Consultancy Services on City Centre Residential Growth

Tender description

The Council invites quotations for consultancy services to undertake research and development activity on the broad issues of. - Increasing residential capacity and occupancy in all/each of the seven Scottish city centres. - Reducing the amount of vacant and derelict land and property in all/each of the seven Scottish city centres The overall objective of this commission is to develop a suite of evidence-based options and recommendations which respond to the key policies, strategies, opportunities, and constraints, and focus on measures that will lead to an increased and more balanced population and options for a reduction in vacant and derelict land. These options must specifically relate to the desired outcomes of the priority areas. The scope of the project covers all seven cities and the two priority areas outlined expressed in the questions listed below. Responding to this will require a multi-disciplinary consultancy team with experience in development and regeneration, as well as housing, property, and planning. 2.3.1 Each of the cities is different and each has individual challenges to meet in the delivery of increased residential capacity and occupancy and in the level and regeneration of vacant and derelict land and property for multiple uses. While it is accepted that recommendations to change national policy will have to suit all cities, they should not preclude local policy responses that may be more nuanced. The same principles would apply to funding, funding mechanisms, site assembly, land assembly, etc. 2.3.2 Priority Area 1: Increased residential capacity and occupancy 2.3.2.4 The SCCRTF in collaboration with the seven cities have agreed the outcomes for Priority Area 1 of this commission which must be specifically addressed by the consultant team. These are detailed as follows: (i) Explore policies to address the barrier of high land values in city centres impeding residential development, particularly around social and affordable housing. (ii) Investigate possibilities of increasing Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) funding to support further housing development, targeted in and around city centres. (iii) Investigate mechanisms, such as Housing Infrastructure Fund, to increase confidence for councils and social housing bodies to take on challenging sites. (iv) Consider mechanisms by which we could jointly increase brownfield development in city centres and adjacent neighbourhoods that help build demand for city centre uses. (v) Investigate tools which could equip local government to have flexible planning policies and legislation to support and/or incentivise mixed-use development. (vi) Investigate opportunities to facilitate grant funding to improve public spaces to raise land values and residential demand – e.g. Mayfield in Manchester. (vii) Consider broader use of weighting scoring systems - e.g. London’s linkage of public transport accessibility scores to permitted housing density. (viii) Define clear ways to ensure that capital funding for city centres and other goals (e.g. housing, education, health) supports neighbourhood regeneration and/or creation. (ix) Consider the impact of the 20-year lease rule in Scotland and identify any changes that are necessary. 2.3.3 Priority Area 3: Reducing the amount of vacant and derelict land and property 2.3.3.1 The SCCRTF in collaboration with the seven cities has agreed a number of desired outcomes for Priority Area 3 of this commission which must be specifically addressed by the consultant team. These are detailed as follows: (i) Investigate adaptation of Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO)/Compulsory Sales Order CSO) legislation, or other means, to make the process more straightforward. (ii) Investigate ways to increase local authority capacity for carrying out CPO – through funding, training, knowledge-sharing, and/or measures to reduce the risk of taking on the new property; (iii) Develop a clear policy ambition to prioritise brownfield land over greenfield land for development; and (iv) Identify Local government powers to acquire and pursue commercial property for fair work opportunities, or other less commercial reasons (where community benefit can be demonstrated). 2.3.3.3 It is expected that there will also be recommendations on how the public sector can support the private and third sector in the regeneration of vacant and derelict land and property. The consultants’ expertise in this area will be invaluable in identifying any other opportunities/desired outcomes which should be considered as part of this commission. PLEASE REFER TO THE TENDER DOCUMENT FOR THE FULL SCOPE OF REQUIREMENTS