What can be learnt from Brixton Green’s work at Somerleyton Road?• Building an understanding of the place and

people – what are the priority needs?• Ways of working, to support co-production

What is Brixton Green?

• Somerleyton Road is an important site at the heart of Brixton and we believe Brixton people should be at the forefront of this redevelopment.

• Brixton Green, a non-profit, registered community-benefit mutual society, has been set up by Brixton people to make this possible.

• Owned and run by locals - So far Brixton Green has engaged with over 40 local organisations and over 1,000 local citizens have become shareholders.

• All our work is done by volunteers.• I am one of 12 Board members.

What do we know?

Brixton Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

What are the community’s priorities?

• Keep the land• Optimise the amount of

housing which is genuinely affordable by all income groups, with at least 40% at target rents

• Job creation especially for young people

• Local people have a role now and in the future

Focus on outcomes

Example OutcomesLocalised Inclusive Economy

•local employment•quality of jobs•local purchasing•local spending

Social dividend

from membership

•quality of life•social cohesion•health and well-being

advance education

•youth inspiration•training

Hold and manage land

•Brixton's cultural diversity and heritage

•involvement stewarding the long-term delivery for the community

ECONOMY

ACTIONS:•Workplaces as arena for social cohesion and intranet-firm mixing - increasing empowerment, working with other groups ; •accessible community spaces

ACTIONS:•Building trust between people and the state/ service providers, •Increasing peoples sense of control of their own environment (link to individual health and Wellbeing

ACTIONS:•Location for services offering diversion to positive activity, save threatened community organisations - co-location, sharing back-office services

ACTIONS: •Increase self confidence and ability to mould service provision

ACTIONS:•Construction skills in sustainable constructions;•e.g. chef’s school; link to schools; hair and beauty training

ACTIONS:•Creative hub - magnet for other creative activities; catalyst for local activity, including in Hillmead and Brixton Village

The scheme – in outline

• Mixed income renting, truly ‘pepperpotted’

• Mixed use • jobs, training, support

and homes all together• Community ownership

• 250 year lease to a new community body

• Amenities & Public realm• Housing Co-operative

• Quality of life • dual aspect for light, and

through ventilation• Low energy• Good sound insulation• London Design space

standards• Large balconies

Delivery Strategy

• A project steering group• Self-development, control over what gets built and

tenures and long-term management– Overarching community body

• Housing cooperative

• 100% rented proposal, lifetime tenancies with reviews

• Self-financing: rental income over 30-40 years pays back borrowing for all scheme costs

• Capital from sale of Ovalhouse and Fitch Court sites

Order of eventsyear activity

2007 AUGUST - Lambeth starts the Brixton masterplan.

2008 MAY - Brixton Green founded. Purpose: “For the community to be at the forefront of the redevelopment of Somerleyton Road.”

2009 JULY - Lambeth approves the Brixton masterplanSEPT - Brixton Green becomes a mutual owned by people live/ work in Brixton

2010 2009 -2010: Cabinet Office community share pilot.

2011 Brixton Green continues to develop the proposals:- 2008-2013: Community consultations and events, work with schools, and services

2012 2010 – 2012: The community proposals developed in further detail by industry leading consultants = JANUARY Business Case

2013 FEB - Lambeth use a core group to review capacity study feasibility studyMARCH - Lambeth approve the Future Brixton Supplementary Planning Document APRIL - Brixton Green commissions 11 deliberative workshops for the community to work through the proposals in more detail.NOVEMBER - Lambeth cabinet establishes the steering group for Somerleyton• FINANCIAL MODEL; NON-RESIDENTIAL USES; STEWARDSHIP

2014 JAN - Tender for Development Manager and Design teamfortnightly meetings of the Steering Group AUG - signed Development Management AgreementOCT - Housing briefNOV - workshops on uses; design and financial implicationsDEC - review financial information on costs and future income; review urban design

Order of eventsyear activity

2014 JAN - Tender for Development Manager and Design teamfortnightly meetings of the Steering Group

AUG - signed Development Management Agreement

OCT - Housing briefNOV - workshops on uses; design and financial implicationsDEC - review financial information on costs and future income; review urban design

2015 FEB - Client agreement on the masterplanJUNE – Street Party, public realm consultationJUNE - community agreement on the design to be submitted to the planning committeeJULY – Financial model finalisedJULY – all documents ready to send to planning committeeAUGUST – PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMITTEDAUGUST – Agreements to leaseNOVEMBER - planning committee meeting - DECISIONDEC - SET UP NEW COMMUNITY BODY AND HOUSING COOPERATIVE

2016 MARCH – appoint contractorsAPRIL – future residents ‘recruited’ and start training in how to be part of a co-operativeJUNE – start construction work in phases

2017 JUNE – first phase completed and handed over

2018 JULY – final completion

Stewardship

How has the community moulded the development?Internal design and space standardsKEY ISSUES RAISED THROUGH PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS:• Storage• Environmental

sustainability• Family life• Occupancy

Shared space – how to support community building?• Bike storage• Welcoming entrance• Home deliveries• Shared laundry• Shared use of the Flexible

Space – co-location and integration of services

Shared space with the wider community – how can this be managed well?• Food-growing spaces• Play spaces• Relationship with the

street• Retaining existing grade A

plane trees• Car club• The Flexible Space

• Private roof-terraces for residents only

What’s good about the Housing Cooperative and the Overarching Community Body (OCB) being in charge?

Decisions will be taken locally for the benefit of local people

• Synergy of uses• High quality management

throughout the site• Community owned for 250

years• Mutuals – making

decisions together regardless of what rent you pay

• Lower costs through cooperation and site-wide approach

Why do things differently?

• Local authorities and their appetite for risk• Community ownership and long-term thinking

• Trust, collaboration and creating solutions together

New Roles and Operating Principles

• Public service workers will need to change the way they think about their role and how they operate and the people they have come to know as ‘users’, ‘patients’ or ‘clients’ who will now become their equal partners; they need to change their attitudes, priorities and training.

• They need to move from fixers to facilitators. Public services and welfare systems that are delivered in this way are likely to be more participative, by definition, as well as more equitable, responsive and creatively designed and delivered. And, because the people who are supposed to benefit from them will have a strong and tangible stake in them, they are more likely to command wider public support.

Tools and approaches- community-led• Community shares in

Brixton Green creating a sense of ‘ownership’

• Deliberative workshops• Regular workshops and

themed newsletters• Door-to-door

conversations• Pop-up uses in No.6,

keeping interest and trust