Management and Regeneration of the Built Environment

Question 1

How is sustainable management of the built environment an important part of the urban planning/regeneration process?

Answer 1

It’s important because only sustainable management of the built environment will be able to deliver and reconcile the different/competing objectives.

Less Co2 from travelling, healthy spaces, more resilient and pleasant places to live, easier to heat, happier.

Question 2

What are the key factors / principles for sustainable management?

Answer 2

The main components for sustainability are
social - development must respond to community needs/demands, demographic change if it is to be used sustainably.
economic - development should encourage mixed communities and mixed used. Avoid over-exposure to particular industries
environmental - energy efficient, pleasant design, low cost maintenance,

Question 3

What planning policies/guidance notes are applicable to sustainable management of an urban regeneration project?

Answer 3

PAN 33 - Planning Advice Note 33: Development of contaminated land (if it is a contaminated site) - planning authorities are expected to encourage and promote the re-use of brownfield land, including contaminated sites.

Within a Development Plan policies that reference to housing and brownfield land will also be relevant.

Question 4

What are the Scottish Government’s main policy mechanisms for supporting residential regeneration?

Answer 4

Affordable Housing Supple Programme - more generous rates of grant available for regeneration projects.

Vacant and Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) - established in 2004 provides funding for land regarded as hard to develop where this would stimulate economic growth, create jobs and improve quality of life in communities.

Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) - available to local authorities who can use the funds to support regeneration.

Town Centre Fund - available to local authorities to support the aims of the town centre action plan and place principle (town centre living and mixed use).

Question 5

Explain the principles of regeneration introduced by NPF4.

Answer 5

While regeneration is not a term that is used considerably in the draft NPF4 - there’s certainly key principles which relate very strongly to regeneration:

Compact growth - limiting urban expansion where brownfield, vacant and derelict land and buildings can be used more efficiently.

Local living - creating networks of 20 minute neighbourhoods to support local liveability, reduce the need to travel unsustainably, promote and facilitate active travel and build local circular economies.

Balanced development - development across Scotland so people have more choice about where they live, learn and work. This involves creating opportunities for
communities in areas of decline, and manage
development more sustainably in areas of
high demand.

Just transition - a rapid transformation across all
sectors of our economy and society. We must
ensure that, as we reduce our emissions and
respond to a changing climate, this creates a
fair and creates a better future for everyone.

Question 6

What are the roles played by the public/private/not for profit sectors?

Answer 6

Public sector - directs and regulates developments. Use of planning system to ensure appropriate design and planning condition ensure that finer aspects which improve local liveability are implemented

Private sector/RSL - use of market mechanisms to create and leverage private finance for development. To be sustainable it must also be profitable or be run explicitly as a not for profit.

Question 7

What are the key factors you have recognised in regeneration work?

Answer 7

Organisational/Strategic - Importance of creating a shared vision and clear roles for parties.

Political - There has to be support for the project from the Council/lors, Government, internal colleagues and external stakeholders.

Legal - the legal implications of the project need to be fully appreciated. There needs to be a understanding of the complexity but a clear route to delivery.

Funding - the funding settlement needs to be agreed between partners including the risks of overrun. If the project isn’t fully funded it will fail.

Ethical - it should deliver better outcomes for communities and not displace people who do not wish to leave.

Question 8

What policies / guidance notes have you applied in a project?

Answer 8

I would look at regeneration strategies, visions and action programmes.

For Rose Street, L2 - Peterhead Regeneration Action Plan.

For St Mungo’s, L3 - A vision for Cumbernauld

Question 9

Rose Street - L2,

How could this site contribute towards the town’s regeneration objectives?

Answer 9

Town Centre First Principle -
Given the site’s prominence, its redevelopment could contribute to a more vibrant, welcoming and pleasant streetscape in the area and create accommodation for a use that responds to local demand. In turn increasing footfall and boosting local jobs.

Question 10

Rose Street - L2, What’s an options workshop?

Answer 10

An options workshop is a technique for reviewing options and analyzing the costs and benefits of each one. It helps to ensure informed decision making by providing a process that requires:
• the key objectives that must be achieved to be identified
• the different ways of achieving these objectives to be described and
• the pros and cons of each of these ways to be considered in terms of the
benefits (financial and non financial) that they can deliver

Question 11

Rose Street - L2, What were the challenges and opportunities in dealing with a gap site?

Answer 11

Challenges - Nature of the site meant, reconstruction costs would be expensive. Re-development as housing not an option Sanctuary wanted to explore as its strategically unsuitable. Commercial/Retail use wasn’t viable, high vacancy rates throughout town centre.
Tight so no economy of scale, requirement for license to close footpath and site cabins on road?

Opportunities - funding for the project as part of wider town centre regen. Could lead to cheaper construction is undertaken as part of wider programme of works.

Question 12

Rose Street - L2, What forms of re-use did you consider and why?

Answer 12

The options workshop considered residential and retail mainly.

No option was settled definitely but given covid

Question 13

Rose Street - L2, What were the main planning constraints and considerations?

Answer 13

Council planners indicated that they would be as flexible as possible but indicated their preference for a facade that was in-keeping with the streetscape.

Question 14

Millcroft Road - L2, What is a decant strategy?

Answer 14

Decanting: Where households are required to move from their homes, either temporarily or permanently, for the purpose of major repair, planned improvement
works, disposal, redevelopment or demolition.

Question 15

Millcroft Road - L2
Can you talk me through the ethical issues involved in decanting? Was there any relevant RICS guidance that you followed?

Answer 15

Decanting involves moving someone from their home so it is always a potentially sensitive and emotive process that needs handled carefully. Millcroft road - high rates of owner occupation of low value housing and absentee landlords renting informally to low income individuals and asylum seekers.
Compounded by the vulnerability of tenants - higher rates of ill-health and mobility issues. Individuals may need income support.

No relevant RICS guidance, but my employer has a decant process which I referred too.

Question 16

Millcroft Road - L2

What was your advice to your client in terms of how to proceed?

Answer 16

I provided the information to enable conversation but I highlighted the issues that would make successfully delivering the scheme challenging.

Question 17

Denoon Terrace - L3, Talk me through your site appraisal report and advice.

Answer 17

In my report, I set out the history and content to the site, detailed the site brief and discussions with the council to highlight their key objectives for the site when disposing.
In particular, I highlighted the Council’s preference for low-density private housing and the character of the area meant that higher density would be inappropriate
Technical colleagues had reviewed reports and provided commentary I included citing potential drainage challenges. I outlined the scheme prepared by the architect which would maximise density and retain existing tree line while only marginally failing short of open space requirements.

My advice was that given the Council’s preference for private housing submitting a fully rented scheme would not be attractive to the Council. Introducing a 60 Social Rent/40 NSSE split on the otherhand would be beneficial as it would introduce private ownership overtime while mitigating risk of poor sales values to Sanctuary with the Scottish Government/Council picking up any remaining equity. Or alternatively, flipping the NSSE back to social rent if it was unworkable. Belts and braces approach to mitigating risk to Sanctuary.

Question 18

Denoon Terrace L3 - Can you tell me about the tension between the Council’s preference for private housing on the site and sales colleagues’ marketability concerns.

Answer 18

The site was in an establish residential neighbourhood in a somewhat less affluent suburban area. Resale was around £150K and some of the houses were in need of upgrade, there were no views etc. The site was not near any amenities and so there would be little obvious attraction to the area for buyers. It would therefore be difficult to market and indeed reviewing sales schemes there were no nearby comparables.

Question 19

St Mungos L3 - What is meant by an ‘affordable mixed tenure scheme’?

Answer 19

A scheme that is wholly comprises of affordable tenures i.e Social Rent, Mid Market, NSSE

Question 20

Please explain the strategic benefits of the site in terms of the town’s regeneration.

Answer 20

A vision for cumbernauld - very strong emphasis on increasing town centre population to achieve footfall -

Site has potential for circa 160 dwellings plus active travel routes between the town centre and Seafar (north) of Cumbernauld.

Council concern that PLC housebuilder approach would ‘turn its back away from wider community’ create a commuter estate.

Question 21

How did you design the scheme to create synergies with the other council projects?

Answer 21

Reviewed existing planning consent which was based on 150 unit - boost town centre population - potentially to increase beyond these with some higher density accomodation.

Stronger physical links through site towards proposed town centre hub. Site could work as a decant for North Carbrain stock improving the residential accomodation in Cumbernauld town centre generally and making it more attractive for people to live in.

Question 22

Bearing in mind the financial performance issues, how did you provide balanced advice to the client?

Answer 22

I noted that the output of the appraisal and did not dismiss the significance of the financial requirements. However, I advise that the site would have three major strategic benefits
1) Burns Road project due to complete this year - this acquisition would ensure that Sanctuary would be able to continue to build in Cumbernauld without stopping. A major political statement.

2) A site of this size and location would greatly assist in unlocking regeneration of the SSHA stock at Glenacre Road as it would provide an obvious decant for first phases. This stock was failing decent homes standard and colleagues in housing and assets highlighted difficulty in letting these properties and increased maintenance.
3) Town centre regeneration plans - Given Council’s expensive regenerations plans, they’re unlikely to be in a position to fund the residential element as well. PLC housebuilders would likely have little interest in support Council’s regeneration plans as it doesn’t fit their timescale or business model.