Regeneration project: Southall

Southall has been awarded £4.4m from the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund, matched by £1.4m from Ealing Council and £1.9m from Transport for London. This investment will support the Shaping Southall project and help this unique area reach its potential. A wide-ranging programme of improvements to streets, shop fronts and public spaces is creating a more clearly defined town centre which can accommodate and benefit from business attracted by the arrival of Crossrail. At the same time, initiatives like the Southall Charter are helping local residents, enterprises and faith and community groups to work together more efficiently and establish a shared vision for Southall’s future growth.

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Public spaces

The Southall Great Streets project, designed by architects DK-CM, is helping to build a safer and more pleasant environment for pedestrians, all road users and businesses. Pavements along the Broadway are being widened and the introduction of ‘boulevard’ zones will help pedestrians move more freely and safely. Nine mini-public spaces are being developed along South Road and The Green. This will attract people through the town centre and create a better balance between pedestrians and cars, tempering the impression that Southall town centre is dominated by traffic. New signage around Southall Station, and lighting at the entrances of Southall Park, will make the town more inviting.

Building frontages

DK-CM’s Great Streets programme provides a comprehensive revamp of the high street, including the refurbishment of carefully selected building frontages with graphic designers Europa. Improvements to shop fronts in Old Southall are being targeted at businesses located in blocks in areas of high visibility, those which stand alone, and those whose poor condition has a negative impact on the town centre. A programme of simple but effective window display enhancements precedes the main works. In addition, the programme of improvements prioritises community facilities to strengthen civic pride and wider perceptions of the town centre.

Supporting business

Dine in Southall (DiSh) is a unique enterprise project which draws on the area’s thriving South Asian restaurant scene. The Grade II Listed Southall Manor House has been identified as a possible venue for a restaurant and training centre which will offer apprenticeships in the catering and hospitality sector. DiSh will provide an important resource for those already working in restaurants locally and will help boost Southall’s restaurant industry. Southall’s Opportunity Area Planning Framework (OAPF) is also promoting the provision of affordable workspaces for small and medium-sized businesses located southeast of the station.

Transport

The Great Streets initiative is making the town centre look and feel more inviting. It is also making the area safer by promoting a better balance between people on foot and people in cars. The OAPF is proposing a series of junction improvements to ease congestion and also promotes sustainable modes of transport through a new cycle and footbridge over the railway to the east of the station.

Shaping development

Southall has been designated one of 33 Opportunity Areas in London. The OAPF developed for Southall offers a strategic framework for existing and future regeneration. It has identified Crossrail as pivotal in Southall’s potential development. Scheduled for 2018, the opening of the new Crossrail link offers Southall an opportunity to define itself as a gateway to the area and to benefit from the resulting growth in commerce. The OAPF is a road map that gives the Mayor and Ealing Council a clear vision on how to deliver real and meaningful change in Southall.

Preparing for change

As part of the The OAPF, the Southall Gateway study has been drawn up to make sure that there is a coordinated approach to development around the station. This has led to a successful bid to the London Enterprise Panel, which has allocated £6.8m of Growing Places Funding to deliver two key junctions and develop land immediately adjacent to the station.

Borough: Ealing

Partners/client: LB Ealing, TfL

Consultants: DK-CM, Project Centre, Urban Movement, Europa, Landolt + Brown, AECOM, GVA Grimley

Funding: Mayor of London £4.4m, LB Ealing £1.4, TfL £1.9m