cricklewood brent cross opportunity area

Cricklewood

& Brent Cross Opportunity Area Profile Spatial Priorities Tier 2 Opportunity Area

CRICKLEWOOD & BRENT CROSS OPPORTUNITY AREA

SUMMARY POSITION

Cricklewood and Brent Cross has been identified as an Opportunity Area in the London Plan because of the area’s signifi cant potential for renewal and regeneration within the North London Sub – Region.

City Wide Context

CRICKLEWOOD & BRENT CROSS OPPORTUNITY AREA OPPORTUNITY AREAS LONDON BOROUGHS

It is one of the principal areas within the London Borough of Barnet capable of contributing to future economic and housing growth. The mixed use nature of the OA proposals will deliver a range of employment, leisure and residential provision which will significantly raise the profile and perception of the area and North London more widely.

Delivery within the OA is based on the following strengths:

• Very active private delivery

• Higher market values

• Strongly aligned policy

• Support from regional government

Intervention will be required to:

• Deliver transport framework effectively

• Ensure a core offer is developed to encourage uptake of offi ce provision.

TO HATFIELD

London Borough Context

TO M1

BARNET

HARROW

TO RUISILP

EALING BRENT

TO ACTON

OPPORTUNITY AREA WIDER BOROUGH BOUNDARIES MAJOR TOWN CENTRE MAJOR ROAD NETWORK LONDON BOROUGH RAILWAY

RAILWAY STATION

ENFIELD

TO WALTHAMSTOW

HARINGEY

CAMDEN

NORTHERN LINE PICCADILLY METROPOLITAN LINE BAKERLOO LINE

spatial priorities opportunity areas baseline report 2


Aspirations Brent Cross and Cricklewood is one of the principle areas within North London which is capable of accommodating a scale and diversity of growth which will significantly shift the economic, housing and community offer of the growth area. Development will reinforce the progressive outlook of North London; evolving London’s original shopping centre at Brent Cross into a new town centre. The development of this area will take advantage of its strategic location and enable the regeneration of surrounding areas, benefiting a variety of neighbourhoods and communities.

At present the Brent Cross and Cricklewood area is poorly planned and laid out with challenges for residents and visitors to get around the area. The existing community and open space offer is poor and the area is disjointed, with severance issues created by the range of road and rail corridors within the OA.

Regeneration and redevelopment will tackle these issues, with the aspiration to create a sustainable mixed use offer which better serves the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The £5bn redevelopment of Brent Cross will better connect the shopping centre to the existing high street, providing easier access to the local community to both the retail and leisure facilities. Outside of the core area development will be focussed at the West Hendon Estate, creating a new community with 2,171 homes centred on a new urban square and landscaped green corridors.

The opening of a new rail station, upgrading of pedestrian and cycleways and the introduction of road bridges across existing large infrastructure will all improve the permeability of the OA for neighbouring residents.

Development will not solely focus on delivering jobs and homes but also on improving the environmental sustainability and open space credentials of Brent Cross-Cricklewood.

Targets

Existing London Plan Proposed Revisions

10,000 homes 10,000 homes

20,000 jobs 20,000 jobs

Key Land Use Change: Most prominent change of use is for industrial and railway land to be used for mixed use developments including retail, offi ce and residential uses.

Key Infrastructure Change: The planned road, pedestrian and cycle improvements will improve the internal connectivity of the OA creating a more coherent offer. The expanded bus station and new Midland Mainline station will increase the services capacity to cope with the projected population expansion.



LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP

Existing Land Uses

The regeneration area includes the Brent Cross Shopping Centre and the local centres of Cricklewood, and West Hendon where the boundary is broadly defi ned by the Welsh Harp Reservoir. The regeneration area also includes the Eastern Lands, an area of land featuring the Whitefield School, Mapledown School and Whitefield Estate.

Of the brownfield sites none are in public ownership. This will limit the infl uence can have over delivery given permission has been granted for development within the OA. However Barnet Council has formed close partnerships with key land owners to drive forward development in the OA therefore limited land ownership is not anticipated to be a major issue. There is strong private sector support, with ongoing engagement between private partners, Barnet Council and the GLA. There is also a strong alignment of future development interests and the nature of the OA amongst private sector parties.

Land Use

TO HARROW

OPPORTUNITY AREA RESIDENTIAL EDUCATIONAL BUILDING

INDUSTRIAL LAND

RAIL STATION MAJOR ROAD NEWORK

TO CAMDEN

TO HARINGEY

TO HIGH BARNET

TO BRENT

TO EALING

TO KINGSBURY

HENDON

CRICKLEWOOD

RETAIL

RAIL

TO CRICKLEWOOD

4 spatial priorities opportunity areas baseline report


Key Places of Change and Principal Land Ownership

Land ownership at Brent Cross Cricklewood OA is held across a number of sites. 50ha are classified as brownfield and earmarked for regeneration.

Of the brownfield sites none are in public ownership. This is not considered to be a major constraint with regards to the public sector’s influence over direct delivery. Barnet Council has formed close partnerships with key land owners to drive forward development in the OA.

Due the previous industrial nature of the OA and the use of the old railway land there is a need for decontamination of some sites and demolition may be required.

Total Size 324 ha

Brownfield Land 50 ha

No. of Brownfi eld Sites 7

Public Ownership 0 ha

Public Ownership 0 site

Existing Permissions 48 ha

Existing Permissions 6 sites

Land is suitably consolidated for development.

There is strong private sector support, with ongoing engagement between private partners, Barnet Council and the GLA. There is a strong alignment of future development interests amongst private sector parties.



Potential Development Sites

TO HARROW TO HIGH BARNET

TO HARINGEY

TO BRENT

TO EALING

TO KINGSBURY

1

2

3

1

2

1

TO CAMDEN

BROWNFIELD LAND DATABASE SITES PLANNING APPLICATION SITES 1

2 TO CRICKLEWOOD

WEST HENDON ESTATE BRENT CROSS NEW TOWN CENTRE WEST HENDON ESTATE PHASE 2A (BLOCKS L & M) CRICKLEWOOD/BRENT CROSS

FORMER PARCEL FORCE BUILDING

6

OPPORTUNITY AREA BOUNDARY MAJOR ROAD NEWORK RAIL RAIL STATION

spatial priorities opportunity areas baseline report

1

2

3

Permissions and Completions in years FY2005 to FY2009 meeting criteria for referral to the Mayor and within an Opportunity Area.


Opportunity Area Site Name/Number Primary Street Name Post Code Permission Status Date Total Residential

Units

Total Floorspace (sqm)

Development Description

Cricklewood/Brent Cross

West Hendon Estate Ramsey Close NW9 7QS Submitted 2008 2,171 180,000 Mixed use residential, retail and community

Cricklewood/Brent Cross

West Hendon Estate Phase 2a (Blocks L And M)

Rosemead NW9 7QJ Submitted 2008 184 0 Residential



KEY SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA

The following key data has been assembled for the wards that most closely overlap with the Opportunity Area.

Cricklewood - Brent Cross

London

Resident Pop 48,097

Households 18,347

In Employment 20,984

Econ Activity 65.1% 67.6%

Unemployed 3.9% 4.4%

IMD Rank 39 50

No Quals 18.6% 23.7%

NVQ Level 1 9.0% 13%

NVQ Level 2 15.9% 17.1%

NVQ Level 3 12.1% 9.8%

NVQ Level 4/5 39.9% 31%

Other 4.5% 5.4%

Economic activity is slightly below the London wide average whilst unemployment is similarly higher than the London average. However neither is significantly different from the London average and suggests the local labour market is functioning effectively.

The level of skills and qualifi cations in the OA are significantly higher than the London average at NVQ levels 3-5. There is also a lower proportion of the resident population with low or no formal qualifi cations.

The local workforce is therefore in a good position to access jobs created within the OA, both within the retail sector and the offi ce provision. However the quantum of jobs estimated to be delivered may outstrip local labour supply and create a net in-commute of labour. The transport network will need to be in a position to accommodate this need for labour to be drawn to the area in the long term.

The OA is in the 39th percentile of the 2007 Index of deprivation, London itself sits within the 50th percentile, showing that the area is marginally more deprived area than the London-wide fi gure. Whilst most deprivation factors are not signifi cant the key factor is barriers to housing for residents suggesting improved affordable housing access may be required.

Cricklewood - Brent Cross

London

Energy & Water 0.7% 0.2%

Manufacturing 2.8% 4.3%

Construction 2.1% 2.9%

Retail & Hospitality

47.2% 21%

Transport & Comms

3.4% 7.4%

Banking & Finance 22.7% 34.7%

Public Services 14.4% 22.2%

Other Services 6.2% 7.2%

Employment by Sector

Key employment sectors within Cricklewood and Brent Cross are retail and hospitality and business and fi nance sectors. These sectors are likely to be reinforced through the development of the OA, which is focussed on the rejuvenation of Brent Cross retail centre and providing new offi ce accommodation.


CURRENT AND FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY


Current infrastructure and issues

Brent Cross Cricklewood is the subject of a comprehensive planning application and transport assessment. The regeneration area covers over 150 hectares, bordered by Brent Cross Shopping Centre in the north, the A41 (Hendon Way) in the east, Cricklewood Lane in the south and the A5 (Edgware Road) in the west. The A406 (North Circular Road) also passes through the site, as does the Midland Mainline/ Thameslink rail route. Just to the east is Brent Cross Underground station, and to the north, Hendon Underground Station, both on the Northern Line. Brent Cross also has a busy bus station, with over a dozen routes passing through or terminating there. Accessibility is generally defined as ‘good’, but most of these roads exhibit a degree of congestion either within the area, or on links just outside it. The main rail line services are generally crowded in a southbound direction in the morning peak. The Underground stations are perceived as not providing convenient access (just slightly too far away), and the bus station has capacity constraints. The North Circular (A406), but other roads or rail lines provide a large degree of severance.

Funded investments to 2017/18

Outside of the development led package, the main enhancements will be to Thameslink services (capacity enhancements through longer trains and intensified services), and to the Northern line (capacity enhancements).

In relation to the development package, although precise yearly funding and implementation are still to be confirmed, the first phase involves the expansion of the existing Brent Cross shopping centre and will include improvements to the highway and public transport network as well as bus priority, segregated cycling lanes and pedestrian enhancements. The key transport improvements over the phases of planned development include a new railway station; a rail freight facility; a waste transfer facility; a new, bigger, bus station; step free access at Brent Cross station, including forecourt works; new bus routes and increased frequency of existing services together with bus priority measures; new pedestrian and cycle

facilities; and major improvements to the strategic road network including the A41, A406 and A5. An enhanced Templehof Ave. bridge replacement will also be provided and an area wide walking and cycling study and an A5 corridor study will be undertaken, with the scope of works agreed and funded by the developer to provide high quality links through the site and the surrounding area, including to key transport hubs.

A varied and comprehensive package of green travel plan initiatives is also proposed and will be funded by the developer in consultation with the borough and TfL. The development will be monitored and mitigation provided as the development progresses to ensure that transport infrastructure is provided in advance of or concurrently with the development. This will also consider the impacts on the neighbouring boroughs of Brent and Camden.

Remaining gaps and unfunded interventions The challenge will be to ensure that necessary transport interventions keep ahead of the development of demand. It may not be until later (post 2017/18), that parts of the development and hence transport interventions, including, importantly, the new rail station, come on-stream. Brent Cross/Cricklewood will gradually begin to operate more like a town centre as the development phases are progressed and this will give rise to more linked trips and internalised trips. However, it is possible that overall car trips remain high as Brent Cross shopping centre gains more regional signifi cance and due to the high level of residential car parking spaces proposed. The developer has committed to bring about a substantial change in the mode share for cars: from the current 78% to 66% for the “Primary Development Phase” and eventually to 34% for development-related trips by the development “end state” (assumed to be 2026 in the transport assessment). Active monitoring of the situation will need to take place.



INTERVENTION CONTEXT

Recent Investment and Major Projects

The major proposal for change within the OA is the redevelopment of the existing retail offer to create a new town centre at Brent Cross.

The new centre will be developed over the next twenty years in a joint venture between Brookfield Europe, Hammerson and Standard Life Investments. This development is supported by the Borough Council, the GLA, and a number of major developers and investors in the area who are collectively known as the Brent Cross Cricklewood Development Partners. The scale of the Brent Cross will underpin the wider regeneration of the area.

The regeneration will create 27,000 new jobs, 7,500 homes, 3 new schools, a commercial district, new health facilities as well as quality parks and open spaces. There will be a new high street providing a central hub for the area with attractive street landscaping. It will also provide a connection between mainline train station and commercial district in the West to the Brent Cross shopping centre and bus station in the North. Brent Cross shopping centre will become a key part of the new town centre.

The mixed use proposals for Brent Cross were approved on the 19th November 2009. As part of the permission a £964m commitment to improving local infrastructure has been made by the developers, including:

• £500m of investment in transport,

including £189m on environmental

measures

• £200m for road improvements

• £109m on community infrastructure including new health facilities and state-of-the-art new premises for three local schools

• £112m on cleaning up the land and

disposing of waste

• A new train station on the Midland Mainline, a new bus station, new bridges and cycling routes, new facilities for Clitterhouse Playing Fields, new open space

• A new town centre for north-west London

The development also incorporates designs and technologies that aim to reduce carbon emissions. The scheme aims to be the first in the UK to combine automated waste collection through a network of underground pipes to a new waste and recycling facility. The facility will use the collected waste to produce renewable energy.

Transport infrastructure improvements will include a new mainline train station and freight service on the Midland Mainline providing connections to King Cross station. There will be improvements to the bus station with a more frequent service being provided. New road junctions and pedestrian and cycle routes will also be developed.

Potential Impact on Wider Area

The planned developments and regeneration for the London Riverside Opportunity Area have the potential to have a significant impact on the wider area.

The Council is seeking to promote development of this area which can both take advantage of its strategic location and enable the regeneration of the surrounding communities in Barnet and the adjoining boroughs.

The existing, scheduled and planned improvements to infrastructure will improve movement and accessibility in and around the area. Upgrades will offer greater access to employment opportunities in the area and services for businesses.

It is hoped that the regeneration will attract more investment in the area. This is particularly true of the Town Centre development with a new high street and the new commercial district.

If planned developments and regeneration are successful there is the potential that this success could have an impact on the wider North London Growth Area. It would provide a high profile asset for promoting the sub-region to investors and set a new standard for urban living and sustainability in North London.



Transformation has the potential to improve conditions in existing residential communities as well as providing accommodation for new residents.

Market Activity Commercial property values are mixed across the whole OA, outperforming the sub-regional benchmark for industrial premises but underperforming for office and retail space. The benchmark rent for outer north London is recorded at Brent Cross. The deviation from this value shows the weaker values outside of the core part of the OA.

Vacancy rates cannot be accurately tracked at an OA level, however Borough-wide trends as measured by advertised vacancies against total fl oorspace stock suggest that demand is generally good.

Brent Cross Cricklewood

Sub-Regional Benchmark

Offi ce £15.21/sqft £19/sqft

Industrial £8.55/sqft £7/sqft

Retail £23.62/sqft £25.99/sqft

Within the retail sector vacancies are recorded at 0.5% of total stock, industrial vacancies are 4.96% and offi ce vacancies are 2.02%.

Average residential values present little impediment to development.

• ‘All Property’ values are two thirds

higher than the London average,

with the average all property price at

£517,192 for the first half of 2009.

• Values represent the highest level recorded for the North London OAs, with average values almost twice that of the Upper Lea and Colindale.

• More widely values are at a similar level to most of central London and the Isle of Dogs.

These values reinforce the key driver of deprivation as noted within the 2007 IMD, where barriers to housing (largely affordability) prevent residents playing an active role in the housing market.

In general the property market performance is supportive of private sector delivery, with high values and limited vacancy. This reflects the level of private sector interest and commitment already shown within the OA.

Development Context

The Brent Cross Cricklewood OA incorporates a number of brownfield sites, there are 7 sites which cover a total of 50ha. Of these sites none are publicly owned. However the Council have formed a partnership with key landowners in an attempt to facilitate the coordinated planning of the area’s future.

Current infrastructure provision is poor. The area is chequered with major roads and rail lines making it difficult to move around. Poor junction layout and design combined with the high levels of traffic often lead to congestion. It is vital improvements are made to accommodate the planned development and regeneration.

The development scheme for Brent Cross centre will bring about nearly £1bn to be invested in transport infrastructure in the area. This will include a new, larger bus station facilitating more frequent services and new routes, new pedestrian and cycle routes, the construction of seven bridges will improve mobility in the area helping to overcome the present barriers.

Development proposals also include the delivery of a new rail station to better connect Brent Cross to the public transport network and ensure capacity exists to

service growth. There are also proposals for the development of two rail freight facilities, one acting as a general freight transfer point and another geared for waste transfer.

Improvements will also be made to the road network introducing new junctions and improving existing junctions and roads in an attempt to relieve congestion and accommodate the anticipated growth.

The Development Framework (SPG) and chapter 12 of the Unitary Development Plan for the OA specifically set out the Council’s vision for the future development of the area. The Council were guided by the London Plan in their preparation of these documents and therefore suffi cient capacity has been identified to deliver London Plan targets, this has been translated into the Masterplan which underpins the planning application.

The Brent Cross-Cricklewood scheme received planning permission from the Mayor in November 2009. LB Barnet, the GLA, numerous private developer and key land owners are all actively involved in the delivery of the OA’s objectives.



CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Plans have been approved for the Brent Cross Cricklewood scheme which will create a new town centre for the area, providing 7,500 new homes, new retail units, new social and community facilities, improved and new open public spaces, as well as improved transport infrastructure. This will create a new a new centre in one of the capital city’s major suburbs.

There is considerable support at local level for the planned development in this area, as set out in the UDP and the Development Framework. The introduction of the OAPF will go further to demonstrate this support.

Considerable investment in transport infrastructure, land acquisition and industrial development has been made. It is recommended that efforts are focussed on maintaining the working relationships between the Council, GLA, local developers and key owners in order to ensure the successful development and regeneration of this area.

Therefore it is recommended that public sector intervention is focussed on:

Ensuring transport upgrades are • delivered in line with key development phases to improve accessibility to new provision.

Linking employment opportunities • to the local workforce to maximise a closer live-work relationship.

Providing affordable housing to • overcome existing housing related drivers of deprivation.

Ongoing support and engagement with • the existing delivery partnership to identify early on any potential barriers to achievement.


cricklewood brent cross opportunity area

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