Surrey Canal – a case study of urban regeneration The Surrey Canal regeneration scheme aims to comprehensively transform a predominantly industrial area around, and including, Millwall football stadium in North West Lewisham (bordering the Borough of Southwark), South East London into a new place in the capital. The scheme will include: A new station Surrey Canal on the Overground Line New bus routes 2400 homes across five communities within the scheme 2000 new jobs An improved setting for Millwall FC New facilities for the Millwall Community Scheme An iconic local and regional indoor sports complex A 150-bed hotel with conferencing facilities A major new church to seat a 1200-strong congregation A creative industries quarter A health complex specialising in sports injury and community care Improved permeability including walking and cycling links A business incubation centre Creche and nursery An improved park at Bridgehouse Meadows. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ Hall and Barratt (2012, 148 cited in Tallon: 2013, 8) summarise the concerns of contemporary urban regeneration as: Physical environment Quality of life Social welfare Economic prospects Governance. The theory is that improvements in each of these areas ‘combine to secure the upward trajectory of a locality in a long- term and sustainable manner’ (Tallon: 2013, 5). This report will analyse the Surrey Canal regeneration scheme in each of these five areas. However, this report will not be able to assess the long-term sustainability outcomes of this regeneration scheme because the development only received planning permission in 2012; is in the early stages of construction and is expected to take 15 years to complete. The report will however attempt to conclude by making some informed judgments on whether the scheme will be likely to create, and contribute to, a socially sustainable society (Manzi et al: 2010) at a local, regional and national level. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ How the scheme has been informed by policy Lewisham The Surrey Canal site is identified for significant mixed-use development in the London Borough of Lewisham Development Framework Core Strategy, Submission Version, October 2010. The site is recognised by Lewisham as a major regeneration opportunity to create new jobs, homes and community facilities, new sporting facilities, an improved setting for Millwall Football Club Stadium, new linkages and new publicly accessible open spaces in a safe and welcoming environment. Lewisham’s Core Strategy has outlined a number of areas expected to significantly impact on the borough up to 2026. They are: Housing provision; growing the local economy, and building a sustainable community. The council aims to implement regeneration by securing sustainable provision of appropriate accomodation through the Lewisham Housing Strategy and economic growth through the Economic Development Business Plan. In addition, Lewisham’s Physical Activity, Sport and Leisure Strategy outlines an aim to bring together different stakeholders in the borough to ensure adequate provision of facilities in the borough. Greater London Authority The London Plan identifies the Mayor’s vision and objectives for ensuring sustainable growth for London, while, Surrey Canal comes under the London Plan’s Lewisham-Catford-New Cross Opportunity Area. In addition, the Mayor’s Economic Development and Housing Strategies encompass the main regeneration and sustainable community development policy for London. The London Plan promotes mixed-use development, maximizing potential of previously developed sites. It supports the provision of high-quality publicly-accessible open space and play space, appropriate community provision and the encouragement of the tourism and leisure sectors. It also promotes the creation of local employment in developments and the promotion of skills training and other initiatives to enable this. The rhetoric of the London Housing Strategy is about promoting opportunity and a real choice of home for all Londoners, in a range of tenures. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ National Policy The site application was submitted under the previous national policy framework and lists the following policies as being relevant to the scheme: PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development; PPS1 Supplement: Planning and Climate Change; PPS3: Housing; PPS4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth; PPS5: Planning and the Historic Environment; PPS9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation; PPS10: Planning for Sustainable Waste and Management; PPG13: Transport; PPG17: Open Space, Sport and Recreation; PPS22: Renewable Energy; PPS23: Planning and Pollution Control, PPG24: Planning and Noise; and, PPS25: Development and Flood Risk. The Renewal Regeneration Statement states that ‘although policy under the newly formed government is still emerging, several key themes have been outlined that will of significance to the future of urban regeneration and sustainable community development, including: Localism, giving increased freedom for local authorities and partners to define their own visions and priorities for their area, alongside changes to financial arrangements to allow them to benefit from development, and new mechanisms to invest in infrastructure to support development. Re-balancing the economy to achieve growth in underperforming areas Encouraging enterprise in areas dependent on public sector employment and therefore vulnerable to public sector cuts Reforming welfare to encourage employment and, in the longer term, the introduction of a universal credit to simplify the benefit system and improve work incentives Enabling communities and residents to help themselves and each other’ (Renewal: 2011, 15). Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ The socio-economic context Deprivation in the Surrey Canal area (DCLG: 2007). The area has a high number of people aged under 16, a large Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic population, and a low proportion of residents with higher education qualifications, while crime rates are relatively high (ONS: 2011), with unemployment and worklessness being problems at the local level. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ Health deprivation in the Surrey Canal area (DCLG: 2007). New Cross ward has a high level of deprivation, mortality rates and shorter life expectancy (ONS: 2011), with the need for better services involving diet and exercise for the whole family (Renewal: 2011, 12-13). Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ Physical environment ‘Urban regeneration has attempted to improve the built environment, concerns having now embraced environmental sustainability’ (Hall and Barratt: 2012, 148 cited in Tallon: 2013, 8). The site sits on 10.5 hectares of previously developed land and includes several industrial and business estates, alongside the Millwall footfabll stadium and the Lions Centre. The local area lacks investment and is subsequently of poor asthetic quality. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ Improving the built environment Most of the area is inaccessible to the public, except on match days, and to the few people working in warehouses along Surrey Canal Road. However, the scheme was envisaged by developer’s Renewal when they heard of the infrastructure improvements coming to the area in the form of the new Surrey Canal Overground line station. The developers Renewal state that the development will help in: Breaking down community severance, reconnecting the area through new walking routes and high quality public realm, creating new places for local people and setting a new benchmark for quality publically accessible open space in the area (Renewal: 2011, 2). The design of the scheme has been shortlisted for the NLA awards and planning awards in recent years. It also comes highly recommended by CABE and there is a Design Quality Review Team who will continue to review designs as the scheme progresses. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ Lewisham Council have noted that the proposals ‘would provide more activity and a much greater degree of natural surveillance of public places’ (2012, 178), which should help to lower crime in the area and increase social cohesion. They also recognise that improved accessibility connected with the scheme will help local people to access jobs and services in the surrounding area. Embracing environmental sustainability With regards to conserving energy, materials, water and other resources, Surrey Canal will conform to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and create, and use, a district combined-heat-and-power network by adapting the nearby incinerator. The scheme will also promote sustainable forms of transport by catering for a low number of cars (Surrey Canal is already a heavily- congested road at peak times); providing for cycle parking, car clubs, electric vehicle charging and greater permeability for pedestrians and cyclists, and significantly increasing public transport provision. Tessa Gooding: http://freethinker85.wordpress.com/ Quality of life ‘Urban regeneration has sought to improve the physical living conditions, or local cultural activities, or facilities for particular social groups’ (Hall and Barratt: 2012, 148 cited in Tallon: 2013, 8). Improving physical living conditions Along with the vast improvements to the public realm and the creation of five communities within Surrey Canal, the scheme will also provide commercial, health and community facilities,