Agenda item

Report DRR15/104

The original improvement scheme, approved in 2013, had been reviewed at the request of TfL and stakeholders and its scope increased to cover the whole of the High Street area. Costs had correspondingly increased and TfL agreed in principle to increase their funding by £950k.

To match fund the additional TfL contribution, approval was sought to set aside an additional £240k from capital receipts (in the absence of confirmation of alternative funding sources), bringing the Council’s total match funding to £1.152m representing 24.5% of the total scheme cost at £4.697m.

Report DRR15/104 also appended outcomes from a series of public consultation events carried out in spring 2015 as part of the design development process.  

Cllr Michael Tickner (Copers Cope Ward and Chairman of the Renewal and Recreation PDS Committee Working Group on Beckenham Town Centre) briefly addressed the Executive. Although the public realm at Beckenham had been looking run–down, Cllr Tickner indicated that there was now optimism that work would be carried out. There was however a few matters needing attention: (i) there appeared to be no plans to ease traffic congestion and this needed to be looked at; (ii) reference was made to Network Rail’s proposed improvement works to Beckenham Junction station (integrating the improvements could contribute to meeting costs of  the proposed improvements to the station forecourt and pedestrian linkages to Beckenham High Street); and (iii) employment space at Beckenham Town Centre was being considered for residential purposes and this was a concern when funding from Glaxo Smith Kline’s S106 agreement could be used for initiatives to promote employment opportunities.

The Leader thanked Cllr Tickner for his work at Beckenham and the Deputy Leader commended work of the Beckenham Town Centre Working Group. The Deputy Leader also suggested that work was needed to bring the top floor of the Sainsbury’s Car Park into use so helping to reduce on-street parking (to ease congestion). Concerned that some of the proposals for buildings at Beckenham Town Centre covered residential/housing use, which would adversely affect the high street and create more demand for parking, the Deputy Leader suggested that some Article 4 Directions were needed. The Leader suggested that it was necessary to find ways of defending office accommodation and asked that the matter be taken forward for further work, perhaps for the Local Plan. The Deputy Leader felt it necessary for such an agenda to be driven forward as much as possible with explanations provided on why it is not possible to take forward some proposals.  

The Portfolio Holder for Renewal and Recreation indicated that whilst acceptable for Bromley Town Centre, residential accommodation/housing was unsuitable for other town centres in the borough. It was confirmed that an Article 4 situation was in place at Bromley Town Centre with a mixed economy in the town. Article 4 Directions would be taken to the Local Development Framework Advisory Panel (LDFAP) for further consideration. There would also be improved officer communication and transport modelling work would-be taken forward.

Concluding, the Leader referred to the issue of maintaining employment/office space and resisting residential/housing development; this going back to the Beckenham Town Centre Working Group and taken forward within the Development Control Committee and Local Plan.

Members agreed the recommendations in Report DRR15/104.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  the allocation of £240k from Capital Receipts for the enhanced Beckenham Town Centre Improvement Project be approved, the release of the Capital funding being subject to formal approval by Transport for London of additional funding of up to £950k to support the enhanced improvement programme;

(2)  the capital estimate of the scheme be increased by £1.44m to £4.697m, subject to Full Council approval; and

(3)  in the event that other funds including S106 monies become available, the contribution from capital receipts will be reduced.