Committee(s): Date(s): Planning and Transportation Committee 24 July 2012 Subject: Public Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield draft Area Enhancement Strategies – Pre-consultation report Report of: For Decision The Director of the Built Environment Summary This report sets out details of the planned public consultation exercises to aid the development of Area Enhancement Strategies for the Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield areas of the City. These strategies primarily analyse the public realm and transportation networks within the specific areas, identify current issues/pressures and set out frameworks for addressing these issues within the context of existing policies and guidance. Copies of each of the draft strategies are available in the Member‟s Reading Room. The City has already adopted several Area Enhancement Strategies as mechanisms for delivering public realm improvements in areas of the City including Cheapside, Eastern City Cluster, St Paul‟s and Riverside Walk. The plan at Appendix A shows the individual areas and the stage of development that each of the strategies has reached. An important element in developing these area enhancement strategies has been extensive public consultation. The draft Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield Area Enhancement Strategies provide detailed proposals that are linked to, and informed by the Core Strategy. The objectives of the draft Area Enhancement Strategies will develop further the proposals contained within the London Plan, the Local Implementation Plan and Corporate Plan and the Department of the Built Environment Departmental Business Plan. As part of the initial development of the draft Area Enhancement Strategies key external and internal stakeholders have been consulted, including officers, Ward Members, Chairman/Deputy of the Planning & Transportation Committee and Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee. The feedback gained from these initial consultations has been invaluable in establishing the issues affecting the respective areas and the priorities. Members are asked to agree that the draft Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield Area Enhancement Strategies be made available for public consultation over summer/autumn 2012. Subject to the outcome of this process, the area enhancement strategies would be presented for adoption in early 2013. Recommendations Members agree that public consultation on the following Area Enhancement Strategies takes place over summer/autumn 2012: Bank Fenchurch & Monument Liverpool Street West Smithfield Authority be delegated to the Town Clerk to finalise the details of the relevant consultation material in liaison with the Chairman/Deputy Chairman of the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee Main Report Background 1. This report outlines the proposed public consultation on the draft Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield Area Enhancement Strategies. Area Enhancement Strategies have previously been prepared for parts of the City to deliver significant improvements to the public realm, including in Cheapside, Barbican and the Riverside Walkway. The coverage of the City by Area Enhancement Strategies is shown on the plan attached at Appendix A. 2. The strategies deal almost exclusively with the enhancement of public realm under the City‟s stewardship, either as Highway Authority or Open Spaces. 3. The drafts of the full Area Enhancement Strategies for the Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield areas are available in the Members reading room. The background, justification and policy context sections for each of the strategies are set out in overview in the following Annexes to this report: Appendix B: Bank Appendix C: Fenchurch & Monument Appendix D: Liverpool Street Appendix E: West Smithfield 4. The City Corporation‟s Core Strategy Development Plan Document was adopted on 8 September 2011 and is the most important document contained within the Local Development Framework. The draft Area Enhancement Strategies set out the policy objectives and key principles for the implementation of Core Strategy policy, of particular relevance to the draft Area Enhancement Strategies are Policies: CS3 – Security and Safety CS4 – Planning Contributions CS5 – North of the City CS6 – Cheapside & St Paul’s CS7 – Eastern Cluster CS8 – Aldgate CS10 – Design CS12 – Historic Environment CS13 – Protected Views CS14 – Tall Buildings CS15 – Sustainable Development and Climate Change CS16 – Public Transport Streets and Walkways CS18 – Flood Risk CS19 – Open Spaces and Recreation CS20 – Retailing CS21 – Housing CS22 – Social Infrastructure and Opportunities 5. “Key City Places” are identified in the Core Strategy as key areas of significant change and challenge within the City. The objectives and key principles of the Area Enhancement Strategies are aimed to reflect this and the Area Enhancement Strategies are pertinent to the following “Key City Places”: Bank - Cheapside & St Paul‟s Fenchurch & Monument - Eastern Cluster Liverpool Street - North of the City West Smithfield - North of the City Equality Impact Appraisal 6. Equality Impact Assessments have been carried out for each of the draft Area Enhancement Strategies and they are all considered to have positive impacts upon the users of the City‟s streets and spaces. Of particular note disabled people, older people, children and young people are the equality target groups expected to benefit the most from the proposals identified within the strategies. 7. The positive impacts are anticipated through improved accessibility and inclusivity of streets and spaces, improved road safety and pedestrian movement. The strategies are expected to have a positive or neutral impact on all modes of transport. They will improve lighting levels and introduce play spaces and resting spaces which are comfortable and attractive which provide accessible seating. Current Position 8. The draft Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield Area Enhancement Strategies are available in the Members Reading Room. 9. Through the Core Strategy and the UDP, the City Corporation plans for future growth in order to ensure that the City can continue to function successfully, provide a sustainable environment for residents, workers and visitors and maintain the City‟s status as the world‟s leading international financial and business centre. The Area Enhancement Strategies will provide an important framework for the future development and improvement of the public realm and transportation network of the City based on clear evidence of need and requirements for sustainable growth. 10. The challenge facing the City is to coordinate the delivery of sustainable long-term economic growth whilst at the same time providing for population growth and protecting and improving the environment and quality of life. The Core Strategy plans for growth in employment of 96,000 between 2006 and 2026 and resident population growth of 3,200 over the same period. 11. In addition to addressing the requirements imposed by future growth projections, it is also vital to establish what the current problems and priorities are within the various areas of the City. Therefore, the public consultations are being proposed at the early stages of the Area Enhancement Strategies development to ensure a responsive strategy approach and enable proposals to be focused and prioritised. The consultation will be targeted at different stakeholder groups including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, public transport operators, key local occupiers, residents and developers to ensure that a full picture is achieved and will be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the City‟s Statement of Community Involvement. 12. It is proposed that the draft Area Enhancement Strategies will be the subject of formal consultation exercises for an eight-ten week period during summer/autumn 2012. Following the end of the consultation period, the Area Enhancement Strategies will be amended as appropriate and brought back before this Committee for formal adoption, which is anticipated for early 2013. Consultation Approach 13. The Bank, Fenchurch & Monument, Liverpool Street and West Smithfield Area Enhancement Strategies will be based on clear evidence of need and requirements for future sustainable growth. Therefore, it is vital to establish early on what the current problems and priorities are within the strategy areas. 14. As part of the initial development of all four draft area enhancement strategies there have been discussions and workshops held with key internal stakeholders, whilst the respective Ward Members and Chairman/Deputy of the Planning & Transportation Committee and Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee have also been briefed. The feedback gained from these sessions has been invaluable in establishing the direction of the strategies and the priorities within the areas. 15. Key external stakeholders have also been consulted on the draft Bank and Liverpool Street Area Enhancement Strategies to establish the particular issues and needs affecting those areas. Indeed in developing the Bank area strategy officers have conducted an extensive public consultation exercise to gain people‟s comments on the existing Bank area and what improvements they‟d like to see included as part of the Area Enhancement Strategy. 16. The principles underpinning the Area Enhancement Strategies have been established through the