City3 #5

issue 5 2009 The official regeneration magazine of the london borough of croydon

City3 New faces Page 10 Crunch time Page 17 Project focus Page 32 Home affairs Page 48

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: VICTORIA STATION UPGRADE MANCHESTER CIVIL JUSTICE CENTRE CROYDON TRAMLINK BRIDGEWATER PLACE, LEEDS

LOCAL FIRM, GLOBAL PRESENCE Croydon has housed global management, engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald’s headquarters, now home to more than 1200 staff, for over four decades. During this time we have grown into one of the world’s largest independent, employee-owned companies with over 14 700 staff world-wide.

Mott MacDonald has worked on many internationally acclaimed projects, including Heathrow’s Terminal 5, The Sage Gateshead, the Channel Tunnel, Bridgewater Place Leeds and the multi award-winning Manchester Civil Justice Centre.

www.mottmac.com

Locally, we have brought our global skills base to projects such as Croydon Tramlink and East Croydon Station and continue to work with Croydon Council and partner organisations on the regeneration of the borough.

We’re also working on major infrastructure in London including Crossrail, East London Line, Thameslink and Victoria Station Upgrade.

City3 Executive editor: Kirsty MacAulay kirsty@3foxinternational.com

22

Feature writer: Alex Aspinall alex@3foxinternational.com Art director: Terry Hawes terry@3foxinternational.com Production: Rachael Schofield rachael@3foxinternational.com Advertisement sales: Lee Harrison lee@3foxinternational.com Office manager: Sue Mapara sue@3foxinternational.com

06 Update

Managing director: Toby Fox toby@3foxinternational.com

All the latest news, views and initiatives from London’s third city.

Printed by: Trade Winds

10 Meet the team

We meet Croydon Council’s new regeneration team.

Images: Croydon Council, Foster + Partner, Ben Johnson, Nigel Young, Adam Hinton, Antonia Olmos, London Borough of Croydon, Roderick Coyne, Will Pryce, Zander Olsen, Make Architects, Mark Thomas

14 Emma Peters

An in-depth interview with Croydon’s new executive director of planning, regeneration and conservation.

Published by:

17 Credit crunch

Lower Ground Floor, 189 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840 F: 020 7978 6837

22 CCURV

Croydon has plenty of reasons to remain cheerful in the face of the ‘crunch’.

Councils across the country are watching the progress of Croydon’s trail-blazing CCURV.

For Croydon Council

27 CEDC

The low down on the newly formed Croydon Economic Development Company.

Taberner House, Park Lane, Croydon CR9 3JS 020 8726 6000

32 Projects

A round-up of the major projects shaping Croydon’s transformation.

Executive director of planning, regeneration and conservation Emma Peters

48 Housing

Croydon is leading the way with its new council housing.

Director of regeneration and infrastructure Tony Middleton

53 Transport

Not just improving things for cars but trains and trams too.

Subscriptions and feedback: go to www.city3magazine.com

56 Day in the life © 3Fox International Limited 2009. 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 or Croydon Council.

City3 is produced at no cost to the Croydon council-tax payer

Just why does Alan Michael Peake love Croydon so much?

58 Contacts

Who to contact at Croydon Council.

32

City3 City3 3

issue 5 2009

Croydon Council urban regeneration vehicle (CCURV)

An innovative solution for stalled regeneration projects The economic downturn has left many local authorities with stalled city centre regeneration and redevelopment projects, the result of a lack of investor confidence and a shortage of funding. Croydon Council has taken an innovative approach to tackling this problem.

Mace Group is now the primary advisor to the Council’s client team in the delivery of the regeneration scheme through to completion including the new public service delivery hub and its main project, Access Croydon.

Following a government review published in 2008, Croydon has become the first local authority to implement a local asset backed vehicle (LABV), paving the way for other local authorities facing similar issues.

Drawing on its global project and programme management experience and regeneration expertise, Mace Group is providing a wide range of expertise to Croydon Council and can advise other local authorities seeking to follow the LABV route.

With support from Mace Group, a private sector partner was appointed through a competitive dialogue process and the LABV achieved commercial close in November 2008. As a result, CCURV is the most advanced local asset backed vehicle in the country As part of the council’s team, Mace Group supported the delivery of the town centre regeneration programme and provided Croydon Council with greater flexibility and control of the procurement process through:

For further information please contact Kevin Cowin Operations Director +44 (0)7747 445742 kevin.cowin@macegroup.com Atelier House, Pratt Street, London, NW1 0LF

t t t t

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Public services delivery hub, Croydon

Transforming work spaces The modern workplace is undergoing a transition. Changing work styles, technologies and evolving corporate cultures need to be addressed to deliver solutions that are space efficient, sustainable and flexible to changing demands.

CCURV has created a unique opportunity to review their workplace with the objective to co-ordinate and improve the delivery of public sector services. The initial phase of the regeneration development, with support from Mace Group, will feature a new multi-storey public services delivery hub creating a modern office environment and associated technology to promote flexible working.

Mace Group is providing project and programme management services, coordinating the delivery through CCURV of the new hub in readiness of the transformation agenda.

Mace Group has considerable experience in the development of office transformation programmes, both in the public and private sectors. Our approach is based around workstreams that mirror organisational structures and governance in the public sector. We provide specialist advice across every workstream level and have completed 40 corporate headquarters, covering ten million square feet in the last five years.

Key areas of the programme include: For further information please contact t t t t t

#VTJOFTT SFPSHBOJTBUJPO "DDPNNPEBUJPO TUSBUFHZ CBTFE PO TIBSFE XPSLJOH

principles "O *$5 BOE JOGPSNBUJPO TUSBUFHZ GBDJMJUBUJOH nFYJCMF XPSLJOH 3FDPSET NBOBHFNFOU TUSBUFHZ " DVMUVSBM DIBOHF QSPHSBNNF

Philip Worley Operations Director +44 (0)7734 081 503 philip.worley@macegroup.com Atelier House, Pratt Street, London, NW1 0LF

www.macegroup.com

City3

What’s been happening in the world of regeneration in London’s third city

Update

Park Place After years of stalled progress Croydon Council has taken decisive steps to move forward the development of the Park Place site.

The development agreement with Minerva has now been terminated and the council is reviewing the scheme for the 8.5 hectare site. The new plans are likely to focus on consolidating retail space in the town centre and may include new civic space opposite the town hall. Plans may also include non-retail elements, such as residential. However, the council do still wish to attract a John Lewis department store to Croydon.

Minerva’s plans were for 1,000,000 sq ft of retail space with cafes and restaurants to include a new bus interchange, tram stop and public square. Planning permission for this scheme was agreed in 2004 and a compulsory purchase order (CPO) was granted in 2007.

The decision to terminate the agreement was made after it became obvious that Minerva, owner of approximately 80% of the site, was unable to find another joint venture partner after splitting with original partner Lend Lease. Planning permission for the original scheme had expired in May this year.

Councillor Mike Fisher said: “We have two clear priorities for Park Place – to ensure support is offered to affected businesses and to bring forward a new proposal for the area and move the development forward as quickly as possible.”

On the road

Since the last issue of City3 much has happened on the Wellesley Road front. The launch of a competition for new designs for the road, at New London Architecture in October 2008, generated a great deal of interest. Applications were submitted from the UK, Europe and North America. A public consultation exercise was held and the feedback helped whittle down the

four shortlisted firms to two – OKRA Landscape Architects (pictured top) and James Corner Field Operations (pictured above) in May. A decision on the winning application was due to be announced as City3 went to press.

Councillor Steve O’Connell described the two finalist’s designs as having “paid close attention to Croydon’s local context”.

n The green light has been given to plans to double the size of Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls. The £8 million project will create a two-storey building at the college to house a sixth form teaching block and separate enterprise centre. It is hoped the centre will be open in time for the new term in September 2010.

New approach Croydon Council is introducing a new preapplication planning consultation process. New director of planning and building control Mike Kiely hopes it will establish a closer relationship between the council and developers and will mean putting plans into the public domain much earlier than before, to obtain responses from the public. The council’s director of regeneration and infrastructure, and frequent applicant on council led schemes, Tony Middleton said: “I like the new process. Where a scheme isn’t advanced it makes sense to go out and say ‘here’s the site and our

ideas, what do you think of those ideas’ before it’s worked into a fixed design. This process is definitely better, it’s more genuine in its attempt to get involved with local people.”

Kiely added: “Much of what we’re introducing doesn’t happen at the moment. It’s a fairly unique idea. Once a planning application is submitted it’s in a much stronger position to be what we want: good quality and something the local community is happy with. Developers love it and we hope members and the local residents will see the benefits.”

All change A new Local Development Framework (LDF) for the borough is being worked up

by Croydon Council. The initial issues and options for the core strategy were submitted to cabinet in June. It will go out to early public engagement and then, next autumn, the final document will be submitted to the secretary of state with an examination in public to follow.

The core strategy will incorporate the plans of all of the main public bodies in the borough, including the police, primary care trust and educational facilities. It will detail what they aim to achieve over the next 15 years.

Croydon Councillor Jason Perry, explained: “The core strategy is a new model. It will give us a brand to allow

CEDC launch Barry Rourke, chairman of Croydon’s new Economic Development Company (CEDC).

Croydon is streamlining its economic development bodies into one focused entity: The Croydon Economic Development Company (CEDC). The new body will incorporate Croydon Business, Croydon Enterprise, Croydon Business Improvement District and Envibe, the council’s environmental business arm. The new company’s aim is to boost the local economy by promoting Croydon and raising its profile to encourage investment.

us to market Croydon, so that people can really buy into it.

As a tool it enables us to set out in a cogent, deliverable way exactly what we want to do in the next 15 years and allows others to think about how they can fit into that. When a developer comes to us now, we hope they’re much more likely to be speaking the same language as us.”

By amalgamating existing economic development initiatives, CEDC will immediately create efficiencies.

The board of CEDC has attracted some high flyers: the chair is Barry Rourke, a former partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the chief executive is Tony Kildare, previously a director at Ernst and Young.

[For more on the CEDC see page 27.]

CCURV exhibition Croydon’s asset backed vehicle (CCURV) ran a three-day exhibition showcasing plans for its new public service delivery hub. The hub will offer a one-stop-shop for the public as well as replacing Taberner House as the council’s new home.

The exhibition, at the Clocktower in the town centre, featured drawings and designs for the scheme as well as the massing study and rationale for locating the new building on Fell Road. Comments from the 400 people who attended were generally positive. Subsequent changes to the design incorporated many of the suggestions, such as improvements to signage visibility, access from Mint Walk and changes to the building entrance design.

Several visitors commented on their pleasure at seeing the regeneration of the town centre getting under way.

The planning application was submitted in early June and construction of the new public sector delivery hub should start by spring 2010.

City3

Update

City3

30%

Croydon’s first-time house buyers will receive a boost at the low-cost homeownership open day in June. Residents will find information on the options available and free legal advice. One option is the Intermediate Rent scheme where rent is charged at up to 30% lower than on the open market for similar properties.

MIPIM round-up Croydon’s appearance at the international property show MIPIM in Cannes in March was a resounding success. The model of the borough’s regeneration plans attracted plenty of attention from developers, architects and even the Mayor of London.

Croydon Councillor Steve O’Connell commented:”Our presence at MIPIM this year was massively important. Internationally Croydon needs to be recognised as the outer London place for investment and Cannes was instrumental in that vision.”

Visitor centre opens Croydon Visitor Centre opened its doors to the public in December. The building, which is located next to East Croydon station, promotes the town centre, providing an information centre for visitors and locals alike.

The launch of Croydon Visitor Centre was attended by members of the Croydon Business Improvement District (BID), including chairman Joe Rowe, who officially opened the centre. In his

opening speech he explained: “One of the BID’s key priorities is to make Croydon town centre more accessible. This visitor centre will give practical help to those who come to Croydon whether for shopping, business or entertainment.”

The new centre has already played host to the Vision 2020 Croydon town centre model as well as the shortlisted plans for the Wellesley Road design competition.

Croydon is the only London borough to be shortlisted for funding through the government’s Community Infrastructure Fund. Having made it through the initial round, beating stiff competition, the final business case for £8 million to transform Purley was submitted in May. Initial hopes were for £14 million but the proposed £8 million will go some way to enabling the plans to completely remodel Purley Cross gyratory system. The plan is to take the traffic away from the centre of Purley, introducing

pedestrianised areas and creating better links between the Purley island site and the town centre. A decision on the funding is expected by the end of the summer.

The council’s director of regeneration and infrastructure Councillor Steve O’Connell commented: “This is a countrywide initiative so it’s an achievement for us to get to where we are and it will be a boost for Purley if we can get the money. It will significantly improve Purley town centre giving it a more pedestrian friendly environment.”

Wonderful Wandle

Wandle Park is set to receive £400,000 towards its regeneration after gaining over 5,000 votes in the mayor’s Help a London Park scheme. Ten parks in the capital received funding, voted for by Londoners. The money is in addition to the £1 million section 106 agreement secured from Barratt Kent and a further bid for funding which has been made to the Heritage Lottery fund for £1.1million.Wandle Park’s comprehensive proposals include restoring the River Wandle, which runs underground through the park, and creating a lake.

The green light has been given for £32 million of redevelopment plans to Coulsdon College.

Purley promise

£32m

n Local residents are being asked to Imagine Croydon as part of the public consultation for the council’s Core Strategy. Views and ideas on the fundamental issues facing the borough are being gathered to assess aspirations. www.imaginecroydon.com

Outer London Commission conference Croydon’s profile received a huge boost when it hosted the Outer London Summit on 11 June. The one-day conference at Croydon Park Hotel, was packed with people keen to witness the mayor’s vision for developing and regenerating London’s outer boroughs.

Boris Johnson described Croydon as an intellectual and economic powerhouse saying: “We’re not going to stand in the way of its progress – indeed we’re going to encourage it.”

Other speakers included influential architect Sir Terry Farrell, Liz Peace from the British Property Federation and Croydon Council chief executive Jon Rouse.

Tony Middleton, the council’s director of regeneration and infrastructure, observed: “This is a really positive boost for Croydon. It shows Croydon’s position is being acknowledged as an economic hub for south London.”

Boris Johnson in Croydon The Mayor of London will attend a consultation conference on the strategy for London’s housing stakeholders in Croydon. The event, at Fairfield Halls on 8 July will feature speaches from the mayor himself and Grant Shapps, shadow housing minister.

The mayor will also be attending the Building a Road to Economic Recovery event on 22 July. Chaired by Councillor Steve O’Connell, the event will see the mayor and business and economic speakers taking questions on the issues of economic recovery.

City3

Update

Q. What do you think of Croydon’s regeneration plans?

A. The plans are really very exciting - there are exciting times ahead. That’s why I have made a point of interesting the mayor in our wonderful plans.

The key players in London recognise Croydon as an exciting place where things are happening. There is a great future for high-rise building in Croydon.

What we want to achieve in the town centre is an explosion in the number of people living here, particularly those who are living and working here.

Q. What aspect of Croydon’s vision are you most interested in?

A. The changes in the town centre skyline in the next 8-10 years will be interesting but it is important to regenerate the whole borough and I’m keeping an eye on the district centres.

It is important to make sure the district centres are powerhouses of regeneration.

Q. What are the main problems facing Croydon?

A. The main recessionary issues that are being faced across the country. We’re working with CEDC looking at ways we can support local businesses, which is crucial at a time like this.

Q. What do you like most about Croydon?

A. It’s a unique place. Whatever you want you can find it in Croydon. If you travel around London or around the country there really is nothing like it. It feels like a thriving city in the centre; there is fantastic metropolitan diversity in the north of the borough; and as you drop into the south, you find beautiful countryside. Croydon is a very dynamic place. It sits apart from London - that is why the ‘third city’ idea [proposing that Croydon is London’s third city] is so important.

➔ Meet Jason

Perry

Having been a member of Croydon Council since 1994, Councillor Jason Perry has held the position of cabinet member for planning and conservation since May 2008.

Q. What do you think of Croydon’s regeneration plans?

A. Excellent! We’ve got a bright future and I’m looking forward to the regeneration of the town centre and the outlying areas.

Q. What aspect of Croydon’s vision are you most interested in?

A. The whole package. The town centre has been maligned but we’re about to hit the high tide.

Croydon has got so much to offer and people just don’t realise it. We’ve got fantastic green spaces and heritage, which surprises people but you just have to look around you at the alms houses, Surrey Street Market and the old Victorian shop facades – something a lot of people miss. We’ve got a lot to celebrate and the regeneration of Croydon will put us back on the map.

Q. What are the main problems facing Croydon?

A. I think really it’s the image problem Croydon has. But we’re gradually overcoming it and getting out there and telling our story. There are a number of large developers who are interested in doing work in the town now, which shows great confidence. And having CCURV is a real asset, particularly in the current economic climate, it will kick-start the regeneration of Croydon ahead of most other places.

Q. What do you most like about Croydon?

A. It’s a vibrant town. I’m a Croydonian born and bred and I’m proud to say so.

Croydon is a diverse place, it’s modern yet it’s also got plenty of heritage. It’s only 15 minutes from central London and the same distance from some great countryside. It’s the ideal location.

➔ Meet Emma

Peters

Croydon’s new executive director of planning, regeneration and conservation took up her position in December 2008.

Emma moved from the London borough of Tower Hamlets where she held the position of corporate director of development and renewal.

Q. What do you think of Croydon’s regeneration plans?

A. I think they’re very exciting. The links that are developing between physical regeneration and economic strategy present a rich opportunity.

Q. What aspect of Croydon’s vision are you most interested in?

A. I find it most interesting that we’re creating a city which celebrates all its parts.

In this borough the reinvention of desirable suburban residential areas is as important to our success as a vibrant business district and a thriving shopping centre.

Q. What are the main problems facing Croydon?

A. Like anywhere else in the country the recession is going to present a major challenge, which is why it’s so important we get the delivery mechanisms right.

We need to present a holistic vision that embraces the need for developing people’s skills as well as the borough’s business and physical opportunities.

Emma Peters

O’Connell

Previously cabinet member for safety and cohesion, Councillor Steve O’Connell took over as cabinet member for regeneration and economic development at the end of last year. He is also London Assembly Member for Croydon and Sutton and a member of the Greater London Authority planning and housing committee.

Jason Perry

➔ Meet Steve

Steve O’Connell

City3 10

➔

All change

Q. What do you most like about Croydon?

A. I like the fact that it’s a borough of contrasts. Croydon has got wonderful open green spaces as well as historic parts and fantastic examples of modernist architecture.

I also like the trams, which makes it feel like a European city with a real emphasis on a sustainable future.

Meet the team

Q. What do you think of Croydon’s regeneration plans?

A. They’re forward-thinking and ambitious.

There is a lot of discussion about the plans and we are quite passionate about achieving them. I think Croydon has got that through CCURV, the housing company Croydon Homes and through the new inward investment arm, the CEDC. I think the plans are deliverable and Croydon is putting its money where its mouth is with CCURV. Q. What aspect of Croydon’s vision are you most interested in?

A. The developments CCURV is pursuing in the town centre. That will be the first development to actually change the look and feel of the town centre. I’m also interested in the Park Place project.

Tony Middleton

Q. What are the main problems facing Croydon?

A. Lack of good office stock is a problem.

What we do have is tired and in need of updating to attract the kind of blue chip occupiers that Croydon needs.

There’s the image issue as well, which needs to be improved; we should be able to re-brand Croydon as an office destination and get the right occupiers here because of its transport links. We’ve got an opportunity to capitalise, particularly in this economic downturn, on those companies in the City and Canary Wharf who are looking to save money. The trouble is the lead-time for building an office block, so we need to target companies looking to move in the next three years. That is what the CEDC will focus on.

Q. What do you most like about Croydon?

A. It is a small city, it’s really easy to get to and cosmopolitan in terms of its leafy suburbs and shopping offer. The local authority is dynamic. It’s nice to work for a council that has got ambitious plans and is prepared to take risks to improve Croydon’s opportunities.

➔ Meet Mike

Kiely

Previously head of development decision in the development and renewal department at Tower Hamlets, Mike started as director of planning and building control at Croydon Council in April 2009.

➔ Meet John

Q. What do you think of Croydon’s regeneration plans?

A. The asset-backed vehicle CCURV is a unique model and, particularly in the current economic situation, it will put Croydon significantly ahead of the game.

I think it will put us in a strong position to succeed.

Q. What aspect of Croydon’s vision are you most interested in?

A. In the past Croydon wasn’t particularly clear about what it wanted other than it wanted development. It was driven by a desire to get the development in rather than deciding if it was the right kind of development.

We now have a much clearer message of the quarters we want to create in Croydon and we need to communicate it clearly. That’s what developers want: they want to know what you want and they will then provide it. The core strategy we’re working on will deliver this.

Q. What are the main problems facing Croydon?

A. Putting it generally, it’s the problem of being an outer London borough, even though it’s one of the bigger boroughs.

Outer boroughs aren’t seen as places where people want to invest and we’ve got tough competition with the likes of Canary Wharf and central London. But Croydon has got good connections. We need to reposition ourselves. Boris has latched on to the area’s potential; we need to build on this and maximise our offer.

Q. What do you most like about Croydon?

A. There seems to be a buzz about the place. People are keen to get stuff done and there’s a desire to do it well. There’s a nice balance between wanting to make changes while ensuring they are good quality as well. I think it’s going to be a fun place to work.

Pryor

Croydon Council’s interim director of economy and sustainability since May 2009, John moved to Croydon from Enfield where he was director of environment, street scene and parks.

Q. What do you think of Croydon’s regeneration plans?

A. This is a very exciting opportunity area in terms of regeneration, not just of Croydon but the wider South London area. The regeneration presents opportunities for growth of residential, business and retail particularly coming out of a recesssion.

Q. What aspect of Croydon’s vision are you most interested in?

A. In my role it has to be transport.

We’ve got the expansion of the East London line, opportunities to expand tramlink, improvements to East Croydon Station and looking at ways to relieve congestion. All of this clearly shows Croydon as a major area for potential development of the transport infrastructure Q. What are the main problems facing Croydon?

A. Like all London boroughs Croydon has felt the effects of the economic recession and it has disproportionately affected some parts of the borough.

There is a real need to invest in the skills and education of the local workforce and make sure communities have access to work and employment opportunities as the economy heads for the upturn.

John Pryor

Middleton

Previously director of asset and facilities management at Croydon Council, Tony took on the role of director of regeneration and infrastructure in October 2008.

Mike Kiely

➔ Meet Tony

Q. What do you most like about Croydon?

A. For someone whose career has always kept them north of the river I have to say I’ve found the people in South London to be very welcoming.

Croydon is very interesting, it has the opportunity not just to develop Croydon but to be a driver of recovery for the whole of South London.

I think it is a borough that understands its placeshaping role and is undertaking it with a great deal of energy, it is very interesting to be a part of.

City3 11

Croydon Council’s regeneration department has undergone a radical restructure. We meet the new faces involved in moving the borough’s regeneration programme forward

deveLoPeRs: stanhoPe and sChRodeRs (CRoydon gateway Limited PaRtneRshiP) CommeRCiaL agents: saviLLs and Jones Lang LasaLLe

Ruskin squaRe, London – we aRe Ready to go! where else is there 9 acres of cleared site with a full planning permission in the heart of a central business district in London? stanhope and schroders have a strong track record of working together. the financial backing of schroders supports the development expertise of stanhope. the partnership’s developments in London include Chiswick Park and Paternoster square.

Ruskin squaRe, London – it’s a new PLaCe over 1m sq ft of new offices, nearly 600 new apartments, a new theatre, restaurants and cafés and new areas of public realm for the enjoyment of all. a masterplan prepared by Foster + Partners creating a new commercial and residential address for Croydon, London.

stanhoPe and sChRodeRs aRe woRking with CRoydon CounCiL to ensuRe that deveLoPment Can Be CommenCed as soon as PossiBLe to RegeneRate this key site next to east CRoydon station to PRovide new CommeRCiaL sPaCe, housing and LeisuRe uses togetheR with extensive aReas oF new PuBLiC ReaLm.

Ruskin squaRe, London – so easy to get to the development is right next to east Croydon station with a frequent service to London victoria in just 15 minutes and London Bridge in 13 minutes, making it easily accessible from both the west end and the City. equally, gatwick airport is only a 15 minute train journey, so it’s easy to get to from abroad. with the station comes Croydon tram, linking to Beckenham and wimbledon, as well as buses and taxis.

Ruskin squaRe, London - the eConomiC Case high quality new office accommodation in a new destination at a price that compares very favourably with other new London places, including Paddington, kings Cross, the southbank and Canary wharf.

Ruskin squaRe, London – what eLse? Croydon is London’s largest borough with easy access to the south downs and the south coast beyond. it has excellent local schools, major retail, existing and proposed, and a range of leisure and civic amenities with a rich cultural offer.

City3 14

Alex Aspinall speaks to Emma peters, Croydon council’s new executive director of planning, regeneration and conservation

Leading the Croydon renewal

F

or many people, moving to Croydon after working on the 2012 Olympic Games site and setting up a government agency might seem an unexpected career move.

But Emma Peters, Croydon Council’s new executive director of planning, regeneration and conservation, was attracted by the ambition she saw there – and by the fact that ideas were becoming reality.

Peters, who had visited every London borough while working on the government’s proposed Homes and Communities Agency, saw great opportunities and energy in the south London borough.

“The wow factor in Croydon when I came here was that there is such a lot going on,” she says. “And the council’s ambitions are sky high.”

Work for the new agency had given Peters a good picture of what was happening around London.

But few areas excited her as much as Croydon.

“I was impressed by several of the boroughs around London that I knew

nothing about, but Croydon was outstanding in terms of their level of ambition,” she says.

On the surface, Croydon may seem very different from Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, where she held her previous local authority role as corporate director of development and renewal.

“I had no previous connection with Croydon. I think I had only been here about three times in my life. But it shares some similarities with Tower Hamlets – it is a place of huge contrasts, a place with a big emphasis on design, density and readiness for the 21st century,” she says.

“And there are projects coming out of the ground. It is not about pipe dreams – things are actually happening.”

A planner by profession, Peters was attracted by the sheer variety of possibilities present in the borough. Few areas in the country can boast raw material as promising as Croydon’s.

The combination of open spaces, a headline-grabbing masterplan, exciting major projects, conservation work and the opportunity to make a difference in some of the borough’s less well-advanced regeneration areas proved too much to ignore.

Peters also has to guide a restructure of her new department. The consensus in local authorities nowadays is that planning and regeneration should be in the same department. Many councils have made this shift and Peters is overseeing Croydon’s transition. This could be a daunting task but, fortunately, she has experience after having gone through the same type of restructure in two previous local authorities.

“It is absolutely critical that planning and regeneration are part of the same department,” she explains. “You join up the areas that are about people, about places in the future and about the custodianship of the environment now, and you deal with them in a holistic way.

“Developers recognise the difference because they get a one-stop shop when they come in – they don’t get one answer from a housing officer and another from a planning officer.

In terms of putting Croydon on the map and building confidence, it is essential.”

Much of the work of regeneration departments around the country over the next few years will involve managing the dangers presented by the onset of

“

This is a place of huge contrasts, a place with a big emphasis on design, density and readiness for the 21st century. It is not about pipe dreams

”

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Emma Peters

recession, and making an area as attractive as possible to potential investors.

Peters refuses to see the prospect of a continued downturn solely as a negative and is looking to the long term.

She says: “There is an economic slowdown, so delivery time frames for some projects are going to be looked at. But I want to use this time to look at the projects and make sure we are getting them right. I want to see design and developmental work coming to fruition.

“The credit crunch has presented us with an opportunity. The downturn of the economy is obviously a problem but it is important to turn every challenge into an opportunity. And we need to start thinking that 2009 is the start of a new period in terms of thinking about how we are structuring our economy and making sure we have the physical fabric to support it.”

She adds: “We also need to make sure that people, the human resource in Croydon, have the skills to move forward.

If we spend the next five years making sure we get this right and ensuring we are in the ideal position for when the economy recovers, that is what my job is all about.” n

As part of the UK’s leading executive search firm, Odgers Berndtson’s specialist Regeneration Practice is able to source talented senior executives and board members from public and commercial sectors in physical, social and economic regeneration.

Odgers Berndtson were delighted to work in partnership with Croydon Council and Croydon Economic Development Company in recruiting an outstanding top team for both organisations.

Odgers Berndtson 11 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JJ 020 7529 1111 www.odgersberndtson.co.uk

Alasdair Spink Head of Regeneration Practice 020 7529 1124 alasdair.spink@odgersberndtson.co.uk

Edward Evans Associate Consultant 020 7529 1085 edward.evans@odgersberndtson.co.uk

City3 17

Credit Xxxxxx crunch xxxxx

reasons to be cheerful Croydon versus the credit crunch Regeneration projects around the UK are being revised, postponed and cancelled.

Investor confidence is as low as that of consumers on the high street. But business still takes place during a downturn.

Alex Aspinall explains why Croydon is better placed than most to combat the credit crunch

âž”

City3 18

D

owntime, and indeed downturn, does not have to spell disaster for regeneration, which is not just about putting up buildings.

Now that the initial shocks of the credit crunch have passed and the realities of recession are accepted by most people, a common view is that now is the time for taking stock, re-evaluating objectives and making sure that work will be done in a more efficient way.

Times are changing and it’s best to change with them.

Tony Kildare, chief executive at Croydon Economic Development Company (CEDC), says: “At the moment, developers are not developing because they will not sell their products. In a year’s time, the economic climate may have changed and we expect things will pick up again. Most developers have not cancelled schemes – they are just holding back until the time is right, and Croydon is in a similar position as other places.

“Now is a time for planning and getting things sorted, ready for when the economy picks up and takes off again. We are getting things moving in terms of planning and design, ready for when the economy turns.”

Croydon’s regeneration is more advanced than that in many towns and cities, which means that efforts can be concentrated on bolstering its economy rather than on competing with other places for the few developers pressing ahead with new projects. There have been many rumblings about investing on the upswing.

Getting the timing right for development could pay dividends.

Something with a long-term focus, designed to provide positive outcomes long after the clouds of the recession have drifted away, is the council’s pioneering public-private partnership with John Laing.

When it was agreed, the £450 million joint venture became the UK’s first local assetbacked vehicle (LABV).

The LABV, known as CCURV,

will allow the council to secure a greater benefit from the developments brought forward through this vehicle.

Under the agreement, the council provides the land, with John Laing supplying equity and expertise, and the profits from the development will be split 50:50. Some return from the deal is expected in 2012 and 2016, when the development of four town-centre sites will be completed.

The future may look brighter then, but it is not all grey now.

Croydon, especially the town centre, is resisting several problems of the downturn.

Thanks to its highly competitive offering – relatively cheap rents, good-quality office space and excellent transport links – its businesses are managing to succeed while those elsewhere may be struggling.

Kildare agrees. “If you look at the town centre, our economy is reasonably buoyant,” he says.

“Croydon is bucking the trend in terms of footfall and, if you look at the past year, our footfall figures are much better than other places. Croydon town centre is very lively and busy. I am not aware of any business failures in the town centre.”

Residents and business people believe the town centre has improved over the past 12 months, according to results returned recently from Croydon Business Improvement District’s Understanding User and Business Perceptions of Croydon Town Centre survey.

The research, carried out by ENCAMS, saw 100 town-centre business representatives and 200 members of the public completing questionnaires, as well as four focus groups providing feedback on the state of the town centre.

Work by the BID was widely commended in the research, with business figures praising the effects of more visible policing and the role that events held by the organisation have had on the town’s general atmosphere, and members of the public highlighting the town’s multicultural feel and its transport links.

“

If you look at the town centre our economy is reasonably buoyant.

Croydon is bucking the trend in terms of footfall Despite the satisfaction that can be derived from previous success, and the fact that Croydon is in a better position to ride out the effects of recession than many towns and cities, there is no place for complacency.

Despite Croydon’s triumphs, there is still room for improvement. Fortunately for the borough, its new executive director of planning, regeneration and conservation Emma Peters, is eager to see progress in these areas.

“We need to find ways of creating economic diversification. The borough is very dependent on the service industries and retail in the town centre, and these sectors are

”

going to be very much under pressure,” she explains. “Any economy that is over dependent on one industry, when that industry is under threat, is going to have a problem.

“The confidence of people to invest, and the confidence to stay somewhere, is infectious.

So if we keep going, and keep talking up the big projects, make progress and get some quick wins like East Croydon station, the confidence of people to stay in Croydon will give us a competitive edge.

“We need to keep the vision high and we need to keep our eyes on the overall prize while we try and provide support to businesses as we will be doing through the CEDC.” n

Light at the end of the tunnel Croydon Council has put together a plan for recession recovery. The Croydon Economic Recovery Plan, produced with assistance from businesses, public bodies and community representatives, sets out how businesses and residents can receive support during the recession.

The plan focuses on the immediate issues posed by the recession. It looks at building economic capacity, connecting local people to jobs, investing in skills, attracting investment and creating and sharing prosperity.

Businesses are highlighted as being key to the borough’s economic recovery plan, and advice and support is available on a diverse range

of issues including business health checks, management of finance, local purchasing, securing local jobs and sourcing affordable premises.

The borough’s residents are also being looked after, with plenty of advice available, access to employment support services, an increase in availability of business startup services and a mortgage rescue scheme.

This plan forms an important element of the long-term economic strategy for Croydon. By tackling the problems the borough’s residents and businesses are likely to face, it is hoped that Croydon will be well placed to tackle the economic challenges of our time. www.croydoncrunch.com

Credit crunch

green space

high footfall

ccurv

City3 19

low office rents

trams

reasons to be cheerful

town centre bid

cedc location

visible policing

east london line extension

Waddon, Purley Way, Croydon The Waddon development site is located on the A23 Purley Way to the South East of Fiveways Junction and is the fifth site to be added to the Croydon Urban Regeneration Vehicle (CCURV); a joint venture between John Laing and Croydon Council to deliver significant regeneration across the borough.

Waddon will provide a mixture of affordable and private housing, with the low-cost home ownership element being delivered through the Council's trusted partnership with Hyde, a Registered Social Landlord (RSL). The site will also become a centre for leisure and community facilities. The plans have been carefully considered si to ensure integration into the surrounding areas, incorporating green spaces and to avoid any overshadowing of buildings onto neighbouring properties. The plan comprises three zones, all of which interlink.

To the north of the Waddon site a Leisure Centre is proposed, housing a 25m swimming pool, a teaching pool and 60 station gym, as well as a four-court sports hall and a dance studio/community space. The area fronting Denning Avenue would be a small residential block containing 10 apartments.

The central zone is proposed to be residential, comprising two apartment blocks fronting Purley Way, and a number of family houses backing onto Coldharbour Road. It is within this area that high-quality public open space for the community is planned.

It is anticipated that the southern area will be a Children’s Services Centre, which would provide a valuable educational facility for the community.

The Waddon development shows innovative planning and design to support Croydon Council's long-term regeneration objectives, including the development of community facilities and public spaces.

‘

‘

The site will become a centre for leisure and community facilities.

City3 22

Come together Croydon Council is taking public/private partnership to another level with its CCURV. David Blackman finds out more

C

roydon Council has broken new ground with the launch of a pioneering £450 million joint venture. At the end of last year, the council signed an agreement with John Laing to set up the Croydon Council urban regeneration vehicle, or CCURV. It is the first of a new breed of local authority asset backed vehicles (LABVs), which its backers hope will deliver both sustainable regeneration and offer councils a bigger share of development profits on sites they own.

Croydon’s experiment is being watched closely by councils across the country who are keen to find out how such vehicles work and how well the Croydon model could be replicated elsewhere.

For the past two decades, councils have worked ever closer with business on public/ private partnerships. At times, this has been highly controversial with the private finance initiative in particular coming in for criticism.

Nevertheless, the drive for more PPPs looks set to intensify over the next few years as councils face barely above inflation spending increases. The government has told councils that it wants them to be much more efficient, as part of which it wants to see local government taking a much more commercial approach to how it uses its assets, particularly property.

Two years ago, the government mooted the idea of LABVs, urging local authorities to adopt a model which is becoming increas- ➔

City3 23

Xxxxxx CCURV xxxxx

City3 24

Previous page: The proposed public service delivery hub.

Below: Taberner House. Right: CCURV will enable the transformation of the town centre.

ingly popular with regional development agencies.

Put simply it works like this, the public body puts assets (in most cases land and property), into a specially set up vehicle. It finds a private sector partner, which puts in a matching amount of equity and expertise.

“We are looking to the public sector land assets to be brought into a joint venture partnership to lever in private sector cash and expertise at an earlier stage than it has been traditionally,” says Kuljit Hohti, a partner at Eversheds solicitors, which advised on CCURV’s establishment.

One of the key attractions of this model for councils is that it enables them to overcome the borrowing restrictions which make it hard for them to develop their often

substantial property assets. As a result, councils have traditionally sold sites to the highest bidder, with third party developers taking the profits from any subsequent development.

The best local authorities can usually hope for is a slice of the profit, known as ‘overage’. But as Tony Middleton, director of regeneration and infrastructure at Croydon Council, says: “The overage is hard to define.”

CCURV will enable Croydon to secure a clear share of the profits delivered by the projects that the new vehicle develops.

The council will also receive a split of any other income generated by the properties, like rents.

As a joint venture, in which Croydon and John Laing each have a 50% stake, profits are divided equally between the two shareholders. “The idea is (for the council) to get a bigger

slice of the increased value,” says Middleton.

The nature of the vehicle also gives councils a much greater degree of control over how their assets are developed. Through the partnership, the council will maintain control of its regeneration agenda by retaining an interest as a landowner as well as through the exercise of its planning powers.

This gives Croydon an important mechanism for delivering its regeneration objectives.

“It gives the local authority much more control than it would have had,” says Chris Pratt, managing director of King Sturge Financial Services, who supplied property advice to Croydon on the CCURV’s establishment.

Jamie Kerr, director of John Laing, agrees: “They are our partners in that development

company therefore they have as great a say in the regeneration agenda. They are not only the planning authority, they are a shareholder in the development company.”

According to Malcolm Lyon, the council’s project manager for CCURV, it has given the council much more control over the process. He says: “If we had just disposed of it, they (the developer) could have been sitting on it for five years or more.”

The joint venture ticks the private sector’s boxes too, judging by the 100 plus expressions of interest received by the council when it began the process of procuring a partner. The long term nature of the partnership provides John Laing with up to 25 years of work. And under the terms of the agreement, CCURV will have first refusal on any sites that come forward in Croydon.

“

Our plans are to use the downturn to get planning for the sites and be ready for an upturn in the market

The nature of the joint venture scheme also means John Laing does not have to pay upfront for the sites, a particularly attractive proposition in the current climate where credit for property investment is in such short supply.

“Because the council’s contributing their land as equity John Laing has to contribute less equity in order to finance each of the developments” explains

”

Anjli Gupta, the council’s property advisor on CCURV. The scheme will initially cover four council owned sites.

The most important of these, the council’s 18-storey headquarters is Taberner House, the 45-yearold building, which is reckoned to have a lifespan of just eight years left. The vehicle’s portfolio also includes a set of 1960’s civic offices in Fell Road; buildings and open space adjacent to

Croydon College and a former school on the edge of the town centre that is currently being used by the council and the NHS to provide mental health care facilities.

Most of the buildings have a limited life span and create increasing maintenance liabilities. All would benefit from renovation or redevelopment.

Through the venture the council is also hoping to provide better facilities for its partners such as the primary care trust and other public bodies.

The key project the council itself wants to achieve from the project is a new 220,000 sq ft public service delivery hub to replace Taberner House. “They are hoping to pay for new offices through the capital receipts that will be reaped by the land value and share in the development profits,” says Kerr.

It is anticipated the council’s land value and share of development profit will be sufficient to pay for construction and running costs for the building for several years. Gupta says the nature of the partnership should reduce the council’s exposure to cost over-runs which often bedevil such showpiece public projects as John Laing has provided a fixed price for this project.

The new public service delivery hub is likely to be located on the Fell Road site. Kerr says he hopes to secure planning permission for this – one of the first projects due to be delivered via CCURV – later this summer.

The masterplan for the four sites, which has been drawn up by architects EPR, also envisages the creation of two 39-storey towers with 1,314 private and affordable flats.

And CCURV is already flexing its muscles in central Croydon following the council’s recent purchase of the eight-storey Davis House, which is located next to the council’s main offices.

As well as creating income for CCURV, ownership of the building will provide the council with a much stronger position from which to influence the eventual redevelopment of the public service civic quarter.

According to King Sturge’s Chris Pratt a host of local authori-

ties are following Croydon’s lead. His firm is working with a range of councils including Nottingham and Devon, both of which are midway through the process of procuring an urban regeneration vehicle (URV).

Other councils thought to be working up similar proposals are Sunderland, Newcastle, Birmingham, Carlisle and Dudley. Newcastle is one of those authorities interested in using the URV model to set up a local housing company, a form of joint venture designed to deliver affordable homes on council owned land.

Pratt believes the model will be attractive to councils with large portfolios of surplus land. And the nature of the deal, which limits the amount of money that changes hands, clearly has an appeal in current market conditions.

“If we didn’t have the model it would have been much harder to complete the deal. The model allowed us to complete the deal,” says Middleton. But he insists current conditions, which have seen property values plunge rather than increase, will not put the kibosh on CCURV’s viability.

“We are only going to start the development when we have confidence that we are going to go forward and we have a deliverable scheme,” says Middleton.

Kerr says: “It won’t be developed until 2012 by which time we hope the market will be significantly better than it is now. Our plans are to use the downturn to get planning for the sites and be ready for an upturn in the market.”

Hothi is convinced the new model is a good one.

“The council is a trailblazer in recognising how it can use its assets to drive a better deal with the private sector, whilst not relinquishing control.”

Kerr agrees: “This is the start of a new way of the public and private sectors working together to regenerate local communities.” n

City3 25

CCURV

“I have spoken at three conferences this year about our experience of winning and closing Croydon and Tunbridge Wells LABVs and I found Socinvest the best by a long way in terms of the quality of both speakers and attendees from different but complementary backgrounds.

The debates around key topical issues were well informed and relevant in today’s market.”

Jamie Kerr,

managing director projects and developments, John Laing.

innovations in regeneration finance 13 April 2010, Hotel Russell, London WC1B 5BE

www.socinvest.co.uk

For further information contact Shelley Cook on 07972 866281 or Shelley@3foxinternational.com

Croydon is focusing on the future WITH A new ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPANY TO guidE IT, as Mark Smulian discovers

EDC EDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC CEDC

DC CEDC

Brand new

H CEDC The CEDC is the amalgamation of four different organisations set up to encourage economic development in the borough.

ow can Croydon continue to attract investment and support its economy in the midst of a recession and beyond? That was the question that faced the Croydon Economic Development Partnership – between local businesses and public sector learning and skills bodies, voluntary groups and the council – as it looked last year for ways to sustain the borough’s development.

Its answer was the creation of the Croydon Economic Development Company (CEDC), effective June 2009, which will be led by the private sector and owned by a public/private partnership of the council, Croydon College, the town centre Business

EDC

Improvement District, London Chamber of Commerce and the Croydon Economic Development Partnership.

This body will be charged with improving the borough’s economic potential, skills, job opportunities and overall prosperity by attracting investment into the area and its residents.

It will also rationalise a large number of economic development and support bodies, including counciloperated organisations such as Envibe and Croydon Enterprise, which have grown up over the years in response to specific problems but which now present a rather confusing mass of similar titles and sometimes overlapping responsibilities.

International consultancy Navigant was engaged to undertake the detailed set up of the CEDC, based on its experience elsewhere with similar business-led bodies. Its brief was to ensure multiple stakeholder requirements were taken into account, while developing a flexible, fit-forpurpose structure.

One task for the CEDC will be to devise ways in which it can eventually generate its own income – for example from selling or renting out Enterprise Opportunity Centres as managed workspace – which can be re-invested in Croydon.

This is because the future of public funding is uncertain and constantly changing. The council can finance the ➔

City3 27

Xxxxxx CEDC xxxxx

City3 28

CEDC

DC

activities of the CEDC in its initial phase from funds it already has allocated from the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI), but the government may not continue this initiative in the medium term.

Other forms of public investment may become available, but competition for these funds will be intense as the government’s heavy borrowing during the recession means that future public spending rounds will probably be frugal. The CEDC will need to function efficiently to make the most of available funding and provide a viable business plan.

That is despite a broad brief, which will include promoting Croydon as a brand; that is, convincing potential investors and funders of its worth, and persuading government bodies – such as the Homes and Communities Agency and London Development Agency – to spend in Croydon in the face of tough competition for their resources. The borough has plenty of experience in this area; it is already rated as a ‘beacon’ council for its record in raising economic prosperity through partnership - the only London borough with this status, a recognition by other councils that Croydon is an example of best practice.

Yet despite this sound record a new approach was called for, in particular a lead role for the private sector. The council and its partners considered alternatives, including a company under the council’s sole ownership, but rejected this because as a public body it would not have as much credibility with – or attract as much funding from – the private sector.

A council report on setting up the CEDC, following recommendations from the Economic Development Partnership, explained: “The experience and needs of the private sector are primary in economic development, and they should be given the freedom to lead on delivery of

CEDC CEDC

As a ‘beacon’ council Croydon is an example to other boroughs of best practice.

“

We are very excited Croydon has taken this innovative route with the CEDC. It is important we find new people and ideas

” CEDC

One of the CEDC’s main objectives is to attract investment into Croydon.

this agenda”.

It admitted the plethora of economic development and regeneration initiatives in Croydon were “widely considered by stakeholders to be confusing and inefficient”, and that the CEDC would rationalise this by serving as a single point of contact for customers, clients and businesses and would generate potential efficiency savings in accommodation and staffing.

Councillor Steve O’Connell, Croydon’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, explains: “We are very excited that Croydon has taken this innovative route with the CEDC. One of the key features is that it is private sector led, although there is representation on the board for the council at member and officer level.

“It is important that we fish in the pool beyond what we already know and find new people and ideas, although there is also some continuity with what went before. The importance of this project is such that we have recruited an extremely talented new board, chair and chief executive who will bring fresh energy. Croydon is facing huge challenges and opportunities although it is growing even during this recession as an economic hub for south London.”

More of that new talent later.

First, the CEDC’s objectives: it will continue the delivery of established local economic programmes, while also creating a partnership framework to improve the borough’s underlying economic infrastructure. This will focus particularly on attracting investment, improving employment and skills and shaping perceptions of Croydon in government and the property market.

As O’Connell points out: “We have a town centre that has many development opportunities and good transport links but which is ➔ under-populated and

CEDC

City3 29

Tall buildings

5 reasons

why Croydon is the enterprising borough

Times may be tough, but there are 5 good reasons why we believe Croydon’s economic prospects are bright.

1

2

3

4

Croydon’s new Economic Development Company is giving new focus to our work, creating wealth and opportunities for all our communities.

Croydon’s £450m public-private ‘Urban Regeneration Vehicle’ is kick-starting development in the borough, despite the recession.

The Croydon Enterprise programme is offering a unique package of support to SMEs and start-ups.

Our already excellent transport links are about to get even better, with a new connection to the London Overground network from 2010.

5 Individuals and businesses in Croydon are getting real help and support to tackle the recession head-on.

Get in touch... and we can get down to business

Business Hotline – 020 8680 6161

www.croydon.gov.uk | www.croydoncrunch.org Email: info@croydonenterprise.com

➔

C

City3 30

CEDC

The board of the new CEDC is a mix of private and public sector individuals including Tony Kildare (left).

“

The CEDC will provide leadership and expertise, working with business, investors and public sector to establish Croydon as an economic centre for the capital and to address gaps in Croydon’s economic offer. My job is to drive Croydon the brand as well as Croydon’s economy

”

has space. We benefit from our closeness to Victoria and to Gatwick and I’m convinced that the A22/A23 corridor will become a major focus of regeneration in London.”

Responsible for nurturing those development opportunities is chair Barry Rourke, who lives locally and is an independent member of the audit committee of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, as well as a former partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

He explains how he sees the CEDC’s work: “Croydon has historically suffered from underinvestment, with both central and London government not having outer London as a priority. This is now changing. Croydon is one of the first pilot areas that the Homes and Communities Agency is working with, and the new Outer London Commission has Croydon as a pivotal member.

“There is increasing recognition of the importance of our borough as a functioning economic area in its own right, and as a driver for the wider South London region.

“Setting up the CEDC means we’re in a prime position to make this case, and to position Croydon to ride through the recession and take advantage of opportunities beyond.”

Working with Rourke is chief executive Tony Kildare, previously director for the government and public sector business with professional services firm Ernst and Young.

He has also served as chief executive of Renaissance South Yorkshire, a body structured similarly to the Croydon CEDC, and has been executive director of economic development at the East Midlands Development Agency. Now he is keen to put his skills to good use for the borough, commenting: “Croydon has been very effective at building strong partnerships between business and public sector organisations and I am keen

to see those relationships achieve greater benefit for the borough, including through the development of a thriving economic environment.

“My job is to drive forward Croydon ‘the brand’ as well as Croydon’s economy. From what I know of the borough already, I can see that Croydon has the will and the talent to transform its economy.”

As someone who has moved between the public and private sectors in the course of his career he is well placed to lead a body that straddles the two.

“I am completely clear that the CEDC is first and foremost an independent company, although Croydon Council will be a key partner along with a range of the other bodies who are vital in contributing to the aims and objectives,” he says. “The CEDC will be providing leadership and expertise, working with business, investors and the public sector, to establish Croydon as an economic centre for the capital and to address gaps in Croydon’s economic offer.”

There will be plenty of challenges. The council’s aforementioned report on the CEDC stated: “The current economic downturn creates a bigger risk for the Croydon economy and a need to accelerate Croydon’s economic development agenda. Croydon has the biggest investment pipeline in the past two decades but this is extremely fragile and needs support.”

Keeping that pipeline flowing during the toughest economic conditions for decades will need the imagination and expertise the council is confident the CEDC will provide. n

Are you helping to transform Croydon?

Make sure everyone knows.

development.

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THE OFFICIAL REGENERATION MAGAZINE OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON

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a design-focused residentially led mixed use of conceiving the most innovative, bespoke ons across Central and Greater London.

of Quest House will offer 146 new uous buildings of mixed tenure occupancy. om communal gardens and terraces, as esigned as an integral part of the faรงade, dynamic architectural design.

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New faces Page 10 Crunch time Page 17 Project focus Page 32 Home affairs Page 48

Use City3 magazine to promote your company and its work to more than 35,000 regeneration professionals.

Contact Lee Harrison 020 7978 6840

Development update

City3 32

THE Queen’s Gardens Developer Minerva/Lend Lease

The existing split-level gardens will be completely re-modelled with greater emphasis on activity, together with planting and lighting to encourage people to utilise the space.

The main focus will be the creation of an amphitheatre providing an outdoor performance venue, the base of the structure will incorporate a dynamic water feature in the form of water jets and a seasonal ice rink. A two-storey pavilion will house a cafe with external seating on a decked area to encourage greater public usage.

Recession may be biting but much of Croydon’s regeneration is holding fast. Several of the major projects are now on-site and Altitude 25 is complete. Elsewhere, planning applications are being submitted and, with CCURV up and running, there will soon be more new projects adding to Croydon’s transformation process.

KEY TO PROJECTS INNER BOROUGH 01. Park Place 02. Wellesley Square 03. Chroma 04. Cherry Orchard Rd 05. Ruskin Square 06. Odalisk 07. Altitude 25 08. Quest House 09. Bridge House 10. IYLO

This map is based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.

Croydon Council licence no 100017680. 2007

Architects Map

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City3 33

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GEORGE ST AURORA TOWER SUFFOLK HOUSE

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City3 34

Croydon’s regeneration programme has been grabbing headlines since its inception.

Now much of its wow factor comes from the buildings it is proposing and the all star cast of architects who are lining up to make Croydon’s transformation, from concrete jungle to London’s third city, complete. Over the following pages we take a look at some of the big names involved

PROFILE

Will Alsop

(www.alsoparchitects.com)

Born: Northampton, 1947 Studied: The Architectural Association, London Company: Established Alsop and Lyall in 1981, practice was renamed Alsop and Stormer in 1991 and Alsop joined the SMC group in 2006. SMC has recently rebranded as Archial – Alsop’s practice is now called just Alsop Work: Peckham library, London, Cardiff Bay visitor centre, Palestra, London and the Ben Pimlott building at Goldsmiths College, London Achievements: Alsop’s paintings and sketches have been exhibited alongside his architectural projects in dedicated exhibitions at Sir John Soane’s Museum, Cube Gallery, Manchester, the British Pavilion at Venice Biennale and many others.

Tutor of sculpture at Central St Martins College of Art & Design, London, for several years Alsop has held many other academic posts.

On Croydon: “The developers are gathering like bees round a honey pot. Croydon is pregnant with opportunity.”

Croydon project: Third city masterplan

Architects

City3 35

PROFILE

Piers Gough (www.czwg.com)

Top: North London’s Lough Road development.

Above: Steedman Street in Elephant and Castle.

Born: Brighton, 1946 Studied: The Architectural Association, London Company: CZWG (Campbell, Zogolovitch, Wilkinson and Gough) was set up in 1975.

Work: Bankside Lofts, London, Steedman Street, Elephant and Castle, ‘Bling, Bling’ building, Liverpool Achievements: Piers has lectured throughout Europe, North and South America, China and Australia. He was appointed CBE for services to architecture in 1998 and is currently a commissioner for CABE and a trustee of Trinity Buoy Wharf.

On Croydon: “The days of drab grey buildings are at an end. The Odalisk will act as an inspiration.”

Croydon project: Odalisk

Odalisk

Developer: Rosepride

This page top: Cardiff Bay visitor centre.

Left: Will Alsop’s high rise vision for Croydon.

Previous page top: The famous Palestra in London. Bottom: The Ben Pimlott building at Goldsmiths College.

This £350 million proposed mixed-use development will establish two towers, one 35 storeys and one 51 storeys, incorporating 100 serviced apartments, 25,000m2 of grade A office space, 360 apartments, leisure centre and Crowne Plaza hotel. The developers hope the scheme on Lansdowne Road will create a new link between East and West Croydon.

Detailed proposals were still in development as City3 went to press.

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PROFILE

Cherry Orchard Road

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Developer: Menta

ken shuttleworth (www.makearchitects.com)

Born: Birmingham, 1952 Studied: City of Leicester Polytechnic School of Architecture Company: Worked at Foster + Partners for almost 30 years. Founded MAKE in 2004 Work: Dartford Dojo, St Paul’s Information Centre, London, University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus, Nottingham Achievements: Commissioner for CABE On Croydon: “We want to create something extra special for London’s biggest borough.”

Croydon project: Cherry Orchard Road

Right: Nottingham University’s new Jubilee campus.

Bottom right: Baker Street, London

A series of towers are proposed which aim to transform the largely vacant site on Cherry Orchard Road into a landmark development. The proposed towers will offer residential and office space, while on the ground new open spaces could be established to create a new community area.

The proposals were under consideration as City3 went to press. www.menta.co.uk/cherry

Architects PROFILE

Norman Foster

Ruskin Square

Developer: Stanhope/Schroders A mixed-use scheme to redevelop the 3.4hectare site beside East Croydon station. The project will create a new business quarter in the heart of the town centre with office space, a large public square, residential units, leisure facilities, new Warehouse theatre, GP surgery, cafes and restaurants. Planning permission on the site has already been secured and both Stanhope and Schroders remain committed to the scheme. www.ruskinsquare.com

Above: The famous Milau Viaduct. Right top: The new home of the GLA, City Hall.

Right bottom: Gatesheadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sage music venue.

Born: Manchester, 1935 Studied: Manchester University School of Architecture and City Planning Company: Founded Foster + Partners in 1967, the company now has offices in more than 20 countries.

Work : Chek Lap Kok airport, Hong Kong, Millennium Bridge, London, the Swiss Re Tower, London Achievements: Became 21st Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate in 1999, Royal Gold Medal for Architecture 1983, granted a knighthood in 1990 and life peerage in 1999 as Lord Foster of Thames Bank.

Croydon project: Ruskin Square

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(www.fosterandpartners.com)

Our vision, your future 183 exceptional one, two and three bedroom apartments £3.5 billion worth of re-development planned for Croydon The only 100% private residential development of its size in Croydon 15 minutes to central London from East Croydon station New Tube line extension to West Croydon interchange by 2010 24 hour concierge and security Poggenpohl kitchens with Miele and Siemens appliances Floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views Eco Homes “excellent” rating NHBC warranty and 125 year lease Estimated completion Summer 2011

1 and 2 bedroom apartments from £200,000 2 and 3 bedroom penthouses £POA Visit the marketing suite and show apartment At 1 Wellesley Parade, Wellesley Road, Croydon CR0 2AJ OPEN WEDNESDAY– SATURDAY: 10am – 6pm

IYLO.CO.UK

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Marketing suite and show apartment now open FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL

020 8680 5000 As IYLO is currently in the development stage, pictures shown here are computer generated and intended to be indicative only.

Specification and other details are subject to change and may differ from those offered here. Prices are correct at the time of print. IYLO is a marketing name.

INNer Borough

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InnerArchitects borough

Chroma

Developer: Terrace Hill Architect: Sheppard Robson The site opposite East Croydon rail station is now cleared and ready for work to start on the creation of Terrace Hill’s 17-storey Chroma development.

The glass-fronted, grade A office block will offer a total of 258,000sq ft of near open-plan space with a retail unit on the ground floor.

Wellesley Square

Developer: Berkeley Homes Architect: Rolfe Judd Berkeley Homes’ £140 million scheme received planning permission in 2008. The development will include a dramatic 44-storey tower topped off by a light feature, which will become part of Croydon’s skyline project. The scheme will deliver over 3,000sq m of retail and office space together with 739 apartments and an on-site renewable energy source.

The building will be set around a new town square.

Altitude 25

Developer: Howard Holdings Architect: Devereux Croydon’s tallest structure, at 82 metres, is now complete.

The official opening of Howard Holding’s residential tower Altitude 25 was in June 2009.

The 25-storey building, just a short walk from East Croydon station, offers 236 apartments, including affordable housing and penthouse suites. Amicus Horizon has bought 66 of the apartments, which are available through shared ownership as affordable housing.

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PARK PLACE

The planning permission for this retail-led Park Place scheme expired in May 2009 and Croydon Council has now terminated the development agreement with Minerva.

The council is reviewing the scheme and still hopes to attract the John Lewis Partnership to Croydon while consolidating retail space in the town centre. The new plans may also include new civic space opposite the town hall and possibly incorporate residential uses in line with plans to create a more vibrant town centre.

It may be early days still for the redevelopment of this key regeneration site, but there is strong commitment from the council, and enough interest from potential development partners to see progress achieved.

Quest House

Developer: Londonewcastle Architect: TP Bennett This development by Londonewcastle is situated on the site of the former 1970s office block Quest House just off Cherry Orchard Road.

The derelict building will be demolished and replaced with two buildings, one of part-4 and part-11-storeys and one of 15-storeys set around a landscaped courtyard. The residential blocks will offer 146 apartments ranging from studios, one-, two- and threebedrooms, with underground parking.

A planning application for the scheme was submitted in April 2009.

Bridge House

Developer: Howard Holdings Architect: AWW Construction of this sevenstorey residential block, with retail space on the ground floor, is nearing completion.

The 75 apartments, which are located on the edge of Croydonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural quarter and will face onto the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest piazza, were all sold off-plan with the affordable homes snapped up by Moat housing association who will make them available through shared ownership. The completion of Bridge House is expected towards the end of summer 2009.

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InnerArchitects borough

Iylo

Developer: Phoenix Logistics Architect: Darling Associates The transformation of this gateway site in North Croydon is now well under way. The 20-storey block will provide 183 apartments when it is complete early summer 2011. The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments benefit from floor to ceiling windows and an EcoHomes excellent rating.

â&#x17E;&#x201D;

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outer Borough Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all happening in the town centre, the borough of Croydon is undergoing quite a transformation too

Purley

Croydon Council has been working towards implementing the masterplan for Purley town centre, and is working with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) putting together investment plans for the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key sites.

Initial priorities are to implement improvements in the short term while progressing longer term aspirations. The focus is on development opportunities at the hospital and island site, which has received outline planning permission for a scheme including office facilities, residential accommodation, a day centre for the elderly, childcare facilities and parking.

Plans are also in place to improve Purley Cross gyratory system making it more pedestrian friendly and enhancing links to the town centre. Croydon Council is hoping to gain ÂŁ8 million funding from the Community Infrastructure Fund to help finance the plans.

OuterArchitects borough

New South Quarter

Building work is continuing at Barratt Kent’s New South Quarter residential scheme. The new access road was due to be completed as City3 went to press, and the development’s first residents will be moving in before the end of the year, while commercial space will be occupied by late summer 2009.

In addition to the 796 units already in the process of being delivered, Barratt Kent has secured planning permission for an additional 41 units overlooking Wandle Park tram stop. Nick Fenton, managing director of Barratt Kent, says: “Barratt has continued building at New South Quarter despite the current economic downturn and it is one of the only major projects still under construction.”

A new masterplan is being created for Waddon’s four regeneration sites – Propeller public house, Waylands day centre, Red Gates school and Waddon nursery and infants school.

The plan is being put together by architects EPR and Levitt Bernstein, and is to include developments delivering a new leisure centre, an education facility and affordable and private residential homes created with housing partner Hyde Housing.

The regeneration of Waddon will be one of the first schemes delivered by the council’s urban regeneration vehicle, CCURV. A planning application is expected to be submitted in September 2009, with completion of the first phase pencilled in for the end of 2012.

Wandle Park

Wandle Park received a boost with £400,000 from the mayor’s Help a London Park scheme, where Londoners voted for the parks they felt deserved attention.

The money, which is to be added to the £1million already in place for the park’s makeover, will go towards schemes designed to make the park a destination for residents, workers and shoppers – it is just 10 minutes’ walk from the town centre. Plans include ambitions to reinstall the River Wandle, which runs beneath the park, and a lake, as well as sprucing up existing facilities.

New Addington

Coulsdon public realm

The town centre is in the middle of a public realm refurbishment that includes new paving, granite new curbs, street lighting, new street furniture such as bins and benches and a new public toilet.

The relief road, which opened in 2008, has resulted in a drop of 70% less traffic travelling through Coulsdon town centre. With fewer cars there is no need for such wide roads and the public realm upgrade incorporates the narrowing of the main road and widening of footpaths. Additionally the traffic lights will be replaced with a roundabout.

Work started in March and it is anticipated it will be finished before November.

The old Pinewoods Motors site has planning permission for Sainsbury’s to create a superstore plus 26 flats, a roof terrace and parking for 247 cars.

Plans for the development of New Addington Parade are back at the drawing board after a small group of local residents succeeded in getting a section of the site designated as a ‘village green’ so it can no longer be developed. The council is committed to improving the area and a new masterplan will need to be created to work around the village green.

Cane Hill and coulsdon town centre

The regeneration of the former asylum at Cane Hill is another step closer. Demolition of the site is complete, except for the water tower, administration building and chapel, which are listed. Croydon Council is working with the HCA, owners of the 83-hectare site, to establish mixed-use plans for the area including homes, business and leisure facilities.

The Cane Hill masterplan will incorporate Coulsdon town centre.

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Waddon

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City3 48

Home town Croydon is leading the way in finding new methods to finance council and affordable house building. However, it’s not just about bricks and mortar.

Paul Coleman reports

R

This picture: The first phase of new council houses to be constructed in Croydon is now complete.

obust. Built to a high specification. Equipped with solar panels, miniwind turbines and collectors for rainwater recycling. Croydon’s first new council houses for 20 years are complete… and, that’s just the start of a new beginning to ensure the pressing demand for new homes is met.

The first phase of the borough’s housing programme sees 13 three-, four- and five-bedroom family homes blossoming in the Sumner Gardens area of Broad Green.

Another 14 three-bedroom homes are under way in Dunley Drive and Frensham Drive in New Addington. A further four three-bedroom homes and one four-bedroom home will soon be available for council tenants in New Addington.

Plans are also being pursued for a second swathe across the borough of 56 new council bungalows, flats and houses.

Boldly, the idea is to go even further. Council officers are developing a portfolio of potential sites and timescales to build more council homes.

These plans are part of a drive to match the Mayor of London’s target of 601 new council homes to be built in Croydon annually.

That target must be met as pressure grows on the borough’s housing stock: Croydon’s fouryear housing strategy (2006-10) showed 9,500 households on the register, including 2,700

homeless households and 2,000 seeking transfers. New council homes are going up following meetings with residents and community groups, and planning sessions with district housing officers. Each of the buildings is constructed to Eco Homes Excellent rating (the highest standard at the time they were designed). Alongside the now obligatory heat and sound insulation, they will be built to high sustainability standards with on-site renewable energy.

But it’s cleverer than just building houses to match waiting list numbers; a primary aim, for example, is to attract into new homes elderly tenants who live in houses now too large for them. This will free up bigger homes for families.

The new homes complement existing and ongoing action being taken to improve conditions in existing housing: n T he borough was the first in the capital to produce a Decent Homes Plan, which includes installing new kitchens and bathrooms in up to 4,300 council properties nA nother 350 homes were delivered through the Affordable Housing Programme, including some for shared ownership n Implementation of the private sector empty homes strategy to help owners of empty homes bring them back into use nC roydon is a pilot for the Social

Homebuy scheme, under which tenants who do not have the right to buy or right to acquire, and those who do, but cannot afford outright purchase under the statutory schemes, can buy a share in their rented home at a discount n Croydon

also piloted the Croylets scheme where private properties are let by the council to council tenants nA £5 million grant from the Mayor of London is being used to make hundreds of existing council homes more energy efficient through upgraded central heating, new cladding, solar heating and rainwater recycling nN ew Addington and Fieldway are designated neighbourhood renewal areas. New build and refurbishment are specifically targeted to relieve concentration of deprived people in these two areas of the borough’s north-west.

All these initiatives dovetail with the Community Action Plan, which will bring improvements to 10 local areas by next year, and the Local Development Framework, which provides overall coherence to the council’s plans for 16 targeted areas across the borough.

However, the council’s strategy is about more than ➔ bricks and mortar. Its

City3 49

Housing

SHRUBLANDS AVENUE: THE EXISTING SITE

City3 50

Left: Shrublands Avenue site. Right: Proposed designs for council housing on Tedder Road. Below: New council houses in Sumner Gardens.

more holistic approach is to regeneration-led approach build more houses, yes, but to new housing. Already the also to make sure that the new partnership has supported homes are in areas undergoing much regeneration in the RICHARD DANIELS ASSOCIATES, CHARTERED ARCHITECTS regeneration so that necessary borough, such as the HCA who infrastructure is being put in provided £50,000 towards plans place. That should mean new for East Croydon and the LDA, residents will stay in their new who provided £70,000 to fund neighbourhoods for longer. masterplans for projects at East But to deliver these integrated Croydon, West Croydon stations housing, regeneration and and Wellesley Road (also infrastructure projects, the funded by TfL). The Wellesley council has to attract investment Road scheme includes 1,500 and steer it to the desired targets. new homes via a partnership between Croydon, TfL, Network One key mechanism for this is the single conversation, Rail, HCA, developers Menta an agreement with the and Stanhope and Schroders. government’s housing and Another 119 new affordable homes and 50 open-market regeneration body the Homes and Communities Agency homes are planned for Waddon, along with a new leisure centre, (HCA). Croydon is piloting this form of agreement, which children’s facilities and open enables it to work together with space improvements.

Elsewhere, it is hoped the HCA and other key agencies including London Development investment via the single Agency (LDA) and Transport for conversation will help facilitate London (TfL) to bring together a new library, leisure facilities all the available sources of and health centre on the Purley funding into a single Borough Hospital site and also along Investment Plan (BIP). the High Street, to support the Even before the Single development of mixed-tenure Conversation, Croydon had homes. The proposed scheme begun submitting every includes plans to reduce traffic development scheme to its congestion and provide safer pedestrian access in the town Multi Agency Regeneration Group before putting them to centre. And £8 million is being cabinet. The group includes sought from the Community the Greater London Authority, Infrastructure Fund to change Purley’s traffic flow.

HCA, LDA, TfL and Network Rail and coordinates the borough’s Environmental improvements

“

To deliver integrated housing and infrastructure projects the council has to attract investment and steer it to desired targets

are also key to housing schemes in Coulsdon town centre, where the council is exploring options on the Cane Hill Hospital and Lion Green Road car park sites. Overall Coulsdon town centre could benefit from extensive regeneration with an emphasis on family homes and appropriate community facilities and commercial development in the town centre to support it.

Again, the idea is not simply to build new mixed-tenure homes but to include shops, offices, and leisure facilities and to make the large open space at Cane Hill more attractive for people to stroll and relax in.

And some of these improvements are already under way, for example enhancement of public space in Coulsdon, as part of a wider £3.9 million urban design strategy involving TfL. During public consultation local people requested a community venue on the Red Lion site, with a

”

blend of cafes, restaurants and smaller shops, adorned by more seats and trees.

So the plans are extensive.

But are they viable? The credit crunch’s impact on HCA budgets is still uncertain; and finding developers and partners to work with will take time, especially during the recession.

However, the single conversation comes on top of Croydon gaining Growth Area Status, thereby securing £6.7 million to help provide infrastructure that will support families in their new homes.

And Croydon is very likely to play a leading role in the mayor’s Outer London Commission, as well as being a growth area within the new London Plan. There’s a long way to go, but already a lot of financial and planning groundwork has been done to ensure that more new homes for local people are built around Croydon. n

A conversation with David Lunts Regional Director Homes and Communities Agency

“Since the launch of the HCA in December ����, our work in Croydon is already showing the benefits of our flexible and strategic approach to housing and regeneration investment. As well as supporting the council’s ambitious proposals for Central Croydon, we are also delivering affordable and key worker homes at the London Road development, which should be ready for occupation later in the year. We’re also consulting local residents on the future of Cane Hill hospital in Coulsdon.

We want to bring this redundant site back into use for the benefit of the wider community.

“Our support has been extended to the borough as a whole through the ‘Single Conversation’ which is underway with Croydon Council. This business process will ensure we address local housing needs, and improvements to existing neighbourhoods, in a co-ordinated, collaborative way.

“So, what exactly have we accomplished in London since the HCA came into being? Despite the downturn, we have worked hard to keep our existing projects and programmes on track and deliver around ��,��� new affordable homes – an investment of more than a billion pounds over the last financial year. Under the leadership of a new London Board, chaired by the Mayor, Boris Johnson, we have an essential mechanism for strategic leadership across the capital. Croydon is a key borough for us, and we have made rapid progress by working closely with Croydon Council to identify the main priorities for helping with the town’s regeneration and housing needs.

“Looking ahead, the launch of our first regional investment plan will be followed by the implementation of our new programme. Times may be hard, and the housing sector is especially badly hit, but this must not distract from the acute need for more housing for those struggling to find the homes they need at a price they can afford.

“Despite the recession, London remains the most expensive place to buy a property. With around one in ten Londoners now on waiting lists, with overcrowding growing, and with more than ��,��� homeless households, we are determined to fulfil our role as the national housing and regeneration agency that delivers locally.”

Find out more about us by visiting homesandcommunities.co.uk or call ���� ���� ��� or email mail@homesandcommunities.co.uk

Thriving communities, affordable homes

MAKING TOMORROW A BETTER PLACE

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City3 53

Croydon’s transport links are the envy of many PLACES but thERE IS STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. Julie Mackintosh reports

Moving forward

C

roydon’s transport links are second to none: it is just 19 miles from Gatwick airport; only 16 minutes to central London by train; and the tram and bus network connects surrounding suburbs with the town centre. Nonetheless, there is work to be done, most notably on Wellesley Road, the A212, which runs north-to-south straight through Croydon offering vital links to central London, but at a price.

“It destroys Croydon as a place,” says Mike Kiely, the council’s new director of planning and building control, of the eightlane thoroughfare. And few would disagree.

Like so many towns devastated

by World War II bombing, Croydon was reconstructed with the motor car, not the pedestrian, as its top transport priority. As roads took precedence, those on foot found themselves frustrated

by the lack of permeability and relegated to dingy underpasses.

And so Croydon remains, but not for much longer. If Birmingham is arguably the UK’s ultimate urban homage to the car and Southwark’s Elephant and Castle is the spiritual home of the intimidating underpass, both are overcoming their 1960s road planning hangovers. Now the capital’s ‘third city’ is following suit.

The main charges levelled against the highway are that it literally cuts Croydon in two making east-west navigation difficult as the road can only be crossed safely in three places. Its eight lanes dominate the town centre and should be reduced to aid pedestrian permeability and improve the town centre’s attractiveness.

To find the best solution to the Wellesley Road problem, Croydon Council last year launched an international design

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City3 54

“

Great public spaces can civilise our town centres and reconnect them to their residential hinterlands

”

Previous page: Wellesley Road.

Below top: East Croydon station.

Below bottom: Re-branded trams.

Below right: Wellesley Road and train tracks run through the town centre. Opposite top: Okra’s design.

Opposite bottom: JCFO’s design.

competition inviting architects to submit their vision for turning the thoroughfare into a vibrant centre, focused on pedestrians and community while still able to accommodate substantial volumes of traffic. Croydon Council’s deputy leader councillor Tim Pollard likened it to the Champs Elysees in Paris as a rather grand example of how both elements can work together.

The process has moved quickly. In December, 50 submissions of interest were received and swiftly narrowed down to just four. Two were still under consideration in June and, by the end of July, a contract with the winning design team should be signed and sealed. The finalists, James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) and Okra Landscape Architects, face a nerve-racking wait until then.

Along the way they had to impress Will Alsop, creator of the borough’s masterplan within which the Wellesley Road development must sit.

They have already impressed him. Now the discussion is about

deliverability, so the opinion of representatives of project partners, directly involved in the implementation will be the crucial one: Croydon Council, London Development Agency, Transport for London and Design for London.

The people of Croydon have also had an important role to play. A public exhibition of the designs attracted more than 500 visitors (while another 1,500 watched online) and their comments informed much of the decision making.

According to Agnieszka Zimnicka of the council’s urban design team, residents listed their main concerns on the current state of Wellesley Road to be the high volume of traffic, difficulties in crossing and moving around and the poor quality of the public realm.

The shortlisted entries were the two most favoured by the public. Announcing the finalists, councillor Steve O’Connell, chair of the judging panel and cabinet member for regeneration and economic development said the James Corner submission had been

dubbed ambitious and iconic, yet simple. “Its bold idea appeared flexible and easy to implement.”

Of Okra’s proposal, O’Connell observed that the public liked its emphasis on community uses and green space. Meanwhile, the panel appreciated the sympathetic design, sustainability and – perhaps most of all – the fact it could be implemented incrementally as and when funding is available.

Another judge, London Development Agency group director for design, development and environment Peter Bishop, says:“Great public spaces can civilise our town centres and reconnect them to their residential hinterlands. The selection of the final two designers brings this a step closer and we are looking forward to the difficult job of choosing a brilliant scheme from these two excellent contenders.”

As well as the transformation of Wellesley Road, there are further improvements planned to Croydon’s transport offer: most notably at East and West

Croydon stations and along the tram network.

As Kiely points out, and as Wellesley Road illustrates, Croydon’s problems are less to do with transport links themselves and more to do with access, orientation and appearance.

“The East and West Croydon station projects have similar ambitions,” says council planner Finn Williams, describing a collaborative approach to bring together transport companies, the council, passenger groups, developers with projects in surrounding areas and other interested parties.

East Croydon is just 16 minutes from central London’s Victoria Station by train and is one of the UK’s busiest stations, serving 26 million passengers every year. It also has the country’s biggest contraflow – numbers of people commuting in as well as out.

In the short term, operator Network Rail is looking to upgrade the quality of the station. Longer term, additional capacity including more tracks and platforms could be added. Croydon Council plans to set out the objectives for the station’s development before the end of 2009 and to appoint a masterplanner.

Although the upgrade of East Croydon is likely to be a 15-year project, the first changes

“

Stations are often someone’s first impression of an area. At the moment Croydon’s blowing it

”

– which will include more space for passengers, easier access and better interchanges – will be realised in a much shorter timescale.

For example, at the moment East Croydon station can only be exited at its south end. For Kiely, this is symbolic of what he terms the “opportunistic approach” towards planning in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Today we need to think about what Croydon’s USP is, to really think about place making,” he says. “So it’s not just about having station exits, for example, but it’s about those exits bringing pedestrians to clear, pleasant and safe routes.

A station is often someone’s first impression of an area. At the moment, Croydon’s blowing it – it’s a bit like going on a first date wearing old clothes.”

The plans for West Croydon station are at an embryonic stage. Capacity is not such an issue here, although it does attract about nine million passengers each year.

Whether or not this figure rises substantially following the arrival of the East London line in 2010 will determine how the station evolves. Connecting to the Network Rail system at the New Cross Gate link and extending from New Cross Gate Station to the Croydon lines, it will offer more transport options to the rest of the capital.

Croydon’s iconic trams are also receiving special attention. In June 2008, Transport for London became the system’s owner following a £98 million buyout of Tramlink Croydon. It immediately began a refurbishment and maintenance programme, upgrading the entire fleet internally and externally to make them cleaner, brighter and more visible. All 39 stops on the network were repaired and enhanced and track maintenance was carried out.

Twenty eight million passengers used the network last year, up from 22 million in 2005.

Long term, it is hoped the system will be expanded and new routes introduced. The trams, like Croydon itself, are looking forward to an exciting future. n

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Transport

Local businessman Alan michael PeakE gave up a life in the Caribbean to set up his business in Croydon.

Why? Kirsty MacAulay finds out

Back to the future

C

roydon born and bred, Alan Michael Peake moved to the Caribbean in 2007 where he set up his new business at webguy.uk.com. A web and brand design agency, it already has some big-name businesses on the books including Shell UK and Coca-Cola.

Although many of his clients are UK-based, Alan initially ran the company from Barbados – often from a laptop while sitting outside a beachside café.

But when it came to thinking seriously about growing his business, he decided to move back to his home town. “I grew up in Croydon so I know it very well,” he explains. “This is the best business hub in the South East, for small companies in particular.

I know if I can do it anywhere I should be able to do it here.

There is a lot of energy here and I want to be part of it.”

Alan’s business is based in Park House, an Opportunity

Enterprise Centre operated by Croydon Business Venture for local businesses starting out. The move has worked well for Alan, who settled into the building in March and has already been asked to do some work for his new neighbours. “One of the reasons to base ourselves in Croydon was to get work here,” he explains. “There are about 20 businesses in this building. I came here with the idea of taking a small office but ended up with a massive one. I’ve taken on more staff and rented out a couple of desks to other companies and we’ve been networking – I’ve created new branding for one of them already.

“Croydon is good for small businesses. Even if you’re only partially involved in the local business-networking scene, if you put the time and effort in you’ll get results. The staff at Croydon Business (now part of the Economic Development Company) are passionate about

Day in the life

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Below left:Alan’s new base. Below right: Croydon’s colourful trams Below main: The beach where Alan used to work.

what they do, even with all the red tape they have to help people deal with.”

Having been abroad for two years, Alan has noticed many changes in Croydon. “The diversity of shopping now is really good; it has everything from the pound shop to the House of Fraser. New brands like House of Fraser bring a different type of shopper to Croydon. You can find what you need here and get it in the same day. That convenience is what makes it.

“A lot of people go shopping in Bromley but it doesn’t have Croydon’s edge. Croydon has always had an ambition to be more than it is and it has good infrastructure now. The potential here is huge.”

Like most local people Alan loves the trams. “They are great.

Everyone loves them and they’re so colourful. I like the way they take priority on the road. That’s the way it should be, and I even think that when

“

Croydon has always had an ambition to be more than it is. It has good infrastructure now. The potential here is huge

”

I’m in my car.” However, Alan thinks public transport should be taken to another level in Croydon: “We need micro taxis to run people from one end of the town centre to the other,” he believes. “It’s a long walk, especially for older people. You could use eco-friendly bubble cars – they could be fun, funky and unique.”

Coming up with creative ideas is at the heart of what Alan does. Essentially webbased, webguy.uk.com creates websites, databases and shopping sites but also does print design ranging from business cards to brochures and even container boxes. “We’re doing quite a lot of print design at the moment. I might have to change the name of the company! Our client base has grown on all sides of the business; now it’s a case of trying to break through to the next level.”

Alan is pleased to have moved back to his home town.

“What do I like best about it?

The people. People make a place and the people of Croydon make it what it is. I like the fact it’s very multicultural here, which is important. Croydon is fantastic for diversity; we have every age, race and colour.

“There are a lot of positive things in and around the area.

There are some great coffee shops. I love coffee and there is nothing better than standing on George Street at 6.30am – I start early – when there is no-one around, with a coffee and the sun shining down on you. It is so peaceful. The Caribbean’s great, but so is Croydon. You have to take the best from what you’ve got. Croydon isn’t a concrete jungle - you could call anything that’s growing a concrete jungle. I say the sooner the better as far as the regeneration is concerned. There are a few dark corners that need developing quickly. It’ll be exciting to see. I want to see change.” n

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Contacts

Contact For more on Croydonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regeneration, contact Jackie Davies at Croydon Council on 020 8726 6000 ext 62080

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