DIAGNOSTIC VISIT white rock hastings 11-12 may 2016
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
about the academy The Academy of Urbanism is built on the expertise and engagement of over 500 leaders, thinkers and practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds. We embrace city management and policy making, academic research and teaching, development planning and design, community leadership and urban change-making, arts and cultural development, infrastructure and engineering, property law and management, politics and media.
Cover Image: Bottle Alley
Our mission is to recognise, encourage and celebrate great places across the UK, Europe and beyond, and the people and organisations that create and sustain them. We work with places to identify and reinforce their strengths, and recognise constraints on greater success.
Developing
Learning
Partnering
Academicians
Urbanism Awards
Diagnostic Visits
A broad and diverse network of over 500
Annually recognising great cities, towns,
Using Academicians’ expertise and ‘action learning’
leaders, thinkers and practitioners engaged in the
neighbourhoods, streets and places that have
to help those responsible for places gain a better
social, cultural, economic, political and physical
achieved notable success in their economic, social
understanding of the elements that help or hinder
development of our villages, towns and cities.
and cultural vitality.
their success.
Young Urbanists
Congress
Urban Laboratories
Bringing together people setting out on a career
An inspiring, thought-provoking and entertaining
Instigating and energising strategic partnerships
in urbanism; helping them to understand and
opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from the
between civic, professional and academic interests
embrace the range of influences on successful
latest thinking and activity of leading urbanists from
to achieve more successful urbanism.
places.
around the globe.
Regions and Nations
Events
Supporting local networks of Academicians and
Many events and activities are held across the
Young Urbanists throughout the UK, Ireland
UK and Ireland to engage Academicians, Young
and beyond, through informal discussion groups,
Urbanists and Academy friends with place-based
Publications
seminars, conferences, study tours and debates.
learning.
Disseminating our combined learning and insight
Graduate Development
City X-Rays
published by Routledge, and our growing
Providing a structured introduction to the wider
Exploring the techniques to measure the quality,
online archive.
context of urbanism for new built-environment
potential and success of places. Creating a shared
professionals.
understanding of quantitative and qualitative urban
knowyourplace
practice.
An online platform for information and ideas about
Disseminating and engaging through our Journal, our Learning from Place series,
places. Search, retrieve, upload and engage, taking advantage of social and digital media to expand the boundaries of urbanism.
2
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Contents Background 4 Setting the Scene 5 Hastings and White Rock Today – Physical Hastings Today – Economics Old Town Focus Planning Policy Context Process Itinerary
Diagnosis 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
What is the Role of the White Rock? Reconecting ‘Place’ – Access and Connectivity Rationalisation of Civic and Leisure Cultural and Leisure Offer Expanding Recent Developments Convent of the Holy Child Jesus Hotel Accommodation Phasing and Funding Future Developments
Summary of Recommendations 13 Appendices 14 Place Partnering Prospectus Letter of Engagement
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
3
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Background The Academy of Urbanism’s (AoU) Place Partnering programme brings the expertise and experience of Academicians to help tackle the obstacles to longer term and broader success of the places with which it is engaged. It is offered as a diagnostic service to encourage and challenge the diverse interests that influence the success of places; and to help them recognise and tackle the issues and opportunities that are of greatest importance. The visit to White Rock was organised and sponsored by Hastings Borough Council (HBC) with active participation by a diverse group of interests. It was timed to contribute to the Area Action Plan (AAP), which the Council is preparing for the Hastings Town Centre and White Rock Area. In tandem, HBC has issued an Invitation to Quote (ITQ) for the Hastings White Rock Area Masterplan. The deadline for this is the 27th May 2016. It is hoped that the AoU can help focus HBC’s energy on the eight key issues the Panel identified, presented here in order of importance.
The primary purpose of the diagnostic exercise was to help those interested in the White Rock area and its future to articulate and compare their various perspectives, to establish a shared baseline understanding of what the purpose of White Rock will be in the future to inform the approach to new development. This will help to guide the energies of the various participants in the future, and provide a reference point from which to resolve disagreements and uncertainties that may arise as part of the masterplanning and development processes. The brief for the visit and the breadth of participation was co-ordinated in advance of the visit by Simon Hubbard, Director of Operational Services at HBC, and Stephen Gallagher, Director of Communications of The Academy of Urbanism. A copy of the letter of engagement is included in Appendix 2. The visit was held on 11th and 12th of May 2016. The Academy Panel comprised a Chairman, a rapporteur and four further panel members. All gave their time free of charge. The Academy’s Director of Operations also attended.
The Panel met around 18 representatives from the Council (officers and elected members), local businesses and community and professional bodies. The presentations from all those who participated, and questioning by the Panel, was in open session. In the interests of continuing open discussion, opinions and positions are not directly attributed, and this report reflects the tone and intention of what was said by all. Until this report is finalised, the opinions and information shared remain confidential. The conversations between the Panel and those participating were friendly and constructive. Panel members, over more than 12 hours of intensive engagement with those involved, gained sufficient insight and understanding of the circumstances and context of the White Rock Area to offer the following diagnosis of the relationship between the various issues, perspectives and objectives. The immediate and subsequent response from participants was positive. All who expressed an opinion felt that the exercise had helped broaden and deepen mutual understanding. The Panel circulated its draft report at the end of May 2016. This elicited many helpful comments, questions and corrections from those who participated in the visit and these are reflected in this final report.
4
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Setting the Scene Hastings & White Rock Today – Physical Hastings is an urban area of 90,000 people located on the south coast of England, approximately 60 miles from London. With Bexhill to the west the combined population is 135,000. The High Weald – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – forms a natural northern and eastern boundary with the English Channel and beach to the south. The A259 and A21 roads connect the town to the M25 and M20, but travel times can be lengthy due to single carriageways and continuing road works. There are four railway stations serving Hastings, providing regular services to London, Brighton and Ashford. Hastings Planning Strategy (2014) has various transport priorities for road and rail – these are outlined in the BGVA Hastings Town Centre and White Rock Retail and Leisure Assessment & Urban Design Analysis Report (BGVA Report), which was circulated to the Panel. In summary, they focus on improvements to the A21 and A259, high-speed rail connections to Ashford and journey time improvements on Tunbridge Wells’ line. If realised, these can only deliver positive benefits to Hastings in making it attractive to commuters and families that are priced out of Brighton and London. Hastings has relatively low residential property values compared to the South East average.
Demand for affordable housing exceeds supply – this is due to a mix of factors including current housing mix, lack of supply and physical constraints on development such as the High Weald AONB. In particular the Panel noted a lack of national house builders in the town. White Rock is the focus for this report and is located between Hastings Town Centre and St Leonards. Access to White Rock is difficult due to local topography, lack of signposting / legibility, and a lack of east-west pedestrian links. This is compounded by the number of one-way roads around the town. The predominant land uses within White Rock are formal and informal open space; sports facilities – tennis, bowls, cricket, football; civic uses – emergency services and Magistrates and County Courts; and indoor leisure uses such as soft play, swimming, fitness and bowling.
Many uses do not capitalise on the amazing views from White Rock as they are focused on locally based patronage that does not appeal to the wider visitor market and hence the opportunity to exploit the prime location is being missed. They are also housed in outdated buildings which are low density and land hungry. Overall, the White Rock area has the potential to be a key visitor destination within the town’s offer but fails to capitalise on this opportunity. The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery was discussed at length during the diagnostic visit. It was generally felt that the Museum is difficult to access which, coupled with its limited offer, means it cannot attract large visitor numbers. Typical visitor numbers are around 45,000 a year, which is low for this type of attraction.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
5
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Hastings Today – Economics The feeling among HBC officers and members, local businesses and residents is that the regeneration of Hastings has started, but there is still much to be done. Hastings has invested heavily in economic development. In the 1990s, the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre upgraded Hastings’ role as a sub-regional retail centre. There is a diverse cultural offer in the town with a number of galleries, museums and performance spaces. In particular, the 2012 opening of the Jerwood Gallery and Stade put Hastings on the map for arts. More recently, The Source Skate Park and the reopening of the restored Hastings Pier on the seafront offers a range of cultural activities for different ages and tastes. The Council sees potential in using culture-based regeneration as a basis for change. Hastings remains, however, the 20th most deprived Borough in England and second most deprived seaside resort in England. It is acknowledged HBC will require revenue-based opportunities to fill the void of cuts from Government. Hastings receives 35,000 language students a year that reside for one to two weeks in home stays. There is potential to capitalise on this, particularly in the context of the intended closure of the Brighton University campus in the town. It was discussed at length during the diagnostic session that transformational change in Hastings and White Rock will not really take hold until the Hastings housing market and residential supply improves.
6
Residential values are lower in Hastings than the wider East Sussex Region, with a bias towards small dwellings and high concentrations of flats. The lack of supply has squeezed affordability and diversity of housing stock. This led to a discussion of ‘gentrification’. The panel suggested that Hastings should not consider this necessarily a bad thing if it can bring in new investment and higher incomes to an area that has a higher than average proportion of low-income households.
Old Town Focus A number of popular attractions are located to the east of the town centre, concentrated around the Old Town – the Jerwood Gallery, and beach leisure and entertainment facilities including crazy golf. Hastings attracts a high proportion of day trippers that focus their spend and activity around the Old Town. Recent openings of the restored Victorian Pier and Source Skate Park will help to spread the activity and spend to the west of the town in the vicinity of White Rock. The lack of good quality overnight accommodation, access and permeability, together with lack of convenient car parking are constraints on attracting more staying visitors.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
Planning Policy Context The purpose of the Academy’s visit was to inform the White Rock AAP process and future masterplan for the area. The AAP will form part of a suite of Local Plan documents, and will sit alongside the Hastings Planning Strategy (adopted Feb 2014) and the Development Management Plan (adopted in Sep 2015). The BGVA Report will underpin the AAP with a baseline analysis on the needs, capacity, strengths and opportunities and provide a robust evidence base for any proposals in the area. In order to make sure that any proposals and strategies for the White Rock Area progress it is essential to make sure the policy approach is robust in planning terms whilst at the same time remaining open and permissive to development. In other words, it must be a ‘can do’ rather than a ‘can don’t’ framework that is attractive for potential investors to work with.
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Process
Itinerary
The Panel received presentations on the first afternoon from Monica Adams-Acton of HBC, Kevin Boorman of HBC and Tim Jemison, a landscape architect representing the Greenway Group (and also an Academician, although not a member of the Panel).
Day 1: 12:00-16:30
Monica’s presentation set the scene for the White Rock Area in terms of current uses and potential improvements to uses within the site. The presentation gave the panel a good insight into the Council’s aspirations for White Rock and some overall objectives.
•
•
• • • •
Day 2: 09:00-13:30
Presentation by the council to the panel and stakeholders to set the context Time for each of the participating stakeholders to offer their views on the future of White Rock Presentation of the council’s current brief for White Rock Response by the Panel Site visit by the Panel to White Rock led by HBC Evening meal with select group of stakeholders
• • • • •
Additional site visit to meet stakeholders led by HBC (1 hour) Interrogation of stakeholders by Panel to clarify issues Panel members reflect on what they have witnessed and the brief Lunch Informal discussion with Panel members
Kevin Boorman’s presentation was focused on the masterplanning invitation to quote process. He outlined the investment that has gone into Hastings over the last 16 years and reiterated the aspirations for White Rock. Tim Jemison focused on access and green infrastructure in White Rock, as well as potential projects and initiatives that could aid legibility.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
7
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Diagnosis 1. What is the role of White Rock? The White Rock Area is currently an underused leisure destination. Many of the leisure uses are ‘blind boxes’ that do not utilise the amazing views over Hastings and the beach. In questioning, it became clear that HBC representatives see the future potential of the White Rock area as primarily a culture and leisure destination for residents and visitors. The area has great potential through its size, its central location and proximity to the seafront, and its landscape and views. Although White Rock is located on the edge of the town centre, the supporting role the area might offer for the town centre is not clearly expressed or evident. The area has potential for enhancing the Hastings visitor experience and the town’s wider attractiveness to inward investors, reinforcing the distinctive of Hastings in comparison with competitors such as Bexhill, Eastbourne and Brighton. Such aspirations will have to be balanced with, but not dominated by, local community and infrastructure needs. In order to realise its full potential, the Council and the community it represents have to resolve current tensions over what leisure uses should stay and what should be replaced or relocated to make space for new activities. While new uses will add a great deal to the amenities of the town, and its attractiveness to visitors in the future, they will not be viable without enabling development.
8
This has to be understood, acknowledged and generally accepted by the community if these aspirations are to be realised. There will be a lot of winners and few losers and an open debate is the best way to secure a majority view. The most likely form of enabling development is residential. This would have the additional benefit of helping to meet the housing shortfall of a town that has a tightly-drawn boundary and few easily-developable sites, but the disadvantage of being a locally unpopular use of what is seen as a public asset.Viability overall is likely to be strengthened by a higher than usual proportion of market housing. This too will be addressed best through open debate. Current development proposals for the cricket ground are confidential but will have major implications for the future of the wider area. The Panel felt that this underused facility would be more convenient to the residents of Hastings and St Leonards as a whole for relocated and upgraded sports and leisure facilities. Such relocation could release sites elsewhere in the White Rock area, such as the swimming pool, for development that could take greater advantage of the location.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
2. Reconnecting ‘Place’ – Access and Connectivity For White Rock to realise its potential as a ‘destination’, for visitors and residents, easier access and better connectivity to adjacent areas are key. The various strategic road and rail proposals identified in Hastings Planning Strategy (2014) will help improve access to the town at a strategic level, if they can be achieved. Our recommendations are focused on improvements to White Rock but take into account its connections to the wider town, as in such matters one area cannot be addressed in isolation. The Panel witnessed first-hand on their arrival how difficult it is to access the town to find White Rock, either as a pedestrian and or a driver. On arriving at Hasting Railway Station, is not encouraging and the layout and quality of the public realm design is not inviting. Way-finding in this area is not clear and needs addressing. There are ‘over-engineered’ barriers to pedestrian movement and an overprovision of unnecessary street furniture – in particular railings along pavements. This is an issue throughout the town. The one-way system in Hastings is difficult to navigate and creates convoluted routes to key attractions.
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
A long-term strategy to reinstate two-way streets to simplify access would also provide an opportunity for a town-wide ‘de-cluttering’ of the public realm and improvement of Hastings’ streetscape. Parking in the town was a topic that divided local representatives who met the Academy Panel. There is apparently a general perception that once public car parking is full up around the Old Town, the ‘honeypot’ that attracts the majority of visitors, they are inclined to give up and leave. If this is so this may be due to the lack of wellsigned and convenient alternatives and the historical lack-of further west and elsewhere in Hastings. Now that the Pier and The Source Skate Park are open, there are reasons to visit the western end of the seafront. This will generate demand for more parking and the possibility of spreading the entry points for visitors across Hastings. There is an opportunity to include a new car park in the White Rock masterplan area that would be conveniently located on north-south pedestrian routes to the sea front. The Panel agreed that the town’s existing car parks need to be signposted better.
There was a good discussion of the benefits of park and ride as a means of addressing parking and congestion, making Hastings a more attractive place to visit. While local representatives were sceptical of the viability of Park and Ride in a coastal location, the Panel suggests that further studies of the advantages of a Park and Ride, and the experience of similar towns, might help to ease accessibility and congestion issues ahead of the major investment required for the planned road and rail improvements. The topography of Hastings, and of White Rock in particular, is challenging for people with limited mobility. There is poor connection between the seafront and Pier and White Rock, and the lack of legible eastwest connections is compounded by large areas of open space and large, privately owned and inaccessible plots. The masterplan for the White Rock area is an opportunity address these issues. There may be an opportunity to provide secondary pedestrian access to the upper parts of White Rock via future redevelopment at the foot of the cliff on White Rock Road (see later).
3. Rationalisation of Civic and Leisure The White Rock masterplanning process provides an opportunity to address the much-discussed rationalisation of the civic and leisure uses that are scattered across the northern part of the area. By drawing together the currently separate emergency services facilities, and their ancillary services and spaces, substantial space saving could be achieved and development parcels be released for the residential development that will help finance new cultural and leisure facilities. In the central part of White Rock the indoor and outdoor facilities for bowls, fitness, sports courts and pitches and play spaces make little or no use of the terrific sea views offered by their elevated position. These facilities are used by a fairly small section of Hastings residents. Early relocation of these relatively lightly used and land-hungry uses could release valuable sites for early development. There is scope for these to be colocated further north in White Rock, ideally at the cricket ground, if there is an opportunity for the future of this site to be revisited.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
9
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Both facilities demonstrate the potential to expand and extend Hastings as a visitor destination, and the confidence of the Council and community in encouraging and pursuing such ventures.
Such consolidation of existing facilities would create broader and more intensive demand for them and encourage the provision of ancillary facilities such as cafés and sports retail. Participants suggested that there were aspirations to replace the existing swimming pool with a 50 metre facility. The Panel felt that this might be attractive to a minority of users, but would be expensive and possibly a lower priority than other enhancements.
4. Cultural and Leisure Offer The cultural and leisure uses within the White Rock area that would benefit from being co-located with each other and further attractions in purpose-built space. There was lengthy discussion of how to make more of The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery collection, of which local representatives were clearly very proud but which attracts at present only 45,000 visitors a year. In particular it was felt that it is not visible enough to visitors, and that a better location and refreshed and expanded presentation of Hastings’ history would offer a further reason to visit Hastings. Local participants also felt that it would benefit from a café and better parking. The White Rock Theatre is a wellestablished feature of the town, but its accommodation, for performers and audience, is restricted and dated. It operates at present with a substantial subsidy from HBC which is unlikely to be affordable in future.
10
It has a good location for a public amenity, on the seafront opposite the re-opened pier, and redevelopment could provide a venue for visiting theatre, music and conferences that would strengthen further the attractiveness of Hastings to visitors. Such development is, however, unlikely to be viable on its own. The adjacent White Rock Hotel has benefited from recent investment but does not provide the standard of accommodation that future visitors will expect. The provision of more, modern hotel accommodation elsewhere in the White Rock area would allow this site to be incorporated with that of the theatre and provide the space necessary to accommodate a mixed leisure and cultural facility that Hastings, and this location in particular, should be able to support.
5. Expanding recent developments The recently opened Source Skate Park and the re-opened Hastings Pier are already attracting a lot of visitors, and are likely to attract more.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
The White Rock sea front and the rising land behind it have the capacity and potential to attract and accommodate more organised and informal public amenities. The masterplan should allocate open space for flexible use in response to changing visitor interests and activities, and to allow for meantime uses within the long-term development strategy. Existing and future attractions would benefit from improved pedestrian and vehicle access, including more car parking, traffic calming and management on the A259 to the east of Warrior Square. As mentioned in Section 2, above, improved public realm and access up and down the steep gradients of White Rock will encourage pedestrians to explore and linger in the area.
6. Convent of the Holy Child Jesus The former Convent is an important element of Hastings’ history, with a particularly important neo-gothic chapel among other historic buildings. Its historic use is long-abandoned, however, and is currently only in occasional use as a language school. This is not making full use of the extensive buildings and grounds and will not ensure a secure future for the historic fabric. There were mixed opinions among participants as to how feasible it would be for the site to be acquired by the Council or community interests.
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
11
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
The current owners may be reluctant to engage, but the Panel felt that the site is too important a component of the White Rock area for the current situation to compromise its future. Sensitive re-use and further development of the Convent would generate the value necessary to meet the cost of the restoration and maintenance of the site’s heritage assets. It would also allow the creation of public pedestrian and cycle routes through the Convent site which at present obstructs access to the amenities of White Rock from St Leonards to the west. Council policies are currently focused on protecting the integrity of the listed buildings on the site. A more creative and active engagement by the Council, guided by the Constructive Conservation approach advocated by Historic England, could reconcile heritage protection and beneficial use. The masterplan could demonstrate the constraint on wider redevelopment of this substantial enclosed and underused site and provide the justification for determined steps to public or private acquisition, if necessary through compulsory purchase.
7. Hotel Accommodation The number of hotel beds in Hastings has reportedly fallen from a peak of 8,000 to around 1,000 today. Local representatives endorsed the findings of the BGVA report that there is a need for more and better hotels in Hastings to encourage longer stays in the town, as well as conference facilities to encourage year-round visits – although conferencing will only work properly with increased and improved hotel accommodation.
12
The White Rock Theatre and White Rock Hotel sites together provide an opportunity for seafront redevelopment on what could be a viable scale. Through the rationalisation of civic and leisure activities, as described in Sections 3 and 4, there could be potential to improve and expand the site of the present Travelodge hotel on Bohemia Road. Alternatively, such use could be relocated to provide a development site for leisure, cultural uses or civic uses, or enabling housing development. The sea views from the higher parts of White Rock make this an attractive location for hotel development, provided the challenging access to the seafront can be addressed. The conspicuous position of the area in key views from the town and the seafront would require such development to be of modest scale and exemplary design.
8. Education The Academy Panel was concerned by the apparent intention of Brighton University to close its Hastings campus.
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
Higher education is an important component of successful urban regeneration and if this decision is irrevocable, every effort should be made to attract an alternative institution to maintain and strengthen this element of Hastings’ cultural offer. This is not only important to the diversity of opportunities for local people, but will help to attract domestic and overseas visitors and temporary residents, and raise its profile as a suitable location for inward investment.
9. Phasing and Funding Future Development Given the relatively low land values and the wish for a variety of cultural and leisure uses to be re-provided within the White Rock area, it is essential that future development is subject to a masterplan which is deliverable and adaptable to changing circumstances, as Hastings re-establishes its position in the regional hierarchy of settlements. The essential viability of future aspirations will require some cross-subsidy between land uses. As already mentioned it is likely that such viability will to a large extent rely on new residential development sensitively incorporated throughout the White Rock area. A comprehensive approach to planning gain and cross-subsidy will be necessary to secure all the desired uses. One way to simplify the complexity of this process would be to define in the masterplan mixed-use parcels of land, which combine residential with leisure and cultural development. Phasing will have to take account of the Council’s reliance on initial revenue to support some of its future responsibilities.
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Summary of Recommendations 1.
Agree the future purpose of White Rock with wider HBC, local businesses and residents in a public open forum
2.
Investigate benefits of park and ride and ensure parking which is provided within the White Rock area is shared by as many uses as possible
3.
Rationalise street furniture and improve signage
4.
Rationalise traffic management and public realm town-wide
5.
Provide better crossing points across A259 / Beach front and reconfigure carriageway to include on-street parking
6.
Provide well-located parking in White Rock for the beach front
7.
Improve east-west pedestrian links through White Rock towards the railway stations to each side and the town centre
8.
Improve north-south pedestrian links from White Rock to the beach front
9.
Promote a positive and rationalised green infrastructure network as a focus for development that maximises the benefits of the area’s aspect, setting and future multi-use leisure offer
10. Rationalise civic and leisure uses to free up development plots for residential use, enabling mixed-use residential development 11. Co-locate sports and leisure facilities where possible to free up development plots 12. Co-locate cultural and leisure offers (potentially Hastings Museum and Art Gallery and White Rock Theatre) in purposebuilt buildings. Investigate Pier location. 13. Expand The Source Skate Park and Pier to capitalise on the increase in visitor numbers to the west of Hastings
14. Revisit Convent of Holy Child Jesus Policy HN6 to assert an active intention to secure a higher level of activity and public access, and new development in the less historic buildings 15. Investigate improving White Rock Travelodge or moving to a beach front location in wholesale redevelopment of White Rock Theatre, as well as a Hotel site for hotel and conference 16. Ensure parcels of development within White Rock Masterplan deliver Section 106 benefits for the wider community 17. Consider dividing the masterplan area up into mixed-use parcels of land to help ensure the desired cultural, sports and leisure uses can be delivered as part of viable development proposals in order to minimise the need for public sector investment. 18. Co-ordinate implementation with wider development initiatives, and focus on retaining or attracting a higher education institution
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
13
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Appendices Appendix 1
The AcAdemy of UrbAnism PLACE PARTnERInG DIAGnOSTIC vISITS An invitation to the Academy’s Urbanism Award Finalists The Academy of Urbanism The Academy is an active, not-for-profit membership organisation founded to expand our collective understanding of placemaking and to share best practice. The Academy brings together a leading group of thinkers, decision-makers and practitioners involved in the social, cultural, economic, political and physical development of our villages, towns and cities across Great Britain, Ireland and increasingly, international countries. We aim to advance the understanding and practice of urbanism by promoting a culture of scholarship through evidence-based enquiry, providing an inclusive dialogue across all disciplines, sharing knowledge with the community and our peers and nurturing, recognising and rewarding excellence in achievement. Securing Long Term Success Representatives of some of those places that have been nominated as Finalists in The Academy of Urbanism’s annual Awards for Great Places have expressed a desire for more advice and support to secure the long term success of their place, and/or expand their range of activity. The Academy is keen to respond, and is establishing a panel of Academicians from which a small group with appropriate and complementary experience will visit a place – neighbourhood, town, city quarter – to help local representatives establish a comprehensive and objective appreciation of what makes their place special. What we can offer The time, energy and money that you invest in your place’s future must not be wasted pursuing unrealistic or unsustainable goals. We can help you build confidence and engagement throughout the local community, and the best chance of support for and success of your vision. The Academy’s panel will engage with key local people to stimulate and challenge ideas. It will produce a diagnostic report of your place’s strengths and any immediate and wider threats to sustaining them. It will present its suggestions to you and the local community to answer questions and stimulate further debate.
14
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / white rock hastings
We expect our input to be the start of something, not the end. The Panel will not tell you what you should do. Their intensive input will help you ensure that your vision, aspirations and plans for the future are sound, and that you are aware of the internal and external pressures that might compromise them. Their insight will give you confidence that you are making the most of your human and environmental assets. The Agreement Once a commission has been accepted, the Academy will offer an initial consultation with the lead Academician appointed to curate your project; to define the brief, establish expectations, and agree outputs. You will appoint a lead representative to liaise and co-ordinate with the lead Academician. Up to three days of each panel member’s time will be offered free of charge. You will cover visiting Academicians’ travel, accommodation and subsistence costs and make a contribution to the Academy’s costs, all of which is likely to total between £2,500 - £3,500. Further help may be possible by negotiation and agreement with the Academy. You will provide adequate preparatory information in advance, additional information as reasonably requested, and access to key partners and local representatives. Advice will be offered by the Academy in good faith, but neither the Academy nor you are bound by the advice, and you will accept full responsibility for acting on the advice offered. Participating places will be helped to partner with the Academy’s growing network of Great Places directly, and through Academy events and other initiatives. Register your Interest Please register your interest in the programme by contacting Stephen Gallagher by emailing sg@academyofurbanism.org.uk or by phone on +44 (0)20 7351 8777. The Academy of Urbanism 70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ info@academyofurbanism.org.uk www.academyofurbanism.org.uk
THE ACADEMY OF URBANISM PLACE PARTNERING
Appendix 2
Simon Hubbard Director of Operational Services Hastings Borough Council Hastings Town Hall Queens Road Hastings TN34 1QR Dear Simon Hubbard We very much enjoyed meeting you and your colleagues last Monday and were impressed by the extent of the research and analysis you have commissioned to promote a White Rock initiative aimed at triggering a transformational impact upon the fortunes of Hastings as a whole. Whilst the work already undertaken has enabled you to draft a persuasive brief with a view to securing expressions of interest, we acknowledged your need to reflect before embarking on the next steps and appreciated your interest in sharing your concerns with the Academy. Having considered the extensive material you supplied to us and having explored the multifaceted nature of the challenges you laid out for our consideration, we agreed that there was scope for the Academy to assist you in shaping and focussing a persuasive prospectus for securing investor interest in this major opportunity. We have subsequently worked through the many issues we discussed with our Chairman Steve Bee and have formulated a proposition which we believe will add value to the journey upon which you have embarked. Essentially we see the Academy supporting a two stage process which first tests and moderates your draft brief with the aim of defining the key opportunities and ordering them to maximise synergy and public support; followed by a follow-up showcasing event in which we expose the opportunities to a number of investors/developers, capturing and analysing their feedback to better inform and sensitise your approach to the marketplace. The first stage, a two day event, which we would propose undertaking in May, or such other date as may be convenient, would involve a team of 4/5 Academicians plus a rapporteur and would require accompanied site and building visits, key stakeholder inputs and facilitated group discussions, following which we would draft and submit our report to the Council. We will rely heavily on your help to identify the various parties our delegation will meet in the first stage and whilst we appreciate the Council’s sensitivity about dissent and negativity from the “usual suspects”, I believe you share our wish to encourage inclusive and balanced discussions in which many voices, not simply the loudest, may be heard. The formulation of the second stage would be proposed in the report’s recommendations but at this point we believe it would include the assembly of a developer/investor panel drawn not only from Academicians but more widely to reflect the scale and range of the opportunity package emerging from stage 1. Held in June it would include site visits, detailed briefings and discussion with key Council officers and members plus such nominees as the Council considers appropriate. We would hope to bring a rather larger party to the second stage; maybe up to a dozen as we think we will need to include mainstream residential plus older persons housing specialists, leisure, hotel, health, education and maybe employment if we can. We see the showcasing of opportunities managed within one day, though the Academy core team will need to stay over to prepare for and curate the event effectively. The output from the second stage would include recommendations for shaping and promoting the marketing prospectus. Yours sincerely Bob Young Director
DIAGNOSTIC VISIT / 11-12 may 2016
15
The Academy of Urbanism 70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ United Kingdom For more information please contact Linda Gledstone Director of Operations +44 (0) 20 7251 8777 lg@academyofurbanism.org.uk Visit us online academyofurbanism.org.uk Follow us on Twitter The Academy of Urbanism @TheAoU Young Urbanists @AoUYU Join our LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube group pages by searching The Academy of Urbanism