Latin Elephant’s Response to Delancey’s relocation strategy for EC Shopping Centre Traders
– Delancey’s planning application (16/AP/4458) has been amended after Latin Elephant’s objection and following our deputation to Southwark Council Cabinet meeting on 9th May 2017. The Planning application now includes the Draft Local Business Support and Relocation Strategy.
Despite this we feel that the document fails to address some of the key concerns we raised previously in our objection.
Our main objection is that the relocation strategy http://www.onlinepharmacytabs.com does not consider the equality impacts derived from the relocation of BAME traders and does not account for a diverse retail offer, whereby the continuity of Elephant and Castle (EC) shopping centre as a specialist centre of economic activity catering to BAME groups is guaranteed. Of the protected characteristics listed in section 149 of the 2010 Equalities Act, age and race are particularly relevant for the purposes of the proposed development, therefore we stress the need for the Council to assess the risks and extent of any adverse impact and the ways in which such risk may be eliminated.
The draft relocation strategy falls short of Southwark Council’s Planning Policy requiring at least 10% affordable retail space in large redevelopment schemes.
The relocation strategy has not been done in consultation with traders and local groups as recommended in the Deputation to the Council Cabinet Meeting of 9th May 2107.
The strategy does not provide for a prioritised return of current independent and BAME traders to the new development.
The strategy does not consider wishes of BAME traders to remain clustered (throughout relocation and in returning to new development) as evidenced in the reports: ‘The case for London’s Latin Quarter: Retention, Growth, Sustainability’ and ‘Relocation Alternatives for EC Traders
After the draft document became available, there has been a meeting with the developer however no progress has been made. In conjunction with traders we have asked Delancey to share a directory of vacant premises in the EC wider area (which was promised in January 2016), and for more accurate information, and none of these had been delivered.
These are issues of critical importance in order to minimise the negative impacts associated with urban change on businesses and the local people who they assist. Migrant and Ethnic Businesses (MEBs) are an integral part of the communities of EC, many of whom are already affected by the regeneration.
These shops provide goods at reasonable prices, services in specific languages, and most importantly these are information centres and meeting points for the local population. MEBs are part of the social fabric of EC, community assets and part of a support network. This informal sector of the local economy is crucial to the livelihoods and resilience of the local population.
Those traders that considered they are being affected by the redevelopment, can exercise their right to object to the proposed relocation strategy by emailing: planningstatconsultees@southwark.gov.uk
For more information about Latin Elephant’s objection, please view the full objection here: