Agenda item

The Head of Town Centre Renewal gave an update around Town Centre Development across the Borough.

Progress was continuing across the sites that made up the Bromley Town Centre Area Action Plan.  The Council had received the judgement of the High Court with regard to the challenge from Linden Homes/Network Rail in relation to the number of residential units that could be accommodated on Site A: Bromley North, and the Council was now required to prepare, publish, consult upon and promote a new policy for the site.  It was proposed that this be included within the forthcoming Local Plan, with the next round of consultation due to take place from September 2012.  The final plan would be submitted for Independent Examination in Spring 2013. 

Work was being undertaken to investigate further designs and costs associated with creating a temporary parking area at Site B: Tweedy Road which would provide an additional 100 spaces during the refurbishment of The Hill and the redevelopment of Westmoreland Multi-Storey Car Parks.  A Variable Message System would be introduced to Bromley from September 2012 to improve traffic management across the town centre, and other measures would be used to further mitigate the impact of car park closures.

The Council was moving towards the procurement of a development partner in relation to Churchill Place (Site G), and interested parties were being asked to submit a completed Expression of Interest Pre-Qualification Questionnaire by 7^th September 2012, with the aim of confirming the preferred developer by April 2013.  The Churchill Place Development Brochure would be made available via the Bromley Council website shortly.

The planning application for the redevelopment of Site K: Westmoreland Road Car Park had been approved by Development Control Committee on 6^th March 2012.  Cathedral Group was considering some changes to the proposed basement car parking provision, although the number of spaces would be unchanged.  It was planned that development would start on site in October 2012.

With regard to Site M: Queen’s Gardens, a revised planning application for the development of the terrace had been refused by Development Control Committee on 28^th June 2012. 

In terms of development across the Borough, an outline design had been completed for Bromley North Village, and the designs were now going through the detailed design phase which was expected to be completed in July 2012, after which the business case and designs would be provided to Transport for London.  A decision regarding funding was expected from Transport for London in Autumn 2012 and, assuming no changes were required, implementation could start in January 2013.  The scheme of improvements to the public realm had secured £2m funding from the Outer London Fund Round 2 and would now be expanded through other parts of the town centre when the scheme was implemented in January 2013. 

Officers were working with a new consortium that was seeking to implement a comprehensive improvement programme in the Walnuts Shopping Centre, Orpington to include retail and office space as well as a multiplex cinema.  It was anticipated that a full planning application would be submitted during Summer 2012. 

Work was ongoing to identify a suitable site for a new Library as part of the Penge Renewal Strategy.  A concept scheme to improve Beckenham town centre was also being developed and would form the basis of a Step 1 Bid to the Transport for London Area Based Programme in September 2012.

RESOLVED that the update be noted.