Comment

Empowering Toton: The ideal development corporation

On 26 October, Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP announced an intent to establish a new development corporation at Toton.

This is a significant announcement for HS2 East Midlands Hub, Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands given the context of the on-going independently led Government review on whether HS2 should proceed or not.

Toton has the potential to provide a once-in-a-generation step change in the re-balancing of the UK economy, taking advantage of its strategic location in close proximity to the M1 and East Midlands Gateway and global connections via East Midlands Airport. Such agglomeration of existing and potentially new key economic assets paves the way for Toton to host a substantial number of homes and jobs in emerging sectors. 

Development corporation status

Sir John Peace will lead the formation of a Toton Development Corporation. Sir John Peace has and continues to champion the opportunity at East Midlands Hub and has an excellent track record of levering private sector investment, which will be critical for the success of Toton.

Outside looking in, it is clear that the Nottinghamshire authorities and the Midlands Engine are keen to mirror the delivery vehicle put in place for Old Oak Common, which is covered by a Mayoral Development Corporation, who have plan-making and development management functioning powers. Toton is not covered by Mayoral powers and as such any future Toton Development Corporation would need to be in the form of an Urban Development Corporation (despite its Green Belt status). However, an Urban Development Corporation may only exercise development management functions. This would represent a missed opportunity for Toton to control plan-making functions, in order to secure its early removal from the Green Belt on the basis of a robust and sound exceptional circumstances case, to deliver significant regional and national socio-economic benefits.

Any such case-making would need to be demonstrated in a co-ordinated manner with the support of all public and private sector stakeholders, plus the involvement of the local community. Given this requirement, there are a number of ‘key asks’ for central Government through the consultation on development corporation reform, if the once-in-a-generation opportunity at Toton is to be fully realised. These include:

1. Ensuring that collectively board members have a wide range of place-making skills supported by experience in delivering large scale development proposals.
2. Striking a balance between public and private sector involvement to ensure the integrity of decision-making delivers inclusive growth.
3. Plan-making powers should be given to the Toton Development Corporation to address the need to remove land from the Green Belt and provide flexible allocations for future development partners.
4. Subject to viability, Toton Development Corporation should be able to secure contributions from developers using a range of mechanisms such as Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), Strategic Infrastructure Tariff (SIT) and Section 106 Agreements. 
5. In joint partnership with the public sector, Toton Development Corporation should be able to provide infrastructure and facilitate the provision of physical and social infrastructure to support new homes and jobs.

Lessons learned

In conjunction with the on-going consultation on development corporation reform, it is important for the emerging Toton Development Corporation to reflect upon the success (or failure) of delivery vehicles for growth areas surrounding other HS2 stations along Phase 1 including Euston; Old Oak Common; Birmingham Interchange; and Birmingham Curzon.

As a starter for ten, Sir John Peace will need to consider, in no particular order but of equal importance, the following matters to support an emerging planning strategy for Toton:

• The strategic priorities for the growth area
• The clear expression of the vision and its development objectives / principles
• The scope and robustness of its evidence base on need and deliverability 
• The definition and scope of its exceptional circumstances case 
• The high degree of flexibility required for long term mixed-use projects
• Clarity on land use options
• The key physical enabling infrastructure to deliver growth
• The delivery trajectory and its phasing potentially being beyond a plan period

There is an enormous amount of work ahead for the Toton Development Corporation to realise its full potential; however there are opportunities abound if the delivery of homes and jobs are planned, designed and delivered in a co-ordinated and inclusive manner. 

For more information please contact Sam Lake.

4 November 2019