Regenerating Tottenham - Investment and Implications for Community Safety Priorities
A presentation will be given.
Minutes:
Anne Lippitt, programme director for the Tottenham Regeneration Programme, addressed the Board in respect of the work of the Tottenham Regeneration Programme. The three key elements of the work were outlined as:
1) Continuity (handling the immediate aftermath of the riots, supporting local residents and businesses).
2) Confidence-building
3) Rebuilding Tottenham
The Board was advised of the positive achievements that had been made, such as the establishment of the Community Assistance Centre and the Tottenham Fund to support residents and businesses affected by the riots, the successful lobbying for recovery funding, and the implementation of a 3 month exemption from business rates for affected businesses, which was in the process of being extended to 6 months.
There was a need to increase confidence amongst traders, residents and people from outside the area in Tottenham as a place to visit. The ‘I love Tottenham’ campaign had been launched and would involve physical improvements to the High Road environment such as banners and hanging baskets, additional street cleaning, as well as t-shirts and bags with the ‘I love Tottenham’ logo, to enable people to show their support and promote the area.
Bringing the Post Office back to the High Road was identified as a priority, as this had a significant impact on footfall locally, and work was progressing to achieve this. The Job Centre was currently operating out of Chenel, and it was intended that this would be consolidated in the short term by providing a Portakabin to enable the full range of Job Centre services to be offered on site. Work was progressing as quickly as possible regarding the Carpet Right and Aldi plots, and also to re-instate a Council presence at 639 High Road. Temporary uses were also being considered for some of the vacant sites, for example community gardens. The Community Panel, chaired by the Leader of the Council, aimed to unite the Borough in the recovery process and to ensure that all views from the community were taken on board and fed into the regeneration work.
The Board was advised that a vision was needed in order to establish Tottenham as a place where people want to live, work and stay. Key elements were identified as business investment, open space and transport, jobs for local people, high quality housing and safe, secure, confident communities.
Promoting the strengths of the area was felt to be a key issue, as well as converting these strengths into a deliverable strategy. Ensuring that Tottenham Hotspur remained in the area was a key part of any regeneration effort, as a catalyst for further development. In addition to physical regeneration, social and economic regeneration was essential and must be centred around existing communities and how they could benefit. Tottenham could provide a new model for regeneration, leading to physical improvements alongside better homes and new jobs for local people.
The Board was advised that Sir Stuart Lipton had been appointed as a link / champion for Tottenham regeneration. It was felt that, working ... view the full minutes text for item 97