west hampstead place plan pt 1 - draft

8/3/2019 West Hampstead Place Plan Pt 1 - DRAFT

1/19

West Hampstead:

Shaping the Future

A planor the wider West Hampstead area

Drat january 2012


2/19

Shaping theutureo the wider West Hampstead area2

draft

Contents

3 Foreword by Councillor Hayward

4 Summary

6 Why a Place Plan?

8 Developing the Place Plan

9 What the Plan covers

10 What the area is like and what the issues are:

Arelativelyprosperouscommunity

Aplacewithmixedcommunities

Awellconnectedplacewithamixofuses Aplacewithanestablishedtowncentrefacingchallenges

Anareaexpectedtoundergomajorphysicalchanges

Aplacethatcanbedifculttogetaround

Anareawithenvironmentalqualitybutfacingchallenges

20 The Vision

Delivering the Vision

SupportingasuccessfullocaleconomyandTownCentre

Workingtogethertosecurereallocalbenetfromdevelopment

opportunities Maximisingtheopportunitiesforadditionalandenhanced

openspacesandenvironmentalimprovements

Improvingmovementaroundthearea

Deliveringimprovedlocalservices

Action Plan


3/19


draft

Foreword

WestHampsteadisavibrantareawithanimportanttowncentreandishometoalargeresidentialcommunityandahostofcommercial

activitiesthatcontributetothesocialandeconomicprosperityof

theboroughandbeyond.Theareahasanumberofexceptional

assetsincludingexcellentpublictransportlinks,historicarchitecture

andmanyindependentshopsandrestaurantswhichcontribute

toitsvaluedvillagefeel.Itisalsoanareafacingchallengessuch

asmaintainingthesuccessanddiversityofthehighstreetand

addressingalackofopenspace.

WestHampsteadisexpectedtoaccommodatenewhousing

andjobsinthecomingyearsandthischangeisalreadystartingtohappen.Itisvitaltotheongoingsuccessoftheareatoensure

thatthischangebringsrealbenetstolocalpeoplebasedon

identiedlocalneeds.Tomakethishappenitisimportantthatthe

Councilsworkisjoinedupacrossitsservicesandthoseofpartner

organisations.Inthiswayopportunitiescanbestberealisedthatbuild

ontheexistingstrengthsofWestHampsteadwithimprovementsthat

benetthosethatliveandworkandvisitthearea.

Thisplanhasbeenpreparedtoreectthelocalneeds,opportunities

andprioritiesinWestHampsteadandtosetouthowtheycan

beaddressed.Itshowsavisionfortheareaandtheactionsandinterventionswewillmakeandencourageotherstomake,towork

towardsthisvision.Theplanrecognisestheimportanceofthe

communityinshapingthefutureofthearea,particularlygiventhe

enthusiasmandcommitmentthathasregularlybeendemonstrated

bylocalpeopleinWestHampstead.

Wehaveworkedwitharangeofcommunitygroupsandstakeholderstoidentifytheimportantissuesandtobuildavisionfor

thefutureoftheareaandthekindofplacewedliketoseeWest

Hampsteadbecome.Wewillcontinuetothinkstrategicallyandwork

withotherstoimplementtheactionplanandprogresstowardsthe

deliveryofthisvision.

Councillor Sarah Hayward

CabinetMemberforCommunity,RegenerationandEqualities


4/19


draft

SummaryThis Place Plan has beenprepared as part o

Camdens placeshapingapproach to understandingand addressing the needs,

priorities and opportunitiesin dierent parts o the

borough.

WestHampsteadhasbeenchosenasan

areaoffocusbecauseof

itsexcellenttransportlinks,uniquehigh

streetandrichhistoricalarchitecturethatall

contributetoavillagefeel.Itisalsoanarea

identiedashavingthepotentialformajor

change.Theexcellentpublictransport

combinedwithanumberofunderused

sitesaroundtherailwaylinespresentan

opportunityforsignicantinvestmentinthe

area.Developmentproposalsarestartingto

happen,withsomeapprovedschemesand

severalothersatdetaileddiscussionstage.

Thispotentialchangethereforefeelsveryreal

forresidentsandisexactlytheenvironmentin

whichaplaceshapingapproachisimportant

toensureopportunitiestobenetthearea

arenotmissed.

Theplanismadeupoffourmainelements

whicharesummarisedbelow:

What the area is like and what

the issues are

TherstpartofthePlan(insertpage

numbers)describestheareabasedonthe

Councilsknowledgeandfeedbackfrom

consultationswithlocalstakeholdersand

communityrepresentatives.

ItestablishesthekeycharacteristicsofWest

Hampsteadandwhatthekeylocalissuesare.Prioritiesincludetheimportanceofa

successfulhighstreet,managingthechange

intheareatoensurethesenseofvillageis

protected,trafcissuesandmovingaround

thearea,increasingopenspaceinthearea

andprovisionoflocalservicesforall.

Vision

Considerationoftheareascharacteristics

andidentiedissueshelpedtoinformthe

vision,whichwillguidetheCouncilsapproach

totheareaandtheactionsandinterventions

wewillmakeandencourageourpartners

tomake.Thevisionissetoutinfulloninsert

pagenumber,butinsummaryitenvisagesan

areawhere:

ThetowncentreandMillLane

neighbourhoodcentrewillthrivewith

diversityandchoiceandlocalbusinesseswillbesupported.

Opportunitiesaretakentobuildonthe

areasstrengths.

Newopenspacewillbemaximised

togetherwithimprovementstoexisting

spacesandgreenaspectsofthearea.

Thequalityoftheenvironmentwillbe

improvedparticularlyaroundthestations

andthelinkstothewiderarea.

Localservicesandfacilitiesincluding

communitycentresandyouthfacilitieswill

besupported.

Delivering the Vision

Havingsetoutthevision,thissectionsets

outhowitwillbedeliveredtosupportand

promotethesuccessofthearea.Itdiscusses

theactionsthatarealreadybeingtakenand

furtheractionsthatcanbetakenoverthe

short,mediumandlongtermtoachievethe

aspirationsforthearea.Thisisdonearound

vethemes:

Supportingasuccessfullocaleconomy

andTownCentre


5/19


draft

Workingtogethertosecurereallocal

benetfromdevelopmentopportunities

Maximisingtheopportunitiesforadditionalandenhancedopenspacesand

environmentalimprovements

Improvingmovementaroundthearea

Deliveringimprovedlocalservices

Action Plan

Theactionplan(insertpagenumber)

bringstogethertheheadlineobjectivesidentiedintheprevioussectioninatable

anddetailsthespecicactionsthatwill

contributetotheirdelivery.Forexample,

maximisingopportunitiesforadditionaland

enhancedgreenspacesincludesavariety

ofapproachesincludingsecuringopen

spacewithinnewdevelopments,usinga

moredetailedplanningguidanceprocessto

identifyopportunitiestolocatenewspaces

andinvestigatingopportunitiesforproviding

newspaceoncouncilownedlandorotherpocketsofland.

Thepurposeoftheactionplanistoset

outclearmeasurablestepstoachievethe

overallobjectivesandidentifytheanticipated

timeframesfordelivery.Theactionswillbe

monitoredregularlytoensurethatprogressis

beingmadeandthattheplanisresponsivetochangeandnewpriorities.Theactionplanwill

bereviewedandeupdatedwhennecessary.

map


6/19


draft

Why aplace planCamdeniscommittedtoaddressing

theneedsofthediverseareasandthe

communitiesthatlivein,workinandvisittheplacesthatmakeuptheborough,

recognisingthatdifferentplaceshavetheir

ownparticularneedsandprioritiesthatneed

tobeaddressedinwaysthatbestsuitthem.

Thisplaceshapingapproachisabouttaking

theopportunitytothinkandactstrategically

abouthowtoaddresstheseneedsinterms

ofinvestmentdecisions,servicedelivery

andphysicalchanges.Understandinglocal

concernsandprioritiesisattheheartofthisapproachwhichisallthemoreimportant

againstabackdropofreducedCouncil

resourcesarisingparticularlyfromreductions

incentralGovernmentfunding.

PlacePlansarebeingpreparedforanumber

ofareasoffocus,likeWestHampstead,to

agreeanoverallvisionfortheareabased

onthepriorityissuesidentiedwithlocal

communitiesandstakeholders.Asetof

actionsthenformsapartofeachplanto

showhowthevisioncanbemadeintoarealityovertheshortmediumandlongterm.

Theplanswilldrawtogethertherangeof

worktheCouncilundertakesinparticular

areastoencourageandensurejoinedup

workingtoaddresstheneedsofpeople

andplaces.PlacePlansarenotstatutory

planningdocumentsanddonotformpartof

CamdensDevelopmentPlan.Theirscopeiswideandtheysetanoverallstrategicvision

andawidevarietyofactionsforeachplace

whichmaycoversomeplanning-related

issuesalongwitharangeofothers.

ThisPlacePlanhasbeendevelopedto

tryandensurethatthispotentialchange

isasmuchaboutopportunitiesforlocal

communitiesandbusinessesasitisabout

newresidentsornewbusinessestothearea.

Inthesetimesofpressureoncouncil

resources,itisimportantthatthePlacePlan

canprovideaclearvisionfortheareatohelp

usethelimitedresourcesmosteffectively.

OtherPlacePlansarecurrentlybeing

preparedfortheKentishTownandStGiles-

Holbornareas.TheCamdenTownPlacePlan

Places are

areas that draw

people together

to live, work,

learn and play.

Placeshaping

or Camden

ocuses on

places o

change and

opportunity, to

bring strategiesand investment

together in

deciding how

best to shape

such areas.

place plan map


7/19


draft

wascompletedin2010(weblink)andthe

KingsCrossPlacePlanin(insertinfo).Further

plansarebeingdevelopedforEuston,SwissCottageandKilburnastheworkcontinues

withplaceshapinginGospelOakfollowinga

partnershipapproachtoregenerationforthe

identiedareaoffocus.


8/19Shaping theutureo the wider West Hampstead area8

draft

Therststageinthedevelopmentofthe

PlacePlanwastobringtogetherinformation

andknowledgeaboutWestHampsteadasaplaceandacommunity.TheCouncils

PlacePlanandInvestmentTeamcollected

informationanddatafromacrossthefull

rangeofCouncilservicesandfromits

partnersandpreparedadraftKeyIssues

Paperasabasisforengagementwith

stakeholdersinthearea.Thispaperis

availabletodownloadfromtheCouncils

website:

ShapingtheFutureoftheWestHampsteadarea:EngagementonKeyIssues(May2011)

LINK

TheKeyIssuesPaperwascirculatedto

110localgroups,stakeholdersandlocal

Councillorswhowereinvitedtotwo

consultationworkshopsheldonthe16thand

29thJune2011.

Theworkshopswereanopportunityto

discusslocalissues,opportunitiesandprioritiesandforthelocalrepresentatives,

partnersandtheCounciltoworktogether

toagreeasharedvisionforthefuture

ofthearea.Theworkshopswerealso

anopportunitytobuildrelationshipsand

networksbetweenstakeholderstoenable

thedeliveryofthevision.

TheworkshopswereheldattwolocationswithinWestHampsteadandwere

conductedbyanindependentfacilitator.

Thefacilitatorsindependentreporton

theconsultationworkshopsisavailableto

downloadfromtheCouncilswebsite:

WestHampstead-ShapingtheFuture-

WorkshopReport(Link)

Theinformationreceivedfromthese

workshopsandothercommunityconsultationshasbeencollatedandis

summarisedbelow.Togetherwithcontinued

involvementfromacrossthewiderange

ofCouncilservicesandinputfromlocal

representatives,thishasbeenusedto

informthepreparationofthisdraftplan.

Thisdraftwillbesubjecttofurther

consultationbetweentheCouncilandits

partnersandlocalrepresentativestoagree

theVisionandtogainsupportandsharedresponsibilityfortheactions.Aworkshop

withlocalrepresentativesiscurrently

plannedforearlyFebruary2012dateand

venueTBC

Developing thePlace Plan



draft

What theplan coversTheWestHampsteadplaceshapingarea

isfocusedontheareaaroundthethree

stations(LondonUnderground,LondonOvergroundandThameslink)whichis

oftenreferredtoastheinterchangearea.

ItincludestheWestEndLaneretailareas

togetherwiththeadjoiningresidentialareas

andcommercialsitesbetweentherailway

lines.Itislikelythatthiswillbethearea

thatexperiencesthegreatestchangeand

investmentinthecomingyearsasthereare

anumberofsitesidentiedfordevelopment.

TheplanalsocoversawiderareauptoandincludingMillLanetothenorth,across

toFinchleyRoadtotheeast,Woodchurch

RoadtothesouthandSherrifRoadtothe

west.

Theareadoesnotalignwithward,statistical

orboroughboundariesandhasnoxed

boundaries,althoughneighbouringareas

suchasKilburnHighRoadandFinchley

Roadwillbecoveredinmoredepththrough

theKilburnandSwissCottageplans.

Theareacoveredhasarangeofneedsand

isrichinopportunities.Theplanaddresses

issuesoverwhichtheCouncilhasdirect

controlaswellasthosewherewecan

inuenceothersincludingmajorlandowners

andpartners.Theintentionisthattheplan

isabouttheaspirationstheresidents,the

CouncilanditspartnershaveforthekindofplacetheywouldlikeWestHampsteadto

beandcoversshort,mediumandlongterm

actionsthatcanbetakentoachievethis

vision.

Theplanwillbeadocumentthatis

responsivetochange,opportunityandnew

priorities.Updatingwillbedoneonaregularbasisandregularmonitoringwilltakeplace

tomeasureprogressandassesstheon

goingrelevanceofactionsintheActionPlan.

Whereitisclearthatanewfocusisrequired

ornewactionsareneededanupdated

ActionPlanwillbeproduced.

West Hampstead area

map



What the area is likeand what the issues are

10



draft

A relatively prosperous

community

ThecommunitiesofWestHampsteadare

diverseand,likemanypartsofCamden,

includeamixofages,culturesand

backgrounds.Afewnotablecharacteristicsof

theareaaresummarisedbelow:

Thepopulationoftheareawasnearly

8,800in2001.Itisexpectedthatthere

willhavebeensomenaturalpopulation

growthsincethenandcouldgrow

signicantlyiftheexpectedlevelofnewhousingisprovided.

Theareahasahigherthanaverage

proportionofpeopleofworkingageand

asignicantlyhigherproportionofpeople

inthe20-34agegroupthantheborough

asawhole,makingupapproximately

45%ofthepopulation.

Residentsarewellqualiedcompared

againstbothCamdenandNational

averages.

Theareagenerallyhashighlevelsof

peopleinemploymentalthoughthe

youngerpopulation(16-20agegroup)

shouldbecarefullymonitoredas,along

withotherareasthereappearstobea

possibleupwardtrendinunemployment.

Thereareahighnumberofsmall

businessesandfreelancersinthecreativeandculturalindustriesworkingfromhome

inthearea.

Thevastmajorityofhousinginthe

areaismadeupofats,maisonettes

andapartments,withslightlymore

conversionsthanpurposebuilt

accommodation.

Themajorityofhousingisowner-

occupied,althoughthereisalsoahigher

proportionofprivaterentingthanthe

Camdenaverage.

Inthesocialrentedsectorthereare

lowerlevelsofcouncilownedproperties

thantheCamdenaverageandsimilar

percentagesofpeoplerentingfromthe

CouncilasRegisteredSocialLandlords.

Levelsofcrimeandantisocialbehaviour

arerelativelylow

Theabovehighlightsthattheareacan

generallybeconsideredrelativelyprosperous,

butalsoindicatessomeofthepotential

tensionsinthecommunitybetweenthe

needsofdifferentgroups.Inadditiontolocal

residents,thethreestationsarealsousedon

adailybasisbylargenumbersofpeoplewho

donotliveintheareabutareinterchanging

betweenstations.Thismeansthatatthepeaktimesofthedaythenumberofpeople

inthearearisessignicantly,puttingadditional

pressureonthearea.

Thisplandrawsonthendingsofanumber

ofconsultations,themainonesbeing

CamdensSocialCapitalSurvey2008,the

ShapingServicesconsultation2010andthe

Placeshapingconsultationonkeyissuesfor

WestHampsteadinJune2011.

The2008SocialCapitalSurveywasthethird

oneofitskindandisasurveyofindividual

residentsincludingspeciccomparative

dataforallwardsintheBorough.Thesurvey

aimstomeasurethestrengthofcommunity

networks,levelsoftrustandcooperation

betweenpeopleanddifferentcommunities,as

thesequalitiesareseenasthebuildingblocks

ofsocialcapital.Thefullsurveycanbeseen

ontheCamdenwebsiteatInsertlinktoweb

page.

TheShapingServicesconsultationwith

representativesofserviceorganisationswas

setuptobetterunderstandthecumulative

impactonplacesofcrosscouncilsavings

programmesandtodiscusswithlocal



draft

stakeholderstheimpactofthechanges,

lookingathowworkingtogetherdifferently

couldmakethebestuseofreducedresources.ThefullreportcanbeseenatInsert

linktowebpage.

ThePlaceshapingconsultationonkey

Issueswaswithrepresentativesoflocal

organisations.Areportoftheworkshopscan

beseenatInsertlinktowebpage.

Inadditiontotheseconsultations,West

HampsteadAmenityTransport(WHAT)group

undertooksomeconsultationattheJesterFestivalCommunityDay,askingpeoplewhat

theirprioritiesfortheareaareandtheWest

HampsteadLifeBlogsitealsoaskedpeople

fortheirviewsontheKeyIssuespaperforthe

area.

Therearesomekeythemesinrelationto

WestHampsteadwhichemergefromthese

differentconsultations.

Thisisaneighbourhoodwherepeoplearegenerallyverysatisedtolive,with

90%ofrespondentsintheSocialCapital

Surveybelievingthis.TheShapingServices

consultationrevealedthatthereisastrong

senseofcommunitydescribingtheareaas

havinggoodcommunityspirit,friendly,strong

identity.ThePlaceshapingworkshopsndings

supportthis,althoughtheremaybesome

worktodoaroundincreasinglinksbetweenthedifferentelementsofthecommunity.

TheShapingServicesandKeyIssues

workshopsincludedrepresentativesfrom

businesses,communitycentres,thepolice,

residentsassociations,voluntarygroupsand

localcouncillors.

Someoftheneedsfortheareawhichwere

raisedbythesegroupswere:

Theneedformoreaccessiblegreen

spaceorbetteruseofexistingspaces.

Theneedforservicestosupportthe

growingandchangingpopulationinorder

tosupporttheirneedssuchasdoctorsor

schoolplacesbutalsotoallowpeopleto

stayinthearea.

Morehousingthatisaffordabletopeople

inthearea.

Theissuesraisedarediscussedbelowinmore

detail.

A place with mixed

communities

Thereisfelttobeastrongsenseof

communitywithavarietyofactivegroups

intheareasuchasWestHampstead

AmenityTransportgroup(WHAT)andWest

HampsteadLocalConsultationGroup

(WHLCG)whohavebeenactivelyinvolvedin

issuestodowiththeinterchangeforanumber

ofyears.Therearealsoanumberofactive

residentsassociationsincludingtheHousing

Associationgroupsandtherecentlyformed

WestHampsteadGardensandResidentsAssociation(WHGARA).Thesegroupsare

generallyfromthemoreestablishedmembers

ofthecommunity.

Thelargerthanaverageproportionofyounger

workingageresidentsisperhapsaresultof

theexcellenttransportlinkstootherparts

ofLondon.Whilstthiscontributestothe

vibrancyofthearea,residentshavesaidthis

alsomeansthatalargeproportionofthe

communityarelessinvolvedintheareaas

theyleaveforworkinthemorningandreturn

lateintheevening.Theymayalsonotstay

longinthearea,especiallyduetoissuesof

affordabilityandchoiceintheareashousing

whichwasalsoseenascontributingto

fragmentationinthecommunity.



draft

Consultationhasalsoshownthatpeople

feelthereislimitedinteractionbetweenthe

differentagegroups,althoughtheuseofsocialmediaintheareaishelpingtoaddress

thisissue.

WestHampsteadhasanexcellentblogspot,

calledWestHampsteadLife andatwitter

feedwhichhasnearly3500followers.This

isnotonlyameansofresidentsgettingthe

latestnewsandinformationaboutmeetings

inthearea,italsoholdsregularinformalget-

togetherswhichallowresidentsfromarange

ofgroupstomeetup.

A well connected placewith a mix o uses

WestHampsteadgrewrapidlyfromasmall

villagecalledWestEnd,followingthearrival

oftherailwaysinthelate19thcentury.The

railwaylinescuttingthroughtheareahadand

continuetohaveamajorimpacttodayonthe

senseofplaceofthearea.

Theareacomprisesofawidemixofuseswith

avibranttowncentre,largeresidentialareas

andpocketsofcommercialuses,whichhave

developedprincipallyontheformerrailway

lands.

Thethreestationsandbusroutesprovide

excellentconnectionstothewiderarea.Large

numbersofpeopleusethestationsonadailybasis,bothstartingtheirjourneysorusingthe

interchangebetweenstations.

Thereareanumberofserviceswithinthehigh

street,includingthelibraryandFireStation

whichopenedin1901,whichcontributetothe

villagefeel.

A residential area o contrasts

TheresidentialareasarecharacterisedbylargepocketsofVictorianandEdwardian

terraces,semidetachedhousesandredbrick

mansionblocks,mostofwhichfallwithinthe

designatedConservationAreasofWestEnd

GreenandSouthHampstead.

Theseareinterspersedwithanumberof

morerecenthousingdevelopments,such

asTheSidings,RowntreeClose,Lymington

RoadandLithosRoadestates.Theseestates

havemainlybeendevelopedalongsidetherailwaylinesandappearinsomecasesquite

separatedfromthesurroundingarea.

Theneedformorehousingthatisaffordable

tolocalresidents,particularlyfamilies,has

beenidentiedasanissue.Thiscouldreduce

thetransienceofpartsofthepopulationwho

cannotpresentlyaffordtobuypropertyand

helppeoplebuildlongtermconnectionstothearea.

Commercial areas that provide

employment opportunities

Therearesmallpocketsofcommercial

usesthathavedevelopedprincipallyalong

andinbetweentherailwaylines,including

Council-ownedpurpose-builtindustrial

unitsoffMaygroveRoad,industrialunitsin

IversonRoad,commercial/industrialunitsalongBlackburnRoadandcarshowrooms/

dealershipsinbetweenWestEndLane

andFinchleyRoad.Amixofemployment

spaceisimportanttothelocaleconomyand

employmentopportunities.Theconsultations

indicatedadesireforsmallbusinessestobe

abletostayintheareaandtheimportanceof

newlydevelopedspacebeingaffordableto

theirneeds.



draft

Community acilities catering

or a wide range o needs

TheCouncilisworkinginpartnershipwithlocalcommunitiestodeliverservicesincluding

withvoluntarysectorpartnerssuchasSidings

CommunityCentreandWestHampstead

CommunityCentre.

Thesepartnersprovideservicestotheunder

5sandelderly,buttheneedtoensurethe

longtermsustainabilityofthesefacilitiesisa

concernforlocalresidents,particularlyinlight

ofthecurrentcutsinCouncilresources.

Theareaisseenasneedingbetteryouth

facilities,includingmoreopenspacesand

betteruseofexistingfacilitiestoreduce

anti-socialbehaviourandincreaseyouth

engagementinpositiveactivities.

Localservicesfaceachallengingfutureallover

Camdenandthereisaneedtoconsiderhow

theycanbeprovidedinmoreefcientwaysas

theavailablefundingisreduced.

Expectedpopulationgrowthinthisareawill

placeadditionalpressureonservicesand

resources.

A place with an

established town centreacing challenges

WestHampsteadisoneofCamdenssix

designatedtowncentres.WestEndLane

formsthespineofthetowncentre,witha

numberofshopsandrestaurantsalsoalong

BroadhurstGardens.

Theareaaroundthestationsisviewedby

manytobethegatewaytothetowncentre

andduringpeaktraveltimesisthemost

heavilyusedpartofthecentre.Althoughthis

partfeelsseparatedfromthenorthernpartof

theWestEndLane,whichisconsideredtobe

theheartofthetowncentre.

WestEndLaneislocatedbetweenKilburnand

FinchleyRoadtowncentreswhichensures

adiversiedretailofferavailabletoresidents,

withothershoppingdestinationsfurtheraeld

(suchasBrentCross)alsohavinganimpact

onWestHampsteadscommercialposition.

Thetowncentreincludesamixofshops

andservicestocaterforlocalpeoplesday

todayneedsaswellasarangeofcafes,

restaurantsandbarsthatattractpeoplefrom

awidearea.Itischaracterisedbyamixtureof

buildings,withgroundoorcommercialuses

andresidentialabove.Buildingheightsare

generallyfourtovestoreys,exceptaroundthestationarea,wherethelimitationsofthe

existingrailwaybridges,restricttheheightsto

mainlysinglestorey.

Consultationswithlocalstakeholdersshow

thatmaintainingasuccessful,diverseand

wellmanagedtowncentreisoneofthemain

prioritiesforthearea.However,therearea

numberofchallengeswhichareimpacting

uponitssuccess.

Keeping diversity and small

and independent businesses

Therearemanyindependent,longestablished

andspecialistbusinessessuchasLaBrocca,

BlueDaisy,TheGallerybarandWestEndLane

Bookstoreandindependentbusinessesare

animportantandhighlyvaluedpartofthe

characterofthearea.

Localstakeholdershaveraisedconcernsoverthechangingnatureoftheshopping

centre,withtheintroductionofsupermarket

chains,growingnumbersofcoffeeshops

andanarrowingoftherangeofservicesand

choicesforshoppers.


15/19


draft

TheresultsoftheAnnualRetailSurveysupport

thattherehasbeenaslightnarrowingof

choicewithinthiscentre,withthethreelargesttypesofusebeing,restaurants,estateagents

andhairdressers,whichrepresent37%ofall

theretailpremises.Ifothertypesofusesthat

involvefood,suchascafes,takeawaysand

sandwichbarsarealsocounted,thenthis

increasesto47%.

ThisisnotnecessarilyanegativeasWest

Hampsteadhasathrivingeveningeconomy

withbusyrestaurantsandbars,which

contributesignicantlytotheareascharacter,butisofconcerntosomelocalstakeholders.

ThelongtermvacancylevelsinWestEnd

Laneappeartobequitelowandtohave

reducedinthelastcoupleofyears.Themain

issueseemstobemoretheregularchange

ofbusinessescomingandgoing,whichcould

beareectionofthegrowingpressuresof

relativelyhighrentallevelsandbusinessrates

againstreducedtrade.

Asforotherareas,theindependent

businesseswhichbringuniquecharacterto

theareaareincreasinglyunderthreatfrom

competitionfromlargerchainstores.

Support or new and

existing business

Giventheconsiderablegrowthexpectedinthearea,understandingandrespondingto

localbusinessneedsisparticularlyimportant.

Thereisalimitedamountofaffordableand

qualitybusinessspaceonthemainshopping

streets,althoughmajorchangesmaybring

otheropportunities.

WestEndGreenwasusedforasuccessful

Christmasmarketin2010and2011,which

gavelocalbusinessaccesstoawiderangeof

customersandtheremaybescopeforfurthersuchinitiatives.

Mill Lane Neighbourhood

centre under pressure

MillLanerunsfromthetopofWestEnd

LanetowardsKilburnHighRoadandoffers

furtherretailopportunitiesandservicesto

residentstocomplementtheofferonWest

EndLane.Theseshopsandbusinesses

areundersubstantialpressureandhave

seenasignicantincreaseinthenumberof

businessesclosinginthelasttwoyears.This

neighbourhoodcentrenowhasoneofthe

highestvacancyratesintheboroughat18%in

June2010.

Localconsultationsindicatethatthisisperhaps

partlytodowithlesspeopleusingthearea,as

whilsttheshopsstartveryclosetothejunctionwithWestEndLane,theyarenotvisibleand

sovisitorstotheareadonotnecessarily

knowthattheyarethere.Concernswerealso

raisedaboutthepoorerqualityofthestreet

environmentinMillLane,withexcessiveclutter

noted.

An area expected to

undergo major physical

changes

WestHampsteadhasbeenidentiedasan

areaofgrowthintheLondonPlanandin

CamdensLocalDevelopmentFramework.

(LDF)insertLINKtopolicydocs.These

planningdocumentsidentifythatthereis

scopefordevelopmentoftheunderused

landsbetweentherailwaytrackstocreate

newhousing,shops,ofces,community

facilitiesandpublicspace.Whilstthisgrowthislikelytooccurincrementally,itwillundoubtedly

transformthearea.


16/19


draft

West Hampstead Interchange

Area or Intensifcation :

TheLondonPlanhassetatargetforthe

areatoaccommodateby2031

Aminimumof800newhomes

100newjobs

Newdevelopmentscancontributetothe

vibrancyofanarea,andcanhelpimprove

aspectsoftheareathatarecurrentlyrun

downandalsoprovideopportunitieslikejobs

andservicesforresidents.However,thesecouldaddtopressuresonpublicservices,

streets,schoolplacesandtransport.

Akeyissueforresidentsandother

stakeholdersistheneedforthemtobe

involvedinthischangehappeningaround

themandforthemtobeabletoinuencethis

change.Changeswillneedtohaveapositive

impactonthecharacterofWestHampstead.

Thescaleofexpectedgrowthmeansthatthereisaneedtoconsiderhowtoapproach

developmentopportunitiesinacoordinated

andstrategicmannerandhowthechanges

cancontributetowardsthesharedvision

fortheareafromthisPlacePlan.Property

ownershipintheareaiscomplex.Assites

becomeavailableitwillbeimportanttoensure

developmentcontributestothewidervision

fortheareaassetoutinthisplan.

What kind o building

developments?

TousetheopportunitiesinWestHampstead

effectively,developmentshouldmakethe

bestpossibleuseofsitesbyusingland

efciently(includinghighdensitydevelopment

compatiblewiththelocalcontext)and

providingamixofusesthatareappropriate

totheareaincludinghousing,commercial,communityuses,andopenspace.

Theapprovedplanningapplicationfora

studenthousingschemeonBlackburnRoad

andplansfor187WestEndLane,canchange

thehousingmixoftheareaandneedfor

localfacilities.WhilstadditionalhomesinWest

Hampsteadcanalleviatehousingpressuresin

theareaandinotherareasofCamdensuch

asneighbouringKilburn.Theservicesand

facilitiesrequiredbynewresidentswillalsoneedtobeconsidered.

Theissueofbuildingsbeingleftemptyhas

beenraisedbystakeholdersandthatdue

considerationshouldbegiventoretaining

thesebuildingsratherthanredeveloping,

particularlyforcommunityuses.

The station interchange

ThethreestationsonWestEndLaneareused

bymorethan13millionpeopleeachyearand

theareaaroundthestationsisagatewayinto

thetowncentre.

Thereareanumberofapprovedplanned

infrastructureimprovementstotheThameslink

andOvergroundserviceswhichwillincrease

passengerlevelsandthereforeplace

additionalpressureontheinterchange.Signicantimprovementstotheinterchange

areaarecurrentlyunderwayorplanned,

includingthenewThameslinkStationdueto

openinDecember2011andstreetupgrades

tomakepedestrianmovementsafer,more

convenientandmoreattractive.

Stationuseandnumbersofpeopleinthearea

willincreasewiththepotentialnewbuilding

developmentsofsitessuchas187WestEnd

Laneandthe02carparksite.Sotherewillbeanongoingneedtosupporttheimprovement

ofthestationinterchangetothebenetof

localresidents,businessesandvisitors.


17/19


draft

Council Owned Sites

TheCouncilisresponsibleforarangeof

propertyintheWestHampsteadareaincludingcommunitybuildings,commercial

premisesandsomehousing.Anumberof

theserequireinvestmenttoensurethey

aretforpurposeinthelongerterm.The

Councilisexploringhowtomakebestuseof

theCouncilspropertyandbuildingsacross

theborough,aspartoftheCommunity

InvestmentProgramme(CIP)

Community Investment

Programme (CIP)

Alongtermcouncilprogrammetoimprove,

shapeandtransformplacesandservices

whichaimsto:

manage council resources mosteectively in response to reductionsin Capital unding rom Government

make and generate investmentin better quality ft-or-purpose

acilities

release receipts or investmentin the capital programme, includingimproving the quality o Councilhomes

deliver a range o improvementsto housing estates, schools, openspaces and community acilities inconsultation with building occupiers

and local residents

investigate whether propertiescan be used in other ways in order

to meet the needs and aspirationso the local communities

Anumberoffutureopportunitieshavebeen

identiedinWestHampsteadincluding

proposalstoassisttheimprovementstoschoolsandeducationfacilities,opportunities

toimprovecommunityfacilitiesandsiteswhich

mighthavepotentialtoaccommodatenew

homes.TheseincludeasiteonLiddellRoad,

(locatedoffMaygroveRoad)partofwhich

couldberedevelopedforanewprimaryschool

ifneededinthefutureand156WestEndLane

whichcouldaccommodateanewmixed-

usedevelopment.Localcommunitieswillbe

consultedonproposalsintheCommunity

InvestmentProgrammeastheydevelop.Theseproposalsareexploredinmoredetailinthe

relevantDeliveringtheVisionsectionsonpages

insertpagereference

Localism Act

Giventheextentofchangeshappeninginthe

arearesidentsgroupshaveindicatedthatthey

areinterestedindrawingupamoredetailed

planforthearea.TheLocalismActbecame

lawinNovember2012,althoughtheprovisionoftheActarenotexpectedtocomeintoforce

untilApril2012.ResidentandStakeholder

groupshaveexpressedastrongdesirefor

investigatingtheopportunitiesthatthisnewBill

providesandpotentiallydrawinguptheirown

NeighbourhoodPlan.


18/19


draft

A place that can be

difcult to get around

Thestationareaisoftencrowdedwithfull

pavements.TheCouncilandpartnerslike

ThameslinkandTransportforLondon(TfL)

haveworkedhardtoimprovethesituation

overthelastfewyears.Substantialworks

havebeenundertakentoimprovejunctions,

crossingsandrelocatebusstopsbut

congestionatpeaktimesremainsanissue.

Existingpavementsbetweenthestationsare

narrowandthelimitationsofbridgesoverthetracksrestrictwhatcanbedone,especiallyas

itisamajornorthsouthroadroute.

Improvedcyclerouteshavebeenidentiedas

apriorityalongwithfootpathsfromthestation

totheshoppingareaandsurroundingstreets.

Barriers and obstacles

Theexistinginterchangeandtowncentre

arepoorlyconnectedtothesurrounding

neighbourhoods,withtherailwaylinescutting

throughtheareacontributingtothissenseof

separation.

Therearepathwaysalongoracrossthe

railwaysandworkhasrecentlybeen

undertakentoimprovethesetohelpaddress

thisissue.

ThemainroutefromWestEndLaneto

FinchleyRoadalongBlackburnRoad,around

thecommercialunitsandacrosstheO2car

parkiswellused,butisofpooroverallquality.

Otherpedestrianroutesincludetherenamed

BillyFuryspathway(formerlyLithospassage)

whichalsoconnectsWestEndLaneto

FinchleyRoadandtotheLithosRoadestate

viaabridgeovertherailway.Thisisanarrow,

long,alleyway,whichcouncillorsandtheCouncilareworkinginpartnershipwiththe

SaferNeighbourhoodTeamtoimprove.

Trafc and congestion

Carparkingandensuringthatnew

developmentsdonotmaketheexisting

situationworsewasasignicantissuefor

stakeholders.Somepeoplefeltthatthecar

freestatusfornewdevelopmentsdidnot

necessarilypreventpeoplefromhavingcars,withpeoplemanagingtoavoidtheparking

restrictiontimes.

WestEndLaneisabusyroutelinkingWest

HampsteadtoSouthHampstead.Itisalso

animportantbusrouteforthesurrounding

areas.Theimpactofdeliveryvehiclesfor

thesupermarketchainshasbeenraised

asasignicantissueastheyrestricttrafcmovementonWestEndLane.

An area o high qualitybut acing challenges

Thecentralinterchangeareaiswedged

betweentwoconservationareasWestEnd

GreenConservationAreatothenorthand

SouthHampsteadConservationAreatothe

south.

Forthemostpart,WestHampsteadenjoys

ahighqualityenvironmentwithadistinctive

villagecharacter.Preservingandenhancing

WestHampsteadsuniquearchitectural

heritageisimportanttolocalresidents.


19/19

Shaping the uture o the wider West Hampstead area19

draft

A lack o open spaces

Whilstthereareanumberofopenspaces

withinthearea,includingawardwinningMaygrovePeacePark,IversonRoadand

CrownCloseopenspaces,WestHampstead

asawholehasbeenidentiedinCamden

Planningdocumentsasanareadecient

inopenspace.(insertlinktoopenspace

deciencymap)Thestrongdesireformore

greenareasandopenspaceaswellas

improvementstoexistingspacesisakey

priorityforlocalpeople.

Existinggreenchainsandhabitatcorridorsalongtherailwaytracksandexistingsitesof

natureconservationsuchasMedleyOrchard

arehighlyvaluedbyresidentsandneedtobe

protectedandenhanced.

Again,newdevelopmentsandanincreased

populationmeansnewopenspacestoserve

existingandnewresidentswillbenecessary.

Exploringopportunitiesfornewdevelopments

tobringsuchimprovementswillbeessentialif

theareaistohavetheopenspacesneededinthefuture.

west hampstead place plan pt 1 - draft

Documents