west hampstead place plan_annotated
TRANSCRIPT
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West Hampstead:
Shaping the Future
A plan or the wider West Hampstead area
March 2012
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Shaping the uture o the wider West Hampstead area2
Contents
Foreword by Councillor Hayward 3
Summary 4
The place plan and what it covers 6
What the area is like and what the issues are 9
The vision 17
Delivering the vision 20
Action Plan 46
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Foreword
West Hampstead is well loved or its village eel, a characteristic much valued by
the communities that live here and appreciated by those who work and visit thisplace. West End Lane with its interesting variety o shops and caes, the village
green and the characterul Mill Lane all contribute to a eeling o human scale that
people want to experience in the heart o their neighbourhood.
With excellent public transport links, a large residential community, some historic
architecture and a host o activities that contribute to the social and economic
prosperity o the borough and beyond, West Hampstead is a vibrant place. Like
many other areas, the communities here need good services, young people need
opportunities, amilies and other households need appropriate housing and open
spaces need to be improved. This plan is about looking at how best to make the
most o opportunities to meet local needs and it recognises that the way to dothis will be with local people on board.
It is also a place where building construction is becoming a part o daily lie with
major developments underway and planned to bring in new houses and jobs. There
are big changes with inrastructure and development proposals that aect the area
which need to bring opportunities with clear benets or local communities. A key
part o this Place Plan will be about how to ensure this happens with actions that
support local communities to have a role in how developments in the area are taken
orward, about the quality and scale o developments and in identiying priorities or
local benets rom major developments.
The economic climate means we need a renewed ocus on ensuring local
people, particularly young people, have access to the new jobs that will be
created and the training so that they have the skills to compete. Despite West
Hampstead’s excellent connections to the rest o London, moving around the
area can oten be very dicult, particularly or pedestrians and cyclists. We need
to look at opportunities to improve the quality o experience or local people.
Placeshaping is a way o looking at local areas to identiy what local people
need, what the opportunities are and how the two can be linked to make surepeople can make the most o their lives and the opportunities that exist locally.
This Place Plan, with a clear Action Plan, has been developed ollowing
consultation with people and organisations that live and work in West
Hampstead. It also draws on a range o previous consultations and engagement
in the area and a long history o community involvement in West Hampstead.
This involvement looks set to continue with the ormation o a Neighbourhood
Development Forum and i a Neighbourhood Plan is developed, it is hoped that
these will become mutually supportive documents, which guide the uture shape
o the area. This is a living document and the Action Plan will be monitored and
developed over time with continuing input rom the people and organisationsthat live and work here.
With West Hampstead undergoing radical and rapid change, it’s my intention
that everyone who lives here can really share in the benets.
Councillor Sarah Hayward
Cabinet Member or Community,
Regeneration and Equalities
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Summary This Place Plan has beenprepared as part o
Camden’s Placeshapingapproach to understandingand addressing the needs,
priorities and opportunitiesin dierent parts o the
borough.
West Hampstead has been chosen as an area o
ocus because o both the need to ensure local
people benet rom the major changes that are
coming as well as the need to protect the village eel
o the neighbourhood. The excellent public transport,
combined with a number o underused sites around
the railway lines means there are opportunities or
signicant investment in the area. Building work is
on-going and more planning applications are in the
pipeline.
Change is thereore very real or residents and this is
exactly where a Placeshaping approach is important
to ensure opportunities to benet the community are
not missed.
The plan is made up o our main elements which are
summarised below:
What the area is like and
what the issues are
The rst part o the Plan on pages 9-17 describesthe area, its people and communities and the issues
they ace. These have been identied rom statistical
data, work that has taken place in the area and
eedback rom consultations with local councillors
and community representatives. Key issues include
the importance o a successul high street, managing
the change in the area to ensure the sense o village
is protected, trac issues and moving around the
area, increasing open space in the area and provision
o local services or all – both existing and new
communities.
Vision
Consideration o the area’s characteristics and
identied issues has inormed the vision, which has
been developed with local communities to guide
the Council’s approach to the area and the actions
and interventions we will make and encourage our
partners to make. The vision is set out in ull on page
19, but in summary it envisages a West Hampstead
where:
• Local communities experience real benets rom
the opportunities that come with redevelopment
and people eel that they have infuenced and
shaped how investment is made in the area.
• Support or local business will be a key part o
enhancing the distinctive village character and
more local jobs will contribute to a successul
local economy.
• Local services, housing, open spaces and
acilities will meet the needs o local communities
as will the quality o experience that people have
moving around the area.
• Co operation with local people, voluntary sector
organisations, developers, businesses and the
council will make this happen.
Delivering the Vision
This section explains how we will go about delivering
the vision. It discusses the actions that are already
being taken and urther actions that can be taken
over the short, medium and long term to achieve
the outlined aspirations or the area. This section is
organised around the objectives which are:
• To secure real local benet rom development
opportunities
• To support a successul local economy with a
thriving neighbourhood
• To provide new open space and improve the
local environment
• To deliver improved local services
• To make it easier and more pleasant or people to
move around the area
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Action Plan
The Action Plan on pages 46-52 brings together
the headline objectives identied in the previoussections in a table and details the specic actions
that will contribute to their delivery. For example,
maximising opportunities or additional and
enhanced green spaces includes a variety o
approaches including securing open space within
new developments, using a more detailed planning
guidance process to identiy opportunities to
locate new spaces and investigating opportunities
or providing new space on council owned land or
other pockets o land.
The purpose o the Action Plan is to set out clear
measurable steps to achieve the overall objectives
and identiy the anticipated timerames or delivery.
The actions will be monitored regularly to ensure
that progress is being made and that the plan
is responsive to change and new priorities. The
Action Plan will be reviewed and updated when
necessary.
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The place planand what it covers
Why a place plan
Camden Council is committed to addressing the
needs o the diverse communities that live in, workin and visit the places that make up the borough,
recognising that dierent places have their own
particular needs and priorities that need to be
addressed in ways that best suit them.
This ‘placeshaping’ approach is about taking the
opportunity to think and act strategically about
how to address these needs in terms o investment
decisions, service delivery and physical changes.
Understanding local concerns and priorities is at the
heart o this approach which is all the more importantagainst a backdrop o reduced Council resources
arising rom reductions in central Government
unding.
Local ward Councillors have an important role to
play, in helping to understand the needs and issues
o the area and to deliver the objectives o the Place
Plan.
Place Plans are being prepared or a number o areas
in the borough, to agree an overall vision or thearea based on the priority issues identied with local
communities and stakeholders. A set o actions then
orms part o each plan to show how the vision can
be made into a reality over the short medium and
long term.
CamdenTown
CamdenRoad
GreatPortlandStreet
TottenhamCourt Road
Holborn
Farringdon
HampsteadHeath
Hampstead
BelsizePark
Finchleyand Frognal
FinchleyRoad
GospelOak
TufnellPark
RussellSquare
GoodgeStreet
SouthHampstead
SwissCottage
Regent’sPark
KilburnPark
KilburnHigh Road
Brondesbury
Kilburn WestHampstead
KentishTown
ChalkFarm
MorningtonCrescent
WarrenStreet
King’sCross
Euston
StPancras
ChanceryLane
Kentish
Town West
WestHampstead
Kilburn
SwissCottage
GospelOak
KentishTown
CamdenTown King’s
Cross
Euston
St Giles- Holborn
Current Placeshaping areas o ocus
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The plans will draw together the range o work the
Council undertakes in particular areas to encourage
and ensure joined up working to address the needso people and places.
Place Plans are not statutory planning documents
and do not orm part o Camden’s Development
Plan. Their scope is wide and they set an overall
strategic vision and a wide variety o actions or each
place which may cover some planning-related issues
along with a range o others.
The West Hampstead placeshaping geographicalarea is centred on the three stations (London
Underground, London Overground and Thameslink)
- oten reerred to as the ‘interchange area’. It
includes the West End Lane retail areas together
with the adjoining residential areas and commercial
sites between the railway lines. It is likely that
this will be the area that experiences the greatest
change and investment in the coming years as there
are a number o sites identied or development.
The plan also covers a wider area up to and
including Mill Lane to the north, across to Finchley
Road to the east, Woodchurch Road to the south
and Sherri Road to the west.
The area does not align with ward, statistical
or borough boundaries and has no xed limits,
although neighbouring areas such as Kilburn High
Road and Finchley Road will be covered in more
depth through the Kilburn and Swiss Cottage plans.
The area covered has a range o needs and is
rich in opportunities. The plan addresses issues
over which the Council has direct control as well
as those where we can infuence others including
major landowners and partners. The intention is that
the plan is about the aspirations the residents, the
Council and its partners have or the kind o place
they would like West Hampstead to be and covers
short, medium and long term actions that can be
taken to achieve this vision.
Places are areas that drawpeople together to live, work,learn and play. Placeshaping
or Camden ocuses onplaces o change and
opportunity, to bring strategiesand investment together indeciding how best to ‘shape’such areas.
“
”
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West Hampstead area map
The plan will be responsive to change, opportunities and new priorities. Regular
monitoring will be undertaken to measure progress and assess the ongoing
relevance o actions. Where it is clear that a new ocus is required or new
actions are needed an updated Action Plan will be produced.
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What the area is likeand what the issues are
9
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Consultation andengagement
This plan draws on the ndings o a number o
consultations, the main ones being Camden’s
Social Capital Survey 2008, the Shaping Services
consultation 2010 and the Placeshaping consultation
on key issues or West Hampstead in June 2011.
The 2008 Social Capital Survey was the third
one o its kind and is a survey o individual residents
including specic comparative data or all wards in the
Borough. The survey aims to measure the strength o
community networks, levels o trust and cooperationbetween people and dierent communities, as these
qualities are seen as the building blocks o ‘social
capital’. The ull survey can be seen on the Camden
website.
The Shaping Services consultation with
representatives o service organisations was set
up to better understand the cumulative impact on
places o cross council savings programmes and
to discuss with local stakeholders the impact o the
changes, looking at how working together dierently
could make the best use o reduced resources. The
ull report can be seen at Insert link to web page.
The Placeshaping workshops were hosted
specically to inorm the development o this plan.
The Placeshaping consultation on key Issues was
with representatives o local organisations, community
groups and local councillors. The The ull report can
be seen at the council’s website.
The second consultation on the drat Plan itsel in
February 2012 showed the increasing concern that
local stakeholder groups have about the ongoing
developments and the need to be involved in how
these go ahead. People also want to see how
Neighbourhood Planning can ensure
opportunities rom development are harnessed and
properly understood.
In addition to these consultations, WestHampstead Amenity Transport
(WHAT) undertook some consultation at the
Jester Festival, asking people what their priorities or
the area are and the West Hampstead Lie website
also asked people or their views on the Key Issues
paper or the area.
Local ward councillors have been involved in
developing the nal Plan and their local insights,
comments and views in shaping the vision and
actions are an important part o this work. The ward
Councillors write regular newsletters and also have
blogs and twitter eeds to stay in contact with their
communities.
There are some key themes in relation to West
Hampstead which emerge rom these dierent
consultations.
This is a neighbourhood where people are generally
very satised to live, with 90% o respondents in the
Social Capital Survey believing this. The ShapingServices consultation revealed that there is a strong
sense o community describing the area as having
‘good community spirit, riendly, strong identity’.
The Placeshaping workshops ndings support this,
although there may be some work to do around
increasing links between the dierent elements o
the community.
The Shaping Services and Key Issues workshops
included representatives rom businesses,
community centres, the police, residentsassociations, voluntary groups and local councillors.
Some o the needs or the area which were raised by
these groups were:
• The need or more accessible green space or
better use o existing spaces.
• The need or services to support the growing and
changing population in order to support their
needs such as doctors or school places but also
to allow people to stay in the area.
• More housing that is aordable to people in the
area.
The issues raised are discussed below in more detail.
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A relatively prosperous
community
The communities o West Hampstead are diverse
and, like many parts o Camden, include a mix o
ages, cultures and backgrounds. The area can
generally be considered relatively prosperous as
shown in the data in the ollowing box.
However, data does not always show a whole
picture. For example, in addition to local residents,
the three stations are also used on a daily basis
by large numbers o people who do not live in the
area but are interchanging between stations. This
means that at the peak times o the day the number
o people in the area rises signicantly, puttingadditional pressure on the area.
A place with strongmixed communities
There is elt to be a strong sense o community
with a variety o active groups in the area such as
West Hampstead Amenity Transport
(WHAT) and West Hampstead Local
Consultation Group (WHLCG) whohave been actively involved in local issues or
a number o years. There are also a number o
active residents associations including the Housing
Association groups and the recently ormed West
Hampstead Gardens and Residents
Association (WHGARA). These groups are
generally rom the more established members o the
community.
The larger than average proportion o younger
working age residents may be because o theexcellent transport links to other parts o London.
Whilst this contributes to the vibrancy o the area,
residents have said this also means that a large
proportion o the community are less involved in the
area as they leave or work in the morning and return
late in the evening. They may also not stay long in
• The population o the area o ocus
was nearly 8,800 in 2001. The 2011
census data is not yet available. Natural
population growth will have occurred
and the population could grow
signicantly i the expected level o newhousing is provided.
• Higher than average proportion o
people o working age with signicantly
higher proportion in the 20 -34
age group than the borough as a
whole, making up approx 45% o the
population.
• Residents are well qualied compared
against both Camden and National
averages.
• Generally high levels o people in
employment although younger
population (16- 20 age group)
should be careully monitored as,
along with other areas there appear
to be a possible upward trend in
unemployment.
• High number o small businesses and
reelancers in the creative and cultural
industries working rom home in thearea.
• Vast majority o housing in the area
is made up o fats with slightly more
conversions than purpose built
accommodation.
• 37% o households are owner-
occupiers and there is also a higher
proportion o private renting than the
Camden average.
• There are lower levels o council ownedproperties than the Camden average.
• Levels o crime and anti social
behaviour are relatively low
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the area, especially due to issues o aordability and
choice in the area’s housing which was also seen as
contributing to ragmentation in the community.
Consultation has also shown that people eel there is
limited interaction between the dierent age groups,
although the use o social media in the area is helping
to address this issue. West Hampstead has an
excellent blog, called West Hampstead Lie
and a twitter eed which has over 4000 ollowers.
This is not only a means o residents getting the latest
news and inormation about meetings in the area, it
also holds regular inormal get-togethers which allow
residents rom a range o groups to meet up.
Local ward councillors play an active role in the local
community and have been vital in helping to set up
a number o Friends Groups, Resident and Tenant
Associations and Community Groups. They help
drive local initiatives and campaigns to benet the
community.
A well connected place
with a mix o uses The three stations and bus routes provide excellent
connections to the wider area. Large numbers
o people use the stations on a daily basis, both
starting their journeys or using the interchange
between stations.
The area comprises o a wide mix o uses with a
vibrant town centre, large residential areas and
pockets o commercial uses, which have developedprincipally on the ormer railway lands.
There are a number o services within the high
street, including the library and Fire Station which
opened in 1901, which contribute to the village eel.
A residential area o contrasts
The residential areas are characterised by large
pockets o Victorian and Edwardian terraces,
semi detached houses and red brick mansionblocks, most o which all within the designated
Conservation Areas o West End Green and South
Hampstead.
These are interspersed with a number o more
recent housing developments, such as The Sidings,
Rowntree Close, Lymington Road and Lithos Road
estates. These estates have mainly been developed
alongside the railway lines and appear in some
cases quite separated rom the surrounding area.
The need or more housing that is aordable to local
residents, particularly amilies, has been identied
as an issue. This could reduce the transience o
parts o the population who cannot presently aord
to buy property and help people build long term
connections to the area.
Commercial areas that provide
employment opportunities
There are small pockets o commercial uses thathave developed principally along and in between
the railway lines, including Council-owned purpose-
built industrial units o Maygrove Road, industrial
units in Iverson Road, commercial/industrial units
along Blackburn Road and car showrooms/
dealerships in between West End Lane and Finchley
Road. A mix o employment space is important to
the local economy and employment opportunities.
The consultations indicated a desire or small
businesses to be able to stay in the area and
the importance o newly developed space beingaordable to their needs.
Community acilities catering
or a wide range o needs
The Council is working in partnership with
local communities to deliver services including
with voluntary sector partners such as Sidings
Community Centre and West Hampstead
Community Centre.
These partners provide services to the under 5s
and elderly, but the need to ensure the long term
sustainability o these acilities is a concern or local
residents, particularly in light o the current cuts in
Council resources.
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The area is seen as needing better youth acilities,
including more open spaces and better use o
existing acilities to reduce anti-social behaviour andincrease youth engagement in positive activities.
Local services ace a challenging uture all over
Camden and there is a need to consider how
they can be provided in more ecient ways as the
available unding is reduced.
Expected population growth in this area will place
additional pressure on services and resources.
A place with establishedshopping areas that ace
challenges
West Hampstead is one o Camden’s six
designated town centres that have specic
planning guidance. West End Lane orms the spine
o the town centre, with a number o shops and
restaurants also along Broadhurst Gardens.
The area around the stations is viewed by manyto be the ‘gateway’ to the neighbourhood and
during peak travel times is the most heavily used
part o the area. This part a lso eels separated rom
the northern part o the West End Lane, which is
considered to be the heart o the town centre area.
West End Lane is located between Kilburn and
Finchley Road town centres which ensures a
diversied retail oer available to residents, withother shopping destinations urther aeld (such
as Brent Cross) also having an impact on West
Hampstead’s commercial position.
The retail area includes a mix o shops and services
to cater or local people’s day to day needs as well
as a range o caes, restaurants and bars that attract
people rom a wide area. It is characterised by a
mixture o buildings, with ground foor commercial
uses and residential above. Building heights are
generally our to ve storeys, except around the stationarea, where the limitations o the existing railway
bridges, restrict the heights to mainly single storey.
Consultations with local stakeholders show that
maintaining a successul, diverse and well managed
retail centre is one o the main priorities or the area.
However, there are a number o challenges which
are impacting upon its success.
Keeping diversity and small
and independent businesses
There are many independent, long established
and specialist businesses such as La Brocca, Blue
Daisy, The Gallery bar and West End Lane Book
store and independent businesses are an important
and highly valued part o the character o the area.
Local stakeholders have raised concerns over
the changing nature o the shopping centre, with
the introduction o supermarket chains, growing
numbers o coee shops and a narrowing o the
range o services and choices or shoppers.
The results o the council’s Annual Retail Survey
show there has been a slight narrowing o choice
within this centre, with the three largest types o use
being restaurants, estate agents and hairdressers,
which represent 37% o all the retail premises. I
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other types o uses that involve ood, such as caes,
takeaways and sandwich bars are also counted,
then this increases to 47%.
This is not necessarily a negative as West
Hampstead has a thriving evening economy with
busy restaurants and bars, which contribute
signicantly to the area’s character, but is o concern
to some local stakeholders.
The long term vacancy levels in West End Lane
appear to be quite low and to have reduced in the
last couple o years. The main issue seems to be
more the regular change o businesses comingand going, which could be a refection o the
growing pressures o relatively high rental levels and
business rates against reduced trade.
As or other areas, the independent businesses
which bring unique character to the area are
increasingly under threat rom competition rom
larger chain stores, although other stakeholders
recognised the benets that these businesses could
also bring.
Support or new and
existing business
Given the considerable growth expected in the area,understanding and responding to local business
needs is particularly important. There is a limited
amount o aordable and quality business space on
the main shopping streets, although major changes
may bring other opportunities.
West End Green was used or a successul
Christmas market in 2010 and 2011, which gave
local business access to a wide range o customers
and there may be scope or urther such initiatives.
Mill Lane under pressure
Mill Lane runs rom the top o West End Lane
towards Kilburn High Road and oers urther
retail opportunities and services to residents to
complement the oer on West End Lane. These
shops and businesses are under substantial pressure
and have seen a signicant increase in the number
o businesses closing in the last two years. This
neighbourhood centre now has one o the highest
vacancy rates in the borough at 18% in June 2010.
The area is less visible and so visitors to the area
do not necessarily know that they are there.
Consultation raised concern about the poorer
quality o the street environment in Mill Lane, with
excessive clutter noted.
A place expected
to undergo majorphysical changes
West Hampstead has been identied as an area o
growth in the London Plan and in Camden’s
Local Development Framework
(LDF). These planning documents identiy that
there is scope or development o the underused
lands between the railway tracks to create new
housing, shops, oces, community acilities and
public space. Whilst this growth is likely to occur
incrementally, it will undoubtedly transorm the area.
West Hampstead Interchange
Area or Intensication :
The London Plan has set a target for the
area to accommodate by 2031
• A minimum of 800 new homes
• 100 new jobs
The scale o expected growth means that there is
a need to consider how to approach developmentopportunities in a coordinated and strategic manner
and how the changes can contribute towards the
shared vision or the area identied in this Place
Plan. Property ownership in the area is complex. As
sites become available it will be important to ensure
development contributes to the wider vision or the
area as set out in this plan.
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What kind o building
developments?
To use the opportunities in West Hampsteadeectively, development should make the best
possible use o sites by using land eciently
(including high density development compatible
with the local context) and providing a mix o uses
that are appropriate to the area including housing,
commercial, community uses, and open space.
The approved planning application or a student
housing scheme on Blackburn Road and plans
or 187 West End Lane, can change the housing
mix o the area and need or local acilities. Whilstadditional homes in West Hampstead can alleviate
housing pressures in the area and in other areas o
Camden such as neighbouring Kilburn. The services
and acilities required by new residents will also
need to be considered.
The issue o buildings being let empty has been
raised by stakeholders and that due consideration
should be given to retaining these buildings rather
than redeveloping, particularly or community uses.
The stations
The three stations on West End Lane are used by
more than 13 million people each year and the area
around the stations is a gateway into the town centre.
There are a number o approved planned
inrastructure improvements to the Thameslink and
Overground services which will increase passengerlevels and thereore place additional pressure on
the area.
Station use and numbers o people in the area
will also increase with the potential new building
developments o sites such as 187 West End Lane
and the 02 car park site and so improvements will
need to be ongoing or the benet o local residents,
businesses and visitors.
Council Owned Sites The Council is responsible or a range o property
in the West Hampstead area including community
buildings, commercial premises and some housing.
A number o these require investment to ensure
they are t or purpose in the longer term. The
Council is exploring how to make best use o the
Council’s property and buildings across the borough,
as part o the Community Investment
Programme (CIP)
Community Investment
Programme (CIP)
A long term council programme to
improve, shape and transorm places
and services which aims to :
• manage council resourcesmost eectively in response toreductions in Capital unding romGovernment
• make and generate investment
in better quality t-or-purpose acilities
• release receipts or investment in the capital programme, includingimproving the quality o Councilhomes
• deliver a range o improvements to housing estates, schools, openspaces and community acilitiesin consultation with building
occupiers and local residents
• investigate whether properties
can be used in other ways
in order to meet the needs
and aspirations o the local
communities
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A number o uture opportunities have been
identied in West Hampstead including proposals to
assist the improvements to schools and educationacilities, opportunities to improve community
acilities and sites which might have potential to
accommodate new homes. These include a site
on Liddell Road, (located o Maygrove Road) part
o which could be redeveloped or a new primary
school i needed in the uture and 156 West End
Lane which could accommodate a new mixed-use
development. Local communities will be consulted
on proposals in the Community Investment
Programme as they develop. These proposals are
explored in more detail in the relevant ‘Delivering the Vision’ sections.
Localism Act
Given the extent o changes happening in the
area residents groups have indicated that they
are interested in drawing up a more detailed plan
or the area. The Localism Act became law in
November 2011, although the provisions o the
Act are not expected to come into orce until
April 2012. Resident and Stakeholder groups
have expressed a strong desire or investigatingthe opportunities that this new Bill provides and
potentially drawing up their own Neighbourhood
Plan and a Neighbourhood Development Forum is
being set up.
A place that can be
dicult to get around
The station area is oten crowded with ull
pavements. The Council and partners like
Thameslink and Transport or London (TL) have
worked hard to improve the situation over the last
ew years. Substantial works have been undertaken
to improve junctions, crossings and relocate bus
stops but pedestrian congestion at peak times
remains an issue. Existing pavements between the
stations are narrow and the limitations o bridges
over the tracks restrict what can be done, especially
as it is a major north south road route.
Improved cycle routes have been identied as a
priority along with ootpaths rom the station to the
shopping area and surrounding streets.
Barriers and obstacles
The station area and West End Lane are poorly
connected to the surrounding neighbourhoods,
with the railway lines cutting through the area
contributing to this sense o separation.
West Hampstead grew rapidly rom a small vil lage
called West End, ollowing the arrival o the railways
in the late 19th century. The railway lines cutting
through the area had and continue to have a major
impact today.
There are pathways along or across the railways
and work has recently been undertaken to improve
these to help address this issue.
The main route rom West End Lane to Finchley
Road along Blackburn Road, around the
commercial units and across the O2 car park is well
used, but is o poor overall quality.
Other pedestrian routes include the renamed Billy
Fury Way (ormerly Lithos passage) which also
connects West End Lane to Finchley Road and to
the Lithos Road estate via a bridge over the railway.
This is a narrow, long, alleyway, which councillorsand the Council are working in partnership with the
Saer Neighbourhood Team to improve.
Trac and congestion
West End Lane is a busy route linking West
Hampstead to South Hampstead. It is also an
important bus route or the surrounding areas. The
impact o delivery vehicles or the supermarket
chains has been raised as a signicant issue as they
restrict trac movement on West End Lane.
Car parking and ensuring that new developments
do not make the existing situation worse was a
signicant issue or stakeholders. Some people
elt that the ‘car ree’ status or new developments
did not necessarily prevent people rom having
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cars, with people managing to avoid the parking
restriction times.
A place with goodenvironmental quality
that aces challenges
The central retail area sits between two conservation
areas – West End Green Conservation Area to the
north and South Hampstead Conservation Area
to the south. For the most part, West Hampstead
enjoys a high quality environment with a distinctive
village character. Preserving and enhancing WestHampstead’s unique architectural heritage is
important to local residents.
A lack o open spaces
Whilst there are a number o open spaces within
the area, including award winning Maygrove Peace
Park, Iverson Road and Crown Close open spaces,
West Hampstead as a whole has been identied in
Camden Planning documents as an area decient in
open space. The strong desire or more green areasand open space as well as improvements to existing
spaces is a key priority or local people.
Existing green ‘chains’ and habitat corridors along
the railway tracks and existing sites o nature
conservation such as Medley Orchard are highly
valued by residents and need to be protected and
enhanced.
Again, new developments and an increased
population means new open spaces to serve
existing and new residents wi ll be necessary.
Exploring opportunities or new developments to
bring such improvements will be essential i the area
is to have the open spaces needed in the uture.
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Taking into account the characteristicso the area and the issues identied, the ollowing vision has been developed to
guide the Council’s approach to the areaand the actions and interventions we willmake and encourage others to make.
The vision
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West Hampstead will be a place where:
Local communities experience real benets rom the opportunities that come with
redevelopment and people eel that they have infuenced and shaped how investment is
made in the area.Support or local business will be a key part o enhancing the distinctive village character
and more local jobs will contribute to a successul local economy.
Local services, housing, open spaces and acilities will meet the needs o local
communities as will the quality o experience that people have moving around the area.
Co operation with local people, voluntary sector organisations, developers, businesses
and the council will make this happen.
The vision or the West Hampstead area
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1. To secure real local benet romdevelopment opportunities
• Ensure community involvement in shaping developments in the area and identiying
priorities or local benets rom major developments
2. To support a successul localeconomy with a thriving neighbourhood
• Support the local business environment including a thriving and diverse neighbourhood
that meets the needs o people who live, work and visit the area, together with local
employment opportunities
• Work together to promote the area or people who live work and visit the neighbourhood
and to improve the appearance o the shopping areas
3. To provide new open space andimprove the local environment
• Provide new accessible open space that benets the whole community and continue to
improve the quality o the parks and open spaces and ood growing opportunities in the
area.
4. To deliver improved local services • Secure investment rom a range o sources including planning agreements into additional
primary school places as necessary, housing, health, community, nursery places and local
youth acilities
5. To make it easier and more pleasantor people to move around the area
•
Improve the quality o experience or people in streets and public spaces and improvepedestrian and cycling routes.
• Work to urther improve access to stations, road trac and parking issues
Delivering the vision
The Council’s approach to supporting and promoting the success o the West Hampstead area will be based on a set o specic
actions. These have been organised under ve distinct but interlinked sections:
These sections have been used to bring together the range o issues at play in the area, although there are large areas o overlap between them and some issues play a
part in more than one section. A summary o the identied issues and potential ways o addressing them are described under each section below, with specic actions
brought together in the Action Plan on page 46.
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To secure real local benets rom development opportunities
The scale o potential change
needs to be managed careully so that
best advantage can be taken o the
opportunities to protect and enhance the area.
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West Hampstead Interchange area has been
identied as an area o growth and this change is
beginning to happen. The map below shows key
sites which are likely to be subject to development
proposals over the next 20 years and includes
sites identied in the Camden’s Local Development
Framework drat Site Allocations
document, Camden’s Community Investment
Programme and through recent major planning
applications or expected applications.
The scale o potential change in the area needs
to be managed careully so that best advantage
can be taken o the opportunities to protect and
enhance the area and allow stakeholders to be
involved in shaping the change.
Key Objectives:
• Work with the community todevelop more detailed areaplanning guidance
• Involve the local community (wherepossible) in identiying priorities orhow developer contributions areused
Working together toshape the change
The community has been involved in discussing
potential developments and change in the area or
a long time, including the drat Planning Brie in
2005 (which was not adopted). The desire or clear
guidance to shape the change happening in the
area is ully recognised.
The role o this Place Plan, developed in conjunction
with the community, is to help guide developers
at an overall strategic level as individual proposals
come orward. The Council will work with
developers and the community to ensure that
change can help deliver the shared vision and
To secure real localbenets rom developmentopportunities
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improve aspects o the area such as aordable
housing provision, open space, moving around
the area and community acilities as set out in the
ollowing sections.
Other planning documents that can help shape
change in the area include the Site Allocations
document, which once adopted will provide a
planning ramework or a number o individual
sites in the area and clear guidance on what
development is expected to deliver on each site.
This will be an important consideration in planning
applications or these sites.
The Site Allocations document does not however
cover all the sites that could come orward in the
area and cannot control when or i sites are actually
developed. It is thereore important to look at how
each o these sites could individually or collectively
contribute to achieving the overall wider vision and
objectives o this Place Plan.
Developing urther
planning guidance The Council recognise that there is a strong
desire locally or Neighbourhood Planning and the
opportunities or this provided by the new Localism
Act. A new Fortune Green and West Hampstead
Neighbourhood Development Forum is being set up.
Given that the Council has identied the need or
urther work in this area, opportunities to work
together to produce more detailed guidance should
be investigated urther. This could take the orm o
a more traditional planning document such as aSupplementary Planning Document, an Area Action
Plan or could utilise the new legislation provisions
to develop a Neighbourhood Plan. The Council
will continue to discuss the best way to take this
orward with stakeholders ( Action D1.1 )
Whatever orm this more detailed area planning
guidance takes it could look at the area as a whole
in a more site by site specic way, provide urther
clarity and ensure a coordinated approach across
the various potential development sites to achieve
the priorities identied in this Place Plan. The two
plans could be mutually supporting documents,
which guide the uture shape o the area.
This document could look at the opportunities or
using high density developments compatible with
the local setting to provide a mix o uses whilst
also enabling the provision o more open space
and improved routes through and around the
area. Any higher density development needs to be
clearly balanced against the potential impact on thecharacter o the area but could also identiy the key
views that should be retained and protected. This
would help guide developers in drawing up their
proposals but also help secure the highly valued
village eel o West Hampstead.
Minimising impacts o developments on localpeople
The scale o potential development in the area could
bring a range o benets and the local community
need to eel condent that they will see real gains
rom change.
This can partly be achieved through use o
legal agreements (called Section 106
Agreements ) to secure unding or appropriate
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support or local acilities and services. For example
the approval or the student accommodation on
Blackburn Road required a range o local benets
as part o the approval. These include requiring
the developers to make all reasonable endeavours
to use a percentage o local residents o Camden
within the workorce, investigate local procurement
to help support local businesses together with
nancial contributions or improved or additional
open space, social community acility investment,
health acilities and environmental improvements to
the immediate or surrounding area.
A similar approach will be taken with other sites
in the area to secure appropriate benets. The
pooling o these kinds o resources rom a number
o developments would mean that more substantial
improvements and benets can be achieved or the
local community.
The Council is constantly reviewing how they deal
with Section 106 Agreements and how to be more
transparent about the money received and how this is
to be spent. It has thereore been proposed to publish
inormation more clearly on the council website.
The emergence o the Community
Inrastructure Levy will impact on the nature
o the way these unds are generated and also how
money will be spent. The Council is still considering
how best to manage this process and is hoping to
consult on this in late 2012.
Local stakeholders have expressed a strong desire
to be involved in setting the priorities or how the
unds generated through Section 106 contributions
and the Community Inrastructure Levy will be
spent. The Council is actively looking at ways in
which this could be achieved and the more detailed
planning guidance oers a signicant opportunity to
set priorities, but is not the only way.
Local community groups could be consulted about
the use o certain unds, such as community acility
unds or environmental improvements, but the
process needs to be transparent and representative
o the whole community’s needs. The Council will
continue to investigate ways in which to do this
in conjunction with the community, taking council
resources into account ( Action D1.2 ).
Co-ordinating Councilowned properties
The Council’s own land and buildings in the area
are being explored through the Community
Investment Programme (CIP) and in
West Hampstead in particular could help deliveraordable housing, new school places and
improved community acilities.
The District Housing Oce at 156 West End Lane
is a key site within the town centre, with various
council oce unctions on West End Lane and
Travis Perkins builders’ merchants to the rear. The
decision has been made to dispose o the site to
generate unds or investment in CIP priorities like
community centres, schools and housing estates.
The site oers a signicant opportunity or the
provision o new retail and business space and both
aordable and private homes.
The site’s location adjacent to Crown Close open
space also presents opportunities to improve this
provision or the wider benet o the area and to
potentially improve the ootpath link adjacent to the
site (discussed urther in ‘To improve open spaces
and environmental improvements’ section).
Further sites in the area may emerge rom the
CIP, which is a long term programme. The more
detailed area planning guidance mentioned above
could assist in co-ordinating the development o
Council-owned sites with those owned by private
developers in the area ( Action D1.3 )
Maintaining balancedcommunities throughimproved housing mix
An important aspect o protecting the character and
diversity o West Hampstead will be ensuring there
is a good mix o housing in the area. In particular
it is important that there is a range o housing that
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people can aord, so they are able to remain in the
area and remain connected to their communities.
The need or aordable housing was identied as a
priority or stakeholders.
There are clear planning policies requiring the
provision o aordable housing, generally provided
by Registered Social Landlords (RSL) or shared
equity schemes. There is limited potential or the
Council to mitigate the impact o high cost home
ownership in the area or private housing, but there
are measures that can assist access to cheaper
housing. This includes positively considering
proposals or low cost market housing, through
innovative unding arrangements, designs and
methods o construction and also seeking a mix o
homes o dierent sizes in schemes. The CIP aims
to help address this issue by ensuring the delivery
o a range o housing types and tenures to increase
diversity and choice in an area. Other developments
coming orward will also need to provide an
appropriate mix o housing unit sizes and tenures
in line with the Council’s adopted planning policies
( Action D1.4 ).
Communicate withlocal community
Given the extent o change and development
anticipated in the area, it is particularly important
that the community in West Hampstead is able
to input into the design o major schemes at an
early stage and to ensure there is communication
between developers and the community. The
Council will continue to encourage developers to
take a proactive approach to engage with local
people in relation to major development proposals.
This should include the use o Development Control
orums as well as ensuring that residents are kept
inormed o progress on major schemes ( Action
D1.5 ).
What is already being done:
• Drat Sites Allocation Documentprovides a planning ramework ora number o sites in the area.
• CIP exploring best-use o Council-owned land in the area.
• Development Control orums or large sites with potentialdevelopments prior to planningapplications.
Proposed headline actions:
• Work together with stakeholders to develop more detailed areaplanning guidance. Either throughexisting planning legislation suchas a Master Plan, Supplementary Planning Document or throughsupporting stakeholders todevelop a Neighbourhood Plan.
• Work with the community toidentiy priorities or spendingcontributions rom developers(where appropriate).
• Ensure delivery o key CIP sitesand other major developmentsassist in meeting objectives andaspirations or the area and itscommunities.
• Ensure developments provideimproved housing choice in thearea, to enable people to stay in
the area long term.
• Communicate more eectively thebenets o major developments aswell as how local people can bewill be consulted and involved in
the process.
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Supporting local businesses,
particularly through the current economic
downturn and capitalising on the strengths
and opportunities o the area’s varied
business environment is important to theeconomic and social wellbeing o the area
To support a successul local economy with a
thriving neighbourhood
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West Hampstead benets rom a strong local
economy, with West End Lane shops being at the
heart, a wide variety o businesses in the area and
a large number o micro businesses or reelancers
working rom home. Supporting local businesses,
particularly through the current economic downturn
and capitalising on the strengths and opportunities
o the area’s varied business environment is
important to the economic and social wellbeing o
the area and is a key priority o the Place Plan.
Key Objectives:
•
Protect and promote the villagecharacter o the area
• Support West End Lane and MillLane shops and businesses
• Meet the needs o the people wholive, work and visit the area
Supporting West End Laneand Mill Lane shopping areas
On the basis o our current data, West End Laneappears to have seen its overall vacancy levels
decrease rom a peak in 2010. However a notable
eature in West End Lane has been the high number
o businesses moving into and out o the area.
The units do not appear to be staying vacant or
long, which indicates that demand is high, but that
individual businesses are perhaps struggling to
compete in the current economic climate.
Mill Lane shopping area has however seen a
signicant increase in its vacancy levels and has
one o the highest rates amongst the Borough’s
neighbourhood centres. The number o long term
vacant units appears to be generally low but again
there is a high turnover o uses moving in and out,
which may indicate that businesses are struggling.
It is recognised that the two retail areas have
completely separate identities and dierent
requirements and roles to play however, they have
similar issues that need to be addressed by the
council and its partners.
The Council previously had resources to und direct
business support activities, however because o
the local government cuts we have been orced to
adopt a new strategy, acting as an enabler to small
businesses through signposting them to national
and regional growth support organisations.
The Council’s support to businesses now includes
signposting retailers to inormation, providing
support to Town Centre business orums and trader
groups, ensuring retail sector representation on
the new Camden Business Board, streamlining
communications through the Council’s Business
Portal and assessing and reporting on the annual
monitoring o the boroughs main town centres
including West Hampstead ( Action E1.2 ).
A new West Hampstead Business Forum has
recently been ormed, with representatives rom
a variety o businesses in the area. The Council
helped to acilitate this and will continue to oer
support and assistance, although the Forum will
be remain sel-managed and independent o the
Council. The Forum are currently establishing their
role and activities but this could provide a more
comprehensive local network or the channelling o
inormation so that local businesses are kept up to
date with opportunities and support ( Action E1.1
and E2.1 ).
Maintaining diversity in WestEnd Lane and Mill Lane
A successul, vibrant and diverse West End
Lane is a key priority or local people in the
area. The Council’s recently adopted Local
Development Framework (LDF),
contains specic planning policies to robustly
protect shopping rontages and to ensure that
an appropriate balance o uses is maintainedwithin town centres and neighbourhood centres.
Camden Planning Guidance contains
additional area specic guidance relating to West
Hampstead identiying key retail rontages and
secondary rontages and providing clear guidance
relating to the percentage o retail versus non-retail
To support a successullocal economy with a thriving neighbourhood
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uses that can be allowed. The Council can control
some changes to uses in the town centre but not all
as a number o changes, such as the change rom aretail shop to a coee shop, can take place without
the need to obtain planning permission. The Council
will continue to monitor the mixture o uses careully
and where planning approval is required apply this
guidance or take appropriate enorcement action
where necessary ( Action E1.4 ).
Mill Lane is very dierent in nature to West End
Lane, with a mixture o independent shops and
services meeting a dierent range o needs. Thehigh vacancy rate is a concern and actions need
to look at how this could be addressed. This may
include working with landlords, more eective
promotion o shops and services and physical
improvements ( Action E1.3 )
Whilst independent businesses contribute
signicantly to the character o the area, the Council
can have no control over whether existing premises
are occupied by an independent business or chain,
provided that it operates within the authorised
planning use class. However, local people can
actively support independent businesses, as where
people choose to spend their money can be a huge
support to local independent businesses. Local
people can in this way infuence the shops and
services available in the area.
New retail developments
Some o the potential developments happening in
the area would have rontages onto West End Lane
and would thereore have an important impact on
the town centre. Camden planning policies seek to
help and promote small and independent shops by
encouraging small premises suitable or occupation
by small businesses including aordable provision.
Camden Planning Guidance seeks to
ensure that where large developments o new retail
provision (generally over 1000 square metres) isbeing provided it should include suitable provision
or small businesses. This would be in the orm o
a small unit o no more than 100 square metres,
designated or retail use. Camden also encourages
developers to seek ‘independent users ‘ or this
provision, which is dened as being a user generally
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with ‘no more than 5 stores’.
There is also an emphasis on seeking an aordable
rent or that specic centre and securing this
through a legal agreement. This needs to be
negotiated in each case and to take account o the
overall economic viability o any scheme. Given that
small and independent businesses are a strong
characteristic o this town centre, retaining this is a
key priority or the area ( Action E1.5 ).
Support or anoccasional market
The successul Christmas market held in 2010and 2011 on West End Green demonstrates
the potential benets that an occasional
market could bring to the area. Presenting the
opportunity or small businesses and traders to
promote themselves and draw people into the
neighbourhood.
The location o such a market does need to be
careully considered to ensure that any negative
impacts are minimised. Opportunities or a
more permanent space should be explored asdevelopments in the area come orward, with
landowners or as part o the overall more detailed
area planning guidance process ( Action E2.2 ).
The setting up and running o an occasional market
has been championed by ward councillors to
date and requires a lot o planning, organisation
and basic administration. Opportunities should be
explored to see who may be best placed in the
uture to take on this role including talking to the
traders associations and local groups ( Action
E2.2 ). The Council is also undertaking a review o
its Street Trading Strategy which includes markets
and could potentially help in providing support and
guidance or occasional markets.
Look and eel o theshopping areas
The town centre is characterised by the windingnature o West End Lane and a mixture o mansion
blocks with commercial uses at ground foor and
some lower level purpose built units. A number o
historic shop ronts remain, and the Conservation
Area Appraisals and Management Strategies
identiy a number o these as positive contributors
to the character o the area. It is also recognised
that some detailing has been removed or covered
by newer shopronts and that any urther erosion o
the character needs to be careully monitored
The Council has recently adopted new planning
guidance on good shopront design principles and
advertising has been produced and is being applied
by the Council’s Development Management and
Planning Enorcement Teams. The Council will make
urther eorts to support retailers and local businesses
in West Hampstead to make positive improvements
to their shop rontages and take enorcement action
where necessary. Through working together with
the business community improvements to the
appearance o West End Lane can be secured
( Action E2.4 ).
I in the uture it is elt that the erosion o the historical
character is still an issue, the Council could then
consider urther measures to control this by applying
additional planning controls in the orm o an Article
4 Direction. This would mean that certain alterations
that are currently permitted would require planning
permission.
Works to improve visitors to West End Lane and Mill Lane
Signicant work has been carried out around
the station area o West End Lane with a view to
improving the street environment, removing street
clutter and improving movement around the area
and this is discussed in more detail in a later section
o the plan. The works however did not extend
north o the main station area and opportunities to
extend these improvements should be exploredurther to ensure a unied perception o West End
Lane. The overall setting o the shops and services
along Mill Lane could be investigated urther to
consider whether there are opportunities to improve
the appearance o the centre ( Action M1.2 ).
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Legible London signs are being proposed or West
End Lane to assist people moving around the area.
The inclusion o Mill Lane retail area on the Legible
London scheme could help in making people more
aware o the shops in the area and encourage them
to visit ( Action E2.3 ).
Support or creative /micro businesses
West Hampstead has over 200 businesses rom the
cultural and creative industry sectors many o which
are micro businesses with under 5 employees or
reelancers working rom home. These contributesignicantly to the local economy and the character
o the area.
The principle business types are sotware and
electronic publishing, ollowed by music, lm,
photography and advertising.
As or other parts o Camden the availability o
aordable workspace to make the transition rom
working rom home to commercial premises is
dicult. Given the indication o high levels o thesetypes o business, opportunities or the provision o
this type o space, including small workshops and
serviced oce space should be explored particularly
as part o new developments. This could include
the provision o some orm o touchdown space or
serviced meeting space to allow businesses to have a
ormal setting or meetings to help the transition rom
the home working environment Action E1.6 ).
Helping young peopleinto work
Whilst West Hampstead generally has high levels
o employment, the younger population (16 – 20
age group) has shown a possible upward trend o
unemployment together with neighbouring Kilburn.
Given the potential development opportunities in
the area, the Shaping Services work is investigating
opportunities to prepare young people to take
up opportunities locally through working with the Voluntary Community Sector to ensure people are
work ready ( Action E1.7 ).
Proposed headline actions:
• Support the newly establishedBusiness Forum
• Facilitate engagement with local landowners and landlords to considerhow the private sector can supporta thriving centre and reduce the
vacancy rate in Mill Lane
• Negotiate with developers o retail space to try and secure theprovision o space suitable or small
independent retailers (A1) and utiliseS106 negotiations to secure this asaordable space where possible.
• Look or opportunities or theprovision o a space suitable oran occasional market, with bothdevelopers, existing landowners oron public land.
• Work with Business Forum andpartners to investigate opportunities
to increase visitors to West EndLane and Mill Lane.
• Secure new employment foor spacein developments appropriate orsmall start up businesses, sharedmeeting spaces or serviced oces.
What is already being done:
• Supporting business community through targeted inormation andsupport,
• Applying planning policy and
supplementary planning guidance to protect diversity o high streetuses
• Updated planning policies andguidance have come into eectrelating to shop ronts.
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Improving the amount o accessible
open space and quality o the
environment was a priority identied by
local people. Opportunities to explore
could include new public spaces,orchards, ood growing opportunities
and more street trees.
To provide new open space andimprove the local environment
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Improving the amount o accessible open space
and quality o the environment was a priority
identied by local people. Opportunities to explore
could include new public spaces, orchards, ood
growing opportunities and more street trees.
Key Objectives:
• Provide new accessible openspace to benet the area
• Continue to improve open spaces, ood growing , biodiversity andsustainability
• Maintain the valued quality andhistoric character o the area
New opportunities orpublic open space
The West Hampstead growth area and
development opportunities oer the potential
to provide new accessible open space or
both existing and new residents and to secure
improvements to existing spaces.
The Council and the community will work together
with developers to secure appropriate open spaces
to meet the identied needs in a coordinated
manner. The nature o these open spaces should
be developed in consultation with the community
whilst being mindul o potential impacts on Council
resources rom potential ongoing maintenance
costs. ( Action G1.1 ). A more detailed area
planning guidance document can investigate this
issue in more detail ( Action G1.2 ).
Opportunities should also be explored or the
provision o space suitable or occasional markets
and community events which can also assist in
boosting the local economy ( Action E2.1 and
E2.2 ).
Improving existingopen spaces
The Council has completed improvement works
to Maygrove Peace Park, with new and improved
traditional playground, natural play or older
children, outdoor gym and multi-use games area.
These improvements and the active community
around it helped earn the park a Green Flag and
Silver award rom London in Bloom in 2010.
West End Green has also been improved and new
natural play equipment provided in Sumatra Roadopen space. Mill Lane open space will be upgraded
ollowing the completion o the expansion o
Emmanuel primary school and will include improved
natural play provision and enhancement o the
ecological value and educational aspects or the
school and wider community. This work will be done
in conjunction with voluntary groups and partners.
( Action G1.3 ).
Improving Green Chainsand Corridors
The railway embankments are important parts o
the green chains and biodiversity corridors in this
area particularly due to the number o railway lines
that pass through this area. It is important to ensure
that these are protected and enhanced, particularly
where developments are proposed alongside the
railways.
The Council are also seeking to encourage partners,
such as Network Rail, to ensure these lands are
actively managed to ensure they help support
the biodiversity o the area as a whole and work
together to improve the missing green habitat link
( Action G1.6 ).
New opportunities ormaking the area greener
Work to provide more greenery on a number o identied estates has been undertaken in the
area, including West End Sidings estate which
includes the provision o ood growing areas. A
new community orchard has also been planted on
Lymington Road estate.
To provide new open spaceand improve the localenvironment
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Achieving a Greener Camden is a key objective
or our Green Action or Change plan
which identies that working with our partners and
communities is essential to achieving this.
The establishment o the ‘Green Zones’
scheme, will encourage communities to come
orward with ideas or undertake audits to identiy
opportunities to improve all or a part o thei r local
area, estate or street, and work with Camden to
make those changes happen. There is likely to
be some small unding opportunities or certain
elements o this programme ( Action G1.4 ).
This is because improvement to open spaces and
nding ood growing opportunities can be more
than just Council parks or land as there are lots
o spaces in the area that locals know about that
could be improved, in various ownerships.
Local action is already happening in this respect,
with a good example o this relating to a piece o
land immediately adjacent to the entrance o Billy
Fury Way and to the rear o 138 West End Lane.
This is currently a dumping ground or rubbish and
a potential re hazard. Discussions initiated by the
Saer Neighbourhood Team between the owners,
Network Rail and the reeholder o the adjacent
residential mansion block are exploring options or
the tenants to take over the management o this
space, upgrade it and bring it back into use.
I successul, this would signicantly improve this
area, provide a small pocket o additional space
and is an excellent example o partnership working
( Action G1.3 ).
There are a number o pockets o isolated land
around the area, particularly along the railway lines
similar to this that could benet rom improvements,
which could be done on a piecemeal basis or
more holistically as part o the green audit process( Action G1.2 ).
Food growing opportunities
New ood growing schemes have been
implemented through the Capital Growthprogramme at a number o locations including the
Homeless Hostel on Dennington Park Road and
work has commenced to establish a community
orchard at Lithos Road.
This programme enables interested / active groups
wanting to establish community ood growing
projects, to access practical help, grants, training
and support. Camden Sustainability Team and the
Green Zones programme oers support and an
enabling role to help set up schemes, in terms o helping to check ownership issues, assistance with
leases and support to make the applications.
Opportunities can also be explored or new ood
growing opportunities as new sites come orward
or development to incorporate aspects to allow this
such as appropriate water points, positioning etc at
early design stage ( Action G1.5 ).
West Hampstead has a new Transition group, who
have also been looking to identiy sites or urtherood growing opportunities as well as other green
improvements to the area.
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Tree Planting
Street trees can contribute signicantly to a sense
o green within an area and can assist in improving
biodiversity and adapting an area to a changing
climate. Camden is committed to its tree planting
programme, including maintaining, replacing andnew trees. The southern part o West Hampstead
has been identied as a priority area or the provision
o new street trees and Camden Council are
applying or unds rom the Mayor’s 10,000 Street
Tree Fund or greater London to help address this
issue. I unding is granted the new provision could
signicantly improve streets in the southern part o
the area ( Action G1.7 ).
Detailed investigation work will need to be
undertaken to identiy suitable locations. In some
places it may not be easible to locate new trees
due to the proximity o underground services close
to the surace o the pavement. This work is likely to
be programmed or 2012.
Promoting sustainability
The consultations indicated that residents in West
Hampstead are very supportive o promoting
greener and more sustainable ways o lie. This
is also a key objective o the Council ’s Green
Action or Change (2011-2020) plan
which outlines goals to reduce the carbon ootprint
and waste output o the borough through working
with partners and communities.
Given the wide span o conservation areas and the
number o listed buildings in West Hampstead there
is a need to ensure energy eciency measures
preserve historic eatures and character. It is
possible to improve the perormance o these
buildings whilst saeguarding them and their
appearance so that they remain comortable and
attractive places to live into the uture.
The Council has produced specic planning
guidance ‘Retrotting Planning
Guidance – June 2011’ to guide residents
through the planning process when considering
retrotting their houses with eciency or renewable
energy measures. This provides guidance or
most o the typical orms o housing within West
Hampstead and advice as to when planning
permission or listed building consent will be
required.
The Council will continue to investigate
opportunities to assist with the costs o these works
together with promoting national programmes such
as the Green Deal which will come into eect in
2012. This scheme will oer loans to home owners
to install energy saving measures in their houses
Maintaining the area’s valued historic character
The area’s extensive conservation areas and listed
buildings refect its signicant architectural heritage
which is highly valued by local people. Both the
conservation areas have appraisals which set out
the special character o the area which are to be
preserved or enhance. South Hampstead and
West End Green Conservation Areas also haveManagement Strategies which were adopted in
February 2011 and provide clear guidance about
how the Council will seek to manage this historic
environment. This guidance will be applied to all
new developments in the area and provides an
excellent tool or maintaining the valued character.
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South Hampstead has an Article 4 Direction, to help
preserve the character o the area as it had been
previously indentied as a conservation area at risk.
This means that residential properties need to apply
or permission or nearly all external alterations to
their properties and boundary treatments to ensure
there is no urther erosion o the character.
Basement controls
With high land values in the area, the development
o basements has become increasingly popular
as a means o gaining additional space, without
having to relocate. This is a general trend here
as well as in other parts o Camden. Whilst
basement development can make ecient use
o the boroughs limited land, in some cases they
can cause harm to amenity o the neighbours,
aect stability o buildings, cause drainage
problems or damage the character o the area.
The Council has produced some detailed guidance
in the Camden Planning Guidance
– Basements and Lightwells, which
provides clear guidance where planning permission
is required to ensure that this type o development
does not detrimentally aect the area or neighbours.
Proposed headline actions:
• Negotiate appropriate accessibleopen space in new developments andopportunities arising rom Council ownedsites.
• Use more detailed area planning guidance to look at co-ordinating locations.
• Continue to improve existing parks andopen spaces in conjunction with localcommunities.
• Work with partners to lobby Network
Rail to address the missing green habitatcorridor along the railway and enhancebiodiversity.
• Work with partners such as Transition,local residents groups and SaerNeighbourhood Team to explore allopportunities to improve green aspectso the area including establishing GreenZones and identiying potential sites orimprovement.
•
Support opportunities to increase oodgrowing and or groups to access CapitalGrowth unds.
• Explore opportunities to deliver morestreet trees in conjunction with theMayor’s 10,000 street trees programme.
What is already being done:
• Maygrove Peace Park awardedGreen Flag.
• Completed park improvementworks to Maygrove Peace Park,
West End Green and Sumatra Roadopen spaces.
• New ood growing opportunitiesprovided at West End Sidingsestate and community orchard atLymington Road estate.
• New guidance on retrottingsustainability measures.
• Updated Conservation Area Appraisal and ManagementStrategies or South Hampsteadand West End Green Conservation
Area.
• Camden Planning Guidance orBasements and Lightwells.
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West Hampstead has active community groups
and a number o acilities or local people, which are
highly valued. Local people raised concerns about
community provision across all age ranges and howservices will continue to be delivered with cuts to
government unding.
The development opportunities within the area
provide a real opportunity to assist in ensuring the
continued delivery o services to the community
that meet the needs o both the existing and new
residents. Although innovative methods o delivery
should be investigated to ensure the long term
sustainability o the services ( Action C1.1 ).
Key Objectives:
• Continue to monitor the demand orschool places and nursery provision
• Continue to support local voluntary sector organisations andinvestigate innovative delivery o services.
• Negotiate with developers or
‘aordable’ provision o community space or local groups
School and Nursery places
A lack o primary school places in the West
Hampstead area has been an ongoing concern or
sometime. At the start o school year 2011/2012
provision had been increased at the new St Luke’s
Free School and through the expansion o the
existing Emmanuel school one year earlier thanoriginally expected. This increased the overall number
o places by an additional 30 within West Hampstead
and the wider area. Despite this there were still a
number o unplaced children this year and the latest
projections or uture demand remain high.
As part o the CIP the Council is considering
the development o a new primary school in the
area with the Council owned Liddell Road site (o
Maygrove Road) being identied as a possible
location. Ocers are due to report back toCouncillors in summer 2012 regarding pressure on
places and the possible building o a new school on
this site. The Council and its partners will continue
to monitor the situation and explore the possibility o
a new primary school in the area ( Action C1.2 ).
The number o nursery and play centre places in
the area also need to be considered and kept under
review, particularly with regard to the changes in
ree provision requirements or disadvantaged 2
year olds. The reviews will include consideration o
capacity in council buildings, voluntary sector and
rom new developments ( Action C1.3 ).
Health services
The predicted growth in the West Hampstead Area
will contribute to a signicant population increase
in the area in the coming years. This will in turn
increase the demand or local services such as
Doctors and Dentists.
The NHS (currently through the Primary Care Trust)
works with the Council to ensure that the needs
o the area are met however, in the past the level
o NHS engagement in major planning proposals
has been limited. To ensure that the growing health
care needs o West Hampstead can be met the
NHS and the Council should consider how they can
improve joint working in the uture to ensure that
resources are allocated in the most ecient way to
where they are required. As major schemes come
orward, applicants will also be required to submit
social inrastructure studies to demonstrate what
impact their schemes could potentially have on
acilities in the area ( Action C1.4 ).
Supporting the voluntary
and community sector The Council’s Communities and Third Sector Team
have designed and implemented a new support
and investment programme or voluntary and
community sector organisations in Camden which
is aimed at targeting reduced resources in areas o
highest impact.
To deliver improvedlocal services
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West Hampstead is home to a number o
community groups which play a vital role in
supporting the community o the area. These are
less numerous than in other parts o the borough,
and only a ew have been unded by the Council in
the past. The impact on council budgets o central
government unding cuts has meant that some
voluntary and community sector organisations are
acing a reduction in unding and in some cases the
withdrawal o unding.
The Sidings Community Centre which is a
major provider o local services in the area was
successul in securing unding. They provide
community education and recreation programme’s
or adults, ESOL, creative writing, computing,
dance and healthy eating amongst other things.
The Community Association or West Hampstead
(CAWH) which operates West Hampstead
Community Centre was unortunately one o the
organisations aected by the cuts. The Council is
working with the CAWH to oer transitional support
and to assist with accessing alternative sources o
unding. The Council has also introduced a new rent
relie policy that will enable the CAWH to occupy the
premises without needing to pay rent.
Continuing to work with voluntary and community
sector organisations will be key to the continued
delivery o community services ( Action C1.5 ).
As discussed earlier in this plan, the Council is
undertaking Shaping Services to think creatively
about how it can support local services in the
uture. This work will consider how the Council can
help enable services to be delivered more eciently
and in a way that ocuses on the local priorities.
This might include considering co-locating services
to improve eciency and resilience and considering
the role o the area’s schools as hubs or the
community ( Action C1.1 ).
Youth Services
Some local people thought that the West
Hampstead area had particularly poor youth
acilities and identied a connection between this
and anti-social behaviour.
There are however a number o youth services in
the area and in the surrounding areas which can
be easily accessed by local young people. These
include the Sidings Community Centre at Brassey
Road, the Kilburn Youth Station at Kingsgate Place
and a bit urther away Hampstead Community
School and Westcrot Youth Project in Barnet and
The Winch in Swiss Cottage. These provide a range
o activities, sports, arts and youth support.
The Council is in the process o setting up the Area
Youth Partnership, with West Hampstead alling
within the North Area. The partnership is made
up o local youth service providers including the
Council and voluntary sectors and aims to oer a
coordinated service which maximises local stang
and nancial resources, avoids duplication and is
not restricted by area boundaries ( Action C1.6 ).
The Council conducted a Youth Review
Consultation and ound that generally young
people were aware o the services available to
them in their area, but that knowledge o services
amongst parents and adults was limited. Youth
projects in West Hampstead have been engaging in
outreach work to get more young people involved
with local projects, and have also been liaising
with local police, housing and schools to publicise
their programmes. However, urther publicity and
promotional work would help to inorm parents
o the acilities on oer and to raise awareness
( Action C1.7 ).
One potential small change that could help increase
awareness o the existing acilities in the area
could be to provide clearer signage to the Sidings
Community Centre to improve way nding to the
centre which is located at the top o Maygrove
Peace Park ( Action C1.8 ).
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Lack o aordablemeeting space
Local representatives elt that there was a lacko aordable meeting spaces or voluntary and
community associations to access. Such spaces
may be identied or created through the many
planned developments in the area or through the
CIP programme and there may be possibilities
to secure such spaces through Section 106
Agreements in major developments. Local
representatives could also explore possibilities with
local businesses or organisations which may have
spaces they are willing to oer or this purpose.
( Action C1.6 )
Community Saety
Local people also raised the connection
between the provision o youth services and
anti-social behaviour. Following the civil unrest
o summer 2011 local youth projects in the
West Hampstead area helped to engage young
people in the Community Summit, Youth Actions
Group conerence, held in September 2011. This
outreach work has been carried orward withyoung representatives rom Kilburn Youth Station
meeting with the local police to discuss concerns
and to orge better relationships between young
people and the local Saer Neighbourhood Team
(SNT). The SNT are also active in setting up events
with local youth groups and sports acilities to
encourage more young people to become involved
in local activities and to divert them rom anti-social
behaviour ( Action C1.7 ).
Burglary remains a concern or local people and the
local saer neighbourhoods team consider this to be
a priority in the area although recent gures show
that rates o this type o crime have signicantly
reduced. One o the main actors infuencing this
reduction is likely to be the SNT’s targeted action
with the local community over the last couple o
years to set up wide reaching neighbourhood watch
schemes that currently boast over 160 members.
This has also included the circulation o a newsletter
with inormation about how to secure property.
Improvement works to Billy Fury Way (as described
in open space section) have helped to improve
the environment and saety on this key pedestrian
connection between Finchley Road and West End
Lane. The Grati project which provided the mural
at the West End Lane end o the passage has now
been expanded borough wide with the railway
bridge along the passage being a potential site or
uture coordinated grati work with local young
people. The SNT is working with Network Rail and
local residents to secure urther improvements to
the walkway ( Action M1.3 ).
What is already being done:
• The Council have designed andimplemented a new supportand investment programme or
voluntary and community sectororganisations and are oering
various orms o support to voluntary organisations.
• The Council is undertaking ShapingServices work to think creatively about how it can support localservices in the uture.
• A review o Play Services throughout Camden.
• The north area youth partnershiphas been set up to deliver youthservices more eectively in WestHampstead and the wider area.
• The local SNT have worked with the community to set up a numbero neighbourhood watch schemesand have hosted particular events
to engage with young people in thearea.
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T k i i d
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The three stations and the
excellent public transport options
they provide to the surrounding
area is a valued aspect o the area,but also a source o concern.
To make it easier and morepleasant or people to movearound the area
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The three stations and the excellent public transport
options they provide to the surrounding area is
a valued aspect o the area, but also a source o
concern, due to the diculties it can present in
moving through the area and as a gateway to the
town centre as a whole. Improvements to the train
stations and services are already being delivered in
the area and more are expected in the near uture.
Movement around the area away rom West
End Lane connecting the town centres and
residential areas would also benet rom signicant
improvement.
Key Objective:
• Continue to improve how peoplemove around and between the
three station
Improvements to the trainstations and services
The works to the Thameslink station are complete
with the new access onto Iverson Road now
open. The new bridge and lits, have improved
accessibility and also serve to reduce the pressure
on the ootbridge, to the north o West End
Lane. The works to expand the platorms to
accommodate 12 carriage trains are also complete
and whilst these longer trains are now operating on
the line they do not yet stop at West Hampstead.
The Overground station is currently small and the
ability to provide a disabled access compliant
station is limited. Increased service and capacity
is also expected on this service post 2012. A
proposed upgrade o this station is on Transport or
London’s list o priorities.
Given that the site adjacent to this station is
an identied potential development site (187
West End Lane). Agreement has been made
with Network Rail in conjunction with council
discussions, to saeguard a parcel o land to allow
or the uture expansion o this station. Thereore
any development occurring beore this would
not prejudice this expansion and will ensure
that a substantial improvement to the on street
interchange environment is achieved ( Action
M2.1 ).
The Underground Station also has no disabled
access at present, but is not currently scheduled
or upgrading. There has been ongoing upgrading
works o the tube lines and suspension o services
at weekends. West Hampstead Amenity
and Transport (WHAT) are continuing
to investigate issues on this line and work or
improvement to services ( Action M2.2 ).
Improving the on streetmovement between stations
At peak times o the day in the morning and
evenings the pavements between the three stations
are crowded. With the expected increase in train
services, capacity and local population ensuring the
‘interchange area’ is sae, attractive and unctional
remains a key objective or the area.
The Council has recently completed a number
o improvements to the on street area between
stations, including widening the pavements where
easible, extending crossing widths and removingstreet clutter where possible. Bus stops have
been relocated and guard railing removed. These
works have signicantly improved the public
realm area and the Council are continuing to
work with partners such as WHAT around urther
improvements.
Given a number o potential new developments
ront onto West End Lane and the potential
increased users o the area, opportunities to
urther explore on street improvements should beundertaken. The Council have expressed a clear
requirement in the drat Sites Allocation document
or new buildings along West End Lane to be set
back adequately to provide a wider ootpath to ease
the pressure on the public realm ( Action M1.1 ).
To make it easier and morepleasant or people to movearound the area
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Improving movement in andout o the area via pathways
The railway lines contribute to the division o the area
and the ability or people to move around the area
away rom West End Lane. There are a number o
ootpaths adjacent to the railway lines which link theresidential area to West End Lane and to each other.
Considerable work has been done by the Saer
Neighbourhood Team, Councillors, council
departments and other partners to improve the
existing pathways across these areas.
The paths have been hotspots or anti social
behaviour in the past and are in a rundown
condition and poorly used. Work so ar has included
renaming the laneways so that they are clearly
identiable to all and could allow or consistent
monitoring o any antisocial behaviour.
This has led on to a wider community project
being championed by Council and the Saer
Neighbourhood Team, with the renamed Billy Fury
pathway (ormerly Lithos Passage) celebrating its
connection to the 1950’s musician who recorded
in the local area. A mural has been provided at the
entrance to the pathway and Network Rail, the
Council’s street engineering and street cleaning
services are working together to repair and improve
the appearance o the entrance to ensure that
it is more attractive to users. This is an excellent
example o ongoing joined up working to deliver
clear improvements to the area ( Action M1.3 ).
Billy Fury Way ootpath provides a good link rom
West End Lane through to Finchley Road and
across to Lithos estate. It is a long pathway and
urther opportunities or improvement should
be investigated as part o a wider strategy or
movement around the area.
Black Path, north o the Thameslink station and
Potteries, the ootpath next to 156 West End
Lane provide important links to and rom the town
centre rom the surrounding residential areas.
Opportunities to urther improve these to ensure
they are used should be explored, particularly i 156
West End Lane is developed ( Action M1.3 ).
The main route along Blackburn Road towards the
02 centre is well used but could benet rom some
overall improvements to the pavement suracing,
sightlines and lighting ( Action M1.3 ).
There are also currently limited existing opportunities
or north south links across the interchange area as
a whole. All these movement issues would benet
rom an overall strategic approach and this can
be urther investigated in the more detailed area
planning guidance study ( Action M1.4 ).
Promoting alternativemeans o transport
Improving how people can move through the area
and creating more pleasant environments or the
pedestrian and cyclist would help support people
using these alternative means o travel.
Opportunities that can be explored relate to
reducing trac speeds in residential areas,
allowing cyclists to go down one way streets and
trac calming measures at junctions to prioritise
pedestrians. Increased cycling parking in suitable
locations could also assist in promoting cycling in
the area.
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The Council is investigating these potential
measures with residents in the area and implement
easible schemes ( Action M1.5 ).
Issue o car parkingCar parking is always an issue that generates
debate. Camden’s overall position is to encourage a
reduction in motor trac levels and encourage and
promote the use o sustainable modes o transport
such as walking, cycling and public transport. There
is clear Planning Policy which is rigorously applied
to development proposals requiring there to be car
ree where there are good public transport options,
which there are in West Hampstead.
The car ree status o developments is a legal
requirement on properties which prevents occupiersreceiving a residents permit, which would allow
people to park in the area. Internal systems ensure
that this restriction is communicated to the Parking
Department. Any breeches o the car ree status, in
terms o receiving residents parking permits can be
investigated.
The issue o people avoiding the parking restrictions
however requires a more general assessment o
the parking controls in the area, to ensure that they
are delivering the best option or all residents. The
Council is undertaking a Parking Policy Review
which will provide an opportunity to investigate this
issue urther.
Demand or parking in Camden is high and the
Council seeks to maintain the balance between
dierent and competing users: residents and their
visitors, businesses operating and carrying out
deliveries across the borough, disabled people and
trades people.
There will be a continued need to manage this
pressure, particularly as West Hampstead is
identied as an area expected to accommodate
more housing and employment space.
The Council’s existing parking arrangements have
played a key role in reducing the number o private
cars travelling on Camden roads between 2001
and 2010 by 26%. In 2001 56% o households in
Camden had no access to a vehicle. The number
o resident permits issued in recent years has not
increased indicating that car ownership in the
borough as a whole is continuing at the same level
and that the majority o households in the borough
still do not have access to a vehicle.
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As a result o the Parking Policy Review it has been
agreed that a public engagement exercise will be
carried out concerning controlled parking zones. As
part o this process stakeholders will be providedwith the opportunity to comment on the size, hours
o control and the length o maximum stay in pay
and display bays. The results o this consultation will
be used to determine where changes to the current
arrangements are required and will be investigated
urther ( Action M2.3 ).
The Council will also continue to encourage
the provision o car clubs as part o major
developments.
Impact o servicing on West End Lane
Stakeholders were concerned about the impact
o vehicles servicing the two local supermarkets
on West End Lane and the impact this had on
general trac fows. Specic complaints have been
investigated with the supermarkets and the delivery
times amended where easible. A review will also
study the waiting and loading restrictions along the
whole o West End Lane to ensure these deliver the
best solution or all users ( Action M2.4 ).
Dealing withconstruction trac
West End Lane is the main north south routethrough the area and given the number o
development potentially happening at the same
time it is important that the potential impacts o
construction are well managed. The Council
requires detailed construction management plans
or developments and has a range o regulatory
powers to ensure impacts like noise, trac, dust
and pollution are minimised during the physical
construction phase. Careul coordination o these
plans will be required to minimise the impact on the
area ( Action M2.5 ).
What is already being done:
• Improved pavements and crossingson West End Lane around theinterchange area.
• Decluttered the ootpaths, removedguard rails.
• Footpaths all renamed to assist in
better way nding and consistency.
• Lighting improvements to Black path.
Proposed headline actions:
• Continue to work with partners,such as Transport or London, FirstCapital Connect and Network Railabout transport service provision in
the area.
• Negotiate with developers o 187 West End Lane to ensure that potential to improve LondonOverground Station is notprejudiced.
• Provide improvements or cycling in the area, including additional cycleparking.
• Investigate the controlled parkingzone restrictions as part o theParking Review.
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Action Plan
This Action Plan sets out measurable steps towards delivery o the vision, identies responsibities and the timerames involved. The key to the successul delivery o this
work will be by continuing and developing the work local people, voluntary sector organisations, developers, businesses, councillors and the council services are doing
and working together to deliver the vision. The Action Plan will be monitored on a regular basis and actions will be updated to be responsive to change.
Timescales: Short term - delivery by end 2012 Medium term - delivery by end 2014 Long term - delivery beyond 2014 Ongoing - continuing action
Objective Actions Timescale By who?
To secure real local beneft rom development opportunities
D1 Ensure
communityinvolvement
in shaping
developments in
the area and
identiying
priorities or
local benets
rom major
developments
D1.1 Work with the community to identiy the best way to deliver more
detailed area planning guidance, either through a Council led planningdocument, Neighbourhood Plan or similar approach to identiy priorities
or investment and how individual sites can help contribute
Short /
Medium
Council Placeshaping Service, Local
Councillors, Local Groups, NeighbourhoodDevelopment Forum and Business Forum.
D1.2 Seek to secure appropriate contributions through planning
agreements and Community Inrastructure Levy (CIL) and use
opportunities to involve representative local stakeholders in identiying
how contributions are used.
On-going Council Planning Service, Community
and Third Sector Team, Parks and Open
Spaces and Transport Strategy Team, Local
Councillors, Local Groups and representatives.
D1.3 Ensure coordination o council owned and private development
sites in the area to contribute towards the shared objectives
On-going Council Property Services, Placeshaping
Service, Planning Service and Local
Councillors.
D1.4 Recognise the local housing priorities in uture Community
Investment Programme projects and negotiations with private
developers and consider positively proposals or low cost market
housing in the area as part o the residential mix (where appropriate).
On-going Council Planning Service, Placeshaping
Service and Housing Service.
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Objective Actions Timescale By who?
D1.5 Identiy how to engage and consult representative local people
through clear communication strategy and ensure residents are kept
inormed about progress o major developments.
On-going Council Placeshaping Service, Council
Planning Service, Council Communication
Team, Local Councillors and Developers.
To support a successul local economy with a thriving neighbourhood
E1 Support the
local business
environment
including
a thrivingand diverse
neighbourhood
that meets the
needs o people
who live work
and visit the area
together with
local employment
opportunities
E1.1 To work together with and support the new Business Forum
and other representative business groups to support the local business
environment.
Short /
medium
Council Economic Development Team,
the Business Forum and Business
representatives and Local Councillors.
E1.2 Signpost businesses and business representative organisationsto national and regional business growth support and unding
opportunities via Camden Council’s website and through targeted
business communication.
ongoing Council Economic Development Team.
E1.3 Facilitate engagement with local landowners and landlords to
consider how the private sector can help to support a thriving shopping
area and reduce the vacancy rate in Mill Lane.
Short /
medium
Council Economic Development Team,
Placeshaping Service and Business
Representatives, Landowners.
E1.4 Continue to monitor the diversity o uses in West End Lane and
Mill Lane.
Annually Council Placeshaping Service and Economic
Development Team.
E1.5 Negotiate with Developers or the inclusion o small units within
any new retail development suitable or small independent traders.
Ongoing Council Planning Service.
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Objective Actions Timescale By who?
E1.6 Provide space and support or the creative industries / microbusinesses o the area and new start up work space, serviced oce
space or shared meeting spaces within new developments to meet the
needs o the small businesses / reelancers in the area.
Ongoing Council Planning Service, EconomicDevelopment Team and Developers.
E1.7 Work in partnership with the Voluntary Community Sector to
ensure opportunities are coordinated to support young people to access
employment opportunities.
Short /
medium
Council Shaping Services (Children Schools
Family service lead).
E2 Work together
to promote the
area or people
who live work
and visit the
neighbourhood
and to improve
the appearance
o the shopping
areas
E2.1 Work with partners and business associations to explore
opportunities to promote the West Hampstead Town centre.
Ongoing Council Economic Development Team
Corporate Communications Team, Love
Camden, Business Representatives, West
Hampstead Lie and local press and Local
Councillors.
E2.2 Explore opportunities with landowners and developers or space
suitable or the provision o an occasional market and discuss with
the Business Forum and local groups the possibility o being the main
organisers.
Short /
medium
Council Planning, Street Trading
Placeshaping & Economic Development
services, Business Forum, Local Councillors
and Local Groups
E2.3 Lobby TL to include Mill Lane neighbourhood centre shops on
the Legible London signs, to help increase ootall to the area.
Short Counci l Transport Strategy Team Transport
or London (legible London Ocer).
E2.4 Support local businesses through the planning process to secure
positive alterations to shop rontages including protecting and reinstating
the historic shop ronts to improve the appearance o the high street and
take enorcement action where necessary.
Ongoing Counci l Planning Service.
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Objective Actions Timescale By who?
To provide new open space and improve the local environment
G1 Provide new
accessible
open space
that benets
the community
and continue
to improve the
quality o the
parks and open
spaces and
ood growing
opportunities in
the area.
G1.1 Secure accessible open space within new private and council
developments and ensure that Council wide programmes such as
Community Investment Programme and housing reviews explore all
opportunities to try and address this need in conjunction with local
communities.
Ongoing Council Planning Service, Parks and Open
Spaces Service, Community Investment
Programme and Property Housing Adult
Social Care Service.
G1.2 Use the more detailed area planning guidance to investigate
the best potential location or major space provision and smaller scale
opportunities.
Short /
Medium
Council Placeshaping Service and
Neighbourhood Development Forum and
Local Councillors.
G1.3 Work with voluntary groups and partners to improve existing
parks and open spaces and identiy potential new sites, sites or
improvement and management o spaces options.
Medium /
ongoing
Council Parks and Open Spaces Service,
voluntary groups, Saer Neighbourhood
Team and Network Rail (community project)
and Local Councillors
G1.4 Encourage local groups to set up a ‘Green Zone’ to improve
their area, street or estate.
Short /
Medium
Council Sustainability Team, Community
Groups, Residents Associations.
G1.5 Increase ood growing in the area, ensuring new developments
include opportunities or growing areas and acilities and supportinggroups to access Capital Growth unds.
Short /
mediumOngoing
Council Sustainability Team, Local Groups,
Transition, Council Planning Service andDevelopers.
G1.6 Work with partners to lobby Network Rail to address the missing
green habitat link along the railway lands and enhance biodiversity and
the habitat corridors. Proactively engage with Network Rail to raise the
prole o this issue and support action.
Medium Council Parks and Open Spaces Service
and Local Community Groups.
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Objective Actions Timescale By who?
To deliver improved local services
C1 Secure
investment
rom a range o
sources including
planning
agreements
into additional
primary school
places as
necessary,health,
community,
nursery places
and local youth
acilities
C1.1 Investigate innovative delivery o services in partnership with
local communities and voluntary groups.
Ongoing Council Shaping Services, and Communities
and Third Sector Team Local community
organisations.
C1.2 Continue to monitor current and projected demand or primary
school places in the area and i demand remains high, progress the
development o a new primary school as part o the Community
Investment Programme.
Short /
Medium
Council Children Schools Family Service.
C1.3 Investigate the options or nursery place provision including
consideration o capacity in council buildings, voluntary sector and rom
new developments.
Short /
Medium
Council Children Schools Family Service,
Property Services and stakeholder groups.
C1.4 NHS and Council to consider ways to improve joint working,
including pre-planning and planning stage or large developments
to ensure that adequate health acilities are provided to cater or the
predicted population increase.
Short/
medium
Council Planning Service and Communities
and Third Sector Team.
C1.5 Continue to support local voluntary and community sector
organisations providing guidance on unding and operational support.
Short /
ongoing
Council Communities and Third Sector
Team and Local Groups.
C1.6 Negotiate with developers or community use space within new
developments to provide aordable space or local groups.
Ongoing Council Planning Service and Developers.
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Objective Actions Timescale By who?
C1.7 Continue to deliver improved youth services and consider waysto promote youth services in the area to increase awareness o local
youth acilities including urther community events to engage the young
in sporting clubs and activities.
Short / Medium
Council Youth Services Team, CommunityCentres & Local groups Kilburn Youth
station and Saer Neighbourhood Team.
C1.8 Improve physical signage and way nding to Sidings Community
Centre rom Town Centre and at bottom o Maygrove Peace Park.
Short /
medium
Council Planning Service Council and
Transport Strategy Team.
To make it easier and more pleasant or people to move around the area
M1 Improve the
quality o
experience
or people in
streets and
public spaces
and improve
pedestrian and
cycling routes.
M1.1 Ensure that development contributes towards improving on
street interchange between the three stations and surrounding area by
ensuring that developments are set back adequately to provide wider
pavements in the interchange area.
Ongoing Council Planning Service.
M1.2 Investigate opportunities to carry out urther public realm
improvement works to the northern part o the town centre and Mill
Lane.
Short /
Medium
Council Transport Strategy Team.
M1.3 Use existing budgets to make improvements to ootpaths in
short term whilst investigating long term opportunities to urther upgrade
routes and community saety along Blackburn Road to the 02 centre ,
Billy Fury Way, Black Path and Potteries ootpaths.
Short /
Medium
Council Transport Strategy Team, Planning
Service, Community Saety Team and Local
Saer Neighbourhood Team.
M1.4 Investigate long term opportunities or improving the movement
routes around the area including north to south across the railways as
part o the overall area planning guidance.
Medium /
Long
Council Placeshaping Service and Transport
Strategy Team.
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Objective Actions Timescale By who?
M1.5 Investigate opportunities to improve the environment or cyclingand deliver improvements to cycle saety, ease o movement and cycle
parking around the area.
Short / medium
Council Transport Strategy Team and Localgroups.
M2 Work to urther
improve access
to stations,
road trac and
parking issues
M2.1 Ensure land adjacent to the London Overground station is
saeguarded rom development and any development adjacent to this
site does not prejudice uture improved access.
Short /
medium
Ongoing
Council Planning Service.
M2.2 Continue to liaise with London Underground, First Capital
Connect and TL as well as community groups to ensure co ordinated
improvements to transport services into and through the area including
improving access to stations.
Ongoing Council Transport Strategy Team and
Transport Partners.
M2.3 Undertake Parking Policy Review in consultation with residents /
stakeholders regarding the proposed controlled parking zone restrictions
and pay and display areas and act on eedback.
Short /
medium
Council Transport Strategy Team, Local
Groups, Business Forum.
M2.4 Review the waiting and loading restrictions on West End Lane
as a whole to ensure no detrimental impact on trac movement and
servicing.
Short /
medium
Council Transport Strategy Team.
M2.5 Use co ordinated construction management plans to minimise
impacts on local people rom construction trac.
Ongoing Council Planning Service
Council Transport Strategy Team.