Contents Preface 7 Introducing the urban design strategy 7 Policy Background 8 1.0 The vision for Sunderland central area 11 Sunderland a great city for living 11 Vision objectives 11 2.0 Context analysis and appraisal 13 The development of Sunderland central area 13 Urban design analysis 16 Planning policy context 26 3.0 Structuring the central area 31 Central area districts: connected destinations 32 Great walks, great streets and great places - the city’s public realm 34 Arriving in Sunderland central area 36 Approaches to Sunderland central area 36 City gateways 38 Moving around the central area 44 Crossing the River Wear 50 Being in the central area city squares, parks and spaces 52 4.0 Central area strategic design guidance 61 Underpinning the vision 61 Built form design guidance 61 Public realm design guidance 80 5.0 Delivering the vision 91 Development opportunities and public realm priorities 91 Civic quarter 92 Central district 96 University quarter 104 Bishopwearmouth 108 Sunniside 112 Riverside South 120 Stadium quarter 126 St Peter’s 132 Pann’s Bank 138 6.0 Implementation 145 Managing beneficial change 145 Development framework for key sites 145 Funding through section 106 agreements 146 Identifying priorities 147 Procuring and presenting good design 150 5 6 Preface Introducing the Urban Design Strategy vi This Document was formally adopted by the City Council as a Supplementary Planning i The Urban Design Strategy for the City of Document on the 25th July 2008 it is intended to: Sunderland's central area is an important step in reshaping the city's heart. The strategy establishes Inform development control decisions, guiding a clear vision for the type of place the City Council opportunities as they come forward in the central wants the central area to be, drawing together area development proposals and draft design guidance. Reinforce emerging planning policy for the ii The aims of the Urban Design Strategy are central area threefold: Establish design principles and guidance for built establish a strong urban form that delivers quality form and the public realm against which all and reflects the needs of the central area today proposals within the central area will be assessed define clearly the role of the central area vii Importantly, the strategy provides guidance for and to describe a range of opportunities that will developers to respond to, and for the City Council contribute clearly to that role to use as a basis for decision making. The strategy is necessary in raising design awareness but should not hinder design creativity. Strategic deliver positive change that revitalises the design objectives are set out for built form and central area and accelerates image change public realm, and design principles for key sites are also identified. These are informed by a iii The Urban Design Strategy for the central area detailed appraisal of the city's central area and its has been prepared by David Lock Associates for context. Sunderland City Council, Sunderland ARC and the Sunniside Partnership. viii The illustrations and diagrams which are used in the strategy are indicative and do not preclude iv There is a strong commitment from Sunderland the promotion of alternative proposals where City Council and its partners to first class urban these meet the strategic design objectives. design, prioritising the design of the city's central Schemes which differ from the objectives or the area for people, allowing all users to move around site-specific design principles will have to easily, conveniently and safely without getting lost demonstrate and justify the reasons for this or confused, and without feeling intimidated by difference including robust design analysis. traffic. In order to achieve this commitment the central area must be clearly structured around ix The strategy sets out a vision for the central area, easily identifiable places, streets and landmarks. supported by a contextual analysis. It introduces a clear structure for the central area and provides v A top quality built environment within the central strategic design guidance for built form and the area also draws upon the considerable history and public realm to underpin the vision. Area-specific identity of Sunderland. All new development that proposals are intended to help deliver the vision. takes place should be of the highest architectural and design standards. New development must x It is anticipated that the strategy will be of conserve and enhance the existing character and significant value to the citizens of Sunderland, cityscape qualities of the central area, carefully developers, investors and all those interested and repairing and stitching together those areas that involved in the development process in the have become fragmented by previous large scale central area. re-development. 7 Policy background xi The Urban Design Strategy supplements policies within the adopted City of Sunderland Unitary Development Plan (UDP) 1998 and in particular policies contained within UDP Alteration No.2 (Central Sunderland). Policy B2A relates to the built environment and sustainable urban design. The Urban Design Strategy has been prepared in response to this policy which states: "Specific guidance for the central area/city centre will be prepared in the form of a city centre design strategy" xii Preparation of the Central Area Urban Design Strategy began before the Planning Inspector’s final report on UDP Alteration No 2. The Inspector’s report concluded that the sections of supporting text to policy S2A relating to the Central Area should be deleted and that the policy should only refer to the retail core, city centre and Grove local centre. The boundary to which this document refers is contained within the previous version of UDP Alteration No 2. It is not considered appropriate to amend the boundary of the Central Area Urban Design Strategy to reflect the Inspector’s report given that the strategy seeks to provide design guidance for sites on the northern and southern side of the River Wear. In addition it is impossible to fully consider the long term potential of the river corridor without taking account of key development sites such as Stadium Village, Sheepfolds, Bonnersfield and St Peter’s. For these reasons that central area boundary as identified in the previous version of UDP Alteration No 2 has been used to define the study area for this Supplementary Planning Document. xiii The strategy must be considered within the policy context set by the adopted UDP and UDP Alteration No.2. An overview of the central area planning policy context is given in section 2 of this strategy. 8 LDF family tree National Planning Policy Regional Spatial Strategy Sunderland Sunderland Local Sunderland Image Strategy Development Framework (LDF) Strategy Statement of Community Local Development Involvement (SCI) Core Strategy Scheme (LDS) Area Action Adopted Development Plan Supplementary Planning Plans Proposals Map Documents (DPD’s) Documents (SPD’s) Hetton Downs Housing Other Allocations (AAP’S) Allocations (DPD) (DPD) Developer Contributions Evening Economy and Agreements Householders Alterations Sunderland Urban Design and Extensions Guide Central Area Urban Residential Design Guide Design Strategy Stadium Village Design and Access Development Framework Statement Farringdon Row St Peter’s Riverside Development Framework Planning Framework Holmeside Development National Heritage Framework Designations Sunniside Planning and Local Heritage Design Framwork Designations AAnnual Monitoring Report (AMR) Optional Required 9 Masterplan 1.0 The vision for Sunderland central area Sunderland - a great city for living. Vision objectives Vision - The City of Sunderland is prosperous, 1.4 The vision for the central area is supported by four vibrant and attractive. The central area is an key objectives. The objectives reinforce the city's economic driver of investment and regeneration, a identity and structure to make Sunderland an place that is valued by the whole community where easy place to visit and spend time in. The vision people want to live, study, work and visit. objectives must be reflected in all proposals within Architectural and urban design excellence underpins the central area and will be used as a means of a first class environment with a distinctive character assessing whether schemes contribute towards and identity that draws on a rich heritage of achieving the vision. innovation and learning. Great streets and walks, beautiful squares and parks provide the setting for a 1.5 The vision objectives will: lively and dynamic mix of uses which are safe and accessible to all. As a leader in the North East of Create a clear, people-focused and distinctive England, Sunderland is the great city for living. identity for the central area through careful restructuring of the city's urban form, establishing city districts and stitching disjointed locations back together with distinctive buildings of the highest 1.1 The vision will guide the ongoing development of architectural and design standards that front Sunderland central area. It aims to meet the the public realm economic and social needs of all those who live, work and study in Sunderland, as well as those Make it easy to arrive at the central area and who visit the city. move around by introducing clear approaches and gateways and by reinforcing a connected 1.2 Fundamental to the success of the vision is the network of beautiful city streets and walks creation of a recognisable, positive image for identifying straightforward and legible linkages to Sunderland. This will be achieved through a clear all parts of the city beyond the centre structure for the central area that draws on, and celebrates, Sunderland's heritage. It will embrace Enhance the experience of being in the central elements which contribute to the intrinsic area by capitalising on the city's heritage and character of the city but also address those attractions with new mixed use opportunities; areas which have been less successful over the enhance the public realm to create a safe, high years.