This is notes of meeting I attended with Mutual Gain recently
There are three strands to the consultation.
1] consultation on an "inclusive public space"
2] Wider community consultation in March on initial designs.
3] Earlier meetings with key stakeholders- Pop and International House tenants.
Here is link to join up the consultation on the "inclusive public space". The person from Mutual Gain asked people present to circulate this to anyone who is interested. Was told to pass this to any local who might be interested.
Microsoft Forms
Here is link to London Square the developer/ partner
Development partner agreed for Growing Brixton Rec Quarter
Mutual Gain lead the consultation.
Love Lambeth
Afterwards I did wonder what exactly this consultation for an inclusive public space was for. It, from what Mutual Gain said, requires a lot of commitment.
Its not really about bread and butter issues like design , affordable housing etc.
From what I understand the wider community consultation will look at design of buildings. As the planning application is to put in later this year I would have thought design principles would be set by March.
But I'm still not clear on how this fragmented consultation process will work.
TBF I'm wondering if the consultation on a public realm is way to get fulfill community engagement and leave the rest of the more fundamental issues to Council and London Square.
At meeting Mutual Gain said that this consultation ( on public realm) is "an appreciative enquiry process"
Its about developing a vision of Brixton, what is working well in it now.
There is a budget of 250 000 pounds to spend on public realm design
A random selection of residents will be made.
This could also mean employment opportunities. A community curator and community researchers for example.
How being paid and being independent works is not clear to me.
Volunteering to be part of the "appreciative enquiry" involves a lot of commitment.
As well as attending consultation events one will be expected to go out and talk to other members of community and report back.
The aim is to build trust in design and inform development. Build social capital and resilience. There will be day of training and community led discovery process. Taking place in March. "Co designing the public realm space".
Well that was the explanation by Mutual Gain.
As I said this is about the pubic realm not the whole development.
What I did not ask , in hindsight, is what area this public realm covers. She did have slides but I was having problems with my zoom connection. So did not get ot see all the slides in depth.
I also was not keen on this idea of consultation solely being about the public realm.
After her talk she said people could ask questions.
I asked about how the relationship with Lambeth and London Square worked.
At meeting there was a Lambeth Regeneration manager and someone from London Square.
I asked as the person from Mutual Gain had talked in terms of London Square.
I did not get much of an answer to this. Other than Lambeth had chosen London Square.
I then asked about affordable housing. As imo a major issue is affordability of any retail units built and the affordable housing. As people in area feel developments are pushing them out of the area due to high costs.
Lambeth and London Square said that 50% of housing would be affordable. I asked about viability assessment later on reducing that. Had the Council got cast iron guarantee on this.
After much talk from the Lambeth officer and the London square person it seems no. It is in words of the London Square person a commitment
"Where we stand
today commitment,"
Which is "today" and not necessarily tomorrow. I take this 50% can be classified as an aspiration only.
It was pointed out this happens a lot in schemes. At first a lot is promised then several years done the line its watered down. That developers can apply to revise affordable housing by viability even after a planning application has been approved.
After meeting I must say I'm not confident about affordable housing.
Issue of affordable retail was replied to by saying any retail space would be the new E class which gives maximum flexibility in use. Restaurants/ offices/ takeaways/
That part of the brief from Council was to "animate" the ground level use.
Then there was discussion on the existing planning guidelines for the area. The Brixton Masterplan and Brixton SPD.
The Regeneration officer seemed unaware of these documents. Saying the Masterplan was out of date. That the Brixton SPD had never been agreed.
After looked this up. Looks like the original Brixton SPD was agreed but some time later it was revised and updated. The revised version was never finished by officers. So not agreed by Cabinet.
Anyway I went and looked at the Cabinet meeting when the original one was agreed and sent it to Mutual Gain to pass onto the officers
To be fair to the officer she said all this was before her time and she therefore did not now much about it.
IMO Lambeth should get new officers up to speed on planning guidelines for Town Centre sites like Brixton.
The short of it is the only guidelines for development will be in the Local Plan.
I have not checked that yet.
Of course we all know that planners ignored guidelines when it came down to Hondo Tower.
This does not promote confidence in future developments imo.
I also asked about Lambeth Zero Carbon aspirations. Is it going to be Passiv Haus development.
Was told it was to be BREEAM excellent. That any shortfalls in Zero Carbon development would be meant by monetary payment as a Carbon offset.
The London Square person also said that keeping International House and refurbishing it rather than demolishing it. Which means embodied carbon will not be released. Which is correct.
