Cockermouth Market Place Masterplan
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Cockermouth Market Place Masterplan Proposal to Cockermouth Partnership Ltd GRAY, MARSHALL & ASSOCIATES CHARTERED ARCHITECTS Cockermouth Market Place Area Masterplan Contents 1. Introduction 2. DWA Approach 3. Work Plan Appendices 1. CVs 2. Company Profi les Cockermouth Market Place Area Masterplan 1 4 1 Introduction The Douglas Wheeler Associates (DWA) team welcomes the opportunity to submit this formal Proposal to assist the Cockermouth Partnership Ltd and its partners the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Allerdale Borough Council to devise a vision and masterplan for Cockermouth Market Place Area. The proposal and tender have been prepared as second stage in the procurement process and so builds on our earlier Expression of Interest. Since receiving the invitation, we have met with Ged Acton, revisited the town and reviewed relevant background documentation. DWA has joined forces with Gray, Marshall Associates (urban design, heritage & conservation architects) and Faber Maunsell (transport & engineering consultants) and Donaldsons (chartered surveyors), to offer a team of uniquely experienced individuals who have recently worked together on the detailed design and implementation of specifi c proposals tailored to similar small historic market towns. We are also able to spend a signifi cant amount of dedicated time in Cockermouth. Douglas Wheeler Associates was established early in 2003 as a consultancy specialising in designing strategies that regenerate places. Douglas Wheeler has over twenty-fi ve years experience in area, town centre and waterfront regeneration, economic and development planning. Doug is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Doug directed the initial strategic policy review to identify a framework for future Scottish Enterprise intervention in town centres. In 2000 he directed the Northern Ireland Town Reinvigoration Study which provides a strategic context for the regeneration of towns in Northern Ireland. The Department of Social Development have recently fi nalising their formal strategy based on the work. Doug then completed action plans for Coleraine, Cookstown, Lisburn and Dungannon. Doug is also a specialist advisor to the Heritage Lottery Fund on Townscape Heritage Initiatives and has directed THIs in Dunbar, Douglas in South Lanarkshire and Wick. Gillian Macfarlane has over 15 years experience in urban design and public consultation. Her core skills include the preparation of masterplans, public realm improvement plans, development frameworks, design briefs, statements and guidelines, urban design assessments and feasibility studies. Gray, Marshall & Associates is a very experienced fi rm of urban design and conservation architects with a considerable track record of converting listed mill, church and other buildings into new uses and for designing new buildings in sensitive historic townscapes. Alan Marshall led a team which recently completed the large scale upgrading and conversion of a listed building for community use (Wigton County Buildings) for Dumfries & Galloway Council. Other recent projects include a Public Realm Strategy in Inverness that takes account of the historic street pattern, proposals for a cultural quarter in Hawick and the highly successful conversion of the ‘A’ listed Ettrick Mill, Selkirk to new business training and enterprise development uses for Scottish Enterprise Borders. Alan has worked with DWA on recent projects in Peterhead, Dunbar and Douglas. Donaldsons is a market leader in Local Authority Consultancy and has provided advice to over 70 local authorities and a signifi cant proportion of Donaldsons instructions involve the revitalisation of historic and/or market towns and cities Donaldsons also is a long standing sponsor and active participant in the English Historic Towns Forum. Donaldsons is currently undertaking a wide range of work on behalf of Allerdale Borough Council, including acting as development consultants in respect of the Workington town centre. Cockermouth Market Place Area Masterplan 2 1 FaberMaunsell is part of the AECOM group of companies delivering professional technical services for the built environment around the globe. The Edinburgh offi ce of FaberMaunsell brings specialist expertise in a number of transport planning and structural engineering disciplines. As a result, team members are able to take the view that traffi c management and movement solutions should emerge out of the masterplan, rather than traffi c issues driving the urban design solutions. FaberMaunsell would provide movement, traffi c, transport, structural engineering and cost planning specialisms and advice as part of the multi-disciplinary project team. 2 DWA Approach Four principles will drive our approach to the preparation of the Market Place Masterplan namely: 1. Develop a Small Number of Projects That Can Be Implemented There is now some urgency to develop and implement a small number of well considered tangible physical projects and focused economic development initiatives that will consolidate what has already been achieved at the Market Place and accelerate the process of establishing a new focus and function for the area within Cockermouth. The 2003 Action Plan raised expectations and now is the time to deliver targeted projects that have the support of businesses and residents. Initial funding to implement projects will be available in 2007/2008 2. Focus on Small Independent Businesses The trend of shop closures in the Market Place is starting to be reversed and there is now an emerging cluster of restaurants/cafes like Oscars Bistro and Quince & Medlar and well respected galleries like Castlegate House, Percy House and Neo. We need to ensure that these kinds of small independent businesses are encouraged to invest in their property possibly through Townscape Heritage/ Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme or ‘Living over the Shops’. Undertaking joint marketing and promotion initiatives will be essential to ensure that more residents and visitors send more time and money in the Market Place. Promoting the area as a location for new start and growing lifestyle businesses that could be attracted by the unique quality of the place also needs to be tested. 3. Heritage and Arts to Lead Regeneration A number of small market towns elsewhere in the UK and Europe have used heritage and the arts to drive regeneration examples include: Clonakilty (music/visual art) and Kinslale (food) in Ireland and Castle Douglas (food), West Kilbride (crafts) and Wigtown (books) in Scotland. The success of the Kirkgate Centre through the efforts of local people, charities and local businesses means that the possibilities of using arts and the creative and cultural industries as a catalyst for accelerating investment in the Market Place needs to be tested. The Depot Building could be suitable for conversion to affordable space for working artists and an artist in residence. WASPS provide a network of affordable studio spaces for artists in Scotland and the Arts Council are actively promoting an initiative to provide artists’ workspaces in England (Artists Time Space Money). This kind of initiative will need to be considered in the context of similar proposals emerging in Keswick and at the Dovenby Hall Estate. 4. Investing in the Public Realm and Improved Pedestrian Links Investing in the public realm of the Market Place is essential and improving the pedestrian links that connect the Market Place to the town centre, Town Hall/TIC, Kirkgate Centre and Jenning’s Castle Brewery for example and improving signage is crucial to encourage more footfall and cater for events and festivals. The public realm is the ‘glue’ that holds the various attraction ‘magnets’ in place. (See the Diagram overleaf). The fi rst stage is to assimilate existing information and studies, then conduct appropriate new research to give an up to date analysis of the issues. This involves considering traffi c and transportation, use and location of parking, pedestrian, environmental, economic and historic issues and setting these Cockermouth Market Place Area Masterplan 3 4 confl icts (e.g. differing or competing commercial pressures) and work towards a public realm project that can be afforded and implemented in the short term. Our approach to the assignment would be refi ned in discussion with the Cockermouth Partnership Client Group. Our initial approach is based on 15 Tasks and 12 specifi c outputs that are summarised below and in the Diagram/Flow Chart on the next page. Regular Progress Meetings will be held with the Client Group. KEY Exising Magnets C Depot: Potential New Magnet Br Car Park Market Place: Cultural Focus SC Public Realm: Pedestrian Routes MARKET PLACE Rivers CP Existing Magnets: MAIN STREET TOWN K TH Town Hall/TIC CENTRE D K Ch Kirkgate Centre TH Ch All Saints Church CP Br Jennings Brewery C Castle SC Sports Centre Initial Masterplan Diagram ‘Magnets and Glue’ 3 Work Plan STAGE ONE: RESEARCH + APPRAISAL Task 1: Commissioning Meeting [week 1] A Commissioning Meeting with the Client Group will be held at the start of the assignment to agree the work programme, the basis for consultation, level of detail of the fi nal project proposals and project management arrangements. We will also agree consultation contacts among local residential and business community representatives. Access to all relevant Cockermouth Partnership material, digital mapping and aerial photography would be essential. Output: Scope of Masterplan Report (TEAM) Task 2: Review