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Fresh Air Squares Locations options paper March 2015

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1. Introduction Team London Bridge (TLB) delivered the first Fresh Air Square parklet (a micro park replacing two car parking spaces) on Tooley Street to universal acclaim in early November 2015. TLB are planning to deliver a further two parklets within the TLB business improvement district boundary in the spring of 2016. This short paper evaluates a number of potential site locations and follows a walkabout in early December with senior Southwark Council officers. Section 9 details the preferred next locations.

2. Concept TLB developed the idea of the Fresh Air Square as a modular, portable micro-park (parklet) to replace (multiple) London car parking spaces so as to improve the local environment and to raise awareness about air quality issues. They are be designed to incorporate (a) planting (b) seating and (c) an air quality monitoring station. The Fresh Air Squares support TLB’s aspirations, backed by extensive local business and community consultation, for a greener and more pedestrian focused London Bridge.

3. Development In August 2014 TLB, in partnership with King’s College London Environmental Research Group and CJS Plants, was awarded funding from the Transport for London Future Streets Incubator Fund to deliver three parklets in the London Bridge area. The fund supports innovative on-street trials that aim to encourage sustainable transport and create vibrant public spaces. It delivers on the recommendations of the Roads Task Force, which calls for a stronger focus on innovation and trialing new approaches. TLB organized an architectural competition, in partnership with the London Festival of Architecture 2015, to select a winning design. Over sixty entries were received. Three practices were shortlisted and paid to further develop their schemes. A public ‘crit’, whose panel included TFL, Future City, the GLA, TLB and Cllr Mark Williams from Southwark Council was held at City Hall to selected the winning design. The unanimous winner was the WMB Studio entry.

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4. Location The selected location was outside 110 – 112 Tooley Street. The reasons for this were:

- TFL required a Red Route location given their funding. - Tooley Street is a high footfall location. - Research suggests placing near cafes – as exist at this location - are more successful. - The extended parking bay meant that we didn’t have to go into the carriage way. - Our research showed that the parking bay had spare capacity.

5. Consultation TLB undertook extensive local (primarily business focused) consultation. This included:

- Inviting 300 levy paying members and local residents to the LFA ‘crit’. - Targeted twitter campaign to all adjacent businesses and local amenity groups. - Visiting all adjacent businesses as part of the project development. - E-mail project updates to all local ward councillors. - E-mailing all adjacent businesses as part of the project development. - Stall and leaflet distribution at location on two evenings prior to delivery. - Support universal across all consultation methods. No objections were received.

Southwark Council consulted with local residents. This included:

- Letter to local residents detailing the project. - An officer report to the Bermondsey Community Council recommending approval. - Briefing of local councillors. - Support universal across all consultation methods. No objections were received.

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6. Highway permissions Tooley Street is a Red Route and therefore required TFL Highways approval. See Appendix 1. The parking bay is controlled by Southwark Council and therefore required a Traffic Management Order - see appendix 2. TLB paid the Traffic management Order fee of £1,881 to Southwark Council.

7. Funding Project funding: 50% TLB. 50% TFL. No funding was required of or received from Southwark Council.

8. Delivery The installation of took place on Sunday November 15th between 8am and 3pm. Bollards were placed so as to secure the parking space two days before installation. All adjacent vehicles were leafleted with details of the project and installation.

9. Maintenance TLB have a contract with CJS Plants to water and maintain all the planting. This includes immediate exchange of any damaged or failing planting, weekly watering and seasonal planting changes.

10. Air Quality Monitoring King College London have located a live air pollution monitoring station on the Fresh Air Square. For nitrogen dioxide concentrations and background air pollution please visit: www.teamlondonbridge.co.uk/freshairsquares

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11. Evaluation

TLB commissioned the London College of Communication (LCC) Spatial Design department to undertake a qualitative appraisal of the first parklet. LCC Spatial Design students spent 2 days in November interviews 43 people who were using the Fresh Air Square. The headline results of this research were:

98% WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE FRESH AIR SQUARES IN LONDON BRIDGE

86% THOUGHT MEASURES SUCH AS

FRESH AIR SQUARES VERY IMPORTANT OR IMPORTANT TO

IMPROVING LONDON’S AIR QUALITY

84% SATISFIED OR VERY STATISFIED WITH THE EXERIENCE OF USING

THE FRESH AIR SQUARE

Initial feedback has been universally positive. The internationally respected Dezeen and Slate journals / blogs have featured glowing reviews of the project. A number of local organisations including the Shad Thames Area Management Partnership and the Tower Bridge Alliance have made enquiries as to how they could locate one in their respective areas. Initial lessons point to:

- the need to make minor amendments to ensure better drainage. - locating closer to café or active shop fronts would generate higher usage.

We are happy to share the quantitative London College of communication data and findings with all interested parties.

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12. Locations

Priority project

1 Tooley Street – approaching London Bridge St. Martin’s Property

Strengths - Located 90% on St. Martin’s Property private land. 10% on Southwark footpath. - St. Martins Property 100% supportive. London Bridge Experience also supportive. - Significant high footfall but currently blighted part of the Thames Path.

Issues

Conclusion - TLB would like to start working with Southwark so as to deliver this Fresh Air Square in May 2016.

Priority project

2 Snowsfields Southwark highway

Strengths - Will be located opposite a café due to open in Apr 2016. Research has shown those in such locations are the most successful. We have been in discussion with the café owner and he is supportive.

- Quiet location high levels pedestrian traffic. - Located in residential parking bay therefore no loss of parking revenue. - Ample residential parking bay on both side of the street.

Issues - Residential consultation. Will have a close working relationship with Leathermarket JMB Housing and Peabody and will consult directly with all local

- Management issues with café need discussion and review.

Conclusion - TLB would like to start working with Southwark so as to deliver this Fresh Air Square in May 2016.

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3 Crucifix Lane TFL highway

Strengths - Located on a TfL carriageway which is where Fresh Air Squares were designed to be located. - Ample road width as proven when hoardings were in place. - Promotes the potential for pavement widening and a ‘café culture’ to take hold in the arches.

Issues - Located on a TfL carriageway which is where Fresh Air Squares were designed to be located. - Crucifix Lane will become an important alternative route through to Tooley Street from London

Bridge Station (via the newly open St. Thomas Street – August 2016) given the partial closure and congestion on Tooley Street pavements as a result of the Thameslink programme.

Conclusion - Helps promote the ‘Low Line’ concept of a green pedestrian way adjacent to the viaduct. - TLB would like to work with Southwark Council, TFL & Network Rail to realise in late summer 2016.

4 Tooley Street – Unicorn Theatre TFL pavement

Strengths - The Unicorn Theatre and More London supportive of a parklet in this location. - High footfall area and likely to attract tourists and theatre visitors. - Would bring greening to an otherwise hard landscaped area.

Issues - Design would have to ensure that there was minimal encroachment of the pavement desire lines.

Conclusion - Design would have to ensure that there was minimal encroachment of the pavement desire lines. - TLB would like to work with Southwark Council, TFL & Network Rail to realise in late summer 2016.

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13. Delivery Design development and competition

- Location paper March 2016 - Meeting with Southwark & TFL highways teams Early April - Formal consultation April - May - Delivery June +++

The selected design team will be required to work with the following partners:

- Team London Bridge. TLB is the project lead for the Fresh Air Square programme. - TLB will lead on liaison with Southwark Council and local businesses and residents. - Transport for London. TFL will be responsible for all technical issues relating to highway requirements

and permissions on TFL highways. They will coordinate the required internal support from TLF departments.

- Southwark Council. Southwark Council will be responsible for all technical issues relating to highway requirements and permissions on Southwark highways. They will coordinate the required internal support from Southwark departments.

- Kings College London. The Fresh Air Square will include air quality monitoring and communications technology. The designer will need to incorporate this into their final designs and will work with the KCL Environment Department to deliver this.

- CJS Plants. The designer will work with Director Charles Short to select and plant suitable trees, plants & shrubs. These will thereafter be maintained by CJS Plants on a maintenance contract with TLB.

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Appendies 1. TFL Approval

From: Garcia-Granados Beatriz [mailto:BeatrizGarciaGranados@tfl.gov.uk] Sent: 07 September 2015 11:41 To: Lam Stella <StellaLam01@tfl.gov.uk> Subject: RE: Updated parklet drawings / images Stella, Following our meeting held on the 10th August 2015, please accept this email as TAA Highways AIP - Acceptance of the proposal made for the Fresh Air Squares at Tooley St parking bay. This feature has been assessed as:

- a non-permanent feature (expected to be 6 months at the proposed location) - as a temporary build out/ street furniture element

Taking the above points in consideration, the TAA comments are as below:

Contributor: AMD – Beatriz Garcia-Granados - TAA Manager (Highways) - SCHEME: Fresh Air Squares - Tooley Street Ref: 0108.04 Date: 07.09.15

Document Recommendation Sponsor decision To be approved by

GA001_C Lateral clearance from live traffic: The minimum lateral clearance of 450mm from the planters (approx. 500mm high) to the live traffic (1.4m wide cycle lane) is being proved achievable. Nevertheless, in order to allow for a wider footway space, the TfL RSA Team was consulted and this distance was allowed to be relaxed to 250mm as shown in the drawings. Monitoring of the measures has been suggested. TAA Highways AIP - Acceptance

To go with the ....... decision and to budget accordingly.

Project/ Programme Board, SRG

GA001_C Back of bench offset from live traffic: The back of the bench, when the user is facing the building line, should be offset from the live traffic a minimum of 750mm from the carriageway edge (in the still under review Streetscape Guidance 2015 this distance is advised to be increased to 1m). During discussions with all parts involved in the proposals it was mentioned that if there are assets protecting the bench position in relation to the approaching traffic, the 750mm/ 1m required clearance could be reduced. At the same scenario when the 450mm offset from the planters to the cycle lane was achievable, the 750mm offset from the back of the bench to the cycle lane could be attained. Considering the temporary nature of the scheme and the protection offered by the planters, the proposed distance of 550mm is deemed sufficient. Once more, monitoring should be carried out. TAA Highways AIP - Acceptance

To go with the ....... decision and to budget accordingly.

Project/ Programme Board, SRG

GA001_C Utilities under the platform: TAA team requested for ratification of any possible utility access cover or gully being covered by the platform supporting the bench. The design team confirmed that this was not the case and that the avoidance of these assets had been considered for the selection of the proposed location for the Fresh Air Square. TAA Highways AIP - Acceptance

To go with the ....... decision and to budget accordingly.

Project/ Programme Board, SRG

General Maintenance: TAA team was ensured that none of these features were to be maintained by TfL. TAA Highways AIP - Acceptance

Beatriz Garcia-Granados Technical Approvals Manager (Highways) Highways Asset Management | Highways Department | Asset Management Directorate | Transport for London Tel: 020 3054 0441 | Auto: 80441 | Mobile: 079 6637 0984 | Fax: 020 3054 2005 BeatrizGarciaGranados@tfl.gov.uk | www.tfl.gov.uk 4R4 Palestra | 197 Blackfriars Road | Southwark | SE1 8NJ

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2. Southwark Council Traffic Management Order

3. Background

London Air Quality Network London Bridge Green Infrastructure Audit London Bridge Plan Team London Bridge Team London Bridge “London Bridge Future Streets” report TFL Future Streets Incubator Fund TFL Roads Task Force report TFL streetscape guidance Vauxhall One Vauxhall Missing Link

4. Research Dublin City Beta Projects: Street Parklets Parklet Studies Los Angeles San Francisco Planning: Pavements to parks University City District: The Case for Parklets William H. Whyte: The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

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