Dee Park Regeneration project

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Reading

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Dee Park Regeneration project

Short description of the intervention

The Dee Park Regeneration Project aims to rebuild the 1,100 homes from the 1960s-built estate, that has been worked on in close consultation with the community. The estate is one of the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country. The vision for the regeneration project is to create “a safe, inclusive and sustainable community, economically, environmentally and socially, as part of the wider Reading, where people want to live and work, and which will inspire a sense of pride”. The third and final phase of the project is ongoing and is expected to be completed soon. (Ref. 1, 4, 8, 9)

Address

Reading
United Kingdom

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary

POINT (-1.017011 51.461706)

POINT (-1.013756 51.459841)

POINT (-1.012976 51.455316)

POINT (-1.016505 51.453899)

POINT (-1.022328 51.457123)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Reading City Council. Available at: http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/1669/Dee-Park-Planning-Brief/pdf/Dee-Park-Planning-Brief.pdf. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.

Total area

365000.00m²

NBS area

365000.00m²

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Central Business District / City Centre

Website of the intervention

http://www.reading.gov.uk/article/6119/Dee-Park-Regeneration-Scheme

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2005

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2010

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

Please specify "other" stage of the intervention

This is a multi-phased scheme. In 2005: extensive work and consultation carried out on the Dee Park Regeneration Development Brief. 2008 planning documents were prepared and adopted by Reading Borough Council. (Ref. 1)
In 2011 first tenants moved into the new Dee Park homes. (Ref. 2)
One of the later stages was in 2015 with the opening of new facilities, and Work began in 2010, as an 8 year project. (Ref. 3)

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

The vision is to create e.g. a safe/inclusive, socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community in Reading. Some of the objectives are: create a sustainable neighbourhood (to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives); improve the socio-economic balance; improve the recreational value and quality of open spaces and public realms; improve local environmental quality and ensure that regeneration proposals minimise any adverse impacts on biodiversity, create new habitats and protect and enhance existing habitats.
Regarding flooding: incorporate sustainable urban drainage facilities and techniques (as part of the layout of development as appropriate and as advised by the Environment Agency), this means to e.g. minimise the size of impermeable areas so that peak run-off and annual water run-off is reduced where possible and in any case is no greater than the original conditions of the site. (Ref. 1)

Quantitative targets

The existing blocks of flats will be demolished to make way for 763 new, high quality homes. (Ref. 6)

Monitoring indicators defined

Number of homes

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Water management (SDG 6)

Flood protection

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Green space creation and/or management

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Regulation of built environment

Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Environmental education

Social justice and equity

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Enabling opportunities for physical activity

Creation of opportunities for recreation

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Restore ecological connectivity

Public engagement

Please specify "other Type of NBS project"

Transformation of a previous grey area into an eco-friendly green urban neighbourhood. (Ref. 1, 4, 6)

Implementation activities

The whole estate will be redeveloped to a green area along with new housing, school, community centre and shops. Improvements will also be made to all the existing roads and closes, including new pavements and lighting. It will create public realms that are e.g. ‘clean, attractive and safe’. In addition, pedestrian routes and open spaces linking homes with the local facilities, good public transport access to the town centre and other local destination, a variety of dwellings and tenures that will improve the mix of housing on the estate and meet community needs, construction of distinctive buildings that will reinforce local identity and ensuring that new buildings are energy-efficient and flexible. (Ref. 1-4)

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Transformation of previously derelict areas

Other

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Grey infrastructure featuring greens

Alley or street trees and other street vegetation

Green playgrounds and school grounds

Parks and urban forests

Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Green areas for water management

Sustainable urban drainage systems

What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?

Low: Simple rain water collection intervention (rain garden, local seepage pit) or simple permeable areas

Vegetation Type

Grass

Trees

Flower beds

Please specify how many trees were planted

Unknown

Amenities offered by the NBS

Benches and drinking water stations

Playgrounds

Cultural (museum, concert areas)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Regulating services

Flood regulation

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Maintenance of genetic diversity

Cultural services

Aesthetic appreciation

Recreation

Mental and physical health and wellbeing

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Scale

Spatial scale

Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Citizens or community groups

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Non-government actors

Private sector/Corporate/Business

Citizens or community groups

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

It has been a community-led regeneration project from the outset, where a residents’ action group, CRAG, was formed before the competitive dialogue commenced in 2005. The project is led by the Dee Park Partnership; a joint venture between Willmott Dixon and Catalyst Housing, in partnership with Reading Borough Council. (Ref. 1, 5, 6)

Key actors - initiating organization

Local government/municipality

Citizens or community group

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Local government/municipality

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Citizens or community group

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan

The policy framework for the project comprises large number of planning documents at National, Regional, County and Borough levels. Key national policy guidance in relation to sustainable development and the government’s objectives for planning are in Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 1 and for Housing are in PPS 3. (Ref. 1)

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

At regional and county level are: the Regional Spatial Strategy and the Berkshire Structure Plan 2001-2016. Borough policies consist of a mix of ‘saved’ policies (e.g. Waste Minimisation, CS3, Design and the Public Realm, Provision of Open Space) in the Reading Borough Local Plan 1991-2006, policies in the Reading Core Strategy (2008) and adopted Supplementary Planning Documents and Guidance (SPDs and SPGs). (Ref. 1)

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Mandatory (based on policy)

Intervention is mandatory

Spatial planning guidance

Environmental regulation

Building regulation

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

The council’s Biodiversity action plan (with regard to ‘open spaces’). (Ref. 5)
Also, Core Strategy Policy CS36 which includes 'retain, protect and incorporate features of biodiversity (or geological) interest in schemes'. (Ref. 1)

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section

Reading 2020 vision and community strategy themes such as cleaner and greener environments; thriving economy and skills; culture, leisure and sport; healthy people and lifestyles. (Ref. 1)

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.

Biodiversity strategy or plan

Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme

General municipal plan

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

The Dee Park Partnership. (Ref. 1)

Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

Funding through the Homes and Communities Agency. (Ref. 4)

Co-finance for NBS

Unknown

Co-financing governance arrangements

Unknown

Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown

What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?

Unknown

What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?

Unknown

Please specify cost savings

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

A £150m (around 165 million EUR) regeneration scheme funding from the Homes and Communities Agency. (Ref. 4)

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Business models

Green densification model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Technological

Infrastructural innovation

Social

Cultural innovation

Please specify technological innovation

To incorporate sustainable urban drainage facilities and techniques minimise the size of impermeable areas so that peak run-off and annual water run-off is reduced where possible and in any case is no greater than the original conditions of the site. (Ref. 1)

Novelty level of the innovation

The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

The Dee Park regeneration project aims to replace the 1960s flats with e.g. new homes and facilities. (Ref. 1, 2)

Replicability/Transferability

Unknown

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

Unknown

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Water management and blue areas

Improved water quality

Increased protection against flooding

Improved stormwater management

Green space and habitat

Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development

Increased green space area

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Please specify other economic impact

Reduce damage costs caused by floods

Description of environmental benefits

Tree planting is an integral part of the overall scheme. The development work is going in a way so that the development should retain, protect and incorporate features of biodiversity (or geological) interest within the site into the schemes. The regeneration should ensure that the Local Nature Reserve at Lousehill is safeguarded and, if possible, enhanced. The existing wildlife corridors are being protected. Creation of new habitats and improvements of the existing ones are going on. The design also will include sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) to protect from any flood damages. (Ref. 1, 3, 5)

Economic impacts

Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

Increased property prices

Attraction of business and investment

Other

Description of economic benefits

The new neighbourhood is expected to attract more businesses and help to grow economically. It also is expected to increase property prices and bring more jobs. The SuDS is expected to reduce the flood damage costs. It is also well located in terms of access to open space and nearby employment opportunities. (Ref. 1, 5)

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Indicators

Unknown indicators, the project is ongoing.
Few phases of the regeneration project have been completed; e.g. first tenants moving into the area in 2011. (Ref. 2)

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

Paid employment positions

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Improved access to green and/or blue spaces

Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Ongoing, not monitored yet. Most of the impacts are expected.

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

Unknown as of September 2020.

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

Conduct a baseline survey before and after NBS implementation

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Other

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

The Berkshire Housing Market Assessment (2007) identified a particular need in Reading for three and four bed family type housing. (Ref. 1) The project includes e.g. transport assessment, archaeological assessment. (Ref. 1)

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Citizen involvement

Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation

Yes

Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

Other

Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

"The proposed phasing should reflect the community priorities identified through the community responses to consultation carried out in preparing the Council’s Regeneration Development Brief. The phasing plan should also set out how the community will continue to be engaged as the regeneration scheme progresses, including involvement in the detailed design of individual phases and environmental improvements." (Ref. 1)

Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation

Unknown

Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment

Unknown

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

List of references

Ref. 1. Reading Borough Council (2008) Dee Park Planning Brief. Planning Section, Planning & Building Control, Director of Environment, Culture & Sport, Reading Borough Council. URL: http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/1669/Dee-Park-Planning-Brief/pdf/Dee-Park-Planning-Brief.pdf. Not available as of 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 2. Get Reading (2011) First tenants move into Dee Park homes. Local news. Available at: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/first-tenants-move-dee-park-4207277. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 3. ITV (2015) Latest stage of £150m Dee Park regeneration to open. News. Available at: http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2015-02-23/latest-stage-of-150m-dee-park-regeneration-to-open/. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 4. Get Reading (2009) Delight at £150m regeneration for Dee Park. Local news. Available at: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/delight-150m-regeneration-dee-park-4239089. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 5. Get Reading (2015) Bulldozers start demolition of Lyon Square in Dee Park. Reading & Berkshire news. Tilehurst. Available at: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/bulldozers-start-demolition-lyon-square-8879621. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 6. HTA (n.d.) Dee Park. Projects. Available at: https://www.hta.co.uk/project/dee-park. Accessed on 14th September, 2020.
Ref. 7. Reading Council (2020) The Reading Biodiversity action plan. 2020. Draft for consultation. Available at: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/documents/s10722/Appendix%202%20Draft%20Biodiversity%20Action%20Plan.pdf. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 8. AlokSharmaMP (2019) Dee Park Regeneration. Available at: https://www.aloksharma.co.uk/content/dee-park-regeneration-0. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Ref. 9. Catalyst (n.d.) Dee Park, Reading. Available at: https://www.chg.org.uk/development-regeneration/regeneration/dee-park-reading/. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.

Comments and notes

Pictures of the NBS

/sites/default/files/nbs/images/dee_park_regeneration_ref_6.jpg

Public Images

Dee Park Regeneration

Source: Ref. 6