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ISSUE 2 SPRING 2015

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The inward investment magazine for the London Borough of Bexley The inward investment magazine for the London Borough of Bexley

Blossom Park Hoo St Werburgh ME3

Market force A new economic action plan – the borough’s leaders and top management set out the stall for Bexley’s development

Performing arts Internationally renowned Rose Bruford and Bird colleges – regeneration partners at the heart of Sidcup

Bexley - your next best move

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Bexley for Business is an initiative led by the London Borough of Bexley to support investment and growth in one of the capital¹s most dynamic business locations. We have a team available to support all types of projects from inception to delivery.

To discuss development opportunities in Bexley, call 020 3045 4312 or visit our website bexleyforbusiness.co.uk

27

ISSUE 2 spring 2015

Editorial director Siobhán Crozier Deputy editor Maria Shahid Chief reporter James Wood Head of design Rachael Schofield Art direction Katrin Smejkal Production assistant Christopher Hazeldine Business development director Paul Gussar Business development manager Chris Joyce Office manager Sue Mapara Subscriptions manager Simon Maxwell Managing director Toby Fox Cover Image Students of Rose Bruford College, photographed by Michael Cockerham Images David Tothill, Robert Workman, Sharron Wallace Photography, Hyde New Homes, Orbit Group, Peabody, Playle & Partners LLP, Fat Crow Photography, s_bukley | Shutterstock.com, Anderson Group, London Borough of Bexley, Jonathan Rooks, Redrow Homes, Miles Willis, Crossrail Printed by Bishops Printers Published by 3Fox International 375 Kennington Lane London SE11 5QY 020 7978 6840 3foxinternational.com London Borough of Bexley Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 7AT

Contents 5 News

32 Markets

A summary of stories on regeneration and development in Bexley.

Fast facts and figures about the London Borough of Bexley.

9 Economic development

35 Economic ACTION plan

The world’s largest online supermarket has come to Bexley, bringing 3,500 jobs with it. Ocado comes to town.

We speak to four prominent decisonmakers about the priorities set out in the London Borough of Bexley’s new Economic Action Plan. From residents to local businesses: how can interests align to increase prosperity in the borough?

15 Performing arts The redevelopment of Sidcup town centre goes hand in hand with its flourishing performing arts institutions.

20 Map and projects What’s going up – and where.

27 SMaRT The social enterprise in Crayford employs people with a range of challenges.

Subscriptions and feedback B4Bmagazine.com © 3Fox International Limited 2015. All material is ­strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the written ­permission of 3Fox International Limited is strictly ­forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no ­responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this ­magazine are not ­necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited.

15

9

41 Housing Peabody, Wates and Bellway are all active in Bexley’s thriving housing market. We report on transformative schemes, underpinned by Crossrail.

46 Sitematch We look at Erith Western Gateway, a prime opportunity site in the borough.

B4B 5 NEWS

Time called on Clock Tower scheme completion

Building work on The Clock Tower Court development in Bexleyheath was completed in November 2014.

The Royal Oak Road project features 43 shared ownership apartments – 42 of which are now occupied – developed by Hyde Housing and built

by Skillcrown Homes.

Most apartments were purchased before building work was complete, with contracts exchanged on 90% of the homes. The last home at the scheme was under offer as B4B went to press.

Clock Tower Court also includes a 92-bedroom Premier Inn hotel and commercial units on Albion Road.

Two major projects shortlisted for national awards

Bexley helps young people back into work

Two Bexley projects have been shortlisted for the 2015 Local Government Chronicle Awards, which recognise innovation by local councils. The Bexley First programme has been shortlisted for the Business Transformation Award and the Local Colleges First programme for Partnership of the Year. Winners were due to be announced on 11 March.

“We are very proud of both these projects, which have produced significant benefits for local people, and saved large amounts of taxpayers’ money,” said council leader, Councillor Teresa O’Neill.

“They demonstrate our ability to work with local people and other agencies to make life better for our residents.”

“We have had a record number of organisations entering this year’s awards,” commented Local Government Chronicle editor Nick Golding.

Bexley is one of the top three London councils for encouraging young people to return to education, employment or training, according to government figures.

They show that 16-17-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEETs) are benefiting from the government’s Youth Contract. Some 77% of the 294 young people involved in the project last year are now successfully re-engaging with education, employment or training. This compares with a London average of 65%.

Cabinet member for children’s services, Councillor Philip Read, said: “In the current financial climate we have to use every means available to us to support our community. This success shows how tapping into national initiatives has real local benefits. I hope that the project will go from strength to strength.”

6 B4B NEWS

Ocado to bring thousands of jobs to Bexley

Vickers Green scheme reaches completion

Online grocery shopping company, Ocado, is building a ‘customer fulfilment centre’ (CFC) in Erith, which is projected to create 3,500 jobs when it opens in 2017. At 53,000sq m, the Erith CFC will be the biggest and most technically advanced facility of its kind in the world, with the capacity to deliver more than 2,000 customer orders every hour. It will be the fourth Ocado facility of its kind to be built in the UK – others are based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire and in Dordon, North Warwickshire, while Andover in Hampshire will open later this year. Founded in 2000, Ocado is the biggest online supermarket in the world.

The final phase of Barratt Homes’ Vickers Green development, to create 200 new homes in Crayford, was completed in the summer of 2014.

Work started on the former factory site in 2011 to create a selection of two, three and four-bedroom houses as well as one and two-bedroom flats.

As part of the scheme, Barratt Homes contributed £1.85 million to the development of the Europa Centre alongside the housing. The centre is a multi-sports facility, offering a range of community recreational and sports activities, including dance classes, boxing and gymnastics clubs.

Planning consent for Erith Park phase two Planning consent was granted in March by the London Borough of Bexley for phase two of Erith Park, which will include 244 homes, including 49 for private sale, 58 for shared ownership and 137 for affordable rent to local people, to establish a mixed community. The permission is subject to Greater London Authority and legal approval.

Councillor Linda Bailey, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and growth, said: “This is fantastic news and has been made possible through strong partnership working. The prospect of such a diversity of new homes, a community centre, green space and a nursery is very exciting.”

Vivien Knibbs, executive director at Orbit South said: “We are delighted to have planning approval to continue the work we’ve started at Erith Park.”

Residents have been moving into the first phase of homes at Erith Park, with 169 to be completed by late March. Main contractor Wates Living Space could begin in spring 2015, with the first homes of the final phase ready in summer 2017.

The £120 million housing project is being delivered in a partnership between the London Borough of Bexley, Orbit South and Wates Living Space.

The architect is Broadway Malyan. The regeneration scheme will provide more than 550 new homes.

More than 100 residents celebrated the Chinese New Year in February, with a themed street party, which included a dancing Chinese lion.

B4B 7 NEWS

Final touches to Crayford Town HalL

The final touches are being applied to a mixed-use scheme on the site of the former Crayford Town Hall.

The installation of artwork and landscaping of a public walkway will complete the scheme, which has seen the construction of 188 homes, set around a series of landscaped courtyards, as well as a new library and community centre. The square at the centre of the development will become home to a sculpture by the internationally acclaimed artist Andy Scott, who created The Cob artwork in Belvedere.

The first phase of the housing scheme was completed towards the end of 2012, and saw 144 homes created by Peabody.

Following phase one, the relocation of the existing library and community centre created space for 29 new-build apartments for private sale, developed

by Higgins Homes.

Phase two of the project, designed by architects, RPS, saw the former town hall developed to provide a doctor’s surgery on the ground floor and a further 15 apartments for private sale on the upper floors, also by Higgins Homes.

Bexley’s school expansion project

It has provided modern, sustainable buildings and teaching facilities, and the borough with much needed capacity for new pupils.

Councillor Teresa O’Neill, leader of the council, said: “Our priority was to provide high quality facilities, ensuring low maintenance costs and value for money.”

The improvements cost over £40 million and were funded by the Department for Education and the London Borough of Bexley’s own resources.

Successful expansion work has been carried out at 14 Bexley schools as part of a major development project.

The work has created 1,470 new permanent primary school places, 222 places for pupils with special educational needs and three ‘bulge classes’.

Council supports Belvedere link proposal The London Borough of Bexley is supporting proposals for a new river crossing to be built at Belvedere.

Responding to Transport for London’s consultation on a range of proposals, a spokesperson said that the council is of the view that the link would provide strong economic benefits across Bexley and south-east London.

The borough has declared itself neutral on other options, which include a new ferry at Woolwich and proposals for either a ferry or a fixed link at Gallions Reach. It could support multiple crossings, provided the Belvedere link is built first and a range of other issues – including a “strong public transport package” – are properly addressed.

The council has previously expressed strong opposition to the development of the Thames Gateway Bridge, due to concerns about its impact on traffic and the lack of local regeneration benefits.

Cabinet member for environment and public realm, Councillor Don Massey, said: “We are committed to new crossings in east London, but we believe they must be in the right place, be of the right type, built in the right order and with the right measures to reduce their impact.

“All the crossings will have impacts, but we believe that the Belvedere crossing benefits are greater than the others.”

Building Communities

Working closely with London Borough of Bexley, Orbit is delivering a £120m regeneration project in Erith.

The project will help to address the shortage of affordable homes within the area, across a mix of tenures and will help to support London Borough of Bexley’s housing growth ambitions.

www.erithpark.co.uk

Seven tower blocks at Erith Park are being replaced with around 600 brand new homes, which will be available across a range of tenures, to meet the housing needs of local people and help them to achieve their aspirations of owning a home in London.

By 2020, we aim to deliver 12,000 homes across the country, so we’re always looking to create more beautiful, mixed tenure developments, just like Erith Park. If you have land to sell, get in touch with our Land Director, Nigel Painter (Nigel.Painter@orbit.org.uk).

When complete, the large scale regeneration will also include a nursery, community centre and ‘eco oasis’ known locally as the Dell.

www.orbit.org.uk

Wish fulfilment Bexley is about to receive a highly prized consignment from the world’s largest online supermarket, as Ocado delivers 3,500 jobs to a massive new site in Erith, writes Kirsty MacAulay, images by Sharron Wallace

10 B4B ECONOMic development

Left The new CFC will see investment of £185 million.

Below Ocado’s Hatfield CFC – Erith CFC will use the latest technology.

Towards the end of 2014 senior councillors and officers visited Ocado in Hatfield to discover what the awardwinning company has planned for its 15-ha development site in Bexley.

The former Pirelli Cables site in Erith will be home to Ocado’s brand new £185 million CFC – a customer fulfilment centre, where online orders are processed. It will open in mid2017, employing up to 3,500 people on reaching its full capacity, an exceptional opportunity for people in Bexley and surrounding areas.

Founded in 2000, Ocado is an awardwinning company with big plans. The online grocery shopping market has gone from strength to strength and amid bitter news for some large food retailers, Ocado is sitting pretty at the top of its game; it is officially the biggest online supermarket in the world.

Ocado has been voted best UK online supermarket by Which? readers every year since 2010. In that year the company delivered 100,000 orders a week; the new CFC in Erith is expected to turn around a staggering 200,000 orders a week. And to cope with the scale of such a massive operation, bigger than any in the UK to date, in the words of Ocado’s director of development and engineering, Jon Hillary, the new facility will be: “Enormous, certainly the biggest of the biggest.

Nobody else does them on this scale.”

Currently there are only two other CFCs in the country, the original in Hatfield, Hertfordshire and one in Dordon, North Warwickshire. A third is due to open in Andover, Hampshire, later this year. Hatfield and Dordon are extremely

large, however, the new facility in Erith will be even bigger – according to Hillary, “it’s a monster”. The 52,026sq m CFC will hold up to 53,000 products, ready to be delivered to customers directly or via Ocado ‘spokes’, on a daily basis. To compare scale, an average supermarket might hold 20,000 separate products.

Currently there are 12 Ocado spokes across the country. A 40ft trailer is sent from the CFC to an assigned spoke, where the pre-picked orders are taken straight from the trailer to the van for the driver or CSTM (customer services team member, to give them their official title) to deliver. Essentially everything is ready for the household when it leaves the CFC, whether it is delivered directly or via one of the regional spokes.

Of the 3,500 jobs that will be created in Bexley, 1,000 of them will be CSTMs. The anticipated increase in local jobs will be a huge boost for Bexley residents, particularly given Ocado’s reputation as a good employer.

The company takes great pride in encouraging and assisting staff to progress their careers. A surprisingly large proportion of employees work their way up through the ranks of the business – 80-90% of operations managers joined the company as personal shoppers, putting together customer orders.

Technical assistants can train to become technicians, senior technicians and finally, qualified engineers if they wish. It’s a system that works well for both staff and company, as Hillary explains: “It’s common sense, our staff are better; they love working here and they’re motivated. Someone who joined as a

B4B 11 ECONOMic development

Left Jon Hillary of Ocado (and above), Bexley chief executive, Will Tuckley with councillors Teresa O’Neill and Linda Bailey, Dale Thomson of Bexley and Jon Tatam of Ocado.

12 B4B ECONOMic development

The Ocado development will ensure that there are opportunities at different levels

Above Some employees want career progression, while others prioritise a pleasant working environment – Ocado accommodates choice.

picker and is now a fully qualified engineer will convey that to everybody who works for them and that’s the story you want.”

The variety of careers on offer at Erith is more varied than might be imagined, from drivers and managers to software support engineers – the smart software used throughout the company is designed from scratch by the in-house technology team, which is based in Hatfield. The employment opportunities are spread across a range of skill sets, which is excellent news for Bexley residents.

Much is made of Ocado’s vision and values as an employer, the aim is to ‘develop inspirational people managers who lead and motivate successful teams’.

In order for this vision to become reality, a management development programme runs alongside a graduate programme.

Progression of staff is at the core of the company’s bid to create motivated, successful teams as HR director, Julie Markey, explains. “It’s not just that people are being promoted but they’re enjoying the fact they’re learning new skills on the job. A lot of people that stay with us like the atmosphere and are really pleased with the training and development opportunities that we’ve given them.”

Leader of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Teresa O’Neill, adds: “The majority of the jobs are permanent with the ability to learn new skills, which is really great because you can move people through the company. The Ocado development will ensure that there are opportunities at different levels.”

Ocado offers a “steady, permanent job in a clean, bright, fresh environment that’s comfortable, as well as a decent staff restaurant with subsidised prices.”

Not something that is always readily available in big warehouse facilities, even the new ones.

Although the new facility will be vast, it will be unique, something the team is rightly proud of. Ocado’s staff have put much time and effort into improving its warehouse design with much of the focus being on providing a good working environment. One major change will be the implementation of less conveyoring up above, providing a brighter, more open setting than the two existing CFCs. The planning application was

submitted to the council in December 2014 and subject to consent, the Erith facility should be up and running in spring 2017.

Obviously it will be a hive of activity well before then, counting down, 12 to nine months prior to opening the senior team will be put in place. Testing of all the equipment and software – an immense job given the size of the CFC – will commence from nine months before the big day, to ensure everything is running smoothly once business begins.

The search for a new site for Ocado’s fourth and biggest CFC had been ongoing for some time. Hillary comments: “All roads lead to east London, from Blackheath down the Estuary. It will certainly be easier to get anywhere south of the river from Erith than it is from Hatfield. We can effectively get all the way into London quite easily, as well as to all of the Home Counties.”

Clearly location is key when choosing where to set up a new CFC, finding a spot that enables easy deliveries of products from across the country and also allows maximum reach for home deliveries. It is Erith’s proximity to London, the southeast, and even north of the river, that is its big draw for Ocado, especially with rumours of an imminent announcement of new river crossings, as set out in the consultation document for the 2050 London Infrastructure Plan, which would directly benefit Bexley.

Erith is perfect for the delivery method Ocado uses, as Hillary explains: “There’s lots of great things about the site, one of them is its proximity to dense population and thus we will do more direct delivery.

Two things can leave this site, a trailer, that’s going to a spoke or a delivery van that leaves here directly.

“Because Erith is well located, we plan to do 35% direct deliveries (which is more than other CFCs). It’s just a fantastic place to be – if it’s an hour away, we should be doing it direct.”

The population living within easy reach of the new facility is vast – and is only set to become even larger, with a raft of major housing developments both planned and under way across the borough. According to Will Tuckley, Bexley’s chief executive, within the next

B4B 13 ECONOMic development

Left and below Ocado’s investment will deliver up to 3,500 jobs to Bexley.

15 years another 11,000 homes could be constructed in the Belvedere area near to the CFC site, with a further 11,000 throughout the borough. A growing population that should suit Ocado, as he explains: “For people coming to live here, there’s access to employment in Canary Wharf and the West End – I suspect if they’re not already Ocado customers, they probably will be.”

A point Councillor Linda Bailey echoes when talking about Belvedere as a major growth area: “We’re looking for new homes there, quality homes with a mix of tenures. We want the aspirant population, which fits with what Ocado wants to achieve as a customer base.”

Several housing projects are actually in or very near Belvedere, for example Belvedere Park, just a stone’s throw from the Ocado site, is a large, mixed

residential scheme by Bellway Homes.

The last three phases of the development are now under construction, eventually offering a total of 402 one and twobedroom units over five blocks.

Nearby is the £120 million regeneration of Erith Park, which will create more than 550 family homes for a mix of rent, sale and low-cost home ownership in one of London’s largest housing developments. One and twobedroom apartments, as well as two, three and four-bedroom family homes will be available, and phase two of the development will start this year.

The Erith Western Gateway site, designated to promote employment and housing growth, is already home to Bexley College’s new campus, a catalyst in the area’s regeneration. The next phase of development will be the construction

of 192 residential units by Barratt Homes, nearby at Tower Road.

It is not surprising that so much extra housing is necessary. The borough has plenty to attract people, particularly given its location, on the edge of London within the Thames Gateway and with great links to the city via road and rail – which are soon to be much improved with the arrival of Crossrail to Abbey Wood station in 2018, set to halve the journey time into central London. All of which makes Bexley an unsurprisingly popular choice for anyone looking to put down roots in the capital, including retail giants like Ocado.

Getting the stamp of approval from the world’s biggest online supermarket, choosing to create the world’s biggest CFC in Bexley is surely proof, if it were needed, that this is the best location for those who think big.

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Acting up Counting Gary Oldman and Tom Baker among their high-achieving alumni, performing arts institutions Rose Bruford College and Bird College are key elements in Sidcup’s identity. And, Lucy Purdy discovers, important partners in its revival too

Top right Lamorbey Park, home to Rose Bruford College.

Right Award-winning actor Gary Oldman won a scholarship to attend Rose Bruford College.

B4B 15 PERFORMING ARTS

16 B4B PERFORMING ARTS

For Michael Earley, principal and CEO at Rose Bruford, the college’s continued relationship with Sidcup makes complete sense. For more than 60 years now, Rose Bruford has been in existence, cementing along the way a global reputation for outstanding talent for stage and screen.

For the past two years, students have rated it the top drama institution in the country in the all-important National Student Survey, partly in response to the college’s ability to innovate.

As well as Academy Award nominee Gary Oldman and former Doctor Who, Tom Baker, Rose Bruford has also seen the likes of Kate Ashfield, Nerys Hughes and Lake Bell walk through its doors.

Doors which will continue to be based in Bexley. “Our future remains in Sidcup,” says Earley, decisively.

“Since 1950 Rose Bruford College has been based in the beautiful surroundings of Lamorbey Park. The campus is a short distance from Sidcup

station making it easily accessible to the heart of the theatre industry in London’s West End. “The college has chosen to stay in Sidcup and is committing itself to help with the regeneration of the area with new buildings planned for Station Road, including the development of student accommodation. The project makes Rose Bruford College the only drama school in the UK with its own purposebuilt halls of residence.”

This commitment takes the form of the Christopher House scheme, which will bring together student accommodation for Rose Bruford with practice studios and conference space at the ground floor, and a Premier Inn hotel above. A cafe with outdoor seating will also sit within high quality landscape and new retail space will be accessible from Station Road and Longlands Road.

“The project is providing a stateof-the-art facility for a local educational

establishment which is going places.

It needs facilities worthy of a world-class establishment,” says Gerry Dowd, finance director at Purelake New Homes.

“This will provide high quality and secure accommodation for all first year students of the college: 168 en suite bedrooms configured in clusters of six bedrooms, with a common room and a kitchen.”

Dowd says the new building – on track for completion for the next student intake in September – would be a great improvement on the 1950s office block there previously, with an emphasis on high quality stonework and finishes.

He explained why Sidcup represented a good opportunity for Purelake.

“The London Borough of Bexley has been an exemplary partner in this scheme: very supportive. Bexley is very much an up-and-coming place. While costs are rising steeply in other boroughs, Bexley is still affordable.”

Above Stage talent at one of the country’s top-rated drama schools, Rose Bruford College.

Left Bird College is a leading institution for dance and music.

Far top left The new Premier Inn hotel at the Christopher House development.

Far left High quality student accommodation for all of Rose Bruford’s first year students.

With this in mind, Purelake is now pressing ahead with a planning application for 350 apartments in Crayford, using the same team of architects and other partners which has worked so well in Sidcup.

The Christopher House scheme spells good news for the town centre.

The college itself is a substantial local employer, as Earley explains.

“Across the year we give employment to more than 300 people and run a business that turns over £7.5 million each year. Having a higher education institute with a strong reputation nationally and internationally not only helps raise the profile of Sidcup but also contributes to the local economy. Many of our students live in Sidcup and indeed, stay in the area once they have graduated due to favourable rental prices and the easy access to London.”

In addition to the college’s full-time students, it also attracts visitors to Sidcup

from across the UK through well-attended open days, summer schools and parttime acting programmes. Its summer schools in particular attract students from around the world.

“We operate two theatres on campus and regularly put on productions for the public,” adds Earley.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to perform in front of audiences and for local residents to see the next generation of actors, designers, managers and technical artists perform in their town.”

The college is in the process of developing the old Lamorbey Baths site on Station Road. This development will also include a mixture of college and community facilities.

Meanwhile, former students of Bird College have been winning Tony Awards and performing in West End shows.

Principal and CEO Shirley Coen said that such is the college’s high profile in the

industry, more than 1,200 people apply for just 120 places each year.

Turnover has soared from just over £1 million to more than £4 million since Coen joined in 1998. Now the college’s estate is set to be rationalised into a single campus in Alma Road.

“The college trains students for careers in the theatre as performers,” Coen explained. “We aim for our graduates to have “triple threat” skills – that is to be able to dance, sing and act. Being located in the London Borough of Bexley works very well for us. It is a safe and affordable location for students, and it is within easy reach of the London theatres. We are very excited to be relocating to the Alma Road site.”

She enthused that Sidcup is “improving greatly” and is pleased to play a role in the area’s ongoing success.

“We make a very significant economic contribution to the area. More than £4 million comes in through fees and

18 B4B PERFORMING ARTS

Left AMOR Yoga opened in Sidcup High Street with help from the In Store for Sidcup initiative.

Emerging new businesses and the improvement in the infrastructure is very evident and pleasing to see

grants, 70% of that is spent on employing staff. Students, their families and staff bring a further £6 million into the local economy. This is a low estimate and does not include what staff might spend on living and working in the area.”

Strikingly at odds with the atmosphere of optimism today, a glance back to 2011 reveals how far Sidcup has come. The high street’s vacancy rate was at an all-time high of 16.7% and the London Borough of Bexley realised action was needed. The In Store for Sidcup initiative was launched, securing a £1.8 million package of funding through the Mayor’s Outer London Fund, as well as using the borough’s own resources.

Council officers enlisted the expertise of retail business consultants including Architecture 00 and Untitled Practice.

Retail Revival and The Architecture Foundation worked closely to create contemporary style guidelines to improve shopfront designs. Three graphic designers created individual designs for businesses. New paving helped ensure a pedestrian-friendly environment, access and street furniture were improved and spaces created for occasional market stalls and special events.

The plan also saw business experts provide tailored support to new and existing independent businesses, helping strengthen areas in need of improvement

in their business models, and grants of up to £15,000 per business were offered to support improvements. Key anchor brands were secured, including Little Waitrose and Better Gym. Now, vacancy rates are at an all-time low of 2.6%, and footfall has increased by 17%.

Olya Stevens, founder and director of AMOR Yoga, was one of 100 independent businesses supported.

She offers a range of classes for adults and children including yoga, pilates, meditation, tai chi, holistic massage and reiki. She told B4B that the grant she received made all the difference.

“Quite frankly, without it, AMOR Yoga would not be where it is today. It provided the opportunity for the business to open in Sidcup High Street, offering our services to residents, at the same time as making use of a disused office space and bringing a new vibrancy to the area.”

Stevens too has picked up on the feeling of new dynamism in Sidcup.

“Sidcup has a lot of potential for new businesses. The evolution of the High Street over the last few years, in terms of emerging new businesses and the improvement in the infrastructure, is very evident and pleasing to see.”

Stevens’ sleek and modern studio speaks of the sense of positivity in Sidcup now. After a dose of revitalisation, it is ready to go: revived and newly-ambitious.

BUSINESS TRAINING The Learning Centre Bexley As an employer, we know that training improves customer service, efficiency, staff retention, sustainability and helps your business flourish.

We plan our courses with employers in mind, however, we recognise that local employers need training that is matched to their specific business.

In addition we offer specific industry-focused vocational training:

We work with local start-up businesses and large organisation to provide one-day courses through to accredited professional qualifications.

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We offer training in general workforce skills such as:

n Retail skills

n Accountancy & Bookkeeping n Business Skills n Health and social care n Children’s care, learning and development

n Customer service

n Education, Training and Assessing

n IT / MS Applications / ECDL

n First Aid

n Business Administration

n Health and Safety / Food Hygiene

n Management

n Floristry / Horticulture

n Basic Skills in the workplace – English, maths and language

n Bespoke courses

For more information or to arrange an introductory meeting contact us:

*

business@tlcbexley.ac.uk

&

020 3045 5176

20 B4B major projects

London Bexley

MAJOR PROJECTS London’s growth is moving east and investors are finding fresh opportunities in Bexley’s land which is available for development. The largest concentration of employment in the sub-region centres on Belvedere, and new investors – such as Ocado choosing the location – give a clear signal of the borough’s advantages and future potential.

Housing, employment, commercial and industrial developments are all in evidence around the borough – B4B summarises some Bexley projects

1

Christopher House

2

Erith Quarry

3

Slade Green housing

4

Slade Green Library

5

Bexleyheath Civic Centre

6

Bexleyheath town centre

BR

A ST BB AT EY IO W N O O D

B4B 21 major projects

Z ON EA GE

R iver T hames

E ST RIT AT H IO N

AY W

2

4 3 S ST LA AT DE IO G N RE

AT H B ST EX AT LE IO YH N E

W ST EL AT LI IO NG N

EN

ERITH

6

WELLING

5

CRAYFORD Lon

A2

BEXLEYHEATH

don R o

S ST IDC AT U IO P N

1

rC ra y

A2

RD O YF ON RA TI C TA S

A2

ad

Bexley borough boundary

e Riv

SIDCUP

Railway lines

KENT Major roads

A2

Town centres

0

Major green spaces

0 A2

1km

2km

4km

2

Erith Quarry A planning application has been submitted by the Essex-based developer, Anderson Group, for a residential scheme at the Erith Quarry site.

Subject to consent by the London Borough of Bexley, the plans would provide up to 600 homes, a three-form entry primary school planned to open in September 2017, and space for business or community facilities near the site entrance at Fraser Road.

The proposals have been designed in a setting which will preserve roughly three hectares of grassland and woodland strips across the site, to protect and enhance the environment for wildlife and plants.

Extensive consultation took place during the pre-application period, when Anderson responded to residents’ feedback by reducing the number of homes from around 700 and repositioning an apartment building away from Athol Road.

The architect for the mixed-use development is Studio Egret West.

B4B 23 MAJOR PROJECTS

1

Christopher House Construction of a mixed-used development is under way, opposite the rail station in Sidcup. The scheme

by Purelake will include a Premier Inn hotel and student accommodation. (See feature article on page 15.)

The development has entailed demolition of the office building – Christopher House – and will regenerate the entire site. It is being delivered in a partnership which also includes the international drama school, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.

New retail space will be accessed from both Station Road and Longlands Road. The project also features a cafe with an alfresco section and the hotel of 106 rooms with associated facilities, including reception, restaurant and landscaped courtyard, as well as service areas.

Rose Bruford College will operate the student accommodation in a nine-storey block comprising a total of 168 en suite rooms, which will be grouped into flats, each containing six study bedrooms. Students will share an open plan space which includes kitchen, living and dining areas. On the ground floor there will be flexible practice studios which can double as conference space.

The external setting will be of high quality landscape design with new outdoor seating and planting arranged around the retained trees.

24 B4B MAJOR PROJECTS

5

BEXLEYHEATH CIVIC CENTRE In October 2014 mayor of London Boris Johnson opened Bexley’s new civic offices.

Approximately 1,300 office-based staff, who were previously working from four different sites, are now based in the local landmark building.

The refrubishment by Mace of the former Woolwich Building Society headquarters took just over a year to complete – it opened to the public in May 2014.

The redundant former office sites have been sold for redevelopment, financing the purchase and refurbishment of the civic offices as well as enabling an £8 million investment in schools and community facilities.

Councillor Teresa O’Neill, leader of the London Borough of Bexley, said: “Our move was the culmination of careful planning and has produced real benefits for our residents and staff. Best of all, it has saved Bexley’s council tax payers £1.5 million a year.”

Bellway Homes is building 126 new homes on land at the rear of the civic offices, 99 of which will be for private sale and 27 Peabody units will be for shared ownership.

Hill View is another former council site, now being developed by Bellway Homes to create a selection of new homes. The scheme will include 40 three and fourbedroom houses for private sale by Bellway as well as 13 one and two-bedroom flats for affordable rent, and eight two, three and four-bedroom houses for shared ownership by Orbit housing association.

B4B 25 MAJOR PROJECTS

4

SLADE GREEN LIBRARY After a 12-month build, the new community centre and library at Slade Green opened in October 2014 and already has an extensive programme of events and clubs taking place.

The building has a cafe, sports hall, several flexible meeting spaces as well as a local library, which is run by Eco Communities with support from the London Borough of Bexley. It also benefits from an all-weather sports pitch allowing local people to play a variety of sports throughout the year.

The £2.6 million building, constructed by Lengard and designed by Mouchel, sits within a major regeneration scheme, which includes the Redrow Homes housing development and the expansion of both Slade Green Primary School and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Crayford Temple Grove primary school.

3

SLADE GREEN HOUSING Ratio development by Redrow Homes in Slade Green will provide 372 new homes. The first phase of the project is now complete and sales of the second phase are well under way. The anticipated completion date for the scheme is winter 2016. When it is complete Ratio will comprise 232 two, three and four-bedroom houses, and 140 one and two-bedroom apartments.

Alongside the housing, Redrow Homes will also be creating a new neighbourhood shop and open amenity space for public use. The site is already home to a new community centre and library and the area’s two primary schools have been expanded as part of the regeneration scheme.

Kerry Jenkins, sales director for Redrow Homes (South East), commented: “The regeneration of this part of Bexley is an exciting project and one that everyone at Redrow is proud to be a part of.”

6

BEXLEYHEATH TOWN CENTRE The first phase of the scheme to transform transport and public realm in the town centre has entailed completion of major transport works including the removal of traffic signals and the creation of roundabouts. The scheme also introduced new trees, street furniture, paving and lighting on the Broadway.

So impressive were the changes that the first phase of the Bexleyheath Town Centre Revitalisation scheme won the London Transport Awards 2014 ‘Excellence in Walking and Public Realm’ category.

The success of the first phase has led to Transport for London agreeing to fund the second phase of the project.

Funding of over £3 million has been secured to undertake road resurfacing, better footways, improved lighting and the redesign of the junction at Broadway, Lion Road and West Street. These works will be implemented in two stages, with the second focusing on Albion Road and Market Place.

The design and consultation stage of the second phase is due to be finalised by the end of April.

PLAYLE & PARTNERS LLP C O N S T R U C T I O N & P R O P E R T Y C O N S U LTA N T S Crest House • 138 Main Road • Sidcup • Kent • DA14 6NY Telephone 020 8300 6811 • Fax 020 8300 2260 Email • sidcup@playleandpartners.co.uk Web • www.playleandpartners.co.uk

Ronnie Wilson (light blue shirt), chief executive of First Step Trust – the charity supporting people into work – with the SMaRT Garage Services team.

Motoring Ahead

People facing different sets of challenges are being helped into work by a thriving social enterprise.

At the SMaRT Garage in Crayford B4B finds out how it works. Photography

by David Tothill, Lucy Purdy reports

28 B4B SMaRT

Ronnie Wilson gestures with pride towards the gleamingly clean garage, where laughter and sunlight glint off the painted walls. The theory is that taking pride in the working environment encourages people to take pride in their work – and in themselves too.

Wilson is chief executive of the First Step Trust (FST): the charity running the garage and a host of other social enterprises, here in Crayford, across London and in the north of England.

It provides voluntary employment and training in becoming a mechanic or office administrator to people with mental health issues or other disadvantages.

SMaRT was named best new business at the Bexley Business Awards 2014. Fujitsu and London and Quadrant are reportedly interested in using the garage to service their fleets. Bexley Accessible Transport already uses SMaRT to maintain its fleet of vans.

Wilson is keen to develop links with local businesses and organisations which could avail of SMaRT services on individual vehicles and fleets.

Ronnie Wilson MBE Chief executive First Step Trust

Jan: administration and training at SMaRT

“What people don’t understand about mental health is that it utterly destroys confidence and self-esteem.

“I was signed off work with stress in 2005, as a single, working mum to four boys.

I was treated for postnatal depression and then it went into depression. I was doing admin at the Welling branch and when the garage opened, I moved here. I realised that if there were days I just couldn’t cope, I could phone in and explain. If I had gone straight into a job I wouldn’t have had that option.

“The barriers to mental health are different to any others. FST makes real work, real pressure and real responsibility available. Qualifications are important but employers need people to deliver on the ground. There is little or no point in getting someone a job and then three months later they’re not coping. You haven’t done them any favours.

“We work with people who, through no fault of their own, haven’t had opportunities. Some have been unemployed for months or years. Others have never worked because of ill health or circumstances which have thrown them back in life.

“People can stay with us as long as they want to. They won’t be ‘living off the state’. They’ll be contributing by using fewer A&E services and less medication.

They’ll have some more control around their life and, in my head, that’s what society gets back for trading with us.

People leaving us are able to meet the demands and pressures of ordinary working life, sustainably.”

“I realised the people here were saying: ‘We can give you help, providing you help us.’ It is a two-way street. Now, part of my job is developing training programmes.

“Because of the support that I’m still getting even though I’m now staff, I’ve been encouraged to just keep going.

There’s no looking back really. That first step was part of my recovery.

“My youngest has just had his 21st birthday, and I’ve got two granddaughters as well. Now I can concentrate on my job.

I’m coming into work and I get paid for it.

I’m no longer claiming off the state and it’s given me a new sense of life. I don’t have to simply sit with depression for the rest of my life. I’ve still got bipolar disorder but I can treat it differently now. I can handle it, rather than it handling me.”

B4B 29 SMaRT

Stephen: trainee mechanic Interviewee’s name has been changed.

“I heard about First Step Trust through probation services. Due to my mental health, I was in and out of trouble quite often but with a young family to support, I needed to focus my attention on getting work. While growing up I was car mad, and always wanted to be a mechanic but it’s a hard industry to get into, especially with no qualifications.

“After being here for a few months, I was offered the opportunity to take part in the Driving Ambition programme [a nine-week incentive scheme, run from SMaRT garages to allow people the opportunity to gain a driving licence].

At first I didn’t think I would be able to complete the programme as I struggle with reading and writing, but after going through the Highway Code and getting 30 hours of practical tuition, I felt more confident – and passed both the theory and practical test, which means life now holds more choices.

“The environment here is great. Nobody is judging you based on your history.

Here, I feel like the past is the past.”

Above left Be SMaRT – taking pride in a classic MGB GT involves proper care and servicing at the right garage.

Top right Training to become mechanics.

Right SMaRT – Best New Business at the Bexley Business Awards 2014.

Peter Holbrook CBE Chief executive Social Enterprise UK “Social enterprises are businesses, but they operate with a primary social objective. It’s not only about selling things to make money, but selling to do good and do well.

“Britain’s growing army of 70,000+ social enterprises are leading the way in showing how businesses can help to transform many of our troubled neighborhoods, and tackle some of the greatest social and environmental challenges.

“Thousands of charities are discovering social enterprise not only as a route to financial independence, but also as a way of taking ‘beneficiaries’ and ‘service users’ and helping them to become colleagues and co-workers – a powerful route out of poverty for many people, as First Step Trust and SMaRT Garages show. A new generation of entrepreneurs are turning their backs on business as usual and are discovering that social enterprise is a business model fit for the 21st century, one that puts people and planet first.”

Alan Hill & Co Alan Hill alan.hill@alanhillco.co.uk Cory Riverside info@coryenvironmental.co.uk Hair Supermarket Marcus Whitfield ian@sekl.co.uk Rose Bruford College Michael Earley michael.earley@bruford.ac.uk Sitematch London Sophie Gosling sophie@3foxinternational.com

B4B PARTNERS GROUP JOINING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT BEXLEY

For more information about these companies, visit bexleyforbusiness.co.uk

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The regeneration magazine for the London Borough of Ealing/issue 06/spring ‘15

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BOLD BARKING AND DAGENHAM

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ALLENGE EALING

the ealing challenge: think beyond the box

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Barking and Dagenham

art and economic revival

Swan is committed to growing its development programme in Barking working in partnership with the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham to deliver schemes of the highest design quality

Sports illustrated Leader board: new council chief’s vision for his borough Creative cluster: east London’s burgeoning cultural hub

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THRIVE

CULTURE DRIVES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CREATES A DESTINATION

Innovative homes designed for tomorrow’s lifestyles and technologies

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WAKEFIELD AND LEEDS CHIEF EXECUTIVES ON THE REGION’S USP

STRIVE

TRAINED AND SKILLED EMPLOYEES SUPPORT BUSINESS GROWTH

Visit swan.org.uk for further information or contact the development team on 0800 819 9390 to discuss partnership opportunities that can make a difference.

ISSUE 4 2015

Swan Housing Group is a dynamic housing association committed to delivering high quality regeneration projects throughout East London and Essex.

• Embracing innovation and providing solutions • Sustainable developments and awareness • Making positive changes for communities • Delivering high quality homes throughout the Thames Gateway

issue 6 2015

e ial y eas…

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Issue 4 2015 boldmagazine.co.uk

31

LONDON

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15/05/2014 10:52

southwark

MEDWAY 1

ISSUE 7 2014

medway making history

HELP TO BUY medway making history

#1 | Winter 2014

Game plan New Southwark Plan will take three years to devise, to shape the next decade’s development

Royal flush Southwark emerges as a popular central London destination for investment in hotels

Elephant revival Beginning to see the rewards – visible progress in regeneration of the Elephant & Castle

Future by design Housing estates, schools, workspace – successful development and design projects

Premier league Healthier lifestyles – investment in fitness facilities plus free gym and swim scheme

southwark

Investing in the Greater Brighton City Region

A NEW WAY TO MOVE WITH JUST A 5% DEPOSIT

Issue 12 Winter 2014/15

It doesn’t matter whether you’re renting, living with family/friends or you’re at the stage where you’re looking to move up the property ladder or just need more space for you growing family – the Governmentbacked Help to Buy scheme could be the key. You require just a 5% deposit and it is available to both first time buyers and homeowners.

Investing in the Greater Brighton City Region

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Limited availability, selected plots only. Subject to status, terms and conditions apply. See www.barratthomes.co.uk for full details. BDW Trading Limited (number 03018173) whose registered office is at Barratt House, Cartwright Way, Forest Business Park, Bardon Hill, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 1UF (“BDW”) BDW is a subsidiary of Barratt Developments PLC. The Homes and Communities Agency (“HCA”) provides an equity loan for 20% of the purchase price of the property. The equity loan provided by the HCA is secured as second charge on your property. The amount you have to repay to the HCA may be more than the amount of the equity loan provided. Scheme is available in England only and on properties up to £600k.

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ISSUE TWO SPRING 2015

Great West Investment destination: Hounslow

LOW

Heathrow Airport

Great West

Investment destination: Hounslow

OPPORTUNITY ENFIELD / The regeneration of Enfield

Brentford North

West London Citygrove Securities is proud to be working in Hillingdon. Creating a new heart for South Ruislip, with new homes and further retail and leisure facilities for local residents.

• 132 new homes • 11-screen Cineworld

multiplex cinema • Family-themed

Kew Gate on the Golden Mile

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Find out more:

ROMANCE OF RUST: DRIVING ADVENTURE

Autumn 2014 Issue Five

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Enquiries: 10 Albemarle Street London W1S 4HH

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B4B 32 MARKETS

BEXLEY BY NUMBERS

29km of rivers and streams, green corridors for people and wildlife

Cory Environmental – energy from waste – 480,000MW hours of electricity, enough to power 100,000 homes

Crossrail arrives at Abbey Wood in 2018

Average property, all types

Bexley £279,061 London £464,936 Residential figures, December 2014

42 million cases of drinks produced each year, home to Coca-Cola Enterprises since 1961

20% of Bexley businesses operate in the knowledge economy

73% of residents own their home –

London average is 48%

Nearly

70ha

of commercial development land is available in Bexley

B4B 33 MARKETS

4,000 jobs at Belvedere, the largest employment area

7,300 existing businesses, 76% survival rate for startups

Two internationally recognised centres of excellence for theatre and performing arts

£6.14 per square foot – average rent for industrial space 2014

Financial Times Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead will be among London’s first housing zones. As the local population increases, more jobs will help build economically mixed communities. To ensure residents and local businesses benefit from new opportunities, the council is publishing its Economic Action Plan, to guide the type of investment and development that will be right for this borough.

Four senior players at the London Borough of Bexley discuss what action the plan will support Images by Sharron Wallace Photography

B4B 35 ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN

36 B4B ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN

Councillor Teresa O’Neill Leader of the London Borough of Bexley

Image supplied by the London Borough of Bexley

As leader of the council, I am passionate about attracting new investors to our borough, from multinationals to startups, all are very welcome.

From where I sit in our civic offices, I can be in central London, the Port of Dover, take a Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel to France, or go to Gatwick Airport, all within an hour. That makes us pretty unique.

I believe that as a borough we are business-friendly and a borough that that walks the talk. When Waitrose took the decision to pull out of plans to open a store in Sidcup, we fought to change their minds and won. I phoned their senior team myself almost daily.

We also worked hard to develop a programme that has transformed Sidcup from our lowest performing town centre to one where footfall is now high, new businesses are opening and vacancies are at an all-time low.

We were strategic in the uses we encouraged to create new destinations, a gym and adult skills centre among them, which, together with support from Transport for London, the Mayor’s Outer London Fund and our own resources, has created massive change and new momentum.

Similar projects in other towns, including an award-winning scheme in Bexleyheath, clearly demonstrate our commitment to thriving town centres at the heart of our communities – and our successes prove that we know what we’re doing.

Our Economic Action Plan will build on this, as we are clear there is still capacity for a quality retail, leisure and residential offer throughout the borough.

But our focus on our town centres is only part of our strategy. Jobs really matter, so does ensuring our residents have the right skills to access employment within the borough and beyond.

The arrival of Crossrail in Abbey Wood in 2018 will transform journey times to London, including Canary Wharf, bringing many more opportunities within the kind of commuting times normally enjoyed in inner London.

But we don’t want the service to stop there. We have always believed that Crossrail should be built to Ebbsfleet,

stopping in Erith, Belvedere and Slade Green. With Ebbsfleet Garden City and the London Paramount project on our doorstep, we are lobbying hard to make it happen.

All of this demonstrates the trend of London moving east. As a borough, we are growing and need to take hold of that agenda and lead it, which is what we are doing.

Our growth strategy will be published later this year and will be clear that we need new transport infrastructure to make it happen.

We believe we have the potential for many thousands of new houses to be built, jobs to be created, and we are particularly keen to create new opportunities for young professionals to own their first home.

But we will not compromise on quality and our belief in what already makes Bexley such a special place.

So my message is very much that Bexley is open for business, open for investment and open to growth.

We have always believed that Crossrail should be built to Ebbsfleet, stopping in Erith, Belvedere and Slade Green

B4B 37 ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN

Will Tuckley Chief executive, London Borough of Bexley

We are working to make the proportion of outstanding schools even higher

The purpose of the Economic Action Plan is to unite different interests to give a clearer view of what our local economy should look like in the future – providing jobs and giving people the right skills for employment, encouraging investment from those who create jobs. The idea of the plan is to get all those interests aligned to help make a better economy, one that is more productive, both for employees and employers.

A lot of growth will be residential, with jobs in construction, additional population and more opportunities for residents, generating further employment.

We need to organise our investment and efforts – including our lobbying efforts – so that the outcome meets the aspirations of residents and the business community. Businesses want a degree of certainty in relation to planning and infrastructure, but also to know that the council can offer an opportunity to help shape their future. Working together is better than working in isolation.

Education in the borough is very good – hence many parents in surrounding boroughs applying for places for their children in Bexley schools. We are working to make the proportion of outstanding schools even higher. We want more young people to stay in further and higher education and to aspire to go to a wider range of universities. We are proud to be the home of two highly successful higher education institutions focused on performing arts: Rose Bruford and Bird colleges. The new Bexley College campus is on a former council site in Erith, where we have pockets of higher unemployment among young people and the population as a whole. Moving to the north of the borough was important and the college is a fantastic new asset for those interested in a more vocational offer.

We have a much lower rate of unemployment than London as a whole, with pockets of higher unemployment which the Bexley Skills and Employment Partnership targets. Our work with groups with higher levels of unemployment and lower levels of skills, to help increase their employability, has been successful.

Take-up of apprenticeships among young people in Bexley is the best in our surrounding area. This is achieved

by targeting groups, and in parts of the borough where skills may be lower and unemployment may be greater. Some work with Tesco.com was designed to get people who are further from the labour market into work and it has been intensive but extraordinarily successful.

Our team works with an employer to design a programme; offering a service that links into projects and individuals, meeting social goals, but not compromising on what the employer needs. Resources Plus and the Adult Skills Partnership has put in place courses and programmes on employability. Putting young people directly into apprenticeships doesn’t always work, without pre-apprenticeship preparation. The council’s own longstanding apprenticeship scheme is successful because local managers see what apprentices can contribute to our business, but also see part of their success in the success of those apprentices. For Bexley people who get high-level skills at university, we want to provide the opportunity for them to come back to live and work here.

That requires us working with employers, but also to provide the environment that they’d be happy to bring their family to.

The Economic Action Plan and forthcoming growth strategy are integral.

We want to offer new employment opportunities and the plan helps provide the means of doing that.

We aim to add around 50,000 people to the population by 2030, based on the new transport infrastructure. The demand generated can be satisfied through creating up to 10,000 additional jobs.

Residents will have access, very quickly, to employment opportunities outside the borough. It will also provide a skilled labour force for existing businesses that we want to retain and enable to prosper.

We will be even more integrated into opportunities at Canary Wharf and the West End. Few Bexley residents were able to take jobs at City Airport because of transport. Potential customers did not use the airport and its employment benefits did not reach Bexley because people couldn’t get there quickly enough at the right times of the day. Crossrail will dramatically change that position.

38 B4B ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN

Councillor Linda Bailey Cabinet member for regeneration and growth

Ocado is currently progressing a planning application that would see an investment of £185 million with the potential for more than 3,000 jobs

One of my main drivers, as cabinet member for regeneration and growth, is to reach out to as many businesses as possible. Inward investment is critical to the borough’s long-term future.

We need a clear understanding of what is already happening in our borough and the new opportunities out there.

We encourage sustainable growth, high-quality development with a range of housing types and tenure, including those that enable people to buy their home, a range of local jobs. We need good access, via a 21st century transport system, to wider markets and an aspirational education offer. Our Economic Action Plan will be published alongside our strategy for growth later this year, and will set out practical ways in which we will work with our partners to underpin this.

We have some very big businesses in Bexley and a lot of SMEs too. All are very important. They provide valuable employment but also stimulate the local economy by using retail and other amenities. We all know that grant funding is reducing, and we will be increasingly reliant on new income streams such as the New Homes Bonus, as well as traditional routes such as council tax and business rates. We must generate more income from these sources but also, use it well to support our services.

Over recent years, we have had a number of successes in attracting new operations. Tesco.com opened over a year ago and Ocado is currently progressing a planning application that would see an investment of £185 million with the potential for more than 3,000 jobs, when it is at full capacity.

To encourage a local employment and training offer, our Resources Plus service also adds significant value, responding to businesses with a bespoke recruitment and co-ordinated training offer. It’s a terrific team that supports new and current business, helping many local people secure employment, some of whom have been out of the job market for a while. We also offer incubation space at the Thames Innovation Centre. This is a modern building offering fantastic facilities, less than a mile from the new Crossrail station at Abbey Wood. We keep tenure flexible from short-term,

touchdown space to a range of unit sizes.

This is alongside business support advice on-site. I think this is very special and possibly unique!

We are constantly looking for new ways to try more initiatives like this because they offer a launchpad for businesses. Another example has been our High Street project in Sidcup.

I am really pleased with the modernisation of many shop fronts and a better quality environment. The Sidcup & Co. store is also proving a big hit locally.

The multi-purpose space is designed to house and support small business, providing affordable retail and business space to help independent entrepreneurs grow. Supported by the Outer London Fund, the hope is that the model can be taken on by others and developed elsewhere. New brands have also been arriving; the old police station is now a Prezzo restaurant, another outlet creating a bit of excitement.

With the work in Sidcup nearing the end, we now have a town centres manager, working strategically across several town centres. This includes Erith where the new Bexley College campus opened its doors last September. Only metres from the river, this is a key element of our ongoing plans for the town. We would also like to see the river used more.

On a sunny day in 2012, the Olympic torch came across from Havering to Erith Yacht Club – you would have thought you were in the south of France!

We have some great tourist destinations in Bexley, such as Crossness, Hall Place and Lesnes. In our conversations with the developers of the London Paramount project in Ebbsfleet, they talk of promoting a tourism package.

We need to be part of that, encouraging people coming to London and down to Paramount to come by river, enhancing their experience. We are keeping up the pressure for Crossrail to proceed to Ebbsfleet as originally planned.

Development must be of high quality, with the right infrastructure. We want mixed communities with better transport links, so residents get an even greater benefit from what we can offer and that those who want to come and live here, buy into all that is special about Bexley.

B4B 39 ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN

Paul Moore Director of regeneration, communities and customer services

We have a key part to play as the critical mass of London’s economic vitality moves east

The message about Bexley, enabled by the opportunity of better transport infrastructure and obviously, the prize of Crossrail coming to Abbey Wood, means that the borough is about to go through step change of economic fortune over the next decade.

The Economic Action Plan acknowledges that there will be challenges in attracting new residents and business people to locate in Bexley and that is about visibility and profile, getting people to see it as an area of opportunity. It’s also critical that we make sure that residents and business are able to benefit from this period of growth.

While previously we may have had a profile that is somewhere between London and Kent, that now presents a real opportunity because of Londonbased employment and the rewards that come with it – and also, living in a place where there is space to breathe and grow.

Central London is so accessible and will be more so in the next three to five years.

Also it’s about lifestyle – with green space and a quality environment with Kent and multiple links to Europe on the doorstep.

Development has come to south-east London and now beyond – with London Paramount at Swanscombe Peninsula – where there is the potential for more than 20,000 jobs – and Ebbsfleet Garden City.

We’re ideally placed between hotspots and there’s the potential of Crossrail extending down to Ebbsfleet. We’re lobbying hard for this, believing that investors will also want that connectivity to and across London.

Ocado’s £185 million investment gives a strong profile to present to potential investors, a company like that, a quality supplier. Such investment clearly provides encouragement for other businesses to follow. For those looking for strategic relocation, it is a great location and a great time. For those businesses already here, the message is – stay, let’s use the opportunities right on our doorstep in Bexley.

We’re looking at the potential for in the region of 20,000 homes coming through over time, a stock of modern, quality homes with a complementary lifestyle, that will attract young people and professionals, as well as offer

space for local families to grow.

In the past, we’ve had more of a family profile, where you’ve been able to get a lot of home for your money in Bexley – and another big strength is the quality of our schools.

For major employers, our message is about the strength of our location and improving connectivity, the availability of land, the proximity to London, the UK’s south-east markets and facing Europe.

Ready access to those markets and growing populations appeals to large employers like Ocado, the sheer number of people they can they reach within a short time. Improved river crossings are a key part of the opportunity that is presented in the next decade.

During 2015 and 2016, the council’s growth strategy will take shape and be finalised. Although it is fundamentally enabled by revised planning policies, it is reliant on a much broader programme and contribution from across the council and its partners. The strategy and broader growth agenda provide a means by which Bexley will achieve a step change in transport connections, which drive housing opportunities and economic potential. Bexley’s team will be working hard to enhance educational, skills and employment prospects, locally and on the London employment stage.

We have a key part to play as the critical mass of London’s economic vitality moves east, building on the Olympic investment, Canary Wharf, developments at Greenwich and the O2 – and Bexley’s time has now come.

There have been key announcements with more to come during the year, beginning with Ocado. The Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead housing zone was one of the first nine to be confirmed.

We’ll be working with our partners, be they across London government or most importantly, the private sector, talking to those who find our location attractive, being six stops away from the City. They may be companies looking for strategic relocation either from sites in central London, or firms seeking a new foothold giving proximity to London, the south-east and also potentially, Europe.

Anyone who needs to press those three buttons in particular, we’re keen to talk to.

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Home comfort As the London market once again shoots off the scale, beyond the reach of first-time buyers and families trading up, Bexley’s brand new developments offer fresh options for willing members of new communities, writes Henry Ellis

B4B 41 HOUSING

42 B4B HOUSING

Ask people to name their favourite places in London and it is probably fair to say few people will mention Bexley first. But all that is changing at a canter and young professionals should overlook the area at their peril because the borough is at the sharp end of plans to allow more Londoners to not only own, but love the roof over their heads.

While much of Bexley is made up of established communities living in 1930s housing, set in leafy streets with access to plenty of greenery and open space, new housing development is a feature of the borough’s growth, both in its population and the economy.

New connectivity certainly influenced Bellway Homes to invest in its Belvedere Park site, which sits next to Crossness Nature Reserve: “With the London market continuing to expand, we identified that there would be a strong market for first-time buyers looking at more affordable locations, but within easy commuting distance to the city,” says a spokesperson, who adds that the development has been sold in record time. “We released each block in five phases, with each phase selling out within weeks of its release. All 402 apartments are sold, with approximately 60% of the development now occupied.

“Belvedere Park has the potential to be a community development. There are plans for food outlets, a gym and convenience store, subject to uptake from local or more established branded stores. Once all of the commercial space is completed, it would be fantastic for Bellway Homes to have been at the forefront of this regeneration in the area.”

A bike ride along Bexley’s stretch of the Thames is a lovely experience – the

borough boasts the pick of the capital’s wildlife scenery, and where else can you own a home a stone’s throw from the Thames for as little as £63,000 for a 35% share of the property?

Wates Living Space and housing association, Orbit South, have been tasked with ushering in a new chapter in Bexley’s rich tapestry. The two companies have invested a total of £120 million in the Erith Park scheme. Hundreds of one, two and three-bedroom flats are being built, and the first wave of tenants and homeowners has already moved in.

What’s more, the homes are not being shoehorned into the site, which is on the outskirts of one of London’s hidden gems. It is very easy to forget you are in a city when visiting the 20-ha Crossness Nature Reserve, with its series of ditches, marshland and unspoilt wetland habitats.

It is unlike any other part of London – and for that reason it has been taken as a blank canvas, ripe for its share of regeneration. And unlike some of their predecessors of the mid-20th century, this time developers seem to be getting it very right, with families queuing up to become part of the communities springing up across Bexley.

“Erith Park has been a truly amazing project to be involved with,” says Wates Living Space regional managing director, Andy Fancy.

“We are working on an area which has had a bad reputation in the past. It was a bit of a concrete jungle – but all that has changed. We want to attract families to the area and they were very much in mind when we started this project. There are a lot of affordable homes and sharedownership homes because that is what London is crying out for.

B4B 43 HOUSING

Far left and left The first phase of the ÂŁ120 million Erith Park development is complete, the second phase starts in spring.

Below Thamesmead has miles of waterways and river frontage, along with 150ha of green space and four lakes.

44 B4B HOUSING

Erith Park represents a life-changing opportunity to so many families. It is fabulous “This is a huge project, worth £120 million. Phase one of the project is now completed and the second phase will begin in spring, with people moving into their new homes in December,” adds Fancy. “It has been an amazing journey for the past three years. It is now a cracking area to live in.

“A major part of the plan was to make it affordable and we wanted them to be homes that people live in and love, which is why we have a Help to Buy scheme.

I have to say the London Borough of Bexley has been a great authority to work with – they have been very professional and we are keen to invest again in the next phase of this project.

“The mayor of London visited our site in January and announced new funding to help more Londoners who struggle to find deposits to be able to own their own homes, and Erith Park represents a life-changing opportunity to so many families. It is fabulous to be involved with the scheme.”

Meanwhile in Thamesmead, Peabody has embarked on an investment of £225 million to regenerate their estates.

With 28,000 homes across London, there are few bigger players. Since the Gallions Housing Association, Tilfen Land and charity Trust Thamesmead were brought into the Peabody fold in 2014, the area’s social housing, parks and open spaces are now managed by a single organisation for the first time in a generation.

Thamesmead is one of London’s major opportunity areas for growth over the next 10 to 15 years. With 150ha of green open spaces, four lakes, 7km of waterways and miles of undeveloped river frontage, Thamesmead has the potential to become an even more vibrant and successful town.

While Peabody is keen to bring in new Bexley residents, it also wants to avoid forcing families out of the area where they have grown up and put down roots.

As Councillor Teresa O’Neill, leader of the London Borough of Bexley, says: “Some people have lived in Thamesmead since it opened and there are some really nice parts, everybody thinks it’s a concrete block, but there is a lot more to it than that. It is one of the best things that has happened, Peabody coming in, it’s a good partnership with Bexley.”

Last summer the company held a series of consultations with the public and other stakeholders, and has promised to act on its findings in creating the Bexleyon-Thames vision.

Stephen Howlett, Peabody’s chief executive, says: “With our partners, we are investing now to innovate and build on Thamesmead’s unique history and character.

“There is an opportunity for the area to become synonymous with exemplar urban design; with extensive public realm assets, leisure and cultural opportunities, a dynamic local economy, and thriving and aspirational communities.”

From the outset, the major players helping to rejuvenate the borough made the decision to build high-spec, quality homes at prices that would attract people of all walks of life, not just rich investors and oligarchs. The result, they hope, will be proper communities rather than a series of gated developments that happen to be in south-east London, making use of the new Crossrail service that will shuttle commuters into central London.

The ambitious new rail link connecting Abbey Wood to the rest of London is a major boon for the area. In

October 2013, both the London Borough of Bexley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich gave planning consent, and a temporary station is currently in use to allow work on the two-level, landmark station, which will open in 2017.

From 2018, when the Crossrail service is operational, it will add up to 12 trains per hour, taking passengers swiftly to central London and beyond.

Passengers from Abbey Wood will reach Canary Wharf in 11 minutes and Bond Street in 25, so Crossrail is about to make areas such as Bexley more appealing to Londoners.

The borough is being tipped as the next hotspot for families and younger professionals wanting to lay down roots in south-east London.

And Bexley residents value the room to breathe, fantastic parks and natural wetlands which have proved an indefatigable presence amid the concrete behemoths that were hastily thrown up in the wake of a world war.

And with 14,500 new homes being built across Belvedere, Erith and Crayford within the London Borough of Bexley, many more families will be able to share in the dream.

B4B 45 HOUSING

Left Thamesmead is a major opportunity area, with the potential to become an even more successful town.

Below The new Abbey Wood station will bring Crossrail services to the borough from 2018.

46 B4B SITEMATCH

Sitematch opportunity: Erith Western Gateway Erith Western Gateway is one of Bexley’s key investment opportunities.

With 7.5ha ready for development, and more potential local sites, the council has plans for new housing and jobs in Erith Erith is well-connected, with train routes to central London and quick access to the A2 and M25. It has a busy shopping centre, supermarket, library and leisure centre. Following the development of council-owned land, Bexley College opened a major campus in the town centre in 2014 and housing is proposed for a key riverfront site.

The council is a major landowner in the area and is looking for partners to bring forward additional housing, mixeduse schemes and specialist projects.

Plans for development in Bexley and

the wider region will ensure the borough is an attractive site for investors. With Crossrail services starting nearby at Abbey Wood in 2018 and plans for the London Paramount theme park taking shape, the area will see significant development in the next five to 20 years.

Transport for London is developing proposals for river crossings in the region, which will improve connections with east London and the north of England.

The council is lobbying for Crossrail to be extended through the borough to Ebbsfleet, to offer excellent connections to central London.

The London Borough of Bexley is keen to discuss this site with developers, investors and retailers.

For more information contact regeneration@bexley.gov.uk or call 020 8303 7777.

Sitematch London is an event enabling public sector landowners to engage with private sector developers, investors and occupiers. For more information visit sitematchlondon.com.

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The inward investment magazine for the London Borough of Bexley The inward investment magazine for the London Borough of Bexley

Blossom Park Hoo St Werburgh ME3

Market force A new economic action plan – the borough’s leaders and top management set out the stall for Bexley’s development

Performing arts Internationally renowned Rose Bruford and Bird colleges – regeneration partners at the heart of Sidcup