CD136 Willesden Junction Station Public Realm Improvements - Technical Design

Willesden Junction Station is a key transport hub serving the wider Harlesden and Old Oak area. It sits as the 'front door' of the OPDC area. Construction of the first mixed-used developments in the area has already begun, with the delivery of 600 new homes on the Oaklands site.

The site was identified as an In the Making capital project as part of the initial early activation scoping work undertaken by AECOM in 2018. OPDC secured £574,140 in capital funding through the GLA Good Growth Fund Round 1 to deliver public realm and biodiversity improvements to the public spaces in and around the Station.

Approval for receipt and expenditure of the Good Growth Fund Round 1 was approved by the OPDC Board in March 2019 and delegated decisions in respect of funding to the CEO (see supporting documents)

5th Studio, architects and urban designers, were appointed in May 2019 to develop the design of public realm interventions across the site. 5th Studio were procured through the GLA's Architecture Urbanism and Design Framework. Thus far 5th Studio have developed an overall vision for the project and have prepared concept designs for the public realm intervention in partnership with Arriva and Network Rail, the leaseholders and freeholders of the site, respectively.

This work was carried out under the approval given by CD097, which was for expenditure of £80,000 for design services for concept design and an overall public art and public realm design approach (RIBA Stages 0 to 2). This decisions seeks approval for expenditure of up to £70,000 for the next detailed, technical stages and delivery stages of design (RIBA Stages 3 to 6), including design coordination with sub-consultants, preparing tender documentation for contractor procurement and services for design quality management on site.

The additional spend is due to third party liaison costs and additional design work to meet third party requirements which were unforeseeable when the call off contract was entered into. OPDC and 5th Studio now have working relationships with Arriva and Network Rail, the station leaseholders and freeholders, have designed interventions in response to the know known site and third party constraints which will mitigate against further cost creep under this contract.

Together with CD097, the maximum total expenditure will be £150,000.

As per the funding agreement between OPDC and the GLA in respect of the Willesden Junction public realm improvement project, design services towards the project are appointed for as capital expenditure. The deadline to spend the funding is March 2021, however given many projects have had to be delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis, the GLA Regeneration team have expressed flexibility to the deadline.

The aim of the project is to:

• Improve wayfinding and legibility of connections to Old Oak and to Harlesden Town centre to enhance Willesden Junction Station's role as a gateway to the area.
• Improve biodiversity and mitigate hostile and unwelcoming environments through 'greening the grey'.
• Highlight and communicate the process of change and renewal underway
• Reveal and celebrate local heritage to enhance local pride and identity,
• Deliver short term tangible benefits for existing local communities resulting from OPDC's involvement.

Next Steps

Key next steps to enable a start on site include: technical design coordination between sub-consultants (structural engineer and landscape consultants), preparation of a final cost plan, approval of the designs from Network Rail and Arriva, collation of technical documents and specifications to commence the procurement process to appoint a contractor to deliver the designs.

The key outputs and services for the next stages are:

• RIBA Stage 3 detailed drawings, coordinated with the sub-consultants (landscape architect, structural engineer and quantity surveyor).
• A Stage 3 cost plan
• A consultation event prior to planning approvals and contractor procurement
• Preparation of design specifications and tender documentation
• Preparation of technical information for Network Rail and Arriva approvals
• Technical review during construction stage, undertaking sit inspections (RIBA Stages 5 and 6).
• Contract Administration services to manage the construction contract.
• Site inspection services to manage design quality on site.

OPDC is working with the designers and TfL Commercial to prepare a separate procurement strategy for a building contractor to deliver the interventions that have been designed through this contract. Once the approach has been agreed, the team will bring forward a further decision to approve the construction spend from the Good Growth Round 1 Fund for the maximum value of the construction budget to deliver the project.

All the above activities can be undertaken as desktop exercises from site inspections during construction stage due to commence at the end of this year. All site related activity will be adapted to conform with any updated social distancing requirements published by the Government and the Construction Leadership Council. Any community engagement will also take place online to conform with Government guidance on large gatherings.

OPDC has also been working in partnership with LB Brent on the project, ensuring improvements in Harlesden and improvements to the station are coordinated.

Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the OPDC is subject to the public sector equality duty and must have 'due regard' to the need to (i) eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; (ii) advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who don not; and (iii) foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic, and those who do not. Protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sex orientation and marriage or civil partnership status (all except the last being "relevant" protected characteristics).

The procurement brief explicitly refers to the diversity of the wider OPDC area and requires candidates to explain how they intend to be inclusive in their approach to developing and delivering the public realm projects at Willesden Junction Station and meet OPDC's obligations under the Equality Act 2010. This will help OPDC and the Mayor to deliver equality and inclusion policies to promote an accessible and inclusive environment and meet the Equalities Duty by identifying opportunities for existing and newly arriving communities to benefit from development in the OPDC area.

A particular benefit of the Willesden Junction Early Activation Initiative's key objective is to improve wayfinding and accessibility. These improvements will benefit users, and in particular those with protected characteristics, such as age and disability, by contributing to and/or delivering a permeable, inclusive and accessible movement network as outlined in the vision and policy requirements of the Draft Local Plan.

These activities are within the scope of works of 5th Studio's contract. The additional spend is due to third party liaison costs and additional design work to meet third party requirements which were unforeseeable when the call off contract was entered into.

The project from part of OPDC's 'In the Making' initiative, incorporating OPDC workstreams which are delivering creative projects and activities benefiting local communities and creating a new public life and a sense of place across Old Oak and Park Royal in the next 1-5 years, including:

• Early Activation projects (public realm improvements, meanwhile activities - externally funded by Good Growth Fund);
• Great Place Scheme projects (externally funded by Heritage Lottery Fund + Arts Council); and
• Engagement initiatives (part of the Communications and Engagement team's workplans to engage with young people).

The overarching objectives of the In the Making initiative are:

• Delivering everyday improvements and opportunities with and for local people;
• Growing initiatives which will shape successful places; and
• Celebrating and promoting what makes Old Oak and Park Royal special.

The In the Making capital projects from part of the OPDC's wider delivery approach, of Accelerated Delivery.

A consultation event was held in November 2019 where the team presented the concept designs, another event will be held, either online or in person, ahead of submitting for approvals and commencing contractor procurement.

Expenditure of up to £70,000 on services as described in this report will be grant funded from the Good Growth Fund Round 1. Officers should ensure grant claims are submitted in a timely manner. Further expenditure is subject to the Corporation's decision-making process.

The report above indicates that the decision requested of the Chief Executive falls with the OPDC's object of securing the regeneration of the Old Oak and Park Royal area and its powers to do anything it considers appropriate for the purpose of its objects or purposes incidental to those purposes, as set out in the Localism Act 2011.

In taking the decisions requested, The Chief Executive 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 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 and foster good relations between person who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010).

The services required should be procured in accordance with the OPDC's Contract and Funding Code by relevant procurement officers. Officers must ensure that an appropriate contract variation is put in place and executed by 5th Studio and OPDC before provision of the services.

Section 1 of the report states that funding for the project is being provided to OPDC by the GLA on the terms of funding agreement. Officers should ensure that an appropriate funding agreement variation is put in place and executed by the GLA and OPDC, extending the deadline for OPDC's provision of the project as discussed by the parties, before incurring expenditure.

Good Growth Round 1 Board Paper

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