Crossrail as Catalyst A Future of London report on how London communities can grasp the regeneration potential of Crossrail stations – and of future infrastructure projects Contents Project sponsors Abbreviations 4 Future of London has produced this report with the support of four sponsors: Executive summary 5 Recommendations 6 Arup is an independent firm of designers, GVA is the UK’s largest independent planners, engineers, consultants commercial property consultant. Chapter 1: Introduction 9 and technical specialists offering a broad range of Headquartered in London and with 12 professional services. Around the world and in the UK, offices and 700 professionals across the Chapter 2: Rail and Regeneration 13 they provide the engineering and related consultancy UK, GVA offers the country’s largest and most diverse The regeneration and development impact of rail 14 services necessary to every stage of a project, and are multidisciplinary property consultancy outside of the committed to sustainable design. capital. Lessons from recent rail schemes in the Capital 17 Crossrail Ltd (CRL) was established in 2001 London Communications Agency Lessons for London 22 to promote and develop vital links to meet the is an award-winning consultancy needs of people and businesses throughout focusing on London issues. From Chapter 3: Crossrail Context 23 the South East and to ensure London Olympic Legacy to health service, History of the project 24 continues as Europe’s leading financial and major transport projects to long-term regeneration, their business centre. A fully owned subsidiary of TfL since 2008, 30 professionals - from journalism, politics, business and Crossrail in London 25 Crossrail represents a real commitment to the development of government - are experts in communicating change and new services to tackle the lack of capacity and congestion on shaping opinion. The regeneration case 26 the existing network. Chapter 4: Station Stories 29 Tottenham Court Road 32 Acknowledgements Contact Whitechapel 40 Future of London project team: Programme and Future of London is an independent, not-for-profit Southall 48 Research Lead Jennifer Johnson (lead author and project urban policy network focused on the challenges facing coordinator), Director Lisa Taylor, Membership and regeneration, housing, infrastructure and economic Ilford 56 Programme Officer Alexei Schwab. development practitioners across the Capital. We provide Abbey Wood 67 our members and partners with a platform to engage with Planning perspective sections of Chapter 4 were contributed each other and other professionals in our sector, to share Woolwich 74 by Arup: Katie Kerr, Rosalind Blewitt and Max Laverack. new ideas and emerging best practice. Chapter 5: Moving Forward 81 Development and investment influence sections of Chapter 70 Cowcross Street Conclusion 87 4 were contributed by GVA: Martyn Saunders and Laura London Gardner. EC1M 6EJ Notes 88 Project Steering Group: Katie Kerr (Arup), Ian Lindsay www.futureoflondon.org.uk and Sam Richards (Crossrail), Stewart Murray (Greater London Authority), Martyn Saunders (GVA), Mark Lucas @futureofldn (LB Redbridge), Chris Madel and Jenna Goldberg (London Communications Agency), Dan Hill (Peabody), Lucinda LinkedIn: Future of London [group] Turner (Transport for London), Robin Hickman (University College London), and Esther Kurland (Urban Design Published: April 2014 London). Thanks also to Communications leads Kevin Marriott and Ed Dewar of GVA. © Future of London 2011 Ltd We’d also like to thank the seminar attendees and interviewees Future of London 2011 Ltd is a company limited by from across London who participated in this project. guarantee registered in England (No. 757624) Graphic design courtesy of GVA and Urban Graphics. Cover image and route maps in Chapters 3 & 4 based on Crossrail Ltd’s Regional Route Connections Map, March 2014. 2 CROSSRAIL AS CATALYST 3 Abbreviations BCR benefit-cost ratio BID Business Improvement District CABE Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment CAZ Central Activities Zone CPO compulsory purchase order CRL Crossrail Ltd DfT Department for Transport DLR Docklands Light Rail Executive Summary DoT Department of Transport GLA Greater London Authority HS1 High Speed 1 HS2 High Speed 2 on the table for more, there is real potential IIP Infrastructure Investment Plan By 2050, London’s population to generate or enhance economic opportunity JLE Jubilee Line Extension could reach 13.4m people – along the route. LB London Borough nearly twice its 1991 population, Halfway through the construction process, some LBTH London Borough of Tower Hamlets and larger than today’s São Paulo communities are already seeing tangible benefits or Beijing. from incoming stations, while others have yet LCR London & Continental Railways to. This report is aimed at local authorities and LDA London Development Agency The Capital must plan for growth, and the their development and transport partners, and is stakeholders developing London’s Infrastructure LDF Local Development Framework designed to share experiences and best practice Investment Plan recognise transport’s crucial from a variety of stations, along with tools that LFC London Finance Commission enabling role. Crossrail, set to open in 2018 can kick-start regeneration activity. – 45 years after the name was coined and LUL London Underground more than a hundred after an east–west London To do that, Crossrail as Catalyst reviews MDC Mayoral Development Corporation rail link was mooted – is a ground-breaking other rail and regeneration experiences and step in that direction. NWEC New West End Company examines activity around six Crossrail stations to understand what has been instrumental O&Y Olympia & York While Crossrail’s core mandate is to deliver – or missing – in delivering change. Those much-needed rail capacity, it is the first UK OAPF Opportunity Area Planning Framework findings, supported by two research seminars infrastructure scheme to integrate regeneration and interviews with more than 25 public- and OSD over-site development and wider economic benefit so fully into its private-sector practitioners, form the basis of PAL Planning Aid London business case and its activities. As shown by our recommendations. station-area development to date and plans PTAL public transit accessibility level PTOD public transit oriented development RB Royal Borough SRA Strategic Rail Authority TAD Transport-Adjacent Development TCR Tottenham Court Road TfL Transport for London TOD Transport-Oriented Development WEB wider economic benefits 4 CROSSRAIL AS CATALYST 5 Recommendations political and public case for regeneration investment – Planning & local delivery and engage with local politicians and practitioners, on Given that Crossrail still has four years to completion and that the next major rail and beyond the “What’s in it for us?” question. • Actively engage with existing plans – schemes are already on the horizon, recommendations are in two groups: best-practice comprehensive planning frameworks, vision documents • Optimise routing: Consider the long-term needs specifics on how stakeholders can act now to realise regeneration through Crossrail 1; and borough-led masterplanning, as appropriate. of the metropolitan area and the wider network for optimum routing. Connectivity, commuter capacity, and broader principles to inform future projects: • Embrace and maximise the value of small opening areas for housing or other strategic needs, stations in contributing to place and to an area- or integrating growing neighbourhoods into the wider city – borough-wide strategy. all of these weigh on the next route decisions to be taken. • Prioritise public investment on key A. Specifics • Build teams and experience for the long interventions, to guide and leverage private- term: Ultimately, it’s people who deliver rail projects. sector activity. Transportation & interchanges Planning Framework. Boroughs wanting investment Experienced, respected leadership and delivery teams should adopt an ‘open for business’ attitude to Community & employment are critical. At both project and local scales, retaining • Surface-level transport interchanges must attracting investment and working with the private sector – core people from one project to the next makes sense. be fully integrated: cycling and pedestrian this doesn’t have to mean sacrificing community priorities, • Engage meaningfully with all facets of the • Be realistic: An obvious but sometimes overlooked access and the approach to the station have major but it does mean willingness to partner must percolate local community to mitigate construction impact and point, with a few elements: acknowledge that the impacts on use and perception; where interchanges or through the organisation. integrate the scheme thoughtfully into the area. Allocate character of some places will change – from town congestion are an issue, boroughs should work closely • Developers should recognise the potential of sufficient budget for events, translators, promotion and centre to residential, industrial to commercial, quiet to with TfL to integrate multi-modal flow. For streetscape taking the long view, absorbing upfront costs and related efforts. busy or any number of shifts. Accept that some areas improvements, boroughs can take advantage of tools being willing to work in partnership with boroughs, the will take longer to benefit. And communicate enough like Smarter Streets, and partner with TfL, the GLA and GLA and TfL on high-quality