REGENERATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2016-20
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
REGENERATION AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY 2016-20
Brentford Lock West
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 3
CONTENTS
Preface.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Context........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Vision and Strategies.............................................................................................................................................................15
Objectives................................................................................................................................................................................................18
Objective 1 – Growing Business........................................................................................................................... 23
Objective 2 – Improving Connectivity.......................................................................................................... 39
Objective 3 – Place-making.......................................................................................................................................... 45
A. Town centres........................................................................................................................................................................................... 45
B. Context and character of the borough’s places....................................................................................................... 54
C. Sustainable mixed communities......................................................................................................................................... 57
D. Community infrastructure.......................................................................................................................................................... 60
Objective 4 – Enhancing the Environment............................................................................................ 75
A. State of the natural environment........................................................................................................................................ 75
B. Ensuring environmental quality............................................................................................................................................ 78
Implementation of Key Work Streams/ Projects.......................................................................... 87
Appendix 1: Strategies guiding Regeneration and
Economic Development in Hounslow.......................................................................................................... 87
Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................................................................... 91
Image Credits..................................................................................................................................................................................... 91
CONTENTS
Gillette Corner
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 5
Harleen Atwal Manjit Buttar Surinder
Hear Chair o
Chair of Heston and Comm
PREFACE
Cranford Area Forum
HOUNSLOW CENTRAL
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read our first We welcome the award of £18.5m from the Mayor of London
regeneration and economic development strategy for the towards the Hounslow Town Centre Housing Zone. This is one
London Borough of Hounslow. element of our ambitious 10 year regeneration programme
which is designed to boost job and business growth as
Hounslow Council’s commitment to regeneration and well as accelerate high quality house-building for residents.
economic development has already been embedded in Around 3,500 new homes will be built by 2025. Feltham
our services and this document will serve to encapsulate town centre has also been designated a Housing Zone by the
and define the elements from these and other service Greater London Authority (GLA), sharing £200m with 10 other
strategies into a single document. This strategy identifies Housing
AjmerZones around London. This
Grewal financial
Pritam support enables
Grewal Nisar
the opportunities and sets out the role that the council us to unlock housing development as well as boost associated
will play to achieve our regeneration and economic facilities for the benefit of residents and businesses. It is Ma
development objectives. anticipated approximately 3,300 new homes will be delivered
between 2016 and 2026 around Feltham Town Centre.
Our borough benefits from a fantastic location, with both
Heathrow on our doorstep and central London within easy Regeneration cannot be achieved overnight. We need
reach. This has been a pull for major UK corporations,
European and International headquarters all of who can
HOUNSLOW WEST
commitment, aspirations, involvement and support from
all our stakeholders – residents, businesses (and their
call upon a highly skilled workforce from the diverse employees), our staff, political colleagues, contractors, land
population we have. owners, developers, GLA, Transport for London, partner
organisations, voluntary groups and government departments
Ambitious small businesses and entrepreneurs can see – to ensure the outcomes of regeneration are economically,
the opportunities here and often play their part in the socially and environmentally sustainable. We want people to
supply chain to support the work of business giants in think of the borough of Hounslow when they think of home.
the borough. This relationship can this be seen within the
creative industries, particularly media, and broadcasting We value the partnerships that we have with the public
and the ICT and digital sectors. When looking at the and private sectors, voluntary organisations and our local
percentage of total employment, we have the first and communities. Now more than ever these partnerships need
second highest concentration of these jobs compared to
Bandna Chopra Puneet Grewal
to be positive and robust in order to deliver the ambitious
Jagdish
all other London boroughs. goals set out in the regeneration and economic developmentChair of S
strategy – but we can’t do it alone. Comm
So what is regeneration and economic development?
We like to think of it as the continual improvement of We look forward to working with you to realise our
our living and working environment. This can be building regeneration and economic development vision together.
new homes but also new workspaces, high quality
public spaces and infrastructure. It also encompasses SYON
improved community cohesion, new educational and
health facilities and supporting business growth. For us it
also means enabling local people to become economically
active, creating and retaining quality jobs in our borough
for residents and providing apprenticeships and training
opportunities for our young people.
Similar to other local authorities, Hounslow Council needs
to make efficiency savings and we aim to turn this financial Councillor Steve Curran Councillor Theo Dennison
challenge into an opportunity. Our regeneration and Leader of Hounslow Council Cabinet Member for Finance
economic development strategy will be the focal point and Steve Member
and Cabinet Curranfor Theo
and Citizen Engagement Katherin
Dennison
driver as we continue to look for new funding sources to Corporate
Leader ofStrategy, Planning
the Council Finance Housing,
support our priority areas. and Regeneration
Corporate Strategy, and Citizen and Inc
Planning and Regeneration Engagement
CONTENTS
Old Isleworth
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Hounslow is a great place to live and work. It has presented opportunities to help address some of the
innovative entrepreneurs and thriving businesses issues through council led projects and initiatives, many
ranging from sole traders, social enterprises to multi- of which as subject to funding.
national companies. Strategically situated along the A4/
M4 corridor, the borough acts as the conduit between
central London and outer west sub-region including The strategy sets out four key
Heathrow Airport. objectives going forward:
The borough is well connected by public transport. It has 1. growing business
vibrant town centres and high quality parks and open
spaces such as Gunnersbury Park, Syon Park and Bedfont 2. improving connectivity
Lakes Country Park. Waterways, including the River
Thames and the Grand Union Canal, are a unique part 3. place-making
of the borough’s identity and provide opportunities for
leisure, recreation, employment and transport. 4. enhancing the environment
This document sets out the council’s strategy for
regeneration and economic development of the borough
over the next four years. It is a key delivery document
for a number of other council strategies and plans –
most notably the Local Plan (see page 16) outlined are
the council’s plans to achieve lasting and successful
regeneration and economic development as well as
provide information about the council’s current position
and future role in featuring these plans. The strategy
contains priorities for actions and projects, some of which
are yet to secure funding – a key role of this strategy is
as an investment tool to gain external funding.
Bedfont Lake Business Park is home to a number of
national and international companies
This document references each of these objectives in
turn within distinct chapters and supports the council’s
However, the borough faces a number of challenges commitment to delivering the vision set out in the Future
towards achieving sustainable development. These Borough strategy (see page 88) : enabling Hounslow to
include continuing to grow business, ensuring the become “a borough where people enjoy living and
local workforce has the right level and mix of skills, choose to stay throughout their lives. A great place
increasing the attractiveness and competitiveness of to invest and do business” with opportunities for all to
our town centres; delivering the number and quality of flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth.
homes residents need and ensuring sufficient social
infrastructure, such as schools, health and sports
facilities, to support expected population growth; and
improving the quality of public realm as well as tackling
other environmental issues such as air and noise
pollution. Partnership and stakeholder working has
CONTENTS
Great West Corridor
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 9
INTRODUCTION
The relationship between regeneration and economic
development is co-dependent - lasting economic growth
cannot be delivered without improving disadvantaged
area. Successful regeneration cannot be delivered without
investing in local economies and delivering sustainable
employment. This Regeneration and Economic Development
Strategy is a joint strategy which integrates the social,
economic and environmental elements of sustainable
development together. It supersedes the Economic
Development Strategy and Action Plan, September 2013.
This document sets out the regeneration and economic
development priorities and interventions for the borough’s
transformation. It outlines the council’s plans to achieve “Golden Mile”, a stretch of Great West Road (A4), is one of
lasting and successful regeneration and economic the focal areas for regeneration
development and the role the council will play in making that
happen. The borough’s regeneration programmes will focus deliver sector development, particularly in creative,
on the “Golden Mile” and Great West Corridor, the west digital and technology
of the borough including Feltham and the town centres of create more high quality jobs and provide a highly skilled
Hounslow and Brentford. The council also wants to bring workforce
forward regeneration activities in other areas such as Heston, identify and unlock development for well-planned and
Chiswick and Isleworth as well as its cultural attractions, for designed housing, including affordable housing
instance Gunnersbury Park and Chiswick House. deliver major public transport infrastructure, such as
the Southall Crossrail link, The Golden Link between
As a response to the Government cuts and the austerity Hounslow and Willesden Junction (via Old Oak Common
measures, the council has reduced its budgets by linking to High Speed 2 and London Overground) and
over £75m since 2010. However, an additional £70 Southern Rail Access via Feltham and Bedfont to
million of savings are required over the next four years. Heathrow Airport.
The council therefore has a role to play in continually
reviewing and set realistic and essential priorities for These key priorities are considered essential in creating
action in response to the budget challenges and seeking the investment necessary to address and resolve the
external funding to deliver the vision for regeneration and regeneration challenges in the borough.
economic development in Hounslow, alongside other
key deliverables and services. Growing and developing To ensure the outcomes of regeneration remain
businesses, delivering increased levels of high quality and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable,
well-designed housing with strong connectivity, particularly the council needs commitment, participation. Support
public transport links, are of paramount importance. from a wide range of stakeholders, including residents,
businesses, business support organisations, the voluntary
The council’s main focus in the first instance is on the and community sector, staff, contractors, land owners,
above mentioned key priorities. The council will work major employers, developers, Greater London Authority,
proactively with partners on projects and work streams Transport for London, partner organisations and government
identified in this strategy in order to: departments. This strategy will provide a platform for
sharing information on regeneration initiatives and the
generate inward investment in the borough council’s priorities with these stakeholders and funders,
retain and grow business proving to be a useful reference point for all involved.
CONTENTS
Great West Quarter
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 11
CONTEXT
The London Borough of Hounslow (Hounslow), home to and 36 small neighbourhood centres. The “Golden Mile“
276,200 people1, is one of the capital’s largest boroughs, which is 2.4 miles in length, extends along the Great West
covering 56 Square kilometres and stretching from the Road (A4) from Gillette Corner to Chiswick Roundabout.
border of Heathrow Airport in the west to Chiswick in the Hounslow Council recognises its status as a key economic
east. Strategically situated along the A4/M4 corridor, the asset, not just for Hounslow but for London as a whole.
borough acts as the conduit between central London and the
outer west London sub-region including Heathrow Airport. The borough benefits from 1,225 hectares of Green Belt
and 1,123 hectares of open space including Osterley
Hounslow has four main town centres; with Hounslow Park, Chiswick House and Gardens, Duke’s Meadows,
town centre designated as a Metropolitan Centre in the Gunnersbury Park, Boston Manor Park, Syon Park and
London Plan2; Chiswick as a Major Centre; and Brentford Bedfont Lakes Country Park and many other local open
and Feltham as District Centres. There are also large spaces. Its waterways - River Thames, River Brent, River
neighbourhood centres in: Hounslow West, Bedfont, Crane, Londford River and canals - provide opportunities for
Isleworth, Cranford, Hanworth, Heston and Old Isleworth, leisure, recreation, employment and transport.
Golden Mile
Chiswick Town
Centre
Brentford Town
Centre
Hounslow Town
Centre
Feltham Town
Centre
Source: Urban Context and Character Study 2014, London Borough of Hounslow
CONTENTS12 Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020
The borough has one of the largest economies of all Hounslow has been one of London’s strongest performing
the London boroughs, comprising around 143,400 economies in recent years, with employment growth of
employee jobs3 and 12,500 businesses. However, 12% between 2008 and 2013 as well as business base
analysis4 of information from a private business growth of over 20% between 2009 and 2014. These
intelligence database (MINT UK) suggests the business represent the highest growth rates seen in west London
base is considerably larger than this, the number could and are considerably higher than London wide averages6.
be closer to 20,000 where businesses falling below
official accounting thresholds are included. While a The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 combines a
proportion of these additional businesses are likely to number of indicators which have been chosen to cover
be inactive, the remainder are likely to be sole traders a range of economic, social and housing issues into a
or micro businesses5 that fall below the accounting single deprivation score for each small area, Lower Super
thresholds used within official datasets. Table 2 reflects Output Area (LSOA), in England. This allows each area to
the entrepreneurial spirit in Hounslow where the be ranked relative to one another according to their level of
proportion of self-employed residents is significantly deprivation. Out of 326 local authority districts, Hounslow
higher than London and Great Britain averages. See ranks the 151st most deprived district. Overall. Hounslow
page 23 for details regarding businesses and has 24 LSOAs in the 20% most deprived in England in 2015,
enterprises in the borough. compared to 47 in 2010.9
Table 1: Sector composition of Hounslow economy
Business count, 2014 Employment (jobs), 2013
Change Change
Business Sector7 No. % 2011-14(%) No. % 2009-13(%)
Manufacturing and 1,000 8 22.6 6,700 5 9.1
construction
Public sector 900 7 12.0 22,100 15 2.4
Wholesale and retail 2,000 16 11.0 19.900 14 -5.2
Hospitality, leisure and 1,100 9 13.4 15,400 11 14.6
other services
Transport and logistics 600 5 16.0 12,000 9 31.0
Business support services 900 8 20.1 15,800 11 -1.5
ICT and digital 1,900 16 51.4 12,900 9 52.9
Media and broadcasting 400 3 18.8 18,800 13 84
Other creative 600 5 12.9 3,000 2 61.9
Knowledge industries
Advanced manufacturing 100 1 50.0 2,200 2 7.6
Professional services 2,300 19 25.7 15,200 11 -2.6
Whole economy 12,500 100 21.4 143,400 100 14.9
Source: Regeneris Consulting 2015, based on information from BRES 2013 and IDBR 2014
CONTENTSRegeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 13
Table 2: Labour Supply, September 2015 for those aged 16-64
Hounslow (number) Hounslow (%) London (%) Great Britain (%)
Economically active 149,200 79.1 77.3 77.7
In employment 141,200 74.8 72.3 73.4
Employee 110,200 58.4 59.4 62.8
Self-employed8 30,500 16.3 12.5 10.2
Unemployed 7,900 5.3 6.4 5.4
Source: Office of national Statistics Annual Population Survey
Sources:
1
GLA short term trend-based population projections, 2014 round.
2
The London Plan, published by the Greater London Authority, is the overall strategic plan for London, and it sets out a fully integrated
economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of the capital to 2036.
3
Employee jobs excludes self-employed, government-supported trainees and HM Forces.
4
London Borough of Hounslow Sectors Research, Regeneris Consulting 2015.
5
Businesses employing between 0 and 4 people.
6
London Borough of Hounslow Sectors Research, Regeneris Consulting 2015.
7
The Sectors are defined by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) definitions.
8
% is a proportion of economically active.
9
The English indices of deprivation 2015, Department for Communities and Local Government, September 2015.
CONTENTSNew Hounslow Civic Centre
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 15
VISION AND STRATEGIES
‘A Vision for Hounslow 2030’ was developed by the progress to date and ambitions for the next stages of the
Hounslow Together Board (the Local Strategic Partnership) regeneration programme. It identifies the existing and
in 2011 following stakeholder workshops. The partnership proposed investment activities which will enable the London
consulted extensively on the vision alongside residents Borough of Hounslow to reach its potential as a place of
and other stakeholders during the preparation of the Future choice to live, work, shop, visit, and invest. It also sets out
Borough Strategy which is a policy driver for all Hounslow the council’s six ambitions for economic growth which
strategies. The vision can be summarised as: in turn relate to the four priorities of the London Enterprise
Panel. The six ambitions will help realise the council’s
regeneration and economic development objectives as set
“Hounslow will be a out in the Local Plan.
borough where people London Plan
The London Plan (March 2015) is the Mayor of London’s
enjoy living and choose to over-arching spatial development strategy and is part of
the statutory development plan for Hounslow. It sets out
stay throughout their lives. a fully integrated economic, environmental, transport and
social framework for the development of the capital to 2036.
A great place to invest and Boroughs’ Local Plans, have to be ‘in general conformity’
with the London Plan.
do business.”
Opportunity Areas, designated in the London Plan, have
significant potential capacity to accommodate new housing,
The above vision therefore represents the overall commercial and other development linked to planned or
regeneration and economic vision for the borough. potential improvements to public transport accessibility.
The London Plan states, “in Hounslow, there is capacity to
continue the rejuvenation of Feltham as a town centre and
Regional Strategies guiding Regeneration and to develop the borough’s strategically important industrial
Economic Development in Hounslow offer”.The London Plan also states that the Mayor of London
will work with Hounslow on a potential Opportunity Area
Strategies and Plans set by the London centred on the Great West Corridor. Heathrow Opportunity
Enterprise Panel Area, one of the 38 opportunity areas, covers the west
The London Enterprise Panel (LEP) is the local enterprise of the borough and Hillingdon. The area has an indicative
partnership for London. Chaired by the Mayor of London, employment capacity of 12,000 new jobs and a minimum
the LEP is the body through which the Mayoralty works with 9,000 new homes. The council has begun the preparation of
London’s boroughs, businesses and Transport for London the West of Borough Plan and the Great West Corridor Plan
to take a strategic view of the regeneration, employment in relation to the designation of Opportunity Areas.
and skills agendas for London. Local enterprise partnerships
play a central role in determining economic priorities, driving The London Plan also sets targets and standards to meet
economic growth and promoting the creation of jobs within the population growth in the capital and the needs of a
a local area. One of the roles of the London LEP is to allocate leading world city. It designates the ‘Golden Mile’ area along
funding made available to the Panel. The LEP has chosen to the Great West Road as the Great West Corridor Strategic
focus on four key strategic priorities since 2012. Outer London Development Centre (SOLDC) with a digital
Hounslow’s Growth Partner for the London Enterprise Panel and media specialist. The SOLDC is intended to identify and
document (first issue published in January 2014, second support business locations with specialist strengths and
issue in February 2015) outlines Hounslow’s regeneration growth potential of London wide strategic significance.
CONTENTS16 Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020
Hounslow Borough strategies delivering and development allocations and management to facilitate
Regeneration and Economic Development objectives future development over the next 15 years up to 2030,
including the delivery of 12,330 new homes. The London
This strategy will support delivery of the economic Plan (March 2015) projects 21,000 new jobs for Hounslow
development objectives in the Local Plan, which in turn takes over the period 2011-2036 (central trend projection).
forward the spatial elements of the Future Borough Strategy.
The Corporate Plan and Health and Wellbeing Strategy Four parts of the borough have been identified as having
have also helped guide priorities for the next four years. capacity for growth and change: Hounslow Metropolitan
See Appendix 1 for the details on Hounslow’s strategic Centre, Brentford District Centre, the Great West Corridor
framework, its strategies and their relevance to regeneration including the ‘Golden Mile’, and the west of the borough. In
and economic development. There are also international addition, the plan includes a number of site allocations to
agreements, EU Directives, national and regional strategies help direct investment and facilitate regeneration.
guiding Hounslow’s strategies.
The Local Plan also seeks to ensure that growth is supported
The table below indicates which of the four Regeneration by the infrastructure necessary to support new and existing
and Economic Development Strategy objectives are communities, setting out proposals for improved public
referenced in other council strategies. transport and critical infrastructure such as schools. The
Hounslow Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) 2015 – 2030
Local Plan has been developed to encapsulate the majority of the
The Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy borough’s significant infrastructure requirements across a
is part of the delivery plan for the council’s Local Plan. The broad range of sectors. The IDP is a living document and
Local Plan (adopted in September 2015), which the council will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Following
has a statutory requirement to prepare and adopt following the adoption of the Hounslow Community Infrastructure
consultation with residents and stakeholders, sets out the Levy Charging Schedule by the Borough Council on 24
council’s proposals for future development. The plan includes July 2015, the council has been collecting funds through the
a suite of policies that guide planning decisions in the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to support necessary
borough and sets out the council’s land use planning strategy infrastructure from new developments.
Table 3: Hounslow strategies delivering regeneration and economic
development objectives
Strategy Growing Improving Place- Enhancing the
business connectivity making environment
Joint Prevention Strategy for Adult Services in Hounslow
2014 -18 ü ü
Joint Children and Young People's Strategy 2015 - 2019 ü ü
Leisure and Culture Strategy 2016 - 2020 ü ü ü ü
Thriving Communities and Voluntary, Community and
Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector Strategy 2015 -2019 ü ü ü
Community Safety Strategy 2014 - 2017 ü ü ü ü
Housing Strategy 2014 – 2018 ü ü
Climate Change Strategy (to be completed) ü
Hounslow Skills and Employment Strategy 2014 - 2016 ü ü
Heritage Strategy (to be completed) ü
Corporate Property Strategy 2014 - 2019 ü ü
Hounslow Local Implementation Plan for Transport
(2011-2031) ü ü ü ü
CONTENTSLampton Road
18 Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020
OBJECTIVES
The Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy Objective 3 – Place-making
is part of the delivery plan for the council’s Local Plan.
It applies four objectives which are derived from the Place-making is about shaping an area so that it becomes
eight Local Plan objectives in order to set priorities for a place where people enjoy living, wish to invest and
Hounslow’s regeneration and economic development do business in as well as choose to stay throughout
programme to deliver planned growth for the borough. their lives. In doing this, it is important that growth is
balanced and directed into areas that have capacity for
change, whilst maintaining their local identity. Protecting
and enhancing the borough’s social infrastructure,
Objective 1 – Growing business services, individual characters of places and heritage
are examples. An integrated approach to physical,
Hounslow has one of London’s strongest performing environmental, social and economic programmes is
economies. Since 2008, there has been immense growth therefore required to achieve successful and sustainable
within the media and broadcasting; ICT and digital; and regeneration. To engage the community in the place-
transport and logistics industries against a backdrop of an making process is vital to the success of this objective.
economic downturn.
The economic activity within the borough is widespread,
with economic hubs including town centres (particularly Objective 4 – Enhancing the environment
Hounslow, Chiswick, Brentford, Feltham and
Isleworth) and other areas that are home to vibrant The borough benefits from 1,225 hectares of Green Belt
micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 1,123 hectares of open space. Its waterways provide
including social enterprises. Business parks such as the opportunities for leisure, recreation, employment and
Chiswick Business Park and Bedfont Lakes Business transport. The quality, history, perception, reputation,
Park, and the Golden Mile, all attract global companies characteristics, safety, connectivity and accessibility of
partly because of the proximity to other key businesses these assets influence people’s choice to invest, relocate
and partly because of the proximity to Heathrow Airport or visit the borough.
and other transport connectivity.
Regeneration is a holistic process of reversing the
The council would like to see retention of businesses economic, physical and social decline of places which
with continued growth as well as and new setting up in market forces alone cannot achieve.
the borough.
Role of the council in delivering the objectives
Objective 2 – Improving connectivity
Prioritising resources
Good transport connections into, out of and through As a response to the Government cuts and the austerity
the borough are central to attracting investment and measures, the council has reduced its budgets by over
retaining businesses and skilled workers. Good £75m since 2010. However an additional £70 million of
transport connectivity is a key factor influencing people’s savings are required over the next four years. The council
decisions about and perceptions of the borough as a place therefore has a role to play to continually review and set
to live, work, shop, visit or study. Connectivity also refers realistic priorities for action in response to the budget
to internet access. challenge and seek external funding to deliver the vision
CONTENTSRegeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 19
for regeneration and economic development in Hounslow own funds. The council also lobbies the Government, the
alongside other key deliverables and services. Hence, GLA, Transport for London (TfL) and train operators for
commitment from partner organisations, whether they increased investment or to seek match funding.
are funders or service deliverers, is essential.
Council’s assets
Direct finance The council has a mixed property portfolio including
The council provides financial and staff resources to office buildings, community buildings, libraries, parks
deliver interventions and initiatives to meet the needs of and open spaces, leisure centres, schools, depots, day
regeneration and economic development in the borough, centres, older people’s homes, shops and industrial
the council also enables infrastructure improvements as units. Some of these assets have a significant role to
a catalyst for regeneration. play in the delivery of regeneration initiatives through
the direct provision of land and buildings. As well as
A wide range of new or improved social infrastructure generating an income to enable resource spending
such as parks, public transport, community and education elsewhere, this will create opportunities to improve
facilities, health facilities and leisure centres as well as current assets and develop initiatives that will support
more opportunities to shop, work and spend our leisure community needs.
time locally will be required to cater the additional homes
to be built and economic growth.
Planning
Section 106 contributions were mechanisms for securing Planning is central to the council’s ability to regenerate
developer contributions towards infrastructure delivery, the local economy. With considerations of the current
but these have mainly been replaced by Community economic climate, the council produces planning briefs
Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Following adoption of the and masterplans in order to accelerate regeneration.
council’s CIL, charging schedule, the council has been These bring together relevant site specific information
collecting funds through the CIL mechanism since to guide the preparation of redevelopment proposals,
24 July 2015 to support necessary infrastructure ensure the highest quality of design and layout, and
from chargeable developments (excluding healthcare, begin community engagement and to give some
education and emergency service facilities).The publicly certainty to developers as to what is likely to be
accessed infrastructure in the borough that can be permitted on the site or area.
delivered through CIL includes:
The council is using compulsory purchase order (CPO)
education powers to unlock regeneration of schemes that benefit
health the community where other options are not available. For
transport and connectivity instance, the council has made a compulsory purchase
leisure and cultural facilities order (CPO) to assist in assembling the land needed to
green and blue infrastructure implement the High Street Quarter scheme in Hounslow
open space town centre.
heritage assets
leisure Neighbourhood planning gives communities the
waste and recycling facilities opportunity to direct the development of their areas
energy and low carbon through creating plans and policies Hounslow Council has
flood risk mitigation been providing advice and assistance to neighbourhood
forums or community organisations who are considering
producing neighbourhood plans.
Bidding for funding
The council constantly seeks funding through bidding
process from external funding sources such as the Housing
London Enterprise Panel, the Greater London Authority Hounslow Cabinet approved the Housing Strategy for
(GLA), Housing Zones, New Homes Bonus Top Slice, 2014/2018 (incorporating the Homeless Strategy) on 3
European Structure and Investment Funds, Heritage December 2013. The objectives particularly relevant to
Lottery fund and other sources to match the councils Hounslow’s regeneration agenda are:
CONTENTS20 Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020
a. T o provide a choice of high quality housing for people at direct business support programmes to businesses across
all stages of their lives at prices they can afford; the borough to enable retention and growth of businesses
b. To raise housing quality and standards across and to help reduce barriers to growth of businesses. In
tenures, enhancing local areas and supporting thriving addition, the team delivers an inward investment service,
communities; and running a website to promote the borough and using
c. To create cleaner, safer and greener living events to engage potential businesses. The team focusses
environments for local people. on supporting potential new businesses to start-up or
grow in the borough or businesses to relocate from
Affordable housing is a key issue for achieving other parts of the UK or overseas. Working in partnership
successful regeneration. Through negotiation, the council with organisations such as London & Partners and UKTI
ensures the developers deliver affordable housing. The the council promotes opportunities in the borough for
council manages and maintains its own stock, it also international business relocation.
builds new affordable homes, regenerates housing
estates or forms joint ventures with developers to develop
its own land for residential and mixed use developments. Regeneration
The council has a clear commitment to increase the The council is committed to sustaining and improving
amount of social housing with a housing target of 822 the quality, vitality and viability of Hounslow’s town
additional homes per year. It needs to make sure some centres and wider opportunities for regeneration of the
of these are affordable particularly for key workers and borough. The council pursues funding opportunities to
groups in need of new housing. Hounslow Council deliver appropriate regeneration projects. This has involved
therefore aims to secure 3,000 affordable homes in the the successful delivery of projects under the Mayor’s
borough between 2014 and 2018, 400 of which will be Outer London Fund10 and more recently securing funding
new council homes. The London Plan has a requirement through the New Homes Bonus Top-slice11 and European
for the council to seek the maximum amount of affordable Social Fund to enable the delivery of a range of projects to
housing on developments, preferably 40%. underpin local businesses and enable more jobs.
The council helps unlock and facilitate housing
developments through planning briefs and masterplans Community Engagement
and funding such as Housing Zones. The Community Partnership Team acts as a conduit for
information between the council and the community
Housing quality can affect the physical, mental and regarding regeneration and local development. The team
social health of people living there and around. Good helps facilitate discussions on proposals with the local
housing can reduce criminal behaviour, fear of crime community which is vital in place-making. Hounslow
thus, improve community behaviour and lifestyle as Council’s Cabinet approved the Thriving Communities
a whole. The council is also improving the energy and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise
efficiency of its housing stock to achieve environmental (VCSE) Sector Strategy 2015-2019 on 9 September
sustainability. Its own housing supply chain plays an 2015. The outcomes-based strategy highlights how
important role in the local economy. the council departments, the communities, the VCSE
sector and the community leaders can work together to
deliver priorities to achieve the outcomes. Those actions
Economic Development and Business Support all underpin the council’s approach to regeneration and
The role of the council is to support and facilitate economic development principles to deliver better places,
projects and initiatives that help business growth, and a better economy and improve quality of life.
therefore job retention and generation in the borough. To
help support and deliver its priorities, the council created
an Economic Development and Regeneration Team Skills and Employment
in early spring 2014 with a focus on inward investment, A Skills and Employment Team was established in
business growth and retention and regeneration. autumn 2014 to help residents find work, training and
apprenticeships in the borough. The team provides a job
The team works with other council teams as well as brokerage service. The team is building up close links
business support organisations to represent business with borough employers to generate more opportunities
interests of micro, SMEs and larger businesses and delivers for residents, and to provide them with skilled work-
CONTENTSRegeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 21
ready candidates. They are committed to working with between public and private sectors or within the private
employers to facilitate apprenticeships, with a pledge of sector itself are equally important. These partnerships
300 new apprentices to be met between 2014 and 2018. help deliver a programme of sustainable economic
growth, developing sites for employment, housing
The Skills and Employment Strategy sets out how the and supporting infrastructure, driving enterprise and
council plans to support residents to gain higher level skills, innovation, and increasing the skills of Hounslow’s
support local employment growth and enterprise through: resident workforce to meet the needs of current and
future residents, businesses, visitors and students.
improving access to skills and reducing the mismatch
between demand and supply. The council would like to help businesses make the
improving all young people’s achievement and most of opportunities and develop new partnerships
progression into employment. and collaborations. In some areas, the council has the
improving pathways into work for the unemployed and capacity and capability to lead the partnership, however,
progression in work for low paid residents. in other areas, private sector leadership might be more
improving access to information, advice and guidance effective. Sharing the information on the proposed
and labour market information. projects will enable the council to work together with
internal and external partners to maximise the use of
limited financial and staff resources, and to find new
Partnerships ways of delivering these activities.
There are key tools making a strategy deliverable.
Partnerships between the council and the private sector,
Sources:
10
The Outer London Fund (OLF), launched by the Mayor of London in June 2011, was a three-year initiative funding of up to £50 million
dedicated to strengthening the vibrancy and growth of London’s high streets and town centres.
The New Homes Bonus is a grant paid by central government to local councils based on the amount of extra Council Tax revenue for
11
increasing the number of homes and their use.
CONTENTSChiswick Business Park
Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 23
OBJECTIVE 1
GROWING BUSINESS
The borough has one of the largest economies of all quarter of the employment base. The majority of growth
London boroughs, comprising around 143,400 employee has come from within the micro segment (businesses
jobs12. Government datasets (IDBR) suggest there are employing fewer than 5 people) of the business base:
around 12,500 businesses in the borough, but analysis of this grew by around 1,800 firms from 2011 to 2014
other sources of intelligence suggest the number could be (growth of 23%). This growth rate has been slightly above
closer to 20,00013 when businesses falling below official the London wide average of 19%, and is the highest
accounting thresholds are included. Hounslow has been growth seen in west London.
one of London’s strongest performing economies in
recent years, with employment growth of 12% between
2008 and 2013 and business base growth of over 20%
between 2009 and 2014. These represent the highest
growth rates seen in west London and are considerably
higher than London wide averages14.
Businesses and enterprises in Hounslow
Hounslow is an enormously entrepreneurial place with a
vibrant micro and small and medium-sized enterprise
(SME) business base and social enterprises. Hounslow is
home to a large base of micro and small businesses (0 -
19 employees). In total, these account for around 93% of
all businesses in the borough. They contribute around a
John’s Boat Works in Lot’s Ait, Brentford for boat repairs
Table 4: Hounslow Business Size Profile (2014)
Number of % Medium sized businesses (20-250 employees) are also an
businesses % Employment integral component of the local economy and labour market,
accounting for around 37% of the borough’s employment.
0-4 9,200 74 8 In addition, the borough is home to a larger than London
5-9 1,500 12 6 average proportion of large businesses. Around 100
businesses (less than 1%) employ more than 250 people
10 - 19 800 7 8
locally; these support 42% of the local employment base, a
20 - 49 500 4 12 significant proportion of the local economy.
50 - 250 200 2 25
Analysis highlights that the east of the borough
250+ 100 1 42 (particularly around Chiswick) is a comparatively
enterprising place, with high levels of self-employment
Total 12,500 100 100
and homeworking and a concentration of sole traders15.
Source: Inter Departmental Business Register (ONS) This is likely to reflect a complex range of factors including
location and connectivity (proximity to central and west
CONTENTS24 Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020
London economic hubs), local socio-economic and Economic hubs
demographic characteristics (including strong skills levels
and economic activity rates) and the standard of the living Economic activity is spread throughout the borough, with
environment (including the quality of the housing market economic hubs including town centres and industrial areas.
and local amenities / services). The borough has three Strategic Industrial Locations (SILs)
designated by the London Plan for industrial uses including
There are over 600 VCSE (Voluntary, Community and North Feltham Trading Estate, Brentford, and the Great West
Social Enterprise Sector) organisations in Hounslow. Road (part) and Transport Avenue (part) in Brentford.
Medium-sized and larger VCSE organisations contribute
to the economic vibrancy and wellbeing of Hounslow
by providing training, jobs, services and volunteering
opportunities. Small and micro VCSE organisations are also
vital contributors to Hounslow’s communities. Many of
these share characteristics with businesses and require
the same types of support to run their organisations
effectively and face some of the same barriers to growth
and sustainability in the local economy, such as skilled
workers, infrastructure and connectivity and other issues.
Social Enterprise UK defines “a social enterprise as a
business that trades for a social and/or environmental
purpose. It brings in most or all of its income through
selling goods or services. It also has clear rules about what
it does with its profits, reinvesting these to further the
‘social mission’.” As it currently stands, much of the social
enterprises are very small and often completely volunteer Enjoy Work, Chiswick Business Park
led or staffed. However, there is potential for some to
grow and employ more staff. The ability to win contacts is
a key way of ensuing sustainable growth. There are major office locations in the town centres,
Chiswick Business Park, Bedfont Lakes Office Park, and
Destination for Business Growth at the eastern and western sections of the Great West
Hounslow is home to the likes of Brentford Football Road. The 1,437,180 sq ft Chiswick Business Park is home to
Club, Sky TV and the British Standards Institute (BSI). over 8,000 employees. More than 40 global companies such
With its proximity to Heathrow, excellent underground, as Danone, CBS News, Ericsson, Paramount Pictures, the
rail and road links, Hounslow has significant potential Walt Disney Company, PepsiCo, QVC, Singapore Airlines,
for further economic growth. The borough’s transport Starbucks, Swarovski, United International Pictures and Vue
connectivity was rated in the top 20% of all 325 local are based in this award-winning, contemporarily designed
authority areas in England in 2013 by Local Futures16. It and landscaped business park.
is a natural location for ambitious businesses including
major UK corporations and European and International Bedfont Lakes Office Park is home to a number of national
headquarters such as Sky, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and international companies such as BP, Birds Eye Iglo,
JCDecaux, SAP, Cisco, BP, Birds Eye Iglo, Lindt Chocolate, Targus, Stratus Technologies and Cisco Systems.
Discovery Channel, Targus and Stratus Technologies,
Fullers Brewery amongst others, and is an attractive The Great West Road’s “Golden Mile”, extending
home for an international and skilled population. eastwards from Gillette Corner to Chiswick roundabout,
is the western gateway to London, bringing international
Business growth goes hand in hand with workforce connectivity to the capital and the wider south east region.
development. It is about identifying critical job roles, The Golden Mile was so called due to the concentration
skills and opportunities that local employers and sectors of industry along this short stretch of road. The area was a
need. A skilled workforce can also attract businesses. The hub of industrial activities in its heyday between the 1930s
council’s Skills and Employment Job Brokerage Service and 1950s. This area along the A4/M4 corridor contains
offers support and guidance to upskill residents to access around 450 businesses and 24,000 jobs17. It is also strong
these opportunities. in creative media, IT and digital technologies which provide
CONTENTSRegeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020 25
a large number of information and communication jobs The number of media and broadcasting companies
to the borough. The Golden Mile is home to a number has grown by 19% between 2011 and 2014. The
of leading service and knowledge based industries employment, 18,800 jobs, has almost doubled
such as Sky TV, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, between 2009 and 2013.
Worleyparsons, a strong university presence (University of
West London) and the advertising company JCDecaux. ICT and digital
Hounslow has the second highest concentration of ICT
Sector composition of Hounslow economy and digital jobs in London.
Over half of those 12,900 ICT and digital jobs in
Hounslow Council commissioned detailed analysis of the Hounslow relate to software development and consulting.
borough’s economy, focusing on the characteristics and The number of businesses operating in ICT and digital
performance of the business base, local sector strengths activities in Hounslow has increased by 51% between
and opportunities. The sector composition of the Hounslow 2011 and 2014. Similarly, employment has grown by 50%
economy is summarised in full on page 12. The overall between 2009 and 2013.
objective of the research was to help the council better ICT and digital businesses in Hounslow largely classify
understand the local business base and any interventions as micro, with 94% of firms employing between 0
which might be required from itself or wider partners to and 4 people. This is an extremely high proportion of
support growth, including: micro businesses compared with the average across
Hounslow’s business base (81%). Nevertheless, there
To understand the nature of the business base in the are a few large employers in this sector in Hounslow,
borough including numbers of and size of businesses including Cisco Systems, IBM, SAP and EMC
across sectors and how best to support sectors to grow Computer Systems.
and thrive in the borough. Nearly a third of Hounslow’s ICT and digital businesses
Business accommodation and premises needs – develop are located in Hounslow town centre (27%) with
an initial understanding to what extent supply of business another small proportion (13%) located just to the north
accommodation locally is constraining growth and, in in Heston including Bedfont Lakes Business Park
particular, whether there is demand for increased provision where Cisco and IBM are based. While the remainder
of bespoke facilities aimed at supporting business start- are spread across the borough, 20% are located in the
ups and micro enterprise (e.g. incubation space). east of the borough in Turnham Green and Chiswick.
Wider business support needs – understanding the This sector is supported by a number of local assets in
wider business support requirements of the local Hounslow. These include the cluster of TV broadcast
business base. channels and platform operators.
Further research is underway to conclude early 2016 to
review the employment land demand and supply across Transport and logistics
the borough in order to plan for the requirements of
businesses over the next 15 years. Hounslow has the second highest concentration of
transport and logistics jobs in London after neighbouring
Media and broadcasting London Borough of Hillingdon where Heathrow
Airport is based.
Hounslow has the highest concentration of media and The sector has experienced strong growth in recent
broadcasting jobs (as a percentage of total employee years in both its employment base (+31%, 2009-13) and
jobs in the borough) of media and broadcasting jobs in business base (+16%, 2011-2014).
London. The transport and logistics sector comprises a range of
Of Hounslow’s key sectors, it is the one which shows activities including land and air transport activities, cargo,
the greatest co-location. The sector is predominately and warehousing. This sector provides around 12,000
(50%) located in the east of the borough around the jobs and 600 businesses.
“Golden Mile”, Chiswick, Turnham Green (33%) and the A very high specialisation of activities in Hounslow
surrounding area probably because of proximity to the support air transport operations at Heathrow.
“TV Triangle”18 and Central London. These businesses tend to be located in the western
Aside from Sky TV, the borough boasts a cluster of part of the borough near Heathrow, with 37% located
firms with a large proportion related to TV production in Feltham and Cranford alone. An additional 27% are
and broadcasting activities concentrated in Chiswick. situated in Heston and Central Hounslow.
CONTENTS26 Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016 - 2020
Professional and business services chains and labour flows. Hounslow lies immediately to
the east and south east of Heathrow within the London
While this sector does not represent a relative Borough of Hillingdon, and places the borough in close
specialism for the borough, it plays an important role proximity to major on-airport employment sites such as
in driving the local economy with up to 32,500 jobs and BA World Cargo, the major transportation hubs located
3,500 businesses. around Hatton Cross and, of course, the airport terminals
Key activities within the sector are in facilities themselves. Unsurprisingly, there are concentrations
management, advertising, building cleaning and of on-airport employees that reside within the borough,
consultancy. particularly within Cranford, Heston West, Heston Central
and Hounslow West wards.
Wholesale and retail
Employment associated with Heathrow can be divided into
One of the largest sectors in the borough, with around four categories:
2,000 businesses providing around 19,900 jobs.
The employment base has declined by around 5% in 1. D
irect (both on-site and offsite) – employment that is
recent years (2009-13). wholly or largely related to the operation of the airport.
2. Indirect – employment generated in the chain of
Public sector suppliers or goods and services to the direct activities.
3. Induced - employment generated by the spending of
Public sector activities contribute a combined total of incomes earned in direct and indirect activity.
around 22,100 jobs, around 15% of all employment in 4. C atalyst impacts – employment generated by the
the borough. attraction, retention or expansion of economic activity
This includes around 9,900 health jobs, around 8,500 primarily attributable to the international connectivity
education jobs and around 3,800 public administration jobs. facilitated by Heathrow Airport.
Public sector employment is underrepresented in
Hounslow compared to the London average. Heathrow-related employment is likely to account for
between 19% - 29%20 of employment for Hounslow
Tourism sector residents. According to the Heathrow On-Airport
Employment Survey 2008-200921, around 11,000
The tourism sector includes a variety of activities, Hounslow residents were directly employed by Heathrow
which range from accommodation, exhibitions and that they accounted for 14.6% of all Heathrow employees
conferences, passenger transport, food and drink and or 7.2% of all Hounslow workforce. The importance
recreation activities, servicing both tourists and also the of Heathrow’s on-airport operations as a generator
local population. of employment for Hounslow residents is clear. It is
Proximity to Heathrow and central London, a number of suggested that 10 – 15%22 of the borough’s businesses
visitor assets and a strong and growing supply of hotels are directly dependent on Heathrow but this is likely to be
- 2,062 bedrooms (second highest in west London) have greater in terms of indirect impact.
contributed to the growth of the sector in Hounslow.
The sector is made up of around 1,500 businesses With such an economic driver as a major international
employing some 15,300 people (over 11% of the hub airport and a brand as strong as Heathrow, Hounslow
borough’s employment). Council and Heathrow Airport Limited have been working
The food and drink subsector accounts for around half on a new vision, “Heathrow Garden City” to optimise
of tourism jobs. this potential to plan for the environment, communities,
Employment had grown by 41% between 2009 - jobs, business, transport links and new stations. The
2013 (17% for London.19). In particular, the Passenger council has begun the preparation of the West of Borough
transport sub-sector saw a job increase of 136% from Plan. The West of Borough and the Great West Corridor
1,610 to 3,800 jobs between 2009 – 2013. Plans are two statutory Local Plan Reviews the council is
required to undertake following the adoption of its Local
Plan, in September 2015. As part of this process, the
Heathrow Airport and the local economy council is reviewing its evidence base including Green Belt
designations, employment land review and housing needs
Heathrow Airport plays a particularly important role in assessment in support of the policies and proposals within
driving local economic dependencies in terms of supply the aforementioned Local Plan Area Reviews.
CONTENTSYou can also read
