Help Shape the Future of Brighton Marina

Help shape the future of Brighton Marina

Brighton Marina Supplementary Planning Document – Masterplan Stakeholder Consultation

Draft Issues and Options Study June 2008 Planning Projects Brighton Marina Masterplan SPD - Issues & Options Study – May 2008

01 Context

Introduction The Study Area

Brighton & Hove City Council, as the Local Planning Authority, has produced this paper to examine the issues facing Brighton Marina, and to explore the options for its future development and regeneration. The Issues and Options stage is an early part of the process of preparing a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the Marina and wider area, which will form part of the forthcoming Local Development Framework (LDF) for Brighton & Hove.

The Brighton Marina area is currently experiencing intense development pressure, as demonstrated by the significant development that has been approved for the Outer Harbour in 2006 and the further substantial proposals for the Inner Harbour and Black Rock sites. These sites offer the potential to bring about the comprehensive regeneration of the Marina, with significant improvements in the transport infrastructure and public realm.

This document seeks to build on the existing work and consultation Brighton Marina is located on the eastern extremity of the built up which was carried out as part of the process of producing a area of Brighton city centre, 2.5 km to its east and 3 km south east Planning Advice Note (PAN04) for Brighton Marina. The study of Brighton Station. Immediately north of the Marina lies the takes into account both adopted and emerging planning policy, Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs, with Black Rock Beach located strategy and technical background reports. approximately 25m to the west. Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) primarily for their geological interest, although they also have botanical value.

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Kemp Town Conservation Area, with its historic gardens and multiple listed buildings, including Grade 1 listed seafront squares, is approximately 0.5 km to the north-west of the Marina.

Brighton Marina Today The Marina has evolved over the past 30-40 years and its identity is changing. It currently has a rather mixed identity, with a variety of land uses, development forms and architectural styles within it. The recreation and leisure uses have expanded over the years, as have the number of residential developments. Different construction phases within the Marina have occurred without the The Waterfront benefit of a planned approach. Consequently, the Marina has become characterised by piecemeal development and areas of poor public realm.

However, the Marina and wider area has great potential as an important gateway to the City. If the regeneration of the Marina is successful, it could undoubtedly contribute towards a significant proportion of the city’s strategic housing, employment, retail, leisure and tourism requirements. It is also a place of great natural beauty and ecological value.

Merchant’s Quay (incorporating the Octagon)

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Community Consultation In November 2007, three workshops were held with a number of 1 Identity of the Marina different stakeholders including landowners, developers, emergency 2 Urban form and land use services, residents/ amenity groups and councillors on the draft Masterplan for Brighton Marina (PAN 04). The feedback and 3 Transport accessibility in the area comments received as part of this consultation process was used to 4 Public realm and open space finalise PAN04 which was formally approved by Environment Committee in March 2008. 5 District Centre and retail offer 6 Health and social infrastructure Process Brighton & Hove City Council has prepared this document to 7 Ecology examine the issues facing the Brighton Marina area and the options 8 Sustainability and waste management for future redevelopment and regeneration. This Issues and Options paper aims to gather views from stakeholders as part of 9 Housing and demographics the process of reviewing the adopted Masterplan for Brighton Marina (PAN04). The feedback from this consultation process will Options feed into the development of the forthcoming Brighton Marina The challenges and opportunities facing Brighton Marina and the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) that will form part of the surrounding area have been recently captured within the Brighton Local Development Framework (LDF). Marina Masterplan (PAN04) and the Area Assessment for Brighton

Marina (including the Gas Works and Black Rock sites) which

forms part of the draft Core Strategy.

02 Issues and Options Both of these documents have been informed by adopted and emerging planning policies, strategies and guidance both at the Key issues national and local level. This, together with the recent stakeholder consultation conducted as part of the PAN04 process, has provided From the previous stakeholder consultation on Brighton Marina, a robust basis on which to identify a set of key issues and we have identified 9 key issues to be addressed by the Masterplan. associated options to steer the development of the Brighton Marina In no particular order, these are: Masterplan SPD.

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Table 1 provides a summary of the key issues and options which will be discussed and tested via a series of early stakeholder consultation events held throughout May and June 2008.

View of the SSSI Cliffs from the eastern end of the Marina

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Table 1 These potential options have been drafted to stimulate debate for the early stakeholder consultation stage. They do not necessarily represent current or future council policy. Issues Options Do nothing Minimum intervention Maximum intervention Identity of the Marina The Marina and wider area has a Non intervention is likely to lead Provide more opportunities for Develop a comprehensive very mixed identity. ‘The to continued piecemeal appropriate development at the Masterplan which will identify the haphazard collection of buildings development which will waterfront to reinforce the role place-making priorities for the and arbitrary arrangement of land undermine any attempts to create of the Marina as first and Marina and its future uses fails to convey any sense of a sense of place and/ or foremost a marina and leisure regeneration. place or distinctive identity’ distinctive identity. destination. (SPGBH 20).

Urban form and land use Brighton Marina is identified as an Planning decisions concerning tall Identify area where taller As with the minimum appropriate node for Taller building proposals will continue buildings may be acceptable intervention, but with maximum Buildings defined as 6 storeys or to be made on an ad hoc basis. subject to meeting SPGBH 15 height specified for different areas more in SPGBH 15. criteria. of the Marina as part of a detailed Masterplan.

Poor signage and access to key Lack of physical connections to Increase signage to waterfront, Develop a comprehensive Public attractions, particularly the the waterfront, cliffs and wider cliffs and wider area to improve Realm Strategy which integrates waterfront and undercliff walk. area directly contributes to poor legibility. best practice from the City “legibility” – a built environment Council’s Legibility Study: “Public that is confusing and difficult to Space, Public Life 2007”. navigate.

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Limited land use dominated by Balance of land uses continues to Some indication will be given to A much more rigorous approach retail, leisure and housing remain unaddressed, resulting in a developers on the preferred mix to land use to be adopted as part development. Lack of lack of vitality and an of land uses to come forward on of a comprehensive Masterplan employment floor space other unwelcoming environment. the site. approach. This to address any than those associated with Development in the area will existing imbalance of land uses service industries. remain unfettered leading to an and provide for increased imbalance of land-use. activities and vitality in the area. Transport accessibility to the area The Marina area is dominated by The Marina will continue to be Some enhancement of bus Introduction of a comprehensive the car and private vehicles. Its car dominated, resulting in a services to the Marina to improve package of public transport location is remote from the city compromised public realm. The accessibility. measures between the Marina centre. Public transport site will remain isolated from the and other key locations in the accessibility involves a long city centre. city. This to consider the complicated journey for many in possible provision of a rapid the city. transport system and/or bus priority lanes. The capacity of the ramps into Development which is in the An independent transport A comprehensive transport and out of the Marina to pipeline will continue to be assessment to be undertaken in assessment of the capacity of the

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These potential options have been drafted to stimulate debate for the early stakeholder consultation stage. They do not necessarily represent current or future council policy. Issues Options Do nothing Minimum intervention Maximum intervention accommodate further considered on an ad hoc basis relation to the capacity of the ramps to be undertaken. development, beyond schemes without proper consideration of ramps to take future Consideration to be given to the which have already been the cumulative impact on the development. This assessment removal or reconfiguration of the approved, is currently unclear. ramps. will be used to inform planning ramps in the longer term and decisions. their replacement with a new arrangement. Public realm and open space The Marina has suffered from Public realm remains deficient and Improve the appearance of the Develop a comprehensive Public incremental and often piecemeal poor in quality, hindering the area through the provision of Realm Strategy which expands development, which has resulted regeneration of the area. enhanced street furniture and the amount of public realm and in a deficient and poor quality greater use of quality materials. integrates best practice from the public realm. city council’s Legibility Study: Public Space, Public Life 2007. This Public Realm Strategy would identify different character areas for the Martina and wider area. It will also incorporate a Design Code and Public Art strategy for the Marina.

Brighton Marina and wider area is Private vehicles continue to Improve pedestrian and cycle Reconfiguring the road system to dominated by two dual dominate making it a no-go area routes within site by widening the reduce and/or remove traffic carriageway ramps which hinder for pedestrians and severely pavements, introducing from the area. Priority to be pedestrian movement. compromising the future pedestrian/ toucan crossings and given to pedestrians, wherever regeneration of the area. enhanced lighting along desire possible, through use of shared

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The Marina is dominated by Pedestrian movement continues Some surface parking removed, Comprehensive strategy to surface parking, making it to be hindered with little space particularly at the most remove the majority of surface inaccessible and reducing the for sitting out and/ or other inaccessible parts of the site. parking except where appropriate amount of space available for the important pedestrian activities, e.g. disabled parking, car club public realm. such as sport and recreation. parking etc.

Any areas of open space which The Marina will remain deficient Improve the use of existing open Introduce an open space and exist within the Marina are poorly in open space. Existing open spaces by facilitating better green space strategy for the planned and under-utilised. spaces will continue to under- pedestrian connections between Marina and wider area, to perform and not realise their these spaces. encourage greater utilisation, potential. activity and attractiveness. This to be informed by the ecology of the area. Pedestrian linkages to the cliffs and waterfront to be prioritised. District Centre and retail offer The Marina is struggling to The Marina will continue to Provide environmental Comprehensive masterplan and perform as a District Centre as under-perform as a District improvements to the Marina’s redevelopment programme to demonstrated by the number of Centre and be characterised by a main shopping areas e.g. the attract major new investment. vacant premises and high declining retail offer. Octagon/ Merchants Quay, Asda turnover of shops. The most etc. to provide a more pleasant successful elements are the shopping environment which may leisure “sheds” and cafes/ stimulate greater inward

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These potential options have been drafted to stimulate debate for the early stakeholder consultation stage. They do not necessarily represent current or future council policy. Issues Options Do nothing Minimum intervention Maximum intervention restaurants associated with the investment and customers. Waterfront development. Health and social infrastructure Any health and social facilities Future housing development (e.g. Ensure that health and social Proactively identify the health and within the Marina are very limited the approved Outer Harbour infrastructure improvements are social infrastructure required to and almost exclusively private e.g. Brunswick scheme) which entails secured through S106 support the growth of the Marina David Lloyd Centre etc. the provision of affordable negotiations associated with any through the Masterplan process. housing, will change the future planning applications. This plan to be drawn up jointly characteristics of the permanent with the PCT, voluntary sector population. The existing range of and the city council. services at the Marina will be insufficient to support the new population.

Ecology The ecology within the Marina is The ecology of the Marina and Provide some ecological Develop a comprehensive poorly served in respect of wider area remains unexploited enhancements to the Marina and ecological masterplan for the connections between key sites with weak physical connections wider area, focussing specifically Marina and wider area, which will e.g. the cliffs, waterfront etc, to the cliffs, beach and on the pedestrian connections to provide a framework for S106 educational interpretation and waterfront. the cliffs, beach and waterfront. contributions. This will also management. Improvements to the greenways prevent unnecessary duplication (as identified in the Local Plan) of resources and/ or ecological will be sought from S106 initiatives. contributions.

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These potential options have been drafted to stimulate debate for the early stakeholder consultation stage. They do not necessarily represent current or future council policy. Issues Options Do nothing Minimum intervention Maximum intervention Sustainability and waste management There is little evidence of The long term sustainability of Priorities for sustainability and A comprehensive approach to sustainability measures e.g. the Marina remains unsecured. waste management on-site are sustainability and waste Combined Heat and Power Piecemeal approach to on-site identified via the Sustainable management is developed for the stations (CHPs), wind turbines recycling and waste management Building Design SPD (draft), Marina and wider area to ensure etc. and/ or waste management at continues. Recyclable Materials and Waste the longer-term sustainability of the Marina, beyond some basic Storage PAN (draft) and the area. recycling provision. Construction & Demolition Waste SPD. Housing and demographics All existing housing in the Marina Local housing needs continue to Rely on the council’s Local Plan Produce a Masterplan which is in private ownership. be unmet. policies to secure affordable includes targets in relation to Residents are typically young housing to meet local housing tenure, mix and size of professionals without families and need. accommodation to inform S106 active retirement couples, 30% of negotiations. whom own second homes. No evidence of mixed, sustainable communities.

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