Old kent road industrial networks

SOUTHWARK

WIDER LONDON

EUROPE

OLD KENT ROAD

UNITED KINGDOM

MAKING THE CITY:

REST OF THE WORLD

A STUDY OF OLD KENT ROAD’S INDUSTRIAL BUSINESSES

ABSTRACT The purpose of this report was to conduct research on industrial businesses in the Old Kent Road; developing an understanding of their space needs and relationship to other businesses. Through an analysis of the existing planning documents and research by CASS Cities we saw a need to map the key customers and suppliers for each business.

The key theme underpinning our findings was that these businesses are deeply embedded within the city, thus their relocation or removal would have repercussions both locally and across London. Our research is aimed at generating a meaningful discussion around the future of industrial businesses across London, not just in the Old Kent Road. And we hope that further research in different locations will generate more knowledge and clarity around London’s relationship with industry.

CONTENTS 4

INTRODUCTION

6

POLICIES & PLANS

10

METHODOLOGY

12

CONTEXT & NETWORK

15

CLUSTERS

26

LOCAL NETWORK

28

MAPPING DISPLACEMENT

29

STARING A CONVERSATION

INTRODUCTION

4

Opportunity Area Targets

OKR HISTORY

5

The Old Kent Road (OKR), located within the London Borough of Southwark in south-east London, is an area with a long a complicated history.

An area of rich industrial heritage, OKR is now part of the A2, a major traffic route connecting London with Kent, Dover and beyond.

2,500 minimum new homes

Recently, the OKR has been designated as an ‘Oppotunity Area’ by the GLA. A process is now underway, conducted jointly by the GLA and Southwark council, to produce an area action plan (AAP)/opportunity area planning framework (OAPF) intended to guide ‘development’ of the area over the next 15 years, in line with the London Plan.

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Today, whilst industry has somewhat depleted since its 19th century hayday, the Old Kent Road is still home to a large number of businesses with industrial uses still holding the largest stock of employment.

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It was in the 19th century century that OKR’s industrial story began. Aided by the opening of the Surrey Canal in 1811 that connected the Surrey docks with Camberwell, factories started to be built, many producing textiles and chemicals.

In 1834 the South Metropolitan Gas Works company opened the large gasworks on the east side of the OKR. In 1844 the south-eastern railway company opened Bricklayers arms station towards the northern end of OKR. Originally intended for passengers, the site was converted into a goods depot serving central London that remained functioning until 1983. This depot site was then redeveloped in the 1990s into the existing industrial estate along Mandela way.

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The work was conducted as part of an MSc in Urban Design and City Planning and contributes to a wider body of research conducted by the GLA and CASS Cities.

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Later, in the 17th Century the road was part of a pilgrimage route for those travelling to Canterbury Cathedral. Pilgrims were thought to have paused at OKR at a place known as St. Thomas-a-Watering, the location of several coaching inns (British History 2016).

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Through adoption of the ideas of actor-network-theory and diverse clusters, this report aims to highlight the importance of these industrial businesses, both as an economic asset to OKR and London as a whole.

The Old Kent road has an extensive history. During Roman times OKR formed part of what was then called Waitling street, the road that connected London with Dover in the South East with the city of Wroxeter in Shropshire.

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Unfortunately, initial development plans within OKR are focused predmoninatly on the creation of private residential property. There is little focus on protecting pre-existing industrial businesses within the new development.

1,000 employment capacity

Clifto n C re s e n tc

Brimmington Park

(GLA 2014)

POLICIES & PLANS

6

KEY POINTS

COMMENTS

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Report commissioned by Southwark Council to review supply of industrial and warehouse premises in Southwark including clusters of businesses within the Old Kent Road.

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Whilst the report is comprehensive acknowledging that vacancy rates are low in the large majority of industrial clusters, the report assessment of weaknesses is superficial.

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Their article argues that industrial businesses are positive about their location within Southwark as their core market is within London.

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The GVA suggest that there is high demand for industrial space within Southwark.

For example, the report states that parts of the existing industrial stock around Old Kent Road are of ‘poor quality’.

However this is not based on any rigorous criteria and is based on assumptions

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They suggest that being located in Southwark presents challenges, such as, congestion and poor quilaity built envionment.

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In light of GLA and Southwark producing preaparing an OAPF for the Old Kent Road, the GLA looked at what currently exists in the area to form a resource to guide future developent.

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The study offers useful statistical stats of the industrial estates around the Old Kent Road including no. of businesses, no. of employees, vacancy rates and business sectors.

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Alongside data, the report portrays interesting narratives about what different businesses exposing the diversity of industrial businesses surrounding the Old Kent Road.

The report makes further assumptions using data on low vacancy equates to low demand for stock. This overlooks the effect of speculative development might be having on confidence and willingness of landlords and tenants to reinvest in the area.

Whilst stating the Old Kent Road will offer opportunity for development, overall, the report portrays industrial businesses within the area within a positive light whilst also acknowldging the Old Kent Roads rich industrial heritage.

The methodology seems robust based on both extensive collection of qualntitative data as well as qualitative data.

Areas in which the report could be improved include: More graphic representation and increased analaysis of customer suppliar relations with Central London.

More accurate analysis of emplyoment numbers as surveys were based on the deriving number of small medium and large businesses. More accurate numbers would provide an opportunity to determine displacement of jobs if industrial businesses move.

POLICIES & PLANS

7

KEY POINTS

COMMENTS

Opportunity Area‘s: Areas with brownfield land with capacity to accommodate new housing, commercial and other development.

The London Plan Opportunity Area designation conflicts with other policies and targets of the London Plan:

Opportunity area status Employment capacity: 1,000 Minimum new homes: 2,500

“Promote a strong, sustainable and increasingly diverse economy“

SILs (Strategic Industrial Land) are given protection because they can accommodate activities which elsewhere might raise tensions with other land uses The London Plan advocates a review of SILs and plan to ‘rationalise‘ its function or reprovide space elsewhere.

“Low carbon economy.“ This will be managed through designating opportunity areas and pushing manufacturing to outer London.

This is likely to have negative consequences for London‘s economy, society and environment.

“We will lead the way in London to build more homes of every kind in Southwark, and to use every tool at our disposal to increase the supply of all different kinds of homes in the borough.“

“We will revitalise our neighbourhoods to make them places we can all be proud to live and work. We will create this through programmes for new homes, new jobs and new infrastructure.“

In line with the GLA‘s London Plan and sacrificing industrial and commercial land for housing, there is a risk of industrial land and part of London‘s economy being lost.

The London Plan operates under the assumption that industrial uses can be relocated easily, however, our report will establish an interconnected network of businesses, mutually dependant on each other. We believe that this makes industrial businesses and the manufacturing sector more exposed to the forces of development and they should be protected in such a way.

“We are currently building around 1,700 new homes a year across Southwark.“

Report

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The southernmost end of Old Kent Road is one of the only remaining Strategic Industrial Locations (SIL) in inner London.

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“Decline in warehouse and industrial space-This has occurred where there has been a lack of demand for sites/premises, mostly for B2 (industry), where they are outside the main employment areas.”

In 2015, Old Kent Road was home to 748 businesses and 9,500 jobs over 1,026,300 sqm of floorspace. In the Old Kent Road area, 66% of businesses employ less than 10 people and 77% are independent businesses with single sites.

This assessment of the industrial situation takes a narrow view, ignoring the reality that on-going loss of industrial land is being driven largely by real estate speculation rather than deindustrialisation (Ferm, 2015).

The increase in demand for B8 stock (distribution) can be partly linked to the increase in the central London office market and its supply needs.

The study concludes that the presence of industrial land capacity should be seen as a significant positive in attracting the tech sector, which is seen to be a key component of London’s future knowledge based economy.

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Cass cities built on the work of the GLA by auditing businesses outside the Old Kent Road opportunity area.

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They include areas of Deptford, Bermondsy, Camberwell and Peckham exposing an interesting array of businesses which amount to 36,000 jobs.

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The true strength of this report lies in its strong graphic representation that neatly sums up their research providing an inticing alternative narrative regarding businesses within the Old Kent Road.

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Notable chapters of interest include a single page graphically illustrating everything they found was made on the Old Kent Road illustrating the incredible vibrancy that industrial businesses can bring to London. Also included is a chapter noting down proposeed development within the Old Kent Road area.

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Lacking is graphic representation of the networks between businesses within the Old Kent Road, with each other and London to illustrate their importance to the London economy.

The audit book graphically summarises their research showing the Old Kent Road as valuable asset to London‘s economy.

CONSULTATION

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EMPLOYMENT STUDY

SWOT Strenghts

Proximity to the CAZ (Central Activity Zone) of London 23% of the people working locally work in stand alone warehouses 22% in industrial estates

Existing network of industrial businesses, including businesses who buy and sell from each other

COMMUNITY VIEWS

Strong ethnic minority community & retail

17% in dense industrial 12% in high street shops and cafes 7% in retail parks.

13% in community uses

LOCAL PEOPLE & LOCAL BUSINESSES

Redevelopment would be welcome in part. However, there are already pressures as organisations are being priced out, or wishing to expand but not able to.

What types of industrial activity can be accommodated? Most types of activity can be, provided they are well planned Potential for intensification e.g. the retail warehouses. Could some of these sites could be developed for industry?

Security of tenure is an issue. Should affordable businesses be supported through S106 agreements?

Weaknesses Diversity, “mix of the real South London and new migrants”

Old Kent Road can act as a physical barrier Land hungry retail parks

Low quality buildings that create an impression of a “downgraded community”

TOWNSCAPE AND CHARACTER

Opportunities Vacant land

TRANSPORT

Improved connectivity with the future Bakerloo line Statutory protection of industrial land (SIL, or the invention of an “industrial conservation area”)

The overall agreement amongst people at the workshop is that the retail environment in the old kent road Road needs to change, and there was a consensus about what is wrong and what solutions are needed.

There are too many big box retail supermarkets and warehouses selling bulkier items, which don’t add to the industrial network but they harm public perception of Old Kent Road. Mainly large corporations that are building merchants and dont serve the industrial economy

Recycling businesses that can work with industries to make the local economy more sustainable

It’s a brilliant location, not always recognised for the benefits it has. Old Kent Road has spaces that are suitable for a variety of businesses.

Cycling infrastructure, large physical infrastructure and industry separates the area and gives the area a negative reputation. How can the area‘s potential be realised and maximised? We believe the London Plan and Southwark Council could utilise local people‘s knowledge of areas and industries more effectively.

Threats Opportunity area: increased pressure on industrial land, businesses forced to move out of the area New residential developments taking over industrial land (here: Bermondsey Works) Conflicts between new residents and industrial businesses

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METHODOLOGY The brief asked a series of questions from which we refined and developed our own brief.

The more general questions asked to each of the three groups working on the Old Kent Road are as follows: •

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Survey and summarise what Southwark Council & the GLA are currently proposing for the area and more generally for high streets, town centres.

Review existing consultations done by Southwark Council and research done by CASS students, and identify and close any knowledge gaps.

Survey and summarise policies, guidelines, plans (at local or London level) for high street development. Are they supportive of hyper-diversity?.

Then we were set more specific questions related to our group, which were: •

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What risks and opportunities are emerging for existing businesses and residents from the existing planning background for the area and planning policies?

What activities are in the area, what is their current space provision? What are their present and future space needs and how can they be met?

From these questions we developed our own research objective:

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Reuse/ repair

SOUTHWARK

businesses within the Opportunity Area.

User

By understanding the space needs of the businesses as well as their relationships we hope to shine a light on the businesses and why they are so important. Critical to our argument is the negative effect that the loss of industrial land and displacement can have, to a range of sectors all over the city.

Our report aimed to use as much visual and graphic material as possible, in order to create an easily understandable report. One of the difficulties of engaging with planning is the length of documents and the jargon used within them.

For that reason we have tried to use clear and simple language, and wherever possible avoided overly technical wording.

The wider purpose of our report is to present and share an alternative narrative around industry and its relationship with London’s economic development. University provides the unique opportunity to be critical of the system, and to create our own agenda. We are grateful that this course has allowed us to define our own brief and breakout of the conventional planning and design practises. We hope that this work will reach audiences outside of academia and planning, and by doing so generate a meaningful conversation about the future of industrial businesses in London.

WIDER LONDON

EUROPE

LO

OLD KENT ROAD

UNITED KINGDOM

REST OF THE WORLD

THE ACTOR NETWORK

“The interdependency of businesses and their locales, and the relationships with local employees, suggests that the loss of industrial land and businesses has a far reaching impact on other businesses and the broader economy, but there will also be other, far reaching social impacts” (Ferm J, and Jones E. 2015. p.33)

How we participate in networks - Bruno Latour and Michel Callon

We consider the businesses as interdependent. The industries often subcontract to other businesses in the area, like informal day-today contracts, maintenance etc (Evans and Smith, 2006) Thus, the loss of an individual firm is also likely to have repercussions outside the employees of that firm. and the closure of one industrial firm has a negative impact on firms they work out to and firms for whom they provide services.

The network highlights several dynamics of interdependency. For instance, small losses of industrial land have a widespread impact on the system, leading to displacement of businesses. Hence the expression “delicate ecology”.

The networks framework is an invitation to consider further interdependencies and see London’s economy as a “delicate ecology” (Ferm J, and Jones E. 2015).

The domino effect Touching one will affect the others Including London

The Circular economy remains poorly defined at a city scale, and stresses the importance of the environment: the current methods of production and consumption produce vase amounts of waste and are damaging the environment. This ranges from energy to resource consumption, mobility to food and work and proves that we are dealing with much more than a technical problem but rather a social problem.

In this environmental perspective, Pearce and Turner (1989) in the United Kingdom have tried to show how the industries can try to respect the environment by recycling their waste. In the Old Kent Road area, the proximity of the industries to recycling centres (the Veolia-Southark Reuse and Recycling Centre for instance and the Rhino Waste Serices Ltd) is an opportunity to include the neighbouring industries in that non linear logic, hinting again at a idea of ecology. Hence, the presence on site of recycling businesses should be seen as an interesting opportunity, building up the argument that the industrial businesses should remain in the area.

Finally, in terms of consumption of ressources, the proximity of the area to central London is a great asset to decrease the energy spent on transport.

Mapping and understanding the connections and relationships industrial businesses on the Old Kent Road have locally, with London and across the UK. Having looked at the planning documentation from the GLA and Southwark, as well as the work from CASS Cities it became apparent that the relationships and connections which exist on the Old Kent Road have not been contextualised. Particularly with reference to industrial

Manufacture

CIRCULAR ECONOMY at the local and metropolitain scale

CLUSTERING WITH DIVERSITY

The clustering allows informal day-today small contracts and places the businesses in a logic of networks.

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Design

Retail

A cluster gathers businesses from a related industry. They benefit from the geographical proximity between each other to strenghten their trade associations, education and perspectives.

Recycle

What could be the future?

Diversification of London’s economy Self sufficiency and local dynamics The rise of the social economy and the development of FabLabs, Hacker Spaces and the maker movement as well as the growth in social enterprises and localist movements demonstrates the move towards local production.

Instead of adopting a “picking the winner strategy” the London Plan should seek to enhance the diversity of London’s economy.

INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT

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The adjacent map highlights the industrial land within the OKR area, demonstrating the diverse patchwork of different site types and contrasting spaces, which have varying contributions to the OKR economy.

Six Bridges Estate

Verney Road

The industrial space provision ranges from newer single-user warehouses, managed industrial estate and business centres, through to older industrial stock and railway arches (currently being redeveloped by Network Rail) (GLA, 2014).

Characterised by a mix of industrial and warehousing stock, with some cheaper rents.

Gas Works

Although the industrial businesses have changed and decreased over time, the industrial areas continue to be the largest employers with the OKR. The map also highlights the scale of the industrial land, which makes up 60% of all employment land (GLA, 2014).

This also demonstrates the variation in industrial space typologies which, although commonly treated as homogenous industrial land, cater to a variety in spatial needs.

Mainly distribution/ warehousing centre, serving large scale users with the advantage of good accessibility via the A2.

Mandela Way Hatcham Road

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Glebngall Road The GLA 2014 Employment Report’s categories of industrial land.

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The diagram shows that the majority of industrial businesses within the Old Kent Road have their primary custromers located within Central London.

This illustrates the strategic importance of OKR‘s industrial businesses to London‘s wider economy.

Recent work by Jessica Ferm has illustrated that is not deindustrialisation that is forcing the closure of industrial business but rather real-estate speculation. There is an increasing threat of developers purchasing industrial land for the purpose of changing to higher value mixed use development.

This speculation is accelarated by the creation of opportunity areas as opportunity areas‘ associated commitment to increased transport accessibility fuel land value increase.

A significant factor contributing to the loss of industrial land within the Old Kent road is the London plan’s policy of ‘managed release’. Managed release is a strategy to give over ‘surplus’ industrial land for other uses. Evidence suggests that what the GLA consider as ‘surplus’ should be treated with scrutiny and caution as it overlooks the process by which industrial land sites become subject to high vacancy rates through speculative hikes in land value as opposed to industrial decline (Ferm 2015).

Rich Industrial Estate

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OLD KENT ROAD’S BUSINESS NETWORKS

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Characterised by modern light industrial units.

Characterised by mainly smaller warehouses, with artistic and commercial space to the south of the site.

Already industrial land is being released twice as fast as planned to other uses putting growing pressure on the remaining industrial stock to serve the London economy (OPDC 2016). With GLA easily able to justify the conversion of strategic industrial (SIL) with somewhat superficial assessments of supply and demand there is a likelihood current trends will continue.

Overall if businesses in OKR are displaced further out, this will likely to have three detrimental effects.

Service quality -Displaced businesses threaten services that require quick turn-around such as printing and prop manufacturing for theatres.

Sustainability - As industrial businesses move further out, more time is potentially spent on the roads to trans port products, driving up polution levels.

Affordability - With greater distance comes greater transportation costs potentially driving up costs for consumers within central London.

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CLUSTERS BY SECTOR The clusters have been organised by the researchers in order to create a picture of the relationships certain industries have with different areas of London.

The Old Kent Road has a range of different industrial businesses; whilst these clusters are not fixed they provide a practical means from which to group the businesses. The four clusters have been

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Manufacturers Garages

The different coloured circles represent the customers and suppliers for each business. In some cases businesses had very clear relationships, with others it was less so - we‘ve therefore asked the businesses to list their primary customers or suppliers.

Beyond the geographical location of the business connections there are stories to tell which are valuable for London as a city.

The industrial businesses are deeply connected to the day-to-day workings of other non-indsutrial businesses, and it is these stories which are too often ignored in the prevailing discourse.

From our research we have understood that the businesses and their relationship to one another is ever evolving. Some of the industrial estates have built a small ecosystem and whilst they may not trade directly they help each other out in informal ways.

Temporary and meanwhile uses have not been considered in the main through traditional planning authorities but through our interviews we have found that Southwark has an ecosystem around the theatre business, not just through props made by Flux metal but also from the use of schools, community halls and other spaces for actors to rehearse for West End shows.

Customers

Courier & Distribution

Suppliers Printers & Creative

PRINTERS & CREATIVE

Kube Print primarily produce brochures of all shapes and sizes for corporate cli- 16 ents, occasionally they make hard back books and other printed materials. Having consolidated two offices into one in 2011 and moved specifically to this area they see their future in the OKR.

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The City

“For a long time people have been moving out...this area traditionally had lots of printers, now it’s just us...it was a printer’s heartland”. “Few London (printing) businesses are this close to the city”

t n i r P e Kub

Kube Print

Willow Graphics

The industry has changed a lot, the rise of the internet and online materials mean that people are printing less. That being said they have seen an increase in the diversity of orders through being able to sell online, so although the volume has gone down the frequency of smaller orders has gone up. The nature of printing is changing.

Essex

They are a printing and design company which offers large and small print sizes as well as printing on more unsuual surfaces. Their location is important especially for design work that requires meeting with clients who are based centrally.

The City

Essex

“Manufacturing is not a sexy business” but nevertheless important. The majority of their clients are city based financial organisations who need printing services nearby. The office employs around 30 people and their move to the area was strategic for their business.

Location is really key to their business “Our location is very important, we’re 24hr, and we work with clients who want a copy back in 30mins, they can’t wait for 2 hours for something to come from Deptford.” At present they pay approx 10,000 GBP per month in delivery costs - if they were to move then this would no doubt increase.

The office has a lot of high-tech machinery and they can do both litho printing as well as digital - one of their machines cost 1 million pounds and they had to pay 30,000 GBP to strengthen the floor in order to house it. They are a modern hightec printing firm.

Shoreditch West End

Carnaby Street

Hull Kent UK Wide

UK Wide

Benwell Sebard They are a highly specialised creative printing, embossing and die-cutting firm who are long established and have built up a strong reputation. Proud of their work they employ 20 people - some of whom are local apprentices.

James Glancy Design They mainly provide Christmas displays and event decoration for central london locations.

They own the land where the warhouse is and also some other buildings close-by. They form part of a hub within Hatcham Road of creative industries.

GARAGES

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Bermondsey Motorcycle Workshop

Ascott Cab Co. “We see this as another Hoxton”

The ever growing pressure from residential development has meant that Paul and his workshop will most likely have to move out of the area. The recent ‘Bermondsey Works‘ development along Verney Road Estate is one example of the process he sees as englufing the majority of the Old Kent Road.

For businesses like these the fight to stay is too costly in resources, time and energy; they have to focus on running their business and making sure that it stays productive and healthy. In some cases that may mean moving out in anticipation of development or rent increases; they‘re dealing with risks different to those of residential occupants.

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DJW Coachworks Repairs “There won’t be anyone left soon”. DJW have been on the Old Kent Road for 15 years, like many other businesses their outlook is somewhat negative albeit realistic. Whilst we were there they were servicing a van from Ashby’s butchers - located just around the corner.

Mad House Tyres Repairs They have been in the area for 20 years, with a mostly local and East-end customer base.

They have enough space and rely on their location within Old Kent Road because of its close connection with Central London. The business also employs 9 locals.

RS Joyner & Son Ltd Vehicle sales

London

Worldwide

This family-run business is a one stop shop for used lorries.

They offer lorries of all different shapes and sizes from coaches to vans and even export to all over the world. Long established over 28 years they feel their “job is not getting any

Local Central East Local HAND CAR WASH MAD HOUSE TYRES

JOYNER & SON LTD

DJW COACHWORKS

SPRING GARAGE

BERMONDSEY MOTORCYCLE WORKSHOP

Central S-East

Local ASCOTT CAB CO.

Around London

Local Hand Car Wash With all eight employees from Lewisham and Peckham, Hand Car Wash, located opposite Tesco, has been a landmark on Old Kent Road for 14 years.

They are still surviving despite a £1,200 rent increase in 10 years and are restricted by their small plot. Most of their customers are local people.

Spring Garage Repairs

Local

Local

“This should be an industrial area.” Established over 12 years ago and moved to the site in 2009, Spring Garage only have five months left on the Old Kent Road due to an incoming offer on the premises. “It’s the people with money that talks”, next door premises sold for £5million.

The garage will look toward Kent when they have to relocate. It serves and employs the immediate local area.

London Hull Kent UK Wide

Bermondsey Motorcycle Workshop Repairs Having witnessesed the collaspe of the industry, this skilled, specialist business is now weighing up uncontrollable rent prices. On one hand moving outside of the M25 would provide more affordable rent, but increase

transportation costs. Resigned to moving out of London soon, they’re not too concerned about their clients: “when I move, all my clients will need to travel outside of London.”

Their ties to the Old Kent Road are due to 24 hour delivery in London. Small businesses are “on the edge”. There is no unity amongst the businesses. “It’s too late now”.

Ascott Cab Co. Repairs and sales “We see this as another Hoxton”, with businesses being pushed out again. Cafes and Resturants opening, industry making way for residential. The narrative is the same.

The team of 18, whose homes are scattered around London and the south east enjoy the location of the workshop and its proximity to central London.

Ascott Cab Co. own their plot, and have received several offers from developers.

easier.” They employ 8 people, some of which also live locally.

MANUFACTURING

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Skilled, specialised business, making vintage looking chroming. Have been in the area for 25 years, and have 10 employees that mostly live around Bromley. The area is very important to them due to great connectivity and a sense of status of being in London’s oldest industrial area.

London

Produce and distribute blades, andhave been in the area for 3 years.

Employ 8 people, with some living in Bromley. As they have a 10 year lease, they are not as concerned by the rent rise. Artists now occupy the space above them as they could not afford to stayin the East End.

Bristol

Essex

Flux Metal Art Directors need to be able to access the offices quickly from central london “there is an ecosystem for theatre props” in OKR and theatres use school by the arches as rehersal space.

As they work with compressed gas which has to be stored carefully and cannot be close to residential areas, this makes their compatibility with residential areas doubtful.

They get on well with the other businesses and churches. They often store bibles for the church and likewise they might store metal orders for them, “we look out for each other”.

A stone-cutting business, eploying 20 people mainly from Millwall and Peckham.

90% of their customers are within the M25, working mainly with architects anddesigners.The new comer artists are interested in getting cheap marble for their sculptures.

London

London

Vauxhall

Metal work makers and repairs.

Moved from Vauxhall as a result of the gentrification in 2006.

Majority of their work is in London, make cabinets for Viviene Westwood, 40% of work is for theatres who are based primarily in the West End. Interestingly a lot of other businesses in Southwark cater for theatre sets. Need to be able to make repairs quickly for emergency repairs for an evening performance.

West End

Essex

COURIER & DISTRIBUTION

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Central London Greater London

Redcoat Express Freight

SIG Interiors

They distribute and sell ceiling tiles, interior bath fittings and other interior fittings. They have other branches in Barking and Twickenham but this is their most central distribution centre, which is still not quite

big enough for their space needs. That being said they recognise that this is low on their priorities, so long as they can continue trading it is a valuable location for their business.

SE1 Camden

N/A

Heathrow The City

Peckham East Ldn.

UK Wide

N/A

Transworld Couriers They ofter proffessional courier services all over the world.

They have a lot of clients in Fleet Street and The City. A large workforce of around 80100 people. Their proximity to London is quite important as they have a high turnover of goods going to the centre and coming from the centre.

Access Self-Storage They are a self-storage company that deals with both domestic and business storage, large, medium and small sized units. They’re looking to expand within the area, having recently expanded from the site next door to take up more space.

Redcoat Express Freight They specialise in air freight services to places in Africa, such as The Gambia and Sierra Leone. They have 3 employees all of which who live in South London. They tend to get a large amount of custom from the African diaspora in nearby Peackham.

LOCAL BUSINESS NETWORK

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1

The caterer next door

2

The butcher

3

The garage

4

The stone cutter

Main meat supplier

Through conducting interviews with businesses, we became aware of a network existing amongst businesses within the OKR area.

These business relationships cross sector and industrial estate boundaries. Moreover, as some of these relationships involved supplier and customer relations, a disruption of the internal economy, through displacement of businesses, would actively impact on the operations and profits of those invested within the network.

Van repair 1.3km 6 min drive Personal relations, day-today contracts Family run business

10

The coater Purpose Powder Coatings

9

The Printer Willow Graphics

Coats their metal installations

bargain & marble

Designs and prints for the local ice supplier (the Cool Iceman) and RedBull around the corner

8

7

The blade dealer Has day today business with local printers

The Printer Kube Print

5 6

The metal dealer Rents the land Shares maintenance services (electricians, cleaners)

The decorator and designer

MAPPING DISPLACEMENT

Examples of displaced businesses

Case study: Heygate Estate tenants displacement

The Drury Tren Coffee Company John Newton & Co PJ Godfrey Simon Millington Associates Wettons Cleaning Services AV Baker & Son Ltd

As we started with the list of businesses from the GLA report in 2014, we quickly realised a lot of the businesses listed within the report were no longer located in the area. Contacting the businesses and mapping their displacement locations clearly demonstrated the push of industrial businesses out to London’s surroundings.

In addition to industry, a similar trend can be seen with the displacement of social housing tennants during estate regeneration programs. A displacement map of the Haygate Estate tennants follows the same trend towards the south east of London.

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Woolwich Kent South Yorkshire Sydenham Kent Herne Hill

WOOLWICH

HERNE HILL SYDENHAM

Case study: Heygate Estate tenants displacement

KENT

Most of the displaced businesses we found came from the Verney Road Industrial Area. It is important noting that a large site on Verney Road is currently being redevloped into a housing complex about the size of Bishopsgate Goodsyard.

Bermondsey Works Complex

0

10Km

1

The project has sought to highlight the importance of industrial businesses within the Old Kent Road Opportunity Area.

Through our exploration of business networks important lessons have been learnt with regard to industry.

From the outset, the rich narratives of industrial businesses presented, dispel the very idea that industry in Lonrwwon is dead. On the contrary, as other work by Cass students have shown, Old Kent Road provides a wealth and diversity of skilled jobs for London.

Herne HILL

Greater London Boundary

STARTING A CONVERSATION

In addition the mapping of business networks along with narratives illustrate how these industries form an inherent part of London’s wider economy, with their proximity to central London of vital importance for some of the services and products they provide.

Unfortunately existing policy within the London Plan in the form of ‘opportunity areas’ threatens to displace many of these businesses due to the speculative lift in land value assocated with improved transport infrustructure, in this case the proposed Bakerloo Line extension as stated in the New Southwark Plan.

This displacement within oppotunity areas is reinforced by current trends towards an exclusively service based economy and the London plan policy of ‘managed release’ of brownfield land subject to question-

able supply and demand assesments of industrial uses.

The benefits of diverse compact cities are now widely accepted within policy and academic circles. However there seems to be a current blindness to the importance of industrial businesses in this regard which could have unwanted consequences.

Indeed, our research in the Old Kent Road businesses networks suggests that if industrial businesses leave, there could be detrimental consequences for London’s economy.

Affordability and quality of industrial services is likely to be reduced as more time is spent on transporting services into central London. Moreover local jobs will likely be lost as businesses are relocated or displaced.

Going forward, there needs to be more research into industrial businesses in London to better understand how they integrate with London’s wider economy. More narratives of industrial businesses need to be explored and circulated, a task not always easy.

This project of course had limitations, such as in the number of businesses we were able to contact. Due to the fast changing nature of development and vacancy of industrial sites, further research would update and

enrich the discussion as tracking the trend of displacement is a powerful argument.

We would like to raise four lines of enquiry for future research: 1. Should we be diversifying our economy or should we continue to specialise? The latest financial crisis perhaps eludes to the former. Can we take advantage of subsides, designations, areas of conservation to keep an industrial presence in the city?

2. We should raise the question over what role design can play in integrating industrial uses and residential in a new form of ‘mixed use development’.

3. We need to question prioritises within the built environment. Why should large, low density retail parks with relatively low job density and large surface car parking remain but long-standing independent businesses be forced out?

4. Do businesses share knowledge, labour and equipment within clusters? Do agglomerations work?

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30 We would like to sincerely thank all the businesses that kindly offered their time and stories to us, making this project possible.

For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact: Sonia Baralic; Julian Buckle; Phillip Carroll; James Cox; Julie Plichon; Calum McCulloch; or Elena Besussi at The Bartlett School of Planning