Corby in North Northamptonshire is reinventing itself with an impressive, high-energy regeneration programme which has resulted in significant housing and employment-led sustainable growth. An hour north of London it is surrounded by countryside, offers good schools and sports facilities and has a good mix of residential accommodation.
A description of the area
In the early Twentieth Century the existence and expansion of the steel industry contributed to a mass migration of blue collar workers, particularly from the traditional engineering heartlands in Scotland. Corby was designated as a New Town in 1950, with bold plans for the comprehensive development of the town to boost the population to 85,000 people, providing modern living, working and associated leisure opportunities.
With the closure of the steelworks in 1979/80, unemployment levels rose to 27 per cent, creating a long-term and difficult period of adjustment. Economic aid was via the designation of Enterprise Zone and Assisted Area status which succeeded in attracting many manufacturing and light-industrial employers, along with distribution uses. This led to the creation of a comparatively low-wage and low-skilled economy with a socio-economic profile comprised mostly people in the C, D and E groups. This, coupled with the decline in population to around 50,000, meant that the town was unable to support an appropriate range of retail, leisure and community facilities. This problem was particularly acute in the purpose-built town centre which, by the late 1990s, lacked a sufficiently diverse shopping, commercial and entertainment base to be viable and had a poor-quality urban environment.
The challenge was to find a regeneration strategy for the socially and economically deprived town and reverse the trend of population decline and disinvestment.
Establishing the strategy
Catalyst Corby was incorporated in September 2001, and was one of the first urban regeneration companies to be established. Its task was to ignite large-scale economic recovery following the town’s demise as a leading steelmaker. Its first task was the preparation of a Regeneration Framework to underpin the resurrection of the town. This was followed by an intensive series of actions to change investor and resident confidence through taking forward a series of high-profile projects to deliver sustainable change. Throughout this period, Catalyst Corby worked closely with Corby Borough Council the County Council, English Partnership (now HCA), Emda, private sector landowners, investors and developers and existing residents and businesses to revitalise the town. In 2006 Catalyst Corby was reshaped and became the local development company for the North Northamptonshire sub region (NNDC).
Key outcomes and activities since 2001 have included the following:
- 2001-2003 Corby regeneration strategy was created and launched as the Corby Regeneration Framework in January 2003 at the House of Commons. It set out a 30-year vision for the town.
- 2004-2005 Masterplanning of town centre and adjacent Parklands Gateway.
- 2006 to present day Redevelopment of town-centre retail Phase 1 by Land Securities and development of new civic quarter including the Hawkins\Brown designed Civic Hub (completion in 2010) and new swimming pool (opened 2009) and associated public realm.
- 2005 to present day New residential development including planning approval for 5100 homes at Priors Hall and new developments at Weldon Park and Oakley Vale. This joins numerous other permissions for homes including 970 homes at Oakley Purlieus, and Oakley Vale Residential.
- 2002 to present day Promotion and economic development programmes working in conjunction with the county-wide Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd ( NEL). Key developments include Euro Hub Economic and Trent City Securities’ Southern Gateway Business Park.
- 2002 to present day Provision of new Corby-wide metro bus service (prior to this date Corby was ill served by public transport with high black cab usage) and in 2009 restoration of direct rail service to and from London through the new Corby Station
- Facilities, modernisation of primary healthcare facilities and replanning the FE offer, with Tresham College redevelopment now started on new central site in 2010.
- Development of sub-regional infrastructure strategy to support growth throughout North Northamptonshire, which acted as an exemplar for CLG in its requirements for all growth areas to produce Programmes of Development (PODs).
The problems tackled since 2001
- Narrow economic base that was susceptible to structural economic change over which there was little control, with an over reliance on lower skilled and lower waged employment and a failure to embrace new technologies.
- Adoption of a low-density urban form and the extensive use of Radburn housing layouts in the development of the New Town gave rise to particular social, structural and accessibility problems.
- Poor levels of accessibility with a very limited public transport offer and an over reliance of private black cabs to move around the town.
- Poor housing stock, dominated by Radburn estates containing high levels of social and economic deprivation and limited development opportunities for private housing because of the lack of developer interest.
- Limited facilities, poor school attainment and high levels of heath-associated problems.
- Compounding the problems, the town failed to achieve a size sufficient to provide the range and quality of amenities required for inhabitants who travelled outside the area to shop and be entertained. In the 1980s the population stood at 53,000, compared with the proposed New Town target of 85,000.
This background highlighted the need not simply for Corby’s regeneration, but for its comprehensive transformation.
The Solution
AECOM (then EDAW) was commissioned by Catalyst Corby, the local urban regeneration agency, to set the agenda for growth and rebalance the social, economic and environmental profile through the Regeneration Framework. Through this the vision for the town would be achieved…. To deliver a bold and confident new Corby for the 21st century. The town will become a vibrant and successful place where people will want to come to shop, visit, live and do business
The regeneration framework proposed a population expansion from 53,000 to 100,000 people. The objective of expansion was to create a critical mass for attracting significant investment in the town centre and in the new housing and employment areas. Through increased demand, a modern and well-integrated public transport system was to be created, linked to the surrounding area through a new rail station and train service to and from London. The growth was intended to generate opportunities for enhanced social and community facilities to establish a new sense of civic pride.
Sustainable physical, economic and social expansion was to be achieved in a form that ensured development would not adversely affect the quality of life of the town’s future generations. The regeneration would be based on strong underlying sustainability principles creating balanced growth to guarantee positive long-term results.
At the heart of the vision were core sustainability objectives:
- Social progress that recognised the needs of everyone
- The effective protection of the environment
- The prudent use of natural resources
- The maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.
Catalyst Corby launched its regeneration framework in January 2003 which set out an ambitious 30-year vision. Its strategy for delivering a successful and prosperous town was shared by all stakeholders and was based on five key interventions:
- Corby Central – the creation of a new retail experience and civic heart for the town. The development of an evening economy, including strengthening of the cultural offer and the introduction of mixed use development throughout the central area.
- New housing growth – building 28,000 new homes and doubling Corby’s population to more than 100,000 people and the provision of a range of housing opportunities and tenures to breakdown the tenure monoculture characteristic of a number of the existing urban areas. This growth included brownfield as well as number of sustainable urban extensions.
- Housing renewal – the regeneration of existing housing estates to improve the physical and social environment by interventions to improve the quality of the housing stock, create safer places to live, maximise permeability within the residential areas and provide an improved range of local services and facilities.
- Economic growth – providing high-quality employment space for new and expanding businesses and creating more than 30,000 jobs, including the provision of new employment areas at the Southern Gateway, a motor cluster around the Rockingham circuit and the revitalisation of the older employment estates. These spatial opportunities were to be complimented by an inward investment campaign, business and enterprise support network and training initiatives.
- An integrated transport system incorporating new highway infrastructure, better public transport and a new passenger railway service, complemented by investment in a walking and cycling network to link the newer areas with the town centre.
As noted previously after the launch of the framework, detailed masterplanning was undertaken of a number key existing and new parts of the town including the centre, and adjacent Parkland Gateway, Priors Hall the first of the SUEs to be brought forward, Kingswood Estate and, more recently, the area around the new station. This spatial planning was complemented by a range of social, economic and transport related initiatives.
The development of plans and proposals for Corby, have been developed through extensive public consultation with stakeholders and the local residents. In 2001 the proposals for growth were positively supported by a majority of existing residents and this support has remained to the present day as Corby has evolved into a successful and confident town.
The results achieved
The framework has formed the basis for positive change in Corby, which has been built on over this decade by all the public and private partners. The town centre has been transformed by the new mixed-use development, including a range of shops, and plans are well advanced for the phase 2 development. Meanwhile the new Civic Quarter is nearing completion; the swimming pool is complete; transportation in and around the town has improved with the addition of buses and a re-opened railway station; until the economic downturn, housing development continued apace at Oakley Vale and housing development is now underway at Priors Hall which is the location for the Foster-designed Academy, and the renovation has been completed of the existing Kingswood Estate, partially funded through a S106 contribution from Priors Hall.
In parallel, balanced growth has been achieved through the expansion of the employment base of the town with the addition, the Southern Gateway and Central business Park Phase 1 have been completed. Adjacent to the new Corby station, plans are well advanced for the development of Phase 2 of the Central Business Park which will include the construction of a new facility for the relocating Tresham College. The relocation of the college will lead to further mixed-use development in the town centre.
Throughout the project accessibility and connectivity have been improved by a continually expanding public-bus-based transport service, including real-time information and more recently with the opening of the Corby railway station.
Fundamentally, Corby has come to be seen as the place to invest by private companies, the existing residents and new incomers. No longer is it seen as the pariah in Northamptonshire, but it has a positive outlook competing on an equal footing with its neighbours. In summary, it is estimated that since 2001:
- Almost 4,000 houses have been started
- More than 4,000 jobs have been created /safeguarded
- Around £500m of private investment has been attracted.
The regeneration framework was subject to independent scrutiny in the subsequent Milton Keynes and South Midlands study (CLG). The proposals in the regeneration strategy were fully endorsed in this review (28,000 homes by 2031) and taken forward in the MKSM Regional Spatial Strategy. These proposals were then taken forward in a core spatial strategy (CSS) where the identified housing and employment sites around Corby were adopted in the CSS in 2006. Subsequently, the innovative work undertaken on infrastructure planning in Corby and the neighbouring areas (consistent with PPS12) has and will continue to underpin the implementation of the growth around the town. This work will underpin the roll forward of the CSS which has just begun. Complimenting the CSS, Corby Borough Council has brought forward its development sites DPD.
From the preparation of the regeneration framework to the present day the revitalisation of Corby has been centred on sustainable principles.
Key aspects of these principles include:
- The strategy from day one to promote balanced employment and housing growth.
- Locations for growth which were identified to ensure they minimised the environmental impacts and looked to maximise development on brownfield development.
- Economic and training programs to re-equip the existing population to function effectively in the employment market.
- The provision of a range of commercial and social/educational facilities which reduced the need of the Corby population to travel outside the town. Complemented by additional cycle and footpaths linking the town centre with the neighbouring residential and employment areas.
- Extensive engagement and the proactive involvement of stakeholders and local residents.
- Improved public transport facilities to provide residents with real choices over the car or private taxi.
- Proactive discussions with the landowner developers to bring forward Priors Hall as a sustainable extension to Code Level 5 or 6.