Making it happen

The council’s Local Plan review will introduce a stronger policy framework for affordable and supportive workspace in response to the new London Plan policy ED3. The review provides the opportunity to test an affordable workspace policy for key growth areas supporting business incubator spaces and cultural workspace facilities. We will also provide supportive content to adopted Local Plan policies to be more descriptive in terms of the relationship to the creative and digital economy and the need to provide different spaces in different locations in the borough.

We will develop an ‘Approved Providers’ list and hold ‘meet the provider’ sessions, bringing together landowners, developers, and workspace providers with creative and technology specialisms.

The council will continue its role participating in the Mayor’s Workspace Providers Advisory Group, and work with the Greater London Authority on developing a best practice guide to securing workspace through the s106 process.

We will seek to gain Government exemption from Permitted Development Rights in the Central Activities Zone, and in other areas where there have been detrimental impacts on our local economy through office to residential conversion, e.g. Streatham.

Local workspace providers, BIDs, and the council will continue to collaborate on funding applications to relevant programmes to increase workspace provision in the borough, e.g. London Regeneration Fund, Arts Council Capital Programme.

The next phase of the Lambeth Works programme will bring forward four new creative and digital industries focused workspaces using our own assets, at: 30 Wootten Street (SE1), Your New Town Hall, Brixton Rec, and International House (SW9). We will also finalise research exploring the potential for new workspace projects within the West Norwood Commercial Area and Streatham.

We will work with property owners (e.g. Capital Tower and Mercury House, Keybridge House, Tintagel House, 422 Brixton Road) to attract high quality creative and technology businesses, accelerators and workspace providers to take on existing space opportunities in the borough.

Streatham BID and Hideaway will seek to launch the first co-working space for creative businesses in Streatham.

We will work with BIDs and local networks to establish a Lambeth Creative Network, bringing large and small business together to network and foster opportunities for collaboration.

London South Bank University will deliver four new European Regional Development Fund business support programmes, including a new initiative to support business innovation in the immersive tech sector.

Working with BIDs and local business communities, we will promote the opportunity to become involved in industry-led events including London Tech Week and LDF. We will work with:

• London & Partners and South Bank Employers
  Group to explore establishing the South Bank as a new core events zone for London Tech Week.
• Brixton BID, Brixton Design Trail and the London Design Festival (LDF) to increase their impact during LDF.

We will encourage major businesses and cultural institutions in the borough to develop new accelerator programmes to support innovation and growth in their sectors. This will include the encouragement of accelerators that are committed to targeting founders from underrepresented backgrounds.

We will proactively seek out accelerator and business support providers requiring space to locate in the borough. Within the workspace initiatives we drive forward, we will ensure these provide spaces for business support events and where possible provide tenancy opportunities for business support providers.

As part of our Community Infrastructure Levy investments, we will undertake R&D to map out a strategy for tackling the broadband connectivity issue in the borough.

With support from the Mayor of London, we will kick-start the Next Generation campaign with a range of partners (including South Bank Cultural Partners, B3 Media, Culture at Heart partnership and others) to provide skills, jobs and opportunities for young people and those underrepresented in the creative workforce.

We will work with BIDs to engage and support employers to introduce new policies and projects that change employer practices to tackle inequality of opportunity.

The ERIC Festival will work with the council, The Old Vic, and other local employers to stage a series of innovative careers fairs, providing guidance, social capital and opportunities to showcase the best young creative talent in the borough.

South Bank Partners (Southbank Centre, BFI, National Theatre and Rambert) will develop curriculum modules
for Lambeth primary schools, as well as a new Lambeth Cultural Trail and learning tools.

Working with We Rise, we will pilot the Young Opportunity Lambeth Offer (YOLO) project for young people at risk of not securing a positive post-school destination (assessed at Year 9) in two local schools (Elmgreen and Norwood).

Working with the School Improvement team and Lambeth Schools Partnership, we will raise awareness of the existing curriculum development support and extra-curricular creative education offer provided by cultural partners.

Lambeth and local workspace providers will work with advocacy groups including UK Black Tech, Advocacy Academy and others to promote affordable workspace opportunities for BAME-led creative and technology entrepreneurs.

Working with Raw Material, Photofusion and Hatch Enterprises, 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning will seek to redevelop its site in Herne Hill, tripling the space by building a 3 storey arts, education and creative enterprise centre.

The Old Vic is delivering programmes Inspire and Take the Lead which target employability skills and address issues of social mobility. These programmes will engage more than 1,000 young people in Lambeth.