Realising the vision of creating a sustainable community on the Peninsula will be challenging but is achievable

2.25  Given that the project has only been underway for four years, it is difficult to make a firm judgement on whether the project is likely to meet its long-term objective of creating a sustainable community on the Peninsula. We therefore looked at whether the necessary elements for building a sustainable community are in place, or are accounted for in the project's plans. Our expert panel advised us on the criteria used for evaluating "placemaking" which form the basis of this investigation. Figure 9 shows a summary of the results of our assessment presented as 'traffic light' indicators. More detail about the assessment is given at Appendix 2.

9

Early indicators suggest the project has the potential to create a sustainable community

Sustainability key criteria

Traffic light indicator

 

Developers and other key parties committed to forming a sustainable community

 

Buildings are environmentally friendly and of good quality

 

Reasonable provision of affordable housing

 

A mix of types of housing for different people and tenures

 

Enough houses will be built and sold or rented to form a sustainable community

 

A sound and diverse economic base

 

Adequate provision of shops, retail, leisure outlets, etc.

 

Adequate and diverse transport provision

 

Adequate provision of utilities

 

Good schools

 

Good health care, good community social care

 

Clean safe environment, low crime and anti-social behaviour

 

Successful management of flood risk

 

Reasonable provision of green spaces and recreational areas

 

Measures to work towards carbon neutrality

 

Consultation of the community in the development and outside

 

Arrangements for the community to govern itself and for management of the estate

 

Measures to create a sense of community identity and a brand for the development

 

Good leisure and cultural facilities

 

An iconic building or feature to act as a focus of the community

 

 

Key

 

 

 

Significant risk criterion may not be met

 

 

Not yet clear project will meet criterion

 

 

Project has plans in place to meet criterion

 

Source: Advice from National Audit Office Expert Panel; National Audit Office evaluation of data and plans of principal bodies involved with the project

2.26  Our assessment is not a prediction about what will happen against each of the criteria. It presumes that current plans are delivered in full in a timely fashion and that these new challenges are addressed as they arise.