Elland Town Centre Masterplan
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ELLAND TOWN CENTRE MASTERPLAN 1 Revitalising Elland THE VISION The overall vision is: The masterplan objectives are to: • Ensure that Elland town centre is a place that people can be ‘a vibrant and vital town • Develop Elland town centre as proud of and enjoy, with streets centre where businesses a focus for a mix of uses and a and public spaces that are thrive and where residents range of attractions, including attractive and well used. and visitors take pleasure in an expanded outdoor market, spending time’. and a broad range of events to draw people in, The masterplan aims are to: • Make Elland town centre a more accessible destination • Build upon the town’s unique which is easy to get to and characteristics, move around on foot, by cycle, • Reflect the needs and by public transport and by aspirations of the local car. Ensure that Elland town community, and centre is well connected to the • Encompass the vision proposed new railway station developed for the station access and that movement between The proposed new railway station at Elland - the Town package, and create a vibrant the two is convenient and Centre Masterplan includes improved links between the heart to Elland. attractive, and station and the town centre THE MASTERPLAN Elland town centre has a number However, it also has a number of of strengths that the masterplan weaknesses that the masterplan will build upon: will address: • Location, • Vacant shops, • High quality historic buildings, • Limited green space/planting, • Extensive use of natural stone, • Lack of a clear centre or ‘heart’, • Architecture of key landmark • Poor quality entrances/ buildings, gateways into the town centre, • Some attractive shop fronts, • No dedicated cycle routes, • Good quality independent • Some traffic dominated routes, traders, and • Inconsistent treatment of the • The Rex Cinema. public realm, and There are a number of high quality, historic buildings • Lack of vibrancy and footfall. in Elland The Rex Cinema, Coronation Street Attractive buildings and views out to open countryside, Poor quality public spaces with a lack of vibrancy and but a poor quality public realm footfall ELLAND TOWN CENTRE MASTERPLAN 2 A Visionary Masterplan To Riverside To proposed Park train station Church Street 1 Huddersfield Road Elland Riorges Link 2 Southgate Victoria Road 3 4 Huddersfield Road KEY Elland town centre Key projects Primary routes to the proposed train station 1 The Cross Secondary routes to the proposed train station Southgate Square Cohesive public realm throughout the town 2 addressing surface treatments, lighting and signage 3 Town Hall Square Existing trees Proposed trees 4 Town Hall Gateway Proposed public art Development opportunity Car parking identified for disposal by Calderdale Council subject to a detailed parking study ELLAND TOWN CENTRE MASTERPLAN 3 Key Projects THE CROSS (NORTHGATE, WESTGATE, CHURCH STREET AND SOUTHGATE) St. Mary 1 Reconfigure the layout of the public highway to reduce the width of the carriageway Northgate The Virgin (where it is excessively wide) and increase the width of pavements to improve pedestrian circulation and provide opportunities for outdoor seating. Resurface with 2 high quality materials and install attractive, bespoke street furniture to create a unified 7 Development approach to the public realm. opportunity 2 Hard and soft landscape improvements to the churchyard to provide an attractive backdrop to The Cross and an improved setting to the church. Church Street 3 Encourage improvements to the area in front of the Savile Arms Public House to provide 1 an appropriate setting to this listed building and provide outdoor seating in an attractive external space. Put parking restrictions in place to prevent vehicles from parking on the 6 Westgate pavement. The Savile Arms PH 4 Implement facade/shop front improvements to the One Stop/Savile House and provide 5 3 an improved public space in front of the building. There are opportunities for public art and tree planting to be included within this space. Southgate 5 Introduce formally marked out parking bays to provide easily accessible parking and discourage parking on public footpaths/pavements. Savile House 6 As part of reconfiguring the public highway, provide pavements where they currently do not exist (eg. south side of Church Street). 4 7 Strengthen the link between The Cross and Morrisons to encourage ‘linked trips’. Extend the improved link to the proposed new railway station. The Cross in the early twentieth century, There are opportunities for high There is the opportunity for There are opportunities Sketch showing what The Cross could look like with cobbled street surfaces quality surface treatments improved signage for outdoor seating and public art SOUTHGATE SQUARE 1 Remove pedestrian guard rails and bollards to create a unified, flexible space. Relocate the blue shelter. Resurface the new space with high quality materials and install attractive, bespoke street furniture to create a unified approach to the public realm. 2 Implement facade improvements to Quarmby House and Calder House. Improve Quarmby House signage for the shop units, which is largely obscured from view. Calder House 3 Introduce public art, seating and tree planting into the redesigned space. 5 2 4 4 Retain the car parking but redesign the space so that it can also be used for events. Southgate Introduce tree planting to provide definition and enclosure to the space and screen 3 1 the unattractive blank gable end of the former Yorkshire Bank building. Consider incorporating public art on the gable end. 5 Provide an area for outdoor seating to serve adjacent cafes. 6 Redesign the junction of Coronation Street and Southgate to create an improved environment for pedestrians. Development 6 opportunity Street Coronation There are opportunities to provide outdoor Car park finished in sets will create There are opportunities to Southgate will pass Sketch showing what Southgate Square could seating for adjacent cafes a high quality finish introduce trees and public art through a unified space look like ELLAND TOWN CENTRE MASTERPLAN 4 Key Projects TOWN HALL SQUARE 1 Create a flexible, high quality public space that can function as a ‘civic square’ for Elland, hosting 8 the weekly market, seasonal markets and other events. Resurface the new space with high quality materials and install attractive, bespoke street furniture to create a unified approach to the public realm. 2 Car park finished in sets to create a high quality, flexible space that can also be used for events. 5 6 Huddersfield Road 3 Resurface Elizabeth Street and Town Hall Street with high quality materials and provide appropriate traffic calming measures to allow events and activities from the square to ‘spill out’ Elizabeth Street into these streets. 3 1 10 4 Introduce public art into the redesigned space. 4 3 5 Introduce trees, shrubs, herbaceous and groundcover planting to provide definition and enclosure 2 to the square. 9 11 6 Part of the square could be used for community food growing. Southgate Town Hall Street 7 Explore opportunities with the owner(s) of the Old Town Hall to improve the rear yard and rear 7 elevations of the building, including the introduction of public art to the blank rear elevation. 8 Improved link to proposed new railway station. Old Town Hall 9 Re-use the listed telephone kiosks outside the Old Town Hall for alternative uses. 10 Aesthetic improvements to existing toilet block e.g. cladding or vertical greening. 11 Provide seating opportunities adjacent to bus stop which combine planting and seating. There are opportunities to create Sketch View 1: Weekly market Sketch View 2: Seasonal market or event Sketch View 3: Civic square an attractive setting for markets and events TOWN HALL GATEWAY Elland Riorges 1 Improve the setting of the listed Old Town Hall. Resurface the new space with high Link quality materials and install attractive, bespoke street furniture to create a unified approach to the public realm. Old Town Hall 2 Control/remove inappropriate signage that creates a poor quality image at this key Southgate gateway into the town centre. 3 1 3 Work with the owners of key landmark buildings to prepare innovative lighting schemes. 4 4 Introduce additional planting, public art and street banners to improve the 7 attractiveness of, and promote, Elland town centre. Extend pathway to all cycle and pedestrian route (removal of existing railings subject to road safety audit). 3 2 5 Audit and reduce the amount of signage/street clutter. Remove pedestrian guard rails Southgate 6 Methodist or replace with a higher quality design in black. Church 6 5 Review traffic movements and reduce the amount of asphalt, which dominates this gateway. Increase the size of the roundabout and create a gateway feature. Widen footpath at pinch point around B&M to create both pedestrian and cyclist shared area. Huddersfield Road 7 Introduction of public art on approach routes to Elland to announce arrival. Town Hall in the early Attractive street There are opportunities to There are opportunities for Tree planting will ‘soften’ Sketch showing what the Town Hall Gateway could twentieth century banners can promote light landmark buildings to public art to celebrate local the townscape look like local facilities enhance them industry/business ELLAND TOWN CENTRE MASTERPLAN 5 Complementary Initiatives In addition to the key projects set out in the masterplan, the document also outlines other complementary initiatives aimed at revitalising Elland. Expanded outdoor market and ‘Greening’ the town centre Capitalising on Elland’s additional speciality markets heritage Outdoor markets can be a good Green spaces and planting can Capitalising on local heritage way of attracting people into improve the attractiveness of is one way of providing towns a town centre. Markets can town centres, improve health and with a competitive advantage. capitalise on the increasing well-being, help moderate air Heritage can be used to drive interest in organic/locally sourced quality and diversify town centre regeneration and develop a brand food and other products.