SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL Cabinet Report 11 Report of: Executive Director, Place Directorate ______________________________________________________________ Date: 21st December 2011 ______________________________________________________________ Subject: City Centre Breathing Spaces Strategy ______________________________________________________________ Author of Report: Matt Hayman, City Development Division (35130) ______________________________________________________________ Summary: The City Centre Breathing Spaces Strategy outlines the Councils Strategy on delivering a programme of open space projects in the City Centre. It builds on a number of supporting policies to provide a clear vision for the creation of new high quality open spaces linked by a network of clear pedestrian routes. ______________________________________________________________ Reasons for Recommendations: In the light of the major increase in population there is a need to provide new and enhanced open space for City Centre residents and the Strategy provides a programme of projects to meet this need. The projects will also benefit visitors to the City Centre and contribute to the wider objective of creating a setting for increased investment and job creation. Key to delivering the Strategy will be greater geographical flexibility in the allocation of City Centre S106 open space funds. The Strategy seeks to increase community involvement through the Central Community Assembly by inviting views on the priorities for future major investment and establishing a fund for minor enhancements to existing open spaces in the City Centre. Recommendations: That Cabinet: I. Adopt the Breathing Spaces Strategy as the framework for open space projects in the City Centre. Final prioritisation and approval of the projects will be agreed with the Cabinet Member for Business, Jobs and Growth or Cabinet depending on the authorities required. II. Detailed allocation of funds to projects will be approved by Cabinet through further reports, the monthly Finance Budget Monitoring process and within the Annual Approved Capital Programme budget setting process reflecting member priorities and the availability of funds. 1 III. Approve the amendment to Guideline 12 of the City Centre Living Supplementary Planning Guidance to allow greater geographical flexibility in allocating accumulated S106 funds in the City Centre. ______________________________________________________________ Background Papers: Category of Report: OPEN 2 Statutory and Council Policy Checklist Financial Implications YES Cleared by: Paul Schofield (Date 21 Nov 2011) Legal Implications NO Cleared by: Julian Ward (Date 1 Nov 2011) Equality of Opportunity Implications NO Cleared by: Ian Oldershaw (Date 9 Nov 2011) Tackling Health Inequalities Implications NO Human rights Implications NO Environmental and Sustainability implications YES (section 13) Economic impact YES (section 14) Community safety implications YES (section 15) Human resources implications NO Property implications NO Area(s) affected Central Assembly Relevant Cabinet Portfolio Leader Helen Mirfin Boukouris Relevant Scrutiny Committee if decision called in Economic and Environmental Well-Being Is the item a matter which is reserved for approval by the City Council? NO Press release YES 3 CITY CENTRE BREATHING SPACES STRATEGY 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 The Strategy seeks to provide: a clear explanation of the city centre open space strategy and how the Council intends to achieve a more robust and transparent prioritisation of future open space projects in the City Centre; a programme for their delivery including current projects under way and options for new ones; a supporting amendment to Guideline 12 of the City Centre Living Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to allow greater geographical flexibility in allocating accumulated S106 funds in the City Centre. 1.2 Cabinet is recommended to approve: I. Adopt the Breathing Spaces Strategy as the framework for open space projects in the City Centre. Final prioritisation of the projects will be agreed with Cabinet Member for Business, Jobs and Growth or Cabinet depending on the authorities required. II. Detailed allocation of funds to projects will be approved by Cabinet through the monthly Finance Budget Monitoring report and within the Annual Approved Capital Programme budget setting process reflecting member priorities and the availability of funds. III. Approve the amendment to Guideline 12 of the City Centre Living Supplementary Planning Guidance to allow greater geographical flexibility in allocating accumulated S106 funds in the City Centre. 2.0 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SHEFFIELD PEOPLE 2.1 The Strategy will deliver much needed new and enhanced open space for City Centre residents, particularly in areas that have seen substantial investment in housing development and a subsequent growth in population over the past decade. 2.2 Proposed improvements will also benefit City Centre businesses and contribute to the wider objective of creating a setting for increased investment and job creation. 3.0 OUTCOME AND SUSTAINABILITY 3.1 The Strategy will contribute to achieving the Corporate Plan (Standing up for Sheffield) outcomes of a ‘Great Place to Live‘, Strong & Competitive Economy’ and a ‘Vibrant City’. 4 3.2 It will contribute directly to achieving objectives of the City Centre Masterplan (CCMP) 2009 (Consolidating City Centre Residential Communities), City Strategy, future Central Community Assembly Plans and the Sheffield Development Framework. It directly addresses the issue of the sustainability of the new City Centre residential population, healthy living objectives as well as issues arising from climate change e.g. flood alleviation. 4.0 BACKGROUND 4.1 The Breathing Spaces initiative started in 2009 in response to the need to clarify and make more transparent the process by which implementation of open space projects funded mainly by ‘Section 106’ (Planning Act) from housing developments, are identified and prioritised. It was also driven by a need for greater flexibility for S106 expenditure in the City Centre to allow a more co-ordinated and focussed approach to deliver the open space objectives of the CCMP and Sheffield Development Framework (SDF). The strategy is informed by the lessons learnt since the adoption of the City Centre Living SPG 2004 (CCL) and the changed economic climate. 5.0 REGENERATION CONTEXT 5.1 The City Centre's resident population has risen fivefold over the last decade: from an estimate of just under 3,000 in 2001 to over 16,000 in 2011. If these communities are to become sustainable, they need access to various services and amenities including green or open spaces. 5.2 The city centre is also the social and cultural hub and where many people work. It is a key gateway for most tourists, visitors and potential investors. Access to good quality open space is an important factor in the use and perception of the city centre, both by the people of Sheffield and those from outside. 5.3 Over the past decade the Council has secured major public funding to deliver new and enhanced open space and public realm identified in the CCMP and City Centre Quarter Action Plans. However, the recent abolition of the Regional Development Agency (Yorkshire Forward), uncertainty over future European funding (ERDF) and the end of funding like Housing Market Renewal (HMR), means public funding cannot be relied upon to support such work in the future. 5.4 The Breathing Spaces Strategy will therefore rely heavily on funds secured from private sector developers through the planning process under Section 106 (Town & Country Planning Act, 1990) or a future Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). In some cases the receipt of S106 funds will provide match funding to lever in other streams from European Interreg, Environment Agency or the Lottery. S106 contributions also currently support a number of other policy objectives, 5 such as pedestrian route improvements to/from city centre, warden/ambassador schemes, ‘Connect’ signage and public art. The Strategy deals solely with funds collected specifically for the provision of City Centre open space. 5.5 In April 2011 the Cabinet adopted the ‘City Centre Incentive Scheme’ to encourage small to medium sized housing development where proposals are marginal, with exemptions to paying normal S106 contributions. To date (October 2011) three developments have been granted permission under the scheme and so could have an impact on projected S106 funds highlighted at section 10.3. A review of the Incentive scheme will be undertaken in April 2012. 6.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION 6.1 Public consultation on the Strategy took place between the 14th September and 11th October 2011. This included presentations by Officers to community and business forums and public exhibitions at Central Assembly meeting, at the Central Library and at the opening event for the Sheaf Valley (South Street) Park. 6.2 Over 150 people attended the events and informal feedback (mainly discussions with officers) was very positive. Formal feedback was gained through completed questionnaires. Detailed analysis of representations is provided in the consultation report attached at Appendix A. The analysis has been used to inform the prioritisation of future projects presented below. 7.0 THE STRATEGY – FUNDING & PROJECTS 7.1 The Strategy provides a vision for a network of City Centre open spaces linked by high quality, safe pedestrian routes. To support delivery of this vision the Strategy identifies a programme