Regeneration and economic development is a crucial issue for London where there has been insufficient money to keep up with the back log of repairs and refurbishment to the physical backdrop of London. As a member of the regeneration group in Greenwich, a borough that has been highly successful in attracting inward regeneration funds. over a billion pounds of capital is being spent along the Greenwich Waterfront at the present. Much of it has been raised through the bidding teams of the Greenwich Waterfront Development Partnership. This very successful partnership has been built on the principles of electoral equality. Each division of the council, community forum and business forum, elect representatives and have equal votes. I have been the deputy chair of the forum for a number of years and been able to play my part. I believe that regeneration has to be seen as an intergrated process not just physical change in the landscape. As we renew the houses and the infrastructure and the environment we need to ensure that people have education, skills, and good health and quality of life. If not then regeneration will not be successful.
Greenwich has been successful in winning single regeneration budgets for some years. I myself am responsible for the 100 million pound programme, underpinned with 25 million pounds worth of Government money. The key success has been the regeneration of the Cardwell estate translating poor sixties high rise housing into family homes.
In addition the Woolwich Development Agency has refurbished Woolwich Town Centre, established a voluntary sector council and is working with English Partnerships to bring onstream 80 acres of derelict land. I have been working on bringing forward a new museum and heritage centre for London and Greenwich. In bringing forward regeneration plans it is essential that all the interested parties are involved in bringing forward ideas and plans. Exercises such as planning for real are essential if we are going to regenerate in a sustainable way. As an assembly member I would be in a position to push for strategic land use and planning, ensuring that there were opportunities for local communities and for families and neighbourhoods to be sustained. In my view it is increasingly important to plan for a mix of accommodation including live and work schemes and also to sustain places to work. I also believe that when redeveloping more public space and community facilities should be part of the development brief.
We have had great success in Greenwich with local labour in construction and local labour in business. In this way we ensure that local people gain the maximum from regeneration.
With a Labour Government we are seeing an opportunity to think more creatively with the available training funds and the rethinking around Training and Enterprise Councils is crucial. Much has to be done to be clear about the training needs for London into the 21st Century. I believe that we need to think more clearly between skills needs and the formal education sector.
London will need Assembly members who understand the process of regeneration and who can participate in contributing to an Economic Development plan for London. Assembly members will also need to keep a watchful eye on the London Development Agency which will be the guardian of regeneration funds for London.
I believe that the creative and cultural industries should feature as part of London wide regeneration, we also need to concentrate on the opportunity from digital production in the explosion of the learning grid and new technology networking. As the Chair of the ALG Arts and Leisure Committee I was able to lead on the input of the cultural and creative industries to the recent London Study which will be a blueprint for the London Mayor.
When regenerating areas we must be clear about design issues of quality and also designing for the highest possible standards of community safety.
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