Southwark Council were quick to recognise the advantages of involvement in the Neighbourhood Planning pilots with not one but two included in the first tranche of Front Runners. Subsequent to this announcement, thanks to lobbying from British Chambers of Commerce and British Property Federation, the legislation was amended in order to allow for a greater involvement from businesses in areas that were more commercial in nature. Bankside registered it interest and the minister Greg Clark heralded the designation of Business Neighbourhood Frontrunners in Bankside.

Thus Bankside provides an  unique opportunity to explore how  residential and business communities can act together to agree a Neighbourhood Plan.  Anticipating this at the Ministerial launch Peter Williams, Better Bankside CEO and Means senior partner said:

“The preparation of a neighbourhood plan in Bankside has urgency and immediacy. It will be a living document, not one destined to lie on a shelf. We estimate that £6 billion of construction works are underway between Blackfriars and London Bridge, with indications of more in the pipeline. We need to balance developers’ view of value-driven development with the local, collective neighbourhood view of what constitutes valuable development.”

Creating a robust neighbourhood plan that jointly benefits Bankside’s businesses and residents will rely on close collaboration between Better Bankside and other local organisations including Bankside Residents Forum, Bankside Open Spaces Trust, and Blackfriars Settlement.

Since the announcement work has progressed on designing the best methodology to deliver the Plan. There is a clear commitment to avoid the pitfalls and the doctrinal arguments around ownership of the plan.

“We start from the premise that this tool is being shaped in a way that will help promote sustainable growth. In this context it is less than helpful to embark with the view that residents and business inhabit different sides of some mythical divide.”