Towards a Sustainable and Just City Region?
Civil Society and the rise of communitybased approaches to planning and
development in London
TU Berlin 29 November 2013
Professor Nick Bailey
baileyn@westminster.ac.uk
Civil Society
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Multiple meanings
Different formations – national charities, areabased, issue-based ‘third sector’ organisations
Uneven geographical distribution
Simple legal and organisational structures
Long history of charitable activities in UK
Response to shrinking of the state and public
investment in communities and places
No coherent strategy – e.g. Big Society,
Localism, forums
Defining social
and community
enterprise
The complexities of planning in London
educating for
Development Trusts are…..
• Engaged in economic, social and environmental
regeneration of a defined are or community of
interest;
• Independent, not-for-profit, aiming for sustainability;
• Community based, owned and managed;
• Actively involved in partnerships with stakeholders;
• (usually) a registered company limited by guarantee;
• (usually) a registered charity.
Coin Street Community Builders
Westway Development Trust
Westway Development Trust
Comparing two trusts in London
Coin Street
Westway
Land ownership
Freehold
Long lease from council
and DoT
Year founded
1984
1971
Legal status
Company limited by guarantee
charity
Company limited by
guarantee
Charity
Assets
£26m in 2007
£28.5m in 2012
Area
5.3 ha
9 ha
Reason for expansion Sale at low valuation by GLC
Lease at low valuation
Organisation
12 trustees
14 trustees + chair
Main activities
Housing (220 affordable)
Commercial/retail
Open space
80% community facilities
15% commercial
5% vacant
Coin Street Community
Builders
• Assets of £26m in 2007;
• 5.3 hectare site bought in
1984;
• 220 homes built;
• Families & children’s
centre;
• Neighbourhood centre with
nursery, meeting rooms,
office space for charities;
• Public open space;
• Shops and offices;
• Work and arts spaces;
• Proposed swimming pool
www.coinstreet.org
Iroko Housing Co-operative built 59 homes to rent in 2001
Iroko is one of 4 housing co-ops in the Coin Street area
Proposed Doon Street development
on the South Bank, London
Sources of Finance
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Section 106 and asset transfer (land and buildings);
Loans from banks;
Sales and services provided;
Big Lottery, Heritage Lottery Fund;
EU funding (in certain areas);
Various funds from central & local government;
LAs can sell land/buildings below market value if
worth less than £2m.
Community Development Trusts
• There are 466 development trusts across the UK
• Development trusts work in communities that make up a quarter
of the UK population
• They have a combined income of £297m, of which £177m is
earned income
• £643m of assets are in community ownership
• 5040 staff and 23,000 volunteers work with development trusts
• Development trusts provide support to almost 9,000 community
groups and over 8,000 small businesses
• Development trusts engage in a wide range of community
focussed activities and services.
Source: DTA. Development trusts in 2009
Assets owned by Locality members in
England
Source: Locality membership survey 2012
Total assets: £643m
Income to Locality members in England
Source: Locality membership survey 2012
over £5m
£1m-£5m
£550k-£1m
£100k-£500k
£1k-£10k
up to £1k
0%
5%
Total income: £297m
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Assets of Community Value
• Under Localism Act 2011 groups can apply to local
council to register an Asset of Community Value;
• When asset is for sale, group has 6 months to raise
the market value before it can be sold on open
market;
• Often applied to pubs but also redundant schools,
libraries etc.
• Similar powers operating in Scotland
First Asset of Community Value in London?
The Ivy House,
Nunhead, bought
by Ivy House
Community Pub
Ltd in March 2013
after declared an
asset of
community value
by Southwark
Council and
residents raising
£810,000
Conclusions
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Small scale, uneven distribution
Affected by recession and increasing property values
Operate at high risk end of market
Driven by a commercial imperative to make a surplus
Depend on volunteers for management and delivery
Important community development role
Depend on buying in expertise (valuation, architects
etc)
• Asset transfer very slow – owners want to maximise
income
• Voluntaristic principle – promoting ‘co-production’
The Co-Production Model
Governance
Service delivery
Community engagement
Sources
• Hart, L. To have and to hold: The DTA guide to asset
development for community and social enterprise.
DTA, 2010.
• Bailey, N. The role, organisation and contribution of
community enterprise to urban regeneration in the
UK. Progress in Planning, 77(1), 2012.
www.locality.org.uk
www.westway.org
www.coinstreet.org
Questions?