Swiss Cottage Civic-Cultural Centre, Camden
Summary
The project has delivered new and updated facilities for leisure and the arts alongside improved public spaces, improved living accommodation, a theatre and sports venue whilst improving access to the site and knitting it into the local fabric. Via a public private partnership, the London Borough of Camden innovatively lead a mixed use redevelopment of obsolete leisure facilities, and provided a high-quality civic-cultural centre with multiple leisure facilities for the local community.
Project description
The Civic-Cultural Centre was a central part of the wider Swiss Cottage urban regeneration project in the London Borough of Camden. In 1998 it was decided to redevelop Sir Basil Spence’s 1960s library and leisure centre to provide new community facilities including a new theatre and upgraded swimming pool. The Grade II listed library was refurbished in 2003, but repairing the leisure centre was not viable and it was demolished and replaced with a new state of the art leisure centre.
In the approved 1999 Planning Brief for the Swiss Cottage site, the vision for the site was for the “preservation of current services within a quality environment. The overall site must be radically improved for its success, with flexibility and co-operation being the key to this achievement”.
Project Timeline:
Planning permission was granted in 2000, work started on site in 2001, and the scheme was completed in 2007.
Services offered
The leisure centre incorporates: a swimming pool, ball game courts and gymnasia. Significantly the site combines a mix of facilities including a community centre, a crèche, leisure centre (including a swimming pool, climbing wall, gyms and four multi purpose indoor courts as well as outdoor Astroturf pitches). Alongside these the inclusion of restaurants, a doctors’ surgery, a theatre and a new public space release the full benefits of co-location.
Business/operational model
Since the completion of the redevelopment project, the London Borough of Camden has formed further partnerships with Ujima and Dominion Housing Associations and Greenwich Leisure Limited to manage and ensure the continued success of the facilities, as well as with various other organisations such as the Central School of Speech and Drama, to capitalise on the new facilities through the organisation of new community schemes.
Success factors
Importance of Thorough Consultation
Consultation Process Overcame Local Objectives Citizens Jury . In 1999 Camden invited tenders for the leisure centre and housing which included 25% affordable housing, and also staged a competition for the public park and leisure centre site.
Success of Wider Regeneration Project
The dramatic physical and environmental changes to the Swiss Cottage area outlined had a substantial and very positive impact on the cultural and sporting facilities provided within the regeneration project.
Moreover, the development has acted as a catalyst for further physical regeneration taking place in the area, inspiring Transport for London to refurbish Swiss Cottage tube station and the Odeon Cinema to be redeveloped in to a popular multiplex.
Risk factors
None defined.
Financing and delivery/procurement
The development involved a five-part project. The five core projects are:
- New Hampstead Theatre Estimated costs: building cost £15m
- Swiss Cottage Library Estimated costs: refurbishment cost £8.5m
- Leisure and Community Centres/ doctors surgery, and 42 social housing units Estimated costs: building cost £27m
- Main open space landscaping & Environmental improvements Estimated costs: £3.7m
- The pedestrianisation of Eton Avenue and the new street market Estimated costs: £2.5m
Measurement and monitoring
As a result of the major new physical improvement of the Swiss Cottage area, a positive social impact has been identified particularly with regards to social cohesion and a reduction in inequalities (as measured by the London Borough of Camden’s Community Strategy 2001-2006). The project won the LGC Public/Private Partnership Award, following measurement and monitoring of the success of the redevelopment, which noted:
- anecdotal evidence showing a reduction in inter-generational tensions and anti-social behaviour as a result of the more extensive cultural and social opportunities for younger and older people alike in one of the borough’s most deprived areas
- higher demand for performances at the Hampstead Theatre -In 2003 the audience was over three quarters full, with thirty to forty more tickets sold than the capacity of the old site allowed.
- a reduction in health inequalities has been attributed to the impact of improved housing, the Doctors’ Surgery and Leisure Centre facilities.
These physical and environmental developments have also provided a springboard for the social and economic regeneration that is currently taking place in Swiss Cottage. Moreover, it has addressed many of the aspirations of Camden residents for the area -as outlined in the last Community Strategy:
Please refer to CABE’s Culture and Leisure Case Studies for more information on Swiss Cottage.
