Bon Accord Quarter Masterplan Available - These Included a Highly Visible Display in Interested Stakeholders to Ensure the Through the Autumn of 2005
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The Bon Accord Quarter Aberdeen Masterplan Supplementary Planning Guidance November 2006 The Bon Accord Quarter, Aberdeen Masterplan Supplementary Planning Guidance November 2006 SECTION SHOWING NEW ROUTE LINKING MARISCHAL COLLEGE TO ST.NICHOLAS KIRK New Civic Square Provost Skene’s House Flourmill Lane Supplementary Planning Guidance Contents Page 1 Introduction 2 2 Public Consultation 4 3 Emerging Planning Policy 6 4 Transport Analysis and Strategy 8 5 Public Realm Analysis and Strategy 12 6 The Neighbourhoods 16 7 Landscape & Public Realm 24 8 Next Steps 28 Winter Garden and Green Heart St.Nicholas Kirk Section 1. Introduction 1 Section One Introduction Land Securities and British Land, who ACC has approved the Bon Accord Strategy. Further information will require have formed a joint venture under the Quarter Masterplan as supplementary to be provided as a necessary part of name of The Scottish Retail Property planning guidance. This means that the detailed planning applications relating to Limited Partnership (SRPLP), in Masterplan will be a key consideration this Masterplan. collaboration with Aberdeen City Council in judging future planning applications (ACC), have prepared a Masterplan for within the Bon Accord Quarter area. Fundamental principles of the the Bon Accord Quarter in Aberdeen City Whilst the Aberdeen City Local plan Masterplan, including permeability, Centre. The Masterplan relates to part of remains the dominant consideration in car parking, service access and the retail core within the City Centre, and judging planning applications within this pedestrianisation, shall be subject includes the Bon Accord and St Nicholas area, the Masterplan includes a series of to further detailed review to support Shopping Centres, for which the SRPLP key principles which are consistent with planning applications. acts as landlord, and St Nicholas House, the Local Plan and other ACC approved the current administrative headquarters guidance, including the Urban Realm of ACC. Background Context Note: The Masterplan has been prepared over a period Aberdeen is the third largest retail centre in Scotland, Illustrations and artists impressions within this document of two years and has involved close collaboration after Glasgow and Edinburgh (Experian, 2003). It are intended to be studies of spaces and building massing. They are not intended to represent specific architectural between the SRPLP and Aberdeen City Council dominates retailing in the North East of Scotland proposals. Following the principles established in at both Officer and Member level. Two extensive with over 80% of the top retailers represented. The this Masterplan, there will be further design studies of consultation processes formed a key part of the catchment population is almost 400,000, with an architecture and urban spaces within the context of Masterplan preparation, in Autumn 2005 and Summer annual spending power of approximately £1.8 billion. individual planning applications. 2006, and the responses to these consultation The ‘Promis’ retail rankings for 2003 show that processes have informed the approved Masterplan. Aberdeen fails to score highly in overall shopping In particular key Masterplan proposals involving the provision. The Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Retail creation of new public spaces in the form of three new Study, 2004 (AARS) identifies a shortage of high hearts for the city, improving connectivity between quality retail floorspace suited to modern retail Marischal College and St Nicholas Kirk and providing requirements in accessible locations within the city new development in support of the retail offer of the centre. A major concern is supporting and improving city centre were informed by the consultation process. the quality of retail provision within the city centre. The Less popular proposals promoted in earlier drafts Council is already committed to the pedestrianisation of the Masterplan have been removed or amended of the central section of Union Street which will assist in response to feedback through the consultation in unlocking economic development opportunities process. within the retail core of the City. Proposals have also been subject to a Strategic Preparation of the masterplan has involved ongoing Transport Appraisal covering the impact of the and positive consultations with Aberdeen City Council Masterplan on the City Centre. The results of this, over the redevelopment of St Nicholas House and the the consultation process and key changes to the creation of a new civic square for Aberdeen including Masterplan are summarised in this document. a workshop with Council members and officers to assist in defining the purpose and quality of future development on the site. This is a development-led masterplan which seeks to enhance the city centre experience through improving quality and diversity. Improvements to the public realm are contingent upon being able to deliver these two key objectives. 2 Supplementary Planning Guidance George Street St. Andrew St JOHN LEWIS West North Street STORE Berry Street Loch Street Gallowgate Crooked Lane Littlejohn Street King Street BON ACCORD CENTRE MARISCHAL COLLEGE Robert Denburn Rd Gordon’s Harriet Street College St UpperkirkgateNicholas House Citadel St Nicholas Centre Castlegate Flourmill Lane Broad Street Schoolhill The St. Nicholas Street Academy Back Wynd ST NICHOLAS CHURCH Union Terrace Gardens Union Terrace Little Belmont St Virginia Street Belmont Street Union Street Market Street Shiprow Golden Square Stirling Street Rennie’s Wynd Harbour Bridge Street Guild Street Union Square Aberdeen City The Masterplan Boundary Masterplan Area Section 1. Introduction 3 Section Two Public Consultation Introduction Public Consultation Process ACC and SRPLP are committed to The SRPLP working closely with Aberdeen City A number of methods were used to ensure that Council conducted the first 10 week public information about the Masterplan was widely consultation with the public and all consultation on the Bon Accord Quarter Masterplan available - these included a highly visible display in interested stakeholders to ensure the through the autumn of 2005. Over this consultation the Bon Accord Centre where visitors were invited future success of the Masterplan and of period the masterplan team distributed almost to fill in a comment card, issuing copies of the 100,000 newsletters, met with 31 stakeholder Final Draft Bon Accord Quarter Masterplan public Aberdeen City Centre as the economic organisations and received 223 responses from the consultation document to libraries throughout the and social hub of North Eastern Scotland. exhibition stand in the Bon Accord Centre. City and delivering a four page newsletter to homes and businesses throughout Aberdeen. A dedicated In September 2005, a newsletter detailing plans website and phone-hotline was also set up. In July 2005 the City Council Planning for the Bon Accord Quarter development was Committee authorised the SRPLP to circulated to 11,200 homes and businesses in and The vast majority of people who filled in a comment embark upon a full public consultation around the city centre with further copies sent to all card supported the scheme. During the six week 136 libraries and community centres in the city of period 96 people completed a comment card and exercise and requested that the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. the results of the second phase of consultation are masterplan team undertake a Strategic summaised below: Transport Appraisal using the City The newsletter was also made available from the Bon Accord Quarter website and a further 75,000 71% FULLY SUPPORTIVE Council’s traffic model in order to establish copies were circulated as an insert within the free 18% UNDECIDED the likely impact of the proposals upon the weekly newspaper, the Aberdeen Citizen. traffic network of the city 11% UNSUPPORTIVE Following the distribution of the newsletter, the masterplan team conducted a programme of In February 2006 the City Council held consultation meetings with local community a workshop together with members of groups, business forums and stakeholder groups The consultation process has been a great to answer any questions stemming from the Bon success. The responses from local citizens and the Design Team to generate ideas for Accord Quarter Masterplan. In addition, a manned meetings with stakeholders have provided SRPLP the redevelopment of the St. Nicholas exhibition stand was placed in the Bon Accord with the impetus to amend and improve the vision House site as a key element within Centre which was visited by over 1,000 local for the regeneration of the Bon Accord Quarter. citizens. the masterplan. Key outputs from that workshop with regard to land-use, The feedback to the first phase of consultation was Planning Policy Context overwhelmingly positive with: massing, scale and public space have Feedback from both consultations shows been incorporated into the masterplan. overwhelming support for the package of developments put forward by the SRPLP to regenerate this vital part of Aberdeen City Centre. 77% FULLY SUPPORTIVE Further to Planning Committee approval People want to see the city re-established as in June 2006, a second phase of public 15% UNSUPPORTIVE the focus for a place in which to work, shop, live consultation was undertaken in July and play. The SRPLP and their advisors continue 8% UNDECIDED to seek appropriate changes to planning policy and August 2006, before the results as set out in the following ‘Emerging Planning were reported