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45,000 homes could be built in vacant town centre space, report says
A minimum of 45,000 new homes could be delivered by converting existing vacant space in UK town and city centres, according to a new report. The findings, in ‘Making Sense of Mixed-Use Town Centres,’ published by planning and development consultancy Turley, states that town centres need to embrace mixed-use development to thrive in the future – and that there is currently eight million square metres of unused floor- space across the UK’s urban centres. As part of a mixed-use strategy that would see 35 per cent of vacant space apportioned to residential development, the report says more than 45,000 homes could be delivered.
These figures are reportedly conserva-
tive, as they assume new homes would not be built above the level of existing build- ings. The firm argues that significantly more homes could be delivered through “modest” increases in height in town and city centres, and tall buildings could extend this opportunity even further. The report also argues the death of the high street is a “myth,” and that retail has a key role to play in the regeneration of failing town and city centres. According to the consultancy, fears over the future of high street retail have been exaggerated, and it has an important part to play in the future, with new residential development having a key role in supporting its footfall and revenue.
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RECOMMENDATIONS In the report, Turley has called for resistance to “blanket top-down national measures,” stating that “careful understand- ing of places is needed so that individually tailored solutions can be provided to secure successful regeneration.” To combat what it calls “unclear guidance” in the National Planning Policy Framework, the report outlines a series of recommendations for realising “successful mixed-use centres,” such as ensuring data is gathered on retail and leisure catch- ments, and conducting viability studies and vacancy analysis, “with the consideration of housing need assessments, social infrastructure assessments and business use assessments highlighted as an important first step.” How transport and infrastructure links affect a centre’s ability to perform also needs to be assessed, the report says. Consideration should be given to the heritage of an area and the quality of public realm available. A “whole-place approach” should focus on “creating centres that attract people to them” – a key facet of successful regeneration, the report says. Design is highlighted as having a pivotal
role in successfully integrating mixed-use development, enhancing connectivity and accessibility, and encouraging sustainable travel opportunities. Principles for the provision of more accessible community and social infrastructure needed to support the numbers of homes in town centres and ensure they are “liveable” are also suggested.
Speaking about the report’s findings, one
of the report’s co-authors, and director in Turley’s planning team, Paul Keywood, said: “Our urban centres offer a delicate balance of uses and services that rely on each other to drive footfall and survive economically. We believe that for these centres to continue to succeed and serve the needs of their communities they need to embrace a mixed-use future where the balance of uses shifts from what we have traditionally seen.” He added: “A whole-place but bespoke approach to each centre, that considers what is needed to make these places attrac- tive and useful for communities and businesses, is essential. “Adopting this approach can deliver much needed housing, help turn around the fortunes of places that are currently struggling and ensure successful urban
centres continue to perform. Contrary to popular belief, high street retail has a crucial part to play in shaping this future.”
Community-led housing projects receive funding boost
A further £4.5m for community-led homes has been invested by independent charity Power to Change, via two separate funds. The trust is launching Homes in Community Hands, a £4.2m fund to support “capacity building” and pre-development costs for community-led schemes, while providing grants to the Community Land Trust (CLT) Fund to support a blended funding programme with CAF Venturesome. Administered by Community Led
Homes, the Homes in Community Hands programme will award grants averaging £50,000 to community led housing groups, including community land trusts, co- housing groups, and housing co-operatives for new build and refurbishment projects. The grants will cover the costs of site stage feasibility work to asses the viability of a site or buildings for development, plan stage pre-development work leading to submitting a planning application (if required), and post-planning costs for work to get a project ready to start on site. Rose Seagrief, programme manager in
charge of housing at Power to Change, commented: “We are delighted to be launching these funds to support the increasing number of community groups who want to create better places to live now and in the future by delivering perma- nently affordable homes. “Nationally, 5,500 community-led homes are expected to be built over the next five years but groups need help with the costs in the early stages to get these essential schemes off the ground,” she said. The Community Land Trust Fund provides pre-planning and development finance to community land trusts in the form of unsecured loans from CAF Venturesome, ranging from £25,000 up to £70,000 at pre-planning stage. Power to Change is providing grants – up to 50 per cent of the loan value – to sit alongside these pre-development loans to help CLTs buy in additional capacity and professional support, and in some cases to refinance existing loans to help to kick start stalled projects.
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