finale economics powis st

Luca LELLI 000907388-4

Report 1st Assignment

BUIL-1209-M01-2015-16 Management and Economics of the Built Environment

Luca Lelli

University of Greenwich

Bsc (Hons) Quantity Surveying

Course Leader: Yvonne Simpson


Introduction

Mark and Spencer plc (M&S) is a major British firm founded in 1884 currently

consolidating its position as a leading international multi-channel retailer. M&S owns

a freehold site in 55-63 Powis street, Woolwich, SE18 6HZ London (picture 1),

having acquired the building in 1914 (English Heritage, 2012).

Picture 1: 55-63 Powis street, Woolwich, SE18 6HZ London

However, currently making the majority of sales trough internet, M&S has been

placing less emphasis upon high street stores, focusing instead on the distribution

infrastructure and on the warehouse.

The company has charged our consultancy firm with developing proposals regarding

alternative opportunities for the above described plot in order to find the best

business value. The project has been planned within the parameters of the London

Plan (Mayor of London, 2015), National Planning Policy (Department for

Communities and Local Government, 2012) and the Government's National Planning

Policy Framework (NPPF) (appendix 7) (Mayor of London, 2015). The proposal has

been outlined following a Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Legal

and Environmental (PESTLE) analysis (Nellis & Parker, 2006) (appendix 1).

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Proposal

Woolwich is a famous historic town located in south east London within the Royal

Borough of Greenwich. Located between the Kent region and the river Thames, it is

the retailers’ heart of Royal Greenwich community (picture 2).

Picture 2: Map of Woolwich (Royal Bourough of Greenwich, 2006)

The Royal Greenwich Borough performance, economically, remains at present well

below the London standard. Most of the local employers have relocated and closed

and the borough is still one of the poorest Local Authorities in Greater London (Royal

Borough of Greenwich, 2014) (appendix 2). However, in July 2011 the London Plan

recognized Woolwich as an Opportunity Area (Royal Bourogh of Greenwich, 2014)

and the current challenge of the Royal Greenwich Local Plan-Core Strategy is to

project Woolwich in the 21th century as a new Metropolitan Centre (Mayor of

London, 2015). Therefore, our suggestion would be to redevelop the existing building

located in Powis street (Woolwich) and to change the use of it.

The total built area of the plot will be of 1853 Sqm approximately, considering

the deduction of the back yard (15% of 2180 Sqm) from the total area (2180 Sqm)

(appendix 3). Furthermore, considering the current cost of similar projects (appendix

4), the average cost per Sqm will be as below:

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Cost/Sqm: from £1,300 to £ 2,400

Floor area: from 7,400 Sqm to 11,000 Sqm

Main construction: Steel framed

Storeys: 4 (6)

The new building will have the exterior covered in glass panes arranged in horizontal

strips and its distinctive shape would resemble the National Football Museum URBIS

in Manchester, designed by Ian Simpson Architects (appendix 5 and 6). The site

could be considered as a landmark for the area; the link between the commercial

heart of Woolwich and the vibrant newly developed waterfront created by this tall

building could greatly contribute to the regeneration of the culture and economy of

the whole borough.

The new development would not be modest in scale and therefore would have an

impact on the character and appearance of the street. However, it would not be

visually intrusive and has been planned to suit the modern living style. The building

will be attractive with well-functioning space and promote the eco-sustainable

environment. It will be tall and would include 4-6 storeys (policy DH2 Tall Buildings)

(Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014), as to achieve high density and therefore

optimize the potential of the site. Additionally, our consultancy firm proposes to

convert the building from a commercial use into a mixed use development to add

value to Woolwich town Centre. This change of use will represent a benefit for the

whole community and, most importantly, the residents will feel part of the economic

growth of the borough. It will encourage individuals’ interest in art and design and will

give anyone an opportunity to develop new skills and explore personal identities. In

fact, the ground floor unit, previously allocated to front shop retailers, would be

dedicated to studios and laboratories of architecture, design and engineering to be

utilized by the nearby University of Greenwich, which specifically includes this variety

of subjects. Stationery, technology and office furniture shops will be placed at street

level too (Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014), as to provide the laboratories with

the necessary equipment.

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The first and second floor levels will be allocated to different learning services such

as:

Educational spaces for learning the English language: this will give people

with various cultures and backgrounds an additional opportunity to feel part

of a cohesive, healthy and mixed-integrated community.

Reception and year one primary schools: there is currently inadequate

capacity to meet the demand of these in the area, taking also into account

a 20% increase in live births in the borough of Greenwich between 2005

and 2009 (Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014).

The back yard would be used for sports grounds, playing fields and recreational

facilities with cycling storage to encourage sustainable travel (policy OS[d], policy

C4) (Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014). In addition to this, the number of visitors

over the last few years has been steadily increasing (Royal Borough of Greenwich,

2014) and it has been shown that people who spend a short period of time in a place

can have a real commitment to be locally involved (Manchester City Council, 2016).

Consequently, a tourist facility such as multi-arts and conference venue with a

diverse range of theatre, dance, art, film, music and entertainment/creative learning

activities (with additional refreshment area) would be the proposal for the remaining

four storeys of this building (policy EA5 Tourism) (Royal Borough of Greenwich,

2014).

Finally, the transport scheme is already facing an important renovation in line with

the Critical Physical Infrastructure (policy IM3) (Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014).

In 2018 the Crossrail will be completed; the Dockland Light Railway (DLR) and

Transport for London (TFL) will improve their connections too (Royal Bourough of

Greenwich, 2006).

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Picture 3: Woolwich, SE18 6HZ London

A proposal for a new ferry crossing will be in place soon and a new waterfront transit

route to run through the town center is planned (Royal Bourogh of Greenwich, 2014).

These improved transport links will be essential for the development of the Royal

Borough of Greenwich, will help the commuting needs of pedestrians and will

guarantee a better accessibility to the newly provided facilities.

This proposal will need to be assessed and agreed by all parties (Royal

Borough of Greenwich, 2014) and, once approved, a full technical investigation will

need to be carried out both before starting the project and during the construction

phase, as to secure the stability of the surrounding buildings.

Conclusions

The new building proposed in this report wants to be a graphic proof of city

development and community cohesion. The strategy we adopted in this proposal

seeks in fact to encourage community services and facilities that need to be

accessible to everyone. More specifically, our consultancy firm aims to achieve, with

sustainable development principles, a balance between the economic and the social

needs of the Royal borough of Greenwich (table 1) (Royal Borough of Greenwich,

2014).

Word count: 1081

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References

Department for Communities and Local Government. (2012, March 27). Planning reforms will deliver local growth with community support. Retrieved January 2016, from www.gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/planning-reforms-will-deliver-local-growth-with-community-support--2

English Heritage. (2012). Draft Chapter 4-Powis Street and Green's end areas. Retrieved January 2016, from www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk: https://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture/research/survey-of-london/woolwich/documents/48.4_Powis_Street_and_Green_s_End_Areas.pdf

Manchester City Council. (2016). www.manchester.gov.uk. Retrieved January 2016, from Manchester: A Sense of Place: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/548/manchester_a_sense_of_place

Mayor of London. (2015). London Plan Overview and Introduction. Retrieved January 2016, from www.london.gov.uk: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/london-plan/current-london-plan/london-plan-overview-and-introduction/london

Nellis, G., & Parker, D. (2006). Principles of Business Economics. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited.

Royal Borough of Greenwich. (2014, June). Retrieved December 2015, from Royal Greewich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies: http://greenwich-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/royal_greewich_local_plan

Royal Bourogh of Greenwich. (2014, November). Draft Spray Street SPD. Retrieved December 2015, from Royal Bourogh of Greenwich: http://greenwich-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/planning/masterplans/spray_street_spd_2014/draft_spray_street_spd_consultation?pointId=1415273084543

Royal Bourough of Greenwich. (2006, May). Policies map. Retrieved December 2015, from Royal Bourough of Greenwich: http://greenwich-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/royal_greewich_local_plan?pointId=1406799612463

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Appendix 1: PESTLE analysis

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Appendix 2: PESTLE analysis (853blog.com)

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Appendix 3: Total area of the plot

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Appendix 4: Analysis details

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Appendix 5: Urbis - Manchester

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Appendix 6: Layout ground floor / top floor Urbis - Manchester

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Appendix 7: Schedule of Superseded Saved Unitary Development Plan Policies

UDP POLICY CORE STRATEGY POLICY

M4 Extension of the Public Transport Covered in IM3 Critical Physical

Infrastructure NetworkM6 Accessible Public Transport

Infrastructure and IM4 Sustainable

Travel

Covered in IM3 Critical Physical

Infrastructure Network

M7 Use of the RiverCovered in IM3 Critical Physical

Infrastructure NetworkM8 Safeguarded and Other Rail

Infrastructure Schemes

Covered in IM3 Critical Physical


M10 Waterfront TransitCovered in IM3 Critical Physical


M12 Retention and ImprovementCovered in IM3 Critical Physical


M15 Safeguarded SchemesCovered in IM3 Critical Physical

Infrastructure NetworkTOWN CENTERS

TC6 Woolwich – Public Transport LinksCovered in IM3 Critical Physical

Infrastructure NetworkMOVEMENT

SM5Covered in IM3 Critical Physical

Infrastructure NetworkSM6 Covered in IM3 Critical Physical


COMMUNITY NEEDS, BENEFITS AND

SERVICES

C1 Community ServicesCovered in CH1 Cohesive

Communities, DH1 Design, IM4

Sustainable Travel and IM(b) Walking

and Cycling

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C4 Doctors Surgeries, Dentists etc.No specific reference to doctor’s

surgeries and dentists, but general

principles covered in DH1 Design and

IM4 Sustainable TravelC5 Nursery Provision No specific reference to nursery

provision, but general principles

covered in DH1 Design and IM4

Sustainable TravelO15 Recreational Footpaths Partially covered in OS3 South East

London Green Chain and IM4 Cycling

and WalkingO16 Riverside Footpath Covered in IM4 Cycling and Walking

O17 Recreational Cycle ways Covered in IM4 Cycling and Walking

M6 Accessible Public Transport Covered in IM3 Critical Physical


TravelM11 Transport Interchanges Covered IM4 Sustainable Travel and

IM(b) Walking and CyclingENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

E7 Air Pollution Covered in IM4 Sustainable Travel and

E1 Carbon Emissions

M32 CyclingCovered in IM4 Sustainable Travel and

IM(b) Walking and Cycling. Cycle

parking standards in IM(c) Parking

StandardsM33 Pedestrians Covered in IM4 Sustainable Travel and

IM(b) Walking and CyclingTOWN CENTERS

TC5 Woolwich – Pedestrian and Cycle

Access

No specific reference to Woolwich, but

covered generally in policies IM4

Sustainable Travel and IM(b) Walking

and CyclingMOVEMENTSM2 Covered in IM4 Sustainable Travel and

IM(a) Impact on the Road NetworkSM5 Covered in IM3 Critical Physical


Travel

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M1 Development and Transport –

General Principles

Covered in IM4 Sustainable Travel and

IM(a) Impact on the Road Network

TOURISM

ST1 Covered in EA5 Tourism

ST2

Covered in EA5 Tourism

T3 Diversification Covered in EA5 Tourism and EA1

Economic DevelopmentTOWN CENTERS

TC3 Woolwich – Other Key Uses Covered in TC2 Woolwich Town Centre

and EA5 Tourism

DESIGN AND CONSERVATION

D28 High Buildings Covered in DH2 Tall Buildings and in

London Plan Policy 7.7 Location and

Design of Tall and Large Buildings

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Table 1: Objectives (Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014)

Improvement

of Woolwich/

Powis street

Enhancing

of Woolwich/

Powis street

A To provide good quality level within the

parameters of London Plan, National Planning

Policy and Government’s national Planning

Policy Framework

X X

B To promoting sustainable travel in the area.

Improving accessibility.

X X

C To reducing carbon emission and air pollution. X X

D To promote the high quality architecture in the

development, which make people feeling safe

and reduce potential crime.

X X

E To support the planned growth and

development.

X X

F To encourage cohesive and healthy community. X X

G Improvement of community skills, culture and

art.

X X

H To encourage diversity. X X

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