John Betty - Strategic Director, Development and Major Projects ...

Who wants tolistento a bloke fromBath talkingabout hisissues?2

Pressure for Growth4

PressureHousing Pressures• 6,000 households on the Social Housing waiting list• Only c500 properties become available each year• Family and social networks damaged by lack of affordable housing• Difficult to recruit key workers due to lack of affordable housing• 40% of our housing stock was built before 1919 - 20% is over 150 years old.• 38% of all our heads of household are over 60 years old• 7.9% of all households live in fuel poverty5

Understanding: Bath in context Pressure• Bath in aninternational andnational dimension• Bath’s regionalimportance –distinctive from andcomplementary toBristol• Regional SpatialStrategy 2006-20266

PressureRegional Spatial Strategy(B&NES within the West of England)• B&NES Local Plan (2011)- increased housing in line with RPG10• RSS - 20 year B&NES strategic growth integrated with WoEPartnership- 15,400 homes (as RSS level)- 20,000 jobs- Balanced job growth (informed by vision)- Focus on Bath and urban extensions- Realise economic potential of smaller towns- Protection of World Heritage site, AONB and GreenBelt- Aged stock and aged population7

PressureBath & North East Somerset Spatial Planning Context8

PressureThe Housing ChallengeHousing Trajectory - Strategic Requirement vs Completions900800700Completions6005004003002001000YearRequired Completions 1996/97 to 2010/11 (Local Plan)Actual Completions 1996/97 to 2006/07SW Regional Spatial Strategy Requirement 2006-20269

PressureBristolSE Bristol Urbanextension will fallwithin B&NES300paMeasureddevelopmentmaintaininghousing andemploymentbalanceKeynsham100paMeasureddevelopmentmaintaininghousing andemploymentbalance75paBath300pa(BWR220 pa)Norton RadstockSCCT. Maximisedevelopment inCity on Brownfieldsites. Likely toneed urbanextension.S/SW Bath Urbanextension willimpact green belt10

Pressure•• Affordable housingshortages• Lack shortagesof space for work•• Low Lack wage of space economy for work•• Economic Low wage base economytoo narrow•• Over Economic reliance base on too tourism narrow•• Falling Over reliance visitor numbers on tourism•• Eroded Falling environmental visitor numbersquality•• Declining Eroded environmentalretail statusquality• Increasing competition• Declining retail status• Transport and congestion• Increasing competition• Bath’s role unclear in the• region Transport / sub and region congestion•• Strengthen Bath’s role consensus unclear in theandunity region within / sub Bath region& North• East Strengthen consensus andSomerset unity within Bath & NorthEastSomersetBath out of balanceDoing nothing is isnot an an option11

City of BathPressureFocus ondelivery at BWRRSS TargetBath Capacity6,000 homes - Bath 5,500 homes - Bath1,500 homes – S/SW of Bath 1,000 homes - S/SW of Bath12

PressureUnderstanding: Room for expansionRUHMOD site –WarminsterRdLower BristolRoad WestCharlotteStreet Car parkThePodiumTwertonRiversideBath Western RiversideKingsmead /James St.ThermaeBath SpaBath Quays North & SouthManversSt.SouthgateMOD site -Foxhill13

PressureA fractured city14

Constraints and Challenges15

Constraints & ChallengesHeritageUNESCO World Heritage SiteAONBGreen Belt16

Constraints & Challenges• Cost of congestion is £50mper annum• Traffic in Bath growing at1.2% p.a.• Further 15% rise forecast by2021• 13.4% increase in buspatronage• Congestion• Air quality• Road safetyTransport & Movement• Public transport reliability• Parking (coach parking)Air Quality ManagementArea• Pedestrian / vehicle conflict• Accessibility / movement• Heavy goods vehicles• Road network constraints17

Constraints & ChallengesPeople, Communities and LogisticsPolitical dynamics, leadershipDevelopment of sustainable communitiesAcceptability of change to existing communityCreation of new communitiesConstruction LogisticsPhasing (impact on value)Managing a city in transitionJobs and supply of skills/products(pushes up costs andreduces viability)18Avon Act

RegionalSpatial StrategyConstraints & ChallengesHeritageGreen BeltRegionalEconomicStrategyAONBPeoplePhysicalExpansionSocio EconomicGrowthBathAffordableHousingTrafficCongestionLogisticsGovernmentPolicyCommunitiesWest of EnglandEconomic Strategy19

Constraints and ChallengesWorld Heritage SiteRestricted LandAONBInertiaTraffic CongestionSustainableLiving CityRSS/GrowthSocio-economic andCultural needTransportationsolutionsBalancingPoint20

Our Approach toSustainable Development21

ApproachDistinctive identity• Water and Healing• Pleasure and Culture• Imagination andElegance• Knowledge and Invention• Heritage• DNA• Respecting the place22

ApproachRationale & VisionSocial + Economic + Environment + Cultural= A sustainable approach23

ApproachModern LivesModern Lives24

ApproachBath & North East Somerset Sustainability Strategy• Background of successful delivery• New priority – Climate Change/energy• Four Pronged Strategy: Buildings,Transport, Waste, Food• Establish a sustainable developmentstrategy for B&NES• Bath as an exemplar sustainable City• Nottingham Declaration, December 05• LSP wide Treasury funded Energy Project –a national first• Biomass feasibility study & projects• Sustainable energy strategy25

ApproachKnitting community togetherRepairing the fractureProviding a mix of stockSustainable economyEnabling sustainable growth26

ApproachUrbanRegenerationPanel (URP)Les Sparks(Chairman)Honor Chapman(Vice Chair)Alan BaxterProf Chris BainesSir RichardMacCormacGateway GroupURPEnglish PartnershipsSWRDAGOSWEnvironment AgencyEnglish HeritageHousing CorporationBusiness WestB&NES InitiativeB&NES –Chief ExecDevelopment & MajorProjectsPlanning & TransportExternalAgenciesDCLGDCMSEnvironmentAgencyEnglishPartnershipsGOSWSWRDAPartnershipsLSPWEPUniversitiesLeadership RoleExternalInfluencersUrbanBuzzCreatingExcellenceConstructingExcellenceAcademiaDickon RobinsonAdult Social Services& HousingBest Practice27

Bath Western RiversideA Case Study28

Case StudyHistory & Local Context• Undeveloped since 1980’s• Approximately 70 acres of brownfieldland next to city centre• Bath’s former industrial heartland• Comprehensive not piecemealdevelopment (SPG 2003)Supplementary Planning Document(SPD) consultation 2006• Central to regional and sub-regionalpolicies and strategies• Council and SWRDA lead partnershipwith Grosvenor to produce masterplan(2003)• Crest join partnership (2004)• Grosvenor leave partnership (July 2005)29

Case StudyConstraints• World Heritage Site• Part-operational gasworks• Contaminated land• Land ownerships andvalues• Wessex WaterPumping Station andCSO• Relocation of existinguses• Poor infrastructure• Poor connections withcity• Transport networksurrounding site atcapacity• Flood prevention30

Case StudyA new High Quality contemporaryresidential quarter in the City conceived inthe Bath Tradition, around a connectedpublic realm of streets, squares andgardens…….….. THAT IS COMMERCIALLYDELIVERABLE.31

Case StudyThe ‘Developed’ OPA Plan - September 2006Victoria Bridge SquareSustainable Living- Edge of City Centre- Linkages: walking and Cycling- River, parks and gardens- School/community centre/localshops- Mixed tenures- Environmental sustainability- BWR East – cultural, employmentretail32

Buildings and LandscapeCase Study33

Case StudyUnlocking CapacityHomesBusinessInvestmentBWRWorkforceTransport &InfrastructureContributes to city-wide improvements34

Case Study• Gross development Value - £496mHeadline NumbersOM dwellings - £393mAffordable Housing - £73mMixed commercial/other - £30m• Total Development Costs – circa £531.3m£70.5m Acquisition/Relocation£15.7m Remediation/Demolition/Site preparation£67.8m Infrastructure/Public Realm/SPD/Transport/Parking£251.7m Building, fees and sales costs£92.8m Developer overhead and profit£32.8m Interest• Required Subsidy – circa £35.3m35

Case StudyBWR Planning Application Content• 35 acres Former/Current Industrial Land/Gas Works• 2km new public realm/frontage to River Avon• 1882 Residential Units7.5% studios / 30.7% 1bed / 51.6% 2bed / 10.1% 3 bed25% affordable Homes (471)70:30 Social rented / Shared ownership• New road bridge & 1 new foot bridge over river Avon & 1 refurbished listed bridge• New 9 acre Riverside Parks• Underground basement car parking (0.7 spaces/dwelling)• Community Facilities (1 FE school, community centre and GP surgery)• 5,500m2 Mixed CommercialSUSTAINABILITY OUTPUT:• Eco – Homes Very Good and Excellent• CHP and SUDS as part of Sustainability Measures36

SummaryHISTORIC CITIES MAGNIFY ISSUES BY A FACTOR OF XTHINGS TO CONSIDER:• For Bath to be a living city it must change• Bath’s economy, community and heritage - unsustainable without new growth• Bath is under pressure to grow• Bath is constrained by Areas of Natural Beauty and Green Belt• Care about Bath and want it to remain beautiful• Appreciate the Outstanding Universal Values of UNESCO inscription37

Need for growthTensions to ResolveRestricted development capacitySummarySustainable economicprosperity-v--v-Dangers of decayInnovation-v-Protection of heritagePreservation-v-Requirements of community –housing, education, jobs,transportGrow the visitor and retailattraction-v-Loss of distinctiveness38

SummaryBath’s Unique Selling Point =Distinctiveness, culture and high-quality designNet result:• Community engagement and empowerment• Managed growth – promoted and involve partners through the process• Policy context – supported by robust evidence base• Targeted investment – getting the right developers• Organisation – engaging and outward-facing39

SummaryLessons Learned• Develop a clear rationale• Be committed to quality and sustainability• Be passionate about place-making and distinctiveness• Address resistance to change in Bath• Ensure political support and leadership• Huge effort required to overcome 25 years of inertia• Develop Policy Framework• Align Government agencies/departments• Select your developers carefully• Ensure skills and capacity• Nurture your friends• Develop consultation strategy40

Could the Bath experience be used as aninternational case study for a newapproach to sustainable growth inan historic city?41