1

Cultural
Infrastructure
Plan
A CAL L TO ACTI ON

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

Copyright
Greater London Authority
March 2019
Published byGreater London Authority
City Hall
The Queen’s Walk
More London
London SE1 2AA
london.gov.uk
enquiries 020 7983 4100
minicom 020 7983 4458
Copies of this report are available
from london.gov.uk

3Contents

1 Introduction

92 W hy cultural infrastructure isimportant to London

15

3 H ow London’s cultural
infrastructure is at risk

23

4 W hat we must do to sustain
London’s cultural infrastructure35

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

5Mayor’s foreword

I’m proud to be Mayor of a city
recognised as the global capital for artsand culture. Our theatres, music venues,
museums and galleries are renowned
across the world. Our cultural andcreative industries are also essential
to London’s success and the wellbeingof all Londoners. As Mayor, I want as
many people as possible from our city’scommunities to be able to access culture
in order to gain all the benefits it canbring, as well as to have the opportunity
to work in the cultural sector if they wish.
One vital part in enabling and buildingon this success is the very buildings
and places where it happens — ourcultural infrastructure. London’s cultural
infrastructure is more than a roll callof famous places. It’s about everyday
experiences and opportunities for people
to access culture on their own doorstep.
And it’s about facilities like local arts
centres, libraries, pubs, community
centres, legal street art walls, creative
workspace, rehearsal spaces and nighttime venues all playing an important rolein bringing our communities together.

London’s new Cultural Infrastructure
Plan is a game-changer. For the firsttime it sets out what we need to do toprotect and grow our cultural facilities.
Good cultural infrastructure will help us
to achieve this by encouraging good
growth and putting culture right at theheart of local regeneration and local
communities. That’s why I have designed
this action plan, to support a richand broad range of cultural facilities
across London.
This is a complex challenge, as weurgently need to build more balancedneighbourhoods with space for creative
talent and cultural infrastructure.
I believe it’s up to all of us — city leaders,local authorities, architects, developers,
artists and cultural organisations — topush to make this happen and to work
together in partnership to ensure ourcultural facilities are not only retained,
but able to grow for generations to come.

Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London

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Sustaining London as a cultural
capital ― why London needs acultural infrastructure plan
Change is the only constant in today’s
world. And cities are at the frontline.
By 2050, nearly 70 per cent of the world’s
population will live in cities. This rapid
growth coupled with technologicalchange and environmental impacts
present ever new challenges for cities
and London is no exception.
Continued growth in the capital has
put pressure on our infrastructure ―on housing most obviously, but also
on our cultural infrastructure.

Justine Simons OBE
Deputy Mayor for Culture
and the Creative Industries

Culture has always been in London’s
DNA ― from a Roman amphitheatre andour four world heritage sites to a new
Museum of London at West Smithfield,
and East Bank, the new culture andeducation district in Queen Elizabeth
Olympic Park. From the 100 Club on
Oxford Street where punk emerged tothe most visited music venue on planet
Earth, the O2.

35%

fewer grassroots
music venues

14,000artists waiting
for studios

7

Our cultural heritage ― old andnew ― writes the story of our city,
it gives London its character andauthenticity. Most important in today’s
globalised world.

The jobs in this industry are also theright kind of jobs for the future, themajority at very low risk of automation.
Why? Because we can’t automate
the imagination.

But over the last decade a worrying
trend has set in, and London has seen
the collapse of cultural spaces for bothproduction and consumption. In thistime London has lost 35 per cent of its
grassroots music venues, 61 per centof it LGBT+ venues, and over the next
five years is set to lose 24 per cent of its
artists’ workspaces. Our film studios are
fully booked and there are around 14,000
artists on waiting lists for studios.

Having a studio space to paint, makesets or fix musical instruments; accessto a grassroots venue to kickstart a
music career or a film studio to shootthe next Bond film ― collectively thesespaces are the engine room of ourbooming creative economy. We can’t
afford to lose them and once they’regone it’s almost impossible to get themback. In addition, with many global cities
around the world wanting to establish
themselves as ‘creative capitals’, thecompetition is intense!

There have been some high profile
spaces saved in recent years ― theSouthbank skate park, fabric and theMinistry of Sound nightclubs and theRoyal Vauxhall Tavern ― many with help
from City Hall and all with a case-bycase campaign. But overall the scale andimpact of these losses is significant.
That’s why London needs a morestrategic and ambitious approach.
These cultural spaces are a vital part ofthe ecosystem that supports London’screative economy. A sector thatgenerates £52bn for London each year,
is the reason most tourists visit, employs
one in six Londoners and is growing fourtimes faster than the wider economy.

So, what does London need to do to
keep our pole position as the leading
creative capital, both now and forthe future?
It is accepted practice for big cities toplan for their future needs when it comesto transport, roads, hospital beds or
school places, but never for culture ―until now. The Mayor’s new Cultural
Infrastructure Plan is ambitious andalready there is international interest.
Dovetailing with the Mayor’s draft new
London Plan, it will help build a future
where culture is hardwired in as ourcity grows, and will leave us well
positioned to keep our crown as a
global creative capital.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

Londoners will now have a live, finegrained picture of London’s cultural
assets in the Cultural Infrastructure
Map, from recording studios to theatres,clubs to community halls. This easy
to use intelligence will broaden our
understanding of the true richnessof hidden creative clusters and help
safeguard jobs and talent. And a set oftoolkits and guides will make sure thatnew dance studios, music venues andcreative workshops better meet theneeds of the creative workforce.
Crucially for our growing city, this new
data will help local authorities hone theirpolicies and help planners give more
informed advice. It will make it easierfor citizens and developers to design inthe right kind of cultural infrastructure
to complement what already exists
and meet genuine demand. It will leadto smarter regeneration and a morethoughtful public realm. It will benefit
Londoners, who care deeply about theirlocal theatres and libraries and ultimately
uphold London’s international positionin the decades to come.
We need to be agile and responsive
to our changing world. Culture is ina theatre as much as it is on yourdoorstep. It’s in Westminster as wellas Waltham Forest. It’s both formal
and informal, from heritage buildings
to skate parks.

We need to showcase our art market,
our fashion and our design on the worldstage as well as have the production
space to make the most of the high-end
TV boom.
London needs to be ready for the changethat is on the way: whether that means
reimagined high streets, self-drive
vehicles, experiential retail, new working
patterns, pocket homes or the evolving
night-time economy.
There is of course much we cannot
predict, but equally there is a lot we cando. A Cultural Infrastructure Plan will help
us understand with greater depth what
assets we have, how they are at risk,
and crucially what steps we can take tosupport and protect them. It will help
us design the policies and resources,
and make the decisions, that will help
them flourish.
Culture is an essential ingredientin London’s success and to remaincompetitive we need world classfacilities to attract the best creative
talent. In short, we need to future proof
London as a global creative capitalfor the decades to come. The Cultural
Infrastructure Plan is the way ahead.

9

Section 1
Introduction

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

H OW TO U S E T H IS DO C UM E N T
Retaining and growing London’s cultural
infrastructure is complex ― there is not
one quick fix. This document sets out
why cultural infrastructure is important
to London, how it is at risk and what
can be done, and signposts the wider
resources the Mayor is investing in to
help. As a call to action it offers practicalexamples of successful projects so far,and flags opportunities for future action.

spaces, music recording studios, film
and television studios and industrial
and light industrial units used bycreative and cultural businesses.
The range of cultural infrastructure isrich and so the definition includes thefull range of premises and places thatreflect the interests and needs of
Londoners. The cultural infrastructure
we have already mapped is illustrated on
the next page, and this will grow in future.

1. 1 . WH AT I S C ULT UR A L
I NF R AST RUCT UR E ?

1 .2 . WHAT I S THE CU LTU R A L
I NFR ASTRU CTU RE PL A N?

When we talk about ‘cultural
infrastructure’ we mean the buildings,
structures and places where culture is

The Cultural Infrastructure Plan is
an action plan which sets out how
London can support and grow cultural
spaces in London for generations
to come.

Consumed: Places where culture
is experienced, participated in,showcased, exhibited or sold. For
example, museums, galleries, theatres,
cinemas, libraries, music venues andhistoric cultural sites.
Or
Produced: Places of creative
production, where creative work is
made, usually by artists, performers,
makers, manufacturers or digitalprocesses. For example creative
workspaces, performing arts rehearsal

Supporting and safeguarding London’scultural infrastructure involves manydifferent approaches, there is no single
solution. So, together with this call toaction, the Mayor is launching an online
toolbox with resources which include aninteractive Cultural Infrastructure Map,
bringing together existing datasets suchas listed buildings with brand new data.
The Cultural Infrastructure Plan also
includes new policies, research,funding programmes and documents
such as the Mayor’s draft new London
Plan, to address the many challenges tocultural infrastructure London now faces.

11

Cultural infrastructure
includes a West End theatre
where tourists watch thelatest hit show and anouter London pub wherea new band plays its first
gig; it is a workshop whereset designers create adepartment store window
display and a skate park
where young people spend
hours perfecting their flips.
It’s the recording studiowhere the next Florence
Welch is cutting her firstalbum, the community
centre where children arelearning street dance, theLGBT+ venue where newfriendships are being made.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

London’s Cultural Infrastructure
To date the following cultural infrastructure has been mapped. This infographic
is intended as a snapshot at this point in time. Data will fluctuate according
to openings, closures and new information, to view current data visit
london.gov.uk/cultural-infrastructure-toolbox

561

240

26

116

Buildings
holding archives

Artists’workspaces

Arts centres

Cinemas

291

113

660

497

Dance rehearsal
studios

Buildings used forfashion and textiles
design and manufacturing

Heritage at risk
register entries

Buildings used forjewellery design
and manufacturing

79

5

165

300

Makerspaces

Large media
production studios

Museums andpublic galleries

Buildings used for
office based musicbusinesses

71

119

263

63

Skate parks

Theatrerehearsal studios

Theatres

Buildings used forprop and costume
making and hiring

13

317

Commercial
galleries

6

903

Community
centres

86

50

198

Creativeworkspaces

Buildings used for
creative co-working
desk spaces

Danceperformancevenues345

19,174

6

Legal street
art walls

LGBT night-timevenues

Libraries

Listed buildings

Live in artists’workspace

79

86

1064

94

51

Music recording
studios

Music rehearsal
studios

Music venues(all)Music venues(grassroots)

47

63

3530

166

Buildings used
Buildings used forfor set / exhibition textiles design anddesign and building finishing services

Pubs

Scheduledmonuments

Buildings used
for making andmanufacturing for thecreative industries

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

1. 3 . WH O S H O ULD ACTO N T HE CULT UR A L
I NF R AST RUCT UR E P L A N ?
You. The Cultural Infrastructure Plan
helps local authorities, developers,
landlords, landowners, cultural andcommunity organisations, artists andbusinesses to work with the Mayor
to support cultural infrastructurein London.
Despite the challenges London faces,
which are fully explored later, manydifferent people can help London retainand create cultural infrastructure. These
include current and future cultural
infrastructure owners and operatorsand their employees, decision andpolicy makers, those directly creating
new cultural infrastructure includingarchitects and developers, and all
Londoners who are helping retain thethings and places we love. This plan
is a call to action for all of you.

THE ACTI ON PL A N
To protect, retain and grow London’scultural infrastructure the Mayor has
identified a seven-point action plan.
Using a combination of policy, funding,research and other tools he will work
to deliver these actions, and will workwith and support others to do so.
1 U nderstanding where London’scultural infrastructure is located2 P lanning for and creating
new cultural infrastructure
3 Providing major infrastructure
for a world class city
4 Supporting culture at risk
5 Increasing investment
6 C reating policy to enable culture
and the creative industries toput down roots
7 Providing training, networking
and guidance

The next section explains why
cultural infrastructure is important
to London.

15

Section 2
Why cultural infrastructure
is important to London

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

The premises and places thatmake up London’s cultural
infrastructure help strengthen
local identities and bringcommunities together, provide
for cultural and creative
business and employment,
visitor destinations for tourism,
and places where Londoners
can take part in cultural activity.
2. 1 SU P PO RT IN G LO CA L C ULT URE
AND I D E NTIT Y
Venues like libraries, theatres andarts centres as well as structures likeskate parks, allow people to experienceand join in culture on their doorstep.
They often play several roles beyond
what might be understood as typically‘cultural’. This includes enabling people
to meet and socialise ― increasing
wellbeing and reducing isolation ―and offering opportunities for skills
and training.

The public realm ― parks, streets andsquares ― can play a role in enabling
cultural activity, as venues for Londoners
to meet and take part in everyday andorganised cultural activities.
London’s definition of cultural
Infrastructure includes thefull variety of premises and places
that reflect the interests and needsof Londoners.
The diverse benefits supported bymany types of cultural infrastructure
are already recognised in policy.
The National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) recognises thatthe planning system must account for
cultural wellbeing 1. The Mayor’s Social
Integration Strategy explains that toimprove social integration we need anenvironment where more Londoners
can make new connections. Thiscan help break down the barriers ofsocial class and economic inequality.
It can bring people of different ages
and backgrounds together in sharedexperiences helping communities
to flourish.

1 National Planning Policy Framework (2019)

17

CASE ST UDY ― A RT S DE POT, NO RTH FI NCHLE Y
artsdepot is the cultural hub for Barnet. It provides a broad community
engagement programme, including matinee lunches for isolated over 75s,
and creative learning projects for young people who are excluded frommainstream education, in temporary housing, or with disabilities. Their work
improves educational attainment, raises aspirations and enhances quality oflife. The venue also offers a creative research and development space andseed funding to help artists at critical points in their careers, supporting thedevelopment of new work.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

2. 2 SU P PO RT IN G J O B S
AND B U SI N E S S
To keep London’s place in the
global marketplace we need space tosupport the best creative talent, like
photographers, game designers, visual
artists, pattern-cutters and animators.
A diverse and creative workforce is ourbiggest asset, but they need places towork and these are under more pressure
than ever. Cultural places and spaces
also support a vast supply chain outside
the creative industries by sourcing
goods, skills and services fromother sectors.
We need to retain and grow cultural
infrastructure so we can reap
the full economic and employment
benefits of the activities they support.
The creative economy is vital to London:
the creative industries in London alone
generated £52.2bn gross value added
in 2017. London’s creative economy is asignificant employer, accounting for 1 in
6 jobs in the capital. Between 2011 and2017 employment in London’s creative
industries increased by almost a third(31.8 per cent) compared to 20.8 percent growth for the economy as a whole. 2

To keep up with this trend, we mustretain and develop more premises where
culture and the creative outputs areproduced and made.
Supply chains are very varied ― fromcatering to carpentry. They can include
businesses like freight companies
specialising in artwork transportation,
wholesalers distributing paint andcoating products for film, television andtheatre, dance flooring manufacturers
and security services for music and film
events. Dependency on the creative
sector exists at various points along thecreative supply chain, not just amongst
direct suppliers. For every full timeequivalent job in the creative industries,
a further 0.75 full time equivalent job
is created within the supporting supply
chain. London’s cultural infrastructure
supports a total of 203,250 jobs along
the various supply chains. 3

2 Department for Digital, Culture, media andS port (2018) DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates
2017: Employment

3 GLA (2019) Supply Chain Study

19

CASE ST UDY ― S A DLE R ’ S W E LLS
Sadler’s Wells has a team of over 200 people working across a range of
departments, including management and directorial positions, technicalservices, audio visual production, front of house, housekeeping and security.
This means that much of its business, premises and programming operations
are fulfilled in-house.
On an average day at Sadler’s Wells, staffing needs might include 28 catering
staff, 14 technical staff, 15 front of house staff, as well as 90 or so office staff
overseeing business operations.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

21

2. 3 SU P PO RT IN G A
WO RL D D E ST IN AT IO N
London’s status as a world destination
depends on maintaining a range ofhigh quality cultural infrastructure.
International competition is fierce, withworld cities finding different ways toattract overseas visitors. Other trends
are shifting. Nearly three-quarters ofvisitors travel outside the centre of
London. New transport routes, quality
accommodation and promotions arelikely to continue to encourage visitors
to explore the outer London boroughs. 4
Eighty-five per cent of Airbnb guests
say they want to ‘live like locals’. 5
London needs to protect its worldclass heritage and create theconditions to allow new cultural
infrastructure to flourish.

4 L
 ondon and Partners (2017) A Tourism
and Vision for London

5 A
 irbnb (2016) Airbnb and The Rise ofMillennial Travel

6 L
 ondon & Partners (2018) London Hotel
Development Monitor

7 London and Partners (2017) A tourism
vision for London

8 GLA (2015) Take a Closer Look: a Cultural
Tourism Vision for London 2015-2017

9 L
 ondon and Partners (2016) London
Visitor Survey

London welcomed 31.9 million visitors
in 2017. 6 Top visitor attractions included
heritage buildings, theatres, museums,
galleries and music 7 with cultural
tourists spending over £7bn a year andsupporting 80,000 jobs. 8 Maintaininga variety of cultural infrastructure isvital. For while many tourists want toexperience the West End, others seekout ‘authentic’ experiences like visiting a
pub or taking a street art tour. A surveyof international visitors to London
showed 54 per cent visited a pub during
their stay here, underlining their cultural
importance to the city. 9
London & Partners is the Mayor’s
official visitor promotional agency andshowcases the capital’s arts, events andentertainment programme. Its Tourism
Vision for London calls for capital
investment in culture as a priority.
The next section shows how London’scultural infrastructure is at risk ― what
the underlying conditions are, and how
this brings particular challenges tobe tackled.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

CASE ST UDY ― E N G LIS H N ATI ONA L BA LLE T
At 93,000 square feet, English National Ballet’s new purpose-built home at
London City Island is four times the size of its previous premises. It will allow
them to create and invest in new work, develop and nurture talent and reacheven more people through creative learning and engagement programmes.

23

Section 3
London’s cultural infrastructure at risk —understanding the trends

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N“Fectorbi factodis.
Apestra vocul
vivil ventid seetrest atus tem,
ponsuli ntiquereis nem me ad C.
Decupio ratuam
potio, sentiur
bitati sturniu
qui sum postia
nuncepoenam.”	Eexeris molores recto optas
Et eic to bercia cuptas a aut

This section sets out evidence
on how cultural infrastructure
is at risk, and how to identify
potential issues in your area. It
shows how policy and economic
conditions together are creating
huge pressures which impact
cultural infrastructure.

25

3. 1 T H E U NDE R LY IN G C O N DIT IONS
London’s cultural infrastructure is underhuge pressure. The city has experienceda ‘perfect storm’ of adverse underlying
conditions, which often exist together
and multiply burdens on culturalplaces and the organisations operating
there. The result is a shortage ofpremises, business closures and an
unstable market.

These conditions can broadly be set out
in five categories, which often overlap
and worsen the individual issues:
•
•
•
•
•

Land value increases
National planning system
Business rate increases
Licensing restrictions
Funding reductions

NA T I O NA L
P L A NNI NG SYST E M

L AN D
V AL U E

B USI NE SS
RA T E S

LICENSING

F UND I NG

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

3. 1 . 1 L A ND VA LUE IN C R E AS E S
The Parr’s Head, Camden Town
was one of many London pubs
redeveloped for residential use in
the past decade. While it was worth
approximately £500k as a pub,with approval for conversion into
residential property it was sold toa developer for £1.3m, and as six
completed flats it was worth
nearly £3m.
Over the last decade London has seensome of the highest land values in any
global city, in particular for land thatcan be developed for residential uses.
As well as restricting the opportunity tobuy property, this has brought higher
rents and an increased chance of land
being redeveloped, whether in town
centres or former industrial sites. Where
these sites have included existing
cultural infrastructure ― even though
the cultural and creative organisations
themselves are viable and sustainable― their survival can be precarious in
the face of increased values. It is rare
for cultural and creative organisations
to own their own premises. For example
research shows that only 13 per centof artist workspace operators own theirfreeholds 10. While land values are risingmost cultural occupiers will not see asimilar rise in income.

In many cases the local authority
granting permission for a new
development has been unaware of theexistence of cultural infrastructure,especially where the cultural activities
are not public-facing, such as artists’ andcreative workspaces. The result is thatthe case is often not made for retaining
or replacing these existing facilities.
3 .1 .2 NATI O NA L PL A NNI NG SYSTE M
Planning policy and legislation can be
powerful tools to support the retentionof cultural infrastructure, but can also
work against it. Permitted development
rights have allowed a greater range ofuses to be converted without the needfor permission. This has had a clear
negative impact on London placing
increased pressure on uses, suchas pubs and creative workspace, inmany instances contributing directly
to their loss. The decline of industrial
land has also has an impact, leading
to a reduction of over 500 hectaresof industrial land between 2010 and2015. 10 This is often where the city’s
creative production happens so theimpact has been particularly felt in
the creative industries.

10 GLA (2017) Industrial Land Demand

27

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

11 G LA Economics (2016) Economic Evidence
Base for London

12 G LA (2017) The Impact of Business Rates
Revaluation on Grassroots Music Venues

in London

13 Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers(ALMR) Business Rates Fact Sheet

29

For pubs, the impact of permitted
development rights was that many
were converted to shops and small
supermarkets. In response to this,some councils such as Wandsworth
and Southwark put in place Article 4
Directions. In May 2017 the issues
were recognised by government
and permitted development rights
for pubs were removed.
However, since May 2013 the planninguse class for office space, B1, continues
to be subject to permitted development
rights. This means that offices can beconverted to housing without being
subject to the full planning process.
As many artists’ and creative workspaces
share the same use class as officesthese have been put at risk.
In the period 2008 to 2013 thepercentage of residential units
completed on land classed previously
as office use was around 12 per cent.
In 2014/15, this doubled to 24 per cent. 11
Many London boroughs now put
in place Article 4 Directions whichremove the permitted development
rights. This enables them to ensurethat future conversions are consideredthrough the planning process,although they do not always apply
to the whole borough.

3 .1 .3 B U SI NE S S R ATE S I NCRE ASE S
For many businesses in London, businessrates — set by central government — are
now almost as expensive as rent. After
the April 2017 rate revaluation someof London’s businesses, principally incentral and inner London, faced rises intheir rates bills of 45 per cent overnight.
With many cultural businesses operating
on small profit margins a huge swathe ofcultural infrastructure from artists’ andcreative workspace to music venues andpubs have been adversely affected by
the impact of the revaluation.
Research commissioned by the Mayor
shows around a quarter of London’s
grassroots music venues are at risk ofclosure due to business rates increases. 12
The average London pub faces a businessrates bill of nearly £15,000, and theaverage nightclub nearly double that. 13
Although premises mainly used as pubs
will be eligible for the government’s new
retail relief for 2019-20 and 2020-21 —which offers a one third business rates
discount to eligible properties with a
rateable value below £51,000 — othercultural infrastructure such as musicvenues are not similarly eligible under
the guidance. In addition, property values
in central and inner London mean thethreshold of £51,000 rateable value will
be of little help in reality.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

The Mayor continues to lobby for full
devolution of business rates to London,
combined with genuine protection forbusinesses from sharp increases.
The 100 Club on Oxford Street, one of
London’s most famous independent
venues, saw an increase in businessrates of around 50 per cent meaning
it currently pays approximately£75,000 a year.
3 . 1 . 4 L I C E N S IN G R E ST R ICT IO N S
New homes are often located close
to noise and crowd generating
venues, like cinemas, theatres andmusic venues, which predated the
new development.
The draft new London Plan has aplanning resolution for this, called
the Agent of Change principle. It
prioritises and protects an established
use by requiring those bringing abouta change to take responsibility for its
impact. This would mean, for example,
that where a residential development
is built in the vicinity of a pre-existingmusic venue, the property developer
would be required to take responsibility
for soundproofing the housing.

However, the planning system cannot
provide the full answer to the issues
found in our rapidly changing city.
When new residents occupy thesedevelopments, they are within theirstatutory rights to place noise andnuisance complaints about thepre-existing venue.
This is an issue because it canencourage local authorities to put
restrictions on licensed hours. Thisin turn limits revenue at a time whenmany venues are seeking to extend
their opening hours to help offset
rising rents and business rates. In
this context, restrictive licensing
conditions can break an organisation.
A licensing consideration is notdirectly related to planning policy
and enforcement and is dealt bydifferent departments within
local authorities.
‘When margins are so thin, venues
don’t have the leeway to comply witheven minor licensing adjustments.’
Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust31

3. 1 . 5 F U ND IN G R E DUCT IO N S
Historically, local authorities have beena core source in supporting cultural
infrastructure, providing grant funding,leasing buildings at no or low cost andmanaging buildings themselves. Grant
organisations have provided funding
to support capital works.
As central government funding has
steadily fallen since 2010, councils have
had to prioritise other services. As aresult, many have had to sell or chargemarket rent for council owned properties,
as well as reducing funding to culturalorganisations. This has particularly
impacted grassroots organisations andfacilities like community centres, arts
centres, museums and libraries.
Alternative public and grant funding for
capital works is harder to access: thosepreviously provided by Arts Council
England and National Lottery Heritage
Fund, pivotal for many in demonstrating
confidence in projects and helping
to secure match funding, are underincreasing pressure.

Councils can play a major role insupporting cultural infrastructure.
Often this needs to extend beyondclassic grant funding models andcould take the form of providing longleases and negotiating peppercorn
rents, as well as offering innovative
lending solutions.
We know that local authorities will
be asked to find even more
substantial savings in the years tocome. It’s the biggest challenge artsand culture faces at the moment.
Sir Peter Bazalgette, former Arts
Council England Chair, Funding
Arts and Culture in a Time ofAusterity (2016)

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

3. 2 WI D E R IM PACT S O N
C U LT U R A L P ROV IS IO N
This convergence of conditions has
led to the loss of many premises andorganisations. However, the impact on
our cultural landscape is not always as
obvious: there are more hidden, subtle
changes too, which mean that even if anorganisation can still operate from thesame building, their cultural provision
there may be reduced.
3. 2 . 1 CO MM E RC IA L IS AT IO N
O F AS SE T S
Businesses affected by rising costs
and reduced funding can face toughdecisions as they seek to adapt andremain viable. Solutions arrived at
can include raising prices or finding
other ways to commercialise assets.
However, while there can be benefits
to becoming more commercially
focused and responding to themarket, there are also often tradeoffs for the business, as well associal and cultural consequences fortheir users and local communities.
Splitting a business into commercial
and charitable trading arms offers thebenefit of the 80 per cent business rate
reduction for charities, but this can also
create time-consuming administration,
which small businesses can find hard
to resource.

As well as reducing overheads, cultural
infrastructure operators may seek
to increase revenue. Solutions togenerate more income can include
increasing costs to their users, focusing
on programming more establishedartists and acts to guarantee sales,or reducing the provision of low cost
space. Emerging or mid-career artists
and creatives, who need low-cost
space to make and perform in, can beespecially hard hit by such difficultcommercial decisions.
Most dance facility operators reporta need to generate enough earnedincome through space hire to offer
subsidised spaces for artistic uses
— as funding decreases space hire
and achieving set financial targets
may take precedence over enabling
independent artists to have more
affordable rates.
GLA dance infrastructure research

33

3. 2 . 2 D I SP L AC E M E N T
The displacement of existing culturaland creative activity, and the loss ofpremises, has many negative impacts
for London: longstanding relationships
with communities are destroyed, andsupply chains and clusters arebroken down.
Many once affordable neighbourhoods
in London, like Soho, Camden,
Shoreditch and Peckham, haveexperienced and often benefitted
from the arrival of artists and creative
industries who then attract others.
However, such change is not always
sustainable. In some cases it has
stimulated growth that has priced out
established creative communities, andthen in turn the more recently arrived
artists and creative businesses, as
the area’s ‘vibrancy’ is used to lenddesirability to new developments.
Some would say this is a natural ebb
and flow for a city.
However, with very few cheap places
left now in London, when displacement
happens creative people and organisations
often leave the city entirely.
Displacement can also occur whenthose involved in the development
process are not aware of existing cultural
infrastructure early enough to ensure itis supported and retained. London needs
to build balanced neighbourhoods, withcreative talent in the mix long-term.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N‘It’s crucial that we stay in (ourborough) because our education
programme works with local
community groups in the boroughand has spent years developing these
relationships. Our artists have set up
their homes so that they live at anaccessible distance from the studios.’
Artists’ workspace provider

3 . 2 . 3 RE D U CT IO N O F PROV IS IO N
Even if premises remain open the
struggle to maintain business as
usual may mean operating hours are
reduced. Buildings may still serve
their original purpose, but they are
no longer used to their full capacity.
This is often the reality for thosereceiving public funding, such as
libraries and museums.
Reducing provision means local
communities suffer and theorganisations themselves cannot
maximise ways to raise income tosustain their premises. In addition,
where there is available space, it
may not be made available to those
who need it. This is because many
creative businesses are small and lackcapacity to share services or organisecollectively with others. This can affecttheir opportunities to use facilities

such as rehearsal space, because they
don’t have the capacity to communicate
or manage sharing space, and costs,
with others.
London cannot allow theseorganisations and businesses tosilently disappear from the landscape.
As with all ecosystems, the successof the whole depends upon every
part working well. Without affordable
spaces, which support emerging
talent and incubate ideas, London
and Londoners will lose our rich
opportunities for culture andthe creative industries.

The next section shows what has
already been achieved, and what
can be done in future.

35

Section 4
What we must do to sustain
London’s cultural infrastructure —a roadmap to 2030

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

History tells us that any roadmap
for an ever-evolving city like
London needs to be agile andresponsive. Shifts in policy, inthe market, and even changing
public attitudes can immediately
impact cultural infrastructure,
positively or negatively.

Local community

The issues are especiallycomplex in London because therange of infrastructure is broadand can have specialist needs.
There is no single answer, andmany of these conditions andchallenges are outside theMayor’s control. For effective
action, partnership working
with all stakeholders aroundthe table is key.

Investors/funders

Experts

Architects
Developers

Cultural infrastructure
operators

Local authorities(planning, regeneration, economic
development and culture)

37

What the Mayor is doing

Resources online toolbox

Guidance on creating
new cultural
infrastructure

Guidance on Section
106 agreements for
cultural infrastructure

Research andevidence

Cultural infrastructure
Map (CIM)

Creative Land
Trust

Culture at
Risk OfficePlanning
policies

Funding(Good Growth Fundand Crowdfund London)

Creative
Enterprise Zones

Thames Estuary
Production Corridor

Major development
sites

Training

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

The Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure
Plan takes a multifaceted approach,combining policy, funding, tools andresources, research and direct delivery
interventions. Using these we haveidentified a seven-point action plan
to protect, retain and grow London’scultural infrastructure. The Mayor
will work to deliver these actions, aswell as supporting others to do so.
ACT I O N 1 : UN DE R STA N D
WHE RE LO N DO N ’ S C ULT UR A L
I NF R AST RUCT UR E IS LO CAT E D
Without knowing where the range ofcultural infrastructure is located it ishard to protect cultural assets until
they become ‘at risk’.
The challenge
In a metropolis as big as London, where
one borough can be the size of a smallcity, it is unsurprising that until now
London has had limited information
about the location of its cultural
infrastructure.
Development decisions can meancultural infrastructure is lost andnot replaced. Until now it has been
impossible to track these trends withineach sector and with enough regularity
to give early warning of decline and risk.

What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor has developed London’s
first Cultural Infrastructure Map,
bringing together new research andinformation that has not previously
existed in one place. It plots the locationof cultural infrastructure and enables
the user to view it alongside usefulcontextual data, like transport networks
and population growth. This allows
an area to be viewed holistically, with
cultural infrastructure and the role itplays as a core component.
The scale of London’s cultural
infrastructure means that it is everchanging and some is hard to locate.
The map provides the best snapshot of
information that we have gathered todate. It will continue to evolve, adding
new categories and information as it
becomes available and as Londoners
and organisations add missing cultural
infrastructure to it, or inform us about
closures. The data is downloadablefrom the map and is open source.
This will mean:• better visibility and awarenessof where infrastructure is, which
can be used in planning decisions
and policy development• trends can be tracked throughannual review of the data
• planning for new infrastructure canbe more informed, using contextual
tools alongside the mapping

39

Call to action
The draft new London Plan encourages
boroughs to develop an understanding of
the existing cultural offer in their areas.
The Mayor wants boroughs, culturalorganisations, cultural consultants,
developers, architects and local people
to use the Cultural Infrastructure Map to:• ensure that they are aware ofexisting infrastructure and reflect
this in planning decisions as well as
the development of local policies,
strategies and night time visions• supplement the London-wide datawith additional local mapping

CASE ST UDY — C ULT UR A L IN FR ASTRU CTU RE M A PPI NG
Waltham Forest is in the process of using data from the London Cultural
Infrastructure Map, supplemented with information from door to door commercial
audits and hackathon events, to create their own local cultural infrastructure
map. The map will help to identify any areas of cultural deficit and provide anevidence base to support the local planning process.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

ACT I O N 2 : P L A N FO R A N D C R E ATE
C U LT U R A L IN FR AST R UCT UR E
We need more cultural infrastructureof all scales, not only due to thelosses we have experienced, butalso to support London’s economic
prosperity and communities.
The challenge
Creating more capacity for cultural
infrastructure can be achieved bycreating new buildings, industrial
intensification, re-purposing existingbuildings and also by understanding
where the potential lies for increased
use within existing premises, for example
longer opening hours or ‘lates’ events.
Using vacant buildings and land to offer
short-term ‘meanwhile’ uses can also
play a part in increasing capacity andtesting ideas.
Local cultural infrastructure plans are
key. They can both identify opportunities
for increased use and ensure that whendevelopment proposals arise decisions
will be strategic, and informed by what isneeded in the borough.
Ensuring that the design and contractual
terms set out for cultural space innew development are right, is equallyimportant to increasing cultural
infrastructure because they can mean
the difference between an operator
being able to take the premises or not.
Getting it right the first time is good foreveryone. It ensures that we continue
to offer the best possible facilities forour creative industries and audiences
and it will save time and money for
those involved in developing it.
What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor recognises that local needs
cannot be dictated at a pan-London
level: good placemaking requires
local stakeholders and communities
to be actively engaged. The Cultural
Infrastructure Map boosts awarenessof where cultural infrastructure is,and incorporates functions to enable
intelligence-based forward planning for
new cultural infrastructure. For example,
it shows where new transport will be
developed, what the nearest comparable
cultural infrastructure is, where
population is going to grow, and more.
The Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure
Toolbox, which accompanies thisdocument, includes other resources
for creating new cultural infrastructure.
This will cover topics from identifying
opportunities to increase cultural
infrastructure capacity, to bestpractice design principles andSection 106 agreements.

41

Call to action
The Mayor calls on local authorities,
architects, housing associations,
Business Improvement Districts,
cultural organisations, planning
agents and developers to:• plan early for cultural infrastructure
in development• develop local cultural infrastructureplans and strategies• use resources provided in the online
Cultural Infrastructure Toolbox toensure that development is planned
for and realised successfully

CASE ST UDY — T H A M E S M E A D CU LTU R A L I NFR ASTRU CTU RE PL A N
Peabody will deliver £1bn improvements over the next ten years. They havedeveloped an ambitious Thamesmead Cultural Infrastructure Plan to ensurethat local people have daily opportunities to experience high quality culture
and to work in the creative industries. The vision includes a waterfront arts
centre focused on innovation and creative production, alongside a marina
with spectacular views of the Thames. On Southmere Lake, Bow Arts will open
new studios this summer. This will provide 40 new creative workspaces andbreathe life into the iconic Brutalist architecture of the Lakeside Centre.
This will be quickly followed by a new state of the art library, architecturally
formed as a ‘nest’ on the lake shore.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

ACT I O N 3 : P ROV IDE M AJ O R
I NF R AST RUCT UR E FO R
A WO RL D C L AS S C IT Y
Large-scale development offers
an opportunity to create major
cultural infrastructure of scale andinternational significance, creating
new cultural centres across the capital.
The challenge
A world class city needs major
infrastructure for creatives to performand exhibit in, and for Londoners andtourists to enjoy. London also hasa mandate to support the creative
industries through providing large-scale
spaces for production. This way our
successful creative companies canstay innovative, productive andinternationally competitive.
What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor is taking the lead, particularly
in developments where he has a role
as sole or major shareholder. He
is integrating significant cultural
infrastructure at the Royal Docks,
Old Oak Park Royal and at East Bank, a
new major cultural and education districtat Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Thislatter project includes a £1.1bn vision
to create a new powerhouse of culture,
education, innovation and growth.

He will also invest £70m in the newMuseum of London at West Smithfield,
which will open up its collection of sevenmillion objects to more people than everbefore with the aim for the museum
to double its visitors and reach every
schoolchild in London.
In partnership with the South East Local
Enterprise Partnership he has launched
the Thames Estuary Production Corridor,
an ambitious vision to create large-scale
new centres of creative production along
the Thames Estuary. The result will beclusters of large-scale infrastructure to
support creative businesses and artists
linked to skills development andlocal jobs. This includes initiatives likethe Fashion District, a hub for fashion
innovation in east London and London’slargest film studios in Dagenham.
Call to action
Local authorities, developers andcultural organisations are already leading
the way with plans for development ofmajor cultural infrastructure; including
the extension of the British Library atKing’s Cross and the Centre for Musicin the City of London.
The Mayor calls on local authorities,
cultural organisations, architects,
planning agents and developers to:• identify opportunities for and develop
large-scale cultural infrastructure for
production and consumption

43

CASE ST UDY ― C R E AT IN G A NE W WORLD CL AS S CU LTU R A L DI STRI CT
Culture has always been an important part of the long-term plan for Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park. East Bank will be a brand-new destination for London
with world-class culture and education at its heart with new buildings for BBC
Music, Sadler’s Wells, the V&A in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution,
University College London and London College of Fashion, University of theArts London.
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games took place in a part of London that had
suffered from generations of economic decline and neglect. It catalysed public
and private investment, enabled new infrastructure and housing, transformed thearea and revitalised civic engagement. East Bank is the next stage in bringing aninternationally significant cultural and education district to the area.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

ACT I O N 4 : S UPPO RT C ULT UR E
AT RI SKIf we want our city to remain vibrant
it is vital that we support ourexisting cultural organisations
and their premises.
The challenge
The potential loss of valued local pubs,
venues and other cultural infrastructure
can activate local communities tocampaign, but the issues putting theseplaces at risk are often wide-ranging.
Increasing rent and business rates,
licensing changes, redevelopment andother issues can quickly result in culturalorganisations becoming destabilised,and put them at risk of not being able
to remain in their premises.
What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor has set up London’s firstever Culture at Risk Office to provide
support to organisations facing issues
such as these in order to support themremaining in their premises. The office
works with local authorities, community
groups, businesses, building owners andothers to mitigate development risks
and mediate commercial and licensing
disputes. It also helps projects throughthe Mayor’s regeneration funding
streams and supports listing applications
to protect heritage buildings. So far
nearly 350 cases have been supported.

The Mayor also works with Historic
England, the Theatres Trust, theCampaign for Real Ale and the Music
Venue Trust who offer support whenpremises are at risk of closure and withbringing buildings and sites back into
viable use.
Call to action
The Mayor calls on local authorities,
community groups, architects, planning
agents and developers to:• work with his office when matters arise
and have a designated local Culture at
Risk contact within the local authority• work in a joined-up way acrossplanning and licensing• ensure existing infrastructure isconsidered within developments andplanning application assessments
and apply the draft new London Plan
policies to protect existing uses
• use the option of applying theAsset of Community Valuedesignation to cultural infrastructure• apply targeted Article 4 Directions
to protect against further losses• reduce commercial risks for cultural
tenants, for example throughaffordable rent levels and businessrate relief where appropriate

45

CASE ST UDY — S UPPO RT IN G CU LTU RE AT RI SK
The George Tavern — a historic east London pub mentioned in the writing of
Dickens, Pepys and Chaucer and now a renowned grassroots music venue —sought to protect itself from noise complaints from a new housing development
next door.
The Mayor’s Culture at Risk Office and Night Czar worked closely with Tower
Hamlets planning officers, the venue and the developer to incorporate theAgent of Change principle into the development. The principle was introducedby the Mayor in his draft new London Plan to stem the closure of grassroots
music venues in the capital. This landmark decision also included a ‘deed ofeasement’, which gives The George the legal right to make noise at existinglevels meaning new residents essentially ‘buy into’ the venue’s continued
operations, rather than being able to object to it.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

ACT I O N 5 : IN C R E AS E IN V E ST M E NT
To create new cultural infrastructureand enable businesses to besustainable, more investment
is needed by local authorities,
developers, the Mayor, funders
and philanthropists.
The challenge
Operators face instability by not owning
premises or being able to secure longterm leases. This can be compoundedby the often-incorrect perception thatthey are risky investments. Operators
innovating by generating income
and reducing overheads may reduce
exposure to market forces, but thisoften requires initial capital investment.
What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor’s Good Growth Fund will run
between 2017 and 2021, through theLondon Economic Action Panel (LEAP).
The fund invests in civic infrastructure,
supports small businesses, provides
and secures workspace, delivers
community-led regeneration andenhances public spaces and culturalvenues. It includes a focus on investingin cultural infrastructure to createstrong and healthy high streets, local
neighbourhoods and communities.

The Mayor has also launched Crowdfund
London, which in 2018 provided up to£1m to support creative local projects,
with more in future years.
The Mayor is funding an independent
Creative Land Trust in partnership with
Bloomberg, Outset Contemporary
Art Fund and Arts Council England.
The aim is to buy property to be
managed as artists’ and creative
workspace at affordable rents. He has
also designated six Creative Enterprise
Zones, an £11m programme that will
invest in cultural infrastructure,creative industries and skills.
Call to action
The Mayor calls on local authorities,
developers, private bodies, quangos,
grant giving bodies, trusts andfoundations to work together to:• use Section 106 and the Community
Infrastructure Levy for cultural
infrastructure• explore opportunities for culturaloperators to purchase freeholds
and offer peppercorn rents• develop long-term community
asset transfer policies• prioritise capital investment• offer opportunities to cultural
infrastructure operators to accesslow cost finance

47

CASE ST UDY — IN N OVAT IV E I NV E STM E NTSouthwark Council identified a need for a major cultural anchor tenant toplay a role in Peckham. They began a relationship independent drama school
Mountview, who were looking for a new home to enable them to expand.
To support the development the council provided a low-cost capital loan,
repayable upon occupation. The new fully accessible building provides
training, production and performance spaces as well as community facilities
and studios for hire. The Mayor also supported the development with£843,543 from the Good Growth Fund.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

ACT I O N 6 : C R E AT E PO L IC IE S TO
E NA B L E CULT UR E A N D C R E AT IVE
I ND U ST RI E S TO PUT DOW N RO OT S
Ensuring our artists and creatives canset down roots in London — to benefit
local employment and communities
in the long-term — requires support
through policy measures.
The challenge
Culture and creative industries have
nowhere left to go in our city. Highland values and the loss of premises
are constraining opportunities for
production and cultural participation.
As a result, we need to put in placemeasures which bring stability andconfidence, as well as safeguarding andsupporting existing infrastructure.
What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor has developed a strongly
pro-culture draft new London Plan,
with robust policies for cultural
infrastructure and workspace. He
has also set a strategic aim to retain
industrial capacity on designatedindustrial sites. This is important for
creative workspaces which operatefrom these sites.

Proposed policies include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

agent of change (D12)low-cost business space (E2)affordable workspace (E3)strategic industrial locations (E5)locally significant industrial sites (E6)
heritage conservation and growth (HC1)
supporting London’s culture andcreative industries (HC5)• supporting the night-time economy (HC6)• protecting public houses (HC7)The Mayor’s six Creative Enterprise Zones,
each with their own character and focus, will
support the spaces and areas that artists
and creative producers use so they can put
down roots and grow their businesses.
Call to action
The Mayor calls on local authorities to:• draw on the Cultural Infrastructure
Map to assess and develop their culturaloffer by understanding its existing
cultural assets and creating policies toprotect them. Developing local cultural
infrastructure policies within their local
plan will build on policies in the draft new
London Plan and, where they have beencreated, findings in local cultural
infrastructure plans• learn from the six Creative Enterprise
Zones what policies and interventions
enable a more sustainable environment
for creative and cultural business• develop a vision for the night-time
economy, supporting its growthand diversification

49

CASE ST UDY — P L A N N IN G POLI CY
Hackney Wick is rich in creative enterprise. To ensure these businesses canstay and grow here as the area changes, authorities are working together tocreate strong and supportive policy. London Legacy Development Corporation(LLDC) has set planning policy to safeguard affordable workspace and cap rent
increases in new developments around Hackney Wick station. The policy sets
rent at less than half the current market rate and aims to protect around 8,500
square metres of existing creative workspace in new developments.
Alongside this, Hackney Council and LLDC are opening interim workspace tohouse businesses that might need transitional space. The authorities also
work with Tower Hamlets to support business retention, with dedicated staff
resource in Hackney Wick and Fish Island and enterprise growth programmes.
Hackney Wick has been designated a Creative Enterprise Zone.

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

CASE ST UDY ― P R E M IS E S R E A DY TR A I NI NG
The small independent Cinema Museum in Lambeth was referred to the GLA’s
Premises Ready Training by the Culture at Risk Office. As well as receiving
valuable practical training, including from council planning and licensing officers,
the museum was one of five successful applicants to receive one-to-one advice
from an industry specialist. This will help the trustees focus on fundraisingstrategies and forward planning for the future.

51

ACT I O N 7 : P ROV IDE T R A IN IN G ,NE T WO RKI N G A N D G UIDA N C EThis is a tough environment for new
operators to establish or grow theirbusinesses. Sharing expertise andexperience can be key to activating
and growing cultural infrastructure.
The challenge
There is no quick answer to the challengeof rising land values, or business rates.
However, support can be given to enableorganisations to take advantage of every
opportunity to establish themselves or
embed themselves more permanently— from negotiating with developers toaccessing finance.
Many of the shared challenges facedby venues and creative workspaces
can successfully be addressed throughtraining and resources to set businesses
on a stronger footing. Peer to peer
learning, networking and campaigning
can also help offer support and add an
independent voice to collective issues
being faced.
What the Mayor is doing
The Mayor’s Workspace Providers
Board, the LGBT+ night-time venues
forum and the London Music Board haveadvised City Hall about the challenges
they face. This has provided a direct line
to expertise from people operating thesevenues and workspaces.

The Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure
Toolbox has resources for potential
operators establishing new infrastructure― from accessing business support, tofinding a building and operating a venue.
The six new Creative Enterprise Zones
all play a role in providing businesssupport and training opportunities.
The London Growth Hub, establishedby the Mayor and the Local Economic
Action Partnership (LEAP), provides
signposting and advice about how tostart a business, access finance andpremises. This is offered alongsideprogramme of support delivered
across London.
The GLA is also running Premises Readytraining, a symposium and workshops to
support potential new venue operators.
Call to action
The Mayor calls on local authorities,
trusts and third sector organisations to:• ensure cultural and creative industries
are provided with support whenestablishing new ventures• promote existing local support
available for business development
and management

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

ACT I O N P L A N S UM M A RY
What we need to do

What the Mayor is doing

Stakeholders should

ACTION 1:
Understand where London’scultural infrastructure
is located•p roviding an open source
Cultural Infrastructure Map
which provides the locationsof cultural infrastructure thathas been mapped• e nsure that they are awareof existing infrastructure
and use the Cultural
Infrastructure Map inplanning decisions as wellas the development of local
policies, strategies
and night-time visions• s upplement the Londonwide data with additional
local mapping

ACTION 2:
Plan for and create newcultural infrastructure

Providing Cultural
Infrastructure Toolbox
resources, including:•a n open source Cultural
Infrastructure Map which
incorporates contextual
functions to enable
intelligence-based forward
planning for new cultural
infrastructure•c reating a Cultural
Infrastructure Design Toolkit
with design support for
new cultural infrastructure•g uidance on using Section
106 agreements for cultural
infrastructure• p lan early for cultural
infrastructure in development• d evelop local cultural
Infrastructure plans
and strategies• u se resources provided in the
online Cultural Infrastructure
Toolbox to ensure thatdevelopment is planned forand rolled out successfully

53

What we need to do

What the Mayor is doing

Stakeholders should

ACTION 3:
Provide major infrastructure
for a world class city

• i ntegrating major cultural
infrastructure into the
Mayor’s new developments• i dentify opportunity for anddevelop large-scale cultural
Infrastructure for production
and consumption• investing in East Bank• i nvesting £70m into
the new Museum of London•s upporting and delivering theThames Estuary Production
Corridor in partnershipwith the South East Local
Enterprise Partnership
ACTION 4:
Support culture at risk•c
 ontinuing to resource theCulture at Risk Office• work with the office whenmatters arise and have adesignated local Culture at
Risk contact within the local
authority• work in a joined-up way
across planning and licensing• e nsure existing infrastructure
is considered withindevelopments and planningapplication assessments andapply the draft new London
Plan policies to protect
existing uses
• u se the option of applying
the Asset of Community
Value designation to cultural
infrastructure• a pply targeted Article 4
Directions to protect against
further losses• reduce commercial risks for
cultural tenants, for example
through affordable rent levels
and business rate relief
where appropriate

C U LT U R A L I N F R A S T R U C T U R E P L A N

What we need to do

What the Mayor is doing

Stakeholders should

ACTION 5:
Increase investment•p roviding capital funding
through the Good GrowthFund and Crowdfund London• use Section 106 and theCommunity Infrastructure
Levy for cultural infrastructure•c reating six Creative
Enterprise Zones thatwill invest in cultural
infrastructure and skills• d evelop community asset
transfer policies•s etting up and supporting
the Creative Land Trust• explore opportunities for
cultural operators to purchasefreeholds and offer peppercorn
and below market rent

• prioritise capital investment• o ffer opportunities to cultural
infrastructure operators toaccess low cost finance

ACTION 6:
Create policies to enableculture and creative
industries to put down roots

ACTION 7:
Provide training, networking
and guidance•d rafting pro-culture new
London Plan policies• e stablishing Creative
Enterprise Zones•w orking with industry experts
the to advise City Hall about
the challenges they face•p
 roviding specific resourcesand guidance in Cultural
Infrastructure Toolbox•p roviding businesssupport through The
London Growth Hub•p roviding Premises
Ready training for newvenue operators• d evelop local cultural
infrastructure policies• l earn from the six Creative
Enterprise Zones• d evelop a vision for the nighttime economy, supporting its
growth and diversification• e nsure cultural and creative
industries are provided withsupport when establishingnew ventures• p romote existing local
support available aroundbusiness development
and management

55

P17 © Kairos Creative/ Andrew
Twesigye � artsdepot
P19 © Philip Vile — Sadler’s Wells
P20 © Ministry of SoundP22 © English National Ballet
P28 © Hookedblog —Artist Lucina Ireland
P28 © Blackhorse RoadP28 © Bush Theatre
P41 © Bow Arts TrustP47 © Mountview Collegeof Performing Arts
All other photographs are © of the GLAWith thanks to Sarah Jarvis, Placeworks