Agenda item

Report DRR13/147

Members considered the progress achieved in delivering the Town Centres Development Programme.

With regard to Site F: Civic Centre, Members were informed that a report on options for the short term use of Anne Springman and Joseph Lancaster blocks was being prepared and would be considered by Cabinet before submission to the Executive Committee.

Planning permission for Site L: Former DHSS site, was granted on 6 October 2013.  Subsequent to this, the Council was informed that the site had been sold to the Education Funding Agency and it was anticipated that a bi-lingual school would be located into the current buildings.  Stage One of the Bromley Bilingual School consultation will last for six weeks and will run from 21 November 2013 until 3 January 2014 and asks for opinions on a range of features of the school including its proposed location, curriculum, size and admission criteria.  A public information meeting will be held on Saturday 23 November 2013 from 14:30 to 15:30 in the Chapel Room at Bromley United Reformed Church, 20 Widmore Road.  As a Free School, planning permission for change of use would not be required to occupy the site for the first year.  If the use continued for longer than one year, then a light touch ‘prior approval’ regime would operate where the local planning authority could only consider noise and traffic impacts.  To date no prior approval application had been received in respect to the Free School on the site.  The Chairman commented that the Council had a duty of care to ensure children were safe and would welcome a traffic assessment in this respect.  A briefing paper on the outcome of this would be provided in due course along with a paper to the Portfolio Holder which would form the basis for a Council response to the Stage One consultation.

Councillor Tickner welcomed the establishment of a school and was informed that the building would be retained in its original style except for some modification to the roof and internal refurbishments. He stated that town centres had lost a lot of vitality and life due to the lack of schools and for this reason he would like to see them reinstated in town centres.

Councillor Morgan took a contrary view stating that the best chance of developing modern offices within Bromley Town Centre had been lost. 

As Chairman of the Education School Places Working Group, Councillor Phillips referred to the shortage of schools in the area and emphasised how difficult it was to establish school sites which were appropriate to the AAP, so whilst the proposed school may not be in the best possible place, it was badly needed. 

The Director for Regeneration and Transformation had written to the Education Funding Agency seeking clarification on the consultation process behind the site purchase.

Councillor McBride referred to the school’s potential hours of operation.  If the school opened early with a breakfast club and remained open for afterschool club, this could cause a bigger impact on traffic than that already anticipated.

Referring to Site G:West of High Street, discussions were still taking place with Muse Developments.  Once concluded, the development programme could progress.  The Chairman suggested that a presentation on the proposals could be given to Members by Muse Developments in April 2014. 

It was anticipated that the Crest Nicholson site would go ahead and the scheme would be completed in 18 months’ time.  Issues surrounding affordable housing were currently being negotiated.

Councillor Bennett commented on the scheme for West Wickham (page 94) and reported that as West Wickham High Street was the fourth largest Town Centre in the Borough, he was disappointed that promised major works had not been forthcoming.  He requested that these be carried out following completion of the major works in Beckenham. 

With regard to the replacement of lamp columns, Councillor Bennett was informed that this related only to the main road (which was TfL owned) as opposed to the side roads.  The Director of Environment and Community Services reported that this issue had been pursued with TfL and discussions had been held with the West Wickham Borough Liaison Director.  Members would be informed of the outcome of this in due course.

All concrete lamp columns in the Borough were scheduled to be replaced.  This had already been carried out in West Wickham following which complaints had been received that the lamps were not as bright and did not adequately cover the streets.  Consultations with stakeholders, TfL and consultants would take place in the New Year and local Councillors would be involved.

The Beckenham and West Wickham Working Party had identified three Victorian roads (Kent, Surrey and Sussex roads) which should have conservation style lamps and this had been agreed by Members at a previous meeting.  Funding for the Victorian style lights would need to be raised and the Director for Environment and Community Services agreed to look into this and report back to Members.

RESOLVED that the progress on the delivery of the Town Centres Development Programme be noted.