Client: Thomas & Thomas and Monmouth Planning
Project: Soho Neighbourhood Plan Review
What were MAKE asked to do?
Soho Neighbourhood Forum was established to create the Soho Neighbourhood Plan - a binding supplementary planning document that, subject to adoption by Westminster City Council, would become a material consideration in all future planning applications, thus having an important impact on this world-famous part of the West End.
Licensing solicitors (and London ENTE licensing experts) Thomas & Thomas, along with West End planning specialists, Monmouth Planning, asked MAKE to review the draft Soho Neighbourhood Plan and formulate with them a response. The goal was to ensure the that the evening and night-time economy and the leisure economy was fully represented it he final plan. Often, in resident-driven fora, there can be a reluctance to acknowledge the economic, social and culture contribution of the evening and night-time economy (due to legitimate concerns about noise and nuisance) and as a result to favour more restrictions rather than evidence-based pragmatic responses.
How did MAKE do it?
We analysed the draft Soho Neighbourhood Plan through our NTE lens. It’s a really great plan, with ambitious standards for new development whilst seeking to preserve the best of Soho’s infamous authenticity! However, there were certain restrictions around temporal activity and requirements on new leisure developments which, whilst sensible in theory, may have had unintended consequences in practice. We pointed these out.
The most important part of our work was to suggest wording changes. Subtle though these may seem, language is crucial when deciding whether a particular policy proposal is seen by investors as positive, neutral or negative. And, indeed, the degrees of that positivity or negativity.
We also looked closely at how the plan aligned with the Mayor’s suite of planning and economic strategies. Whilst there was a close correlation with the Draft London Plan (and Westminster’s new City Plan), we felt more could be done to reflect that the Mayor now wants London to be a 24-hour city (the Mayor’s Night-time Vison) and a such positively encourage (rather than remain neutral about) more music venues.
We recommended some additional policy inserts and word changes that we felt will create a more positive NTE investment and development environment in Soho, but without compromising the ability of the authorities to control negative externalities of the 24-hour city and, in particular, vertical drinking.
What happened next?
Thomas & Thomas submitted our combined response: we await the final Soho Neighbourhood Plan.
What unique value did MAKE bring to this project?
Our knowledge of the Mayor’s NTE and 24-hour city agenda allows us to ensure that, whatever document is being drafted in London – planning, licensing or economic, that it properly reflects the City Hall agenda (which may sometimes be challenging for boroughs), whilst suggesting approaches that local authorities can use to incorporate that agenda in a way that works locally.