Local Development Framework in England - Essay Example

? LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK IN ENGLAND Introduction In England, the evolving spatial planning system was introduced by the 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act. “The Act provides a statutory framework with the capability of delivering an effective plan-led process” (Rozee, 2008 p.594). The local authorities have created Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) to help resolve multiple challenges, using the statutory provisions of the 2004 Act. They have thus provided a framework for delivering “much needed development and supporting infrastructure which commands broad community support” (Rozee, 2008 p.594). The challenges facing the planning system today are unprecedented, pertaining to both global and national issues. Global issues include “climate change, global warming; demographic changes with growing and ageing populations; more flexible living patterns and migration; and the global credit crunch” (Rozee, 2008 p.601) impacting financial liquidity. National issues addressed by the Local Development Framework encompass the increasing requirement for infrastructure to support economic growth and the global market; creating efficient transport systems; devising “new low carbon energy sources and prudent resource use; building new homes and communities; reducing carbon emissions; delivering high quality, sustainable development” (Rozee, 2008 p.601), and making adequate skills and resources available. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Local Development Framework in England. Further, urban conservation in relation to development will be investigated. Hackney Wick Area, and master plans to transform Olympic area will be discussed as an example, with a reference to regulations relating to the Greenway. Local Development Framework in England Land-use planning system at the end of the 1990s was unable to deliver adequate infrastructure; this was identified as a key obstacle to economic development in the United Kingdom. This was one of the reasons that resulted in the 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act. This radical new approach to planning in England signified the beginning of a new era of developing spatial rather than solely land-use plans. “The requirements of the new system, the implementation of plans and the delivery of infrastructure have been significantly strengthened through Local Development Frameworks (LDFs)” (Baker and Hincks, 2009 p.173) and newly formulated policy guidance and regulation. On the other hand, it is vital to comprehend the opportunities and challenges confronting policy makers in the delivery of infrastructure. This is essential, in view of the emphasis that the government is placing on reducing barriers to development, specially those associated with the delivery of housing and infrastructure. Local authority chief executives are required to involve themselves fully in the Local Development Framework system, entrenching it into the corporate centre. The executives should provide the resources and support to the planmaking process. They should make the resulting Local Development Framework a central instrument “in their corporate armoury to steer public and private capital investment and achieve Local Area Agreement outcomes” (Rozee, 2008 p.621). Additionally, elected members require targeted training to comprehend the value that the Local Development Framework can contribute to their communities and their participation in achieving results. The Planning Advisory Service provides modules which help in the delivery of such training. However, it is evident that one of the most significant barriers to achieving the implementaion of plans is the delivery of the infrastructure required to support development. London has responded to the challenge of urban renewal, regeneration, and regional competition. However, it is occasionally handicapped by a complex London government structure. National, regional and local governments are all concerned with economic growth and development in London. A distinctive institutional environment is created by a variety of different “institutions and organisations each with their own objectives, resources and interests” (Tewdwr-Jones, 2011 p.66). In the new environment, the governance platform includes not only organisations related to the public sector, but also voluntary and community organisations working towards different aspects of London’s growth and development; many of the organisations play a vital role in formulating policy and delivering developmental targets. Because several of these organisations do not facilitate delivery, other mechanisms are employed to ensure successful implementation of developmental projects. The most important role of the Mayor of London is to promote sustainable development, health and equality among citizens by setting a framework of strategies. Of the eight interlinked strategies, the most noteworthy include the London Plan which provides the spatial development framework for planning and growth in London; the “Transport Strategy which sets out a package of policies and proposals designed to significantly improve transport in London” (Tewdwr-Jones, 2011 p.66); and the Economic Development Strategy which provides a plan of action to correct London’s economic weaknesses, develop its strengths and capitalise on key opportunities. Thus, London is increasingly taking action to meet the challenge of regeneration and renewal with the help of Transport for London and the London Development Agency working in partnership with other governmental departments and the private sector. The London Plan is the most significant document for strategic development. However, according to Tewdwr-Jones (2011), the local authority of each borough is responsible for planning, implementing and delivering its spatial strategy or Local Development Framework with the help of local development control decisions. Urban Conservation is a Significant Part of Urban Development Pendlebury and Strange (2011) argue that the practice of conservation of the historic environment is a dynamic force in shaping the way contemporary cities are planned. This approach has evolved since the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century, as conservation planning. The concept of the historic background of a city being a core element of its future development has grown alongside the introduction of the practice of town planning. Conservation planning has developed as planning practice, specifically from the end of the Second World War, and as part of the new domain of modern town planning. While conservation of the historic environment is not constrained to the centre of the cities, urban areas are “the critical site where the forces of change and continuity collide” (Pendlebury and Strange, 2011 p.361). Beginning from the late 1940s, Britain’s cities have changed to a great extent in terms of their “physical structures, economic activities, social composition, cultural ambience and environmental conditions” (Pendlebury and Strange, 2011 p.361). Today, the role of urban conservation as a purpose of planning has also transformed, moving it from the margins to the mainstream. By this move urban conservation has become an element of the way cities remake themselves in the twentieth century. By the end of the twentieth century, the protection of the historic environment had become an important part of the planning system. Contemporary town planning now incorporates conservation and heritage protection as a central element and a powerful force influencing the development of our towns and cities. However, there are indications of new challenges in the future. On the one hand, the historic conservation advocates have pursued a politically pragmatic approach in the last forty years, and underscored its larger concerns particularly to economic development and regeneration policy. On the other hand, the cultural values underpinning conservation are confused with a wide range of benefits believed to have derived from a policy of conservation. With priority being given to various human rights, social inclusion and carbon-control agendas, conservation has become marginalised in the last decade. From being a selective activity of protecting buildings for their cultural worth, conservation planning has become increasingly complex. During the economic boom years, conservation policy in central areas showed signs of both a development industry and local governance challenge. City character was more important than statutory designations. Although recession has made these forces temporarily dormant, they are likely to rise with any increase in the development market. In recent decades conservation as a key element has moved conservation policies from the margins “to become a central element of the planning system” (Pendlebury and Strange, 2011 p.392). This is a remarkable accomplishment, from which new challenges emerge. Local Development Framework of Hackney Wick Area Hackney Wick is one of the last ungentrified industrial zones in East London. Most of the area is undergoing a massive redevelopment process in preparation for the 2102 Olympics (Crossrail, 2012). According to the House of Commons publication (2011 p.27), “Hackney is one of the five host boroughs for London 2012 with one third of the Games area based in the borough”. Hackney Wick is distinctive in that it has more green space than any other inner London borough, besides some of the best leisure facilities, outstanding schools, and continued decline in crime levels. As London’s greenest, one-thirds of the borough is “open space, parks and rivers, with Hackney Marshes, the Lea Valley and Springfield Park on its eastern edge, and Victoria Park and London Fields in the south”, states the House of Commons (Masey, 2007 p.6). Hackney’s transportation has not been a strong point. However, with the introduction of the East London line in 2010 and the prospect of the London Olympics in 2012, the future appears brighter for the residents of the borough with its comparatively greater share of social problems. “The East London line will connect the southern and central sections of the borough to the Tube network for the first time, with three new Tube stations” (Masey, 2007 p.6). One-third of the Olympic site falls within Hackney’s boundary. With the broadcast and media centre now sited at Hackney wick, this predominantly industrial area on the eastern edge of the borough requires regeneration. In Hackney borough there is a high percentage of youth, a quarter of residents being under the age of nineteen. Increasingly educated and affluent neighbours reside alongside some of England’s most deprived families. In collaboration with the other host boroughs, Hackney is implementing a joint legacy vision. The Strategic Regeneration Framework is centred around the principle of convergence. Thus, within twenty years, the communities hosting the 2012 Games will have equal social and economic chances as their neighbours across London. “This will finally address the historic imbalance in wealth between different parts of the capital” (House of Commons, 2011 p.27). The Hackney Wick area has several strategic cycling and walking routes, and is located close to the Greenway, which leads to the Royal Docks in the East and joins with the London Cycle network providing access to Central and Greater London. Improving the Greenway forms part of the Local Development Framework’s area enhancement plans (LDF Hackney, 2010). The Greenway “is an almost straight, broad track running high between houses along the top of the Northern Outfall Sewer” (Walk London, 2012). Along the entire Greenway the surface is of bonded gravel. It is a path shared by pedestrians and cyclists, and provides scenic views of the Olympic site. The Capital Ring Walk includes this 2.9 miles of the Greenway section passing through a densely populated area of London, but one which is completely free from traffic. Masterplans to Transform Olympic Park into Six Neighbourhoods By 2040, the Olympic Park developed for the 2012 Olympics in London will be transformed into six neighbourhoods. Local area development planners have designed the zones to provide constructions ranging from “city centre apartments, to a family-friendly village and an Amsterdam-inspired canalside community” (Beard, 2009 p.22). This development is part of a legacy masterplan for the 500-acre Olympic Park in Stratford created for the Games, the largest new urban park in Europe for 150 years. The main legacy benefits to Hackney Wick Area from the 2012 games will include improved transport consisting of Hackney’s first tube connections on the East London Line and better trains, enhanced services and greater safety on the North London Line. Further, Oyster cards ‘going live’ on the Overground, and better developed Sports facilities at Hackney Marshes, “including East Marsh returned for football mid-2013” (Hackney, 2008). Other developments planned include a land bridge directly connecting the Marshes to the Olympic Park and sports village, and a new park in Hackney Wick as a high quality green space in the Olympic park Media and Broadcast centre. This would be a destination for the digital media sector at Hackney Wick, together with provisions made for indoor sports. Additional gains for Hackney Wick would include legacy sports village for local people in the Park with facilities for “tennis, hockey, swimming, athletics, cycling and basketball” (Hackney, 2008). According to Beard’s (2009 p.22) newspaper report, “development of the land will be a multi-billion pound project and formed part of broader regeneration plans for the area including West Ham, Canning Town, Fish Island and the Lea Valley”. Jason Prior of planners EDAW who had reviewed the legacy blueprint, said that project had long term prospects, and would prove to be a significant achievement in view of its immensity and diversity. Prior also stated that it was rare in London to develop a greenfield site with infrastructure worth billions of pounds, creating new utilities and transport, which will be well branded on account of the Olympics. The plan has been prepared by the London Development Agency in cooperation with five local boroughs; and it will form the foundation of a planning application for the regeneration schemes. “The planning application is intended to lessen the risk for developers and encourage private sector funding of the legacy projects” (Beard, 2009 p.22). To bring the extensive ambition to fruition, the public sector financial inputs would have to be matched by vast amounts of private sector investments, according to the Local Development Authority. Developers can be attracted to the scheme by first resolving obstacles in planning, and by dividing the site into the six distinct investment zones withing the Olympic park. Planners emphasize that these areas are permitted only a set number and type of houses and public amenities to lure investors. The Local Development Framework project covers the construction of seven schools, and 10,000 houses as well as the provison of 10,000 jobs “most of them envisaged in technology once the media centre in Hackney Wick is converted after the Games” (Beard, 2009 p.22). According to the Local Development Authority’s plan, the Olympic stadium will function mainly as an athletics venue later, and will be the anchor of the “Olympic quarter” with a sports academy serving around 400 secondary school pupils. The Olympic Delivery Authority’s planning decision team grants permission for planning. This body consists of Olympic Delivery Authority board members and representatives from the four boroughs covered by the Olympic Park: Hackney Wick, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. Thus, transforming the landscape “will be accompanied by a Strategic Regeneration Framework to provide homes, parklands and infrastructure, and build successful communities” (Beard, 2009 p.22). According to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Development Agency (LDA), the character of Hackney Wick area will conform to its history characterised by invention, learning and creation. “A range of work place developments will be developed to the east of the area to complement the existing industrial uses to the west” (ODA & LDA, 2007 p.25). Moreover, large-scale start-up units and artist studios will be developed to create a distinctive working culture based on the exchanging of ideas and the sharing of available facilities. Areas to the east of the Lea Navigation will benefit from the opportunities provided by the developments to Hackney Wick Station and the improved river and canal crossings, facilitating the growth of a cohesive mixed use neighbourhood. The Greenway At Hackney Wicks, the construction works of new rail bridges and other structures as a part of Crossrail projects are undertaken to “provide a new high frequency, convenient and accessible railway for London and the South East” (Crossrail, 2012). During the construction and development process, until the end of 2014 the section of the Greenway between Marshgate Lane and Stratford High will be closed, and diverted for pedestrians and cyclists for safety reasons. Improved walkways along the canals and enhancements to the Greenway will help “to connect the new legacy communities on either side of the railway to the existing communities to the south of the Olympic Park” (ODA & LDA, 2007 p.25). Thus, in preparation for the Olympics, walk and cycle facilities are being developed in the Greenway and other routes. These projects will be funded by their local councils by means of their biking Borough and LIP programme funding streams from TfL. The LIP funding streams would also assist in future maintenance and revenue costs. Additional access may be provided to the “HCA London public realm budget, and the London European Partnership for Transport fund” (Hotwani, Lee, Makino et al, 2010 p.57) which is centrally focused on mode shift. Conclusion This paper has examined the Local Development Framework in England. Further, urban conservation was identified as a significant part of urban development. The Local Development Framework of Hackney Wick Area, with a reference to Greenway, and the masterplans of local development framework to transform the Olympic Park into six neighbourhoods have been discussed to exemplify the concept and purpose of local development frameworks in England. During the present-day economic downturn, focusing on making plans using resources from both the public and the private sector can help implement major development proposals. It is important to have the strategy and plans ready to meet the requirements of changing market conditions. At this time the development industry should invest in its future by ensuring that its expertise and resources are made available to help support local authorities in the plan-making process. Rozee (2008) supports this, adding that this is a time of great opportunity, and people should make the Local Development Framework system work and use it to resolve challenges faced by the planning system. Otherwise a future Government may lose faith in planners and the planning system, and consider alternative ways of meeting challenges. Bibliography Baker, M. and Hincks, S., 2009. Infrastructure delivery and spatial planning: The case of English Local Development Frameworks. The Town Planning Review, 80(2): pp.173-199. Beard, M., February 13, 2009. Have your say on 2012 legacy; Londoners asked their views on Masterplan. The Evening Standard. Crossrail, 2012. 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