London Tenants Federation Opportunity & Intensification Areas Conference 2013 Report 1 This conference was organised as part of a London Tenants Federation project funded by Trust for London. The project focuses on bringing together networks of tenants and other community groups in six parts of London where large scale developments are taking place (notably in Opportunity and Intensification Areas). It supports groups in influencing or challenging planning policy and in considering where community powers provided through the Localism Act may be of benefit to them. LTF is working closely with Just Space in this project. The conference aimed to link groups from the LTF Trust for London project with London Tenants Federation and Just Space members that are engaged in influencing and challenging regional planning policy It examined what has happened at Kings Cross (the most advanced of the of the 33 Opportunity Areas) and used this as a generator for wider discussion on community involvement in large-scale development areas . Conference attendees considered whether tenant and community groups in these areas can: • make gains or prevent losses in terms of homes and jobs for their communities; • prevent buildings of community interest being torn down; • effectively maintain a strong consensus voice and get that voice heard, including through developing alternative community-determined plans? We would like to thank everyone who supported us in organising the conference, particularly former Kings Cross Railway Lands Group members, Just Space, workshop facilitators and contributors, UCL students, and Ampthill Square TRA. 2 1. INTRODUCTIONS: Pat Turnbull , LTF representative from Hackney Residents Liaison Panel, chaired the conference. Sharon Hayward provided information about the LTF’s Trust for London funded project, which started in January 2013. Opportunity and Intensification Areas are identified in the London Plan as places where most of London’s new homes and jobs will be delivered over the next 15 years or more. They have capacity to provide half a million jobs and around 230,000 homes. The impact of these large development areas is not confined to the areas themselves, and analysis of what is happening in them provides us an overview of whose needs are, or are not, being serviced as the capital grows. The conference pack contained a map showing where the Opportunity and Intensification Areas are situated. Our Trust For London project aims to facilitate local networks of tenant and other community groups coming together, in areas where these large scale developments are taking place, to engage in understanding, influencing and challenging local development policy (much as Just Space does at the regional level). It also aims to further link these networks to LTF and Just Space regional networks. The project came about, in part, as a result of the gradual widening of London Tenants Federations’ focus - to include London-wide strategic planning as well as housing policy. This came about through its membership of Just Space, which brings together a range of voluntary and community groups that aim to influence and challenge regional planning policy). Initially, through it’s Just Space membership, LTF became much more aware of exactly how much housing policy is set out in the London Plan. Gradually, it widened its focus on non-housing issues and found that at the same time it was gaining wider support from others groups on housing policy issues. Importantly through support from more experience Just Space members, LTF member organisations have been able to bring their grass-roots experience and evidence of what’s happening around ‘regeneration’ schemes (much in these large Opportunity and Intensification Areas) to public examinations of the London Plan. LTF is working closely with Just Space on the project, because of its wider expertise in the technicalities of planning policy - particularly on non-housing issues. LTF has made good friends with other Just Space members, who often provide support at LTF events, assist in providing informed debate, and opportunities for groups to share and learn from one another. What are the key issues around these large areas of development? They are not just important because of the large numbers of homes and jobs they are to deliver, but also because tenant and community groups often find that it is incredibly difficult to influence or challenge development policy. Opportunity and Intensification areas are at the edge of what’s taking place across London, particularly around large-scale gentrification. Many are dotted along the river and canal sides, where previously much industry and manufacturing work had been situated and which often had estates housing workers situated nearby. This land is now very high value and of interest to property developers and investors, and a wealthy international elite. In some of these areas, local industry is still exists, such as in Charlton, but is being turfed out to make way for luxury homes. Richard Lee emphasised that one of the key aims of the project is to strengthen tenant and community group networks in these areas. Just Space is a London wide network, bringing 3 together tenant, environmental, civic and amenity groups and communities of interest. People come together for mutual support and shared learning to increase their influence. This is all very well, but most of us don’t think about issues London-wide, we think about where we live or work; the local level. Can this be replicated and supported at that local level through the kind of networking that Just Space has been doing over the last 6 years at the regional level? Within Opportunity Areas there are tenant associations, groups with interests in issues such as transport and the environment; local businesses tying to deliver jobs for local people and many groups involving communities of interest. All are campaigning on their specific issues. Richard said there are benefits in groups coming together at the local level and, if they do, they may well be more effective. The planning system can be very complicated so sharing leaning is of benefit. Equally, if groups successfully network they can put forward alternative visions for Opportunity Areas that protect the existing local community rather than developer or local authority interests. If we are going to put forward a community vision, it needs to be all embracing. It’s not so effective if people are isolated and focused on their single issue. We are more effective if we come up with a community-based vision that we can campaign and negotiate for, in addition to campaigning against what we don’t want. We need to network effectively. In terms of a an alternative development vision, we think that something called Lifetime Neighbourhoods , which LTF has done a lot of work on, does actually set out a framework that is in the community interest. Richard said that it is worth looking at LTF tenants’ definition of a Lifetime Neighbourhood. It focuses on the homes, community facilities and services that people want and need, but also on the proper participation, involvement and ownership that we want. We know is not going to happen unless we are quite forceful. That LTF framework is already there, it’s been discussed and agreed at other conferences, but can we get local networks and groups to add local detail and campaign on this? We are in the middle of a two year project; are we succeeding in our aims, how do we know whether we are being successful; how can such networks be sustained after the project is finished? These are some important issues for us to consider, if the project is to be effective. 2. SPEAKERS: Conference speakers had been involved with the former Kings Cross Railway Lands Group (KXRLG), which was established in an attempt to influence and challenge plans for Kings Cross, the most advanced of London’s Opportunity Areas. Campaigning around the redevelopment of the Kings Cross Railway Lands had started long before the area was defined as an Opportunity Area in the London Plan. Some the group’s members were involved for 25 years. Marian Larragy – 25 years of campaigning at Kings Cross : Marion said that she was member of the Kings Cross Railway Lands Group for around half of its existence and had worked in the building where the group’s office was based before formally becoming a member. Being involved in a new development is complicated and the more people that engage, the better. It’s important for those who do engage not to get too tired or overwhelmed by the amount of information there is to absorb. KXRLG started in face of adversity. There was a big proposal to build giant offices on Kings Cross railway lands in 1987 and everyone wanted to organise against it, including tenants associations and other community groups. Camden Council was minded to grant planning permission, but suddenly there was a change in economic circumstances and the whole development was off. What people decided to do then was to start organising (networking and beginning to set out a community vision for the area) rather than to stop. 4 A lot was going on throughout the 1990’s. The neighbourhood panel on the south side of the Euston Road got together with people over the borough boundary in Islington and they bought together the two local authorities and the health authority and started trying to tackle some of the problems in the area. There were people involved in all kinds of regenerations (including around community safety and employment) in different neighbourhoods. Throughout that period there was also money around for upgrading housing. This was also at the early stages of Right to Buy when there was still quite a lot of tension around people’s differing views on that.