An end to a waste of space

Bradford residents know only too well the impact of dereliction on their community. The now infamous Westfield site, having lain dormant for more than five years, is now cynically known as ‘Wastefield’ thanks to a clever graffiti job on the hoardings that surrounded an ugly, gaping hole in the city centre.

A ‘democracy wall’ soon appeared, with written rants and musings ranging from the straightforward (“I want a decent park for my kids, not a hole or an ugly shopping centre”) to the forthright (“f*** right back”).

So Westfield, with partners Bradford City Council and the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, finally relented. As I write, hoardings are being pushed back, wildlife meadows sown and pathways opened so that the locals can use some of the space “until the economy picks up” and development can begin proper. The three partners put up a total of £300,000 to get a temporary green space in place by this summer, and not a moment too soon.

We all know that the recession has rendered too many schemes ‘mothballed’; this clearly has a detrimental effect on land and property values, as well as community morale. Industry title Property Week launched the ‘Site Life’ campaign, supported by the British Property Federation, to address this issue. And it has been inundated with responses and support.

In fact, there are a myriad projects underway, recession or not. In these over-populated times, space is at a premium in many locations. Yet so much of it is unloved and unused. There is a large land bank on our island; that hasn’t increased because of the recession, apparently.

Space reused
It doesn’t take much digging to discover that there are some truly inspiring projects going on. Perhaps the most unusual has been Land Securities’ exhibition of life-size robotic dinosaurs at its stalled Park Street scheme on London’s Oxford Street. This ticketed event was a hit with tourists in spring, with 3,000 visitors a day during half-term week alone. The venue was also available for event hire.

For multiple projects in one place, see MEPC’s Wellington Place in Leeds. The developer has installed football pitches, beehives, allotments, a boulevard and trees. An excellent example of good PR and community inclusion, the scheme won a temporary works award at the Architecture Awards in January.

Ask Developments’ First Street site in Manchester is hosting a military-style urban fitness academy for the locals, and the Sharp Project in Manchester has given over disused warehouses to use as film sets.

But a temporary scheme needn’t be visionary or creative – simply grassing over the land could be sufficient.

Waverley Borough Council took the initiative to tart up a stalled Crest Nicholson site in Farnham, Surrey, which had been empty since the early 2000s. Derelict buildings,  which had become a magnet for vandals and vermin, were demolished and turf laid to provide a pleasant, usable green space until the site can be developed.

Public response was wholly positive following a period of justifiable dissatisfaction. And in response to the nation’s obsession with ‘grow your own’ and a lack of available allotment space, CLG launched a Community Land Bank scheme in March to free up unused land and encourage food growing and biodiversity in urban areas. The plans were unveiled at the huge King’s Cross Central regeneration scheme, which is being developed by Argent and others.

Charity Global Generation is running ‘skip gardens’ there to provide portable growing space and skills training for local communities, including schools and businesses. The skips can be moved around the site as new phases of the commercial scheme progress.

The benefits of what has become known as ‘meanwhile’ use are multiple. It boosts an organisation’s corporate social responsibility record and is a great PR and marketing vehicle. It increases kerb appeal – as Liz Crew, operations director of ExtraVerte, says, “Stalled developments have a detrimental effect, whereas a well-thought-out temporary scheme is a shop window”. And, as can be seen with Land Securities’ dinosaurs display , it could even bring in some extra cash.

Those worried about the financial outlay of such a scheme need only think of it as an investment. It cost Waverley Borough Council around £160,000 to turn its site in Farnham from an eyesore to a public amenity. When you consider maintenance costs, including empty rates tax liability of even derelict sites (£15,000 per annum in this case) this is a wise move on what could be a mothballed project for some time yet.

Money spent on a temporary project needn’t be wasted, either, as materials used can be recycled into the final scheme. It is economic and environmental efficiency at its best.

Practical matters
It is obvious that such renovations offer a win-win solution to the challenges we face in the built environment. But what of the pitfalls? This is pretty much uncharted territory, and there are some concerns to address.

On the legal front, the pre-election government was in the process of developing an industry standard for ‘meanwhile’ leases for land, similar to those drawn up for empty shops.

While this is fairly straightforward for buildings, land is a little more complex.

There will be environmental issues to consider, such as how to avoid a rare wildflower or nesting bird settling in your temporary meadow. Careful planting and consultation with the experts should help avoid this. In the meantime, we can see many meanwhile projects going ahead with successful agreement between all parties under perfectly legitimate licences.

And with planning permission, you need to ensure that the temporary project doesn’t require a change of use. Eddie Bridgeman, co-director of community interest company Meanwhile Space, helps organisations make temporary projects a reality. He says that it’s easy to avoid a change of use, such as installing sculpture walks, car parking or radio-controlled car tracks.

Mr Bridgeman also points out that people will use land for all sorts of reasons if they’re only given the opportunity. I say let them, and let there be as few barriers as possible. Even go so far as to relax planning permission rules for temporary projects – within reason.

Finally, tread carefully when it comes to public perception. You need to manage legal risk by being open with the public. Karen Cooksley, head of planning and regeneration at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, stresses the need to communicate your plans clearly. “Are you making a rod for your own back by creating [and then taking away] something that brightens people’s lives?” she asks. Make it clear that the project is temporary by using leaflets, local advertising, even a competition for project ideas.

Communication is key then, as well as building trust with the community. A local blogger has documented the Westfield Bradford scenario, reporting deep malaise and cynicism. He’s reserving judgement on the new, green space that is promised on the Westfield site. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” he laughs, although he does concede that it’s better to do something than nothing.

Arguably it’s better to be proactive than inactive. Better to engage than alienate. If more development partners can work together to achieve those aims, and take that step to minimise wasted places and spaces, it can only work in their favour. Furthermore, the concept of meanwhile use has lots of life in it yet.

It’s clear that, as we enter an inevitable period of economic austerity and resourcefulness, this is only the beginning for temporary spaces. Future land uses are limited only by demand and imagination.