Central Area Action Plan Issues & Options Consultation 27 September - 22 November 2007 Consultation Feedback Report If you would like a copy of this information in Large Print, Braille, Audiotape or translation into another language, please contact 01604 837 861. Planning Policy & Conservation Section Cliftonville House Bedford Road Northampton NN4 7NR Central Area Action Plan Issues and Options Consultation Feedback EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is a report of the feedback gathered through the Central Area Action Plan consultation on the Issues and Options document. The consultation period ran from 27 September - 22 November 2007. A large amount of information was captured from a range of individuals, groups and organisations. This has been collated into this report as evidence in moving forward to Preferred Options. In total 146 copies of the completed questionnaire were received both in paper and electronic format. The first part of the report provides a summary of statistics gathered through the consultation. The second part of the report provides a compilation of the statistics and written feedback and comments. Respondents were asked to rank their preferences when responding to the questions. The lower the number, the higher the preference, i.e. 1=higher priority, 10=lower priority. This has then been turned into a percentage for ease of interpretation1. The Issues and Options document was extensive and considered a vast number of options. This was reflected in the questionnaire and resulted in a lengthy, somewhat complicated document. It is considered that this limited the number of completed questionnaires in comparison to how many were distributed and accessed over the Internet. The key findings from the consultation responses were as follows: • The Vision for the Central Area was generally supported but it was felt that there were gaps in terms of the provision of cultural facilities within the Central Area and a lack of recognition of faith communities. A number of comments relate to the timescales for the action plan being too long and that the Vision should be met sooner. • The strategic objectives for the Central Area were generally supported with the majority of comments relating to Objective 2 – Accessibility and transport networks. Particular comments were made around improving links and connectivity. • New retail development was felt to be appropriate within existing retail areas. This was largely reinforced through comments made about other suitable locations. • The need for a new supermarket did not provide any clear location. The east end of Abington Street was mentioned several times along with other suggested locations which fall outside of the Central Area boundary, St James and Sixfields. There were some questions raised about the need for a new supermarket. 1 Please note that the percentages held in the document relate to the weighted total of preferences not the number of responses. June 2008 3 Executive Summary Central Area Action Plan Issues and Options Consultation Feedback • Independent retailers were felt to be most appropriate in St Giles Street with almost half of respondents ranking it highly. A number of comments were also made about the potential suitability of the Drapery and Derngate areas. • The most popular locations, although not significantly, for large-scale office development were Bedford Road and the Old Postal Sorting office on Barrack Road. • Small-scale office development was most popularly suggested in Freeschool Street, Horsemarket and St John’s, although not by a marked majority. • There were felt to be gaps in the provision of leisure development with over half of respondents feeling that there were gaps but also that the existing facilities do not meet the needs of all sectors of the community. • A large number of suggestions were made about which facilities were missing, which included: swimming pool, ice rink, skateboard facility and facilities for the wider community from families through to teenagers, over 25’s and over 50’s. • When locating leisure facilities the majority of respondents (70% of weighted total) felt that leisure and entertainment uses should be dispersed throughout the Central Area. There were a number of comments made about the high number of bars and nightclubs within the town. • Restaurants, cafes and bars were felt to be most appropriate in The Riding/ Fish Street/ Dychurch Lane area. • Large scale leisure and entertainment uses received a mixed response across the four options provided – North of the Grosvenor Centre, North of Abington Street, St Peters Square, and between Horsemarket and the Drapery. • Outdoor events were suggested for Beckets Park and the Market Square and received nearly equal prioritisation. Many other locations that were suggested were outside of the Central Area boundary. • Nearly half of respondents felt that there was a gap in the provision of cultural facilities and that current facilities do not meet the needs of all sectors of the community. 70% (of weighted total) respondents felt that there also needed to be provision of workspace for creative industries. • Castle Station was the most popular location for a hotel, closely followed by the Old Grand Hotel in Gold Street. Other locations were suggested and were wide ranging, including locations outside of the Central Area boundary. June 2008 4 Executive Summary Central Area Action Plan Issues and Options Consultation Feedback • Residential development provoked wide-ranging responses. A mix of housing types were suggested ranging from apartments, affordable housing, mixed schemes of affordable and private and mixes of apartments and houses. Significant residential development was most popular, by a small margin, in Great Russell Street. Other locations suggested include around the old Postal Sorting Office in Barrack Road. • There was overwhelming agreement for the design principles, with 88% (of the weighted total) of respondents feeling they were appropriate. Other additional principles ranged from public transport and parking, public realm and environmental sustainability. • Criteria for new development were largely felt to be appropriate, however transport and historic character were key additional criteria. • Ensuring that the Central Area road system is able to support a fast and reliable bus service is considered most important. With regard to car parking, ‘pay as you leave’ was most popular, although all of the options were quite highly supported, indicating parking is a key issue. • The development of cyclist and pedestrian networks around the River Nene adjoining to Nunn Mills and the development of routes linking Beckets’ Park through the Avon site to the town centre were most popular. There were felt to be many constraints for cyclists in relation to the speed of traffic, safe cycle parking facilities and the width of cycle lanes. • In relation to the public realm the top areas identified for town gateway improvements include Black Lion Hill and the Regent Square/ Grafton Street/ Campbell Square / Barrack Road junction. • Overall the barrier to movement offered by the Bus Station was thought to be most appropriately dealt with by demolition. A number of comments were made in relation to the bus station, ranging from the need to ‘tidy it up’ to feeling that it should have been removed years ago. • Just over half of respondents felt that the shared use of street space is realistic within the Central Area, particularly in Bridge Street and St Giles Street. • 86% (of the weighted total) was allocated to ‘improvements to the public realm making a safer place’. Another key area with safety issues was Abington Street. Measures suggested to improve safety included better lighting, CCTV, increased Police and Community Support Officer presence, removal/ improvement of covered walkways and underpasses. June 2008 5 Executive Summary Central Area Action Plan Issues and Options Consultation Feedback • It was generally felt that the population structure of Spring Boroughs should be made more attractive and that more families and dual person households should be encouraged to the area. Other locations requiring regeneration were suggested within the town. • Housing stock in Spring Boroughs was not felt to meet the needs of the current population and there is a need for more family and larger properties. There is a need for a better range of basic skills courses in the local area too. • Safety around the Central Area was felt to need improvement. Measures that could be taken are improving existing public spaces; better street lighting and providing more green space. • Conservation issues were felt to have been accurately reflected by 80% of respondents. Each questionnaire sent out contained a consultation monitoring form. This was used to help monitor the effectiveness of consultation activities by asking questions about demographics: gender, age group and ethnic group. This information can then be used to help inform future consultation activities and target specific sectors of the community, which may be underrepresented. It must be noted that these results fit the demographic of those who responded, and not those who did not respond. Consultation monitoring is an ongoing process that will help to inform the design of future consultations processes. The results clearly show that of the 99 people who responded to the monitoring questionnaire prefer a newsletter, local paper and local exhibition as locations for providing information to the public. When asked about the type