Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council Town Centres Area Action Plan: Issues and Options 2020 Contents 1. Policy background...................................................................................................................... 1 National Policy ............................................................................................................................... 1 The Borough Plan .......................................................................................................................... 3 Area Action Plans........................................................................................................................... 7 Sustainability ................................................................................................................................. 8 2. Nuneaton Town Centre.............................................................................................................. 9 3. Key Issues for Nuneaton Town Centre...................................................................................... 14 Nuneaton Town Centre Issues ..................................................................................................... 14 4. Opportunities for Nuneaton Town Centre ................................................................................ 24 Dugdale Street ............................................................................................................................. 28 Abbey Street Car Park .................................................................................................................. 28 Newtown Road ............................................................................................................................ 29 Harefield Road Bus Station .......................................................................................................... 29 Abbeygate and Heron House ....................................................................................................... 30 Bondgate Approach ..................................................................................................................... 30 Vicarage Street ............................................................................................................................ 31 Railway Station and Back Street ................................................................................................... 31 Mill Walk ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Newdegate Street ........................................................................................................................ 32 Bridge Street and Mill Street ........................................................................................................ 32 Former Co-Op Store..................................................................................................................... 33 Other Opportunities .................................................................................................................... 33 5. Vision ...................................................................................................................................... 34 6. Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 35 7. Spatial Options ........................................................................................................................ 36 Option 1: ‘No Change’ – Existing Policy Priorities ......................................................................... 37 Option 2: Strengthening the Town Centre’s Role as a Retail Centre – Retail Focus ....................... 37 Option 3: Making the Town Centre an Attractive Place to Live – Residential Focus...................... 38 Option 4: Promoting Nuneaton as a Business Centre – Office Focus............................................. 39 Option 5: Promoting Nuneaton as a Visitor Destination – Cultural Focus ..................................... 39 Option 6: Mixed Use .................................................................................................................... 40 Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 41 8. Bedworth Town Centre ............................................................................................................ 42 9. Key Issues for Bedworth .......................................................................................................... 47 Bedworth Town Centre Issues ..................................................................................................... 47 10. Opportunities for Bedworth Town Centre ............................................................................ 51 All Saints Square (A)..................................................................................................................... 55 High Street/All Saints Square/Mill Street Link (B) ......................................................................... 55 Spitalfields Car Parks (C) .............................................................................................................. 55 Congreve Walk (D) ....................................................................................................................... 55 King Street/All Saints Square (E) .................................................................................................. 55 King Street/Rye Piece Ringway (F) ................................................................................................ 56 Leicester Street/Rye Piece Ringway ............................................................................................. 56 Other Opportunities .................................................................................................................... 56 11. Vision ................................................................................................................................... 56 12. Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 57 13. Spatial Options..................................................................................................................... 58 Option 1: ‘No Change’ – Existing Policy Priorities ......................................................................... 59 Option 2: Strengthening the Town Centre’s Role as a Retail Centre – Retail Focus ....................... 59 Option 3: Making the Town Centre an Attractive Place to Live – Residential Focus...................... 60 Option 4: Promoting Bedworth as a Business Centre – Office Focus ............................................. 61 Option 5: Promoting Bedworth as a Visitor Destination – Leisure and Cultural Focus ................... 62 Option 6: Mixed Use .................................................................................................................... 63 14. Summary ............................................................................................................................. 63 Appendix 1 - The planning use class of ground floor units within Nuneaton town centre ................. 64 Appendix 2 - Negative features identified in Nuneaton town centre conservation area ................... 65 Appendix 3 - The planning use classes of ground floor units within Bedworth town centre .............. 68 Appendix 4 – The Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order in England (as of September 2019) ........................................................................................................................................................ 69 Figures Figure 1. Nuneaton town centre constraints map .............................................................. 10 Figure 2. Nuneaton town centre flood zones....................................................................... 11 Figure 3. Nuneaton town centre use classes (September 2019)...................................... 12 Figure 4. Nuneaton town centre residential units ................................................................ 13 Figure 5. Nuneaton town centre opportunities.................................................................... 25 Figure 6. Council owned land in Nuneaton town centre .................................................. 27 Figure 7. Bedworth town centre constraints map ............................................................... 44 Figure 8. Bedworth town centre use classes (September 2019)....................................... 45 Figure 9. Bedworth town centre residential use .................................................................. 46 Figure 10. Bedworth town centre opportunities .................................................................. 52 Figure 11. Council owned land in Bedworth town centre................................................. 54 Tables Table 1. Function and appropriate uses for Nuneaton and Bedworth town centres ... 7 Table 2. Nuneaton Town Centre Key Opportunity Sites ..................................................... 26 Table 3. Nuneaton Town Centre Key Assets ......................................................................... 26 Table 4. Bedworth Town Centre Key Opportunity Sites ...................................................... 53 Table 5. Bedworth Town