Towards a Sustainable and Just City Region?

Civil Society and the rise of community-based approaches to planning and

development in London

TU Berlin 29 November 2013

Professor Nick Baileybaileyn@westminster.ac.uk

Civil Society

• Multiple meanings• Different formations – national charities, area-

based, issue-based ‘third sector’ organisations• Uneven geographical distribution• Simple legal and organisational structures• Long history of charitable activities in UK• Response to shrinking of the state and public

investment in communities and places• No coherent strategy – e.g. Big Society,

Localism, forums

Defining social and community enterprise

The complexities of planning in London

educating for

Development Trusts are…..

• Engaged in economic, social and environmental regeneration of a defined are or community of interest;

• Independent, not-for-profit, aiming for sustainability;• Community based, owned and managed;• Actively involved in partnerships with stakeholders;• (usually) a registered company limited by guarantee;• (usually) a registered charity.

Coin Street Community Builders

Westway Development Trust

Westway Development Trust

Comparing two trusts in London

Coin Street Westway

Land ownership Freehold Long lease from council and DoT

Year founded 1984 1971

Legal status Company limited by guaranteecharity

Company limited by guaranteeCharity

Assets £26m in 2007 £28.5m in 2012

Area 5.3 ha 9 ha

Reason for expansion Sale at low valuation by GLC Lease at low valuation

Organisation 12 trustees 14 trustees + chair

Main activities Housing (220 affordable)Commercial/retailOpen space

80% community facilities15% commercial5% vacant

Coin Street Community Builders

• Assets of £26m in 2007;

• 5.3 hectare site bought in 1984;

• 220 homes built;

• Families & children’s centre;

• Neighbourhood centre with nursery, meeting rooms, office space for charities;

• Public open space;

• Shops and offices;

• Work and arts spaces;

• Proposed swimming pool

www.coinstreet.org

Iroko Housing Co-operative built 59 homes to rent in 2001

Iroko is one of 4 housing co-ops in the Coin Street area

Proposed Doon Street development on the South Bank, London

Sources of Finance

• Section 106 and asset transfer (land and buildings);• Loans from banks;• Sales and services provided;• Big Lottery, Heritage Lottery Fund;• EU funding (in certain areas);• Various funds from central & local government;• LAs can sell land/buildings below market value if

worth less than £2m.

Community Development Trusts

• There are 466 development trusts across the UK • Development trusts work in communities that make up a quarter

of the UK population • They have a combined income of £297m, of which £177m is

earned income • £643m of assets are in community ownership • 5040 staff and 23,000 volunteers work with development trusts • Development trusts provide support to almost 9,000 community

groups and over 8,000 small businesses • Development trusts engage in a wide range of community

focussed activities and services.

Source: DTA. Development trusts in 2009

Assets owned by Locality members in England

Source: Locality membership survey 2012

Total assets: £643m

Income to Locality members in EnglandSource: Locality membership survey 2012

Total income: £297m

Assets of Community Value• Under Localism Act 2011 groups can apply to local

council to register an Asset of Community Value; • When asset is for sale, group has 6 months to raise

the market value before it can be sold on open market;

• Often applied to pubs but also redundant schools, libraries etc.

• Similar powers operating in Scotland

First Asset of Community Value in London?

The Ivy House, Nunhead, bought by Ivy House Community Pub Ltd in March 2013 after declared an asset of community value by Southwark Council and residents raising £810,000

Conclusions

• Small scale, uneven distribution• Affected by recession and increasing property values• Operate at high risk end of market• Driven by a commercial imperative to make a surplus• Depend on volunteers for management and delivery• Important community development role• Depend on buying in expertise (valuation, architects

etc)• Asset transfer very slow – owners want to maximise

income• Voluntaristic principle – promoting ‘co-production’

The Co-Production Model

Governance

Community engagementService delivery

Sources• Hart, L. To have and to hold: The DTA guide to asset

development for community and social enterprise. DTA, 2010.

• Bailey, N. The role, organisation and contribution of community enterprise to urban regeneration in the UK. Progress in Planning, 77(1), 2012.

www.locality.org.uk

www.westway.org

www.coinstreet.org

Questions?