BA Response to Barbican and Golden Lane Area Strategy
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Response from Barbican Association to Barbican and Golden Lane Area Strategy SUMMARY We welcome the intention to improve the area around the Barbican and Golden Lane estates. We appreciate the emphasis on maintaining the tranquillity and residential amenity of the Barbican Estate. Residents accept that the area is likely to get busier. What we are keen to preserve is the tranquillity that respondents of all types recognise in the area. For residents what matters in particular (and which has existed since the estate was built) is quietness from the middle evening on into the night and during most of the weekend. We understand the desire of the cultural institutions for more visibility and accessibility and support that where it will not interfere with residential amenity. Our detailed responses to the many proposals in this strategy are outlined in this document. We highlight three in particular and make four further general points. 1 We strongly support the creation of a way finding and signage review and strategy and would give it the highest priority. Done well and sensitively, a way finding strategy that includes the wider area (including stations) and the cultural institutions themselves could go a considerable way to solving some of the other problems at considerably less cost. 2 We strongly oppose the insertion of an additional bridge across the lake. This would ruin one of the iconic vistas of the Barbican estate and would damage the tranquillity that is appreciated by residents and visitors alike. It would also radically change the nature of the estate, and not protect residential amenity. 3 We are not convinced that an additional north-south route through the estate is needed. Once developments around the estate are completed more north-south routes around and through the estate will be available: □When London Wall Place is complete there will be an attractive south-north route at ground level. This will lead up from Cheapside and the Guildhall, cross London Wall, go past St Alphage Church and the garden at London Wall Place into Fore Street, then Moor Lane, and into Chiswell Street. Much of this would be a green and pleasant route. 1 10/07/2016 □A Highwalk route will also become available from the bridge over London Wall, through the London Wall Place Highwalk to the bridge over Fore Street and onto the Barbican Highwalk. However, if yet a further route is thought necessary we propose an alternative that would avoid much of the nuisance and cost of the other suggestions for north-south routes together with being simpler and more direct. It would also operate on public highway and avoid going through the Arts Centre and hence be available at all times: □The route would take pedestrians up onto the Highwalk at 125 London Wall via one of the two sets of escalators on Wood Street. It would continue north over Gilbert Bridge and from there continue in a straight line to the edge of the Highwalk, where it would drop down to Silk Street via a new lift and stair case immediately south of the Arts Centre’s main entrance. The general points about the proposals as a whole are: 4 Residents support the elements of the strategy that introduce greenery and a pleasanter environment around the estate. But residents’ preference for the interior of the estate is to keep it much as it is – but simply to improve the standard of maintenance. We see little need for further “animation” of the open spaces within the estate or Highwalks. The attractions of the area are provided by the cultural institutions and the stunning architecture and urban planning (and the tranquillity). 5 While we support wider pavements and planting along the streets outside the estate, again we are wary of “animation” (particularly retail and bars) in the streets immediately bordering the estate. The estate is surrounded by busy areas in Smithfield (24 hour economy) and Moorgate. Residents are currently largely shielded from unacceptable noise levels by the fact that Moor Lane, Silk Street, Fore Street, and (to a lesser extent) Wood Street and Aldersgate Street are relatively “unanimated.” The design of the flats is such that bedrooms overlook all these streets, so residents want to preserve them as buffer zones against unacceptable noise nuisance. The Local Plan recognises that the area of the Barbican and Golden Lane is the City’s largest residential area and recognises the need to protect residential amenity. 6 Residents believe that it is impossible to channel all visitors on a restricted set of routes and that it is advantageous to residents that a mixture of routes at ground level on the boundaries of the estate and at Highwalk level through the estate distribute pedestrians around the area and to the cultural institutions. The way finding strategy should support that. 7 Unlike most areas of the City, the Barbican and Golden Lane estates were actually conceived according to an overall strategy (rather than growing incrementally). There is a delicate balance of interests – residential and cultural – and we would not want to see changes that upset that balance and what is already a coherent area strategy – and moreover a successful one: residents love living in the Barbican; people visit it to see a unique example of urban planning and brutalist architecture; and the Barbican Arts Centre, the Museum of London, and the Guildhall School of Music are all hugely successful institutions. 2 10/07/2016 DETALED RESPONSE TO BARBICAN AND GOLD LANE AREA STRATEGY The Barbican Association is the Recognised Tenants Association for Barbican residents. It has represented their interests for over 40 years and has 64% of long leaseholders as members. We welcome the opportunity to take part in this consultation, along with most of the house groups and many individual residents, and influence the direction of our environment for decades to come. Introduction Residents tend to live in the City for longer than political cycles, economic cycles, or even buildings. They have seen “temporary” structures last for decades (Brandon Mews roof) and have seen persistent problems take decades to solve (Highwalks and water penetration). They have seen grass growing on St Giles’s Terrace with no attempt to remove it or maintain the area over several years and through at least two lots of “improvement projects”. That makes residents wary of grand plans that say little about management and upkeep. Nevertheless, Barbican residents welcome the intent to improve the area of the Barbican and Golden Lane estates and endorse the five main principles and the vision of “transforming the area’s vehicle dominated highways into pleasant streets…while protecting and enhancing the valued tranquillity...within [the estates]”. We understand the desire of the cultural institutions for more visibility and accessibility and support that where it will not interfere with residential amenity. Indeed, as council tax payers we would support some of the money necessary for some of the expensive, speculative, and potentially damaging schemes instead being given directly to the cultural institutions to use for their own refurbishments, programming and access. Unlike most areas of the City, the Barbican and Golden Lane estates were actually conceived according to an overall strategy (rather than growing incrementally). While residents understand the need for some change and improvements, we warn against tinkering with what is already a coherent area strategy – and moreover a successful one: residents love living in the Barbican; people visit it to see a unique example of urban planning and brutalist architecture; and the Barbican Arts Centre, the Museum of London, and the Guildhall School of Music are all hugely successful institutions. In particular, the Barbican estate, although predominantly residential, has successfully supported a mixed culture of residences and cultural activities. There are some points of tension, but generally the uses of the area are well balanced. It is, however, a delicate balance, which could easily be upset. Residents do not want to see their residential amenity overwhelmed by cultural (or commercial) activity. Response to first phase of consultation In the Barbican Association’s our response to the first part of this consultation we emphasised: The iconic architecture of the two estates The need for the space to be well maintained and managed Support for the cultural institutions Support for the Highwalks as a series of safe routes for pedestrians, away from cars and cyclists 3 10/07/2016 Concern about growing noise from evening eating and drinking activities and associated noise from clearing up and deliveries Concern about poor air quality The need for much better way finding The need for wider pavements for pedestrians, more planting and safer cycling and motoring We therefore welcome the fact that many of these concerns are included in the strategy. The one that has been ignored is residents’ concern about the growing encroachment of activities that disturb residential amenity – such as bars and restaurants and retail activity. We also note there is no mention in this strategy of maintaining the security of what is a very safe area or the related need to manage the public space in the face of more pedestrian traffic. There is an implication throughout the strategy that economic activity can be generated to help pay for the improvements. Residents think this is unrealistic. The Barbican and Golden Lane area is the main residential concentration in the City: economic activity is unreasonable in a residential area and risks the very qualities that make residential areas liveable in: safety at all times and quietness in the evening and night time. The 15 findings Among the 15 findings in the Public Report, we would particularly agree with the following: Tranquillity and Greenery.