1996-2003
From 1996 to 2009 the City Fringe Partnership delivered major initiatives to improve the prospects of residents and support London's small businesses.
Download CFP research on the area and key employment sectors, as well as sector investment plans and evaluation reports of its programmes.
CFP projects, project delivery partners and links to organisations at the heart of CFP activities.
About the CFP:
The legacy
- Better security for 2,200 City Fringe dwellings with 9,300 people benefitting from community safety initiatives.
- 3,560 City Fringe residents assisted into employment.
- 1,600 unemployed people given training and achieved permanent jobs and 2,400 people obtained new qualifications.
- Established 150 new businesses and created 550 new jobs.
- Secured over £78 million additional public and private sector investment into the City Fringe.
City Fringe Partnership 1996 - 2003
Initial funding for the City Fringe Partnership (CFP) came from the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) 2 Programme which instigated a number of pilot projects. A more ambitious programme under SRB4 was launched in 1998, with the London Borough of Camden joining the Partnership in the same year.
1998 - 2003 - Single Regeneration Budget 4 Programme
CFP activities concentrated on bridging the gap between the burgeoning economy of the Square Mile - the City of London - and the local economy of the City Fringe which had suffered from the loss of light manufacturing industries in previous decades. Over five years a total of £8 million SRB funding was directed towards developing small business sectors, helping the creative industries gain a foothold in the area and overcoming the disadvantage experienced by City Fringe residents through unemployment and lack of qualifications.
Around 120 projects were commissioned by the CFP from 1998 to 2003 and these were broadly divided between four key programmes:
- City Bridges - enhanced the skills, motivation and employment prospects of local people, especially the young and disadvantaged. Examples included City jobs for local people via The Brokerage which provided City Fringe graduates with the specialist knowledge to compete for finance jobs.
- Thriving Industries - assisted local small businesses to improve their competitiveness, especially in the creative industries and City support industries. The CFP contributed to the physical/environmental regeneration of Hoxton Street Market in Hackney, Exmouth Market, Cowcross Street and St John's Square in Islington, and Hatton Garden in Camden.
- Confident Communities - fostered stronger, more self-assured neighbourhoods via estate safety schemes and better access to educational opportunities and life skills. Projects helped improve self-esteem among disaffected youth groups through outdoor activities, learning days as well as photography and video projects via dedicated youth worker outreach schemes.
- Managing the Impact - worked with developers, planning authorities and community groups to gain benefits for local people and businesses from the expansion of the City. This included contributing to the development proposals for Bishopsgate Goods Yard to ensure the successful undertaking of the East London Line extension and long-term benefits to local people and businesses.
- You can read all about the projects by downloading a copy of 'Bridging the Gap: City Fringe Partnership Review 1998 - 2003' here.
