Agenda item

TOWN CENTRES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME UPDATE (VERBAL UPDATE)

Minutes:

Mr Virgil Rappa, LBB Town Centre Development Project Planner attended to provide an update on 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 undertaken a procurement exercise to select a preferred development partner to deliver a residential-led scheme as part of the next phase of development on Opportunity Site G: West of the High Street. Bids were received on 21st October 2016, with final submissions being made in November 2016. An award of tender report would be submitted to the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 8th February 2017, providing an officer recommendation for the preferred development partner.

 

The Draft Local Plan had included a revised policy for former Opportunity Site A: Bromley North Station. The Council was continuing to engage with the Greater London Authority (GLA), residents and businesses, other site owners, Network Rail and developers Prime Place to generate an appropriate development on the site. It was expected that a planning application would be submitted in spring 2017 for the first phase of the project on Sherman Road.

 

Further public realm improvements were proposed for Bromley Town Centre and plans to take these forward would be presented to the Council’s Executive on 8th February 2017. (Subsequent to this meeting, this report was deferred to the March meeting of the Council’s Executive.) The ground plane designs had been completed and included new paving, lighting, seating, raised planters and the installation of two free flowing canopy structures. There would be three phases of implementation, the first of which would take place between March and December 2017, to obtain planning permission for the relocation of the market. The second phase would take place between January and August 2018 and see the installation of the new market. The third and final phase would take place between September and November 2018, during which the scheme would reach completion.

 

At the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 18th November 2016 the overall scheme design and budget for the Beckenham Town Centre Public Realm Improvements had been agreed. Options for the programme of works were presented to the Beckenham Town Centre Working Group at their meeting on 27th October 2016, and work was due to start in February 2017. A two day consultation event would take place on the 20th and 21st January 2017 for the community to view the final scheme designs, with a separate event for the business community to discuss the scheme being held on 25th January 2017.

 

The draft detailed design had been issued for the Orpington Walnuts Shopping Centre Public Realm Scheme. The programme for delivery was being finalised by contractors FM Conway, and would take into consideration the launch of the initial phases of the Berkeley Homes development. It was expected that the final designs and costs would be agreed by the end of January 2017, with preliminary work staring in February 2017. Improvement works were planned to commence in March 2017 and last for approximately four months.

 

With regards to an update on the Orpington Regeneration Strategy, members were advised that on 5th December 2016, Sharon Baldwin, of Orpington 1st BID Company had met with the Portfolio Holder and the Council’s Strategic Property advisors Cushman & Wakefield. The future development of Orpington Town Centre was discussed and it was agreed that Cushman & Wakefield would provide the Council with a quote to update an old masterplan for Orpington. As part of the New Homes Bonus, LBB officers were working with Orpington 1st BID Company to deliver business support. A pop up shop had been launched, and functioned as a low cost trading platform. The pop up shop was located on the High Street and currently had two businesses operating out of it.

 

In Penge, the public realm improvement scheme had commenced on 8th January 2017, with the initial works taking place at the junction of Maple Road and the High Street. Businesses had been advised of the works by post and would be kept up to date with the schemes progress. LBB officers had also been working on a conditional assessment for a shop front improvement scheme on Penge High Street, and working with Legible London to improve wayfinding in the Town Centre and improve links with local rail stations and Crystal Palace Park.

 

RESOLVED that the update on the town centres development programme be noted.