Following the development of Great Portland Estate’s corporate social value guidelines in 2018, Greengage has supported the FTSE 250 property investment and development company to apply them on their New City Court Scheme in the London Borough of Southwark.
The scheme will deliver:
- Improvements to the existing London Underground Entrance/Exit on Borough High Street, including the creation of a new station entrance on the building’s east side to improve pedestrian flow;
- Create approximately 1,900m2 of new public space, including a new courtyard made up of 1,300m2 of outdoor recreational space and 600m2 elevated gardens in the proposed new building;
- Approximately 2,300m2 of new retail space and 31,600m2 of new office space through enhancing the existing historic buildings on site and in the proposed new building.
Maximising social value for the scheme was important from the point of view of the local authority and the client who saw the value that their activities can bring, both to the communities where they operate, and also to the long-term growth of the business.
Greengage worked with the design team to set out the social value principles and to identify specific initiatives which the scheme could deliver throughout its lifecycle. Not only did this consider ‘traditional’ benefits such as training or skills development in construction, but also the way in which the building would be operated.
The approach focussed on collaboration with local groups, identifying needs of the community and looking at innovative ways the development could serve and exceed the needs. The outcome is a Social Value Strategy which will drive the implementation of benefits for the community, demonstrating a long term commitment to Southwark.
