City Growth

Heart of South London

City Growth celebrates the power and spirit of the private sector working together with its public and voluntary sector partners.

The Heart of South London includes the district centres surrounding Crystal Palace: Penge, Anerley, Beckenham, Streatham, West Norwood, Thornton Heath and South Norwood.

Businesses lead all the way, and in collaboration with local authorities, government agencies, community and voluntary organisations, City Growth harness’ the intelligence, talent and experience needed to develop and execute market driven strategies, all with the view to creating economically competitive and sustainable inner-city communities.

In trying to develop an entrepreneurial culture within deprived areas, the City Growth initiative focuses on the advantages of urban areas; available labour, strategic locations, local skills and under-served markets. Unfortunately there are also some disadvantages like out-commuting, shortage of land for commercial development, an oversupply of poor quality retail and office space and a low level of entrepreneurial activity.

City Growth strategies are based on robust research and concrete plans, including the funding of programmes and initiatives to stimulate growth in the local business economy.

Programmes introduced through City Growth:

City Growth Accelerator Programme
This project exists to:

• Encourage companies in our two city growth areas (Heart of South London and Thames Gateway London South), to utilise the experience and knowledge of private sector consultancies, as a tool for business growth.
• Provide a grant contribution towards fees of up to £5,000 to be used against consultant’s fees. Businesses will be expected to contribute £1 to every £2 that the grant provides. The support grants will be available in three size bands: £1250, £2500, £5000.
• Help companies see the value and range of services available in the private sector and consider external consultancies/support as an element of their business growth.
• Criteria – at least 3 employees, trading for at least 2 years and be located in the specified City Growth areas.

Cluster Development Programme
This programme was:

• Designed to establish business led cluster action teams who will lead the drafting and implementation of an investment plan to encourage growth and increased productivity within the business cluster.
• Aimed to increase economic activity in the CG area’s and so reduce the polarisation of the communities and reduce the levels of deprivation in the area by increasing local employment and economic activity.
• CG Projects identified clusters in Local Construction (for Heart of South London), Food and Business Services (in Thames Gateway London South) as evidence suggests that with the appropriate support and frameworks, these clusters have the potential for growth in terms of productivity, turnover and employment.

Key Successes under City Growth Heart of South London

• City Growth Accelerator
  

  Round I – 10 successful grant’s issued of up to £5,000. A successful evaluation of the project has confirmed that Round II could be launched in Sep 2007 with all partners keen to support its future development. Funding was secured for Round II.

  Round II – 12 successful grants issued up to £5000. Funding for a Round III is now in the process of being secured although it is expected there will only be available funding for a Round III in the Deptford/New Cross area.

• Croydon Enterprise (Croydon’s successful LEGI bid - £77 million over ten years) was built on the City Growth Strategy. Croydon Enterprise is delivering over four themes across some 14 projects. Themes include: Latent and Potential Entrepreneurs, Business Creation and Business Growth, Business Retention and Inward Investment and Capital Projects.
• Launch of Franchise 4 Croydon - encouraging business growth in Croydon. Franchising was identified in the strategy as a means of encouraging business start up and business growth in the City Growth Area. This project is funded over two and a half years up to £340,000.
• Crystal Palace Park - Successfully engaged with a potential anchor tenant for the sports facilities at Crystal Palace Park. Proposals currently moving forward under the LDA master plan and various other proposals.
• District Centres - Expansion of District Centre team at Penge, Crystal Palace, Thornton Heath and Broad Green funded by local authorities recognising their role in supporting business growth as identified in the City Growth Strategy.
• Discover Series - A series of brochures raising the profile of district centres with local residents supporting local business. This was piloted in West Norwood and Penge with funding by City Growth and is now being continued through borough partners in Lambeth and Croydon with Discover Series brochures in: Thornton Heath, Purley, Coulsdon, Norbury, New Addington, South Norwood and West Norwood.
• Cluster Development - Build South London – A focal point for Construction activity in South London – embedding business support in the construction supply chain by making the identification of business support needs integral to registration for procurement opportunities. This project came about from the Cluster work carried out for City Growth HoSL and has now developed into a £700,000 ERDF bid.
• Enterprise Centre – We have successfully supported planning proposals for a new Enterprise Centre on London Road for the Asian Resource Centre of Croydon (ARCC) and are currently exploring with British Telecom and Croydon Enterprise feasibility of a touchdown hub in Croydon.

• 
• 
•