SPENNYMOOR REGENERATION MASTERPLAN 2013 Draft 5 Vs 17 (Final)
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SPENNYMOOR REGENERATION MASTERPLAN 2013 Draft 5 Vs 17 (Final) Durham County Council will: Support Spennymoor as a major employment centre including the Green Lane Industrial Estate and the Durhamgate development Work with the private sector to deliver successful and sustainable housing expansion; Work with the private sector to bring about an effective sustainable solution for the future of Festival Walk; and Encourage adaption and change for the town centre Fifth Draft-Vs 17 Page 1 of 32 CONTENTS PAGE(S) Introduction ........................................................................................................................3 1. Spennymoor - Town Profile .....................................................................................4 2. County Durham Plan and Infrastructure Summary...........................................13 3. Opportunities............................................................................................................16 4. Project Delivery ........................................................................................................21 5. DELIVERY PLAN ......................................................................................................28 APPENDIX1 – SWOT ANALYSIS...................................................................................32 Spennymoor from Kirk Merrington Fifth Draft Vs 17 - Page 2 of 32 Introduction This masterplan provides an overview of the programme of regeneration and investment activity that is taking place or is planned in Spennymoor with particular emphasis on the next 3-5 years. It provides the strategic context which underlies delivery and seeks to establish key principles to co-ordinate and focus investment in the town for housing, retail, leisure and employment. The employment, retail and housing context for Spennymoor continues to change. This major town can develop further to increase its population. The town is in an excellent transport location, remains an employment centre and has expansion opportunities created through the Durhamgate development. It is a good place to live with access to employment and can act as a service centre for the settlements surrounding it. The town centre needs to adjust to changing patterns of retail provision to function in a challenging market. Through the emerging County Durham Plan and its actions the Council will: Support Spennymoor as a major employment centre including the Green Lane Industrial Estate and the Durhamgate development Work with the private sector to deliver successful and sustainable housing expansion; Work with the private sector to bring about an effective sustainable solution for the future of Festival Walk; and Encourage adaption and change for the town centre Tackling these will help Spennymoor to be a major employment centre and residential area with a town centre changing to adapt to the needs of its residents. Including the longer term County Durham Plan proposals, the anticipated public investment in the town is £37 million with the potential to generate up to £276 million in private investment over the next 30 years. Fifth Draft Vs 17 - Page 3 of 32 Spennymoor Location Plan1 Towns and Villages 1. Spennymoor - Town Profile 1.1. Summary The town has evolved from its industrial origins to emerge as a successful residential and commuter centre close to other major employment areas. It supports important employment opportunities and space for expansion is allocated at Green Lane Industrial Estate with more safeguarded should that be fully used. This has also been supported through the regeneration initiative at Durhamgate. This project and others have increased the town’s residential offer. New housing expansion on the 1 Adapted From Fig 2.1. DTZ/Tribal, Spennymoor Town Centre Development Framework, Durham County Council 2009 Fifth Draft Vs 17 - Page 4 of 32 former Merrington Lane factory sites is a substantial opportunity. The town centre has scope to improve its retail offer and the Festival Walk centre is an opportunity for future change. 1.2. Location Spennymoor is a major town in the south east of the county with a population of approximately 17,2002 or over 20,5003 in the wider AAP area. It serves a catchment of smaller surrounding settlements seven miles from Durham City and four miles from Bishop Auckland. 1.3. History The town’s origins date back to the mid-19th century when it developed as a centre for coal mining and iron production. The town has evolved to draw in Middlestone Moor and joined Tudhoe to form a substantial combined settlement. It now is much larger than the surrounding villages it serves. Like many coalfield settlements it was badly affected by the decline and ultimate cessation of the mining and iron industries in the early twentieth century. The town’s economy successfully diversified through the development of a significant manufacturing employment based on a range of employment sites and anchored by satellite branches of multinational manufacturing concerns. 1.4. Employment The Merrington Lane site started as a Royal Ordnance factory in the Second World War. The 1960’s and 70’s saw substantial growth in electrical industries in Spennymoor. The Green Lane Estate to the east of the town was first opened up for commercial use in the 1960’s. This was the site for Black and Decker that employed up to 2,000 people in 1964. Following recent relocation of most of its manufacturing operations overseas, it now concentrates on research and development and the return and repairs workshop. Spennymoor is an established location for manufacturing and commercial users, as evidenced by the recent establishment of Thorn Lighting’s UK HQ and Academy of Light and ongoing major investment by “CAST”4 in the Durhamgate project at Green Lane. There are regional/international companies with a base in Spennymoor in addition to Thorn (600 jobs), Black and Decker (160 jobs) and Ness Furniture Ltd (160 jobs). Other manufacturing companies include Berco (tracked vehicle undercarriage), Tridonic (lighting) and D. S Smith Plastics and there are companies specialising in logistics equipment and document handling. The town is otherwise similar to others in Co Durham with its business community comprising of mostly small or micro businesses. Green Lane Industrial Estate remains a key focus for employment activity and offers expansion space for new business location. 1.5. Durhamgate Development 2 As used in County Durham Plan Settlements Study 2012. 3 As used in the AAP profile 2012 4 CAST is a joint venture between construction company Carillion and Arlington Real Estate of Hartlepool Fifth Draft Vs 17 - Page 5 of 32 This initiative will promote significant economic growth and social well-being in the Spennymoor area. It will deliver houses, offices, leisure and retail development based on improved highways access. Durhamgate is the largest mixed-use regeneration scheme in the north east of England and lead developer CAST is investing over £100 million in the site which is recognised as having strategic importance for the region. The development offers major opportunities for headquarter facilities for commercial occupiers and hotel operators. Developers Taylor Wimpey is currently on site delivering the residential element of the scheme. ‘livin’ (the area’s major registered provider) is the first organisation to locate to new office premises within the scheme and now occupies a prominent site at the gateway into the development at the junction of the A688 with the A167. To enable investment at Durhamgate and to facilitate further investment in the Green Lane area, Durham County Council has supported a £8.9 million scheme to improve the highway infrastructure, creating 5.2km of new roadway and improving existing road networks and public realm. This included construction of a new exit from the A167/A688 Thinford roundabout to create access into the development. It also involved construction of new access into Green Lane Industrial Estate off York Hill Road and further improvements to existing road networks and public realm works. The highways work and a new public house are complete, the first two phases of housing are approaching 50% completion and the first office building is complete and occupied. Durhamgate – as proposed Fifth Draft Vs 17 - Page 6 of 32 Durhamgate – as proposed 1.6. Transport and Connectivity Spennymoor is very well situated in the centre of the county and on good east/west and north/south routes and close to the A1 (M). It is also midway between the major employment areas in Newcastle/Gateshead and Teesside. The strong ‘A’ road network also creates easy connection to the market town of Ferryhill and the larger centres including Durham City to the north. The good transport connections generate opportunities to widen the labour market catchments and be part of complementary economic growth between the Tees Valley and South Durham. Recent housing development in and around the town also reinforces Spennymoor’s status as an expanding commuter town. 1.7. Retail Centre The town remains a service centre within the county serving a growing residential catchment and adjacent villages. The majority of the retail core is compact and closely supported by car parks, adjacent major food retailers and leisure centre. There is good representation from budget food retailers including Farm Foods, Aldi, and Lidl. A Cooperative supermarket shares a building with an Iceland store but the major presence is ASDA. Alongside retail provision on the High Street,