Council consults on vision for future of Brixton

[Gramsci]

Some time ago the Council consulted on a new Masterplan for Brixton. This was written up and agreed in principle by the Council. The next stage is to formalise this in planning terms by writing up a "Supplementary Planning Document". Might sound tedious bureaucracy but the detail is important.

The Council are starting to consult on this now. The draft planning principles have been agreed:


Stage 1: Draft planning principles
Brixton is unique. It is a major and distinctive town centre in the heart of Lambeth. Its many strengths include its vibrancy, creativity, culture, diversity and heritage. Brixton’s unique character will be the foundation for new development which should strengthen existing neighbourhoods and support diversity. Draft Planning Principles have been prepared for further consultation and co-development with key stakeholders including residents, business, community groups, and public and private sector organisations. The principles are outlined below.

See this link for more info:

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/Environment/Regeneration/FutureLambeth/FutureBrixtonSPD.htm

It also says:

As a cooperative council, we want to give local people more involvement in and control of the places where they live. You can help us to shape this SPD by getting involved in the consultation this summer. Full details of events and activities will be available here and you can also sign up to receive e-updates.

 

[Gramsci]

Stage 1: Draft planning principles​

Brixton is unique. It is a major and distinctive town centre in the heart of Lambeth. Its many strengths include its vibrancy, creativity, culture, diversity and heritage. Brixton’s unique character will be the foundation for new development which should strengthen existing neighbourhoods and support diversity. Draft Planning Principles have been prepared for further consultation and co-development with key stakeholders including residents, business, community groups, and public and private sector organisations. The principles are outlined below.​

1. Opportunities for investment, including housing, employment, retail, social, leisure and community uses, will enhance the vitality and long-term viability of Brixton, strengthening neighbourhoods and supporting diversity. [Builds on Policy PN3]
2. Creating balanced and sustainable communities. Much of Brixton’s residential areas are characterised by high levels of socially rented accommodation. Improvements in living conditions, quality of life and environmental quality will be delivered through rebalancing the range and mix of housing types and tenures. [Builds on Policy S2 Housing]
3. Reflecting Brixton’s heritage through quality buildings and open spaces. Brixton’s heritage is clear from its landmark buildings and much of the town centre is in a conservation area. High quality, durable and well designed new buildings, which complement the existing landscape, will be critical to Brixton’s ongoing success. The SPD will identify opportunities for improving the environment and designing better, more accessible open spaces in the town centre and the neighbouring housing areas. [Builds on Policy S9 Quality of the Built Environment]
4. Making Brixton more accessible, easier and safer to get around. Brixton’s roads and pavements are often congested. It is sometimes hard to find your way around, especially for newcomers and visitors. Visual and physical barriers create a lack of permeability. Joining up modes of public transport, e.g. between the overground and the underground, encouraging walking and cycling, improving and opening up new routes, new signage and improving public realm, will make the area better connected and more permeable, making it easier, safer and healthier to get around. [Builds on Policy S9]
5. Delivering improved community and leisure facilities. The SPD will explore opportunities to improve the range and quality of community and leisure facilities.
6. Making the most of cultural attractions and creative energy. Brixton is one of London’s key cultural destinations with a range of high profile venues and cultural attractions, including the markets. This environment encourages and supports a range of cultural and creative industries. These need ongoing investment to protect and improve Brixton’s unique and world famous profile. [builds on Policy S3 Economic Development]
7. Providing a wider variety of shops and stalls. Brixton is well known for its rich, diverse and niche retail offer. The street and covered markets are a major attraction and key asset to the town centre. The SPD will protect these assets and, by identifying key development sites, will improve the quality and quantity of complementary high street retail. [Builds on Policy S3]
8. Promoting employment and business opportunities. Opportunities to increase the range and quality of employment in the town centre will be encouraged to support the creation of balanced and sustainable communities. This principle links to enhancing the wider complementary retail offer, protecting and enhancing the markets and promoting and delivering improved cultural services and attractions.
9. Supporting and promoting One Planet Living (OPL) principles. The Brixton Masterplan uses Bio-Regional’s OPL Principles as a framework for sustainability. These principles, including energy efficiency, waste minimization and reducing the need to travel, will be promoted in the SPD. [Builds on Policy S7, sustainable design and construction]
10. Supporting a cooperative Brixton. A huge amount of consultation and engagement was undertaken during the preparation of the Future Brixton Masterplan to put local communities, residents, businesses, landowners and other stakeholders at the heart of the process. The process of preparing the SPD will continue this dialogue, which will play a critical role in informing the resulting proposals and actions. The process will include cooperative models of co-design and community based commissioning and delivery. The Future Brixton SPD will be prepared in the spirit of Lambeth’s ambitions to be an exemplar co-operative Council.
11. Providing a flexible framework with a focus on delivery. The SPD will explore a range of delivery options. It will provide greater certainty and encourage investment in a number of key development opportunity areas. Working in partnership with key stakeholders, the SPD will result in a delivery focussed phased framework of investment and improvement for the town centre. Key sites will be identified and planning, design and development guidance provided for each.

 

[Pickman's model]

i bet the plans for camden say much the same, but at the end of the day brixton - and pretty much everywhere else within zones 1 & 2 - is getting gentrified to fuck and it's going to end with things like camden market getting fucked over - killing the goose that lays the golden egg - and the same thing will imo happen in brixton. every improvement in the area will add to the allure for yups moving in, and as can be seen happening shops and pubs which cater for long-term residents will be replaced with businesses whose clientele will be newcomers to the area.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I've been a resident for over thirty years and have seen 'consultations' come and go. The apathy and or cynicism that has been engendered amongst an awful lot of residents is a result of huge sums that are spent on consultants but what the consultees want never seems to happen. The prevailing attitude is "Why waste time and energy? 'They'll' just do what they wanted in the first place."

 

[MAD-T-REX]

Making Brixton more accessible, easier and safer to get around. Brixton’s roads and pavements are often congested...Joining up modes of public transport, e.g. between the overground and the underground.

I wonder what, if anything, the council has in mind on these points. I don't see what they can do about the pedestrian congestion on Brixton Road as the footpaths can't be widened - single lanes for road traffic would be chaos, even if used only by buses (imagine one broke down), and the road couldn't be completely pedestrianised or made one-way (using the two central lanes) since there are no other through-roads anywhere nearby. The road did used to be a lot wider than it is now, so perhaps all future developments could be set back 10 feet.

Ditto for connectivity between the underground and overground. Short of a massive, horrible redevelopment of the entire block that physically encompasses the two stations (a la E&C), there's no way to make the connection any less of a pain in the ass.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The apathy and or cynicism that has been engendered amongst an awful lot of residents is a result of huge sums that are spent on consultants but what the consultees want never seems to happen. The prevailing attitude is "Why waste time and energy? 'They'll' just do what they wanted in the first place."

Unfortunately, that's my thinking

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I wonder what, if anything, the council has in mind on these points. I don't see what they can do about the pedestrian congestion on Brixton Road as the footpaths can't be widened -

and look how long it took them to do it last time they widened them, and the Morley's side is still congested. Not as much, but when you get people who decide to hold their conversations smack in the middle of the pavement, it doesn't leave a lot of room

 

[Greebo]

Unfortunately, that's my thinking

Mine too.

<snip>when you get people who decide to hold their conversations smack in the middle of the pavement, it doesn't leave a lot of room

IME nothing which can't be eased by a few repetitions of " 'scuse me, tha-anks" as you keep walking forwards whether they move out of the way or not. Arrogant, but it works.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Mine too.

IME nothing which can't be eased by a few repetitions of " 'scuse me, tha-anks" as you keep walking forwards whether they move out of the way or not. Arrogant, but it works.

Unfortunately that doesn't always work and you get a filthy look for daring to ask people to excuse you

 

[Greebo]

Unfortunately that doesn't always work and you get a filthy look for daring to ask people to excuse you

I get filthy looks anyway so sod them. *shrug*

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I reckon they should knock MacShiteys down and have that as a gathering space for people who want to stand in the middle of the pavement

 

[Badgers]

I reckon they should knock MacShiteys down and have that as a gathering space for people who want to stand in the middle of the pavement

there is a lot of them they need their own space.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

there is a lot of them they need their own space.

They can use the middle of the road

 

[kalibuzz]

i bet the plans for camden say much the same, but at the end of the day brixton - and pretty much everywhere else within zones 1 & 2 - is getting gentrified to fuck and it's going to end with things like camden market getting fucked over - killing the goose that lays the golden egg - and the same thing will imo happen in brixton. every improvement in the area will add to the allure for yups moving in, and as can be seen happening shops and pubs which cater for long-term residents will be replaced with businesses whose clientele will be newcomers to the area.

Exactly!!

 

[quimcunx]

''build more council housing'' is my suggestion.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

''build more council housing'' is my suggestion.

or repair the housing they've already got that's been sitting deserted for years

 

[editor]

Council option 1: repair and fix the properties that have been neglected for years = happy residents
Council option 2: team up with property developers in touchy-feely 'shared opportunity" nu-build schemes that see old housing/communities being flattened with bare minimum social housing being provided in its place = happy fatcats

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Ditto for connectivity between the underground and overground. Short of a massive, horrible redevelopment of the entire block that physically encompasses the two stations (a la E&C), there's no way to make the connection any less of a pain in the ass.

What's difficult about getting from the tube to the underground (or vice versa)? It's a one minute walk.

 

[editor]

What's difficult about getting from the tube to the underground (or vice versa)? It's a one minute walk.

I think it's fair to say that it's not really seen as an integrated system.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

I think it's fair to say that it's not really seen as an integrated system.

IIRC before the tube station was rebuilt you could walk out of the back of the tube station along the alleyway of shop units and come out on Electric Lane (by Bradys) just across the road from the overground station.

 

[Gramsci]

''build more council housing'' is my suggestion.

Which is why I would like to know what point 2 of the draft planning principles means. It is in effect saying that there is to much social rented housing in Brixton area and what is needed is "rebalancing the range and mix of housing types and tenures."

As it looks like little new social rented housing will be built in the foreseeable future to reduce what is already existing does not seem a good idea to me now.

 

[editor]

IIRC before the tube station was rebuilt you could walk out of the back of the tube station along the alleyway of shop units and come out on Electric Lane (by Bradys) just across the road from the overground station.

Yes- there used to be a direct pathway.

 

[Crispy]

Yes- there used to be a direct pathway.

It's still there, but the shutters are closed at either end.

 

[editor]

It's still there, but the shutters are closed at either end.

Don't think it's coming back any time soon

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Is that alley owned by TFL and if it is, is it in use? If not, then is there any reason why it can't be opened up?

 

[Crispy]

Is that alley owned by TFL and if it is, is it in use? If not, then is there any reason why it can't be opened up?

I think it's a security matter. The entrance to the TFL offices is off that corridor. There is apparent provision for a retail unit at the other end, but that's all boarded up too.

If/when an Overground station ever gets built, it's all up for change anyway.

 

[MAD-T-REX]

What's difficult about getting from the tube to the underground (or vice versa)? It's a one minute walk.

The exit from the Victoria platform at the overground is a huge bottleneck in the morning peak; you often have about a hundred people trying to get through a hole that's barely wide enough for two. When you finally get down the stairs, the pavement is rammed with pedestrians all the way to the tube. It's about as difficult as a 100m walk could be.

The station is also a bit of a nightmare for anyone with walking difficulties or even heavy luggage.

If/when an Overground station ever gets built, it's all up for change anyway.

An Overground station would be great, but the Victoria line couldn't take the extra load. If it happens, it'll be after Crossrail 2, which will give Northern line commuters a direct route from Tooting to Victoria and take a lot of the strain off the VL. But I'd rather not wait until 2030 for a local Overground station, so I reckon they should reopen East Brixton - it would serve both Brixton and LJ but is far enough away from the tube to discourage people using the interchange for commuting.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The station is also a bit of a nightmare for anyone with walking difficulties or even heavy luggage.

Very true, although I'm lucky of having the option of using Streatham Hill which now has a lift

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

'scuse me for being thick, but what's all this overground talk about?

 

[Crispy]

Re-opening East Brixton would kill any chance of a "proper" Brixton station.
I agree with you that the Victoria line couldn't cope as is, however.