Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent Urban Design guidance Consultation Draft Summary of Consultation January 2010 Summary of Consultation Urban Vision programme of training/ consultation events Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent Urban Design Guidance ii Summary of Consultation Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, together with Summary of key issues identifi ed by workshops Urban Vision North Staffordshire, prepared and ran 13th & 20th May 2008 Programme 13th May 2008, Burslem School of Art. a joint programme of events, including an element 9:30 Introduction to the project, Urban Vision Local Authority and Pathfi nder Offi cers. of training and consultation for the Urban Design What are the key urban design issues that Guidance during 2008. The programme (see 10:00 The Quality of Place: Good and bad signifi cantly infl uence the quality of place here? previous page) involved fi ve events. The following design in North Staffordshire, Urban Vision a. Major routes provide barriers and off the text concentrates on the consultation elements of strategic roads ease of movement is poor. the programme and events directly related to the 10.30 Initial Impressions, Tibbalds preparation of the Urban Design Guidance. b. Pedestrian environment generally poor. 10:50 Quality of Place, Group Discussions c. Lack of character especially in residential Urban Vision organised each session, identifying Break development and a lack of contextual stakeholders, inviting participants and providing references. accommodation, catering and other facilities, 11:40 Review of Current Practice, Group d. Town centres should be more welcoming, have registering attendance, preparing and collecting Discussions distinctive character and with more coherence. feedback responses, and identifying and inviting 12:00 Key Issues from Design Review, Urban e. Need to create better residential areas with guest speakers. Urban Vision and Tibbalds both Vision design tool kits for each type. contributed to the programme for each session, leading different components and providing 12:15 Feedback & Signifi cant Issues for the f. The car should be less dominant. facilitators for group discussions. Design Guidance g. Legibility, particularly views of towns and the landscape quality. Event A: Creating Urban Design Guidance for 12:50 Summary and next steps Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent h. Value the best of the old. Networking i. Lack of cross authority policy. 21st April 2008, Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Offi ces. Open to all stakeholders Event B: Making good places: Design issues in j. Transport corridors need to be dealt with more positively, and be better quality. Its purpose was to inspire the client agencies Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent about the project and good design. It comprised These workshops aimed to remind participants k. More diversity of residential tenure and type, a talk by Dean Aggatt on the Oldham & Rochdale of the government’s guidance on urban design better integrated with their surroundings, and experience of producing design guidance, principles, to share the initial impressions of the with centres and greenways. emphasising: consultant team and through group discussions l. Craftsmanship, pockets of excellence, creating to fi nd out the views and priorities of local destinations within conurbation, mix of a. the importance and value of good design; stakeholders in relation to both the place and local attractors, and special image/ identity. b. thinking strategically about design; and practice. Review of current practice locally: What is c. the process of raising the profi le of good design. Three workshop sessions were held, for affecting design quality? What are the barriers? Following this talk, Tibbalds introduced the scope a. Good strategic interaction between partners. a. Local Authority and Housing Market Renewal and programme for the preparation of the Urban Pathfi nder Offi cers; b. Tendency to accept mediocre development. Design Guidance and highlighted the next stage of c. Challenge to create design quality – developer consultation workshops. b. Other stakeholders, such as local developers, RSLs, architects, representatives of statutory buy-in/ commitment queried. agencies such as the Environmental Agency, d. Need to address how redundant sites dealt police etc and amenity societies; and with. c. Elected representatives of both Local e. More positive guidance required. Authorities. Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent Urban Design Guidance 1 Summary of Consultation ‘The‘ The area area has a broken has character a and broken not well connected character ‘ and is not well connected’ ‘Good quality public realm and‘ Good strongquality public realm character’ and strong character ‘ ‘Canal‘ Canal area is a area good amenity is space a ‘good amenity space’ ‘Poor‘ Poor quality quality retail out of town retail‘ out of town’ ‘Poor quality housing‘ Poor development’ quality housing development ‘ ‘Festival Park, poor‘ quality Festival park poor area’ quality area ‘ ‘Good‘ Good quality quality public realm, pedestrain public access and realm, retail mix ( ex: pedestrian Castle walk ) ‘ access and retail mix (eg Castle Walk)’ TuTunstallta BBurslemm ‘Poor design for Norton‘ Poor design Heights’ for Norton Heights ‘ ‘Cross‘ Cross heath poor Heath quality development poor ‘ quality development’ HaHanleyleeyey ‘Good quality skate‘ Good quality park’ skate park ‘ Newcastle under Lymee ‘Good‘ Good views from views Blackbank fromRoad ‘ Blackbank Road’ Stoketokeke Fentonon ‘Poor quality public realm and sense of ‘ Poor quality public realm and sense of disorientation and lack of disorientation green and lack areas’ of green areas ‘ Longton ‘Dual‘ Dual carriage carriageway acting as a physical barrier ‘ andacting car parking problems as a physical barrier’ ‘Penkhull area, medieval village with church as ‘ Penkhull area, medieval village with church as a focal focal point and good point quality buildings and ‘ good quality buildings’ ‘Good quality public ‘ Good quality public realm in realm in Tontine Square’ Tontine Square ‘ ‘Victoria Hall as a ‘ Victoria Hall as a ‘Trentham Gardens, ‘Good quality public landmarklandmark building building’ ‘ ‘ Trentham Gardens as ‘ Good quality public space at the a tourist a touristic attraction’ attraction ‘ space at Stoke entrance entrance’ of Stoke ‘ Making Good Places: Local examples of good and poor design - Offi cers, 13th May 2008 0 m 5 km 10 km Note: Captions are quoted from comments made during the workshop. Illustrations added by consultant team Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent Urban Design Guidance 2 Summary of Consultation f. Role of elected members – willing to accept low i. Connectivity – links between towns, use the quality. canals and greenways better, connect the 10th June 2008 Programme g. Role for stronger forums, panels etc. railway station to city centre. 1:30 Introduction to the project, Urban Vision j. Legibility – hard to understand where and what. h. Pressure to process/ determine applications – a 1:40 The Quality of Place: good and bad time/ resource issue. k. Accessibility – better connections between design in North Staffordshire, Urban i. What is working: Development involving historic centres – it’s hard to move about. Vision environment – use same skills elsewhere; little l. Identity – centres need roles, reinforce them things work well eg skate park, public art; some beyond the local. 2:10 Initial Impressions, Tibbalds processes eg Urban Vision. Review of current practice locally: What is 2:25 Review of current place and practice, j. Not working: public authorities need to improve working now? What is affecting design quality? Group Discussion advice given; quality of local architects – need What are the barriers? 3:00 Key Issues from Design Review to raise game; developers not free thinking a. Use existing tool kits to improve design quality, enough; Planning Inspectorate not supportive; for instance Building for Life. 3:25 Feedback & Summary of signifi cant design and access statements not delivering issues and priorities for design guidance enough. b. Win political support – needs strong decisions and planning development grant impedes good k. What is needed: better communication, design design. awards, more reviews. c. Integrate design into all strategies – too many 10th June 2008, Burslem School of Art. 20th May 2008, Burslem School of Art. Other poorly designed schemes “have got to happen”. Elected Representatives stakeholders. d. Awareness of design issues has increased The 3rd workshop was a condensed programme What are the key urban design issues that in last 10 years – both developers and local for elected representatives. signifi cantly infl uence the quality of place here? authority. a. Transportation – links between centres need to e. Confl ict between aspirations for good design This produced a very similar outcome to other be improved. and need for economic development. workshops. b. Identity of centres – investment going into f. Planning process is lengthy. Good design examples: Hanley, but each centre needs its own strong g. Lack of strong policy framework. a. The cultural quarter; role. h. Leadership. b. Keele village; c. Poor quality public realm needs to be improved c. Gladstone Pottery; and to attract/ retain people. i. Build on positives. j. Need for clearer plans. d. The new Stoke Civic Offi ces – as the only d. Competing centres – lack of clarity, nothing to landmark on the A500. distinguish them. k. Lack of resources, skills in local authorities and e.