PLANNING LEICESTER Early Planning
Long before the modern conception of Typical Residential town planning was developed, Leicester Development was subject to planned development. Characteristics : The earliest phase we have meaningful l Generally single storey buildings evidence of is the Roman town of Ratae l Fairly tight urban grain Corieltavorum, with its ordered street network linking key civic buildings. l Varied plot sizes within regular block structure l Varied building lines Following the end of the Roman Empire, l Brick/stone/concrete as Leicester continued to be inhabited and dominant materials was subject to further phases of l Modest, functional development. With relatively low landscaping population growth, change was less dramatic than what was to come later. Much of the strategic planning related to ecclesiastical developments or the need to make the settlement secure from military attack. Top: Drawing of Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltavorum) from the north- east, as it may have looked during the late 3rd century AD ©ULAS; Middle: Plan of Roman Leicester ©ULAS; Bottom: Plan showing Civil War defences of the town in 1645.
Iron Age Leicester Leicester Siege of Ratae Town walls End of King Richard Castle Abbey Leicester 44-45 captured by built Roman rule III killed 250 410 1068 built 1143 founded 1485 1645 AD the Romans AD PLANNING LEICESTER Growing Pains
In the late 18th century the town Typical Residential Development started to grow dramatically. Following Characteristics : the development of a strategic toll road
l Generally two-three through the town, Leicester was storey buildings connected to the canal network in 1793.
l Tight urban grain
l Incremental Elsewhere, in 1785, a promenade development but fairly consistent plot sizes was laid out linking the racecourse to the within fairly regular block town core. New Walk, which remains a structure traffic free promenade to this day, was l Consistent building lines – close to pavement designed by the Corporation to
l Brick/stone as dominant encourage the expansion to the materials southeast. l Some rear gardens and intermediate landscaped spaces In 1801 the population of Leicester was around 17,000; by 1901 it had ballooned to over 211,000. The Corporation was unprepared for the scale of growth, with Top: Plan from 1835 showing expanded town boundary; much of it in the form of crowded Middle: Plan of town from 1792 showing New Walk extending out to the south-east; ‘slums’. Bottom: Typical floor plan of slum courts.
Leicester Municipal Corporations Leicester Leicester Leicester County Leicester & Racecourse Act – key development Campbell Street Infirmary Navigation Jail Swannington opened in creating local opens as the Hospital (canal) opened Railway 1771 1773 (Victoria 1793 1826 1832 1835 government framework; 1840 first passenger opened opened opened Park site) town boundary train station in the town PLANNING LEICESTER Civic Development
Following a cholera epidemic in 1847, the Typical Residential Development Public Health Act of 1848 helped set Characteristics : more of the foundations for town
l Generally two storey planning, not least in encouraging public buildings open space. Leicester was one of only l Tight urban grain for two places outside London to appoint a terraced streets, looser urban grain for larger Medical Officer of Health in the years villas that followed. l Consistent plot sizes within developments, but varied block structure The Corporation was increasingly active
l Consistent building lines, in developing infrastructure for civic close to pavement for terraced streets, large set development, such as public parks, and back for detached villas in developing by laws that set minimum l Brick as dominant standards for new housing. More material generally, some locals, such as Arthur l Small rear gardens for terraced streets, large Wakerley in Evington, began developing front/rear gardens for land in a much more comprehensively larger villas, formal parks planned way.
Top left: Foreman Sale Plan from 1869 of Aylestone; Top right; Plan from circa 1877 for Abbey Park; Bottom: Plan of building plots in North Evington in 1906.
Welford Road First major First Horse Town boundary Cemetery Sewage network Leicester Public allotments and drawn expanded to and New created, became a Health public park tramways include Walk including County 1848 + 1875 Acts 1849 1870 s developed (later 1874 started 1880 s 1889 1892 Knighton, Museum Abbey Pumping Borough renamed Nelson operating Station Aylestone and opened. Mandela Park). Belgrave PLANNING LEICESTER Town Planning Established
The early 20th century saw the first Typical Residential Development development of town planning Characteristics : legislation nationally and attempts at l Generally two storey adopting a strategic plan for Leicester buildings locally. Much development was still l Relatively tight urban uncoordinated as urbanisation continued grain apace. l Variety of blocks designed around series of green spaces and ordered road Influenced by the likes of Ebenezer network. Consistent, larger plot sizes Howard and emerging pressure groups, l Generally consistent such as the Garden Cities Association, building lines behind front gardens, although various linked developments occurred in variation in setbacks Leicester. A cooperative housing venture follows a set pattern in places from Anchor Tenants Ltd developed land l Brick, often coated with to the east of the old village of paint/render, as dominant material Humberstone between 1907-1915, while the Corporation bought land in l Front/rear gardens, some intermediate landscaped Braunstone to develop holistically from spaces and formal parks, Top left: Sale plan of Western Park circa 1905 limited parking provision 1927, supplementing housing with new Top right: Plan from 1923 of £299 houses; Middle: Plan from 1931 showing The Circle; shops, schools, churches and public Bottom: Plan from 1926 for the Braunstone Estate. transport. Leicester gains Town boundary Frank Cottrill Housing & Tudor city status. Arthur Town & expanded to employed by Town Walters Establishment Wakerley – Country include Evington, Leicester Council – + Planning 1917 Commission 1919 of Housing and who was 1932 Planning 1935 Humberstone 1938 one of the first 1909 1919 Acts report Town Planning first Chairman Act and Braunstone field archaeology Committee by posts in country PLANNING LEICESTER Post-War Planning
Although World War II significantly Typical Residential Development curtailed development activity in the city, Characteristics : the success of strategic planning during
l Generally two storey the conflict and a commitment to buildings, with some domestic renewal post-war had bungalows and single storey prefabs significant impacts on planning in
l Intermediate urban grain Leicester. A new national development
l Variety of blocks designed control regime that required developers around series of green to acquire planning permission for an spaces and ordered road network. Consistent, extensive range of works was introduced. medium plot sizes
l Generally consistent building lines behind front There was a revival of the pre-war house gardens building programme by the Corporation l Brick, render and mock- with the development of estates in areas Tudor style timbering as dominant material such as New Parks, Thurnby Lodge and
l Front/rear gardens, some Stocking Farm. Slum clearance intermediate landscaped programmes continued apace, whilst spaces and formal parks, modest parking provision private development of housing in the Top left: Model from 1956 of proposed highways scheme on London suburbs resumed. Road; Top right: Plan from 1952 showing proposed clearance of ‘slums’; Middle: Plan from 1949 for new bus station off Charles Street; Bottom: Plan from 1952 showing zoning of residential and industry.
Town & Festival Inner ring Barlow Last tram Leicester City City/County Country of road Report service in Development Development Planning Britain construction 1940 published 1943 1944 1947 1949 city 1951 1952 Plan adopted 1956 Plan 1958 Acts began PLANNING LEICESTER Visions of Modernist Planning
The 1960s has been characterised by Typical Residential Development some historians as the ‘golden age of Characteristics : planning’. This reflects the confidence of
l Generally two-four storey the age where bold town planning buildings, with some schemes were seen as the solution to bungalows and some high rise towers wider challenges in society. In 1962 the
l Loose urban grain city set up its first dedicated planning
l Irregular block structure department and created the post of its characterised by blocks of first Chief Planning Officer: Konrad flats set back away from road network. Large plots Smigielski. for blocks of flats
l Varied building lines behind gardens and Ambitious plans were developed in the communal landscaped city in response to a paradigm shift in spaces urban mobility, with exponential growth l Light coloured brick, concrete, composite in car use threatening the viability of panels as dominant material traditional street patterns. A new monorail network was planned, which l Large areas of intermediate landscaped would have linked a new town at space, with some formal Top left: Drawing of proposed monorail through Charles Street parks and private Beaumont Leys with the city. Top right: Conceptual sketch of potential new development around the Clock Tower gardens, more extensive Middle: Conceptual sketch of Gallowtree Gate parking provision Bottom: Rowlatts Hill Estate plan
The Death and Life of Traffic in Leicester & Rutland City Planning Planning Great American Cities Towns report Leicester Traffic The Buildings of Department Advisory and The concise (Colin Plan published – England (Nikolaus established – Group 1960 1961 Townscape (Jane Jacobs 1962 1963 Buchanan) 1964 1st in country 1965 Pevsner) published 2nd in country report and Gordon Cullen) published published PLANNING LEICESTER Visions of Modernist Planning
Alongside dramatic changes to the highway network, extensive investment was planned in new housing, commercial development and further slum clearance. Many of the plans were never realised, but some were – including the controversial development of the ring road in the historic western side of the city centre and the slum clearance that facilitated the building of the St Matthew’s and St Mark’s Estates.
Alongside some of the more futuristic design styles, the period also saw the development of national legislation to better protect heritage. In 1969 the first three conservation areas
were designated in the city at New Walk, Castle Gardens and Top left: 1960s model of Beaumont Leys Town Centre; Top right: 1953 plan for Belgrave Gate; Greyfriars. Middle Plan of proposed market area from 1963; Bottom: Model of ‘regenerated’ city centre.
Civic Amenities Section of M1 Skeffington Report; Urban and regional Town and Country Act – motorway Housing Act and planning; a systems Planning Act establishment through Leicester/Leicestershire approach (J. Brian - establishment of 1967 of conservation 1968 Leicester 1968 1969 Sub-Regional Planning 1969 McLoughlin) Structure Plans areas completed Study published published PLANNING LEICESTER Sustainable developments
As the city continued to expand in this Typical Residential period some of the orthodoxies of Development modernist town planning were found Characteristics : wanting and urban renewal was l Generally two-three storey buildings increasingly focussed on enhancing
l Tight urban grain existing assets, rather than comprehensively replacing them. l Varied block structure reflecting varied land Following the passing of the Housing Act parcels of sites. Irregular structure of cul-de-sac in 1969, the Leicester Housing streets. Fairly consistent plot sizes Committee created plans for various General Improvement Areas, such as l Fairly consistent building lines behind front upgrading the housing stock in gardens Clarendon Park. l Brick/stone as dominant materials Innovative new approaches to streets l Front/rear gardens, limited intermediate included pedestrianisation schemes in landscaped spaces, smaller formal parks, the city centre and home zones in more parking Top left: Model of proposed ‘woonerf/home-zone’ for Worthington Highfields. Some of this was related to Street in 1984; Top right: Clarendon Park General Improvement Area document enhancing the retail offer of the city cover from 1971; Middle: 3D mock-up of Co-op plans for new retail centre off the High centre to combat the threat of peripheral Street in 1981; retail development by the M1. Bottom: Out-of-town retail plan from late 1970s /early 1980s.
First Local Government Act – Leicester pedestrianisat Leicestershire Inner Urban Areas Eight Local major overhaul of way Council ion of city Structure Plan Act – shift in focus Plans adopted local government is replaces centre streets adopted towards urban for different 1972 organised; John Dean 1974 Leicester 1975 1976 1978 1978 – 1988 (Gallowtree regeneration parts of city became Head of Planning Corporation in Leicester Gate) PLANNING LEICESTER Sustainable developments
In this period, Leicester came to the forefront for developing protection and proactive enhancement plans for the natural environment. One of the first Council’s to employ a full time ecologist, ground-breaking work in managing flood risk, allocating land for community buildings and inclusive design also took place.
In 1989 the multi-award winning Leicester Ecology Strategy was published. One aspect of this was the creation of the Riverside Park, which won the prestigious Europa Nostra Award in 1989. Much of this work helped contribute to the city being designated Britain’s first Environment City in 1990.
Leicester set the standard for embedding inclusive design into the planning system in the 1980s. The Council were the
first in the UK to employ a Disabled People’s Access officer in Top left: Europa Nostra Award in 1989; Top right: Paving the Way content (1990); 1981 and one of the first to establish a Disabled People’s Middle: Site plan for Highcross Shopping Centre; Access Group. Bottom: Riverside Park exhibition.
Leicester was City of Leicester City Shires Highcross designated Leicester Council City of Shopping Western Bypass Shopping Centre Britain’s first Local Plan becomes Leicester Centre completed and Curve 1990 Environment 1991 1994 adopted 1995 1997 unitary 2006 Local Plan 2008 opened Theatre opened City authority adopted PLANNING LEICESTER Into the Future
In the new millennium town planning remains fundamental to both driving and managing sustainable development in the city. There is a significant amount of continuity between planning now and the activities that have taken place in the previous century, with continuing efforts to regenerate areas of the city that have seen their former uses change and new urban extensions planned.
The ‘Connecting Leicester’ programme is stitching together disparate elements of the city centre through enhanced streets and spaces, while award winning approaches to reducing flood risk continue to create attractive new public spaces in the city. Planned over several decades, a major urban extension at Ashton Green continues to be progressed with innovative use of masterplanning, while the city continues to develop best Top left: 3D model of city centre regeneration; Top right: 3D mock-up of proposed neighbourhood centre at practise in a wide range of areas. Ashton Green; Middle: Land use masterplan of Ashton Green; Bottom: Plan for landscape enhancements along River Soar.
3D mock-up of proposed neighbourhood centre at