Cinderford Masterplan and Design Code
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Cinderford Northern Quarter Masterplan & Design Code Prepared for Forest of Dean District Council July 2013 Alan Baxter Cinderford Northern Quarter Masterplan & Design Code Prepared for Forest of Dean District Council July 2013 Executive Summary This Masterplan and Design Code document has been prepared for Structure of document The entire development is structured around green fingers with the Forest of Dean District Council (FoDDC) to support the Area Action watercourses running through the development for both recreation Plan (AAP) for the Northern Quarter, Cinderford. This document is the This document is split into two main sections: Masterplan and and biodiversity. These green fingers also structure a pedestrian and design element of the AAP and has been prepared alongside an Area Design Code, including a separate introductory chapter preceding cycle friendly movement network. The new development will be Action Plan Submission Report and a Sustainability Appraisal. All three the Masterplan, and a final delivery chapter following the Design well served by public transport, with new bus stops proposed on the documents should be read in conjunction with one another. Once Code. The Masterplan provides the broad spatial, urban design, spine road next to the new Gloucestershire College Campus and in adopted, the AAP will set the context for future outline and reserved movement and land use principles that cover the entire Northern the employment areas of the Northern United Enterprise Park. The matters planning applications. The Masterplan and Design Code in itself Quarter site. The Design Code sets out specific design guidance on sustainability credentials of the Masterplan are achieved by building does not support or promote any individual projects, it provides design certain elements of the Masterplan, such as street widths, block types, to national best practice for sustainable development and a diverse guidance for proposals coming forward as part of the AAP. building types and materials. range of renewable energy supplies. At FoDDC, Full Council on 14th July 2011, the Masterplan and Design The first chapters of the document set out the overarching Code was adopted as interim planning guidance. At FoDDC, Full sustainability principles and design principles of the entire Design Code Masterplan, followed by the narrative that has led to the Masterplan: Council on 23rd February 2012, the Cinderford AAP was approved and The Design Code for the Northern Quarter provides detailed design the vision; constraints and opportunities; design principles; and formally adopted. FoDDC intend to adopt the Masterplan and Design guidance, building on the principles set-out in the Masterplan. Some evolution of the Masterplan through options testing and public and Code in 2013. Proposals in the AAP will be expected to adhere to the elements of the Design Code set out mandatory design requirements, stakeholder consultation. Masterplan and Design Codes. such as street widths or building heights. Other elements of the Design Code suggest indicative design solutions, such as street plans Background The Masterplan and sections for each of the character areas, or good practice, such as principles for structuring the public realm. This document builds upon the work of the Baseline Report The Northern Quarter development will utilise approximately 25% completed in March 2009. The Baseline Report provided a of the total site area of 84 hectares; this means the majority of the The Design Code describes in more detail the character areas in comprehensive strategic, regional, town and site-wide analysis, which site can be retained for publicly accessible open space, leaving the both prose and in a summary table. For example, the Code specifies site’s assets of the forest, parkland and lake untouched. The allocated has been instrumental in informing both the Masterplan and the that buildings in the Northern Quarter Centre must have front doors Summary Executive Design Code. development area will be mixed use to serve the needs of local directly on to the spine road to ensure active frontage and must have people: 53% of the land is employment space, 31% is residential regular street trees to create a boulevard. The movement framework The baseline analysis found that Cinderford was a town that sprung- (including affordable housing), 12% is educational shared with an eco- of the Code specifies street types, hierarchies, design parameters and up very quickly in the mid 19th century as a result of coal mining. It visitor centre and activity centre, and the remaining 4% encompasses parking typologies for every street in the Northern Quarter. There are is also the only town in the statutory boundary of the Forest of Dean. a hotel and a health care facility. four street types proposed. Today the town has a considerable amount of out-commuting and contains higher than national average levels of deprivation. Place making within the Masterplan is ensured through the use of Furthermore, the Design Code outlines block and building types for character areas, giving key features to five different areas through the Northern Quarter, including sections through blocks and a table The Northern Quarter site is mainly a man-made natural environment, different design criteria, for example a tight residential urban grain in and indicative images illustrating building types. Block types include which was heavily mined in the 19th and early-mid 20th century, a leafy setting is proposed in the Steam Mills West character area. The residential blocks, employment and education blocks. The section then re-landscaped post-mining in the late 20th century. The site’s development will be served by a new spine road, which will provide on building types in the Code specifies for each character area the key assets are proximity to the forest, a man-made lake and large an alternative to Steam Mills Road for accessing Cinderford. The spine key design principles, building heights, boundary treatments and a mounds affording good views of the town and the surrounding forest. road in the new development will be a mixed use pedestrian friendly materials palette. The principal opportunities are the potential to provide a mixed-use urban boulevard, containing the Gloucestershire College Campus, development anchored by a new Gloucestershire College Campus, hotel, eco-visitor centre and employment space; thereby creating Design Code also describes design principles for the public realm, while keeping the majority of the site undeveloped to preserve the a local amenity hub for surrounding communities in Steam Mills, with the aim of creating attractive and well used public spaces for landscape. In essence it is about creating a place in the forest. Cinderford and further afield. those living and working in the Northern Quarter. Key principles include creating public spaces for activity, spaces for children, clutter free and accessible public spaces, public art and a lighting strategy. Alan Baxter Cinderford Northern Quarter Masterplan and Design Code / July 2013 5 Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................. 5 4.0 The Masterplan .............................................................................28 8.0 Blocks and Built Form ................................................................70 1.0 Introduction to the Masterplan and Design Code ............ 7 4.1 Masterplan Framework ...............................................................................28 8.1 Building Types ...............................................................................................70 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................7 4.2 Illustrative Masterplan .................................................................................30 8.2 Residential block 1: perimeter block houses ......................................72 1.2 Family of Documents .....................................................................................7 4.3 Character Areas ..............................................................................................32 8.3 Residential block 2: apartment block and houses ...........................73 1.3 Site Context ........................................................................................................8 4.4 Land use ............................................................................................................34 8.4 Commercial blocks (office) .......................................................................74 1.4 Planning Policy ...............................................................................................10 4.5 Movement and Public Transport ............................................................36 8.5 Commercial blocks (light industrial / industrial) ..............................75 4.6 Landscape and Biodiversity Strategy and Public Realm ..............40 8.6 Education block .............................................................................................76 MASTERPLAN 4.7 Views and Vistas .............................................................................................43 8.7 Hotel ..................................................................................................................77 2.0 Sustainability Statement ..........................................................12 4.8 Height and Densities ...................................................................................44