Retford Intervention Strategy MARCH 2016 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk Contents

4 | Introduction

5 | Vision and Strategic Objectives

6 | Areas of Intervention

8 | Heart of the Rural Community

10 | Celebrating the past and embracing the future

12 | A vibrant centre

14 | Retford Station: on track

www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 Introduction This intervention strategy seeks to identify the opportunities for the Council to guide, or where necessary, intervene on sites and projects within the wider Retford town centre area.

In certain cases, it may be that the Council has an active role to play either through commissioning reports and/or as the landowner. Furthermore, the Council can offer guidance and assistance to private landowners and investors. It is the intention that this strategy helps to identify and prioritise the options available for this area.

This work has been informed by various pieces of work which have recently been completed which identified potential regeneration options for this area. These include:

• Review of the Council’s industrial sites undertaken by Savills; • Review of key regeneration opportunities around the town centre and train station area undertaken by the Prince's Regeneration Trust; • Public consultations with residents and visitors to Retford regarding their views on the future of the town and potential areas for improvements; and • Discussion with key stakeholders, such as the Business Forum, Civic Society, infrastructure providers and landowners (including County Council).

As part of this work, an officer working group has been established to ensure delivery of the key projects identified and the interventions required. It is expected that this strategy will be updated on a regular basis.

4 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk Introduction Vision and Strategic Objectives Vision Retford will be a successful historic market town with its centre based around the market square and the attractive shopping streets extending from it. The town will provide high quality spaces to live, work, visit and spend leisure time in throughout the day and into the evening. Retford will continue to thrive as a service centre for the wider hinterland and rural communities.

Strategic objectives These are the overarching objectives for the Intervention Strategy:

1. Strengthen the town centre as a vibrant retail, leisure, entertainment, cultural business and tourist destination for residents and visitors

2. Create a choice of high quality homes in and around the town centre

3. Improve the quality of buildings (especially the focal buildings), streets and spaces, including their maintenance and management

4. Provide convenient access to the town centre by all modes of travel and enable easier pedestrian movement between key assets

5. To enhance the town’s historic assets and the conservation area

6. To encourage visitors to stay longer within the town centre by diversifying the range of activities and services available during the day 8. To maximise the long distance rail links the and into the evening town has

7. To provide free public wifi within the town 9. To increase the visitor assets within the centre town

4 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 5 Areas of Intervention

There have been four distinctive themes identified to steer interventions within Retford town. These are:

Heart of the rural community This theme is focused on the service role Retford plays for the rural villages around the town and ensuring easy access for rural residents into the town.

Celebrating the past and embracing the future This theme is focused on the reasons why people visit the historic market town of Retford including its heritage, visitors’ attractions and leisure opportunities.

6 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk A vibrant market town centre This theme is linked to ensuring the town centre is a place where people can access a wide range of shops and a thriving market.

Retford Station: on track This theme is centred on the Retford train station, its great rail links to other parts of the UK and the area’s role as a key gateway to the town.

6 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 7 Heart of the rural community

This theme is focused on the service role Retford Furthermore, the connectivity between the key plays for the rural villages around the town and transport hubs (bus station and train station) and ensuring easy access to the town and its services. other key areas of the town (such as Kings' Park and some of the car parks) requires improvement. Retford offers a variety of services and facilities which bring many visitors from the rural hinterland Objectives This will be achieved through the following to the town each week. These range from objectives: accessing public services in the Council offices, police station, GP surgeries, hospitals and dental 1. To instil a sense of arrival when people enter clinics to accessing higher education and public Retford, North Nottinghamshire transport hubs and routes. 2. To create attractive gateways into the town for all users (vehicular and non-vehicular) The town centre is largely contained between Amcott Way to the North, Arlington Way to the 3. Improve the vehicular and non-vehicular movements around the town from car parks East, the to the South and Kings and bus station Park to the West. Generally these roads and the canal act as a barrier, and interventions linked to 4. To safeguard the current services and facilities within the town centre improving the pedestrian links into the town centre will help with the connectivity within the town. 5. To increase the quantity and range of services and facilities within the town centre

8 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk Heart of the rural community

Priorities For Intervention The priorities for intervention specific to this theme include:

• Improve the road based gateways into the town

• Improve the public transport gateways into the town (the bus and train stations)

• Improve the non-vehicular gateways (such as the Chesterfield Canal and public footpaths)

• Review the vehicular routes and associated directional signage to key locations such as the services and facilities within the town

• Identify opportunities for new services and facilities within or close to the town centre

• To create an attractive environment for people to spend time in

• To increase the reasons for people to visit the town during the day and in the evenings

8 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 9 CelebratingA sense of arrival the past and embracing the future

This theme is focused on the reasons why people Objectives visit the historic market town of Retford including These are the main objectives for this theme: its heritage, visitors’ attractions and leisure opportunities. Consideration will also be given to 1. To promote the existing visitor attractions the future of the town to ensure that opportunities within the town are not missed.

2. To explore new opportunities for visitors to spend time within the town This theme is focused on safeguarding and/ or improving the reasons behind what attracts 3. To increase the quality of the town’s people to visit and spend time within Retford. This historic assets includes the unique visitor attractions of Bassetlaw Museum, the town’s historic Kings Park, as well as 4. To create an attractive environment for easy access to the Chesterfield Canal. people to spend time in

5. To restore historic buildings, including Interventions within this theme will highlight these shop fronts, and bring underused historic assets and will seek opportunities to enhance their spaces back into use long term role within the town.

6. To improve the access to and from the Chesterfield Canal

10 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk CelebratingA sense of arrival the past and embracing the future

Priorities For Intervention The priorities for intervention specific to this theme include:

• To ensure that Kings' Park maintains and, where possible, enhances its current provision and green flag standard

• Re-use of vacant buildings (such as those on and around the Market Square)

• Re-use of the buildings and spaces to the rear of premises (such as at the back of Carolgate)

• Identify new sites to increase the amount of floorspace available for leisure uses

• Improvements to the Chesterfield Canal (such as pedestrian access and visual appearance of developments fronting onto it)

• To ensure that Retford is at the centre of the Mayflower Pilgrims celebrations

10 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 11 A vibrantsense of market arrival town centre

Objectives This theme is linked to ensuring the town centre is a place where people can access a wide range of These are the main objectives for this theme: shops and a thriving market creating a vibrant town centre. 1. To improve the quality and size of the retail units available within the town The town centre is largely based around Carolgate, centre the market square and the attractive shopping streets extending from it. The retail offer includes well-known high street conglomerates, smaller independent retailers and market traders. 2. To increase the range of the retail offer

3. To reduce the amount of empty shops Interventions that are identified within this theme are focused on increasing the quality and range of the retail offer within the town centre, focusing on 4. To ensure the market remains an asset to Carolgate and the Market Square. The role of the side streets will also be an important consideration the town in ensuring the town centre remains a vibrant and popular shopping destination. 5. To create an attractive environment to shop in

12 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk A vibrantsense of market arrival town centre

Priorities For Intervention The priorities for intervention specific to this theme include:

• Re-use/re-development of vacant premises in the town centre

• Increase the amount of quality retail floorspace (including rationalising the unit sizes to create larger more attractive units)

• Opportunities to improve (and increase if required) the pedestrian realm along Carolgate through to the Market Square and Cannon Square

• Increasing the footfall in the town centre

• Identify opportunities to enhance the market (including the scope and type of goods being sold)

12 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 13 RetfordA sense Station:of arrival on track

This theme is centred on Retford train station, the Objectives rail links to parts of the UK and the area’s role as a These are the main objectives for this theme: key gateway to the town.

Retford train station is on the East Coast Mainline 1. To instil a sense of arrival when people visit with travel time to at 90 minutes and Retford train station York within 35 minutes. The station is also on the -Lincoln route, with Sheffield 40 minutes away. This theme highlights the importance of 2. To maximise the rail connections to other these rail connections to the future prosperity of towns and cities the town.

The area around the train station and the town 3. To create attractive gateways into the town centre is predominantly housing, with a scattering for all users from the train station (vehicular of individual businesses and empty properties. and non-vehicular) There are many visitors and commuters who use the train station on a regular basis and therefore 4. To provide clear and relevant signposting the area around the train station can form their first for visitors’ needs impression of Retford. Interventions within this theme will be focused on creating an attractive environment to encourage rail users to spend more time in the town centre and to create a positive image for Retford.

14 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk RetfordA sense Station:of arrival on track

Priorities For Intervention The priorities for intervention specific to this theme include:

• Identify and improve the key pedestrian and non-vehicular routes around the train station (including to the town centre and neighbouring residential areas)

• Improve the non-vehicular gateways (such as the Chesterfield Canal and public footpaths)

• Review the directional signage from the train station and the pedestrian movements linked to this

• Improve the quality of the environment around the train station to create a positive first impression for users of the train station

• To take advantage of the rail connections

14 www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 01909 533 533 15 Contact us

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