infrastructure-delivery-dec13

ENTERPRISING CITY PROGRAMME: MAKING BETTER USE OF VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACE
What?
Working to bring vacant commercial and retail premises into productive use
through:
Creative and Cultural Industries
Urban greening projects
Urban agriculture
Community groups
Where?
Borough-wide
When?
On-going
Why?
Across Croydon, but particularly within Croydon Metropolitan Centre, there are
substantial amounts of underused sites/buildings. This usually corresponds with
sites that are pending development. The Council considers such sites lying dormant
a potential opportunity. Organisations within this sector such as ACAVA (Association
for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art) and ACME (providing artists with
affordable studio and living space) are experts at making temporary use of such
space.
Stakeholder Engagement Since March 2012:
Members of Croydon’s Economic Development Team have met with a number of
stakeholders including Develop Croydon and London and Partners to explore the
possibility of delivering a number of innovative ideas, such as business touch down
space in the CMC. Another concept is to explore a meanwhile use for a theatre
company that has expressed an interest.
Progress Since March 2012:
The touch down space is being developed. Information of potential locations have
been provided and the company has been invited to do a site visit. A pop-up shop
has been established in Old Town with a second in planning.
Risks:
Not being able to secure suitable premises for the touchdown space.
Not being able to secure delivery partner to manage it.
Not enough interest in
meanwhile use.
Mitigation:
Increase scope of search across
CMC.
Early engagement with potential
delivery partners.
Publicise meanwhile use across
London.
Empty shop unit in central Croydon
Planned Provision
Lead
Partner
Delivery Partners/Stakeholders
Delivery Mechanism/Funding
Source
Cost (if
known)
Location 2011-
2015
2016-
2020
2021- Relationship to CLP Strategic
Policies: (3) Critical, (2) Necessary,
(1) Contributory
Bringing vacant commercial and retail premises
into productive use.
LBC
LBC, ACAVA, Village Underground,
Meanwhile Space CIC
LBC Capital
funding,
S106, CIL
TBC
Boroughwide
Y Y Y
2
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