A Proposal to Designate an Area at Sixfields/Weedon Road As a District Centre
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APPENDIX A A PROPOSAL TO DESIGNATE AN AREA AT SIXFIELDS/WEEDON ROAD AS A DISTRICT CENTRE Northampton Borough Council Planning, Transportation and Regeneration April 2003 Contents Introduction 1 Why Designate Sixfields/Weedon Road as a District Centre? 2 Context 3 Description 3 Permeability 5 Public Transport 8 Urban Form 10 Highways 12 Mix of Uses 13 Definition of the Boundary 13 Consultation 15 Appendix A 16 Mr D Alderson Head of Planning, Transportation and Regeneration Cliftonville House Bedford Road Northampton NN4 7NR 01604 837837 (Switchboard) Email [email protected] PROPOSED SIXFIELDS DISTRICT CENTRE – MARCH 2003 CONSULTATION DRAFT Introduction The Borough Council is consulting on a proposal to designate an area at Weedon Road and Sixfields as a District Centre. The Borough Council, together with English Partnerships have commissioned consultants (Halcrow) to undertake a feasibility study of the regeneration potential of three sites in the Borough (Sixfields, Harvey Reeves Road and Ransome Road). The study, published in February 2003, identified proposals for the Sixfields area, including possible further retail or leisure development, in the area currently used as a Car Park and Recycling Centre. The study examined a range of issues including ownership, geotechnical and contamination issues. It is available as a separate report1. In view of the fact that these issues have already been considered, they need not be covered in this report. The Council has adopted the preferred strategies identified by Halcrow for the three sites. In respect of the Sixfields area the preferred strategy is set out below; • Package 1: Park and ride, civic amenity sites and land to the south redeveloped for retail/leisure/car showroom or alternatively offices. Possible new access from Gambrel Road roundabout. • Package 2: Upton Way surface car park redeveloped for a mixed-use development comprising offices, hotel and/or residential. Consideration of the inclusion of land to the south west outside of NBC ownership as a sub- option for the same use • Package 3: The stadium, athletics track, training pitch and undeveloped land to the east. Consideration of setting a 3/5 year timeframe for proposals for a landmark leisure/sports facility, - “Northampton Competing Sports and Leisure Centre of Excellence”, (e.g. possibly including additional commercial uses such as 5-a-side covered pitches, Northamptonshire Football Association, a David Lloyd type tennis centre and other commercial uses as a part of the stadium complex to be managed as a single comprehensive facility). • A link Road to Harvey Reeves Road. 1 1 Sixfields Feasibility Study (February 2003) Halcrow Group Limited Proposed District Centre at Sixfields/Weedon Road – April 2003 Northampton Borough Council DRAFT FOR CONSIDERATION BY EXECUTIVE 28/4/3 Why Designate Sixfields/Weedon Road as a District Centre? The Sixfields and Weedon Road area contains a wide variety of shops, including a major foodstore, and services that serve the western part of the town. There is currently no geographic based planning framework specifically addressing the future of this area (although the Local Plan does contain many relevant Borough wide policies). There is a need to clarify the role of this area in the shopping hierarchy. The area to the west and south west of Sixfields will see considerable growth in the future (see below) and therefore this is an opportune time to develop proposals to maximise the potential of this area and equip it to serve the existing and future needs of the town. Defining the role of the area will provide certainty and thereby help developers, investors, agencies and local government to make informed decisions about future investment in the centre. Proposals for urban expansion in the south west district can also be developed in the full knowledge of the future role of this area. The designation will provide a basis for a number of decisions including linkages, public transport routes and decisions about the scale of shopping provision need in future expansion areas. An opportunity now exists to prepare a plan to identify opportunities to better connect this area for pedestrians and cyclists and provide a broader range of facilities/services to fulfil its role as a District Centre. The objectives of this plan and subsequent Action Plan are : • to designate Sixfields Weedon Road as a District Centre • to increase the permeability of the centre for people on foot and cyclists • to broaden the range of uses within the centre • to increase opportunities for people to access the centre by means other than the private car; and • to create a sense of place ISSUE 1 ✲ The Council considers that the Sixfields/Weedon Road area should fulfil the role of a District Centre to serve the needs of the western part of Northampton together with the proposed expansion in the south west District. It intends to designate the area as a District Centre, and prepare a plan of improvements. Do you agree with this? Are there any benefits to such a designation in addition to those outlined above? (See Issue 13 for definition of the boundary) 2 Proposed District Centre at Sixfields/Weedon Road – April 2003 Northampton Borough Council DRAFT FOR CONSIDERATION BY EXECUTIVE 28/4/3 Context Northampton has seen considerable growth over the last few decades. The current Structure Plan identifies a requirement for a further 19,300 dwellings in the Northampton Policy Area in the period 1996 to 2016. In addition the recent growth area study2 (commissioned by Regional Planning Bodies following proposals in Government approved Regional Planning Guidance) identifies the potential for further significant growth - 49,000 dwellings over the next 30 years or so. Whilst this study will be subject to further testing at Examinations in Public for the Structure Plan and Regional Spatial Strategy reviews, it is a clear indication that Northampton will continue to experience further growth for the foreseeable future. Northampton has a hierarchy of shopping centres, starting with the town centre, followed by District centres at Weston Favell in the east, Mereway in the south, Kingsthorpe to the north, St Leonards Road in Far Cotton, St James, Wellingborough Road, Kettering Road and Kingsley Park Terrace. In addition there are numerous local centres distributed across the Borough. These centres are designated in the 1997 Local Plan, and are currently being reviewed as part of the comprehensive review of the Local Plan. The area proposed to be designated as a District Centre straddles Weedon Road, the main road linking Northampton with junction 16 of the M1, to the west of the established part of Northampton. This part of Northampton is not currently served by a recognised District Centre. This part of the Borough is expected to see considerable growth in the future. A development of 1020 dwellings is due to start later this year to the south and west of Upton Grange. Further land in the south west district (to the south of Weedon Road and west of Upton Way) is identified for development in the current Local Plan. The principal guidance from government on retail matters is contained in PPG6 (Town Centres and Retail Development – June 1996. This guidance recognises the role of district shopping centres in the shopping hierarchy, and states that Councils should adopt policies which enable centres to meet the needs of residents of their area. Guidance is also found in PPG 13 (Transport March 2001) which seeks to direct uses which are major trip generators to centres where access by a range of modes of transport is available. Description The Sixfields and Weedon Road area consists of a mixture of retail and leisure uses which were developed in the late 1980s and 90s. It consists of a series of individually designed retail/leisure developments each with their own access and car parking areas. These developments are poorly integrated in a number of respects. 3 2 Milton Keynes and South Midlands Study Proposed District Centre at Sixfields/Weedon Road – April 2003 Northampton Borough Council DRAFT FOR CONSIDERATION BY EXECUTIVE 28/4/3 To the south of the proposed centre is the Community Stadium, home of Northampton Town Football Club, together with an athletics track. Linkages between the individual areas for pedestrians are generally poor, and hindered by highways, lack of footways, and obstructions from fences and walls etc. The preparation of a plan for this area provides an opportunity to identify proposals for better connections within and to this area for pedestrians and cyclists and to provide a broader range of facilities/services. The existing uses (March 2003) within the area are currently focused on retail and leisure as listed below: Operator A1 A3 Other Sainsbury’s Superstore and petrol filling station ✔ Boots ✔ Mamas and Papas ✔ JJB Sports ✔ Powerhouse ✔ Holiday Hypermarket ✔ Halfords sui generis Matalan ✔ Wickes ✔ Hobbycraft ✔ Waste Disposal Facility sui generis Park and Ride Parking facility sui generis Megabowl D2 Canon Leisure D2 Pizza Hut ✔ Old Orleans ✔ Bella Pasta ✔ Sixfields Tavern ✔ Freestanding cash dispenser sui generis Chevy’s Music Bar ✔ McDonalds Restaurant and Drivethru ✔ UGC Multiscreen Cinema D2 Frankie and Bennies ✔ Burger King Restaurant and Drivethru ✔ TGI Fridays ✔ Travelodge C1 BP petrol filling station sui generis Little Chef ✔ Former Tempo (currently vacant) ✔ Rock Bottom ✔ 4 Proposed District Centre at Sixfields/Weedon Road – April 2003 Northampton Borough Council DRAFT FOR CONSIDERATION BY EXECUTIVE 28/4/3 Permeability A study of the permeability of the area by pedestrians has been undertaken as indicated on Plan A - Permeability. The Sixfields development itself is well served by footways with a spine footpath running throughout the development, together with footways adjacent to Walter Tull Way. The only real constraints are the unaided crossing of the north/south spine road, a dual carriageway which is very busy especially on match days and access to the bus stop.