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This £2.3m project took 7 years to realise, working from a low level of expectation locally and a divided political situation. However, having convinced the heritage sector that the conversion of this Grade II* listed church as feasible and appropriate, Peter White wrote the business plan and prepared funding bids which eventually attracted the necessary capital from a variety of sources to enable the project to be self financing from the start.
The church still owns the building through the social enterprise which he helped establish (and on which he now serves as a director in a voluntary capacity). The ground floor shopping arcade attracts people into the building in a non-threatening way and generates income which supports social outreach, provided within facilities on the upper floors.
The Café at mezzanine level provides a social meeting place and is run by the social enterprise directly to ensure the ethos of the Crossing is conveyed to people using it.
The top floor and the remainder is used as a worship space in the multi-purpose ‘Upper Room’ and for meetings, training and cultural events.
The whole generates a healthy surplus which is available for community re-investment. Peter project managed the scheme from inception to practical completion. It won a BURA Best Practice in Regeneration Award in 1996, the year after it was opened.
Key lessons demonstrated by this project:
- The importance of having a project champion that is prepared to commit to the project and stick with it
- The need to be socially entrepreneurial from inception and throughout the project
- The importance of getting the best possible specialist advice and input – retail designers were engaged to confirm the retail concept and then the expression of this in the design of the shopping mall – producing a very different result than if the scheme’s architects had been left to do this
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The three priorities in regeneration: Quality, Quality, Quality in all things
- Realistic business planning: the scheme’s made surplus’ each of the 13 years since it first opened its doors
- Political support – it started off with none but gradually, the vicar persuaded all parties there was something in it for them all. When it came to the opening, they were all fighting for a seat in the front row!
Awards won for the St Paul's project:
BURA Best Practice in Regeneration Award in 1996
Media coverage for the St Paul's project:
Extract from Church Times article 7th March 2007