Agenda item

Resolved: The Committee believes that the joint oversight of theatre operations and plans for its future should be brought under the remit of a single senior manager. The Committee has been encouraged by the Catford programme team’s accomplishments and abilities and as such, the Committee believes that serious consideration should be given to moving future management and forward planning for the theatre under the remit of the capital programmes division.

6.1      Kplom Lotsu (Service Group Manager, Capital Programmes) introduced the report, the following key points were noted:

·         The last update to the Committee (in September) focused on the realignment of the South Circular, this update provided additional details about the masterplanning process as well as the engagement, meanwhile use and the Broadway theatre. The programme team would welcome comments from the Committee about the masterplanning process.

·         Transport for London (TfL) were working on plans for the relocation of the south circular (A205) and had developed an initial timeline: work on feasibility would take place up until September 2018; concept design work until March 2019 and detailed design until February 2020 with a view to the road move happening in 2021. The expectation was that work would take place moving the road for six to nine months.

·         Officers at TfL were also submitting a bid for funding for the next stage of development, the Council would find out in the next week or two whether this had been successful.

6.2      Deborah Efemini (Capital Project Manager) introduced an update on the engagement process, the following key points were noted:

·         ‘Team Catford’ was a specialist team of consultants who were purposely separate from the Council. It was hoped that this separation would enable people to better relate to the team.

·         The majority of the people who made up the engagement team lived in Catford.

·         The engagement officially started in March 2017.

·         In the next stage of the consultation the team would feedback what people had been saying.

·         There had been some concerns about the online focus of the Commonplace platform – but people were also proactively coming to engagement monthly engagement meetings to discuss their thoughts about the future of Catford in person.

·         Fliers about the engagement would be delivered to all homes in Catford.

·         Team Catford was also measuring sentiment on social media about Catford.

·         There were a number of place making activities happening, including the painting of murals around the town centre and the refurbishment of the Catford dog track signage as well as plans for a ‘wall of fame’ of the top 20 most famous people from Catford.

·         The Catford Broadway monthly market and the Catford Canteen (originally started in 2015 as part of the Mayor of London’s outer London fund) would be revived.

6.3      Kplom Lotsu, Deborah Efemini, Jessie Lea and Sarah Walsh responded to questions from the Committee. The following key points were noted:

·         A heritage lottery bid was going to be submitted by the programme team alongside officers in the Council’s culture division. The submission of the bid hinged on a conservation management plan being completed, this was being worked on at present.

·         The conservation and management plan would set out how the theatre should physically be maintained and managed as well as how it should be understood culturally and historically. The plan would also help to set out options for a sustainable future for the theatre.

·         Until the conservation management plan was finished a bid could not be submitted to the heritage lottery fund. The plan should be finished in the next two months, after which work would be taken forward to submit the bid.

·         A list of existing studies carried out in Catford would be provided as part of the masterplanning brief.

·         Expert advice was being sought on creating a programme of phasing for the masterplanning process. It was recognised that the retail environment was changing and the programme for developing the masterplan had to be carefully managed.

·         Options for a pedestrian bridge across the A205 had previously been considered by TfL but the likely costs of the idea had been prohibitive.

·         A structural survey had been commissioned to investigate required improvements for the old conservative club building that housed the Catford constitutional club.

·         Officers were aware of the requirement to ensure that companies operating in Catford were sustainable.

6.4      In the Committee’s discussion, the following key points were also noted:

·         The Broadway theatre should be given greater prominence in the masterplanning process.

·         The work on the future plans for the Broadway theatre should be accelerated.

·         Members had some concerns about programming at the theatre. There had been a recent instance of lots of people parking inconsiderately along the Catford Broadway. There had also been at least one instance of people serving food on the street outside the theatre.

·         The growth of online shopping was a major rival to high street shopping.

·         Team Catford should engage with young people, including the young Mayor and their advisors.

·         There should also be efforts to engage with people who were less economically active.

·         The social impact of retailers and prospective retailers in the current Catford shopping centre should be considered as part of the Catford shopping centre company’s forward planning.

·         Further consideration should be given to the inclusion of a wide pedestrian and cycling bridge across the A205 from Plassy Island towards the Catford stations.

·         The Committee believed that companies renting space in Catford should be encouraged to pay the London Living Wage.

6.5      Resolved: The Committee believes that the joint oversight of theatre operations and plans for its future should be brought under the remit of a single senior manager. The Committee has been encouraged by the Catford programme team’s accomplishments and abilities and as such, the Committee believes that serious consideration should be given to moving future management and forward planning for the theatre under the remit of the capital programmes division.