CD135 Great Place Scheme - 2020 Projects and Covid-19 Response

The Great Place Scheme (GPS) is a three-year, £1.9m arts and heritage programme largely funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England with some additional match funding from OPDC, S106 funding and other sources. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme end date has been extended by 6 months until June 2021.

The core objectives of the programme are:

• to deliver a high quality, participatory arts and culture programme, with the local community as its heart;
• to showcase and uncover the rich heritage of Park Royal, in order to influence and shape the future of Old Oak;
• to celebrate the fascinating businesses located in Park Royal;
• create opportunities for local people to volunteer, participate and learn new skills; and
• establish a stronger, more distinct, identity for the area and improved sense of local pride.

Examples of completed projects and projects in progress are:

Three Major Annual art Commissions:

• The Park Royals by Faisal Abdu'Allah
• Work Leisure by Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad
• Absolute Beginners by Tom James

Artist in Industry Residency (jointly funded by HS2)

• Something Different by Rosalie Schweiker

Made in Park Royal Product Range

• (Title TBC) by We are Panel + 6 artists appointed in 2020

Willesden Junction Station Commission

• (Title TBC) by Ruth Ewan

Lifting the Lid on Old Oak and Park Royal

• Annual Participation in Open House Weekend (various artists/collaborators)

Community Meals

• Various artists/collaborators

Small Grants Scheme (£150,000 total budget)

• Various projects/recipients including local schools, community groups, individual artists

Community Hub

• At the Old Refectory in Park Royal Centre (also home to Absolute Beginners by Tom James)

ECHO Park Royal

• A time-bank system and volunteer network by ECHO CIC

Youth Engagement Programme

• Including Park Royal Young Planners, Youth Programme

All GPS projects fall within the OPDC's In the Making initiative, an umbrella brand 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 one to five years, including:

• Early Activation projects (public realm improvements and meanwhile activities, including those drawing on (external) Good Growth Funding); and
• GPS projects (externally funded by Heritage Lottery Fund + Arts Council) Engagement initiatives.

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

Creative Programming Partner: Contract Variation

In 2017 we appointed a Creative Programming Partner (an arts consultancy called Create London) to provide curatorial support and help us to develop a consistent creative approach across the whole programme. Their scope includes strategic support, developing projects and artist briefs, as well as taking the lead on day-to-day delivery of several major art commissions (for example, The Park Royals, Work-Leisure, Willesden Junction Station Commission, and the Artist in Industry Residency) and other projects as necessary. This work involves supporting the artists closely, production and delivery of artworks, collating and supplying evaluation data and ensuring opportunities for partnerships and potential legacy outcomes are explored.

The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown has had a significant impact on the planned programme for 2020. Many projects have had to be revised, re-scheduled or substantially altered, which will incur significant additional work. For this reason, we would like to extend the contract and scope of our Creative Programming Partner (Create London) to allow for continued curatorial and project management support until the end of the GPS Programme.

The decisions builds on CD061, which approved spend of £145,000 over a three-year period (2017-2020) under that contract with Create London OPDC officers have engaged with Transport for London (TfL) Commercial (who undertake OPDC's procurement activities on OPDC's behalf) and have confirmed the existing contract can be varied without the need for a further procurement exercise or a single source exemption.

Grant funding for local organisation mutual aid groups

In addition to the extension of the grant end date, Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council have agreed we can repurpose some GPS funds towards emergency-response work in the OPDC area, as long as it still meets the wider GPS objectives.

Through OPDC's current work with GA and their London Community Response team, we have identified an urgent need among the emerging mutual aid groups. These are groups led by volunteers who have come together to provide local aid to support the most vulnerable in their communities, for support and expertise in areas such as: applying for grant funding, volunteer training, governance, safeguarding, equipment and expenses such as fuel for food deliveries. A key aim of GPS is to mobilise and support volunteering in the OPDC and surrounding areas, and we have funds ringfenced specifically for these purposes.

Therefore, we propose a series of small grants (up to £5,000 each) be made available specifically to organisations in the immediate vicinity of the OPDC boundary to support this type of activity. Many of the mutual aid groups are not formal organisations, so it might prove difficult for OPDC to fund them directly and quickly. OPDC may therefore decide to provide this funding to one organisation to grand fund onwards to such mutual aid groups that LLDC have selected. OPDC will work with TfL Commercial to determine the most appropriate method to provide such grants to these mutual aid organisations.

The funding will be distributed via an open, but targeted, call for applications from organisations operating in the OPDC area. The criteria against which applications will be assessed will be set out in a paper to, and agreed by, OPDC's Senior Management Team. But they are likely to include: proposed use of funding, evidence of need, previous experience of group members delivering similar programmes, evidence of support networks and partnership working. The paper will also set out a proportionate due diligence approach to minimise the risk of fraud and/or financial loss.

Park Royal Bridge Artist Commission

The GPS programme includes a series of high-quality art commissions which will respond to and enhance the public realm in Old Oak and Park Royal. An opportunity has been identified to commission an artist to work with architects Hawkins Brown as part of the design team on the new footbridge at Park Royal Station. This is a unique opportunity to deliver a high quality, architecturally led and design driven footbridge which offers an improvement on the aesthetic quality of typical rail structures. An artist will be selected through an invited tender process with the curatorial support of our consultants Create London. The artwork will be integrated into the design of the bridge and surrounds, and any installation or capital costs will be worked into the capital budget managed by Hawkins Brown and their contractors. The bridge is jointly owned by TfL and Network Rail and will be maintained by the London Borough of Ealing. There will be no ongoing costs of liability for OPDC.

This project can proceed while working within Covid-19 social distancing measures. We will work the appointed artist to help them find a way to visit the site safely for an initial reconnaissance. After, that they will work remotely with the deign team, to develop the initial ideas. There will be a community engagement element to the brief, but that will devised collaboratively once we have more clarity on social distancing guidelines later in the year. If required, the engagement work can be undertaken digitally or with social distancing in place.

Youth Programme

One of the key GPS objectives is to ensure young people are able to connect with and access the benefits of the GPS projects and the wider In The Making programme. We plan to do this by commissioning a programme of activities connected to the wider In The Making programme and designed specifically for young people in the area. This will also support OPDC to broaden and diversify its audience. We will obtain quotes and proposals from existing youth providers in the local area, to ensure that the programme is designed and delivered in alignment with the specific needs of local young people.

The ambition is that the programme will run from September 2020 to March 2021, which is when we expect the GPS projects to have 'public moments' and which the Youth Programme could align with. There will be challenges due to current social distancing guidelines, which is why we plan to begin the procurement process as soon as possible, to allow the appointed providers time to develop a suitable programme which is flexible and can be adapted according to the guidelines in place at the time of delivery. We are researching examples of best practice and compiling a list of precedent projects which are successfully adapting to working with young people digitally or remotely, such as the work of Brent Borough of Culture's Blueprint Collective, which will inform our approach as the situation develops.

Video and digital content for Open House 2020

One of the core CPS projects, and 'approved purposes' in the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council original funding agreement was to take part in the annual Open House festival in 2018, -19 and -20. This provides an opportunity for people from across London to visit businesses and factories and discover the hidden heritage, stories and what happens 'behind the scenes' in Park Royal. In 2019, the second iteration of the event, over 1000 people visited buildings in the area and took part in guided walks, tours, talks and family activities. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not responsible or possible for us to hold the same event this year, and the organisers of Open House are also planning to move a lot of their content online. Therefore, we will procure digital content creators to engage with us on creating a series of short films and digital content that can be shared across our platforms, and via the Open House website, to allow similar outcomes to be achieved without the need for a physical event.

All GPS projects are evaluated and measured against our programme wide KPIs which include numbers of participants, numbers of volunteers engaged (skilled/unskilled and total hours spend), artists commissioned.

Creative Programming Partner: Contract Variation

Extending the contract of the Creative Programming Partner, Create London will allow them to continue working on the GPS programme until its new completion date in June 2021. This will ensure the programme is fully supported in terms of creative direction, curatorial input, project management and support with legacy planning and fundraising for beyond lifespan of 2021.

Grant funding for mutual aid groups

The provision of a series of small grants focused on supporting volunteering within smaller community groups at the frontline of the Covid-19 response effort, will help these groups to build capacity and resilience and to become more effective and sustainable. This will provide tangible benefits to the communities most in need with OPDC's area and help OPDC to identify which organisations may have the potential to become anchor community organisations in the longer term.

Park Royal Bridge Artist Commission

The artist will work collaboratively with local stakeholders and the bridge's design team to add a creative layer to the bridge design and consider how the history of this area of London, its current narratives and shared futures can be engrained into the public realm. Locating an art commission at the entrance to Park Royal industrial estate supports the developing vision of the In the Making programme to activate entry points to the area, improving wayfinding and a sense of local pride in Park Royal.

Youth Programme

Delivering a dedicated youth programme will ensure that a diverse cohort of local young people are able to access the benefits of the GPS and have their voices heard as the area embarks upon large-scale regeneration. The benefits will include opportunities for skills and training as well as the chance to feel more connected to their local area's heritage and culture. It is our ambition that the participants will form the first wave of In the Making "youth champions" and will be encouraged to participate in other OPDC Engagement events around the regeneration of the area. In time this may pave the way for a formal Youth Panel which would have a similar function to the Community Review Group. A detailed proposal for the Youth Programme will be submitted to SMT in due course.

Video and digital content for Open House 2020

The objective of creating video and digital content in lieu of a physical event for Open House 2020, will ensure we still meet our aims of 'uncovering and showcasing the rich heritage and diverse stories of London's largest industrial estate', while maintaining safety of the public, residents and employees. The content created by this project can also be used on the new OPDC microsite in due course, and for a variety of communications purposes in the future. By distributing the content through online channels (OPDC's channels, as well as third party sites such as Open House and Brent's London Borough of Culture websites and Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham's platforms too), we have the opportunity to engage with a much wider audience, because we will not be limited in terms of space, capacity and accessibility. The content will also be used in an exhibition and publication in Spring 2021, when we showcase all of the projects and celebrate the culmination of the three-year Great Place Scheme programme. This will bring further audiences to the work, and will contribute to our legacy planning, such as future grants funding applications to continue arts and heritage programming in the area.

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 do no; and (iii) foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do. Protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sec orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (all except the last being "relevant" protected characteristics.

In terms of Create London, the Creative Programming Partner contract extension, the equality impact has been assessed as per the original brief and there are no new implications because the type of work, deliverables and approach has not changed.

For the other projects, all tender documents or artist brief and grant agreements will explicitly refer to the diversity of the wider OPDC area and requires candidates/suppliers to explain how they intend to be inclusive in their approach to developing and delivering the works required 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.

OPDC's GPS programme has been developed in consultation with and to be relevant to the local community now and for future communities. The projects are therefore relevant and inclusive to the people who live and work in the OPDC area, both those taking part in the GPS activities and those who will become audience members of the activities.

Key risks and issues -

Risks are scored for likelihood and impact (each out of five) and combined to give a total score (out of 25). The higher the number the more severe the risk.

The total GPS budget is £1,914,200. Of this, as of 1 April 2020, £934,826 has been spent and a further £514,928 is committed/ in contract. This leaves funding of £474,436, which is available to fund other projects including the £145,000 requested in this approval.

NLHF Grant: £1,489,200 - secured

OPDC contribution: £150,000 - secured

S106: £100,000 - £50,000 secured to date

Other match funding/sponsorship: £175,000 - £100,000 secured to date, £75,000 still to raise.

The £275,000 combined income from S106 and Other match funding/sponsorship has been underwritten by OPDC, as proposed in the June 2017 board paper. This means that in the case the target is not reached, it will have no impact on the project total budget.

The expenditure of £145,000 associated with this decision is fully funded from the Great Place Scheme grant. Further expenditure is subject to the Corporation's decision-making process.

The report above indicates that the decision requested of the CEO falls within OPDC's objective 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 CEO must have due regards to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminated 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 persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the CEO should have regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Officers must ensure that any grant funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the OPDC equalities and in a manner, which affords value for money in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must ensure that an appropriate funding agreement is put in place between and executed by OPDC and successful grant recipients before any commitment to fund is made.

Any procurement activity required must be procured in line with the Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and OPDC before commencement of the services.

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