DD2377 Good Growth by Design – Social Infrastructure

Good Growth is at the core of the Mayor’s new draft London Plan. One of the six core Good Growth policies (GG1) is to build strong and inclusive communities. The Plan states that to build on the city’s tradition of openness, diversity and equality, and help deliver strong and inclusive communities, those involved in planning and development must (amongst others):

a) Seek to ensure changes to the physical environment achieve an overall positive contribution to London; and
b) Provide access to good quality community spaces, services and amenities and infrastructure that accommodate, encourage and strengthen communities, increasing active participation and social integration, and addressing social isolation.

Social infrastructure – in all its statutory, non-statutory and more ‘incidental’ forms –make an important contribution to this Good Growth policy. These facilities offer regular, shared opportunities for social contact and participation in local communities across different groups and at all life stages. From school attendance, to playspace, health visits to places of worship, social infrastructure is a part of our shared experience of the built environment from childhood through to old age.

In planning terms, social infrastructure is defined as assets that provide social services which include, health, education, play, faith, recreation and emergency facilities, all of which provide essential resources to support Londoners in their everyday lives. These spaces are particularly important for those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable. As London’s population grows it is vital that London’s social infrastructure adapts to the population’s changing needs, and that Londoners play a direct role in this, including in the processes of planning for and the provision of social infrastructure.

The Good Growth Fund identifies the development of civic infrastructure as a priority theme. Civic infrastructure encapsulates both traditional forms of social infrastructure, as well as new models which deliver services that contribute to Londoners’ quality of life, but which do not necessarily fit within traditional categories. These new models might include co-located facilities, multi-functional community spaces, workspaces linked to social service delivery, and public realm that regularly hosts community, educational or health activities. As London’s growth continues, civic infrastructure is under pressure – serving a growing population in the context of funding reductions and land value pressures for competing uses.

The Good Growth Fund has a stated interest in supporting infrastructure that fosters social integration and in creating new community institutions which bring people from different groups together. Understanding the places where people from different backgrounds meet and connect is a fundamental part of Good Growth, and social infrastructure represents a core category of infrastructure which provides for this – from childhood through to old age.

The research will be delivered as part of the Good Growth by Design (GGbD) programme, which identified a number of design inquiries to both inform policy, guidance and delivery and to set quality standards for others to follow. GGbD is the Mayor’s programme to promote quality and inclusion in the built environment. It is a plan and a call to action to deliver good growth.

The Mayor approved (under cover MD2163 in November 2017) up to £6.088m in revenue support funding over the period 2017/18 – 2020/21 for the Good Growth Fund. Good Growth Fund revenue support funding will be targeted to build a balanced programme with the specific aim of ensuring that the range of objectives set out in the prospectus are achieved across London’s geography.

Three categories of support will be offered to support the development of a balanced programme:

a) Development Funding - to provide Good Growth Fund applicants with support in meeting their project design and development costs including feasibility, viability, business planning and commercial/property advice to demonstrate need, improve quality and shape and influence the delivery of targeted outcomes, with a view to submitting a full funding bid down the line;
b) Research and Evidence base - to support a series of research commissions which inform and influence the direction and emphasis of funding calls over the lifetime of the programme; and
c) Due Diligence — to support the GLA in undertaking technical assessment of grant funding and loan applications. This will include advice on property, valuation, cost/value for money and sustainability.

This research project will fall under b) Research & Evidence Base.

Objectives

This research commission seeks to better understand the status and role of social infrastructure in London. The research will develop evidence on the current planning, design and delivery processes for social infrastructure in London in order to better value, secure and support existing and new infrastructure.

The research will set out current processes of delivering social infrastructure through a literature review, area-based primary research and case studies, how these processes differ across development contexts, and how they engage with new forms of social infrastructure evident in London. The research will explore how both statutory and non-statutory social infrastructure contribute to local service provision, place-making and community building.

Outputs

The research output will develop our evidence base and understanding which will be crucial to ensure value for money in future spending commitments related to the Good Growth agenda.

The research will deliver robust evidence to assist with the updating of the Social Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) as set out in new draft London Plan.

The research will deliver specific built environment evidence to the GLA’s growing Social Evidence Base, including detailing the specific contribution of social infrastructure to social integration. This evidence will inform future policy and programmes to be taken forward by the Communities and Social Policy Unit.

The research will specifically develop the following:

• Evidence and statement of the current challenges facing social infrastructure provision and sustainability in London;
• Assessment of the current landscape of social infrastructure planning to meet community needs, through area-based analysis of planning, evidence gathering and delivery processes;
• Case studies to assess new models of social infrastructure provision evident in London (including co-located and multi-use premises), and identify potential future support needed; and
• Evidence of the key factors contributing to social integration opportunities through social infrastructure, across design, management and programming.

Outcomes

The findings and recommendations developed through this research will support:

• The delivery of more innovative and inclusive social and civic infrastructure projects which help deliver the Mayor’s vision for good growth;
• Enhanced civic infrastructure provision which operates flexibility to respond to local needs and context;
• Increased social integration opportunities delivered through social infrastructure, supported by investment and planning guidance; and
• Improved social infrastructure provision at both borough and London-wide level through improved social infrastructure needs assessment processes.

The draft London Plan has had a full integrated impact assessment undertaken. Chapter 5 of the draft London Plan sets out the Mayor’s policies on social infrastructure provision, needs assessment processes and particular design and planning considerations as particular to different forms of social infrastructure.

Social integration is a specific social policy focus for this research. As such, research is predicated on an understanding of different user groups and how social infrastructure impacts the relationships between these groups. The research brief and commissioning process will explicitly encourage applications from a multi-disciplinary team which includes social integration expertise and demonstrates an understanding of the characteristics protected by the 2010 Equality Act and how social infrastructure might impact these groups differently.

The Sounding Board brought together to guide this project will include both Mayor’s Design Advocates as well as experts from the field of social integration and social infrastructure provision, providing particular guidance on the inclusion and consideration of groups protected by the Equalities Act in the research and recommendations.

Appointed consultants will be expected to uphold the Equality responsibilities of the GLA, and these expectations will be set out in the brief. External engagement activities delivered (e.g. interviews, workshops) will endeavour to secure involvement of diverse stakeholders, including a consideration of groups with protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act.

All published outputs will be available in accessible formats.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

Chapter 5 of the new draft London Plan states that social infrastructure plays an important role in developing strong and inclusive communities. It can provide opportunities to bring different groups of people together, contributing to social integration and the desirability of a place. Policy S1 states that Boroughs, in their Development Plans, should undertake a needs assessment of social infrastructure to meet the needs of London’s diverse communities. In areas of major new development and regeneration, social infrastructure needs should be addressed via area-based planning such as Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks, Area Action Plans, Development Infrastructure Funding Studies, Neighbourhood Plans or master plans.

The Mayor’s Social Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) will be reviewed in coming year in order to provide more specific guidance on how to achieve the policy priorities and requirements set out in the new draft London Plan.

Improved social integration is a Mayoral priority. This means enabling people to have more opportunities to connect with each other positively and meaningfully. This priority involves reducing barriers and inequalities, so that Londoners can relate to each other as equals. The Mayor’s Social Integration Strategy identifies a socially integrated city as a healthier, fairer and safer city, and pledges to undertake new research on the places and spaces that give Londoners the opportunity to meet and build relationships, which this research responds directly to. Understanding the role of the built environment in supporting or limiting opportunities for social integration is a stated objective in the Mayor’s social integration strategy.

The Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy identifies inclusive and safe communities as a key component of London’s economic development. It recognises that London’s town centres, high streets and neighbourhoods will change as the population grows and that this change needs to be managed carefully to ensure that communities are integrated and that the opportunities presented are inclusive. The strategy recognises that a larger population will mean additional demands on community and social infrastructure and pledges that the Mayor will work with public, private and community partners to support the delivery of community infrastructure. This research responds to this pledge by developing evidence for how to best deliver inclusive social infrastructure.

Key risks and issues

There is a risk that the tender process does not deliver a team with the necessary expertise to meet the requirements of this research project. The nature of this commission means it is best delivered by a multi-disciplinary research team. Without built environment, planning and social integration expertise informing the commission, the research risks being limited in its quality and impact. To mitigate, the brief and scoping criteria will clearly state preference for multi-disciplinary teams to be brought together to bid for this work. Framework providers will also be given official advance notice through TfL’s ‘expression of interest’ notification process, in order to provide early opportunity for research partnership and joint bids to be developed. A proposed external Sounding Board including Mayor’s Design Advocates and social policy expertise will be convened to support this project as a resource for the appointed team to draw upon.

Given the cross-team nature of this work, there is a risk that the project is not able to meet a range of internal priorities and that research evidence is not adopted by co-sponsoring teams as envisioned. An internal steering group has been established which includes representation from the Regeneration, Social Integration and London Plan teams in order to facilitate this cross-team working/ This steering group will make key decisions on the content of the brief, the selection of the consultant team and will come together regularly during the research programme to engage with the appointed consultants. Terms of reference have been set out for this steering group which include decision-making processes and review mechanisms across each team.

Minimal personal data collection is expected as part of this research project. Any personal data collected via the research programme will be used in compliance with GDPR.

The total cost of £100,000 for this research project will be co-funded via a combination of GLA budgets, namely the Good Growth Fund (£50,000), the Communities & Social Policy Programme budget – Social Integration (£40,000) and the London Plan Programme budget (£10,000).

The Regeneration & Economic Development Unit will be responsible for managing this project and the administering of the budget.

The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the activity in respect of which approval is sought may be considered to be facilitative of and conducive to the GLA’s discharge of its general functions in promoting economic development and wealth creation officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:

(a) Pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) Consider how those proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
(c) Consult with appropriate bodies.

The services required must be procured in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code, in liaison by TfL Commercial who will determine the procurement strategy and officers must ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and the GLA before the commencement of the services.

In taking the decisions requested, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.