be offered for sale or redevelopment. R Norwood street parking for visitors. Other: Vehicle Pound A vehicle pound is currently located in Lewisham, rented at Profitable facility, however complaints that the pound is R £2.50 per space per day with a maximum availability of 200 outside the borough. spaces on a pay as required basis. As such it is a very profitable and cost effective resource, however the location is poor.
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Individual Property Performance Property Review Address Operational Utilisation Functionality Condition Remaining Life Running Costs Signifance/Criticality 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Popes Road, Brixton Town Centre Leigham Court Road, Streatham Waylett Place, West Norwood
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Not Not use Bad Bad less Low Low High High High High ideal ideal Poor Good Good Under- utilised utilised Normal Normal regards regards Medium Medium Average Average 10 years years 10 condition condition condition well in all all in well Essential Essential Required Performs Performs 3-5 years years 3-5 Condition Condition Condition Condition Desirable Desirable Less than than Less 2 years or or years 2 Not suited suited Not More than than More for current current for 5-10 years years 5-10 Continuous Continuous In Excellent Excellent In well in most most in well Satisfactory Over utilised utilised Over
Gap Analysis Property Gap Action Required/Identified to Address Gap Brixton Multi-Storey The physical deterioration of the car park means that only Replacement car parking facilities is required. 69% of spaces can be used, and yet the demand is high. The cost of preventing further deterioration is high. The Brixton Masterplan has identified a current requirement for the replacement of 113 parking spaces in Brixton Central Area and 75 in Somerleyton Road. Leigham Court This car park seems surplus to requirements and as such is See below. discussed in surplus property. Waylett Place This site has potential for redevelopment, and as such is See below. discussed in surplus property. Car Pound The car pound is located in Lewisham and would be better Identify and procure a new car pound site within the borough. placed in the Borough. The lease expires in July 2011 and contains a landlord break clause operable at 6 months notice which represents a risk of the Council losing the facility. Office It may be more efficient to locate parking services staff and Undertake a workplace study into the use and cost of office contractor staff in a single location. Leasing the existing space and investigate the business case for re-provision. space in Blue Star House is thought to be an expensive and Subject to the above, identify a single location for the Councils operationally inefficient arrangement. staff and the contractors staff – estimated at c.6000 sq ft. 92
Public Conveniences:
Asset Demand/Requirements
• This service needs to provide a 24 hour service, offering a variety of facilities, suitable and safe for both women and men. • There is a move towards utilising Pissoirs at night times which pop up from underground, and in the day time there is currently a trial for a Community Toilet Scheme which has recently been initiated. • The Community Toilet Scheme has been successful in other London Boroughs. The principal is that organisations with existing toilet facilities open up their facilities to the public in return for a cash incentive of £1k per annum. Lambeth has 23 businesses participating in strategic locations and is in the process of marketing and creating signage before undertaking a 3 month trial and survey. If they are a success, and the issue of providing for females at night time is addressed, then there will be capacity to close the more expensive, less well performing toilets.
Page 251 Asset Supply/Existing Properties NB Properties marked with * were not included in the original list of properties provided by LBL Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating *Electric Avenue LBL have installed 3 Pissoirs which are raised from the ground at They have been a success and 2 more are due to be G night time. installed. *Goding Street Pissoir G *Clapham High Street Pissoir G *Granby Place, Lower There are 3 Universal Super Loos (USLs) which were installed by Location of the USLs is not premium, and therefore A Marsh LBL and are maintained by JC Decaux, in return for advertising they are not utilised as much as the traditional wc. hoardings, There is 15 years left on this maintenance agreement. There are drug issues at this site. West Norwood Library Universal Super Loo (USL) The most used USL, but only 8 people per day. Best G located USL. *Streatham Common Universal Super Loo (USL) USLs generally not in good locations. A Rookery Popes Road There are 3 traditional public conveniences that remain open, the Open to 0.5 million users per year. Permanent security R most utilised of which is Popes Road. Maintenance cost of these is required so running costs are high. high Leigham Court Road Traditional public convenience. Police get called out for anti-social behaviour, not R Convenience utilised much. Shared security with Gracefield Gardens.
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Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating *Clapham Cross Traditional public convenience. Open but closes at night time. High usage but has an R underground leak/flooding issues so needs to close often. Gracefield Gardens Traditional public convenience. Recently refurbished and does not appear to suffer G from anti-social behaviour, Shared security with Leigham Court Road. *Loughborough/ There are 5 toilets that are closed and 3 rented out. Rented as a Closed and rented out. G Belinda Road cafe. Robson Road Rented as a children’s’ day centre. Closed and rented out. G *Atkins Road Rent to TfL Closed and rented out. G *Clapham Cross Sub- Closed Closed R Terrainiane Page 252 Lower Marsh 98-118 Located behind shops. Closed R *Westminster Bridge Closed Closed R Kennington Cross Closed Closed R *Crystal Palace Closed Closed R
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Property Performance
Property Review Operational Utilisation Functionality C o n d i t i o n Remaining Life Running Costs Significance/ Ad d r e s s A s s e t Description 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Pissoir Electric Avenue
Pissoir Goding Street
Pissoir Clapham High Street
Public Granby Place, Lower Marsh Convenience USL West Norwood Library Public Convenience USL Streatham Common Rook ery Public Convenience USL Popes Road Public Convenience
Leigham Court Road Public Page 253 Convenience Convenience Clapham Cross Public Convenience Traditional Gracefield gardens Public Convenience Traditional Old Public Loughborough/Belind convenience now a Road Café Robson Road Old Public Convenience Now a Childrens day centre Atkins Road Closed and rented
to tfl Closed Clapham Cross Sub Terrainiane Lower Marsh 98-118 Traditional
(Clos ed) Closed and Westminster Bridge Convenince boarded up Kennington Cross Public Convenience Closed
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Gap Analysis Property Gap Action Required/Identified to Address Gap Leigham Court Road, Clapham If the Community Scheme is a success, then over the mid Monitor the new development scheme when fully functional. Cross and Gracefield Gardens term there may be the opportunity to sell or rent the more Assess suitability of Leigham Court Road and Clapham expensive less well performing conveniences. The income Cross for change of use for letting and/or disposal. from renting could then be re-used to fund the Community Scheme. Rented Toilets Surplus. The rental income versus cost to run these buildings should be considered in order to formulate a strategy.
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Depots:
Asset Demand/Requirements
• There is a Central Government requirement to increase recycling, and national targets are to recycle 40% of waste by 2010, 45% by 2015 and 50% by 2020. Lambeth is currently at 25%. • A Waste Strategy is currently being completed and is at consultation stage, this will determine the future cost and space requirement implications. • There is a requirement for a single site to house all of the separate depot functions.
Asset Supply/Existing Properties Property General Description/Fitness for Purpose Performance Comment Rating Shakespeare Road The single site of Shakespeare Road was recently sub-divided and the Site is the best functioning site, but is at full capacity A 10-205 facilities separated into four different locations. Shakespeare Road and proximity to residential area not ideal. Depot accommodates Refuse Collection Fleet and includes offices for
50 people (hot desk/ shift share) and a CCTV Suite. The site has 24 Page 255 hour access, manned security, good location, however is situated close to residential streets which is not ideal. Occupation is 100%. Vale Street Accommodates Recycling and Winter Gritting Fleets including a Salt Functions adequately. G Barn and offices for Veolia. The site has 24 hour access. Occupation is 100%. Somerleyton Road Accommodates workshops for Refuse, Recycling and Cleansing Functions adequately. G 24-26 Functions and includes wash bays etc. This site is operated by the contractor Veolia. Occupation is 100%. Millwood Road 2-28 Accommodates Cleansing and Educational Transport (bus) Fleets Restricted hours causes operational issues and A including a workshop for buses and a small office. Part of the site is increased costs as vehicles have to be shunted to rented out externally on an historical arrangement when securing site. Shakespeare Road to be used outside of these hours. The site only has access between 6am and 10pm due to its residential Also poor location as not central to the borough. location. Temporary planning consent ends March 2010. Occupation is 100%.
Individual Property Performance Information not received from LBL.
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Gap Analysis Property Gap Action Required/Identified to Address Gap Vale Street The sale of the majority part of the Shakespeare Road site and the Identify and acquire a single site within the borough to consolidate Division of the Council’s services across four locations has resulted the Council’s Depot based services. Shakespeare Road in a significant loss in operational efficiency.
Milkwood Road There is a requirement to identify and acquire a single depot to consolidate the following services: Somerleyton Road -Recycling -Cleansing -Transport -Education Bus Fleet
-Salt Barn Page 256 -Workshops, Roller Bays, Vehicle Wash -Council and Contractors Offices -CCTV Suite A relocation would leave the 4 freehold sites available for re- development.
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Asset Plan
• Identify opportunities – high level strategic review. • Outline a number of options to address the gap in Supply and Demand. • Identify significant opportunities that need to be pursued.
Car Parks Property Gap Identified Options to Address Gap Brixton Multi-Storey Replacement car park parking facilities are The Brixton Masterplan includes the provision of 113 car parking spaces in the Brixton required. Central Area and for a further 75 spaces on Somerleyton Road.
It is unclear if there has been as assessment of Alternatively a search should be carried out to identify a single site for the provision of how many spaces are required. a new car park within a reasonable distance.
A site has been identified on Gresham Road which might satisfy the requirement for Page 257 parking and the car pound, and the availability and suitability of this site is to be investigated.
The parking provision could be “broken up” and integrated into wider redevelopment proposals for the area.
Incorporation of the car pound, relocated from Lewisham, and offices for the car park technicians should be considered. Car Pound A replacement car pound needs to be identified A site search needs to be carried out in order to identify a site for a new car pound. and procured. This could be: -A discreet stand alone site -Within a new Central Brixton Car Park -Within a new single depot site Sited on a former depot site when consolidated depot site is implemented. Office A single location for the Council Staff and the This could be: Contractors Staff – estimated at c.6000 sq ft, -Reallocation of existing Council holding needs to be investigated. -Within a new Central Brixton Car Park -Within a new single depot site -Within a new car pound -New acquisition.
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Depots Property Gap Identified Options to Address Gap Vale Street A suitable single site within the borough to -An accurate assessment of size requirements for a consolidated site is carried out. consolidate the Councils Depot based services -A search be undertaken to identify alternative opportunities. Shakespeare Road is required. -Opportunities for the inclusion of other uses within or adjacent to a new depot site be investigated – eg car pound, offices, leisure, housing, health, etc. Milkwood Road
Somerleyton Road
New Investment Requirements
• Review and summarise new initiatives underway. Page 258 • Outline any areas where projects may lead to funding requirements. • Highlight areas where further investment may be required in medium term.
Car Parks Property Possible Funding Requirements – Action Estimated Funding Requirement – Detail Brixton Multi-storey Construction of new car park or provision spread out across a wider Provision of replacement car parking as part of major regeneration redevelopment proposal. scheme.
Costs to be determined. Car Pound -Identify location for new car pound. Costs to be determined. -Acquisition of new car pound site. -Construction of new car pound. Office Investigate and identify new office provision for the Council’s staff Costs to be determined. and contractor’s staff.
Depots Property Possible Funding Requirements – Action Estimated Funding Requirement Vale Street Identify location for new Depot. Costs to be determined. Shakespeare Road Acquisition of consolidated Depot Site Milkwood Road Somerleyton Road
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Refurbishment/Renewal Requirements
Car Parks Property Possible Funding Requirements – Action Estimated Funding Requirement Brixton Multi-storey On account of proposals to replace this facility no major capital investment is proposed. Car Pound On account of proposals to replace this facility no major capital investment is proposed. Office (See Office Strategy)
Public Conveniences Property Possible Funding Requirements – Action Estimated Funding Requirement Community Scheme Initial funding to pay the £1k donations to the participating locations, however ultimately this scheme could be self financing by renting
out current PC facilities. Page 259 In order to rent facilities, investment will be required to assess suitability of facilities, establish change of use, and to upgrade the facilities to a functioning and appropriate standard for leasing.
Depots Property Possible Funding Requirements – Action Estimated Funding Requirement Vale Street On account of proposals to close the existing depot sites no major Shakespeare Road refurbishment or renewal costs are proposed. Milkwood Road Somerleyton Road
Operations and Maintenance Requirements
Car Parks Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirement Brixton Multi-Storey Annual cost of maintaining the scaffold in situ estimated at £20,000. Costs to be determined. Ongoing essential maintenance to prevent further deterioration. Car Pound Annual rent estimated at £180,000. Costs to be determined. Ongoing maintenance to end of existing lease in 2011 estimated at £120,000.
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Public Conveniences Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirement Leigham Court Road, Ongoing essential maintenance to prevent deterioration until Costs to be determined. Clapham Cross and success of Community Scheme has been established. Gracefield Gardens
Depots Property Possible Funding Requirements Estimated Funding Requirement Vale Street General maintenance of the depots is passed on to Veolia under Costs to be determined. Shakespeare Road the terms of the maintenance contract. An adjustment of £250,000 Milkwood Road per annum is included in the contract price to reflect this. Somerleyton Road On account of proposals to close the existing depot sites building repairs are limited to essential maintenance. Page 261 Identify Properties that are likely to become Surplus
Car Parks Property Reason Re-use/Disposal Brixton Multi-storey Redevelopment. The site forms an integral part of the Brixton Masterplan and will be redeveloped. Car Pound Facility will be re-provided within the borough. Lease will expire. Waylett Place, West The site could be offered for sale on the condition that the 10-12 Possible disposal. Norwood public parking spaces are re-provided as street parking for visitors. Leigham Court Road, Used partly by South London Press (Newspaper) and the Possible disposal. Streatham remainder by the public. Investigate possibility of developing the site subject to reprovision.
Public Conveniences Property Reason Re-use/Disposal Leigham Court Road, No longer required under the new Community Scheme. Possible change of use and/or disposal. Clapham Cross and Gracefield Gardens
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Depots Property Reason Re-use/Disposal Vale Street Transfer of use to an alternative location. If the site is to be disposed of we recommend that the Council considers designating an alternative use for the site in the Local Development Framework to enable the Council to maximise the realisation value. Shakespeare Road Transfer of use to an alternative location. If the site is to be disposed of we recommend that the Council considers designating an alternative use for the site in the Local Development Framework to enable the Council to maximise the realisation value. Milkwood Road Transfer of use to an alternative location. If the site is to be disposed of we recommend that the Council considers designating an alternative use for the site in the Local Development Framework to enable the Council to maximise the Page 262 realisation value. Somerleyton Road Transfer of use to an alternative location. If the site is to be disposed of we recommend that the Council considers designating an alternative use for the site in the Local Development Framework to enable the Council to maximise the realisation value.
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Appendix 2
Association of Chief Estate Surveyors Property Performance Indicators and Benchmarking Data
Number of Valuations RAG Rating Comments Sample Size 16 Maximum 476 Minimum 47 Simple Average 204 London Borough of Lambeth 440
Charge for Valuations Sample Size 13 Maximum £380 Minimum £80 Simple Average £215 London Borough of Lambeth £270
Number of Business Tenancies Sample Size 17 Maximum 1015 Minimum 0 Simple Average 435 London Borough of Lambeth 534
Rent Collection Sample Size 10 Maximum 97% Minimum 87.5% Simple Average 92.5% London Borough of Lambeth 90%
Income Lost Through Voids Sample Size 12 Maximum 6.2% Minimum 0 Simple Average 2.48% London Borough of Lambeth 1%
Year on Year Increase in Rent Sample Size 13 Maximum 7.7% Minimum 0 Simple Average 4.05% London Borough of Lambeth 7%
Annual Rent Roll Sample Size 14 Maximum £12.9m Minimum £1.75 Simple Average £5.28m London Borough of Lambeth £3.37m
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Annual Energy Spend per sq m. Sample Size 11 Maximum £22.95 Minimum £10.65 Simple Average £14.26 London Borough of Lambeth £10.65
Commercial Cost of Management Sample Size 12% Maximum 15.8% Minimum 3% Simple Average 7.25% London Borough of Lambeth 3%
Net Area of Admin Buildings to FTE Sample Size 12 sq m Maximum 15.3 sq m Minimum 8.5 sq m Simple Average 10.66 sq m London Borough of Lambeth 11.44 sq m
Property Cost per sq m (Gross Internal Area) Sample Size 7 Maximum £113.04 Minimum £68.15 Simple Average £91.68 London Borough of Lambeth £92.6
106 Page 265 Agenda Item 12
Council Performance Digest
2008/2009 Year End
Page 266 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
Contents
1. Executive summary...... 2 2. Our performance – a summary...... 7 3. A safer Lambeth with strong communities...... 8 4. More opportunities for children and young people...... 15 5. Better housing and flourishing local economies...... 26 6. Respect for the environment ...... 35 7. Developing personalised care services ...... 39 8. Serving our customers well ...... 43 9. Transformational Projects ...... 54 10. Appendix A: Progress against our Corporate Plan Improvement Activities...... 56 11. Appendix B: Summary of Corporate Reporting Indicators ...... 75 12. Appendix C: How we report our performance...... 83
1 Executive summary
1.1 Overall Performance In 2009 we maintained our overall Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) rating as a good three star authority and we were rated as good in both our corporate assessment and joint area review following inspections in 2008. For the CPA we received a good rating for six of the seven service blocks with both our CPA Environment and Housing service block ratings increasing to “good” this year. We also received a good rating for our use of resources
As part of the Corporate Assessment inspection, the Audit Commission commented: “Achievement is good and the Council has delivered a number of improvements in performance during the past three years .”
They also highlighted the role of Cabinet and senior managers in helping to deliver these improvements. “The political and managerial leadership of the Council is highly effective. Together, the Leader and Chief Executive drive improvement and are focused on outcomes for residents. They are ably supported by the Cabinet and by the Senior Leadership Board comprising the four executive directors who provide good leadership across the Council's services.”
This year our local strategic partnership (LSP) Lambeth First was awarded the prestigious Local Government Chronicle award for best LSP and the council was short listed in a further two categories; most improved council and regeneration. We were also short-listed for Beacon status in the category of “Better outcomes for people and places”. This is the first time Lambeth has been short-listed for Beacon status, and marks how far Lambeth has travelled in our journey towards excellence.
Performance this year in delivering our corporate priorities is positive, with 60% of our corporate indicators meeting target.
Our improvement rates have remained high over the year with 71% of indicators improving or staying the same. The highest proportion of improved indicators has been seen in the ‘Developing personalised care services’ and ‘Better housing and flourishing local economies’ priorities; however, in the latter priority six of these improving indicators have not met target.
Notable achievements this year have been: 2 Page 267 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
• Crime falling for the 7 th year in a row and targets being met in all crime indicators; • Lambeth’s streets are the cleanest they have ever been and both recycling and waste reduction targets were met; • Both the 2008/09 and 2009/10 Local Area Agreement (LAA) targets have been exceeded for reducing the number of young people in Lambeth who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET); Our corporate improvement activities have progressed well this year and delivered some notable outcomes for our residents, particularly our Building Schools for the Future programme and domestic violence services.
Latest survey results also indicate significant improvements and success in a number of areas including crime and community cohesion, street cleanliness and the health and wellbeing of Lambeth’s children and young people.
Last year also saw the credit crunch and the onset of the recession. Our improved performance must be considered against this background and the council has been actively trying to address the likely impact through our credit crunch task force.
1.2 A safer Lambeth with strong communities Our latest residents’ survey shows more people are satisfied with Lambeth as a local area to live; 73% of people saying they are satisfied compared to 64% two years ago. 85% of residents think that Lambeth is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together and 55% of people think that people in the area treat one another with respect and consideration; significantly more than in 2006/2007.
Crime in Lambeth has fallen for the 7 th year in a row. All crime rate indicators have met target at year end, with reductions in the levels of acquisitive, gun and knife enabled crimes committed in the borough since last year.
Latest residents’ survey results show that although it is still the number one concern for residents, people in Lambeth are significantly less worried about crime; and see drug use and drug dealing as less of a problem than they did two years ago.
Lambeth was one of the first boroughs in London to have a dedicated five year action plan to tackle young people and gangs following an extensive piece of research into the problem. The Young and Safe action plan is now moving from the planning stage to implementation following a successful Parliamentary launch and consultation; the commissioning process has been started and contracts will begin to be awarded from June onwards.
1.3 More opportunities for children and young people Lambeth’s children and young people report being healthier, less likely to drink alcohol, smoke and take drugs; have better experiences in relation to bullying at school; and are more likely to see university as an option than the national average.
Significantly more young people interviewed this year feel that the council listens to them compared to two years ago which suggests that initiatives such as Lambeth’s Youth Mayor are having a positive impact at engaging with the boroughs young adults.
Excellent performance has been achieved in the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) this year with only 7.9% of young people coming under this category which is above the 2008/09 and 2009/10 targets for this indicator.
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Teenage pregnancy rates have continued to fall; with a dramatic 28% reduction seen since the peak in 2003. Although Lambeth’s rate remains high, we are one of only five boroughs in London to buck the national trend and report a decline in numbers this year.
Great achievements have been made as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. This year we have opened the Park Campus and Elm Court School; begun construction on phase 1 of the Stockwell Park project, the fourth new building project completed in the last two years; and Michael Tippett School won the top ‘Excellence in Building Schools for the Future’ award.
There is a continuing picture of improving schools and pupils achieving well. Lambeth primary schools continue to show improvement at key stage 2 and the proportion of pupils across the borough achieving key stage 4 and above has improved from 72% in 2003 to 80% in 2008. Outcomes in maths improved by 7 percentage points over the same period. We have also delivered our target for achievement across the early years foundation stage for pre-school age children.
62% of pupils achieved 5 or more A-C grades at GCSE, 20 percentage points higher than in 2003. 47% of pupils achieved 5 of more A-C grade including maths and English at GCSE, 6% above 2007.
However whilst overall achievement is good, less progress has been made in reducing the attainment gap between children from more disadvantaged backgrounds as measured by NIs 92 and 102. We now know a number of Lambeth schools are effective in tackling underachievement and we have started disseminating their good practice to other LA schools. As a result, the LA has made good progress the last three years, not only by raising achievement of underachieving groups, but also in narrowing the achievement gap. We also have a wide range of measures in place to tackle child poverty including those aimed at helping parents into work which will help to reduce the attainment gap.
Year end performance in safeguarding children confirms that Lambeth have an active and effective approach to the protection of children. Overall Lambeth performance continues to be good or excellent in almost all respects. All cases (100%) were allocated to a qualified social worker and all child protection cases (100%) were reviewed within required timescales. Child protection issues were resolved in a timely and effective manner, evidenced by the fact that only 4.2% of children had a child protection plan for more than 2 years and only 8.2% received a repeat plan.
Contact, referral and assessment teams deal with an exceptionally high volume of cases in Lambeth. Systems are robust and are regularly reviewed by social care senior managers. Assessments are subject to rigorous quality assurance mechanisms and are of improving quality; however the ambitious target in respect of initial assessment was not met following changes to the ICS system in November 2008. Systems have been remodelled and performance on timeliness is gradually improving and we expect to meet our 2009 -10 targets.
1.4 Better housing and flourishing local economies High performance in planning applications has continued with excellent year outturns being seen in all three categories, consolidating our position as one of the top 5 boroughs in London.
We have also exceeded our affordable homes target, with over fifty more homes being delivered this year compared to last and we reduced the percentage of non decent council homes from 34% to 29.9% but missed our target of 29%.
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We successfully reduced the number of households in temporary accommodation by 192 households in 2008/09; this was a 9% reduction and was achieved through increasing the amount of homeless prevention work throughout the year. This work led to an 11% drop in the number of homeless applications and demand for temporary accommodation, though below our LAA target of a 14% reduction.
Rent collection improved slightly to 90.52% but was still below the target of 92%. The council is working with both ALMOs to deliver improvements in rent collection which include allowing housing officers to verify housing benefit claims to speed up payments and working with Lambeth Savings and Credit Union to provide financial advice to tenants. Our performance on re-letting empty homes fell below target and again the council is working with both ALMOs to improve this especially around the lettings process.
We have won two awards this year for sustainable housing projects and have continued to expand the numbers of grants provided by the Lambeth Home Improvement Agency to disabled tenants looking to improve and adapt their homes.
Lambeth’s current overall employment rate has fallen below target at 69.4% and is now higher than the London and national averages. However, the numbers of working age people on out of work benefits has continued to fall. We are expecting a further decline in performance as the impact of the recession deepens and unemployment is predicted to rise; particularly amongst vulnerable groups. The impact of the economic downturn on our residents has been seen in the latest survey as concern about lack of jobs has increased significantly compared to two years ago moving from the 10 th to the 3 rd biggest concern in the borough.
1.5 Respect for our environment Lambeth’s streets are the cleanest they have ever been with all four street cleaning indicators meeting targets this year; the highest scores we have received for the last six years. Residents are significantly more satisfied with the cleanliness of the streets than they were two years ago or compared to the rest of London; and Lambeth residents see litter less as a concern than in other boroughs.
All indicators under this priority have met their targets this year including the waste and recycling indicators which have improved on last year. Contributing to this performance is the increase in green waste production from our parks and donated Christmas trees, which are being shredded with the help of a new recycling machine and turned into compost and mulch. Three of Lambeth’s parks now have green flag status; recognising them as some of the best open spaces in the UK; and two trees in the borough have been named in the top 20 favourite trees in London.
Lambeth continues to be one of the most proactive boroughs in promoting cycling with more events and training provided than in any other borough. In recognition of our progress and achievement, TfL invited transport staff to speak at a recent conference and we have been awarded one of the highest funding allocations for further training in 2009/10.
1.6 Delivering personalised care services We have delivered against our commitment to provide good personalised care services to Lambeth residents. Six of the seven performance indicators against this priority met target this year, with all seven indicators improving from 12 months ago. This is an excellent achievement and the pro-active approach to performance management used within Adults’ Community Services, including establishing dedicated performance boards, has strengthened the department’s ability to manage its own performance.
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Lambeth residents have recognised the improvements we are making to care services with 81% of people now rating their overall health and wellbeing as good or very good. The level of concern about the health service has also dropped significantly compared to 2007 and the rest of London with 64% of people rating local services as good to excellent.
We are making a difference and delivering real outcomes for the community. Lambeth Gaia Centre won a prestigious NHS Health and Social Care award. Since opening in May 2006 the centre has helped over 861 women and 90% of cases dealt with at the centre have had positive results for the women involved.
We are well placed to continue the improvements in this council priority area. We have developed new Older People’s and Carers’ Strategies in response to recognised local need and what our residents and stakeholders have been telling us what they want from our services. These documents set out the future of care provision in the borough and how we will deliver on our commitments to provide the best care to residents but in a flexible way.
1.7 Serving our customers well Performance in the ‘Serving our customers well’ priority has been mixed this year. Of the seventeen indicators reported here, seven have met target whilst nine failed to do so; the other indicator has no target.
Our commitment to improving the customer experience is having positive results. More residents are now saying they think that Lambeth is doing a better job compared to when they were last asked to rate our services in 2007.
We have hit our target for council tax collection this year and performance is 0.8% better than 2007/8. This helps us maximise the revenue we spend on services. However we continue to under perform when it comes to paying invoices on time where we were over 7% off target.
We have continued to improve the time it takes to process a new housing benefit or council tax claim or a change of circumstance compared to last year, with the average time now less than 12 days against a target of 15 days.
We have seven corporate indicators relating to people management and of these two achieved target this year. We have reviewed the targets for 2009/10 and future years as, for many of the indicators we are already in the top quartile performance banding compared to other London Boroughs. The key area for concern is the number of days absence due to sickness where council wide commitment and a number of targeted initiatives to reduce sickness absence are a priority for Lambeth.
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2 Our performance – a summary
2008/09 Achievement rates by priority
100% 2 2 1 6 80% 8 3 60% 4 6 1 6 40% 9
6 20% 7 7
0% A safer Lambeth More Better housing Respect for our Developing Serving our with strong opportunities for and a flourishing environment personalised care customers well communities children and economy services young people
Green Amber Red
2008/09 Achievment rates and direction of travel
100%
90% Red Decreasing 26% 29% 80%
Same 70% Amber 6% 13% 60%
50%
40% Improving Green 30% 65% 60%
20%
10%
0%
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3 A safer Lambeth with strong communities
We work with our partners to make Lambeth a safer place to live, work, and visit and to build trust and respect between our diverse communities.
3.1 Survey findings Overall satisfaction with Lambeth as a local area to live in has increased significantly with 73% of people saying they are satisfied (NI 5) compared to 64% two years ago. In an important measure of community cohesion 85% of residents think that Lambeth is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together and 55% of people think that people in the area treat one another with respect and consideration; significantly more than in 2006/07.
49% of residents identified crime as a concern in our latest residents’ survey. Although crime remains the biggest concern for Lambeth residents, this is 12% lower than two years ago and is now in line with the London average. Crime is considered to be less of an issue in Lambeth than other inner London boroughs.
There has been a decline in the numbers of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality (NI 4) from 40% in 2006/07 to 35% in 2008/09.
3.2 Key achievements this year Crime in Lambeth has fallen for the 7th year in a row with fewer numbers of serious acquisitive crime, knife crime and gun crimes being committed in the borough in 2008/09.
The Safer Lambeth Partnership which includes the Council, Police, Probation service, health agencies and other organisations, has worked on several initiatives to reduce crime, disorder and anti social behaviour this year and have been recognised for their achievements: • the Scottish Home Office visited Lambeth in February 2009 as part of their work to develop the ‘Hallmarks of Excellence’ for Scotland; • the Safer Lambeth Partnership, was asked by Government Office for London to present to the Minister for London, Tony McNulty MP, at an event focused on showcasing good Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in the capital; and • further recognition of our excellence was achieved with the Safer Lambeth Partnership being short listed in the MJ Achievement Awards for the work it has undertaken to improve public protection.
Other achievements this year include: • Road casualties in the borough have fallen again and exceeded targets with a 11% reduction being seen in the numbers killed or seriously injured and a 14% decrease in the numbers of children killed or seriously injured compared to last year. • We won a Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) Innovation Award for our Lambeth community safety project, STREET; which works to tackle radicalisation and violent extremism. The STREET project, which is funded by Lambeth Council, aims to help young Muslims in Lambeth, particularly those vulnerable to radicalisation by extremists. The programme uses sport,
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recreational activities and counselling to engage with young people and integrate them into mainstream society. • A raft of borough-wide measures have been introduced over the last year to crack down on drugs and ‘drug tourism’ in Lambeth as part of a campaign to challenge the borough’s reputation as an easy place to buy drugs. Measures have ranged from tougher enforcement through to getting problem drug users into treatment. We launched a gallery of drug offenders on the council website and a poster campaign at Brixton tube station and on buses across the borough; highlighting offences and the measures that can be used to cut drugs in the borough as well as the wider repercussions for people who get caught. The outcome of this work has been significantly less residents seeing drug use/drug dealing as a problem in 2008/09 compared to 2006/07, and the highest number in treatment with over 1430 people in drugs treatment. • We are one of the first boroughs in London to have a dedicated five-year action plan to target young people involved or at risk of getting involved in gangs and violence. The Young and Safe Plan was developed after we commissioned one of the most extensive pieces of research into the young gangs problem in the UK, including interviews with young people both in and out of gangs to help identify solutions to the problems. • We ran another successful Peace Month in September which included an awareness raising campaign and a month-long programme of events. The aim of Peace Month is to increase community cohesion, promote justice and respect and help reduce crime and fear of crime. Feedback so far suggests widespread public engagement during the month, and highlighted some live and very challenging issues that need to be addressed to help make Lambeth a stronger and safer place.
3.3 Performance indicators and areas for improvement
Nine out of sixteen indicators under this priority have met target or are currently meeting target (where final outturns are not yet available); two have not met target and five do not have targets. Where comparison is possible, five indicators are improving in performance, four are decreasing and one has remained the same.
3.3.1 Percentage of abandoned vehicles removed within 24 hours (L2)
Our performance over the final six months of the year improved significantly with the start of the new abandoned vehicle contract. As the graph below shows, we have successfully met target for five out of the last six months.
Performance for the time taken to investigate a reported abandoned vehicle (indicator L1) has exceeded the year end target and the introduction of a new environmental management system early in 2009/10 should lead to further improvements in performance.
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Fig.1. % of abandoned vehicles removed within 24 hours (L2)
100%
90%
80% 70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0% APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR YTD
% vehicles removed on time target
3.3.2 Re-offending rate of priority and other prolific offenders (NI 30)
There is a six month lag in reporting this indicator and so far we have only received quarter 1 data from Government Office for London (GOL).
However, based on the local data available the Priority and Prolific Offender Scheme is progressing well and achieving its many local performance targets; with the PPO team providing an the appropriate level of support and monitoring for those offenders released from prison.
Performance Indicators – A Safer Lambeth with Strong Communities
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End NI 15 Target 2008/09 Met Target? Serious violent outturn performance travel Outturn crime rate (per 1,000 New indicator N/A 2.27 per 1,000 N/A 2.27 per 1,000 New indicator population)
This indicator measures the number of most serious violent crimes per 1,000 National quartile NCD population. This include murder, attempted murder, GBH, wounding, causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, and causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, causing death by London quartile NCD aggravated vehicle taking. In 2008/09 620 of these crimes has been committed.
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2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End NI 16 Target 2008/09 Met Target? Serious outturn performance travel Outturn acquisitive ▼ 32.34 per 30.23 per 30.23 per crime rate (per New indicator 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 population) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 2.28 2.32 2.72 2.50 2.49 2.50 2.49 2.43 2.52 2.49 2.39 3.11 Performance Monthly DOT N/A
This indicator measures the number of serious acquisitive crimes committed per 1,000 National quartile NCD population. Serious acquisitive crime includes residential burglary, robbery, and theft of and from motor vehicles. In 2008/09 8,223 of these offences were recorded. Data is provided by the Police Information Bureau. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End NI 20 Target 2008/09 Met Target? Assaults with outturn performance travel Outturn injury crime 9.47 per 1000 9.47 per 1000 rate (per 1,000 New indicator N/A N/A New indicator population) population population
This indicator measures the number of assaults with ‘less serious injury’. This includes National quartile NCD Actual bodily harm and other injury and Racially or religiously aggravated actual bodily harm and other injury offences. This year 2586 of these crimes has been committed. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? NI 28 outturn performance travel Outturn Knife crime ▼ 2.50 per rate (per 1,000 New indicator 2.39 per 1,000 2.39 per 1,000 population) 1,000 Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 0.17 0.21 0.19 0.25 0.24 0.18 0.18 0.24 0.16 0.17 0.20 0.20 Performance Monthly DOT N/A
This indicator measures the number of serious violent knife crimes committed per National quartile NCD 1,000 population and includes threats and attempts as well as actual stabbings. This year 650 of these offences were recorded. Data is provided by the Police Information Bureau. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? NI 29 outturn performance travel Outturn Gun crime rate ▼ 0.82 per (per 1,000 New indicator 0.50 per 1,000 0.50 per 1,000 population) 1,000 Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 0.04 0.06 0.02 0.03 0.06 0.02 0.06 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.06 0.04 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This indicator measures the number of crimes (including violence against the person, National quartile NCD robbery, burglary and sexual offences) where a gun was used committed per 1,000 population. This includes where a gun is fired, used as a blunt instrument to cause injury or used as a threat. This year 136 of these offences were recorded. Data is London quartile NCD provided by the Police Information Bureau.
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2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? NI 34 outturn performance travel Outturn Domestic Violence: 0.0037 per 0.0037 per New indicator Baseline year N/A New indicator Murder 1,000 1,000
This indicator measures the number of manslaughter or murder crimes committed National quartile NCD where the victim and suspect had one of the following relationships: current or ex- spouse (inc. civil partner); spouse; common law spouse or partner; boyfriend/girlfriend; ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend; or adulterous relationship. In 2008/09 London quartile NCD only one of these crimes has been committed.
NI 30 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Re-offending outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn rate of priority and other 19% N/A -19% N/A N/A prolific reduction offenders Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Quarterly -19% N/A N/A N/A Performance Quarterly DOT N/A N/A N/A N/A
This indicator measures the difference between offending rates for 50 priority and National quartile NCD prolific offenders over a rolling 12 month period as recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC). In quarter one 18 offences were observed for this cohort. Data is available in arrears due to external constraints. London quartile NCD
NI 110 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? Young outturn performance travel Outturn people’s participation in positive New indicator Baseline year 64% N/A 64% New indicator activities
This indicator measures the proportion of young people in school year 10 responding National quartile NCD ‘yes’ to the question “In the last 4 weeks, have you participated in any group activity led by an adult outside school lessons (such as sports, arts or a youth group)?”. Data is taken from the annual TellUs survey. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 111 First outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn time entrants to 270 the Youth N/A (90 per 117 N/A Justice system quarter) Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Quarterly 86 66 82 Performance Quarterly DOT N/A N/A N/A
This indicator measures the number of young people (aged 10-17 years) receiving their National quartile NCD first pre-court disposal (reprimand or final warning) or their first court disposal (only for those who go directly to court). Please note this data is provided by the Youth Offending Team and should be used as a proxy for performance only. London quartile NCD
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L1 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? % of outturn performance travel Outturn abandoned vehicles 87.46% 92% 92.6% 92.6% investigated within 24 hours Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 90.7 95.7 95 90.8 94 86.8 90.5 93.5 97.1 86.1 94.1 100 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator measures the %age of vehicles that are investigated by our contractor National quartile MID within 24 hours of being reported. This month we investigated 53 vehicles within time, out of a total of 53 reports. London quartile MID
L2 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? % of outturn performance travel Outturn abandoned vehicles 75.57% 75% 61.8% 61.8% removed within 24 hours Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 52.9 50 60 35.7 37.5 20 85.7 71.4 78 85.7 81.8 90.0 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator measures the %age of vehicles removed within 24 hours of the point at National quartile BTM which we are legally entitled to remove them. This month we removed 9 vehicles within 24 hours, out of a total of 10 vehicles. London quartile BTM
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? L3 outturn performance travel Outturn Days taken to repair street 6.4 ▼5 days 1.07 1.07 lighting Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 0.14 1.19 1.20 1.18 1.17 1.17 1.08 1.50 1.12 1.41 0.94 0.98 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator measures the average number of days it takes for Lambeth to repair a National quartile TOP street lighting fault under Lambeth’s control. We aim to repair all faults within 5 days. We fixed 53 faults within 5 days in March. London quartile TOP
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End NI 5 Target 2008/09 Met Target? Overall/genera outturn performance travel Outturn l satisfaction with the local 64% 66% 73% 73% area
This indicator is measured via the PLACE survey and shows the proportion of the National quartile TOP adult population who say they are ‘satisfied’, or ‘very satisfied’ with the area as a place to live. London quartile TOP
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NI 4 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? Percentage of outturn performance travel Outturn people who feel they can influence 40% 40% 35% 35% decisions in their locality
This indicator is measured via the PLACE survey and shows the proportion of the National quartile NCD adult population who say they ‘definitely agree’/’tend to agree’ that they are able to influence decisions affecting their local area London quartile NCD
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End NI 21 Target 2008/09 Met Target? Dealing with outturn performance travel Outturn local concerns about anti- social behaviour and New indicator N/A 26% N/A 26% New indicator crime by the local council and police
This indicator is measured via the PLACE survey and shows the proportion of the National quartile NCD adult population who say they strongly agree/tend to agree with the question "How much would you agree or disagree that the police and other local public services are successfully dealing with these issues in your local area?" London quartile NCD
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End NI 35 Target 2008/09 Met Target? Building outturn performance travel Outturn resilience to violent 2 2 3 3 extremism
This indicator is measured through a self assessment undertaken by the Safer Lambeth Partnership. Performance is rated on 1-5 scale (5 being the highest) against National quartile NCD the following criteria: 1) Understanding of, and engagement with, Muslim communities; 2) Knowledge and understanding of the drivers and causes of violent extremism and the Prevent objectives; 3) Development of a risk-based preventing violent extremism action plan, in support of delivery of the Prevent objectives; and 4) Effective oversight, London quartile NCD delivery and evaluation of projects and actions.
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4 More opportunities for children and young people
We will enable children and young people to be happy, healthy and safe to achieve their full potential
4.1 Survey findings Findings from the national annual TellUs3 survey and our own young residents’ survey both tell a positive story about Lambeth’s children and young people: • significantly more Lambeth children and young people report that they are very healthy when compared to the national average; • Lambeth children and young people are less likely than their national counterparts to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and take drugs; • more children and young people report that they felt very safe or quite safe going to and from school and whilst at school compared to the last TellUs survey; • Lambeth children and young people’s experiences in relation to bullying and how it is dealt with are significantly better than those nationally; • significantly less young people report being concerned about crime, bullying, drug use and drug pushers and pollution compared to 2007; • more Lambeth children and young people than the national average report that they always enjoy school; and • significantly more Lambeth children and young people see university as a post-sixteen option than the national average. Most encouragingly there has been a significant increase (+13%) in the numbers of young people who feel that the council listens to their concerns and this is higher than the London average. Furthermore, young people in Lambeth are more likely to be a member of a school council than the rest of London.
However, there are a number of areas highlighted where further work is needed. For example, young peoples’ perceptions of libraries has dropped significantly since 2007 and there are also significantly fewer Lambeth children and young people involved in volunteering compared to the 61% national average. Over the next year we will be speaking to children and young people to find out more about the reasons why.
4.2 Key achievements this year Lambeth's Michael Tippett School was named the most inspirational and successful project at the first national Excellence in Building Schools for the Future (BSF) awards. The prize was for the most outstanding achievement across all areas of the national BSF programme to transform education. The school also won the Best Design for a New School award and Lambeth made it as far as a shortlist of three boroughs for the Innovation in ICT award.
The number of young people in Lambeth who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) has hit an all time low. This year 7.9% of young people were classed as NEET above both this year’s (9.1%) and next year’s (8.1%) LAA targets. This figure represents 300 young people NEET, averaged over November, December and January 2008/09. Central London as a whole has performed well in this area but Lambeth is ahead of many other boroughs in terms of the progress made over the last few years, and the actual numbers NEET.
At the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for pre-school children 41.9% of pupils achieved at least 78 points in 2008 exceeding the target of 39.6%. 15 Page 280 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
Other achievements this year include: • Continuing to reduce our rates of teenage pregnancy with the latest figures released in March 2009 showing that Lambeth is one of only five boroughs in London to buck the national trend and report a decline in numbers. Since 1998 when statistics began, Lambeth has seen a 12.8 % decline in teen pregnancy and a dramatic 28% reduction from its peak in 2003; • Children and young people looked after by Lambeth Council winning the 'Best Interactive Media' category at the Children and Young People's Now Positive Images Awards for the 'Get2Know' (G2K) website, a resource for Lambeth’s looked after children. The awards aim to combat the negative portrayal of young people in the media by recognising the positive contributions they make across the UK; • Winning £1m of New Play Builder Funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) which will now be used by the council to improve play facilities on estates and in adventure playgrounds located across the borough; • Holding a youth conference attended by more than 100 teenagers and young people to air their views on all manner of issues affecting them - from education and youth clubs to fostering and youth work. The event was led by young people from the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) and Lambeth's Youth Council and involved games, workshops and activities designed by the YOF Panel; • We opened the new Woodmansterne and Crown Lane Children’s Centre in Streatham which beings together a range of services for children aged under five and their families. It means parents can get advice on returning to employment, health and family support services alongside childcare and learning and development for their children; and • Lambeth is one of only three boroughs in England that will deliver the In Harmony project, a community development project aimed at using music to bring positive change to the lives of children delivering benefits across the wider community.
4.3 Performance indicators and areas for improvement Out of twenty one indicators reported on under this priority only seven have met target and ten have not; a further four indicators cannot be rated as they have no current agreed targets. Eight indicators have improved or stayed the same and eight indicators have declined of which five are rated red. All other indicators do not have a direction of travel.
4.3.1 Percentage of initial assessments carried out in 7 days (NI 59)
This year’s outturn was 67% against a very ambitious target of 80%. In 2007/08 we carried out 77% of all assessments within seven days which was higher than our statistical neighbours (70%). In the same context, we carried out more initial assessments than our statistical neighbours. Managers exercise robust oversight of all cases to ensure that, when the timescale for assessment is not met, individual children are safeguarded. It must be noted that most children are visited by social workers within the required seven working days permitted for an initial assessment, but, an assessment is only deemed as completed when the supervising managers sign off a typed initial assessment document with their comments.
There are three main reasons for the lower than expected performance. Firstly we have been encouraging our managers to concentrate on quality rather than speed. We consider that it is more important to concentrate on the quality rather than the speed, although we will continue to strive to do both.
Secondly, there are times when assessments are delayed because we are awaiting information from partners. The Lambeth Safeguarding Children Board has been helpful in 16 Page 281 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
tackling this problem. They have agreed a standard of 2 working days within which to respond to requests for information. This should enable more initial assessments to be completed on time.
Thirdly and most significantly changes to the Electronic Workflow system (ICS) that were introduced in November have had a dramatic impact on performance. It has been necessary to completely remodel the operational systems to meet the new requirements. Our target for 2009/10 has been revised downwards accordingly.
However recent guidance from the DCSF has suggested that there will be a new, more flexible approach to the system and we are likely to be allowed to develop more user friendly solutions on a local level and we expect that having an easier form will undoubtedly lead to improvements in performance.
4.3.2 Core assessments (children’s social care) carried out within 35 (NI 60)
Performance in 2008/09 was 80%, a little short of our aspirational target of 82% but nevertheless in the top performance band. DCSF considers performance between (80%- 100%) as very good/excellent.
There have been similar problems with the new electronic systems and more unwieldy forms as we experienced with Initial Assessments. However these have not had such a marked impact on performance which remains consistently good as social workers have 35 working days to complete a core assessment unlike the required seven working days for an initial assessment.
4.3.3 Children becoming the subject of a Child Protection (CP) Plan for a second or subsequent time (NI 65)
The overall number of children with CP plans (formerly “on the CP register”) stand at 211. This is down from last year’s figure of 253 which JAR inspectors thought was too high. One of the main reasons it has come down has been the development of a credible Child in Need reviewing system which lends multi agency planning and scrutiny to cases without the need for a formal CP Plan.
Over the last year 244 children became subject to CP plans, down from 296 last year. 20 of these or 8% had previously been registered. The government considers 10 - 15% to be good practice, however we feel that a figure of 8% represents good performance as it means that once children have been deregistered they do not require further registration as their problems have been effectively dealt with.
Over the last year 286 children ceased to be subject to CP Plans. Of these, 12 or 4.2% had had plans for a period longer than 2 years. This comparatively low figure is deemed good performance as it shows that decisive action is taken to ensure that children who are subject to CP Plans are effectively safeguarded.
4.3.4 Referrals to children’s social care going on to initial assessment (NI 68)
Performance is consistently higher than our statistical neighbours although has been reducing slightly over the year. This reflects the high number of initial assessments carried out within the service. Last year there were 4281 referrals to Children’s Social Care. This figure has historically been high compared to statistical neighbours and this trend has continued this year. Only 434 of these referrals (just over 10%) had been referred in the previous year which is a comparatively low figure. Taken together the
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figures underline the levels of deprivation within Lambeth as well as the changing population as new families move into the borough.
84% of the referrals led to an Initial Assessment. This figure is far higher than for statistical neighbours (67%). Referrals that do not meet the threshold for an Initial Assessment are sign posted to other agencies.
4.3.5 Achievement 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and Maths (NI 75)
The number of pupils achieving 5 or more A-C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics improved by 6 percentage points over 2007 and has risen by 27 percentage points since 1998, almost three-fold the improvement seen by all pupils nationally.
Fig. 2 GCSE 5+ A*-C including English and Mathematics Achievement 1998-2008
National Lambeth 60
50
40
30 Percentages
20
10
8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 00 00 199 1999 200 200 2 200 200 2 200 20 200
More Lambeth pupils have been achieving more than 5 A*-C grades year on year. There was an increase from 29% in 1998 to 62% in 2008. Since 1998, achievement by Lambeth pupils has increased above the national rate of improvement. In 1998, there was a gap of 17 percentage points in the proportion of pupils gaining 5 or more A*-C grades which had reduced significantly to a three percentage point gap in 2008.
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Fig. 3 GCSE 5+ A*-C Achievement 1989-2008
National Lambeth 70
60
50
40
Percentages 30
20
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 3 4 6 7 8 9 0 1989 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 19 199 20 200 2002 200 200 2005 200 200 200
4.3.6 Achievement gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving the expected level at Key Stages 2 and 4 (NI 102a and b)
At KS2, pupils who were eligible for a free meal were again less likely to reach the threshold than those who were not eligible. However there was a slight narrowing of the gap between 2002 (14 percentage points) and 2008 (12 percentage points).
Fig. 4 Average KS2 attainment by FSM eligibility at level 4+ (2002-2008)
Eligible Not eligible 90 83 84 81 82 77 79 79 80
72 72 69 70 63 63 68 67
% at Level 4 or above or 4 Level at % 60
50 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
At GCSE level, pupils who were eligible for a free meal improved their levels of attainment by a slightly higher margin than those who were not eligible, reducing the gap between the two groups from 18 percentage points in 2002, to 16 points in 2008.
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GCSE attainment by eligibility for free school meals (5+ A*-C Grades) Change Change 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 02-08 07-08 Eligible 28 28 33 37 43 48 53 +25 +5 Not Eligible 46 47 49 59 62 59 69 +23 +10 All Pupils 40 42 48 52 55 56 62 +22 +6
Performance Indicators - More Opportunities for Children and Young People
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 59 outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn % of initial assessments New indicator 80% 67.1% 67.1% carried out in 7 days Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 76 75 75 78 70 71 73 71 70 70 68 67 Performance Monthly DOT N/A An initial assessment is a brief assessment of any child who has been referred to Good performance NCD social services with a request that services be provided. It is a measure of how fast our social services respond. Since April, out of a total of 3586 assessments, we have Very good performance NCD carried out 2406 assessments within the 7 day target. SN average 70-74% 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 60 outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn % of core assessments New indicator 82% 79.6% 79.6% carried out in 35 days Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 80 80 80 85 80 81 81 81 81 81 79.5 79.2 Performance Monthly DOT N/A Core assessments are in-depth assessments of a child (or children) and their family, Good performance 75-80% as defined by the government framework, usually where there is a risk the child may be at risk of significant harm. Since April we have carried out 1,085 assessments Very good performance 80-100% within 35 days, out of a total of 1,363. SN average 77%
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NI 65 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? % of children outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn becoming subject of a Child Protection Plan (who were 10.7% 8% to 14% 8.2% 8.2% subject to one in the last 12 months) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 10 10 9.2 9.8 6.8 7.1 7.2 6.6 6.4 9.1 8.1 8.7 Performance Monthly DOT N/A
This indicator shows the %age of children currently subject to a child protection plan Good performance 8 -10% who have previously already been subject to a child protection plan. It monitors how effective our plans are at improving children’s lives. The Government estimates good 10- Very good performance performance for this indicator lies in a band ranging from 9% to 14% as there are 15% always likely to be some children who are subject to a child protection plan for more than one year. SN average 12.5%
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 66 outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Looked after children cases reviewed within 95% 96% 96% 96% timescales Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 95 95 95 97.4 94.7 97.4 98.3 98.7 99 98.7 98.3 99 Performance Monthly DOT N/A
Good performance 90 - 95% This indicator measures the %age of children looked after cases that have been Very good performance 96-100% reviewed within 183 days of the last review.
SN average 93%
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 67 % of child Met Target? protection cases outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn reviewed within required 100% 100% 100% 100% timescales Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 100 100 100 100 Performance Monthly DOT Good performance 100% This indicator measures the %age of children with a child protection plan whose cases were reviewed within the required timescales. The maximum allowed timescale is 6 Very good performance 97-100% months between each review. This year we have reviewed 205 cases in time, out of a possible 205 in total. SN average 99.4%
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NI 68 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? % of referrals to outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn children’s social care going on to 85.0% 85% 83.8% 83.8% initial assessment Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 84.4 88.8 85.4 82.5 Performance Monthly DOT N/A Good performance NCD This indicator measures the %age of children referred to children’s social services teams whose cases go on to initial assessments. Good performance falls in a band 5% Very good performance NCD of either side of the target. (80% to 90%).This year 3,586 referrals have gone onto initial assessment, out of 4,281 referrals in total. SN average 63.0%
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 50 Met Target? outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Emotional health of children 56% 62% 63% 63%
National quartile NCD This indicator measures the %age of children who report that they enjoy good relationships with their family and friends in the TellUs survey. London quartile NCD
Target Year to date Direction of Year End Baseline Met Target? NI 52 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Take up of school lunches New indicator 68% 68% N/A 68%
This indicator measures the %age of full-time pupils attending maintained primary, National quartile NCD secondary or special schools who have a lunch at school that is provided either by the school or the local authority during the previous financial year London quartile NCD
NI 72 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Baseline Met Target? Achievement of 2008/09 performance travel Outturn at least 78 points across the Early Years New indicator 39.6% 41.9% N/A 41.9% Foundation Stage (EYFS)
This indicator shows the %age of all children in the EYFS (from birth to the end of the National quartile NCD academic year in which they turn 5) achieving 78 points across all 6 areas of learning; with at least 6 points or more in each of the Personal Social and Emotional Development and Communication, Language and Literacy scales. N.B Data reported London quartile NCD on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09.
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Baseline (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 73 academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Achievement at year) level 4 or above in both English and Maths at None agreed 68% 69% 69% Key Stage 2 with DCFS N/A
This indicator measures the %age of all pupils at Key Stage 2 (aged between 8 and National quartile NCD 11 years old) achieving Level 4+ in both English and Maths. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
Baseline NI 75 (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Achievement 5 academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn or more A*-C year) grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and 47% 50% 47.1% 47.1% Maths
This indicator measures the %age of all pupils at Key Stage 4 (aged between 14 and National quartile NCD 16 years old) achieving 5 or more A*-C or equivalent including English and Maths. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
Target Year to date Direction of Year End Baseline Met Target? NI 87 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Secondary school persistent absence rate New indicator Baseline year 6.7% N/A 6.7% New indicator
This indicator measures the %age of all secondary school pupils classified as National quartile NCD “persistent absentee” those missing 20% or more of the school year. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. Performance is close to the England average of 6.6%. London quartile NCD
Baseline NI 92 (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Narrowing the academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn gap between the year) lowest achieving 20% in the Early Years Foundation 36% 33.3% 35.9% 35.9% Stage Profile and the rest
This indicator measures the difference between the average score of all children National quartile NCD locally and that of the lowest achieving 20% of children locally at the Early Years Foundation Stage. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
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Baseline (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 93 academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Progression by year) 2 levels in English between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 New indicator Baseline year 85.9% N/A 85.9% New indicator
This indicator measures the %age of all pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 making 2 National quartile NCD levels progress in English between KS1 and KS2. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
Baseline (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 94 academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Progression by year) 2 levels in Maths between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 New indicator Baseline year 80% N/A 83% New indicator
This indicator measures the %age of all pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 making 2 National quartile NCD levels progress in Maths between KS1 and KS2. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
Baseline (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 99 academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Children in care year) reaching level 4 in English at Key Stage 2 50% 48% 39% 39%
This indicator shows the %age of looked after children (who have been in care for at National quartile NCD least one year) in year 6 (Key Stage 2) and who achieved at least level 4 in English. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
Baseline NI 102a (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Achievement academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn gap between year) pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving the expected 14% 13% 15.6% 15.6% level at Key Stage 2
This indicator shows the percentage difference between pupils eligible for free National quartile NCD schools meals (FSM) achieving at least Level 4 in English and Maths at Key Stage (KS) 2 and those pupils ineligible for FSM achieving the same score. N.B Data London quartile NCD reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. 24 Page 289 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
Baseline NI 102b (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Achievement academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn gap between year) pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving the expected 12% 11% 13% 13% level at Key Stage 4
This indicator shows the percentage difference between pupils eligible for FSM National quartile NCD achieving 5A*-C grades at GCSE (and equivalent), including GCSE English and Maths, at KS4 and pupils ineligible for FSM achieving the same score. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn NI 112 Under 18 -19% -12.8% conception rate 85.3 per 1,000 -12.8% reduction reduction females (75 per 1,000) (69 per 1,000) (75 per 1,000)
National quartile NCD This indicator shows the reduction in the rate of under-18 conceptions per 1,000 girls aged 15-17 years. London quartile NCD Baseline (2006/07 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 114 Rate of academic 2008/09 performance travel Outturn permanent year) exclusions 0.12% 0.15% 0.19% 0.19%
This indicator measures the number of permanent exclusions from school expressed National quartile NCD as a %age of the school population. This year there were 56 permanent exclusions out of 29,842 school pupils according to the annual schools census. N.B Data reported on 2008/09 relates to the 2007/08 academic year not 2008/09. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 117 Risk rating outturn 2008/09 performance travel Forecast Young people Not in ▼9.1% Education, 9.60% 7.9% 7.9% Employment or (monthly) Training (NEET) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 10.7 10 10.3 10.7 10.9 10.6 9.3 8.2 7.8 7.7 Performance Monthly DOT N/A
This indicator shows the percentage of 16 to 18 year olds that are NEET, out of the National quartile NCD total percentage of 16 to 18 year olds. We use a profiled monthly target for this indicator which takes into account seasonal trends. The NEET year runs until the end of January and the final outturn is the average of the months of November, December and January. London quartile NCD
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5. Better housing and flourishing local economies
We aim to provide decent quality homes for our residents, help people into work through training, guidance and support for businesses to grow.
5.1 Survey findings Concern over lack of jobs has risen significantly this year compared to 2007 and has moved from the 10 th to the 3rd biggest concern for residents. Nearly a quarter identify this as one of the things they are most concerned about. This worry is higher amongst younger age groups and Black Caribbean residents than others and overall concern about jobs is worse in Lambeth than in the rest of London.
A quarter of people also report feeling worse off compared to this time last year. Again Black Caribbean residents are more likely to report feeling worse off, as are the unemployed.
Residents were asked how they would like the council to support people during the economic downturn and the top three answers were as follows:
• support the local economy (44%); • provide advice on reducing the cost of living and managing money (33%); and • provide employment and skills advice (33%)
The council was one of the first in England to establish a credit crunch task force in an attempt to alleviate the impact of the recession and undertook research and consulted with residents, businesses, financial experts and other local authorities to identify key actions to help. These actions were agreed at Cabinet in February and an Economic Recovery Implementation Plan has now been set up to take the actions forward in 2009/10.
The council has also recently launched the Lambeth Business Desk which provides practical advice on a variety of issues such as access to finance, inward investment, bidding for council contracts and general business support. So far the desk has helped 100 businesses and is expected to help over 2,000 businesses in 2009/10.
5.2 Key achievements this year We have achieved excellent performance in the time taken to process planning applications and are currently performing amongst the top 5 boroughs in London and in the upper quartile nationally. Our speed at processing major planning applications on time has increased from 75% in 2007/08 to 94% in 2008/09 and for 8 months of the year we have delivered all major planning applications on time. We have also improved our performance in managing appeals; the most notable of these has been winning the appeal to allow the development of Doon Street by not-for-profit social entrepreneurs. The development will include residential units in a forty-three storey building, incorporating a new community leisure centre and swimming pool. As at the end of February 2009, 73% of young offenders are engaged in suitable education, training and employment (NI 45) at the end of their work with the Youth Offending Service which is above the 2008/09 target of 72%.
Other achievements this year include: • In 2008/09 members of the Lambeth Business Support Network have worked with 2,500 businesses in the borough. This is a forum of local business support organisations (BSOs) which provides support to the private and social enterprise sectors and allows BSOs to share best practice and new initiatives from within the borough and beyond. • We have continued to expand the number of grants the Lambeth Home Improvement Agency (HIA) within Private Sector Housing are providing to vulnerable home owners 26 Page 291 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
and private sector tenants. These grants are used for property repairs and improvements or adaptations to meet the needs of residents with disabilities. We have also improved the efficiency and reduced the timescales for processing grants by reviewing and changing our processes, which has delivered an increasing number of property improvements for residents of private sector properties. • We have won awards for two Brixton housing estates from the first Inside Housing Sustainable Housing Award. Flats on the Angela Carter Close in Brixton picked up the top award in the ‘Sustainable Smaller Housing Project’ category. The housing development, a partnership between Lambeth Council and Metropolitan Housing Trust (MHT), has also achieved an EcoHomes Excellent standard level. The timber frame homes are built on an unused derelict piece of land, are very energy and water efficient and use environmentally friendly materials - 96% of the timber used has been evidenced as legal and sustainable. The homes have composting and water recycling facilities, solar panels and green roofs, and the scheme is a haven for urban nature with local gardens benefiting from a stag beetle sanctuary and bat boxes. • The second Lambeth award winning housing scheme is the twelve key-worker flats on the St. Matthews estates in Brixton. Designed by PRP Architects, this project was the top award winner in the Low Energy social housing project category. Judges commended the block for delivering cost effective results without being ‘gimmicky’. • This housing development is designed to be 'low carbon', using renewable energy for heating and has solar panels generating clean electricity. This means that households save roughly £200 per year in heating costs.
5.3 Performance indicators and areas for improvement
Six indicators have met target (or are on target currently) this year, five indicators have not met target (or are currently below target) and three cannot be rated as they are new this year. However, encouragingly, all but one indicator have improved or stayed the same since last year or the start of the year.
5.3.1 Percentage of rent collected (BV 66a)
Our collection rate for all rent including historic arrears (BV66a) improved by 0.27% to 90.52% this year missing our headline rent collection target by 1.48%. Good progress has been made throughout the year although the rate of collection slowed from January to March compared to the same period last year, otherwise performance would have been much closer to target.
Looking only at rent charged for 2008/09 Lambeth Living achieved the highest collection figure since October 2006, collecting 99.44% against a particularly challenging 101.5% target.
Among the factors contributing to this achievement was the successful implementation of the Housing Benefits Verification Framework that helps speed up the processing of Housing Benefit applications by allowing housing officers to check applications and supporting documentation.
Over the festive period, an effective advertising campaign was launched, reminding tenants to ensure that they continue to pay their rent during this period. The campaign had proved effective because the income received in December 2008 was higher than the festive months in previous years.
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Lambeth Living also took part in the “Every Pound Counts” campaign, whereby Lambeth Living worked with voluntary agencies to provide advice to tenants so that they could continue to pay their rent in the current economic downturn.
Fig.5 %age of rent collected 94%
93%
92%
91%
90%
89%
88%
87%
86% Jul Oct Jan Jun Feb Mar Apr Sep Nov Dec May Aug
2007/08 YTD 2008/09 YTD Target
During 2008/09 Lambeth Living wrote off £2.4 million for former tenants’ arrears (bad debt) which has reduced the amount of outstanding debt and this has helped improve performance on month by month basis.
United Residents Housing continues to work with their partners to help alter the payment culture amongst tenants. To facilitate this, they have extended their parking policy that revokes a permit if the tenant falls into arrears. They have reviewed their rental income management process and will be implementing the recommendations.
5.3.2 Number of households living in temporary accommodation (TA) (NI 156)
The number of households living in temporary accommodation has fallen steadily this year. 1924 households are currently living in temporary accommodation which is a reduction of 304 households (9.1%) since 2007/8. We have seen homelessness applications and new demand for TA reduce by 11% and that has helped us move more homeless families and individuals on to permanent accommodation.
We made 749 lettings to homeless households this year. Analysis of demand by accommodation type has shown that we get the most requests for 2 bed property (56% of homeless requests) but this type of property only accounts for 37% of lettings made over the year. 50% of our available permanent stock is only suitable for single occupancy, so we do rely on TA for larger households whilst suitable accommodation is being sought.
There has been a 17% increase in the number of homeless households opting to take up private rented accommodation. 44% of homeless households took up private rented places. Many are taking advantage of the council’s rent deposit scheme that enables families and individual who normally do not have the means to raise a deposit for the private letting market to secure a home this way.
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5.3.3 Percentage of non-decent council homes (NI 158)
29.8% of council homes were classified as non-decent at the end of March 2009, the figure unchanged from the previous quarter. We have just missed our target by 0.9% but performance has improved by 4.2% compared to last year. The results of the latest stock condition survey undertaken by Hunters and Property Tectonics will be known shortly and the results will be reported in a future edition of this digest.
Major capital investment work on approximately 2500 units will be starting this year, inducing works to replace windows, roofs and structural repairs. Completion of these works on site will ensure a significant reduction in the level of non-decency over the rest of the year.
5.3.4 Average time to relet local authority housing
Over the course of the year the total number of empty council homes (voids) increased from 685 to 824, however the number of short cycle voids reduced from 317 to 177. The time taken to relet short cycle voids remained relatively constant and averaged 108 days.
A range of specific measures have been put in place to improve relet times which include introducing a shared diary for all staff in the void process to improve communication in relation to the advertising, viewing, letting and sign-up process; improved monitoring of contractors which has led to the termination of the contract of the worst performing contractor; visits to outgoing tenants prior to tenancy termination; and employing a Bidding Support Officer to assist vulnerable people bid for properties.
Currently the longest stage of the process is after the works are completed. Improvements to the lettings process include employing two temporary verification officers to shorten the time taken to verify applicants who have accepted a property and add to the number of applicants who will have been pre-verified; introducing on-line application form for bidders which will improve the updating of contact details and direct contact with sheltered bidders to offer support and advice.
There are presently 591 long cycle voids undergoing major works, although this number has increased over the year a specialist long cycle voids team is being introduced and extra funds are being released through the disposal of some long cycle voids. These measures will help to reduce the number of voids.
In 2009/10 we will be selling off 100 long term voids, and using the proceeds from this sale to place another 400 long term voids with void contractors, in a programme of investment to bring these properties up to the decent homes standard and re-letting them. This will bring our long term voids down to less than 200 properties by the end of the year, a large improvement over the 700 at the end of 2008/09.
5.3.5 Overall Employment rate (working-age) (NI 151)
This indicator is measured as a rolling 12 month and current data therefore represents the percentage of working age people (aged 16- 59 for females and 16- 64 for males) in employment between October 2007 to September 2008. The graph below shows current performance against the London and national averages.
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Fig.6 %age of working age people in employment
80%
75%
70%
65%
60%
55%
50% Jun-07 Jun-08 Mar-07 Mar-08 Sep-07 Dec-07 Sep-08 NI 151 London England
Currently 69.4% of working age people in Lambeth are in employment which is now lower than both the London and national average. This is a drop of 1.8% since June 2008 and e is the first indication of possible further decreases in employment levels since the London economy has entered into recession. London's annual growth declined by 2.7% in Q3 2008, and London’s annual employment growth decreased to 0.8% in Q3 2008. This may have a negative impact on the Lambeth employment rate.
This indicator is linked to NI 153 (see below), as a lower employment rate signals increased numbers of people on out of work benefits.
5.3.6 Working age people on out of work benefits in the worst performing neighbourhoods (NI 153)
The latest performance information for Lambeth shows that the number of working age people on out of work benefits (NI 153) continues to fall with 25% people on out of work benefits in September 2008. This indicator continues to improve on March and June 2008 levels and also our performance in 2007/08 when the figure was 27.6%.
However, as with NI 151 the data currently available is in lag and is therefore not a current reflection of the employment situation in Lambeth. Data for late 2009, which is when the impact of the economic downturn is expected to be seen, will be reported when it is made available. However, work is being undertaken to measure the impact of the downturn on Lambeth and the best approximation of the effects is to examine Job Seekers Allowance claimant counts which show that from November 2007 to November 2008 there has been an 8.5% increase in the number of claimants claiming up to 6 months.
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Performance Indicators - Better housing and flourishing local economies
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn BVPI 66a % of rent collected 90.25% 92% 90.52% 90.52% Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 86.92 88.93 88.92 89.57 89.56 90.15 90.27 90.12 89.90 90.15 90.14 90.52 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator measures the proportion of total rent due collected from current tenants National quartile BTM out of the total rent due including arrears owed from previous years. This year we have collected £122,213,905 out of a possible £135,018,498 London quartile BTM
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 156 Number Met Target? of households outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn living in temporary 2116 ▼1812 1924 1924 accommodation Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 2122 2129 2133 2104 2079 2062 2041 2088 1964 1963 1954 1924 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator shows the number of households living in temporary accommodation National quartile NCD within Lambeth. A household is defined as the initial applicant plus everyone who might reasonably be expected to live with that person. This can be one person, or a group of people living at the same address who share common housekeeping or a London quartile NCD living room.
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Average time to Met Target? re-let local outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn authority housing - short New indicator Baseline year 108.9 108.9 New indicator cycle Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 86.4 107.7 108.4 109.7 114.1 111.7 113.2 113.0 110.5 110.7 110.1 108.9 Performance Monthly DOT
This indicator shows the average number of calendar days to re-let a council property National quartile NCD which only needs minor works. Empty properties needing major works are excluded from this calculation. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 155 Met Target? Number of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn affordable homes 470 480 521 521 delivered (gross) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 36 58 165 262 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This measures the total supply of social rent housing and intermediate housing. This National quartile NCD includes both new builds and acquisitions, and shared equity products and intermediate rent. London quartile NCD
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2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 158 outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn % of non- decent council 34% ▼29% 29.8% 29.8% homes Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 32.5 29.9 29.8 29.8 Performance Monthly DOT
This measures the %age of council homes that are non-decent according to National quartile NCD government guidelines. Currently 8,099 homes out of a total of 27,169 are currently deemed “non-decent”. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 157 Met Target? Processing of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn planning applications 75% 76% 93.6% 93.6% Major Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 85.7 100 100 100 100 91.7 85.7 100 84.6 100 100 100 Performance Monthly DOT This shows the %age of major planning applications that were dealt with within 13 National quartile TOP weeks of being submitted to Lambeth. Since April we have processed 73 out of 78 applications received within 13 weeks. London quartile TOP
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 157 Met Target? Processing of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn planning applications 82% 83% 86.7% 86.7% Minor Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 85.6 90 76.3 90.2 88.7 91.3 85.9 79.5 81.1 89 85.1 95.2 Performance Monthly DOT This shows the %age of minor planning applications that were dealt with within 8 National quartile TOP weeks of being submitted to Lambeth. Since April we have processed 724 out of 835 applications received within 8 weeks. London quartile TOP
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 157 Met Target? Processing of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn planning applications 90.5% 91% 96.6% 96.6% Other Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 96.2 95.3 94.4 98.1 98.4 99.3 100 89.6 96.6 97.1 97.1 99 Performance Monthly DOT This shows the %age of minor planning applications that were dealt with within 8 National quartile TOP weeks of being submitted to Lambeth. Since April we have processed 1,424 out of 1,474 applications received within 8 weeks. London quartile TOP
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2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 151 Overall outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn Employment 65.1% rate (working- 70% 69.4% TBC age) (2006/07) Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Monthly 71.2 69.4 Performance Monthly DOT
This is the proportion of the working age population (16-59 for females and 16-64 for National quartile NCD males) who are in employment. Q1 data relates to July 2007 to June 2008 and Q2 is for October 2007 to September 2008. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 153 Working outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn age people on out of work 27.6% (2007) ▼23.3% 25% TBC benefits Mar June Sept Dec
‘08 ‘08 ‘08 ‘08 Monthly 26 25.4 25 Performance Monthly DOT
This indicator measures the %age of the working age population claiming out-of-work National quartile NCD benefits in the worst performing neighbourhoods. There is a time lag in reporting data for NI 153; the next release is due in July 2009 which will be reporting data up until NCD August 2008. As of September 2008 there were 50,063 people on out of work London quartile benefits.
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 163 Met Target? Working age outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn population qualified to at least Level 2 or 68.2% 68.9% 72.6% 72.6% higher
National quartile NCD This indicator measures the %age of the working age population qualified to at least Level 2 or higher. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn NI 171 New business registrations 72.6 per 72.6 per New indicator Baseline year N/A New indicator 10,000 10,000
This measures the proportion of new businesses registering for VAT and PAYE and National quartile NCD some smaller businesses reaching the VAT threshold or running a PAYE scheme for the first time per 10,000 population (aged 16 and above ). London quartile NCD
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NI 45 Young 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? offenders outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn engagement in suitable education, New indicator 72% 73% 72.6% employment or N/A training
This indicator This indicator measures the proportion of young offenders (aged 10-17 National quartile NCD year olds on youth justice disposals) who are actively engaged in education, training or employment. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 144 Met Target? Offenders under outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn probation supervision in employment at New indicator Baseline year 72.6% 72.6% the end of their N/A New indicator order or licence
This indicator measures the percentage of offenders under probation supervision (i.e. National quartile NCD serving a community sentence or licence) living in settled and suitable accommodation at the end of their order or licence. London quartile NCD
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6. Respect for the environment
We aim to provide the best local environment for our community with high quality streets, pavements, parks and places and plan and work towards a sustainable future for all.
6.1 Key achievements this year Lambeth’s streets are now the cleanest they have ever been, with all four street and environmental cleanliness indicators meeting or exceeding their target for this year and even exceeding our targets for 2010/11; two years early.
Survey intelligence, generated both independently by Encams and by our own client team has been used to successfully target existing resources on problem areas, contributing significantly to this year’s achievement. This approach, coupled with education and enforcement initiatives and an excellent and flexible working relationship with our contractor Veolia, led to us achieving our best score since the indicator, and its predecessor, BV199 was introduced six years ago.
This improvement has also been recognised in the recent resident survey that showed a 9% increase in satisfaction with street cleansing services; significantly higher than the London average. People in Lambeth are also less concerned by litter compared to the rest of London.
Next year we will be working with private landowners, Lambeth Living and the Parks service to make further improvements; particularly in relation to graffiti removal. We will also investigate partnership arrangements to ensure we are making the most cost effective and efficient use of our resources.
In terms of street cleansing, we will be targeting detritus and the two big street cleaning concerns of our residents; dog fouling and drug paraphernalia.
Other achievements this year include: • A £3 million project to improve The Cut, the thoroughfare that links Bankside with Waterloo, won the prestigious BEX 2008 International Award for the Best Project Collaboration. The project included the planting of 48 trees, installation of 38 new cycle racks, improved lighting, installation of new benches, pedestrian signage, and new solar powered parking metres. • The community garden, Eden at St Paul’s, which is located in the grounds of St Paul’s Church, Clapham, joined Milkwood Community Park and Vauxhall Park as being judged by independent assessors as among 743 of the very best public open spaces across the United Kingdom and was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award. • Recent survey results show that people in the borough are significantly less concerned about pollution than they were in 2007. • Lambeth has made great improvements to the provision of public toilets in the borough. Firstly, the Community Toilet Scheme was launched this year to provide residents with access to safe and high quality conveniences in local businesses. We have also installed a series of ‘pop-up’ public toilets in Clapham, Brixton and Vauxhall to try to solve the problem of late night revellers urinating in the street. A further two ‘pop-up’ toilets will be installed in Brixton and Clapham in 2009/10 • Two of Lambeth’s trees were named among London's 20 favourite trees in a public poll of Londoners; a London plane tree in the heart of Brixton and a 700-year-old oak in Brockwell Park.
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• A new mobile green waste recycling machine was introduced this year which shreds all the green waste generated in the parks, such as bedding, leaves, grass cuttings and prunings, and also shreds whole Christmas trees. More than 600 tonnes of green waste from Lambeth's parks and open spaces, including more than 4,000 Christmas trees, were recycled into compost and mulch in 2008 with figures set to increase in 2009. • Lambeth Council is the only local authority on the WWF Forest Trade Network and are also the second borough in London to support Fair-trade and also co-ordinate a network to promote it around the borough. This year we have also created a Deputy Cabinet position for Sustainability to support and promote our sustainability work around the borough and have also pledged to reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. • Lambeth is also the only council in London to have a dedicated Sustainable Transport Team and this year staff have been working hard to encourage more people to take up cycling. We have held run weekly ‘Dr Bike’ sessions for 6 months of the year where anyone can attend and get their bikes repaired or serviced; this is more events than any other London borough. We have also provided training for cyclist and HGV drivers to help educate both sets of people on the dangers that they present each other. • In recognition of our success, officers from the Sustainable Transport Team were recently invited to present details of the scheme at a recent TfL conference and there is also a possibility that TfL will be using Lambeth’s scheme as a model to roll out to other boroughs. As a result, TfL have provided Lambeth with one of the highest budgets for travel awareness projects in 2009/10.
6.2 Performance indicators and areas for improvement
All six performance indicators in this priority have met target and are rated green. Two have improved since last year and the remainder cannot be compared to previous years as the way they are measured has changed.
6.2.1 Amount of household waste collected and recycled (NI 191, NI 192)
We have reached our target for the waste and recycling NIs, 191 and 192.
The target set for NI 192 for 2009/10 is 27% and Lambeth hope to reach this target through several new initiatives introduced as part of the roll out of the waste action plan. The first initiative commenced on 1st April 2009 with the conversion of Vale Street Civic Amenity site to a recycling and reuse only site. The site is now collecting additional recyclable items and is expected to increase our recycling rate by 1.6%. A series of pilots including a scheduled fortnightly garden waste collection and a weekly food waste collection are also being rolled out and is expected to increase our performance by a further 1% over 09/10.
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Performance Indicators – Respect for our Environment
Cumulative 2007/08 Target Direction of Year End Year to date Met Target? NI 191 outturn 2008/09 travel Outturn Residual performance household waste per 563.17kg * ▼533kg 530.27 530.27 household Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 44.63 44.05 41.47 45.97 43.26 44.20 46.43 39.98 47.99 44.63 41.99 45.68 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator measures the amount of waste collected per household, and does not National quartile NCD include any waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting. This month we collected 5938.5 tonnes of waste in total, from 130,005 households.
*2007/08 performance is an amended figure for BV84 Household waste per head; London quartile NCD calculated as per household to provide a comparable figure for NI 191.
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 192 % of Met Target? household outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn waste sent for reuse, recycling 25.12% 25% 25.39% 25.39% or composting Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 25.52 26.49 27.50 26.61 24.36 26.23 25.88 26.60 23.40 25.52 22.91 23.57 Performance Monthly DOT
This measures the %age of waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting, out of the National quartile MID total amount of waste collected. This month we recycled / reused / composted 1836.3 tonnes of waste, out of a total of 7789.8 tonnes collected from households and businesses. London quartile MID
NI 195 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Improved street outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn and environmental N/A ▼11% 6% N/A 6% cleanliness- Litter Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 7% 7% 5% Performance Monthly DOT N/A This indicator shows the %age of land and highways which is judged to have National quartile NCD unacceptable levels of litter. The survey of land is done by the ENCAMS group three times a year, and these results show the all three surveys for 2008/09. This indicator is similar to BV199a which was a combined figure for litter and detritus in 2007/08. Changes to the land categories used in the survey to measure this indicator means London quartile NCD that performance cannot be directly compared to 2007/08 figures.
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NI 195 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Improved street outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn and environmental N/A ▼18% 15% N/A 15% cleanliness- Detritus Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 20% 8% 17% Performance Monthly DOT This indicator shows the %age of land and highways which is judged to have National quartile NCD unacceptable levels of detritus. The survey of land is done by the ENCAMS group three times a year, and these results show the first survey for 2008/09. 1 land category was judged to have unacceptable levels; out of a total of 8 categories assessed (2 other categories are not applicable to Lambeth). This indicator is similar to BV199a which was a combined figure for litter and detritus in 2007/08. Changes to London quartile NCD the land categories used in the survey to measure this indicator means that performance cannot be directly compared to 2007/08 figures.
NI 195 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Improved street outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn and environmental N/A ▼5% 3% N/A 3% cleanliness- Graffiti Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 4% 1% 3% Performance Monthly DOT
This indicator shows the %age of land and highways which is judged to have National quartile NCD unacceptable levels of graffiti. The survey of land is done by the ENCAMS group three times a year, and these results show the all three surveys for 2008/09. Changes to the land categories used in the survey to measure this indicator means that London quartile NCD performance cannot be directly compared to 2007/08 figures. NI 195 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Improved street Met Target? outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn and environmental N/A ▼0% 0% N/A 0% cleanliness- Fly Posting Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 1% 0% 0% Performance Monthly DOT N/A This indicator shows the %age of land and highways which are judged to have National quartile NCD unacceptable levels of fly posting. The survey of land is done by the ENCAMS group three times a year, and these results show the all three surveys for 2008/09. Changes to the land categories used in the survey to measure this indicator means that London quartile NCD performance cannot be directly compared to 2007/08 figures.
* It should be noted that third party figures for recycling and composting are not received in time for the monthly reporting deadlines and figures may therefore be amended.
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7. Developing personalised care services
We aim to give our service users more control and choice over their care.
7.1 Survey findings Recent survey results show that 81% of Lambeth people rate their overall health and wellbeing as good or very good. The level of concern about the health service has also dropped significantly compared to 2007 and the rest of London with 64% of people rating local services as good to excellent.
7.2 Key achievements this year • We have developed an Older People’s Strategy for Lambeth in response to recognised local need and feedback from the Audit which includes not only care, health and support services, but also considers the needs of older people in a holistic way. This strategy was developed through detailed consultation with a wide range of older residents from various backgrounds, as well as partners and stakeholders; • We have launched our Carers’ Strategy and Carers’ Awards in order to support carers more effectively. The strategy lays out a package of support for carers worth £20 million over five years. It aims to provide better support to the estimated 18,500+ carers who devote huge amounts of their time and energy to looking after other people and was developed in consultation with partners across the voluntary sector and carers themselves; • The Without Walls Project is a joint venture set up with Lambeth College, First Steps Trust Lambeth and Mencap Pathways to offer employment opportunities within the council for people with learning disabilities and college students. Without Walls is part of Adults’ and Community Services Day Services, which includes Lambeth Walk Day Centre, Landmark Resource Centre & Tulse Hill Opportunities Centre and is providing volunteer work and experience opportunities for six service users in the form of part time jobs as support workers; • Lambeth Gaia Centre won a prestigious NHS Health and Social Care award (London region) for success in partnership working, competing against 200 other entrants. Since opening in May 2006 the centre has helped over 861 women, with 40 new cases every month. 90% of cases dealt with at the centre have had positive results for the women involved, with a significantly higher conviction rate for offenders brought to trial (87%) than the national rate (67%); • This year 7000 people received increased benefit entitlement generating £0.5m for the local economy; and • We have opened a new IT suite at Lambeth Resource Centre in West Norwood creating new learning opportunities for disabled people. Clients are able to take 10-week one-to- one courses in IT which are tailored to their own goals including basic introductions to IT, word processing or using the internet for job-hunting or shopping.
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7.3 Performance indicators and areas for improvement
Performance in this priority has been consistently high all year with only one indicator not meeting target and all indicators improving. Two indicators are currently not yet finalised but recent information shows these will also meet target.
7.3.1 Timeliness of Social Care Assessments (NI 132)
This indicator is only 1.5% off meeting the challenging annual target set for 2008/09. Significant progress has been made during the year to ensure assessments are completed on time. For example, 90% of assessments for the 18-64 age group were completed on time compared to 60% at the beginning of the 2008/09.
Improvements have been achieved by monitoring individual team performance at monthly performance boards. The Adults’ and Community Services performance team continue to send out twice weekly monitoring reports to enable managers to prioritise cases as they approach the 28 day deadline.
Performance Indicators – Developing Personalised Care Services
NI 130 Social 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? care clients outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn receiving self directed support 127 150 178.7 178.7 (direct payments) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 128.4 132.7 137.8 144.3 145.7 151.7 156.4 159.4 164.4 169.5 173.7 178.7 Performance Monthly DOT This measures the number of clients receiving social care through a Direct Payment National quartile NCD or ‘Individual Budget’ per 100,000 population. Currently 331 clients receive self directed support from Lambeth. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 132 Met Target? Timeliness of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn social care assessments (all New indicator 95% 93.5% 93.5% adults) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 85.8 89.3 88.5 88.7 96.5 95.9 95.5 94.8 96.4 95.1 95.8 94.1 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This shows the %age of new clients who received an assessment within 4 weeks out National quartile NCD of the total number of new clients. This month we assessed 206 new clients within 4 weeks out of a total of 219 new clients. London quartile NCD
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2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End NI 133 Met Target? Timeliness of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn social care packages 94.12% 92% 94.8% 94.8% following assessments Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 96.3 93.2 93.6 94.6 95.1 89.2 96.6 96.3 94.9 88.9 95.3 97.0 Performance Monthly DOT This shows the %age of new clients who received a care package within 4 weeks of National quartile NCD their assessment. This month 65 new clients received packages within 4 weeks, out of 67 new clients who received packages in total. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 135 Carers outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn receiving needs assessments or New indicator 15% 15.41% 15.41% reviews Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 1.1 2.3 3.6 5.0 6.1 7.2 8.1 10.2 10.8 12.06 13.34 15.4 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This measures the %age of carers who received a ‘carer’s break’, or other specific carer’s service, advice or information out of the total number of people receiving National quartile NCD community based services. So far this year 1,002 carers have received a carer’s service and or advice and information, out of a total of 6,500 adults receiving community based services. Please note that this indicator is categorised as green as current performance excludes work undertaken by the voluntary sector, London quartile NCD which will account for around 500 assessments and services. 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? NI 136 People outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn supported to live independently New indicator 2394 2394 2394 through social services Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 2288 2297 2309 2331 2349 2370 2338 2391 2455 2468 2335 2252 Performance Monthly DOT This measures the number of adults per 100,000 population against the Local Weighted Need population that are directly assisted through social services to live National quartile NCD independently. Currently 4,297 clients are supported to live independently through Lambeth. This performance indicator has been categorised as green as services provided by the voluntary sector will be added to the final outturn and this will London quartile NCD result in the target being exceeded.
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NI 141 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? Number of outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn vulnerable people achieving New indicator 74% 77.5% N/A independent living Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 79 74 81 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This measures the number of service users who have moved on from supported accommodation in a planned way, as a %age of the total service users who have left National quartile NCD the service. This quarter 270 people have achieved independent living, out of a total of 334 service users who have left the service. This is a new performance indicator and conforms to a different quarterly reporting cycle beginning in Aug 08, with quarterly London quartile NCD reports due in Feb, May, Aug and Nov.
NI 142 % of 2007/08 Target Year to date Direction of Year End Met Target? vulnerable outturn 2008/09 performance travel Outturn people who are supported to maintain New indicator 98% 98.5% N/A independent living Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 98 99 98 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This shows the number of service users who have established or are maintaining independent living, as a %age of the total number of service users. This is a new National quartile NCD performance indicator and conforms to a different quarterly reporting cycle with data collection beginning in August 08. We are still awaiting information from two providers and are therefore unable to produce a confirmed figure for Qtr 3; however provisional London quartile NCD data for Qtr 3 is showing a 98% out-turn.
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8. Serving our customers well
Understanding the needs and aspirations of local people is at the heart of everything we do. We work in partnership to provide value for money, a consistently excellent service to our customers and listen and respond to their views.
8.1 Survey findings Latest survey results have shown significant improvements in the perceptions of Lambeth residents. More people think that Lambeth council is doing a better job compared to 2007 when the last residents survey was undertaken; and over two thirds of residents think that the council keeps them well informed and that our staff are friendly and polite. People in Lambeth are also more likely than those from other inner London boroughs to think that the council is doing a better job than a year ago.
However, the survey also highlighted some areas of concern. Firstly, perceptions of council tax collection have declined since 2007. Currently 49% rate this service as good to excellent; a 7% drop since two years ago and significantly below the London average of 68%.
Lambeth residents’ perceptions of the council providing Value for Money (VfM) and being efficient and well have gotten worse; and significantly less people feel that they can influence decisions in the area than two years ago.
In response to these findings consultation officers will be working with services across the council to try and understand the causes of these responses and make recommendations of how to improve satisfaction. In 2009/10 we are introducing quarterly residents’ surveys and will use these to follow up on problem areas identified.
8.2 Key achievements this year We have significantly improved the time it takes to process a new housing benefit or council tax claim or a change of circumstance compared to last year; with the average time now less than 12 days against a target of 15 days.
We have successfully reduced the number of customer complaints resulting in enquiries from the ombudsman by half. As of February 2009 the ombudsman had received 182 enquiries about our services compared to 367 at the same time last year.
We have also achieved our council tax collection target of 94% in spite of the difficult economic situation.
Other achievements include: • Lambeth First, our Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) won the prestigious Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Award for being the country's LSP of the year. Over the judgement process the council and its LSP partners successfully demonstrated how we are uniting key players in their community, agreeing joint objectives, and bringing about significant, measurable improvements on the frontline. • We were highly commended for our highways contract with Conway at the recent Government Opportunities Excellence in Public Procurement Awards (GO Awards) in the Best Service category; a highly sought-after award in the sector. • We on the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) Best Public / Public Partnership Working Initiative award in recognition of our hard work on the In and Out of Work pilot, continuous improvement in customer service to Lambeth residents and successful working relationship with partner organisations.
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• Our Finance Director, Mike Suarez, won a top industry award as the best public sector finance director of the year, beating competition from organisations across the UK. The award, given by Accountancy Age magazine and presented at a prestigious ceremony, celebrated achievement and best practice across both the public and private sector. • Seen considerable improvement in the household response rate for the 2009 register electoral registration rates of electors, following a concerted effort during the canvass period year to encourage electoral registration. The registration response rate increased to 91% compared to 76% in the previous year. • We launched a new e-Petition service which offers people an opportunity to express a view or raise an issue, which others can choose to support if they wish. Lambeth is among the first local authorities in the country to introduce e-Petitions.
8.3 Complaints and Members’ Enquiries (MEs)
We are receiving the roughly the same number of stage 1-3 complaints and MEs as in 2007/08 but have seen a significant reduction in the number of complaints referred to the Local Government Ombudsman which suggests that the council is getting better at resolving complaints at a local level. The most significant reductions have been seen in benefits, transport and highways, housing and regeneration and Lambeth Living.
Fig.4. Number of complaints and MEs received
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 MEs LGO 2007/08 4,469 694 261 9,582 429 2008/09 4,428 629 220 9,873 202
There has been varied performance across council departments at all stages as shown in the table below.
Fig.5. Performance by department (2008/09)
ACS CYPS ECCS F&R OCE R&H TOTAL
Stage 1 90% 80% 89.7% 81% 86% 81% 84.5%
Stage 2 100% N/A 86.6% 82% N/A 70% 78.0%
Stage 3 N/A 50% 80.6% 77.1% N/A 74.4% 76.5%
Members Enquiries 87.4% 86.1% 92% 77.4% 50% 82.2% 86.5%
Local Ombudsman 90% 79% 89% 94% N/A 71.8% 77.1%
8.3.1 Percentage of complaints escalating to Stage 2
Over the course of 2008/09 11.7% of complaints were escalated to Stage 2, which is above the 10% target. This demonstrates that more work needs to be done to ensure complaints are resolved at the first stage.
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Under a quarter of complaints are upheld at stage 1, with over 40% not upheld; and this may be a contributing factor in the numbers of complaints being escalated to stage 2. Therefore, the Corporate Complaints Unit (CCU) will be introducing more detailed analysis of complaint resolution including monitoring the reasons given for escalating to stage 2.
A complaints digest is currently being developed to review 2008/09 performance in responding on time and also to share best practice and lessons learnt from complaints and MEs received this year.
We held our first ever complaints summit in November to discuss the way forward in improving how we manage, investigate and resolve customer complaints across the council. One of the issues identified at the summit was the need for better communications amongst staff who are directly responsible for managing complaints so we have launched ‘Complaints News’, a quarterly newsletter, to keep staff informed of processes, remedies, best practice, systems, training, performance and how we can learn from customer complaints. This will be sent out quarterly and should lead to improvements in responding to complaints.
In 2009/10 the CCU will be introducing training for all staff involved in investigating and responding to complaints. This will improve the way complaints are handled at the earliest stages of the process and should reduce the number of escalated complaints. CCU are also carrying out a review of the Respond system which will allow better lessons to be learnt from the complaints we receive which will improve our complaint handling.
8.4 Performance indicators and areas for improvement
There are seventeen indicators reported on in the ‘Serving our customers well’ priority of which only seven have met target and nine have not; the other indicator does not have a target and cannot be rated. The majority of indicators in this priority are improving; however, of the five indicators decreasing in performance all but one are also below target.
8.4.1 Invoices paid on time (BVPI 8)
BVPI 8 performance has increased slightly from previous months and we saw the number of unpaid invoices drop to its lowest level for some years in March 2009. However, year end performance is 82.6% and still below the end of year target and in the bottom quartile in London and nationally.
Some key actions have been proposed to improve performance in this are in 2009/10: • Accounts Payable staff will continue to chase business units to approve invoices for payment to ensure timescales are met; • a project is under way to identify suppliers to go on to Marketplace has been carried out which should speed up the process of invoices for large volume suppliers; • undertaking targeted work with suppliers to ensure they are submitting invoices correctly to try and reduce the number of invoices received; and • a review of BVPI 8 calculations has also been recommended.
8.4.2 Percentage of national non domestic rates (NNDR) collected (BVPI 10)
Collection reached 97.52% which is 1.48% short of the year end target and a fall of 1.03% compared to performance last year.
It should be noted whilst this is a decrease, the actual net collectable debit has increased in 2008/2009 by 12.85% due to the changes to empty rate, which represents a considerable collection challenge.
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The effect of the recession has also adversely affected business rate collection across the UK and can also be seen in the levels of collection across the other London Boroughs.
8.4.3 Sickness (BV12)
The council lost 10.85 days per FTE in sickness in 2008/09. This is a small improvement on 2007/08, where 11.06 days were lost per FTE, but remains below the London median average of 9.9 days, the national median average of 9.3 days and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2008 public sector average of 9.8 days. The target for 2009/10 is 9.5 days, which given the benchmarking data is a realistic although stretching target.
Tailored training programmes are in place to support managers in absence management, and the departmental human resources teams are based locally to provide on hand support to managers. Active management of absence will be required to meet this target, supported by the council’s new occupational health provider and employee assistance programme.
8.4.4 Top 5%: Women, BME, Disability (BVPI 11) % of employees with a disability (BVPI 16) % of agency staff (L7)
Although we have not met target in the indicators listed above it is worth noting that we have set ambitious targets and are already in the top quartile nationally and in London for all indicators expect the top 5% women and disability indicators which are in the mid threshold. A review of performance of the top 5% indicators is underway to identify the underlying issues and work already being undertaken to address performance in departments. This will then be used as a basis for the performance clinic to be held in June.
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Performance Indicators – Serving our customers well
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? outturn performance travel Outturn BVPI 8 % of invoices paid on time 80.86% 90% 82.6% 82.6% Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 78.30 79.50 77.42 79.93 79.3 72.54 84.44 80.67 78.45 70.29 75.80 78.18 Performance Monthly DOT
This shows the %age of invoices received by the council that were paid within 30 National quartile BTM days, out of the total number of invoices received. This year Lambeth Council paid 77,113 invoices on time, out of 93,377 invoices received in total. London quartile BTM
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? outturn performance travel Outturn BVPI 9 % of council tax collected 93.4% 94% 94.2% 94.2% Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 12.8 8.7 8.44 10.3 8.2 8.59 8.96 8.35 8.77 8.15 2.75 1.35 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This measures the amount of domestic council tax collected, as a %age of the total National quartile BTM amount of collectable debt for the year. This year we have collected £100,972,766 out of a total possible £107,161,088. London quartile BTM
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End BVPI 10 Target 2008/09 Met Target? % of non- outturn performance travel Outturn domestic rates 98.6% 99% 97.4% 97.4% collected Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 10.6 11.7 8.7 11.4 9.7 9.4 9.0 8.7 8.4 7.2 0.2 3.0 Performance Monthly DOT N/A This measures the amount of non-domestic rate collected, as a %age of the total National quartile BTM amount of collectable debt for the year. This year we have collected £88,743,355 out of a total possible £91,153,648. London quartile BTM
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2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? NI 14 outturn performance travel Outturn Avoidable contact New indicator N/A 16.35% N/A 16.35% New indicator
This indicator measures the %age of all contacts made to the council (inc. telephone, NCD e-mail, post, website or face-to-face) that could have been avoided. Avoidable Is National quartile classified as one of the following: needing unnecessary clarification; poor signposting; having to give information again; progress chasing or repeat contact after previous London quartile NCD contact was closed too early. L4 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Lambeth Target 2008/09 Met Target? outturn performance travel Outturn Service Centre % of phone N/A 1 73% 75% 75% calls answered within 15 Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar seconds Monthly 74 71 78 79 83 75 72 69 72 71 75 79 Performance Monthly DOT This shows the %age of calls to the Lambeth Service Centre that were answered within 15 seconds, out of the total number of calls answered. This year we answered National quartile NCD 1, 207, 279 calls out of a total of 1,608,644 received within 15 seconds. Please note that this indicator has changed to reflect the overall LSC performance, not only the London quartile NCD CAPITA performance. L5 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Lambeth Target 2008/09 Met Target? outturn performance travel Outturn Service Centre Customer New indicator 85% 87% N/A Satisfaction on closed events Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 94 94 94 82 81 78 87 85 86 87 Performance Monthly DOT This measures the %age of customers who were satisfied at the end of their query National quartile NCD after calling the Lambeth Service Centre. This indicator is reported two months in arrears. London quartile NCD
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End L6 Target 2008/09 Met Target? % of outturn performance travel Outturn complaints escalating to New indicator ▼10% 11.7% 11.7% stage 2 Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 2.9 6.9 17.0 5.0 17 16.0 8.0 13 18 29 12 13 Performance Monthly DOT N/A National quartile NCD This measures the %age of stage 1 complaints that are escalated to stage 2. This year 510 out of 4364 complaints were escalated to stage 2. London quartile NCD
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NI 180 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? Number of outturn performance travel Outturn change of circumstances in housing New indicator 1000 1232 1232 benefits / council tax Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 142 82 82 65 59 62 82 320 71 79 95 144 Performance Monthly DOT N/A
This indicator measures the number of changes to housing benefit / council tax per National quartile NCD 1000 claimants. This year there have been 47,425 changes in circumstances this year, out of a total of 39,093 claimants. London quartile NCD
NI 181 Time 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? taken to outturn performance travel Outturn process housing 27 days ▼15 days 12 days 12 days benefit / council tax Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 13 20 15 18 17 21 7 16 17 16 4 6 Performance Monthly DOT National quartile TOP This shows the average time in days to process a new HB or council tax claim or a change of circumstance. London quartile TOP
BVPI 12 2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? Working days outturn performance travel Outturn lost due to sickness ▼8.4 days absence (all 11.06 days (0.7 days per 10.85 days 10.85 days figs. excl. month) ALMO). Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 0.94 0.93 0.92 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.92 0.90 0.71 Performance Monthly DOT
This shows the average number of days each employee had off sick during the month National quartile BTM using a 12 month rolling average. Figures for this indicator are reported one month in arrears. London quartile BTM
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End L7 Target 2008/09 Met Target? % of agency outturn performance travel Outturn workers (all figs. excl 15.74% ▼12% 16.5% 16.5% ALMO) Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 17.1 16.3 16.2 16.5 16.6 15.6 16.7 16.7 16.3 16.3 17.0 17.1 Performance Monthly DOT This shows the %age of agency staff out of the total number of staff employed by the National quartile NCD council. This month Lambeth employed an average of 697 agency workers, out of a total of 4089 workers. London quartile NCD
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2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? BVPI 11a : outturn performance travel Outturn Top 5% earners: 38.42% 42% 41.65% 41.65% women Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 38.97 39.36 38.38 41.65 Performance Monthly DOT National quartile MID The shows the %age of the top 5% earners who are women. Please note these are provisional outturns only. London quartile MID 12 month 2007/08 Direction of Year End BVPI 11b : Target 2008/09 rolling Met Target? outturn travel Outturn Top 5% performance earners: minority ethnic 24.09% 28.66% 24.38% 24.38% communities Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 25.83 22.84 25.14 23.38 Performance Monthly DOT National quartile TOP This shows the %age of the top 5% earners who are from minority ethnic communities. Please note these are provisional outturns only. London quartile TOP
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End BVPI 11c : Target 2008/09 Met Target? Top 5% outturn performance travel Outturn earners: people with a 3.46% 8.69% 4.65% 4.65% disability Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 3.91 3.21 3.41 4.65 Performance
Monthly DOT National quartile MID This shows the %age of the top 5% earners who have a disability. Please note these are provisional outturns only. London quartile MID 12 month 2007/08 Direction of Year End BVPI 16a: Target 2008/09 rolling Met Target? outturn travel Outturn % of performance employees with a 7.06% 8.57% 7.14% 7.14% disability Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 6.81 6.88 6.90 7.09 6.75 6.72 6.74 7.00 6.62 6.60 6.45 6.38 Performance Monthly DOT This measures the %age of staff with a disability, out of the total number of staff. National quartile TOP Currently there are 202 staff with a reported disability, out of a total of 3165 staff about which information is known. Please note these are provisional outturns only. London quartile TOP
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2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End Target 2008/09 Met Target? BVPI 17a: outturn performance travel Outturn % of black and ethnic minority 57.79% >= 38% 58.79% 58.79% employees Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 61.04 58.19 58.16 58.19 58.41 58.52 58.52 60.14 58.50 58.62 58.62 58.68 Performance Monthly DOT This indicator measures the %age of employees who are black or ethnic minority. National quartile TOP There are currently 1897 black or ethnic minority employees, out of a total of 3233 employees about whom information is known. Please note these are provisional TOP London quartile outturns only.
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End BVPI 175 Target 2008/09 Met Target? % Racial outturn performance travel Outturn incidents reported with 100% 100% 100% 100% further action Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 100 100 100 100 Performance
Monthly DOT National quartile NCD This indicator measures the %age of racial incidents reported to the council that the council has acted upon. London quartile NCD
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9. Our finances – key messages for February 2009
Accordingly a brief summary of the outturn at departmental level is set out in the table below:-
Table 1
Directorate Final Cash Limits * Outturn adjusted (Under)/ £000 £000 Overspend £000 Adult & 108,359 100 Community 108,259 Services Children & Young 76,351 (4,945) 81,296 People’s Service No Recourse to 2,217 (531) 2,748 Public Funds Office of the Chief 10,228 (400) 10,628 Executive Council-wide shared savings (3,827) (80) 3,747 Finance & 37,681 299 37,382 Resources Housing 57,530 10,927 Regeneration & 46,603 Environment Net investments (9,400) (14,559) (5,159) Technical 26,636 21,096 (5,540) accounting adjustments Total 300,325 298,823 (1,502) Housing (HRA) (650) 11,138 11,788
* - Revised budgets include the effect of transfers of services resulting from the effect of reorganisation during the year as well as adjustments for central support recharges, capital charges and decisions regarding requests for budget carried forward and provisions.
The total surplus on General Fund services after decisions taken in respect of provisions and budget carry forwards was £1.5m (0.5% of budget). The Housing Revenue Account overspent by £11.8m in the year.
The main variances from the budget are summarised below.
Adult and Community Services – The Department has continued to manage demand and deliver efficiencies within Adult Social Care and the culture of robust financial management is embedded throughout the department. This has enabled the Council to continue to deliver value for money and identify £1.054m to be carried forward to manage the ongoing demands within Cultural Services for 2009/10. The department was able to deliver within its resources through robustly managing domiciliary care activity and 3rd party placement budgets delivering a review of high cost placements and other efficiencies
Office of the Chief Executive – This is a small office and it delivered within its resources. Transformation savings were forecast not to be achieved as the Strategic Transformation function was dissolved. It is envisaged these will now be delivered across the next three years.
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Children and Young People’s Services – The department were able to underspend as a result of a number of efficiency and other savings initiatives undertaken across the department as well as better grant maximisation work. Strong financial management ensured improved commissioning arrangements with favourable negotiations with suppliers, better in-year gate keeping practices and the recruitment of in-house foster carer arrangements. Other significant contributions include the successful increase in grant income for Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers Children (UASC), Special Circumstances Representation from the Border and Immigration Agency, coupled with additional income from the Home Office for Leaving Care clients.
Finance and Resources – The department managed within its budgets and set aside prudent resources for 2009/10. The material variances to budget are due to a large insurance rebate, an over-spend in Customer Services due to a number of historic cost pressures, and an overspend in Legal & Democratic services arising from a fall in land charges income resulting from the downturn in the property market and the current financial climate.
Housing General Fund – The overspend arises as a result of the requirement to provide more robustly for bad and doubtful debt and due to base budget issues for the Temporary Accommodation service. There was also a large movement within the parking income calculation, whereby the assessment of income due had to be revised.
Housing Revenue Account – An overspend has been forecast throughout the year. Significant work occurred throughout 2008/09 to manage the financial position both within the year and on an ongoing basis. This work focused on all areas of HRA expenditure and looked at efficiency measures as well as income sources for the HRA. This position arises as a result of the requirement to provide more robustly for bad and doubtful debt for outstanding leaseholder payments, reviewing the level of expenditure that can be capitalised and slippage against the some of the savings programme.
The position on capital expenditure in the year is set out below:-
Table 2
Final Actual Percentage Department Budget Spend (Underspend) underspend
£000 £000 £000 %
Adult & Community Services 4,975 3,864 (1,111) (22.3) Building Schools for the Future 42,013 36,818 (5,195) (12.4) Children & Young People’s Service 24,609 24,365 (244) (1.0) Finance & Resources 1,341 1,314 (27) (2.0) Office of the Chief Executive 2,967 1,924 (1,043) (35.1) Housing Regeneration & Environment 78,779 71,114 (7,665) (9.7) Total 154,685 139,399 (15,286) (9.9)
The final outturn for 2008/09 was £139.4m against a final budget of £154.7m (90.1%). Of the larger spending Departments, the Building Schools for the Future and HRE department outturned well within their available resources, accounting for more than 80% of the total underspend. These underspends are in practice either the result of delays in obtaining necessary planning approvals and/or letting the relevant contracts or represent approved carry forward of capital budgets into 2009/10 for schemes with a project completion phase spanning two or more financial years.
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10. Transformational Projects
10.1 New Project Delivery Performance Reporting: Over the last quarter, Strategic Transformation has been completing a number of projects in time for Financial Year end. Over the next quarter the focus will be to aligning new projects with Corporate Priorities to expedite outcomes for residents.
10.1 PRISM: There are two projects that form part of this programme: a) Replacement of the Street Management System: This project aims to replace and upgrade the current software for street cleansing, enforcement and waste management. The project is making good progress and the tendering exercise for the technical solution has been completed and a supplier is now engaged. The project has moved into implementation mode and the system is currently being configured to the needs of the London Borough of Lambeth. b) On-Line Parking Permit Renewals: This service will allow existing parking permit holders to renew their parking permits through the web. This increases payment options for citizens and means they can renew their parking permits from the comfort of their homes or workplaces without needing to visit a Council premises’. The project is in the implementation phase and is expected to be completed in Quarter 2, 09/10.
10.2 Anti Social Behaviour Hotline: This project has been successfully completed and is now live. Citizens can phone the dedicated ASB hotline number (92 64000) to report incidents and issues.
10.3 Information Sharing – Data Intelligence Sharing The Data Sharing Programme aims to improve the sharing and use of information amongst the members of the Lambeth Strategic Partnership. A pilot has been conducted and a business case for further investment is currently being developed and will be considered later this year.
10.4 Citizen Focus: All workshops have now been completed and citizen comments have been incorporated into a report which will be considered by the various members of the Lambeth First Executive Delivery Group to determine how best to develop the proposals into activity.
10.5 Framework Financials: This project aims to implement the next stage of the financial system specifically designed for the needs of Social Services. This system is in use for disabilities and older persons residential clients and a pilot to prove the concept and the functionality for D/OP domiciliary care clients has been started.
10.6 Office Solutions: The project aims to decrease accommodation unit costs of the council by implementing ‘New Ways of Working’.
The project has made good progress, a number of pilots have been completed and the full business case has been developed. The next stage will be to determine if further investment in the projects aligns with the strategic priorities of LBL. 54 Page 319 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
10.7 Contact Point: Contact Point is a national online system that will be the quick way for a practitioner’s to find out who else is working with the same child or young person across a range of partners, making it easier to deliver more coordinated support to vulnerable children. The project is on track and is progressing in line with national requirements.
10.8 Tell Us Once: This project aims to increase customer service by streamlining the amount of customer contact related to life events. Initially the project has focused on Deaths and reducing the amount of times someone needs to make contact with a government authority when a person dies. The current stage has been successful and approximately 20% of notices are occurring through the system within the first few months of operation. This is expected to increase over the next few months and a further roll out in the area of Births will be considered in Quarter 3 2009/10.
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11 Appendix A: Progress against our Corporate Plan Improvement Activities
11.1 A safer Lambeth with strong communities
Improvement Activity 1 Deliver the Young and Safe Action Plan, undertaking co-ordinated and targeted support for young people at risk of becoming involved in gangs or serious violent crime.
The Young and Safe Strategic Action Plan was published in the summer of 2008 and launched in Parliament on 27th November. The action plan is the partnership’s response to the Executive Commission where council, police, schools, residents and the community and voluntary sector were brought together in response to high profile incidents of violent youth crime. This plan was further developed in late 2009 when the newly established programme team designed an operating model for more effective monitoring of at-risk young people and produced a commissioning plan and outcome framework to increase targeted services. The operating model was agreed following extensive consultation between many stakeholders across service agencies and departments to agree the best approach. The final model is new in that it identifies young people at-risk as opposed to waiting for them to be referred. It reinforces information sharing and multi-agency working to give all at-risk individuals a comprehensive and effective intervention plan. The programme secured funding of well over £1m from Council growth bids and government grants. A commissioning plan was agreed by the Support Young People’s PAG and a commissioning event held in March 2009 with over 100 community service providers attending. A transparent and fair commissioning approach was utilised to find innovative solutions to reducing the risks around our young people. Third sector organisations as well as internal and statutory providers have been asked to bid for all available funding. A large amount of funding was also available for suppliers to design projects to meet our outcomes by non-prescribed means i.e. those ‘on the ground’ designing the projects and services that they know will work. Support and guidance was also made available throughout the commissioning process for both bourgeoning and established community groups. This approach is in line with the recommendations from Executive Commission and consultation of partnership stakeholders.
Improvement Activity 2 Deliver the Sentinel Programme within Brixton to tackle key community safety issues including community engagement and enforcement activity. Note: As previously reported, the Brixton Management Board, builds upon Brixton Sentinel (a statutory partnership including the Council, Police and PCT), and the proposal from the Lambeth First Economic Development Strategy for commercial town centre management. During 2008/09: In Brixton, we are piloting a new method of strategic town centre management and neighbourhood delivery. The permanent Brixton Town Centre Director started in post in February 2009, tasked with leading a multi-agency team responsible for the development and implementation of strategies to drive the improvement, promotion, sustainability and long term economic prosperity of Brixton’s commercial centre. A key part of this new methodology is an agreement between the council and the Metropolitan Police, under which the Town Centre Director has joint operational responsibility for the management of the town centre police team. A multi-agency Brixton Issues Group has been formed to identify and progress long term 56 Page 321 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
strategic issues such as business crime, anti-social behaviour, graffiti, street drinking, drug offending etc., and to co-ordinate operations to respond to emerging problems (including delivery of the Sentinel programme). Recognising the many networks working in central Brixton and Coldharbour ward that share a commitment to improve the area and are interested in working with statutory and other partners, we have also established a regular Brixton Stakeholder Forum, inviting representatives from the local networks to discuss and input into the work of the Brixton Management Board.
Improvement Activity 3 Improve the quality and coordination of CCTV, sharing information and replacing cameras to improve picture quality.
The process associated with the procurement of a CCTV security digital recording system is very complex and unfortunately initial advice provided on the procurement route has been challenged and resulted in a delay in the procurement of the system. Action has been taken to ensure there is no disruption to existing service during the delay and funding remains in place with the implementation expected to start in December 09. The procurement of a trial Re-locatable recording system has also been complex with many of the systems we have explored not meeting our requirements. Continuous research into the various systems available has narrowed our options to two systems and initial testing is currently taking place with procurement and rollout of a system in June 09. The information sharing protocol between the CCTV suite and Anti Social Behaviour unit has been drafted and is currently going through Legal services for sign off. It is expected this will be completed by the end of May 09. The CCTV steering Group with all partners has been reformed and will be overseeing the progress of all of the above mentioned activity including the implementation and progress management of the CCTV strategy to ensure further delays are minimised.
Improvement activity 4 Develop and implement a cultural strategy for the borough which allows the cultural offer to contribute more explicitly to our outcomes.
During 2008/09 The framework for the strategy and a timetable for consultation have been put together.
Improvement activity 5 Develop and implement an action plan to support our preparations for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, ensure all our residents are healthier and have opportunities to be active by 2012. During 200809 A draft work plan and governance framework have been produced following initial consultation with Leader, Portfolio Holder and Chief Executive has been undertaken. Broader internal consultation is now underway with a view to finalising 2012 network.
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Improvement Activity 6 Implement the Equalities and Cohesion Action Plan to tackle key issues facing the borough that lead to inequalities and undermine community cohesion.
This year we have undertaken a review of the council's overall approach to equalities, diversity and cohesion in recognition of changes driven by new legislation and a complex social landscape. The Equalities and Cohesion Action Plan has now been superseded by the development of a borough-wide Comprehensive Equalities and Cohesion Plan which will set out Lambeth’s overarching strategic intent to advance the debate on cohesion and bring together and take forward a broad programme of work to embed our shared local equality strategy. It will seek to build on, and align equalities and community cohesion work across our partner organisations to improve and provide inclusive decision-making, service delivery and equality outcomes for our communities.
Underpinning the broad programme of work is the development and introduction of the Council’s first Single Equality Scheme. The scheme will move the Council from separate equality schemes to a single equality approach bringing together the statutory equality duties for race, disability and gender and the common elements of each duty that will be extended to age, transgender, sexual orientation and religion and belief. This will unify the structure for tackling discriminatory practices, reducing duplication of effort and bureaucracy to manage separate schemes to separate timelines. Public consultation to develop the SES framework and priorities will take place between June and October 2009 and the final scheme and supporting action plan will be published March 2010.
As part of the development of this SES we have reviewed our equality impact assessment (EIA) process. The revised process reflects the principles that underpin the council’s refreshed approach to equality, diversity and human rights. It commits the council to go beyond its legal duty by undertaking impact assessment for all of the equality strands – age; disability; gender and transgender; race; religion or belief and non-belief; sexual orientation as well as human rights and socio-economic factors, where appropriate.
We use the EIA process as an improvement tool to pre-empt and demonstrate how we have taken into account evidence of the impact in the design of key policy and service delivery initiatives, and what difference this has made. The assessment extends to monitoring the actual effects of the policy, once it is put into practice. It assesses whether the policies that guide our work, the procedures we operate and the day-to-day working practices are likely to have a positive or negative impact across our diverse communities.
The 2009/10 EIA Programme has been finalised is currently being delivered. Key EIAs which have been conducted or are planed to be conducted during 2009/10 include: • 2009/10 Department Service Plans; • LDF Core Strategy; and • Credit Crunch Implementation Plan
This year we have also been involved in the further development of the Council's Service and Financial Planning guidance and have been successful in ensuring a much stronger focus to incorporating equality and cohesion considerations into the business planning process. In 2009/10 we will continue to work with department service planners to strengthen use of the equalities duties to promote, mainstream and embed equalities into service design and improvement activities.
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11.2 More opportunities for children and young people
Improvement Activity 7 Increase the numbers of young people who are in education, employment and training when they leave care, by developing apprenticeships and work place training in the public and private sector. During 2008/09: The Council introduced the Steps to Success (S2S) work placement scheme in which Looked After Children and care leavers aged 16-21 years have the opportunity to undertake a paid three month work placement within a Council department. Young people are paid at Scale 3. All Council departments have offered work placements. Since August 2008, we have placed 18 young people in a work placement. Phase 1 included 10 young people, of which, two are now permanently employed within the Council (in IT and HR). Eight young people through phase 2 are currently completing their work placements and we are commencing recruitment to phase 3 where the aim is to have another minimum 10 young people undertake a work placement. The current Phase 3 recruitment is being targeted at care leavers in NEET category and additional support will be put in place to support them to access placements. This might include support with child care, and motivational support in promoting their attendance. Corporate Parenting team are working with the Leaving Care service to explore targeted support for NEET young people to ensure individualised plans are in place to engage them in Steps 2 Success opportunities. All care leavers on placements are provided with support from a Connexions Personal Advisor during and after their placement to support them to update their CV, to identify their goals, key learning and for support with longer-term employment and education options. This includes supporting them to look for permanent work. There are a number of voluntary capacity building activities being run for care leavers in Lambeth Council to involve them in strategic decision-making whilst developing their skills and confidence. The Visions of Success group for care leavers is part of Lambeth’s Children in Care Council and is an opportunity for care leavers to be directly involved in decision- making processes. A recent recruitment drive in April 2009 was held in partnership with Leaving Care and Unaccompanied Minors teams, Education Business Partnership and Connexions. 20 care leavers aged 16 – 24 years have signed up to the Visions of Success group and the group now has 30 members. Young people are involved in interviewing other young people in care about their experiences, the recruitment process for social workers and team managers, training with social workers, foster carers and other people who work with children in care and involvement in the commissioning process and tender panels. Lambeth Council is also launching the Young Enterprise scheme for Care Leavers. This project will engage a group of care leavers in setting up and running their own fully trading Young Enterprise company. The project will enable them to develop a number of key transferable business and entrepreneurial skills. Care Leavers who are in NEET category are being engaged in this programme. Currently 15 young people have signed up to this.
Improvement Activity 8 Reduce school exclusions through the implementation of early intervention and support to pupils who are at risk of exclusion.
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been increasing during the last two years. Alternatives are considered and details are relayed to schools as a means of early intervention in an attempt to avoid escalation of issues. The Exclusion Reintegration Attendance and Admissions (ERAA) team continue to advise schools on strategies they can implement as an alternative to exclusion. These include Pastoral Support Programmes (PSP), Managed Moves, Restorative Justice, Common Assessment Framework (CAF), the use of alternative education provisions, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Youth Inclusion Support Panel (YISP), Education Psychology and Information Support Assistants (ISA’s). ERAA also work closely with other local authorities to reduce exclusions for pupils attending school in another borough. Behaviour Partnership Support Service and The Park Campus have increased the amount of support provided to secondary schools, which include support from a Reintegration Assistant and Advisory Teacher.
Improvement Activity 9 Deliver the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme which will rebuilt or refurbish all of Lambeth’s Secondary Schools.
During 2008/09 The BSF programme continued apace. Over the year we:
• Won the top “Excellence in Building Schools for the Future” award for the Michael Tippett School which was named as the “most transformational, inspirational and successful BSF project”
• Opened Park Campus in early November 2008.
• Opened Elm Court in new buildings in March 2009.
• New Sports Hall at Dunraven School was completed in March 09
• Progressed the construction of Stockwell Park and The Elmgreen School which are both on programme. The old Elm Court site was released to the Elmgreen contractor in February 2009. Phase 1 of Stockwell Park is near completion and is due to be handed over in early April.
• The strategy for change and outline business case for Phase 2 of the programme were approved by Partnerships for Schools in March 2009 and the OJEU notice for Phase 2 was issued in March 2009
Improvement Activity 10 Reduce teenage pregnancy rates by further improving advice and information for young people and working with the PCT to provide contraception services in non-clinical settings.
The provisional 2007 under-18 conception rate for Lambeth is 74.4 per 1000 girls aged 15-17, representing an overall decline of 12.8% since 1998 .The decline since 2003 (the date when under 18 conceptions peaked) is 28%. This is the fourth year that Lambeth have recorded a decline in the under 18 conception rate. In Lambeth in 2007 the proportion of under 18 conceptions leading to abortion was 63% an increase of 4% from 2006. During 2008/09: In order to increase young people’s access to sexual health services two sexual health outreach nurses have been employed to rollout sexual health clinics in schools and youth
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clubs in the borough. Clinics are currently being provided in five schools and three youth clubs. A third outreach nurse will be employed in 2009/10 to continue the expansion of sexual health outreach services to include the Further Education College, young people’s homeless hostels and other venues. Staff at four new sites, including Sure Start Plus sites, Connexions and the YMCA, were trained in condom distribution. This work will further be developed in 09/10 with up to 20 new sites added. A very successful advertising campaign ‘think b4 sex’ was delivered across the borough which included posters depicting Lambeth young people. The campaign will run again in the summer of 2009. It also included the distribution of postcards conveying the key messages and lesson plans in schools and out of school settings. This work will be taken forward in 2009/10. A very successful Award Ceremony was run for young people involved in promoting prevention of teenage pregnancy and good sexual health messages. This not only recognised the young people but promoted positive messages and images of young people towards sexual health. Fifteen awards were presented to the young people. The Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Parenthood Board will continue to implement the Teenage pregnancy Action Plan based on the ten key areas of activity which show evidence of successfully reducing under 18 conceptions to ensure the continued reduction in this rate in Lambeth.
Improvement Activity 11 Lambeth has 26 Children Centres (CCs) providing childcare, health and family support services for under 5s and their families. Involving parents and children in decision making is a key focus for the Children Centre programme. During 2008/09: We have been working hard to progress the activity around the Children’s Centre commissioned services began 1 April 2008. The programme of work is monitored quarterly and running well so far. Around 150 service providers and Children’s Centres staff have undertaken common assessment framework training and mobilisation event held Three Phase 3 Children’s Centres were approved – 2 centres designated, plans underway to embed better links with One O Clock Clubs. Children’s Centre Management Information System installed and 247 Children’s Centre staff trained. We have been successful in a bid for 2 child poverty pilots in Children’s Centres. This will bring in an extra £1.3 million to help our efforts to reduce child poverty in the borough. We have successfully recruited 28 outreach workers, based at Children’s Centres, who work across the borough. Their role is primarily to support families who may not usually access services to take up Children’s Centres service, including attending parent forums. Early intervention for children with special educational needs or with a disability through Multi- disciplinary team at the Mary Sheridan Centre has supported over 300 children so far. We have continued to deliver our Family Learning programme in Children’s Centres, schools and other community settings. In addition, the Children’s Centre Programme will play a key role in supporting the development of locality parents’ forums in 2009-10. Parental involvement in the delivery and planning of Children’s Centre’s services is a key objective for the roll out of the Children’s Centre programme. Building on the success of the Sure Start Local Programme Partnership boards, the creation of parent forums provide an opportunity for parents to influence and inform service delivery at Children’s Centre level. Each centre is required to develop a regular parent’s forum to encourage parents to influence how services are delivered and to meet with service delivery partners such as the health 61 Page 326 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
visiting service. Two thirds of our centres have a parent’s forum in place. Parents’ forums are open to all and are a crucial to the outreach strategy. The forum feeds into a children’s centre advisory board which in turn feeds into the governance structure of the children's centre. The forums contribute to community cohesion as they offer parents the opportunity to meet together and focus on issues that are relevant to them and their children. A successful training programme has been delivered to support parents in developing skills in participation in organisational structures. Parents are involved at different levels of the Community Children’s Service – sitting on the partnership executive and the Joint commissioning group. CYPS is developing borough wide parents’ forums to enable participation from parents across the age range. The aim is to provide opportunities for parents to feed into borough wide structures and to provide information at a local level. For example, a parent representative has been appointed to the Early Years and Sure Start Partnership Executive (EYSSPE) Children’s Centres directory for parents published and information on activities available on the Young Lambeth website. One of the key future developments will be the commencement of the Phase Three capital programme. This will see the repair and refurbishment of One o’clock Clubs in order to provide a fully complementary service to the Children’s Centres.
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11.3 Better housing and flourishing local economies
Improvement Activity 12 Ensure council’s housing stock is well managed and able to attract investment with the launch of Lambeth Living in June 2008. In addition, we will continue to ensure a positive working relationship with United Residents Housing to deliver improvements for residents During 2008/09: Lambeth Living went live on 30 th June. Monthly client meetings between the Council and both Lambeth Living and United Resident Housing (URH) are taking place. This is leading to an improvement in service provision; void turnaround time for short cycle general needs housing has improved and in year rent collection has improved by 4.4% over the past year. New anti-fraud and audit relationships were agreed and signed off at Corporate Committee for Lambeth Living. Established processes with the Capital Investment Team for close monitoring of the URH Capital Programme. Review of existing Performance Management Framework undertaken to incorporate comments from Tenants’ Council and consultation on this review. First draft of Lambeth Living business plan delivered.
Improvement Activity 13 Develop a new Housing Strategy for Lambeth and ensure a review takes place within twelve months
During 2008/09: The Housing Strategy was approved by cabinet on the 9 th February 2009. Cabinet approved the strategy on the basis that the delivery is overseen by the Housing Partnership for Lambeth, which will report into Lambeth First, and that supplementary guidance will be issued in respect of the housing needs of young people and the housing needs of older people. Through service planning, actions from the housing strategy now form part of officers’ forward job plans. We have developed initial drafts of Vulnerable People and Younger People frameworks and Social Housing Charter
Improvement Activity 14 Improve our adult learning service by improving the provision of information, advice and guidance services, improving learning opportunities and supporting those seeking work or career development During 2008/09: The borough’s adult learning provision has continued to improve and is increasingly delivering positive outcomes for people with regard to improving skills, and in 2008 a successful Ofsted review of the service demonstrated that achievements and success rates have improved since the previous inspection. With community learning, citizens have good access to programmes in community locations 63 Page 328 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
which are offered during the day, evenings and on Saturdays to meet the needs of specific groups living in the area. English as a second language (ESOL) and ICT courses are popular, but literacy and numeracy courses are less so. A small number of embedded courses have an employability focus including Life Skills and Volunteering. To bring greater quality and co-ordination to all accredited and non-accredited ESOL provision in the borough Lambeth First has asked the Government to become an ESOL pathfinder for 2009/10. If accepted as a pathfinder authority Lambeth would be asked to pilot a new method of commissioning ESOL provision. A new service to deliver the Adult Advancement Service to the public, providing careers advice and guidance, will be fully implemented from April 2009.. This follows a successful pilot partnership with Southwark and Wandsworth. Our work to improve skills through partnership working took another positive step in December 2008 with Lambeth First signing up to the national Skills Pledge. The pledge means partners will support staff to develop their skills in literacy and numeracy and work towards qualifications to at least level 2 (equivalent to five GCSEs at grade “C” or above). Examples of projects being undertaken across Lambeth First to realise the principles set out in the skills pledge include ‘Employer of Choice’, which has started to offer work placements to local people and will also offer apprenticeships. ‘Union Learn’ is offering council staff the opportunity to develop their skills in literacy and numeracy and has reached out to extend training to market traders. The borough is leading a partnership to deliver skills for jobs involving colleges in Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth, Job Centre Plus (JCP) and Step Ahead, a private sector employment agency. This programme works with JCP and employers to offer bespoke training to help people into sustained employment. Training is being delivered as planned but there are challenges in placing people in jobs, and the partnership is working to expand its range of broker partners.
Improvement Activity 15 Update and continue to implement the Regeneration Delivery Plan (RDP)and the Economic Development Strategy
During 2008/09: Guided by the Regeneration Delivery Plan and Economic Development Strategy, we have responded to local need and delivered and progressed key projects and programmes. The borough’s Supply Lambeth programme seeks to open up public sector contracts to local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Council procurement guidelines have changed to encourage the involvement of local suppliers, for example attracting over 700 attendees to its nine capacity building events over the last two years. These events have provided opportunities for businesses to understand how public sector procurement works to increase the ability of local businesses to win local business contracts. Aside from public sector contract opportunities, Lambeth businesses are also being supported to access opportunities in the City, Westminster and Southwark through the Supply Cross River programme. In November 2008, the borough continued its Enterprise Week programme and engaged almost 300 young people by working with schools and colleges, business support organisations and local businesses. In February 2009, the Lambeth Business Awards were held. These annual awards reward and celebrate the borough’s vibrant and dynamic business community. The 2009 awards received over 200 applications for the 12 award categories – each of which were sponsored by Lambeth First partners and major business organisations including the London 64 Page 329 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
Development Agency, Lambeth College, Lambeth Council, Tribal, Business Link, London South Bank University and the London Knowledge and Innovation Centre. The event provides positive media coverage to local businesses and allows them to develop their business reputation. Our current Economic Development Strategy was based on the expectation that the economy would continue to grow over the medium term. Therefore our focus was on projects which sought to provide local people with the skills to be able to get employment. With the country now facing a severe recession we are reviewing the strategy to put increased emphasis on projects which support our local businesses to survive and prosper through the downturn and encourage external investment. Our town centre masterplanning projects in Brixton, Streatham and West Norwood, under the Future Lambeth programme, have continued throughout 2008 and are set to be approved in summer 2009. The masterplans play a key role in place-shaping and aim to promote direct both public and private investment for the benefit of the town centres, and will help to establish a ‘bank’ of projects that would be attractive and ready for implementation in the event of an economic upturn. In February 2009, the interim Brixton Masterplan was approved. The Masterplan provides an analysis of the current and future spatial environment – including community facilities, housing, business premises, public spaces, highways and green spaces. It will improve Brixton’s economic prospects by establishing more employment spaces and making real improvements to the local environment to help sustain an enterprising town centre. The final masterplan will be approved by the council in summer 2009. The Future Clapham scheme has reached a major milestone with planning permission granted for the redevelopment of two sites – Mary Seacole House, a disused office block in Clapham High Street and the Clapham Leisure Centre and Depot site. In 2009/10: Business growth has been supported through the launch of the Lambeth Business Desk, providing practical advice on a variety of issues such as access to finance, inward investment, bidding for council contracts and general business support. The Business Desk was launched in April 2009 and to date has helped over 100 businesses. The 2009/10 Supply Lambeth programme expands the initiative to present procurement opportunities within the higher education, health and social care and construction sectors. As part of the Credit Crunch Implementation Plan in 2009/10 we are seeking funding to support local businesses through an enhanced financial advice and business loan service for local businesses, increasing the availability of credit. Securing inward investment into Brixton will be further supported through the redevelopment of Brixton Central Square, due to commence in May 2009. The current Future Lambeth programme will be complemented by an assessment of other development opportunities in the borough, focusing on, but not limited to, sites identified in the Unitary Development Plan. This will consider whether the council could take any action to promote investment in these sites, and by the active marketing of the borough to raise the profile of Lambeth as an attractive opportunity for investment, as a place to live, do business and shop.
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11.4 Respect for the environment
Improvement Activity 16 Continue to promote sustainable travel in the borough by refreshing Lambeth Council’s Travel Plan, a strategy to enable council employees to switch to sustainable means of transport; expanding the Lambeth Business Travel Network (LBTN), which provides support to business in developing sustainable travel for staff; and developing Faith Based Travel Plans in partnership with local places of worship. During 2008/09: Key achievements have been made with Lambeth’s Travel Plan.
• Establishing a high level steering group to promote the travel plan across the council.
• Cycle training for all essential car users – with the first tranche of training occurring in May.
• Staff Travel Survey results show fewer staff being the only driver of cars both during working hours and also to and from work. More staff are also aware of the campaigns and schemes to promote the travel plan We now have almost 100 businesses signed up to the Lambeth Business Travel Network which allows us to offer assistance to a greater number of organisations in developing travel plans. 50 businesses attended an event at Waterloo allowing the council to engage with a number of businesses we had previously not made contact with. Officers are also working closely with a number of faith communities to develop faith based travel plans and this will be an ongoing project. In 2009/10: Funding of £25k has been found to support further measures in the Lambeth Travel Plan. Regular maintenance of pool bikes now occurs on a monthly basis. More pool bikes are also due to be purchased in the next few months. A 12 month campaign to encourage walking and cycling is being launched in May, which allows staff to log their miles on a website. Transport for London (TfL) have provided us with continued funding for the Lambeth Business Travel Network to work with businesses over the next 12 months and more events and campaigns are planned to keep up the momentum of the network.
Improvement Activity 17 Continue to promote cycling within Lambeth through subsidised cycle training and maintenance courses; infrastructure improvements including the LCN+ network; and ongoing promotional events and publicity campaigns During 2008/09: The number of requests for cycle training continued to rise. Although we are yet to receive exact numbers of residents and schools trained from our cycle training providers it is apparent that more and more people are taking up the subsidised training. A comprehensive marketing campaign will have helped contribute to this. Regular bike maintenance classes have continued to prove popular with residents. The 6 month campaign of weekly Dr Bikes in the borough were hugely popular with over 560 bikes being serviced during these sessions. Lambeth is the only London borough to host such a comprehensive programme of this kind, and as a result officers were asked to present on the scheme at a recent TfL conference. There is also a possibility of TfL using Lambeth’s scheme as a model to roll out to other boroughs. A number of LCN + schemes have been delivered this year, these have included a mixture of 66 Page 331 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
traffic calming and junction improvements, environmental improvements such as Tree Planting and the opening up of one way streets to allow cycling both ways. Some schemes are being re-designed as a result of consultation responses.
Improvement Activity 18 Improve energy efficiency in housing stock across the borough including completion of cavity fill and / or loft insulation in all appropriate Council owned homes; continued implementation of the Warm Front and Cold Busters programmes; and ongoing education and information campaigns. During 2007/08 Warm Front is the government’s national fuel poverty grant scheme and the warm front grant enabled 267 dwellings to receive energy efficiency measures including:
• 54 replacement gas boilers;
• 92 draught proofing
• 56 loft insulation installations; and
• 8 cavity wall insulation installations. We distributed 50,000 low energy light bulbs to council tenants in October 2008. We provided free insulation for exposed valves on Lambeth Living communal boilers in a scheme funded by EDF and managed by Sustain. Estimated savings for 2008/09 are £52,450 with a further £66,898 estimated for boilers already surveyed and scheduled to be insulated in 2009/10. Had two home visitors doing home visits to offer in depth energy advice to Lambeth residents. This was free of charge and delivered by a local not for profit organisation. During January and February 2009 we offered 200 home energy advice visits to residents on the Vauxhall Gardens estate including free energy saving light bulbs, free radiator panels (reflect the heat back in to the room) and advice on how to manage their heating effectively.
11.5 Developing personalised care services
Improvement Activity 19 Increase take-up of welfare benefits by delivering the Every Pound Counts services
During 2008/09: Since the start of the campaign we have been contacted by 2595 individuals or a person referring the individual. So far, 972 people have benefited from increased income, with further gains in progress. To date the campaign has achieved income gains of £3,890,000 for vulnerable Lambeth residents. The average annualised income gain is now just over £4000 per person assisted. We are however still some way off the three year target of 3,600 people supported to achieve income gains . We have worked with ACS training and development to expand and publicise a more varied and service tailored benefits training programme. The local Pensions Service are now taking referrals from the campaign and providing full information on outcomes, which has increased service capacity to take referrals. We have continued to work with Revenues and Benefits and Pensions Service to provide outcomes
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from the council tax benefit take up and those approaching their 60th birthday. Increased awareness of the campaign among health services has resulted in increased referrals from GP practices, and we have started five new GP outreach services. We jointly hosted a fuel poverty forum with the Energy Strategy Officer, Housing and Regeneration. The event was attended by internal partners and those from the voluntary and community sector and included a presentation on our service and key achievements and contribution to tackling fuel poverty.
Improvement Activity 20 Improve services for people with mental health needs by introducing direct payments, developing employment initiatives and increasing levels of self-directed care thereby enabling service users to make their own choices about how to meet care needs. During 2008/09: Lambeth has submitted a bid to the department of health to be a pilot site for individual health budgets, which will also incorporate social care. In the meantime, work is developing with a specific project with South London and Maudsley Mental Health Trust to promote direct payments and individual budgets, and enhancing employment opportunities. The project will focus on people with secondary care mental health needs, receiving assessment and advice from occupational therapists. There is an increased availability of community support services to provide intensive support to clients leaving hospital or for those moving out from residential care including those with complex needs, for an additional 50 people via Umbrella Services. This delivers personalised care and support packages designed to help people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) to live comfortable and meaningful lives in their own homes. Lambeth is also developing a network of providers offering employment services, to promote good practice and develop further opportunities. A range of initiatives have been developed to assist with the key social inclusion target (PSA 16) of supporting people who use secondary mental health services into work. Vocation Matters is a service led by service users providing accurate, in–depth information that helps service users make informed choices about their options with regards to employment, education, welfare, volunteering and training. The Borough’s current capacity in supporting service users into employment includes a range of local vocational providers. For instance, in 2008/9 (voluntary and public sector) 65 service users were supported into paid employment during 2008/9 e.g. 13 Status, 10 vocation matters, 10 Time Banks, 5 OT community team project, 27 across the voluntary sector (Mosaic, FST, SRA, Fanon, Black friars).
Improvement Activity 21 Develop a new borough wide strategy for domestic violence to guide work that will increase the detection rate of this crime, reduce repeat victimisation and increase the number of successful prosecutions for this crime. During 2008/09: There has been a 4.4% increase in the total number of domestic violence crimes reported, and a 4.9% increase in the sanctioned detection rate. There has also been a 1.9% decrease in the overall domestic violence repeat victimisation rate. Working with the Crown Prosecution Service, we made good progress on the number of successful prosecutions for domestic violence related crime. In 2008/09 there were 125 successful convictions at court, compared with 95 in 2007/08. This is a 31.6% increase in the
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number of those convicted at court for a domestic violence related crime The Lambeth Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Panel (MARAC) continues to meet monthly. As the MARAC has developed the volume of referrals has increased. 2008/09 saw a 329% increase in the volume of referrals to the MARAC from 2007/08. There has also been an increase in the repeat referral rate in the second year of the LAA. This is because we now have a full 12 months worth of previous cases from which potential repeat cases can be drawn. Nationally the repeat victimisation percentage rate, based on available data for mature MARACs, is between 28% and 34%. We are therefore performing relatively well on this indicator in Lambeth, not only in relation to our LAA target, but also in relation to the national average for mature MARACs. It is significant that 26 victim referrals have now been discharged from the MARAC. These 26 cases are considered to have been 'successes', as there was no repeat referral into the MARAC in a 12 month period. This demonstrates the success of the Lambeth MARAC in working with high risk victim of domestic violence, using a coordinated community response. A new project saw all high risk victims of domestic violence who are referred to the MARAC allocated an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor, who makes contact to offer a specialist domestic violence support service prior to the MARAC meeting. This ensures that the voice of the victim is heard at the MARAC. CAADA (Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse) re-visited the Lambeth MARAC to conduct the second stage of the MARAC implementation programme. They observed the MARAC and have produced a feedback report. The feedback provided on the day was extremely positive and encouraging, and the report makes recommendations for the future development of the MARAC. The council has carried out joint work with the police and voluntary agencies at the Gaia Centre to provide support to victims, through letters and information packs sent directly to people reporting an incident. This is followed by a call or visit from Independent Domestic Violence Advocates, offering access to a specialist domestic violence support service . We developed a domestic violence service directory. We have worked with the Greater London Domestic Violence Project to consult with women who have experienced domestic violence, to further inform the development of Lambeth’s overall domestic violence strategy We celebrated International Women’s day with an event for women who have used local domestic violence services We introduced domestic violence practitioner meetings to ensure that agencies work together in a coordinated way in order to promote the safety and wellbeing of victims of domestic violence in the borough.
Improvement Activity 22 Implement the Learning Disability Commissioning Strategy to improve the lives of people with a learning disability.
During 2008/09: Over 2008/09, we have reviewed the needs of adults with learning disabilities (AwLD) and current service provision in relation to the personalisation agenda and the requirements of ‘Valuing People Now’. We have identified where services need to change and partnerships need to strengthen, and consulted widely with AwLD, their carers, voluntary sector organisations and service providers in order to fully develop a 5-year strategy for AwLD The draft Learning Disability Commissioning Strategy and Action Plan was approved by the Council, PCT and Health and Well-being Partnership. The strategy aims to enhance support
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systems with a wide range of respite care services, day care, outreach support and improved access to a wide range of activities. This will widen the choice for service users and carers with a range of support advice and services. The strategy went out to public consultation from September to early December. There were a series of workshops and meetings, and questionnaires were sent to carers and service providers. The strategy received constructive feedback and comments.
Improvement Activity 23 Develop and implement the Older People, Adults with Physical or Sensory Impairment and Carers’ strategies
During 2008/09: The carers’ strategy was published together with the launch of the carers’ charter in June 2008. There will a £20 million investment over the next 5 years. The tendering process is complete for the new targeted breaks for Carers with learning disabilities. Activities to deliver the strategy included: • Lambeth Carers Awards in December 2008 • Emergency Respite scheme for Carers launched • Procurement process for Carers Hub commenced • Work began on systems to support Fix yourself a break and Carers Assessments in the voluntary sector which will be completed by July 2009 A consultation event with people with physical disability and sensory impairment, their carers, provider and voluntary sector organisations in order to ensure that their ideas are captured in the adults with physical or sensory impairment strategy from the outset. The corporate strategy for older people including continued work on Sheltered Housing Review was developed. This went out to formal consultation on 17 th February 2009 and 200 older people attended a workshop on 20 th February 2009. This was the first of a range of consultation activities which will take place through to 18th May 2009 when formal consultation finishes. The Enablement Project was relaunched with a focus on an integrated approach with Intermediate Care with appointment of Project Manager. Work began with Sanctuary Housing on the redevelopment of a sheltered housing scheme into Extra Care.
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11.6 Serving our customers well
Improvement activity 24 Develop and implement a value for money (VfM) strategy which will set out and improve our approach to value for money, how we achieve it and how we will measure it over the medium term. During 2008/09: Lambeth’s VfM agenda has progressed throughout 2008/09 resulting in a greater understanding of value for money delivered by the council and more efficient operations for residents. Key achievements include: • The Audit Commission awarded a 3 star rating for our use of resources demonstrating performance as consistently above minimum requirements and performing well. • Cashable efficiency gains of £33m were realised over the 3 year Gershon period and reported through the Annual Efficiency Statement. • A further £11m cashable efficiency gains have been forecast in 2008/09. • A draft VfM Strategy has been produced which is supported by additional guidance and tools available on the intranet. • A completed a benchmark review of the Temporary Accommodation service and submitted final report to the Divisional Director of Resources for the Housing, Regeneration and Environment department. The review focussed on the level of VfM provided by the service compared to other London boroughs. • Analysis of Financial Management Survey results. The survey highlights a range of opinion across the Council for both financial and non-financial officers. The outcomes identify strengths and areas for improvement which will lead to development and prioritisation of a financial management strategy that positively contributes to achieving business goals and organisational aspirations. • Completed value for money benchmark review of key financial services and reported to the Finance & Resources DLT. The review highlighted the level of Vfm achieved within the department and identified services providing lower levels of Vfm. The review will inform service and financial planning and contribute to improving Vfm across the council. • Provided support to Strategic Transformation to assist in reviewing council wide savings targets and business cases. • Established VfM champion network across the council to improve awareness and engagement with VfM initiatives. A VfM champion has been identified within each department to act as primary contact.
Improvement activity 25 Implement further improvements to the integrated service and financial planning process 2009/10 – 2011/12. During 2008/09: We made a number of changes to the service and financial planning process to deliver a more integrated process. Improving the customer experience was one of the central themes of service and financial planning and customer profiles and feedback from surveys, consultations and complaints were used to shape the plans. Promoting the council’s three 71 Page 336 Year End 2008/09 Council Performance Digest
cross cutting promises was highlighted and service plans had to identify how improvement activities would help to deliver these. Promoting equalities was integrated throughout planning and each service plan underwent an equalities impact assessment. To help achieve consistency we developed a common template for division and department service plans. The refreshed corporate plan, department service plans and division plans were signed off in March 2009. The council’s budget was approved in February 2009.
Improvement activity 26 Further improve performance management to ensure effective monitoring and management of the new national performance framework. During 2008/09: We continued to implement the performance and quality management framework. The council performance digest was revamped to report by council priority rather than by department The CPD reports on the council’s corporate plan and now includes success stories, feedback from surveys and consultation as well as progress against indicators. We introduced performance clinics for consistently underperforming indicators and these have been held for initial assessments to children’s services, housing voids and sickness. We have improved our data quality process by introducing two internal audits each year and the first of these was completed in February 2009.
Improvement activity 27 Develop Lambeth Life so that it is a community based newspaper that informs our residents/stakeholders and increases dialogue between them and the council, as one of a number of communication vehicles. During 2008/09: • We published a further five issues of Lambeth life (Jan–Mar 09) • Advertising volume and revenue did not grow significantly in this quarter – the result of two things: first - increased administration to resolved accounting/invoicing problems (having a negative impact on the amount of proactive sales work) and secondly as a result of businesses spending less on advertising because of the recession. • Despite this, our advertising manager exceeded set revenue targets and made-up the deficit of revenue for the whole year. • Started a new community notice board section • Received our first ever officially ABC audited distribution figures of 115,830 – making Lambeth Life the biggest circulation, non-daily newspaper in London. Providing a useful benchmark for newspaper advertisers. • Gathered more research and ‘reader intelligence’ based on the results of six Lambeth life questions in the TNS annual resident’s survey for the council.
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Improvement activity 28 Improve information about the council’s services on our website and associated micro sites. Support the development of online forms and technologies to ensure they are usable, accessible and meet customers’ needs. During 2008/09: Our website is now more used than ever before. We attracted over 140,000 unique visitors to the Lambeth website over 2008/9. The new website has been user tested and we have been using web monitoring software to shape content on the home page. We have introduced a 'find your councillor' postcode lookup so that residents can look for councillors online. We published an online polling system on the Lambeth website homepage and also supported the delivery of the Young Lambeth website of children's services. We are increasing web-based information capacity through the planned rollout of intranet services to schools and on Blackberry mobile devices. We have improved the search functionality for the website to enable our search engine to search partner websites including PCT and Lambeth First. We have made the Lambeth website more accessible by setting up new ‘action’ pages on the website to allow easier access to payments, forms and service delivery online. We launched new web technologies to support engagement with residents and allow user contributions and support campaigns and service delivery. These included Twitter, blog for the leader of the council and Flickr.
Improvement activity 29 Implement the Lambeth Together strategy which sets out a series of community engagement programmes the council will be undertaking to better understand the needs and demands of our citizens. In 2008/09:
We completed a needs assessment of the Portuguese Communities in Lambeth as part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) which has helped the council and partners to get a clearer understanding of their needs and how public services can go about meeting them. In 2009/10 we will be undertaking a needs assessment of people with disabilities and by March 2011 will also have completed an assessment of the LGBT community in Lambeth. We worked with the Lambeth Voluntary Action Council (LVAC) to enable a new volunteer support service to be opened in Brixton which will help to increase the levels of volunteering in the borough.
We have successfully secured funding for the Black Heritage Centre which will promote and present exhibitions to celebrate the lives of Black British achievers, provide activities and education programmes for schools, families, elders and young people and train black people in the archive and curating professions. The centre will be built and opened by April 2011.
We have also received funding for an Older People’s Resource Centre & Carers Hub which will be a one-stop shop for services targeted at older people and carers and should open by January 2010. We organised and ran Peace on the Street events during Peace month. This programme is a partnership between the Metropolitan Police, Lambeth Council and local community groups aimed at delivering a series of fun and thought-provoking events, dedicated to celebrating a
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peaceful and unified community. The 2008/09 campaign will be evaluated and this will be used in the planning of the 2009/10 campaign.
Voter registration was increased in 2008/09 to 91% meaning that more residents are able to participate in elections. Our Democratic Services team have continued to provide training on democratic awareness for our community groups to increase participation of excluded groups. These sessions advise people as to how best to contact the Council, who their representatives are, the role of the Councillor and MP, services the Council provides, how to engage in decision making and how to access information.
We elected a new youth mayor and youth council. In the run up to the council elections in 2009/10 we will continue to promote democracy and maintain these high levels of voter registration through canvassing activity, promotion and reminders of elections, and communications and collaborative work with the Youth Council in schools.
We have continued to develop neighbourhood working through three pilot sites; Brixton, Clapham Park and Waterloo. A neighbourhood working delivery group has been established and area agreements have been finalised for the three pilot sites. In 2009/10 we will evaluate progress made in the pilot areas and use this to develop and roll out neighbourhood working to more areas.
Under the building pathways to enterprise programme we implemented a pilot youth enterprise programme, and for National Enterprise Week we held a successful week of activities engaging almost 300 young people and working with schools, colleges, universities and businesses.
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12 Appendix B: Summary of Corporate Reporting Indicators
LAA Key Y One of 35 negotiated indicators for the Local Area Agreement YL One of the local indicators included in our Local Area Agreement YS One of 16 statutory indicators included in our Local Area Agreement ST Stretch target indicators included in our Local Area Agreement
A safer Lambeth with strong communities
No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 4 Y Percentage of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality OCE Y NI 5 Y Overall/general satisfaction with the local area OCE Y NI 110 Y Young people's participation in positive activities CYPS Y Page 339 NI 111 First time entrants to the Youth Justice system ACS Y NI 118 Y Take-up of formal childcare for low income working families CYPS N Data not currently available NI 121 Y Mortality rates from circulatory diseases in people under 75 ACS N Data not currently available NI 15 Y Serious violent crime rate ACS Y NI 16 Y Serious acquisitive crime rate ACS Y NI 20 Assaults with injury crime rate ACS Y NI 21 Y Dealing with local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime by the local ACS Y council and police NI 28 Serious knife crime rate ACS Y NI 29 Gun crime rate ACS Y NI 30 Re-offending rates of prolific and priority offenders ACS Y NI 34 Domestic Violence – murder ACS Y NI 35 Y Building resilience to violent extremism within Lambeth ACS Y NI 39 Rate of hospital admission per 100,000 for alcohol related ACS N Data not currently available NI 42 Y Perceptions about drug use and drug dealing as a problem OCE Y
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No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments L1 Investigation of abandoned vehicles HRE Y L2 Removal of abandoned vehicles HRE Y L3 Street lighting HRE Y HCOP7b ST Number of BME smokers who set a quit date and have quit by 4 weeks. ACS N To be captured in EDG LAA report HCOP7c ST Number of test purchases that result in illegal sales. ACS N To be captured in EDG LAA report Local YL Increasing the number of volunteers registering HRE N Data not currently available SSC40 ST Reduce accidental fires in the home HRE N To be reported on in year end LAA report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) SSC41a ST Increase in the proportion of incidents of domestic violence which result in ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA sanctioned detections (offences resulting in caution, charge. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) Page 340 SSC41b ST Reduce proportion of total incidents reported that are repeat incidents of ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA domestic violence reported either directly to the police or third party as a report for the Executive Delivery proportion of the total number of incidents reported in the same period. Group (EDG) SSC41c ST Reduce proportion of total incidents reported that are repeat incidents of ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA domestic violence reported by those victims who are being managed by a Multi- report for the Executive Delivery agency Risk Assessment Conference System (MARACS) or equivalent. Group (EDG) SSC41d ST Increase the number of offenders brought to justice for domestic violence, as ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA measured by CPS data. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) SSC44 ST Service users who have moved on in a planned way from temporary living ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA arrangements. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) SSC6a ST Reduce the number of BME first time entrants into the youth criminal justice CYPS N To be reported on in year end LAA system (Data available quarterly). report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) SSC6b ST To reduce the frequency of re-offending of BME young people taking part in CYPS N To be reported on in year end LAA Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programmes. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG)
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More opportunities for children and young people
No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 50 Y Emotional health of children CYPS Y NI 52 Take up of school lunches CYPS Y NI 55 Y Obesity among primary school age children in Reception year CYPS N Data not currently available NI 59 % of initial assessments carried out within 7 days CYPS Y NI 60 % of core assessments carried out within 35 days CYPS Y NI 63 Y Stability of placements of looked after children: length of placement CYPS Y NI 65 % of children becoming the subject of a Child Protection plan CYPS Y NI 66 Looked after Children cases which were reviewed within timescales CYPS Y NI 67 % of child protection cases which were reviewed within required timescales CYPS Y Page 341 NI 68 % of referrals to children’s social care going on to initial assessments CYPS Y NI 72 YS Achievement of at least 78 points across the early years foundation stage CYPS Y including 6+ in all CLL and PSED Scales NI 73 YS Achievement at Level 4 or above in both English and maths at KS2 CYPS Y NI 74 YS Achievement at Level 5 or above in English and maths at KS3 CYPS Y NI 75 YS Achievement of 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English CYPS Y and Maths NI 87 YS Secondary school persistent absence rate CYPS Y NI 92 YS Narrowing the gap between the lowest achieving 20% in the early years CYPS Y foundation stage profile and the rest NI 93 YS Progression by 2 levels in English at Key Stage 1 and 2 CYPS Y NI 94 YS Progression by 2 levels in Maths at Key Stage 1 and 2 CYPS Y NI 99 YS Children in care reaching level 4 in English at KS2 CYPS Y NI 100 YS Children in care reaching level 4 in Maths at KS2 CYPS Y NI 101 YS Children in care achieving 5 A*-C GCSES including English and Maths at KS4 CYPS Y
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No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 102a Y Achievement gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers CYPS Y achieving the expected level at Key Stage 2 NI 102b Y Achievement gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers CYPS Y achieving the expected level at Key Stage 4 NI 112 Y Under 18 conception rate CYPS Y NI 114 Y Rate of permanent exclusions from school CYPS Y NI 116 Y Proportion of children in poverty HRE N Data not currently available NI 117 Y/ST 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training CYPS Y CYP17 ST Percentage increase in numbers of young people participating in the arts across CYPS N To be reported on in year end LAA the borough. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) CYP6 ST Number of schools with healthy school accreditation in Lambeth, which are also CYPS N To be reported on in year end LAA Page 342 accredited for extended Healthy School status for at least three lifestyle report for the Executive Delivery components. Group (EDG) BVPI Average Time to relet local authority housing HRE Y 212 BVPI Rent collection HRE Y 66a NI 13 Y Migrants English language skills and knowledge HRE N Data not currently available NI 45 Y Young offenders engagement in suitable education, employment or training ACS Y
NI 79 Y Achievement of a Level 2 qualification by the age of 19 HRE N Data not currently available NI 144 Y Offenders under probation supervision in employment at the end of their order ACS Y or licence NI 146 Y Adults with learning disabilities in employment ACS N Data not currently available NI 150 Y Adults in contact with secondary mental health services in employment ACS N Data not currently available NI 151 Y Overall employment rate HRE Y NI 153 Y Working age people claiming out of work benefits in the worst performing HRE Y neighbourhoods [4] NI 155 Y Number of affordable homes delivered (gross) HRE Y
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No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 156 Y Number of households living in temporary accommodation HRE Y NI 157a Processing of planning applications - Major HRE Y NI 157b Processing of planning applications - Minor HRE Y NI 157c Processing of planning applications - Other HRE Y NI 158 Y Percentage of non-decent council homes HRE Y NI 163 Y Working age population qualified to at least Level 2 or higher HRE Y NI 171 Y New business registrations HRE Y EDE11 ST Number of Lambeth residents in receipt of a Lone Parent benefit into sustained HRE N To be reported on in year end LAA employment. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) Page 343
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Respect for the environment No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 186 Y Per capita CO2 emissions in the local authority area HRE N Data not currently available NI 191 Residual household waste per household HRE Y NI 192 % of household waste send for reuse, recycling or composting HRE Y NI 195 YL Improved street and environmental cleanliness (levels of graffiti, litter, detritus HRE Y and fly posting) NI 196 Street cleanliness - fly tipping HRE N Data not currently available SSC27 ST Increase in number of green flag award parks (Total number of flags awarded HRE N To be reported on in year end LAA above the baseline) report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG) Page 344
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Developing personalised care services No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 130 Y Social Care clients receiving Self Directed Support (Direct Payments and ACS Y Individual Budgets) NI 132 Timeliness of social care packages (all adults) ACS Y NI 133 Timeliness of social care packages following assessments ACS Y NI 135 Y Carers receiving needs assessment or review and a specific carer's service, or ACS Y advice and information NI 136 People supported to live independently through social services ACS Y NI 141 Y Number of vulnerable people achieving independent living ACS Y NI 142 % of vulnerable people who are supported to maintain independent living ACS Y HCOP18 ST The number of older and disabled individuals, and their carers, assisted in ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA
successfully claiming new or increased levels of benefit(s), as a result of benefit report for the Executive Delivery Page 345 take up campaigns. Group (EDG) HCOP7a ST Number of smokers who set a quit date and are abstaining from smoking by 52 ACS N To be reported on in year end LAA weeks after quit date. report for the Executive Delivery Group (EDG)
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Serving our customers well No. LAA Indicator Dept Inc? Comments NI 14 Avoidable contact F&R Y NI 180 The number of Change of circumstances in housing benefits / council tax F&R Y NI 181 Time taken to process housing benefit / council tax F&R Y BVPI 8 % of invoices paid on time F&R Y BVPI 9 Percentage of council tax collected F&R Y BVPI 10 Percentage of non-domestic rates collected F&R Y BVPI Top 5% earners : women HR, Y 11a OCE BVPI Top 5% earners : minority ethnic communities HR, Y 11b OCE BVPI Top 5% earners : people with a disability HR, Y 11c OCE Page 346 BVPI 12 Working days lost due to sickness absence F&R Y BVPI % of employees with a disability HR, Y 16a OCE BVPI Racial incidents All Y 175 BVPI % of black and ethnic minority employees HR, Y 17a OCE L4 % of phone calls answered F&R Y L7 % of agency staff HR, Y OCE L6 % of complaints escalating to stage 2 F&R Y L5 Customer satisfaction with complaints handling F&R Y
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13 Appendix C: How we report our performance
Risk assessment (RAG rating) We assess our indicators on a Red / Amber / Green (RAG) status. We use this to highlight which areas are currently performing well and which are not. Each indicator has a “tolerance level” we use to determine how high a risk its current performance is. For most indicators, this tolerance level is 10% - if the indicator is more than 10% off target, then it is marked as red risk and flagged for immediate action by the corporate performance team.
Red – this means an indicator is not achieving its current target, and is below our tolerance level. It is a high risk indicator. It will be reported in detail under the “Risks” section for the appropriate priority, and an action plan will be drawn up to improve performance.
Amber – this means an indicator is not achieving its target, but is within the tolerance level outlined above. It is a medium risk indicator. Where performance is decreasing, we will outline an action plan for the indicator as for Red risk.
Green – the indicator is achieving its target. It is a low risk indicator.
Direction of Travel We use direction of travel to show how we have improved over time for an indicator. We compare our current performance to last year’s performance (2007/08), so that we can see where we are improving and where we are decreasing in performance. Direction of travel is not linked to the RAG rating at all – indicators can be poorly performing (red) but still be improving overall, and indicators can be achieving their target but deteriorating in performance since last year.
For indicators where there is no data available from 2007/08, we have based our direction of travel on the April 2008 result, to show how we have improved across the Quarter.
- means we have improved in our performance since the end of 2007/08 - means we are at the same levels of performance since the end of 2007/08 - means we have decreased in performance since the end of 2007/08
National and London quartiles Where possible we try to benchmark our performance against the other local authorities. We do this by measuring ourselves against quartiles. Quartiles show our position compared to either all local authorities, or just those in London. Each quartile is 25% of the overall performance – so if an indicator is labelled as being TOP (Quartile 1), it is in the top 25% of performance when compared to other authorities. If an indicator is in LOW (Quartile 4) it is in the bottom 25% of performance compared to other authorities.
Quartiles are useful measures because they show us contextual information about our performance, and show how we compare to other boroughs. If an indicator has a RAG status of Green, but is only MID, it shows that our target has not been set high enough and that we can still make a lot of improvements in this area. If an indicator has a RAG status of Red but is in TOP, it shows that our target may be set too high, and that although we are not achieving the target our performance compares favourably to other authorities.
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Example of a Performance Indicator
Name of How we How we have The risk status – the performed performed so how are we indicator far this year doing against last year in total our target?
2007/08 Year to date Direction of Year End BVPI 218a Target 2008/09 Met Target? outturn performance travel Outturn Investigation of abandoned 87.46% 92% 92.9% 90.5% vehicles GREEN Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Monthly 90.5% 95.7% Performance Monthly DOT Our target for the How we current What we performed year. think we will each ▼means How well we are achieve by month we need doing so far this the end of the to score year compared to financial year. How we performed low for last year’s result. (March 2009) this month good (The 2007/08
compared to last result)
month.
- we improved on
last month,
- we deteriorated
in performance from
last month
N/A means the data is not available.
How accurate are our indicators?
We strive for accuracy and high data quality across all Lambeth council. Each year we are independently assessed by the Audit Commission on the truthfulness and accuracy of our indicators, and for the past 3 years we have received a good assessment from them. This allows us and the residents of Lambeth to have confidence in the results we publish.
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