Invest Bromley #2

Investment opportunities in the London Borough of

Invest Bromley Issue 2 Summer 2013

Flying higher Investment flows into Bromley town centre London Biggin Hill Airport, quick and slick alternative Bromley de luxe – good business for top brands

WE ARE CATHEDRAL. THIS IS BROMLEY SOUTH CENTRAL. TRANSFORMING BROMLEY SOUTH WITH 200 NEW HOMES, NINE RESTAURANTS INCLUDING LAS IGUANAS, NANDOS, TURTLE BAY AND PREZZO, A 130-BED PREMIER INN HOTEL AND A NINE SCREEN MULTIPLEX VUE CINEMA. STARTED ON SITE APRIL 2013.

WWW.THISISBROMLEYSOUTHCENTRAL.COM

Bromley We’re ready to develop in

Moat, the South East-based housing association, is committed to delivering affordable homes across Bromley.

Working in partnership with Bromley Council, Moat will look to meet the ever-growing demand for affordable homes in the borough.

Bromley’s close proximity to London’s epicentre has always made it a popular place to for people set down roots. Moat is looking to ensure Bromley’s popularity remains by helping to build new, thriving communities that will help the borough flourish in the near future.

If you would like to talk about Moat’s potential for development in Bromley, please get in touch with Steve Nunn, Moat’s Executive Director: New Business and Development, on 0845 359 6366 or via email at steve.nunn@moat.co.uk.

www.moat.co.uk

05 invest bromley summer 2013

contents 05

10

22

06 news

22 projects

Updates from development projects in London’s largest borough.

10 quality of life Luxury brands are very much at home with Bromley’s wealthy and discerning demographic.

16 biggin hill airport

London Biggin Hill Airport, the only private jet facility within the M25, is also the base for businesses such as Formula One.

Certainly, the demographic in Bromley, with its disposable income, encourages strong investment

Development projects from around the borough – who is investing and what will the scheme deliver?

32 relocation Already a destination for corporate HQs and regional offices, £1 billion of investment is attracting more businesses to locate in Bromley.

Contents Issue 2 Summer 2013

37 transport Excellent connectivity – just 16 minutes from Victoria station – and less congested roads.

40 inward investment Council decision-makers on why

Bromley is a better bet for investors.

44 markets Fast facts and figures.

47 Sitematch A summary of some of Bromley’s

investment opportunity sites.

Stephen Carr, leader of Bromley Council

INVEST BROMLEY Editorial director: Siobhán Crozier Head of design: Rachael Schofield Design: Katrin Smejkal, Kate Harkus Contributing editors: Lucy Purdy, Sarah Herbert Business development manager: Shelley Cook Divisional director of business development: Paul Gussar

Production assistants: Joe Davies, Emma Gasson Subscriptions manager: Simon Maxwell Office manager: Sue Mapara Managing director: Toby Fox Printed by: Bishops Printers

Skillcrown Homes, Stephen Ernoult, © 2007-2013 Glades, Rizon Jets UK, London Biggin Hill Airport, Oryx Jet Limited, Essential Living & John Thompson & Partners, © Network Rail, Direct Line Group, Mytime Active, © Transport for London, MercedesBenz UK, Audi UK.

Images: Phase Eight, intu Bromley Shopping Centre, Canary Wharf Group PLC, Colin Antill – fotoseeker.com, Canary Wharf Group plc,

Published by 3FOX INTERNATIONAL 375 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY T: 020 7978 6840

Subscriptions and feedback: investbromley.com © Copyright 3Fox International Ltd 2013. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Ltd is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited.

contents 05

06 invest bromley summer 2013

News Best of the burbs Bromley was voted one of the best places in London to live, according to a report by Experian Property Check, which deemed it the best place for families with young children, scoring well for the quality of its schools, health facilities and shops.

It is also one of London’s greenest boroughs, with the second highest take-up of the government’s feed-in tariff in the capital. Some 667 Bromley households provide electricity to the national grid.

Residents of Bromley are among the happiest in the country when rating their homes and neighbourhoods. Property website Rightmove’s research places Bromley residents ninth in a national league table of happiness about where they live. The league table used 12 factors to measure how survey respondents felt about their property and local community.

BR1 house prices rank it as the third cheapest London postcode with an average price of £267 per square foot, compared to £1,717 in SW7 in South Kensington. Bromley properties tend to be larger and the area is also less densely populated, contributing to its affordability.

Investment flows into South Central Cathedral Group’s plans for the £90 million mixed-use regeneration of Bromley town centre have progressed significantly, following a partnership agreement with Hermes to invest £54.9 million into the centre, and agreements with some of the UK’s leading hotel and leisure operators.

Premier Inn is now signed up to open a 130-bedroom hotel at the south end of the High Street, and Vue Cinema will run a new nine-screen multiplex cinema as the centrepiece of the scheme.

Nandos, Las Iguanas and Prezzo have been confirmed and negotiations are under

way for a further four restaurant units.

Richard Upton, Cathedral Group chief executive, said: “The response from occupiers to our scheme has been very encouraging.”

Bromley South Central, which was given planning consent in March 2012, will create an entertainment hub in the heart of the town centre and according to Cathedral, will create 220 jobs and inject at least £220 million into the local economy over the next decade.

Construction started in April, and is scheduled for completion in autumn 2015.

fund supports investment Bromley Council’s ruling executive has agreed to buy three commercial properties in the town centre. To support growth initiatives in Bromley town centre, Biggin Hill and the Cray business corridor, the council has established a new £30 million Economic Development and Investment Fund. This enables the purchase of commercial properties in Bromley High Street, which will support delivery of the major regeneration scheme at Churchill Place.

06 invest bromley summer 2013

BID for Orpington Traders voted in February to establish Orpington 1st, Bromley’s first business improvement district (BID). Key issues for the BID over the next five years include improving the look and feel of the town, promoting it as a destination for shoppers and potential investors, improving

accessibility and parking, tackling crime and reducing costs to businesses. Traders voted on whether to contribute a levy, based on 1.5% of rateable value. Orpington 1st will use the levy money along with funds generated from other sources to deliver extra services to boost the town centre.

news 07

Opening credits roll for cinema Demolition work has begun to make way for a new 4,645sq m regeneration scheme at the Walnuts in Orpington, to include a new seven-screen multiplex cinema.

Miller Developments is carrying out demolition as development manager for Garden Property, the consortium behind the scheme, a joint venture, comprising Miller Developments, Ellandi and Metropolitan Estates, a Middle Eastern investment fund advised

by Europe Realty Management.

Mark Hewett, director at Miller Developments, said: “We believe that the development, through the combination of

providing a new leisure core to the town and modern-style retail units, will lead to increased activity throughout the Walnuts Shopping Centre.”

Demolition of the former job centre at Crown House will make way for the new development, which will include three restaurants and four large retail units, as well as the cinema. External market stalls are being consolidated within College Square and Walnut Square is being reconfigured and upgraded. New occupiers for the development are likely to be announced shortly. The scheme is due to be completed in early 2014.

Room at the inn A 92-bed Travelodge hotel opened on the site of Bromley Snooker Club, London Road in November 2012. The hotel chain’s UK planning director Tony O’Brien said: “Despite being a location that is perfect for both business and leisure travellers, Bromley has a shortage of hotel rooms. We have long wanted a site in the town.”

The project was delivered through a partnership of several local businesses led by developer Skillcrown Homes and architects, town planners and project managers, Pellings.

Neill Werner, head of architecture at Pellings, said: “On one of the busiest routes into Bromley, the hotel will stimulate tourism and attract business to the area.”

Free schools for Bromley Education secretary Michael Gove has backed a charity’s proposals to open two free schools in Bromley.

The Harris Federation sought approval to open mainstream primary schools in Beckenham and Bromley earlier this year, and both applications were endorsed by Gove in May 2013 as part of a tranche of 102 new schools opening from 2014.

Harris has yet to disclose locations for either new school, but said it was in discussion with the Education Funding Agency over potential sites.

Harris currently operates five primary academy schools and 14 secondary academies. It is due to open the Harris Aspire Pupil Referral Free School in Bromley in September.

Child’s play

A £50,000 Big Lottery Fund’s Community Spaces grant means the Glentrammon Recreation Ground and Foxbury Wood now boasts a 100ft zip wire, a hurricane swing and buccaneer tower alongside swings and roundabouts and a picnic area. news 07

08 invest bromley summer 2013

Park life

A £68 million regeneration scheme has been granted outline planning permission by a high court judge, who backed communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision after hearing that the park was deteriorating. Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton and created to house the Crystal Palace (the highlight of the 1851 Great Exhibition and destroyed in a fire in 1936), the park is Grade II*-listed. The scheme includes two housing developments, close to the Rockhills and Sydenham Gates.

Museum takes first step to restoration Bromley Museum at the Priory in Orpington has been awarded a grant of £186,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to complete a second stage application for further funding in December. The council appointed Caroe Architecture to draw up detailed designs for the scheme. A successful bid would fund a £1.8 million improvement scheme.

Plans include repairs to the Grade II*listed building, the extension of visitor and community facilities, improvement of exhibition spaces at the site and an extended events programme.

Sue Bowers, head of HLF for London,

said: “We are pleased to give our initial support to this project which underlines the site’s special nature while aiming to create an enhanced and expanded home for displaying local heritage.”

Dating back more than 700 years, the Priory is one of only a few rectories dating from before the reformation to survive.

News in brief Insurance Broker Bluefin has moved a contact centre from West Wickham to a new 650sq m base in Bromley. Tim Mortimer, head of its private client division, said Bluefin would relocate 72 staff and create jobs.“With significant new business in the pipeline, we decided to move to offices with enough space to continue our growth strategy,” said Mortimer.

Plans have been submitted to Bromley Council by Taylor Wimpey and the Leander Group. Permission is sought to replace the Bromley Conservative Club building with a mixed-use scheme.

muse shortlisted for Churchill Place A development proposal by Muse Developments has been submitted to the London Borough of Bromley, for a multimillionpound development in the heart of Bromley town centre.

Churchill Place will be developed on a prominent 3.58-ha site in the town centre – the first opportunity for a major retail led scheme since The Glades shopping centre (now intu Bromley) opened in 1991.

Following competitive marketing of the Churchill Place opportunity site and the selection of Muse for the next stage, the 08 invest bromley summer 2013

council is assessing the proposal, before it reaches a decision on implementation of the project in summer 2013.

The tender process was announced in July 2012 and drew interest from dozens of parties.

When confirmed, the council’s partner for the scheme will deliver a high quality, mixed-use development on the site at the south of Bromley High Street which stretches from the Churchill Theatre to Ethelbert Road.

“We have been encouraged by the companies that have come forward. Detailed discussions will begin, which will hopefully lead to a developer being appointed,” said council leader Stephen Carr.

One industry many requirements, one practice many solutions Commercial & Industrial Community & Leisure Education Healthcare Housing Housing For Older People PFI & PPP Projects Professional Services Regeneration Retail

calfordseaden.co.uk

T 01689 888222

Chartered Surveying

Project Management

Architecture & Master Planning

Civil & Structural Engineering

Mechanical & Electrical Engineering

Sustainability Advice

Health & Safety Consultancy

10 invest bromley summer 2013

Rich list

Whether spec’ing out a crystal clear sound system at Bang & Olufsen, enjoying Michelin-starred cuisine at Chapter One or test driving a Mercedes SLS AMG roadster on country roads nearby, Bromley’s package of brands offers a distinct hint of luxe. The demographic in London’s largest borough means that Bromley’s discerning residents have disposable income to spare, as Lucy Purdy discovers 10 invest bromley summer 2013

quality of life 11

“Bromley is positioned for commercial success, as it sits right between London and Kent� quality of life 11

12 invest bromley summer 2013

01 Bang & Olufsen’s luxury Danish products appeal to Bromley’s diverse customer base of working professionals, young families and retired individuals.

02 London Biggin Hill Airport is only 11 miles from Canary Wharf, and provides a reliable and efficient service into London for the business market.

03 The Bang & Olufsen store has been located in Bromley for 11 years.

04 Phase Eight recently expanded its retail offer, moving into a larger shop in the intu Bromley shopping centre.

With large swathes of the borough

decidedly affluent, Bromley town centre can be seen as the borough’s beating commercial heart.

Its best-known stalwart The Glades shopping centre, has been renamed intu Bromley and is in its 22nd year of operation. The centre offers 43,014sq m of retail, catering and leisure space with 142 units and an annual footfall of 17 million people flowing through its doors.

Intu Bromley is a magnet for aspirational shoppers throughout south London and Kent with recent additions including the Apple Store – selecting Bromley for its only south London store outside Bluewater and Kingston – streetwear label Superdry and branded footwear retailer Soletrader.

Womenswear chain Phase Eight moved to a larger space in the centre as a result of “highly successful” trading since the brand arrived at the centre in 1997.

“Bromley has always been a very successful location for our brand,” says Lee Harlow, Phase Eight’s chief operating officer.

General manager of intu Bromley, Howard Oldstein, explains how Bromley’s demographic justifies continued investment: “The centre attracts a variety of customers, from students to young families to older shoppers,” he says.

“With this varied clientele also comes a diverse budget spectrum.

Shoppers will visit the centre to collect a last minute fashion item for Saturday night, to pick up their regular clothing and beauty essentials, or to find the perfect gift for friends and family. They also come to us to enjoy a wide range of eateries and to entertain their children at [developmental programme for the under fives] Gymboree.”

And the team is not standing still.

Shoppers will soon benefit from free Wi-Fi

12 invest bromley summer 2013

01

“This customer base creates a busy and successful retail environment for us”

throughout the centre and the launch of intu.co.uk, a fashion-focused, mobileenabled website. Oldstein hopes in turn that these will lead to improved footfall and dwell time – and even higher in-store spends as a result.

“To appeal to this wide audience and their varying needs, we will continue to stay in tune with our shoppers’ needs and invest in a retail offering that not only appeals to existing customers but attracts new ones too.”

As home to the likes of actuaries and insurance professionals, Bromley’s wealthy

quality of life 13

Orpington’s BID for improvement Traders in Orpington paved the way for even more improvements throughout Bromley’s retail scene when they voted in favour of the borough’s very first business improvement district (BID).

Orpington 1st was endorsed by 54% of traders who voted in February 2013. Issues to be handled by the BID over the next five years include improving the town’s look and feel, promoting it to shoppers and potential investors and making improvements to its accessibility and parking.

Orpington 1st chairman Gary Morris says: “We are absolutely delighted with the positive result which represents months of hard work and heralds the start of an exciting time for Orpington.

“We can guarantee Orpington 1st won’t be resting on its laurels and will be getting started on delivering the campaign promises straight away.”

Traders and businesses within the defined BID area voted on whether to contribute a levy, based on 1.5% of rateable value.

Orpington 1st will use the levy money along with funds generated from other sources to deliver additional services to boost the town centre and the businesses operating there.

residents know they don’t have to travel far to purchase luxury items. There’s no need to hot-foot to the West End – high end brands are readily available here. danish luxury stereo and television maker Bang & Olufsen has been in Bromley for 11 years.

Paul Blake, dealer principal at the store believes the borough’s regional position is key: “Bromley is well positioned for commercial success, as it sits right between London and Kent. The proximity to London means we have an abundance

02

03

of working professionals commuting to London and also young families and retired individuals enjoying the lifestyle that the area has to offer. This customer base creates a busy and successful retail environment for us – the perfect destination for a Bang & Olufsen store.”

Blake says the store’s customer base is diverse, ranging from working professionals to retired people with high levels of disposable income who take a great interest in high-end technology including TVs and stereos. The store also attracts a younger generation, drawn to

04

B&O’s PLAY range of digital-focused hardware. And the favourite products?

What is flying off the shelves in Bromley at the moment?

“Right now, it’s all about smart televisions,” answers Blake. “Our latest television which combines smart TV technology and high-end design is very popular for us. Other popular devices include colourful variations and portable items in the PLAY collection, like our stereo speaker dock which is perfect for those who want to bring the music on their devices to life.” quality of life 13

14 invest bromley summer 2013

05 & 06 Chapter One restaurant in Locksbottom includes a Michelin star among its array of awards, and is reputed for its West End quality food without the prices.

Below The new Audi R8 V10 plus.

But it is not all about shopping.

Bromley does not fall down in the wining and dining stakes either. Chapter One restaurant in Locksbottom is one of the borough’s best. According to the Good Food Guide 2012: “Chapter One has become a landmark for local foodies.

Prices are a world away from W1 overkill.”

The Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide 2012 takes a similar view: “West End quality food below West End prices from chef Andrew McLeish, has carved out a huge reputation for this superb ‘stalwart’ – an unusually notable destination by suburban standards.”

The restaurant has a Michelin star among its array of awards and offers a private dining room, complete with separate bar, on the first floor which can be hired for private functions, wedding receptions and corporate hire.

Sudi Pigott, author of How To Be A Better Foodie describes Chapter One as a “gastronomic landmark” in Kent.

Restaurant operations manager Penny Jackson says: “Chapter One has been in Bromley for 17 years and the out-of-London, suburban location fits the restaurant perfectly. Many of our clientele work in central London but live in Bromley and the surrounding areas.

We are considered a destination restaurant and the location close to the M25 works ideally for us.”

Just a few miles down the road and only 12 miles from the heart of London, is Biggin Hill Airport. The airport provides specialist aviation predominantly for the business market and is one of only nine 14 invest bromley summer 2013

05

“Chapter One has become a landmark for local foodies. Prices are a world away from W1 overkill” commercial airports serving London – one of just three within the boundaries of London itself. Just 11 miles from Canary Wharf, the airport prides itself on offering a “quick, slick alternative” to the London airports – a reliably efficient service for passengers doing business in the capital – and each aircraft landing at the airport represents money coming into the local economy. A careful marketing and partnering campaign has already attracted

06

Formula One investment and a major service centre investment by Jet Aviation of Switzerland and the USA, now owned

by General Dynamics. Rizon Jet, a fixed base operator of executive jets, is based in Doha and Biggin Hill, operating a major aircraft service centre from Bromley, including full arrival and departure capability as well as multiple luxurious VIP and private business lounges and suites.

Bromley is also well equipped on the roads: the borough has the UK’s highest rate of car ownership with 6.4% of households owning three or more vehicles.

It is no surprise then that there is such an array of luxury vehicle dealers in Bromley: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Chrysler and Dodge all have dealerships within Bromley’s boundaries, while Range Rover in Sidcup is just over the border in Bexley.

With all of this, set within a large borough – much of which is beautiful green belt, Bromley is rightly held up as one of the best places in the capital in which to live and do business. Whether it’s quality of life, quality of schools, or the quality of its shopping and leisure facilities – Bromley is a cut above the rest.

We’re an award winning provider of over 49,000 homes across London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, the East of England and East Midlands for more than 95,000 residents.

With assets of £2.8bn and an annual turnover of £230m, Hyde has a strong financial foundation.

Whilst the economic climate may be challenging, we continue to invest in new and existing homes.

We’ve always been about more than just bricks and mortar; we’re also known for helping people to lead the lives they aspire to by delivering support services such as careers and debt advice and financial inclusion.

Our passionate belief in our social purpose – the foundation on which we were created 45 years ago – is clear: we lobby, debate and influence the housing sector while continuing to innovate. www.hyde-housing.co.uk

facebook.com/hydegroup

twitter.com/hydehousing

16 invest bromley summer 2013

01

Air force Business and private aviation is

critical to London’s sustainability as a leading world financial capital and city of commerce.

London Biggin Hill Airport has an established private aviation market and is expanding as a business centre, which has already attracted over £30 million of foreign investment.

16 invest bromley summer 2013

Demand for private aviation grows, as increasingly, global business leaders prefer to look one another in the eye when sealing a deal.

As the only private jet facility within the M25, London Biggin Hill Airport strengthens Bromley’s economy, contributing further through its thriving business park, where current occupiers include Formula One. Paul Coleman reports

“Most of our high-net-worth individual (HNWI) customers are Middle Eastern, American and Canadian,” says Oryx Jet chief executive Mike Russell.

Business people and VIP jet owners often want to charter their aircraft to offset ownership costs. “So we charter their jets for them,” says Russell. “Oryx Jet’s aircraft management arm is expanding too.”

London Biggin Hill, like all airports, operates within flight number constraints and noise limits. But Biggin Hill offers a quick, slick and uncongested niche gateway to the world’s private and business aviation market.

Set in the heart of the south London borough of Bromley, London Biggin Hill remains the only private airport inside the

biggin hill airport 17

M25. The airport lies just 12 miles from London’s core business zones, the West End and Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf. Charter an Oryx Jet helicopter from Biggin Hill – and just six minutes later you can touch down gently at Battersea heliport.

Oryx Jet operates at Biggin Hill as an aircraft management and charter company, working closely with its affiliate, Rizon Jet, the Qatari private luxury aviation provider. Oryx passengers are received at Rizon Jet’s ultra-luxurious VIP terminal, part of Rizon Jet’s Fixed Base Operator/ Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at Biggin Hill.

“The special passenger terminal is an impressive seven-star luxury facility with a beautiful Arabian theme,” says Russell.

A special licence also allows the HNWIs

01 Rizon Jet’s VIP terminal and base at Biggin Hill.

02 The company’s Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility.

06 xxx 07 xxx

02

to travel with companion animals. “Many customers with a private jet want their pet with them on their journey,” says Russell.

Biggin Hill is also a magnet for ongoing investment. High-value businesses, engaged in aircraft chartering and management, manufacturing, components, technology and hospitality, cluster in and around the airport. biggin hill airport 17

18 invest bromley summer 2013

03

The business community – including Formula One, Oryx Jet, Rizon Jet, Autoflame, Jet Aviation, the Airport Industrial Estate, local landowners and Biggin Hill Airport Ltd – are working on a strategy to maximise the economic development potential and the airport’s benefits for the local community.

To this end, Bromley Council, as the local planning authority, works closely with LoCATE (London Centre for Aviation Technology and Enterprise) at Biggin Hill to develop a portfolio of possible development sites with good funding and deliverability potential.

18 invest bromley summer 2013

Aviation-related jobs add considerably more value to Bromley’s local economy compared to other sectors

LoCATE operates as a cluster of the airport’s public and private sector stakeholders, working with residents and environmental protection groups to plan strategically the airport’s future and promote the surrounding hinterland’s infrastructure, trade and inward investment. In particular, LoCATE seeks to help local young people with training, career development and securing jobs.

Recently commissioned studies show the airport has a positive impact on local wages and suppliers, as HNWIs, decision-makers, VIPs and their aircrews spend money at Biggin Hill that filters

biggin hill airport 19

04

Oryx Jet

into the wider Bromley economy. Evidence revealed in impact studies by Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners and by Jones Lang LaSalle highlights LoCATE’s economic and property potential.

Both studies show aviation-related jobs add considerably more value to Bromley’s local economy compared to other sectors – and this gross value added (GVA) could double in the short-term. About 75% of 1,000 jobs are due to the airport.

Another 900 jobs could be created within five years, with 2,300 in the longer term.

Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, advisers to London Biggin Hill for

“The Global 5000 enforces our strategy to deliver our clients unparalleled VIP business travel options,” says Mike Russell, of a recent acquisition.

Oryx Jet added a luxurious Bombardier Global 5000 business jet to its Biggin Hill Airport operation in December 2012. The Global 5000 speeds passengers between continents and offers a luxury cabin with two bathrooms and a lounge bedroom.

Up to 12 passengers can enjoy onboard entertainment and use a satellite phone while experiencing sumptuous comfort. The Global 5000 adds to Oryx Jet’s existing fleet of Hawker, Falcon 50 and Challenger 604 aircraft, the latter renowned for being capable of jetting up to 10 passengers non-stop between London and New York.

Charter plane passengers can enjoy transfers to London airports to and from Biggin Hill thanks to a pair of nightcapable AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopters.

Oryx can fly its HNWI passengers from Biggin Hill into Battersea’s heliport, close to the heart of central London. But, if they prefer, Oryx clients can enjoy a free road transfer into London in an elegant Bentley.

Time is money – but surprisingly, some of Oryx’s HNWIs are perfectly happy getting on the Docklands Light Railway at Lewisham to travel to Canary Wharf and the City. “The DLR is above ground and they think it’s fine,” says Russell.

05

03 Quick and slick – Oryx Jet at Biggin Hill.

04 For a rapid transfer, take the chopper.

05 Height of luxury – interior of the intercontinental Bombardier Global 5000 business jet.

Passengers can enjoy transfers to London airports ... thanks to a pair of nightcapable AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopters biggin hill airport 19

20 invest bromley summer 2013

06

17 years, has secured approvals for largescale hangarage, an emergency services building and a hotel. A recent investment prospectus advises stakeholders how to maximise the airport’s potential.

“There is every cause for optimism that LoCATE will be a world leader in our sector of aviation and will be an invaluable gateway and economic contributor to the success of London,” says Jenny Munro, managing director of Biggin Hill Airport.

Biggin Hill has attracted over £30 million of foreign investment since the area was designated as a strategic outer London development centre by the mayor of London in The London Plan. An application to the London Growth Fund aims to bring forward apprenticeship training and career development facilities.

Success would enable Bromley Council, the Heritage Trust, the airport and a key landowner to accelerate development of the West Camp, a site earmarked for a skills academy, museum, hotel, conference centre and commercial office development.

Luxury brands market their products to the private-jet-set clientele with Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Asprey, the Mayfair Hotel and Bremont Watches 20 invest bromley summer 2013

06 High-flyers choose London Biggin Hill Airport.

07 Seven-star standards in Rizon’s VIP centre.

07

taking space to showcase their exclusive goods in Rizon Jet’s sumptuous Biggin Hill fixed base operator facility. Prestige car dealer HR Owen paraded a collection that included a Bentley, Ferrari and Mercedes alongside the best of business aircraft.

London Biggin Hill Airport competes successfully for investment in a tough global market. The business and

“There is every cause for optimism that LoCATE will be a world leader in our sector of aviation” private aviation sector now represents eight per cent of all flights through European airspace. Improved connectivity and access to central London are vital to Biggin Hill’s growing share of this market.

Munro says: “Our advantages are our unique location around a commercial airport in London with both land and capacity for growth.”

BRINGING EMPLOYMENT TO THE HEART OF BROMLEY

UK

Aviation is one of the most technologically advanced industries in the economy, and Biggin Hill has developed as a major location for businesses in this dynamic and globally competitive sector. Over 1,000 people, many of them with highly advanced skills, work in the various private companies located at Biggin Hill – making it one of the largest centres of employment in Bromley and a unique economic asset for London.

For further information, please visit the websites below

Lat biggin CATE hill www.bigginhillairport.com

london centre for aviation technology and enterprise

www.locateatbigginhill.co.uk

Development locations Hamm

Road

elton

TW 04

To Beckenham

EED YR

OA

Bromley North

D

RE

ch R

ree t St Eas

rk Pa

Ro

ad

03

ET

08

WIDMO

RE ROA

D oo Harw

oad

Church House Gardens

d Ave

nue

KENTISH WAY

sm

Chur

ST

High Street

Glas

ne ill La

GH

et

Queensmead Recreation Ground

HI

tre

BEC

AM LANE NH

tS

KE

s We

t

North Street

Glades Shopping Centre 01

Elmfie

ld Roa

d

Eth

06

elb er tR

Palace View

oa d

Bromley South

01 Pavilion Leisure Complex 02 Bromley South Central 03 Old Town Hall 04 Langley Court, Beckenham 05 Orpington 06 Churchill Place 07 LoCATE Biggin Hill 08 Bromley North Village

02

Mas

We

stm

ore

la

R nd

oa

ons

Hill

To Orpington

05

d

To Biggin Hill 07

22 invest bromley summer 2013

Bromley projects Leafy Bromley is London’s largest borough – and one of the capital’s wealthiest. It has an abundance of beautiful green space, along with major opportunities for investment

SITE 01

Bromley South, Pavilion leisure complex The £7 million refurbishment of the 20-year-old town centre Pavilion leisure complex is now complete, the first in a series of area action plan (AAP) schemes. Operated by social enterprise Mytime Active, the Pavilion has a new 12-lane bowling alley, replacing squash courts, a completely refurbished 100-station gym, soft play centre, new dance studios and a refurbished reception area. Finishing touches include improved heating in the pool; a changing area and new cubicles have also been added. Steve Price, Mytime Active chief executive, said: “The Pavilion leisure centre has now become a real feature of life in Bromley and is a place for all generations to enjoy together.”

Mytime Active was formed in 2004 and manages leisure services for Bromley Council. Over the past nine years it has reinvested £12.2 million back into services.

bromley PROJECTS 23

24 invest bromley summer 2013

SITE 02

Bromley South Central Designed to kickstart the regeneration of the south end of Bromley High Street, this £90 million Cathedral Group scheme started on site in April 2013.

At the heart of the new residential and leisure quarter, designed by Guy Hollaway Architects and Studio Egret West, will sit a landscaped public square with 400 parking spaces on six levels below. The square will be surrounded by a nine-screen multiplex cinema, 2,250sq m of cafes and restaurants, a 130-bedroom business hotel and 200 private and affordable apartments.

The cafes, restaurants and other amenities will be grouped to create an attractive, managed environment.

Family restaurant brands such as Prezzo, Nandos, Turtle Bay and Las Iguanas will take units, and other national brands are showing interest in cafe and restaurant space. Premier Inn will occupy the hotel and Vue will operate the cinema.

Cathedral Group will embark on an ambitious public art programme to provide the new public realm with a relevant installation.

Following initial removal of old buildings, the next stage in the preparation of the site involved work on the demolition of the five-storey Westmoreland Road car park.

Cathedral Group announced in May that it will partner with Hermes Real Estate Investment Management Ltd (HREIML) to deliver the scheme.

HREIML will invest £54.9 million in forward funding for the commercial element – 85% of which is pre-let – as well as a funding facility for the residential development.

The new quarter is expected to create 220 jobs in Bromley and provide a total of £220 million GVA (Gross Value Added) to the local economy over the next 10 years.

It is due to open in autumn 2015.

24 invest bromley summer 2013

bromley projects 25

bromley PROJECTS 25

26 invest bromley summer 2013

SITE 03

old town hall The Old Town Hall is located in Tweedy Road and Widmore Road, in the heart of the historic core of Bromley. The Grade II-listed building is a superb example of early Edwardian municipal architecture.

Bromley Council brought this site to the market in 2011 as a landmark opportunity for a hotel and conference facility. Following a competitive tender process, the council selected the Cathedral Group as its preferred development partner. In the period to summer 2014, the council intends to finalise the

SITE 04

langley court, Beckenham A ÂŁ150 million project to transform the 10.6-ha former GlaxoSmithKline site, at Langley Court in Beckenham, has been given planning permission.

The mixed-use scheme, by developer Altessen (a joint venture between Altyon and Essential Land), will create up to 179 new homes plus a medical surgery, sports academy, village green and cycle paths.

Between 100 and 200 jobs will be created on the development.

The low to medium-density housing is designed to complement neighbouring communities and will comprise 64 three to four-bedroom houses, 36 five-bedroom and 25 six-bedroom houses. There will also be 36 two and three-bedroom apartments, and 79 affordable homes, of which 46 will be for rent and 33 for shared ownership, in a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units.

The landscaped setting will retain existing trees, enhanced by new green areas, including a cricket pitch and pavilion.

At least 20% of parking spaces will have electric vehicle charging points.

Used for pharmaceutical development since the 1920s, the laboratories and offices will be demolished. Work on the scheme is planned for late 2013 or early 2014, with completion expected in 2015.

26 invest bromley summer 2013

development agreement and will prepare proposals to support a planning and listed building application, which will retain many of the original features.

The scheme will see the former town hall converted into a 50-bed luxury hotel and conference facility, which will include a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Due to open in late 2015, the development will help to consolidate the historic core’s quality leisure offer and is also set to become a major wedding venue.

bromley projects 27

Hotel and conference centre for the Old Town Hall development

bromley PROJECTS 27

28 invest bromley summer 2013

SITE 05 Orpington

Orpington is set to get a seven-screen cinema complex as part of the £10 million addition to the Walnuts Shopping Centre, which will include four large retail units and three new restaurants. Improved public spaces and the town’s first cinema in 30 years will also feature.

The 4,500sq m scheme by Miller Developments is under way and will be completed in early 2014. The existing market will relocate to the adjacent College Square. Walnut Square will be reconfigured, with two mature walnut trees planted and a new glazed frontage for the cinema lobby. The development will regenerate the town centre, improve the public realm and complement the Walnuts’ retail offer. The scheme will deliver associated parking and accommodation to suit contemporary retail requirements.

SITE 07

LoCATE biggin hill Biggin Hill is identified in The London Plan as a strategic outer London development centre, underpinned by its status as London’s only specialist business and general aviation airport. Public and private sector partnership, LoCATE – the London Centre for Aviation Technology and Enterprise – plans to increase the attractiveness of the airport for new investment and create 2,300 new jobs.

New businesses and supply chain companies can build on recent investment

by Formula One, Rizon Jet, and JETS Biggin Hill (part of the 328 Group).

28 invest bromley summer 2013

bromley projects 29

SITE 06

Churchill place The prominent, 3.58-ha Churchill Place site in the centre of Bromley will be developed, offering the first opportunity for a major retailled development since The Glades shopping centre (now intu Bromley) opened in 1991.

Following competitive marketing of the opportunity site in early 2013, Bromley Council received a proposal from Muse Developments, which is part of the Morgan Sindall Group.

As Invest Bromley went to press, the council was in the process of assessing the Muse proposal and planned to make a decision on the next steps in implementation of this major project in summer 2013.

The council has pledged a commitment to ensure that any scheme will enhance the quality of Bromley’s retail offer and improve the customer experience.

This development would extend the town’s prime retail zone, adding up to 20,000sq m of retail floorspace. It would be delivered as part of a high quality, mixed-use scheme, as ambitious in scope and quality as the Cadogan Estates’ Duke of York Square development on the King’s Road, Chelsea.

Alongside the retail offer, the scheme would also deliver up to 500 apartments and a range of quality restaurants, focused around a new piazza outside the Churchill Theatre.

Bromley’s emerging Local Plan aims to maximise the economic potential of Biggin Hill, with plans under way to identify further land for investment. Proposals include a modernised terminal and aircraft hangars. West Camp is identified for the development of business accommodation; South Camp has plots for new hangarage and larger floorplate buildings for specialist aviation businesses.

There are also plans for a hotel, specialist aviation skills training academy, and heritage attraction, marking 75 years since the Battle of Britain. bromley PROJECTS 29

30 invest bromley summer 2013

SITE 08

Bromley north village Bromley’s High Street North, East Street and the Market Square, which form the main thoroughfares in the Village, will be transformed during the period up to the winter of 2014, as part of a £5.5 million regneration programme.

Funded by Bromley Council and the mayor of London, the improvements will include new enlarged granite pavements, new street lights and furniture.

The project is aimed at increasing footfall in the Village area to support the

30 invest bromley summer 2013

existing network of independent stores and consolidate the area’s position as a dynamic entertainment quarter.

Works will commence in July 2013 and are planned to take place over 18 months.

Bromley has a rich heritage. A market town since the 13th century, it developed as a major coaching stop to London from the Kent coast. Many historic buildings, churches, listed pubs and coaching inns still exist, part of the attractive streetscape of Bromley North Village.

Work place

01 32 invest bromley summer 2013

01 Direct Line is based in Bromley.

02 Bromley South station has been redeveloped.

relocation 33

Based in Bromley are insurers Admiral, Churchill and Direct Line, along with Monarch Travel Group, Cosmos Holidays and Bank of America. Its well-connected transport network and plentiful commercial space – now benefiting from a £1 billion regeneration plan – help to attract and retain the big-hitters for headquarters and regional offices. Estates Gazette’s markets editor Noella Pio Kivlehan reports

The key to any good relationship is longevity and the ability to resist temptation. For Direct Line, its love affair is with Bromley.

The company, which is being demerged by parent Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), has been based in Bromley since 1989, when Churchill Insurance, another part of RBS, was started. Other potential locations included Croydon, just six miles away and more widely known as a business hub, instead it opted for Bromley – not once, but twice. First when it located there 23 years ago, and then when it moved to its current headquarters in Westmoreland Road. And recently the company has been consolidating its business into the Bromley HQ. A spokesperson for Direct Line could not have been more enthusiastic about the town. “Bromley is an excellent location for our headquarters, with good

“Bromley is an excellent location for our headquarters, with good transport links to central London”

transport links to central London and the rest of the south-east, a strong local community and great amenities for our people. Our location is a key factor in recruiting and retaining employees.”

And it is Bromley’s location, just 10 miles from central London, which makes the town so attractive, not only to Direct Line but other financial giants such as Bank of America and Admiral Insurance.

“Companies are here because of its accessibility. In terms of offices, that’s quite important,” says Kevin Munnelly, head of renewal at Bromley Council.

Set to add to the attractive location is a £1 billion regeneration plan that will bring additional office, retail, leisure and residential to the town. This is the area action plan (AAP), which was adopted by the council in 2010 and identifies 12 key development sites. The AAP sets

02

out the local authority’s strategy to achieve the right balance of employment growth on key development sites around Bromley North and Bromley South railway stations.

The first of the regeneration projects centred on the town’s much-praised transport system. Two train stations serve the town – Bromley South is the main transport hub with six million passengers yearly and is the heart of the main business cluster, while Bromley North caters for 600,000 people a year and is seen as the area where smaller firms congregate.

Despite being smaller, Munnelly says the council wants to enhance the latter’s accessibility to Canary Wharf: “We are in discussions with the mayor of London to bring a light rail solution to Bromley North. Ideally it would be a DLR extension south of Lewisham via Catford but equally it could be an extension of the

34 invest bromley summer 2013

Overground. We are at the pre-feasibility stage with Transport for London on progressing these studies for inclusion in the mayor’s transport strategy.”

Meanwhile, Bromley South has just had a multimillion pound upgrade, with a refurbished ticket office, lifts and new barriers among the improvements.

“It is crucial for the office sector that we maintain and improve the transport offer,” says Munnelly.

While the station is looking fresh and new, the same cannot be said of Bromley South’s office stock. According to Michael Lewis of Michael Rogers, who has been dealing in the town’s office market for 28 years, there is 92,900sq m of built office space in the town centre, which does not include small units above shops or spaces of less than 92.9sq m.

“The last major redevelopment programme was in the mid to late 1980s.

There hasn’t been anything built since

04 34 invest bromley summer 2013

“We are certainly seeing much more activity in the market now, which has been consistently busy since last August” then. So, there is a risk that if they can’t put some nice new buildings in the town then they may lose prospective occupation,” says Lewis.

While the economic situation still makes it difficult for developers to raise capital to build, the council is preparing to create a new office zone within a fiveminute walk of Bromley South station, where redevelopment will be encouraged through financial and policy intiatives.

05

“In the current climate you want to focus on improving existing stock rather than new build,” says Chris Kempton, senior surveyor at Savills.

A tough economy also throws up requests to change use from offices to the more lucrative residential market.

“I do understand why a number of property owners in the town are trying to go for conversion from office space to

relocation 35

03 Churchill Place.

04 & 05 Bromley College has a dedicated Employer Services Team.

03

residential … because they need to make money,” says Lewis.

“They bought the buildings, they have the sites and they want to make them work and the easiest way to do that is to turn office space into residential.”

Kempton agrees there are more changes of use to residential planned but he adds: “We need to wait and see how that plays out: there have not been a large number of huge consents in the town.”

The Bromley office market is not standing still. On the contrary, says Lewis: “We started 2012 with lettings to RBS in the top of the town for about 1,858sq m.

And there have been quite a few deals this year. We are certainly seeing much more activity in the market now, which has been consistently busy since last August.”

Most lettings are to various expanding local businesses in the midmarket range of 465sq m to 930sq m, while larger requirements of 1,860sq m upwards come from outside the town.

While the market bemoans the lack of new space for large offices, retail and leisure fares better, thanks to the AAP. “Part of the ambition for the council in the long term is to increase the town’s leisure and cultural offer,” says Munnelly.

“We need a balanced approach to growth, including a focus on the preeminence of Bromley as a trading location.

We want to consolidate our retail offer,

Bromley College Most businesses need help every so often to grow, particularly when hiring or developing employees. Those at Bromley College have recognised this need, and as a result the college, founded in 1959, has a dedicated Employer Services Team (EST).

The chief objective for the team’s business development advisors is to meet employers face-to-face. “From that process we find out all about the employer, their structure, history, the kind of systems they currently have in place for training, and how they develop their employees,” says Craig Potter, the college’s head of business development.

From those initial meetings, EST identifies where the business is looking to go and how the college can help to get it there. “We can then provide those skills and we are quite flexible in what we are able to give,” says Potter. A key part of what the college can offer is apprenticeships for existing employees and new recruits.

“We have more than 20 different apprenticeships now. Our most popular is financial services, in which we are a specialist training provider. The real value of apprenticeships is a combination of the theoretical knowledge and the practical experience – that’s what employers want at the moment.”

The schemes are open to people of any age and the number of companies signing up for the apprenticeships is increasing. Potter adds: “Last year we had more than 700 apprenticeships in learning or on programmes and our target is to take that above 1,000 by the next year. The majority will be local businesses in Bromley and neighbouring boroughs but we also work nationally with some sectors.”

so we are developing Churchill Place as part of a high quality, mixed-use scheme, similar in scope and quality to the Duke of York Square on Chelsea’s King’s Road.”

At the moment, leisure is concentrated

around the historic core of north Bromley, which has up to 25 restaurants, four pubs, two nightclubs, two theatres and a cinema.

But other new schemes planned include Westmoreland Road, where the Cathedral Group has drawn up proposals for a cinema, restaurants, shops and residential space.

Following planning consent in March 2012, work on site began in April 2013 with the demolition of an old multi-storey car park. The project, says Munnelly, will bring in “a whole range of restaurants that are not already in the town”. The Pavilion Leisure Centre has just completed a £5 million refurbishment, which Munnelly says, “is to a high spec, more akin now to a David Lloyd centre than your typical dated municipal offer”.

There is also Queen’s Gardens. Intu Properties, formerly Capital Shopping Centres Group, owns Bromley’s 22-yearold dominant retail force – formerly The Glades shopping centre, recently rebranded as intu Bromley – and is seeking to extend the retail offer.

And for existing retailers, extending the offer can only help in attracting more customers, whether they are office workers or residents. For some, like Metro Bank, which opened its first branch in the town last year, its experience has been immediately positive – the Bromley branch is its most successful outlet.

Bromley has changed a great deal in the 23 years since Direct Line and Churchill first moved in and is set for even greater change in the next 10 years.

Munnelly remains cautiously optimistic about that future: “We have a long way to go in achieving those ambitious objectives, but we have the framework and the resources in place in order to get there.” relocation 35

National coverage...

Local knowledge...

Pellings are a multi-disciplinary property consultancy based in the heart of Bromley since 1977.

• Architecture and Planning • Health and Safety services • Building Surveying • Project Management • Cost Consultancy • Sustainability

020 8460 9114 www.pellings.co.uk

transport 37

01 Recently revamped, Bromley South station is just 16 minutes from Victoria on the express service.

02 A DLR link for Bromley – TfL and the council are at the pre-feasibility stage to consider the project.

01

Time travel 02

Residents of London’s leafiest borough can reach Victoria in 16 minutes.

Bromley has high levels of car ownership and low congestion on its roads, offering easy access to the countryside and continent.

Lucy Purdy finds great connectivity and choice

With 26 rail stations , 61 bus routes,

870 miles of footways, London’s largest borough lends itself to superlatives.

Bromley stretches across 58 square miles and has more than 310,000 residents, stretching from the buzzing, urbanised areas of Anerley, Penge and Crystal Palace in the north-west to the relative rural tranquility of picturesque Cudham, Downe and Biggin Hill in the south-east.

In a borough this large and diverse, allowing for the movement of residents, workers and visitors smoothly around the

transport network, is no simple task. But Bromley seems to have cracked it.

Of all the borough’s stations, Bromley South is the busiest. Lying in Travelcard Zone 5 and operated by Southeastern and First Capital Connect, commuters reach London Victoria in just 16 minutes on the express service.

It is the nearest rail link to Bromley’s major shopping centre (The Glades, now renamed as intu Bromley) and received a multimillion pound revamp earlier this year as part of the National Station transport 37

38 invest bromley summer 2013

London Overground has transformed Bromley’s connectivity.

Improvement Programme. Works include installation of two new lifts, expansion of the ticket hall and construction of a striking new glass frontage and forecourt.

Each of the borough’s other commercial centres: Orpington, Beckenham, Penge, Petts Wood and West Wickham, also has a rail connection.

Trains run from Bromley to Waterloo, London Bridge and Charing Cross with connectivity proving a key factor for some of the borough’s employers: Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of America and Capita.

The London Overground orbital line has revolutionised travel in the borough, calling at Crystal Palace, Penge West and Anerley stations. After the line opened in May 2010, estate agents reported floods of new enquiries from workers eager to tap into the quick links into central London.

Russell Sinclair, of estate agents Sinclair Hammelton, has worked in Bromley since 1998. He cites speedy transport links and great schools as the borough’s best assets and notes a recent increase in the number of young professionals moving to Bromley.

“Bromley is the biggest and greenest borough – and the transport links are absolutely brilliant – you can get into Victoria, London Bridge, Charing Cross easily,” he says. “This goes hand-in-hand with the affordability of property here. It is much more affordable in comparison to going north-east or further south-east.

“It can be what we call ‘tube snobbery’ – this perception that if you live 38 invest bromley summer 2013

“Bromley is the biggest and greenest borough – and the transport links are absolutely brilliant” near a tube station, you will automatically get into work quicker. But you can be in Canada Water in 18 minutes from Crystal Palace or you can hop on a bus and catch the DLR. People don’t necessarily want to live and work in the same place. Bromley is perfect in this respect: you can hire push bikes, get out and enjoy the beautiful green spaces and countryside and really enjoy your free time.”

Some 90% of Bromley’s population live within 400 metres of a bus stop and bus routes provide most of the borough’s orbital public transport journeys.

Bromley residents make an average of 3.1 trips per day – the fifth highest in London – but their average journey length at 12.8 miles is the longest in the capital.

Beckenham is also on the Tramlink network, which has five stops within the borough, three of which interchange with rail. With Bromley having the third highest level of car ownership in London,

accessibility via the road network is key.

Bromley is linked to the M25 via the A21, which offers fast connections to the rest of the UK motorway network.

The Channel Tunnel and southeast ports can be reached in just over an hour via the A20 and M20 link while Bromley South offers a regular service to Dover through other Kent stations including Ashford for Eurostar passenger access. Despite Bromley’s high levels of car ownership Bromley is the London borough with the lowest level of vehicle delay per mile of main road, according to Transport for London (TfL).

London mayor Boris Johnson has announced that Bromley will get a portion of a £148 million transport investment fund, with £5 million for public realm improvements at Bromley North Village and a further £820,000 to tackle congestion at hotspots across the borough.

Bromley Council is lobbying TfL to bring the DLR to the borough, asserting that it would be the most important transport infrastructure improvement and boost investment opportunities. Kevin Munnelly, head of renewal, says: “What makes Bromley attractive is its links, accessibility and availability of skilled labour, quality environment and proximity to clients.

“We have all of those, concentrated in the south of the borough. About six million passengers a year pass through Bromley South station, yet Bromley North takes about 600,000. The DLR has always been an aspiration, to help meet growth.”

Munnelly describes the DLR link as a council priority “over and above any other rail extensions” – it also supported by the London mayor. TfL is carrying out feasibility and engineering studies for a possible extension of the DLR into Bromley, after which a timetable for potential future work will be drawn up.

The council’s preferred route goes via Catford – a course which, in its evaluation, would make the best economic sense as well as easing pressure on the Jubilee line.

Even without this new development, by train, bus, car or tram, Bromley is already one of the best-connected spots in London, with the council lobbying for even greater connectivity.

速

For more information visit Sitematchlondon.com or call 0207 978 6840 Advisers

Partners

Organiser

40 invest bromley summer 2013

Perfect pitch Green and leafy, with abundant space ripe for development and masses of potential for investors – home-grown and foreign alike – Bromley’s pitch reads like a dream. But its politicians are not sitting back. Aiming to be straightforward and easy to deal with, Bromley is open for business. Two decision-makers tell its story to Lucy Purdy

“It’s the sort of place people want to come to work and to live”

Councillor Stephen Carr

40 invest bromley summer 2013

Councillor Stephen Carr Council leader “We are workmanlike , we are business-

like and we are investment friendly – we make things happen,” says Councillor Stephen Carr, leader of Bromley Council.

Carr reels off reason after reason why Bromley is a hot investment destination. Leader of the authority since 2004, Carr is determinedly pro-business and emphatic that he and his colleagues are prepared to “put our money where our mouths are”.

At the end of 2012, the council’s executive agreed to buy up three commercial properties in the town centre with funds from a £10 million pump-priming regeneration and investment fund.

Carr is a passionate advocate of Bromley’s “all round appeal”: “It’s the sort of place people want to come to work and to live. It has great communication links, it has space, it couldn’t be better placed for London and we also have the political will and leadership to drive things forward.”

He sees the development of London Biggin Hill Airport as one of the most exciting prospects in the borough and talks keenly about maximising both its potential and that of the adjacent business area, which offers brownfield sites at affordable prices. The airport caters for a niche business aviation market, a quick and slick alternative to the major airports and rates consistently in the top 15 busiest business aviation airports in Europe. Biggin Hill is designated a strategic outer London development centre in The London Plan; so Carr and his colleagues aim to make better use of the spare capacity and empty buildings on the adjoining land.

inward investment 41

“Certainly, the demographic in Bromley, with its disposable income, encourages strong investment” “Local aviation-related, hi-tech industries are already there and we have the business industries coming in and out of the airport already,” says Carr. “We are keen to build on our work training young people for that industry. It’s very unusual to be able to offer that opportunity and we’re working with local colleges on this.”

Carr is overseeing various plans in the borough both in regeneration and job creation, as part of the local plan review, the council will be working in partnership with local businesses to prepare growth and delivery plans for Bromley town centre, Biggin Hill Airport and the Cray Valley corridor. The purpose is to secure investment to add around 120,000sq m of additional employment floorspace over the next 10 years on key sites in growth areas.

“Bromley High Street is full of opportunities for investment,” says Carr, “People like coming – Bromley is seen as more of a destination than Croydon or Lewisham: it’s a bit smaller and it has nice buildings. Certainly, the demographic in Bromley, with its disposable income, encourages strong investment.”

Carr also leads the council’s sustainable community strategy for improving quality of life in the borough: Building a Better Bromley 2020 Vision.

This explores the ways in which Bromley will change over the coming decades and how it can be best equipped to face these challenges. Creating quality environments and vibrant and thriving town centres are among the six key priorities.

Carr says: “It’s important to recognise that we’re in a day and age where it’s not just about pure investment rates, it is about sustainability and working with communities. Bromley has all of that. It’s great – it’s an exciting place to be.”

Bromley’s demographic attracts global brands such as Apple. inward investment 41

42 invest bromley summer 2013

ouncillor peter morgan C executive councillor for renewal and recreation “I wouldn’t choose space for a factory

anywhere in the south-east without coming to see what’s available in Bromley first,” says Peter Morgan, executive councillor for renewal and recreation.

“Bromley is a really good place from which to run your business. The attractions are a really skilled and educated workforce, excellent access by public transport with wonderful train links – there are 26 train stations – and you can get to central London from Bromley South in 16 minutes. Going the other way, it is also easy to get to Ebbsfleet and pop on the train to Paris, or 45 minutes to Gatwick Airport. Biggin Hill Airport is very important for any firm dealing in exports and there are great links to the M25.”

Morgan is responsible for Bromley’s town centres, business regeneration, employment, planning and building control, among other functions, and is vehement on Bromley’s strengths as an enticing commercial opportunity.

“Property developers and investors will find a lot to offer here. People want to set up business in Bromley and that in turn creates demand for property. And we have a very sympathetic and simple planning system. Planning officers have been given very firm instructions to deal with matters quickly and not to put any unnecessary obstacles in place of people.

“Added to that, we have a fantastic range of really great housing. A studio here in Bromley probably costs £100,000 or a little more; a one-bed flat in a converted property is probably £125,000; a two-bed for about £200,000. And then you can buy a really nice semi-detached for around £350,000 and mansions up to several million,” Morgan adds.

“We then have beautiful schools, both private and state, and we’re on the border with Eltham College.”

Morgan gives an equally spirited appraisal of the borough’s retail and leisure offer and the many advantages of living in leafy Kent yet also within reach of the bustling capital. He hails as “fantastic” The Glades shopping centre (now intu Bromley),

42 invest bromley summer 2013

“Biggin Hill Airport is very important for any firm dealing in exports”

Councillor Peter Morgan

which has a 1.3 million catchment population and 70% of residents in the most affluent ACORN (A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods) categories.

“A lot of West End shows come to try out at the great Churchill Theatre. You have the Ripley Arts Centre, the nationally renowned Bromley Youth Music Trust and fantastic sporting facilities, as well as hundreds of acres of parks. We have High Elms and Scadbury Country Parks and of course, the whole of London has the attraction of being part of the Greater London metropolis with all that offers.

But crucially, Bromley has space and our communications are absolutely superb.”

London Biggin Hill Airport

Space is key. Biggin Hill is just one of several priority regeneration hotspots offering attractive sites at affordable rates.

Plans are afoot for another multimillion-pound development in Churchill Place, in the heart of Bromley town centre, and Cathedral Group has partnered with the borough in a mixeduse £90 million PPP scheme to transform another part of the town centre – including a nine-screen multiplex cinema.

The council secured £5 million from the GLA for improvements to the historic core of Bromley North Village and the High Street.

And the authority has also set aside two investment fund pots. One to assist in the development of Churchill Place and the second involving investing some of the council’s reserves in buying prime shops.

For those just starting out in the world of work, the council is supporting the creation of modern apprenticeships for a variety of skilled trades.

“This will help smaller firms and bigger firms alike to take on useful labour at a very useful cost,” says Morgan.

SOCINVEST IS THE LEADING CONFERENCE FOR INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO REGENERATION FINANCE AND FUNDING FIND OUT THE LATEST: Exclusive research from Centre for Cities and SocInvest Ways to make regeneration finance pay Finance solutions to secure regeneration projects Housing Local authority funding mechanisms Organisation Asset utilisation Infrastructure ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

SPEAK TO THE SOCINVEST TEAM ON 0207 978 6840 26 November 2013 30 Crown Place Earl Street London EC2A 4ES

SOCINVEST.CO.UK CONFERENCE SPONSORS gva.co.uk

CONFERENCE PARTNER

ORGANISER

44 invest bromley summer 2013

Bromley by numbers Bromley is London’s largest borough

150sq km

open

400 shops in Bromley town centre, which holds the Safer Shopping Award 130 shops in intu Bromley shopping centre

30

Restaurants in Bromley town centre

Over half of the borough consists of green belt countryside Population increase

44 invest bromley Summer 2013

markets 45

Average house price

£347,974

Detached

£629,462

Semi-detached

£365,070

Terrace

£295,385

Flat

£208,846

One of London’s safest boroughs, Bromley has lower violent crime than the national average

26

railway stations

FIVE Tramlink stops

Bromley South is 16 minutes from victoria via the express service and is the first stop between Victoria and Medway

+3% -0.9% Annual change in house price

71%

Quarterly change

of people own their homes London average is 51% (Census 2011)

Biggin Hill Airport to central London 6 mins by helicopter 15 mins by train 50 mins by car

295,352 (2001) 309,400 (2011)

markets 45

46 invest bromley summer 2013

Bromley is Open for Business To discuss our development opportunities contact: Marc Hume Director of Regeneration and Transformation 020 8461 7987 marc.hume@bromley.gov.uk

Kevin Munnelly Head of Town Centre Renewal 020 8313 4582 kevin.munnelly@bromley.gov.uk

Jim Kehoe Chief Planner 020 8313 4441 jim.kehoe@bromley.gov.uk

Heather Hosking Head of Strategic Property 020 8313 4421 heather.hosking@bromley.gov.uk

46 invest bromley summer 2013

www.bromley.gov.uk

Sitematchlondon.com An online database of public sectorowned development opportunities in Bromley and across London

®

Bromley South Station

Elmfield Road

Simpso

Site size: 0.48 ha Planning status: not granted PTAL score: 6a Uses: public buildings

n’s Roa

d

High et

Stre

Site description Bromley Council is working with Network Rail on a phased refurbishment scheme to improve access.

Network Rail proposes to establish a local project group (LPG) to take forward this scheme. The LPG will include Southeastern, the station franchise operator, and relevant local stakeholders, including the council.

The scheme will require agreement from both the Department for Transport and Southeastern on the appropriateness of the proposed works.

sitematchlondon.com

47

Churchill Place Elmfield

Location: west of the High Street, Bromley town centre Site size: 3.58 ha Planning status: not granted PTAL score: 6a Uses: residential, retail, public buildings

Road

A21 ay sh W Kenti

field

Elm

rk ld Pa Elmfie

t tree

hS Hig

d

a Ro

d Roa

e rn ou sb en

v Ra

Simpso

n’s Roa

d

Site description This major site in the area action plan (AAP) is allocated for mixed-use development, incorporating residential, retail, community and health facilities. The AAP inspector recommended that a masterplan should be prepared and adopted by the council as supplementary planning guidance.

The council is in the process of procuring a private sector development partner to take forward a retail-led scheme for the site.

Old Crown Buildings

B2

28

et

tre

hS

Hig

Location: Old Government Buildings, Bromley town centre Site size: 0.53 ha Planning Status: not granted PTAL score: 6a Uses: hotels, residential, offices

Westmoreland Road

Mas

ons

Hill

B22 Cromwell Aven ue

8

Site description This site is allocated for a mixed-use, hotel-led development including residential and replacement of office floorspace. Officers have met with site owners to establish their long-term aspirations and set out the planning issues connected to the site.

Bromley North Village on R Lond

Site size: 1.3 ha Planning status: granted PTAL score: 6a

oad

Tw e

ed

yR

oa

d

A22

A22 Tweedy Road

Site description In support of transformational public realm improvements Transport for London (TfL), as part of the London mayor’s Great Spaces initiative, has allocated funding of £300,000 for detailed design work. A further £3 million has been made available by TfL, subject to agreement with Bromley Council on a number of design gateways.

An allocation of £1.5 million from the council’s capital programme will support this project.

Final consents and funding arrangements have been agreed and the main material orders for the improvement project have been placed. Due to the complexity of the build programme, implementation has had to be subdivided into seven phases, which are illustrated on the phasing plan attached as Appendix 2 to the main report. The first phase, in East Street, is due to commence in July 2013 and the full programme will take 18 months to implement.

for more information Contact: Kevin Munnelly Head of renewal kevin.munnelly@bromley.gov.uk 020 8313 4582

sitematchlondon.com

49

Invest Bromley partners group Joining together to support Bromley

Bromley College Lynn Barratt lynn.barratt@bromley.ac.uk Calfordseaden Guy Woodward gwoodward@calfordseaden.co.uk Guy Hollaway Architects Guy Hollaway guy@guyhollaway.co.uk intu Bromley Maria Cooper maria.cooper@intu.co.uk Michael Rogers Mike Lewis mike.lewis@michaelrogers.co.uk Mytime Active Steve Price steve.price@mytime.org.uk Pellings Duncan Coombs dcoombs@pellings.co.uk Robinson Escott Fiona Dalitis fiona@replanning.co.uk Thackray Williams Alison Collins alison.collins@thackraywilliams.com

Developing a new concept in rented accommodation

Essential Living

Proud to be working in association with Bromley Council Essentialliving.uk.com