Future of London's events continued apace this morning on the subject of Localism in London. Assembled on the panel were Colin Wilson (GLA), Stephen Hill (RICS / C20), David Cox (SNR Denton) and Ben Harrison (Chair – FOL Executive Director).
As I left my home in Edmonton on this crisp October morning, the concept of localism and the devolution of power to the people sitting around me on a crammed southbound train to the City wasn’t sitting too comfortably in my mind. I wondered whether my fellow workers would really have the time outside of trying to make ends meet in an age of austerity to participate in local politics.
Being completely honest I was also thinking about breakfast, but this was not to be as a not very clever ‘smart’ phone took me to Mount Pleasant sorting office rather than to the offices of SNR Denton a couple of miles down the road.
Making the venue just in time for the start of the seminar, I was surprised to see the glamorous Tesco’s at Edmonton being used by Colin Wilson as an example of planning for a new community under an agenda for localism, illustrating the quandary about how to determine local priorities for a community that does not exist. Colin went on to showcase a number of developments across London, focussing upon designated Opportunity Areas within the London Plan to outline mechanisms such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) that may be used to bring forward new development.
What struck me about the content of Stephen Hill’s presentation is that localism is a concept that has been knocking around for some time and the rhetoric of the Coalition does not differ to a great degree to that of New Labour. Stephen illustrated that a number of the tools to empower local communities are already in existence as a result of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 but will be rebranded in the Localism Bill to come forward later this year, including modified Local Development Orders being rebadged, supplementing the word ‘local’ for ‘neighbourhood’….clever.
Coming from a legal perspective, David Cox questioned whether localism has a role in London and used the Nine Elms as an example of an area that may benefit from TIF or Local Infrastructure Tariff mechanism. However, David also drew attention to the tension between local and sub-regional priorities and the risk that neighbouring areas outside of a designated regeneration zone could be drained of perfectly successful businesses, who may choose to relocate into a regeneration area with more attractive business rates.
As the seminar concluded, I reflected upon what I had heard. Localism is undoubtedly an exciting concept and on the face of it has the potential to transform the areas that have the ability to embrace it. However, I remain to be convinced as to whether those it could really benefit will have the voice, inclination or time to participate in influencing an agenda for their local area and on the flipside whether those who do participate use their voice to say anything other than ‘no’ to development.
Tom Dewey
LB Waltham Forest
As I left my home in Edmonton on this crisp October morning, the concept of localism and the devolution of power to the people sitting around me on a crammed southbound train to the City wasn’t sitting too comfortably in my mind. I wondered whether my fellow workers would really have the time outside of trying to make ends meet in an age of austerity to participate in local politics.
Being completely honest I was also thinking about breakfast, but this was not to be as a not very clever ‘smart’ phone took me to Mount Pleasant sorting office rather than to the offices of SNR Denton a couple of miles down the road.
Making the venue just in time for the start of the seminar, I was surprised to see the glamorous Tesco’s at Edmonton being used by Colin Wilson as an example of planning for a new community under an agenda for localism, illustrating the quandary about how to determine local priorities for a community that does not exist. Colin went on to showcase a number of developments across London, focussing upon designated Opportunity Areas within the London Plan to outline mechanisms such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) that may be used to bring forward new development.
What struck me about the content of Stephen Hill’s presentation is that localism is a concept that has been knocking around for some time and the rhetoric of the Coalition does not differ to a great degree to that of New Labour. Stephen illustrated that a number of the tools to empower local communities are already in existence as a result of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 but will be rebranded in the Localism Bill to come forward later this year, including modified Local Development Orders being rebadged, supplementing the word ‘local’ for ‘neighbourhood’….clever.
Coming from a legal perspective, David Cox questioned whether localism has a role in London and used the Nine Elms as an example of an area that may benefit from TIF or Local Infrastructure Tariff mechanism. However, David also drew attention to the tension between local and sub-regional priorities and the risk that neighbouring areas outside of a designated regeneration zone could be drained of perfectly successful businesses, who may choose to relocate into a regeneration area with more attractive business rates.
As the seminar concluded, I reflected upon what I had heard. Localism is undoubtedly an exciting concept and on the face of it has the potential to transform the areas that have the ability to embrace it. However, I remain to be convinced as to whether those it could really benefit will have the voice, inclination or time to participate in influencing an agenda for their local area and on the flipside whether those who do participate use their voice to say anything other than ‘no’ to development.
Tom Dewey
LB Waltham Forest
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