Gateway to Europe

The social capital edition

The regeneration magazine for King’s Cross Business Forum

The social capital edition

Editor: Sarah Herbert sarah@3foxinternational.com Deputy editor: Kirsty MacAulay kirsty@3foxinternational.com

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Art editor: Terry Hawes terry@3foxinternational.com Designer: Anita Govinden Advertisement sales: Lee Harrison lee@3foxinternational.com Production: Rachael Schofield rachael@3foxinternational.com Office manager: Sue Mapara sue@3foxinternational.com Managing director: Toby Fox toby@3foxinternational.com Printed by: Trade Winds Images: Sophie Laslett, courtesy of Arts Council, Create KX, King’s Cross Voices/Camden Local Studies and Archive Centre, King’s Cross Business Forum.

Published by: 189 Lavender Hill London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840 F: 020 7978 6837 On behalf of: King’s Cross Business Forum London Borough of Camden 7th Floor, Town Hall Extension Argyle Street London WC1H 8EQ 020 7974 5906 www.camden.gov.uk/kxbf

contents

Acting head of labour market and economy Sandi Phillips

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Foreword

04 04 Creating jobs Central to the success of the King’s Cross regeneration is ensuring that local people benefit from its myriad employment opportunities...

08 Supply chain

... and that local suppliers are linked into the procurement process.

Regeneration – building the new and renewing the old – is bringing dramatic changes to Camden’s cityscape. But beautiful buildings are nothing without the people who work and live in them and give them their purpose. This social capital edition of Gateway to Europe is devoted to charting their contribution to making Camden one of the liveliest and most innovative boroughs in London.

What people add to their environment is sometimes called social capital – the collective energy, imagination and spirit that make a place healthy, wealthy and secure. The greater the diversity of talent and experience there is in a community the more it is enriched.

Camden’s position at the heart of London gives it a superb opportunity on two counts. Not only are its physical and transport assets extraordinary, and still improving, but it is also at the centre of the world’s most successful cosmopolitan city, with a population drawn from across the globe.

The result is a vibrant borough with a multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-lingual population of residents and in-commuting workers. As well as making valuable contributions to regenerating the area, they have also benefited from the transformation: regeneration brings new jobs and the opportunity to learn new skills to residents, and new business to local firms.

Camden is home to some world-class, unique knowledge and creative assets, such as the British Museum, British Library and University College. One of London’s major creative and music industry hubs is emerging in Camden Town and the King’s Cross area.

The pattern of economic activity in the borough is woven from rich threads: transport and construction, university teaching and research, design and innovation, music and media, hospitality and retailing. All are vital for growth in a modern economy.

I hope this Gateway to Europe social capital edition gives you a picture of what is being achieved in Camden and an insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead, as we all strive towards a strong and inclusive local economy.

12 CSR

Camden’s stakeholder companies are using the area’s regeneration to make a real difference in the community.

16 Consultation

Asking all involved at the very outset has meant a remarkably smooth path for the huge project.

20 Creative hub

Key to the area’s identity, and its success, is its growing status as a hub for media, digital and cultural industries.

23 History A reminder of how St Pancras station used to be.

rachel stopard Director of culture and environment London Borough of Camden

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Creating jobs

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The transformation of King’s Cross will offer many a step on to the employment ladder.

Camden Council is determined to ensure that local people are first in line for jobs, both during and after regeneration.

All in a day’s work

0 creating jobs

Regeneration delivers a multitude of employment opportunities, but what matters to Camden Council is that it’s local people who benefit

C

amden boasts the kind of statistics other areas only dream of: half its residents are graduates, the knowledge economy is booming thanks to a thriving university and medical cluster, job density stands at two vacancies for every working age inhabitant and the number claiming Job Seekers Allowance is at its lowest for 20 years.

With headline figures like these, one could be forgiven for asking whether – on social grounds, at least – Camden needs the £2 billion King’s Cross regeneration and the estimated 25,000 jobs that are set to come with it.

But you know what they say about statistics. Senior regeneration officer Makkonen Tesfaye is more aware than most. “It’s certainly a paradox,” he admits. “There are plenty of local jobs, yet one in three people of working age in Camden are not in employment.”

He highlights two main reasons for this unhappy phenomenon. Firstly, the 2:1 job statistic is somewhat disingenuous: residents in the borough are competing in a London-wide market for jobs. And, as he points out, due to the excellent transport links it enjoys, Camden’s employment radius stretches all across the South East and even as far as the Midlands.

The second, arguably more pressing, issue is the skills shortage facing many in the borough. Despite having lots of degree holders, Camden also has – at 15% – a higher than average number of residents with no qualifications at all.

So while the regeneration of King’s Cross – with its station refurbishment, arrival of Eurostar and extensive new commercial, retail, leisure, cultural, civic and

residential developments – brings lots of employment opportunities, will local people be able to take advantage of the benefits?

“Yes, that’s our aim,” says Tesfaye. “People used to think the trickle-down effect of development would inevitably bring benefits to the local community, but that isn’t the case. We don’t want ‘Canary Wharf Syndrome’ here. We’ve learned those lessons, there has to be conscious, specific intervention.”

To this end, Camden Council has what could be described as a two-fold strategy: provide residents with the skills they need for the jobs on offer and secure a commitment from employers to take on, or at least seriously consider, local people.

For the next 12 years, as the regeneration takes shape, the construction sector is likely to be the dominant new employer. With this in mind, King’s Cross Working (a joint venture between local authorities, the LDA, Jobcentre Plus, Argent and London and Continental Railways) was set up in 2004 after a lack of construction training was identified in the borough.

The scheme offers a full range of services to help candidates compete for a job in the construction industry.

They include everything from CV preparation, to a two week introductory course, right through to an 18-month NVQ in a full range of disciplines.

The team has already placed 500 people into work, a figure that is set to rise into thousands as the regeneration gains momentum. “Like so much of London, this borough is polarised by poverty and affluence, but initiatives like this can make a real impact,” says Andrew Conner, construction employment manager at King’s Cross Working.

But with the current recruitment emphasis geared towards the traditionally male dominated construction,

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what about female job seekers? “We are challenging those stereotypes,” says Conner. He highlights an NVQlevel course in painting and decorating that was tailored around the needs of its female students. For example, the course duration was made longer and the hours shorter to fit around mums with school-age children. Three of those students have now gone on to start their own businesses (see panel).

As the regeneration progresses, opportunities within the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors are likely to come to the fore along with a full range of administrative and office based roles.

Camden Working was formed in 2005 and is a council/ LDA-funded project aimed at helping job-seekers access all types of vacancies available in the borough. It takes a holistic approach focusing on issues such as childcare needs and benefit queries as part of making clients ‘job ready’. The scheme offers one-to-one career guidance, including CV and interview advice, and links to training, from basic and vocational skills right up to nationally recognised qualifications. And the relationship doesn’t end when clients find jobs, regular checks are made to see how working life is going.

“Development brings physical regeneration,” explains Camden Working manager Douglas Russell, “but this is about regenerating people. Development creates demand for employees and we are aiming to create a supply for that demand.”

This raises the issue of the employers themselves: how do they feel about co-operating with the council and prioritising the local workforce? As with the local procurement code relating to local suppliers (see Supply chain, pages 8 to 11), the council has been keen to extract some commitments from developers and their subcontractors to take on local residents wherever possible.

Lead developer Argent is committed to using local labour where possible and has set an ‘aspirational target’ to fill 30% of jobs from within the neighbouring communities. In February 2008, it submitted a planning application for a construction training centre (CTC), offering local people training, qualifications and employment opportunities on site. There will also be a skills and recruitment centre geared toward local

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Development creates demand for employees and we are aiming to create a supply for that demand

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Tony’s story

creating jobs

40-year-old Tony is a single parent who left school aged 14 without any qualifications.

When he registered at King’s Cross Working in March 2007, Tony had worked for just four months in the previous 17 years. He was extremely shy and, having been in prison between 2002 and 2004, unsure of his future.

He gained a place on a 12-week foundation construction award carpentry course and attended weekly pre-employment training and job search sessions to prepare a CV and build his confidence and communication skills.

In September 2007, six weeks after finishing the course, Tony was offered a full-time, longterm contract with an agency to work on Kings Place as a carpenter’s labourer.

Since then, he has been offered continuous work as part of the King’s Cross Central regeneration. There have been excellent reports from his employers and Tony remains in contact with King’s Cross Working providing updates on his progress.

Tracey’s story

employment in ‘end use occupiers’ (i.e. shops, restaurants, etc) up and running before the first office is occupied.

The Apollo Group has employed six trainees on a paid 20-week work experience programme and one full-time apprentice through the King’s Cross Working scheme. Each trainee worked with all the trades on site and according to Apollo’s community investment manager, Debbie Person, the venture has been a great success.

“I am happy working with King’s Cross Working as the candidates have all been vetted, have a good knowledge of construction and have all gained their CSCS which proves to me that they have a basic knowledge of health & safety,” she says. “I would not have a problem using them again. On all the projects I am involved in, the apprentices are always recruited locally.” ✤

30-year-old Tracey became pregnant aged 15 and left school with no qualifications. A single mother of three children, she registered with King’s Cross Working in June 2006 and was accepted onto a 12-week foundation course in painting and decorating.

In October 2006, Tracey began a six-month construction award in painting and decorating during which time she took part in preemployment training and job search sessions.

By April 2007, she had gained her qualification and decided that she wanted to run her own company and joined up with one of her fellow students. With the help of King’s Cross Working, Tracey began researching how to set up a small business. Within two weeks of her finishing the course she won a small contract for a residential makeover and this success has continued.

The dramatic regeneration of the King’s Cross area has already offered a pivotal turning point in the working and educational lives of many residents.

Supply chain

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Feeding the supply chain Camden Council is keen to ensure local companies prosper during the area’s regeneration

09 supply chain

D

id you know that for every £1 spent with a local supplier, 70% stays within the local economy? Use an outside company and that figure drops to just 30%. With these numbers firmly in mind, Camden Council is aiming to retain as much value from its £2 billion King’s Cross regeneration as possible and its weapon of choice is iCam Supply. iCam Supply is a joint venture between Islington and Camden councils, geared towards helping local businesses secure work from major development projects. It was established by Islington Council in March 2005 (with funding from the LDA) to maximise opportunities from Arsenal’s £800 million stadium development. Then, in August 2006, following the success at Arsenal, a similar project was born in Camden to take advantage of its 13-year regeneration programme. Last April, the two merged and are now run on a cross-borough basis.

Since its inception, the project has achieved over £15 million of procurement for local companies from 400 invitations to tender. Pretty impressive, but the system itself is straightforward. iCam Supply has a database of around 300 pre-screened Camden- and Islington-based companies, covering some 40 different trades and with annual sales ranging from £400,000 to £800 million. It also liaises closely with contractors and sub-contractors on major developments – introducing them to potential local suppliers and, ultimately, trying to secure work for these businesses.

“It’s a personal service and we have close relationships with the local companies involved,” explains Camden Council’s supply chain business adviser Robert Foster. “We visit their premises, get to know the personalities, discuss the type of work they specialise in and provide feedback on

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previous tenders. So, when developers come into the area we can suggest a range of suitable suppliers.” Sometimes the matchmaking takes on more of a ‘speed dating’ feel with regular ‘buyers meet suppliers’ events, as well as advice sessions designed to give firms the competitive edge.

The iCam Supply team is also using the planning system to help local businesses. As the project’s website states: “We have focused on getting local procurement built into planning agreements for major forthcoming projects, including the next phase of Network Rail’s redevelopment of King’s Cross Station and the North East Quarter site, for which British Land has accepted the local procurement code as part of their section 106 agreement.

“A key success has been obtaining agreement with the planners on the wording of a local procurement code and its application to all developments in the borough of over 1,000sq m as part of a section 106 agreement.”

Foster confirms that a target of 10% has been set for contracts secured by local companies, but stresses that this is aspirational only, with developers and their subcontractors agreeing that they will try to reach it. >

iCam Supply liaises with contractors introducing them to potential local suppliers

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With the amount of development work going on in King’s Cross it is vital to encourage developers to look locally for suppliers. iCam Supply is a joint venture that puts developers and contractors in touch with local suppliers.

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We are extremely keen to use local companies and labour wherever possible. There are sound economic reasons behind this, but it’s also about putting something back

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Local architecture firm Niall McLaughlin is an iCam Supply member. Late last year it was awarded a £29 million contract

by Argent to design the £150 million T3 building (part of the first phase of the King’s Cross Central development), which includes a new energy centre, residential and retail units and a multi-storey car park. The architect dubbed the deal as ‘significant’.

In another example, ISG InteriorExterior, the main contractor for the St Pancras refurbishment, gave iCam Supply its list of subcontractors. One of them, Spie Matthew Hall (formerly Amec Projects), needed some electrical fittings in a hurry and called Edmundson Electrical, an iCam Supply member based just next to the station.

Manager Hiren Patel demonstrated the value of being local by delivering the order by 8am the following day. Spie Matthew Hall was so impressed by the speed and flexibility of using a local supplier that it placed all of its subsequent electrical orders through the branch.

Patel said: “This order showed us what a valuable initiative the iCam Supply team is running. Without them we could never have picked up this work. As it turns out, the level of service we were able to offer exceeded any supplier from outside the area, and we obtained several hundred thousand pounds of business we were not expecting.”

Staying power

The following local companies have been awarded contracts in the past three months: Local company

Works package

Contractor

CB Security

Security

Rydon Construction

Niall McLaughlin

Architecture/design

Argent Group

Travis Perkins

Building materials

Lancsville Construction

Fayers Plumbing Supplies

Sanitaryware

Apollo Group

Clarke Construction

Security

INSPACE/Wilmott Dixon

JM Piling

Piling

INSPACE/Wilmott Dixon

Express Glazing

Glazing

Lancsville Construction

D&R Security & Electrical

Electrical sub-contract

Lovelock & Taylor

11 supply chain

Other iCam Supply members awarded contracts lately are CB Security (by Rydon Construction) and JM Piling (by INSPACE/Wilmott Dixon). But it’s not just local companies that benefit from iCam Supply – developers, contractors and sub-contractors operating in the boroughs feel the advantages too. These include reductions in transport and logistical costs and the risk of delays, local warehousing opportunities, easy access to labour, proximity to suppliers and – of course – help towards fulfilling section 106 obligations.

“We are extremely keen to use local companies and labour wherever possible,” says Argent construction director Tony Giddings. “There are sound economic reasons behind this, but it’s also about putting something back into the local community.”

So are initiatives such as iCam Supply happening outside of Islington and Camden? “As far as I know, we’re the only people really concentrating on construction and we’ve received enquiries from other boroughs about what’s happening here,” says Foster.

As he points out, as well as King’s Cross-style regenerations, iCam Supply can be applied to all types of development, such as the Schools for the Future programme or major housing association schemes. And now we know that 70p of every £1 spent locally stays in the borough, that’s the kind of logic to keep everyone happy. ✤

Eurostar accounts for 12-13% of London’s inbound tourism. Its millions of passengers a year could create the demand for one million hotel beds in the King’s Cross area alone: within a 0.5 mile radius of King’s Cross there are 63 hotels, with over 8,200 bedrooms.

To help local hoteliers maximise the commercial potential of both the arrival of Eurostar into St Pancras, and the other developments taking place in the area, Camden Council established the King’s Cross Hotels Network. The project offers specialist one-on-one advice and practical support from consultant t4 Partnership, which helps hoteliers to implement simple and effective improvements, via quality audits, advice on hotel services and infrastructure, customer service training, help with websites and technical and marketing advice and support.

Funded by the LDA and delivered by Centa Business Services, the initiative will enable local hotel owners to play an important role in improving the image and economic activity of King’s Cross, in a strong collective, better placed to work with local stakeholders and take advantage of new opportunities.

Left: The £29 million T3 building by Niall McLaughlin architects, an iCam Supply member.

Far left: Much of the refurbishment of St Pancras involved local firms.

CSR

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Corporate social responsibility is big news, and Camden’s regeneration is providing many avenues for corporations wanting to make a difference

Putting something back

13 csr

R

egeneration and corporate social responsibility (CSR) should be happy bedfellows. After all, despite private sector developers inevitably having an eye on profit margins, planning guidelines mean that regeneration must involve the desirables of affordable housing, green spaces and sustainable energy.

At the £2 billion King’s Cross transformation, Camden Council and its partners are determined to push the boundaries of their CSR programme. As acting head of labour market and economy Sandi Phillips explains: “It’s about taking a more strategic approach, bringing all of the key stakeholders so that we can take focused and consistent action.”

To this end, King’s Cross Business Action Group (KXBAG), a collaboration of 10 major companies involved in the regeneration (see panel on page 14 for a full who’s who), was formed in early 2007 to channel CSR initiatives.

It is operating under the guidance of Business in the Community (BITC), a UK-wide charity that promotes and supports responsible business practices. BITC already has around 40 members actively involved in Camden through established volunteering programmes. Geoff Lane, its membership development director, highlights the Education Business Partnership which sees employees spending time in local schools helping children improve their literacy and numeric skills. “Several companies also provide school governors, sponsorship, work experience for pupils, teacher placements, mentoring and many other forms of valuable resource,” he says.

KXBAG aims to build and expand on work already under way, and crucially, as Phillips says, provide a CSR focus for the regeneration. Lane agrees: “A project on the scale of King’s

CSR initiatives should ensure the whole community benefits from the involvement of big business in regeneration.

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King’s Cross Business Action Group members Argent, Arup, EDF Energy, WSP, Herbert Smith, Munro & Forster, Carillion, HBG, Keir and Network Rail.

They are supported by BITC, in conjunction with Camden and Islington councils.

Cross provides real opportunities for companies to step up a gear, to take the traditional model of ‘putting something back into the community’ and look more strategically at, for example, where you are employing from, procurement processes etc. I think there is currently not enough engagement between councils and large companies, so what Camden is doing with KXBAG could become a model for best practice.”

As he points out, it’s still early days for the group, which is identifying opportunities under four themes: education, employment, enterprise and the environment.

On the education theme, four members – Argent, Carillion, EDF Energy and WSP – have begun detailed discussions with the Education Business Partnerships in Camden and Islington to identify the best ways to work with local secondary schools. They are offering a range of support, including the development of new specialised diplomas, and vocational courses in engineering and construction, due to be introduced this autumn.

“We aren’t here to duplicate or reinvent. Instead, we want to support the councils both in providing materials for the current curriculum and assisting in future changes,” says WSP’s corporate responsibility manager Charlotte Whitmore.

“For instance, there is scope for business to contribute to the development of specialised diplomas in terms of their content and their delivery by offering placements to teachers and work experience for pupils.”

As for employment, the transformation of King’s Cross will ultimately create around 25,000 jobs. That should be good news for a borough in which one in three people are not in work. The King’s Cross Working initiative (a joint venture between both local authorities, the LDA, Jobcentre Plus, Argent and London and Continental Railways) was set up in 2004 to help local people take advantage of employment opportunities in the construction sector.

The scheme helps candidates find work within the industry providing support and advice on matters such as CV preparation and interview skills. It also provides access to practical qualifications to NVQ level in a range of subjects.

We want to make sure that our contribution is as positive as can be, and that people can see we are involved for all of the right reasons

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The scheme has been a great success, and the companies involved in the area’s regeneration have committed themselves to using local labour where possible, even setting an ‘aspirational target’ of filling 30% of jobs with local candidates.

In February, Argent submitted a planning application for a flagship construction training centre (CTC), which will offer local people training, professional qualifications and employment opportunities on site. A skills and recruitment centre geared toward local employment in “end use occupiers” (i.e. shops, restaurants, etc) will be up and running before the first office is occupied. For more on the employment situation in Camden, see All in a day’s work pages 4 to 7.

City law firm Herbert Smith is leading the enterprise strand. The firm is legal adviser to London and Continental Railways (one of the landowners of the King’s Cross Central site) and is working on a pro bono basis with the Association of Community Based Business Advice (ACBBA) and Centa Business Services, an agency which provides business support to start-up and small businesses. The firm recently sponsored and judged the ACBBA ‘Most Enterprising Client’ awards and a Herbert Smith partner is set to join the board of Centa. As these relationships mature, Herbert Smith will build KXBAG’s knowledge of local enterprise issues, identifying opportunities for other members to become involved.

Richard Brophy is corporate responsibility manager for

15 csr

Herbert Smith. “We have expertise and resources that may not routinely exist in the community,” he points out. “We took our time in Camden getting a feel for where this could be used most appropriately. We want to make sure that our contribution is as positive as can be, that it doesn’t tread on the toes of existing schemes and that people can see we are involved for the right reasons.”

Under the environment theme, Arup is leading the development of initiatives on climate change and environmental sustainability. Lane says the firm, which recently hosted the ‘One Big Day’ event on climate change for 500 UK business leaders and experts, can provide valuable expertise. “The environmental credentials of the regeneration itself are very good. Now we intend to go further and look at these issues strategically on a wider scale.

We are still defining KXBAG’s role here and an action plan is likely to emerge in the coming year, but with several of its members already industry leaders in this branch of CSR expect some interesting initiatives.” ✤

CSR – what does it mean?

The concept of corporate social responsibility, or CSR as it’s commonly known, entered public consciousness sometime around the millennium and soon seemed to be applied as a potential solution to almost every major problem from climate change to homelessness.

It’s not that every business had been operating with a devil-may-care attitude before 2000, but suddenly CSR agendas, programmes and values were the must have staple in every company wardrobe.

But what exactly does the term mean? According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, CSR is “the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large”.

That’s a pretty broad definition. And, while such global issues as lowering carbon emissions and ensuring ethical working conditions for third world workers certainly qualify as CSR considerations, one person involved in the King’s Cross regeneration gave a much simpler classification: “Cheesy as this might sound, CSR is about giving something back to the community and that feels good.”

A recent Mori poll found that seven in 10 British adults think industry and commerce do not pay enough attention to their social responsibilities. Separate research claims that 74% bring ethical concerns to consumer decisions, so high-profile CSR work is arguably extremely good for company image.

And not just with the public. An active social engagement programme has also been proven as a positive factor in attracting and retaining staff.

Above: Improving public realm, traffic networks and public transport are all high on the list of CSR issues.

Consultation

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It’s good to talk

Creating a vast new quarter in the heart of London, full of residents and business, could have been a consultation red-tape nightmare. But not the way Argent and Camden handled it. Could their methods be a blueprint for other projects?

17 consultation

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n 28 May 2004, Argent along with London and Continental Railways and DHL Exel submitted 11 planning and heritage applications to Camden and Islington councils for the regeneration of King’s Cross.

The proposals were ambitious: to attract and accommodate a full range of central London businesses; create around 25,000 jobs; at least 1,800 homes; a distinctive mix of shops, cafés, bars and restaurants; plus community, health, education, cultural and other uses. In short, to transform an entire neighbourhood across 27 hectares with no fewer than 20 new streets and 10 public spaces.

Yes – 20 new streets. In any other regeneration scheme it would be time to start lengthy rounds of public consultation.

But here, with three years of community liaison and research already complete by the time the application was submitted, Argent was already well down the road of promoting its scheme to local residents.

“That did have many benefits,” reflects Robert Evans, Argent’s executive director. “We always knew the land wouldn’t be available until 2007 so we used that time to get to know the place and the residents. The proposals are very complex, so it gave people time to examine and understand them. I’m not saying everyone supported our plans, but very few could say they didn’t know about them.”

As David Reidy, of Camden Council’s King’s Cross development team points out: “It’s now common for developers to do some consultation before submitting an application, but that wasn’t the case even just a few years ago. Argent did a lot of work in advance, and that has to be applauded.”

Between July 2001 and the submission of its application, Argent spoke to more than 4,000 local people and 150 community, business and other organisations. Urban design practice Fluid worked with the developer throughout the process. “Concerns that ‘consultation fatigue’ would >

With such a major regeneration project planned it was important to start the process of public consultation as soon as possible.

Argent began community liaison before they even submitted their application.

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Affordable housing and community facilities are, understandably, the issues which interest people

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For residents of King’s Cross, regeneration offers a real opportunity to clean up the area. During consultation ‘safe, clean and vibrant’ were the three words most used by respondents.

prevent a deep and successful dialogue process proved unfounded,” says its director Steve McAdam.

“In fact, if anything the painful experiences of prior regeneration projects at King’s Cross produced a mature set of community representatives, many of whom take their responsibilities for helping to shape a very special part of London very seriously.”

A range of innovative consultation techniques were used, including video interviews (which were later made into short films), roadshows and workshops in 18 different locations. All sections of the community have been involved. For example, 200 young people from four schools and three youth clubs took part in mind map exercises, completed canvass cards, and took part in daily diary, camera and video projects to develop their own vision for the future of the area.

In June 2003, Argent published ‘Framework Findings’, a summary of the results of its consultation. They make for interesting reading. In answer to the question ‘What do you dislike most about King’s Cross?’, the main responses were safety and cleanliness, in particular pollution, dirt, neglect, traffic and crime. Other issues highlighted were neglected buildings and a perceived lack of anything to do.

Perhaps then it’s no surprise that ‘safe, clean and vibrant’ were the three words most used by respondents describing what they’d like King’s Cross to be, plus a desire to see an end to the area’s negative image.

On the whole, what most impressed participants about the regeneration proposals were the quality and the social integration (particularly new housing and job opportunities) but concerns were raised about the impact of construction, changes to the character of the area, whether the transport system would be able to cope and, crucially, whether local people feel the benefits of any positive change, and gain access to these new homes and jobs. “There were a myriad of issues, but four surfaced over and over again,” says Evans.

“Safety and cleanliness, jobs and housing.”

Camden Council’s own extensive consultation, which followed the submission of Argent’s application, found the same concerns. “Affordable housing and community facilities are, understandably, the issues which most interest people,” says Reidy.

In response, the scheme placed a greater influence on housing, and around 750 affordable units will now be included. It also increased plans for public space.

Further community benefits include a new walk-in

health centre and primary school, as well as funding for the expansion of an existing secondary school. The regeneration will also feature a council swimming pool and new sports facilities, including a multi-use games area.

Concerns over jobs will hopefully be addressed by initiatives run by both the council and developer. The council has its King’s Cross Working and Camden Working schemes, while Argent has plans for a new Construction Training Centre, which will offer local people training, professional qualifications and employment opportunities on site. (For more on job creation see All in a day’s work, pages 4 to 7.)

While the main bulk of headline consultation is now over, reserved matters, for example the types of cladding to be used on buildings, will come under scrutiny in the near future, and informal engagement will continue throughout the lifetime of the project.

Along with the King’s Cross Development Team, much of the ongoing consultation is being handled by Camden Council’s neighbourhood partnerships team, formed in 2006 to look after the borough’s 10 neighbourhood renewal areas.

Rita Waligo, neighbourhood co-ordinator for King’s Cross, says that while lots of the big issues have already been hammered out: “The most common queries now are on timetable, what’s happening next and about specific aspects on individual elements of the plans.”

Waligo points to two recent site visits where residents had the opportunity to meet and question senior Argent members, an opportunity that is also available at wider community meetings. “Argent has been really good at reacting to local people, and senior members of staff, like chief executive Roger Madelin, have been very accessible,” she says.

“At Argent we operate what’s known as ‘the Martini process’, which means we’ll try to be available anytime, any place, anywhere,” says Evans. “It’s our duty, but it can also be fun too. We are becoming part of the community and certainly don’t claim to have a monopoly on good ideas.”

So can King’s Cross become a blueprint for future consultation? Evans says although Argent probably consulted more widely on King’s Cross than any other comparable regeneration, adopting a uniform approach is not the answer. “I think it’s dangerous to draw parallels. King’s Cross is a unique development with a unique history,” he says. “This is the third regeneration scheme to be presented in the area and the others ended in acrimony. So it was important to begin the consultation process early and to achieve a wide consensus.” ✤

This is the third regeneration scheme to be presented in King’s Cross so developer Argent is keen to ensure the plans meet the needs of the community.

Hence the comprehensive consultation process.

19 consultation

Creative hub

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artistic endeavour The area’s creative industries are at the forefront of a new era of prosperity for King’s Cross, which is becoming a hub of design, art and music, as well as the all-important digital sector

T

he creative industries are responsible for facilitating regeneration in many areas around the UK. And this exciting sector of 21st century commerce is driving progress and innovation in the King’s Cross area. You may not yet be aware of it, but there is a growing community of Camden-based creatives that really are going places.

In 2003, a review of King’s Cross-based creative enterprises revealed that, even though the area hadn’t been known for its creative community, there were around 300 creative and cultural businesses in the area, and nearly 850 more on its fringes. Most are design and visual businesses, such as architecture practices, contemporary arts and crafts, but neighbours include media and digital companies (advertising, software and computer services and publishing), and music and performing arts companies.

The creative community had been quietly enriching the area and there were clearly opportunities to further its contribution, but a fragmented network was stifling this potential regeneration route, with many small businesses feeling isolated, and information and advice hard to find.

“That is where Create KX came in,” explains Gill Henderson, director of the organisation working to promote the creative industries in the area. “We did some further mapping in the summer of 2007 and we discovered that altogether, around the area of King’s Cross and going down into Bloomsbury and up to Camden, there

were about 3,000 businesses and organisations working in the creative industries. This is significantly above the national average.”

Once existence of these creative entities had been established, work began on improving the links and networks that would allow the community to thrive. The creative world has always been fairly inward-looking, with commissions and opportunities often being secured through word of mouth, so establishing a workable network was paramount.

If the creative people working in the area could be brought together to form a community, the area and the businesses and individuals involved would certainly benefit. To this end, Create KX set to work.

The organisation has been responsible for running a series of events and seminars, many of which are geared towards helping people further their creative businesses. The sessions range from dedicated seminars, focusing on areas such as digital marketing, to more informal events where interested parties can come and mingle with like-minded people.

Henderson says: “You can’t wish creative industries and cultural activities on to a place. It has to be organic; it has to be there. But what we have tried to do is raise the profile of what is here and try to make more networks and connections between the businesses, organisations and individuals.

“Our research discovered that there were a lot of people here but they were not necessarily relating to being in King’s Cross. They were here because they had managed > to get a cheap office or studio. There was not much

Camden is home to 3,000 businesses and organisations working in the creative industries.

21 creative hub

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In King’s Cross, Bloomsbury and up to Camden, there are about 3,000 creative businesses

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Creative hub

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interaction between them and the other artists and digital media companies. That is starting to change now.”

With greater collaboration and co-operation, particularly between the larger players and the smaller businesses, a sustainable environment is being created that is playing a significant role in regenerating this area of Camden. And with the sector’s continued growth and the borough’s association with the creative world, experts are expecting the area’s regeneration to continue down this route.

Perhaps the most vital element to the community’s longer-term success is the diverse range of companies that are working in the area. The better-established organisations, such as Centaur Media, will lend to the credibility of the area, with the thriving smaller companies bringing vibrancy to the mix. Digital companies such as Cybergate work alongside arts organisations like Motiroti and small publishing companies such as JungleDrums.

“Encouraging business is very important for regeneration,” says Mathew McMillan, operations manager of business improvement district Camden Town Unlimited.

“Business encourages business and generates growth.

The area’s infrastructure, and new developments such as High Speed 1 coming to St Pancras, mean that Camden is quite well placed as an area to develop the creative industries.

“Over the next 15 or so years we are expecting the biggest economic growth to be from the creative industries. We already have a very strong media core and if we can build on that it will create an extremely interesting cluster.”

Developing the community should become easier as more media-related businesses make the move to the Camden area. The message has definitely spread: the Guardian Media Group is one of the more prominent names to be setting-up base in King’s Cross, but such is the level of media migration that even those charged with promoting the area struggle to keep abreast of all the latest developments.

“It is incredible,” says Gill Henderson. “It is hard to keep up to speed with all that is happening. Our role is to make the connections, so we can maximise the benefits of what’s happening and also open up new potential collaborations for the future as well.” ✤

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Over the next 15 years we are expecting the biggest economic growth to be from the creative industries.

We already have a very strong media core

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Going digital Digital and creative support programmes, or even parks, are being set up throughout Britain. But why are these industries being pinpointed as so vital to regeneration?

One practical reason is that many of these companies are relatively small, operating with limited means. Big established companies, such as major banks, are hard to persuade out of the more attractive postcodes and into a regeneration area, while the young owners of creative businesses are more bothered about having an affordable space in which they can grow.

Also, the sector is relatively new, having been born out of the 21st century’s passion for communications, art, digital media and the ways in which they overlap. The fledgling status of the industry, and society’s increasing obsession with all things digital, serves to allow for further growth in the sector over the coming decade.

This sector’s formidable growth has meant there is a number of smaller organisations successfully earning a crust. Talented young people are being able to succeed in their chosen fields, and King’s Cross, and many other areas around the country, are set to enjoy new eras of prosperity thanks to the support they have given to facilitate their development.

king’s cross voices/camden local studes and archive centre

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history st pancras ticket office

King’s Cross Voices/ Camden Local Studies and Archive Centre www.kingscrossvoices.org.uk

Architectural historian ROBERT THORNE – born in 1945 and author of Change at King’s Cross and St. Pancras Station – recalls his earliest memories of the station.

“I was born in Derbyshire but my parents moved to the London suburbs. We went back to Derbyshire in the school holidays. So from a very early age my clearest memory was of catching the 2:25 from St Pancras to Derby and an even more vivid memory was of arriving at St Pancras and looking out past the gas holders to the trees of St Pancras Churchyard and being completely convinced that in fact that was the countryside. Therefore the moment the train left St Pancras we were already on holiday. It was this bizarre effect of this huge piece of railway infrastructure which led immediately into the country.

“What I was seeing, and smelling, were maroon compartmented railway carriages which had that very particular smell of coal and smoke about them. St Pancras was and is an amazing space. In my childhood memories it was full of activity.”

Connecting Camden’s business Major changes are happening in Camden and soon King’s Cross will be seen as a key destination for many commercial and domestic visitors to London. With the largest regeneration project in Europe and the arrival of Eurostar at St Pancras International – King’s Cross is set to become a major Gateway to Europe.

Funded by the London Development Agency, the King’s Cross Business Forum aims to connect local businesses, provide opportunities for growth and greater competitiveness and to impart information of key strategic importance.

With more than 2,000 local business representatives, the KXBF would like to invite you to engage with one of London’s most innovative networks and find out about the existing business-to-business prospects in the area.

For more information on joining KXBF contact the KXBF team on 020 7974 5906/5782/6019 [f] 020 7974 5714 [e] kxbf@camden.gov.uk [w] www.camden.gov.uk/kxbf London Borough of Camden, Business Initiatives, 7th Floor, Agyle Street, London WC1H 8EQ

Why become a member?

• Give your business a voice on local business issues • Free membership to the Camden Business Partnership of over 22,000 businesses • Quarterly invitations to high profile KXBF networking events • Inward investment advice • Access to local supply chain opportunities • Free professional assistance with local recruitment • Regular business-focused updates including advice on reducing your carbon footprint • Opportunities to market your business through the KXBF Business Directory • Access to a dedicated business advisor and free training through our business improvement seminars • Subsidised translation and interpreter services