Memorandum by Paddington Regeneration
Partnership (GRI 34)
1. INTRODUCTION
Paddington Regeneration Partnership (PRP) was
officially launched in Oct 1988 and the Partnership consists of
major private sector investors, landowners and transport operators
who make up the key stakeholders of the Paddington Special Policy
Area (PSPA). The site covers 80 acres around the station and canal
basin providing 8 million sq ft of mixed use developments, creating
a waterside regeneration programme. The partnership is made up
of the following partners:
— Hilton London Metropole/Hilton London
Paddington
— Network Housing Association
— Paddington Basin Developments Ltd
— Paddington Health Campus
Paddington Waterside is one of London's major
regeneration opportunities, with its proximity to the West End
and City, and its excellent transport links, which includes the
Heathrow Express. It is estimated that the development will generate
30,000 jobs within a variety of sectors and occupational areas.
The partnership works alongside Westminster
City Council demonstrating an integrated approach to both major
regeneration and the long term management and sustainability of
Paddington Waterside and the surrounding area.
PRP is a unique partnership which is Private
Sector led, bringing together the three key areas of regeneration—Physical,
Economic and Social to work in synergy and complement the governments
agenda on regeneration.
The aim of the partnership is to demonstrate
that Paddington will become an important commercial, employment,
residential, retail and leisure area within Central London.
PRP's Mission Statement:
To establish Paddington as a premier business
and residential district of the City of Westminster and to facilitate
sustainable economic vitality for the area and ensure the products
of regeneration benefit the surrounding communities.
(ensuring a sustainable environmental improvement
and to co-ordinate employment and other social benefits).
Since its inception the Partnership has evolved
both in terms of its size and scope of activity. The partnership
is now reviewing its successes to date, identifying future needs
for the area and working with the new corporate tenants moving
to Paddington Waterside developing a sustainable forward strategy.
2. STRATEGIC
CONTEXT
The developments now well underway in Paddington
will create a new quarter for London, building economic prosperity
and reversing social and economic decline for the resident communities
of North Paddington.
PRP have developed a cohesive strategy which
complements and knits together the three key strands, very much
at the top of the Governments agenda, led and delivered by the
private sector. A partnership which is uncomparable to the many
existing regeneration partnerships around the country.
In response to delivering a holistic and all
embracing strategy to regeneration, that meets the broader regeneration
agenda, three key objectives can be demonstrated by the partnership;
Partnership—The regeneration programme
is linked to a strong partnership framework to develop sustainable
regeneration for the Waterside development and surrounding areas.
Key themes around economic development, community empowerment,
community safety and sector specific employment opportunities
within health and construction have been developed by the partnership.
PRP are the leading managing agent, piloting a Business Improvement
District for the area as part of the Circle Programme.
Integrated—bringing together all
the key stakeholders within the regeneration field in Westminster,
delivering a co-ordinated regeneration programme through a multi-agency
framework.
Outcome Focused—A robust achievable
performance management structure is in place which is measured
and monitored on a regular basis, forming the basis to shape and
influence the outcomes for the forward strategy.
3. INVOLVEMENT
OF LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
A key theme which runs throughout Government
and Local Government regeneration policy is the leverage of funding
and commitment from the private sector.
The partnership has provided the core funding
needed to underpin and establish a sustainable regeneration programme
from the private sector. This has enabled the PRP to lever in
public sector funds for specific regeneration schemes that tackle
the social and economic issues for the area.
This has been complemented by the many well
established voluntary and community sector based organisations
who have worked in partnership with PRP to deliver an all inclusive
regeneration programme, reaching out to hard to reach communities
and providing opportunities for local people to benefit from the
physical developments taking place.
PRP are also working in partnership with the
existing local business community developing a sustainable strategy
that will integrate the existing businesses with the Waterside
development.
Overall the programme is an all encompassing
approach to regeneration delivered in partnership with key public,
private, voluntary and community sector organisations.
4. AREA-BASED
INITIATIVES BRINGING
SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENTS
TO DEPRIVED
COMMUNITIES
It would be premature for the PRP to demonstrate
sustained improvements to deprived communities, bearing in mind
that the first phase of development has been the physical developments
which are now underway. The work of the PRP is committed to developing
a sustainable approach and a number of large programmes each with
a number of projects, work in synergy to provide a cohesive approach
to social and economic regeneration, complementing the wider physical
aspects of the Waterside development. These programmes have been
implemented to target and tackle the deprivation illustrated in
North Paddington;
(a) Paddington First is a job brokerage service
developed through a multi-agency partnership and delivered by
the PRP and JobCentre Plus, to date 1,818 local people have been
placed into jobs, of which 300 have been within the construction
industry.
(b) Training the New Life for Paddington programme
and SRB funded initiative delivered by the Paddington Development
Trust works in partnership with PRP to identify future vacancy
needs and skills gaps to commission appropriate and/or customised
training which is able to meet employers needs and jobseeker needs.
(c) Westminster Education Action Zone, comprising
of 27 schools in the North West Westminster area. PRP provides
the private sector contribution towards the programme and has
worked in partnership to deliver a number of key local initiatives
in the target area.
(d) The Business Improvement District is a major
theme currently being taken forward by Government. PRP are the
delivery agent for the Paddington Circle Programme—one of
five London BID initiatives funded through the Governments SRB
programme under the Circle Initiative. The target area is to work
with the existing local business community to influence a co-ordinated
an integrated approach that will complement the Waterside development.
5. LONG TERM
IMPACTS OF
THE REGENERATION
PROGRAMME
The policy developed by the PRP complements
the Governments agenda on building sustainable regeneration programmes
that will meet the long term objectives for the Paddington area.
Performance management systems have been developed measuring outputs
and targets, with the long term impacts being met under the following
headings;
— Employment, Skills and Training
6. SUSTAINABILITY
The PRP has a diverse role in managing both
the economic prosperity of the area and tackling the social issues
which face Paddington. One key outcome which is currently being
piloted—the Business Improvement District will aim to maintain
a prosperous and economic quarter for London which integrates
the existing business community with the new Waterside development.
This is to be complemented through the development
and implementation of a sustainable forward strategy that will
identify the needs and resources funded through mainstream funding
funded by the main service providers in the area.
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