A Strategy for Hayle Waterside Walkway Draft for consultation LDA Design for Penwith District Council January 2009 aerial view of Hayle draft for consultation 1.0 Introduction 5.0 Character Areas - Issues & Options 1.1 Introduction 5.1 Character along the walls 1.2 The Vision for Hayle 5.2 Harbour Junction 1.3 The Waterside Walkway Concept 5.3 Commercial Road 1.4 Aims of the Strategy 5.4 Poolside 5.5 Copperhouse Centre 2.0 Context 5.6 Black Road Link 2.1 Heritage 2.2 Ecology 2.3 Economy 6.0 Design Objectives contents 2.4 Character of Hayle 6.1 Introduction 2.5 Infrastructure 6.2 Design Guidance 2.6 Community 6.3 Form and Materials 2.7 Land ownership 6.4 Public Art 6.5 Wildlife and Heritage Interpretation 3.0 Strategic connections 6.6 Waterside Interaction and Edge Treatment 3.1 Strategic connections 6.7 Planting 3.2 Local connections 3.3 The missing link 3.4 Other potential links 7.0 Implementation 7.1 The next steps 4.0 Copperhouse Walk - The “Missing Link” 4.1 Copperhouse Walk 4.2 The Vision 4.3 Heritage 4.4 Culture & leisure 4.5 Ecology 4.6 Views 4.7 Route options 1 1.1 introduction Hayle has a wealth of unique and enviable assets, from a settlement pattern that very clearly tells the story of its fascinating polarised development, to the ecologically rich areas of international importance, and the natural features that are so representative of West Cornwall at its best - the beaches, dunes and estuaries. All of the assets are connected, physically, historically and environmentally, by Hayle’s greatest asset - its water. However the town has struggled to make the most of its key resources. It is a town of different 1.0 introduction parts, with two historic centres at Foundry and Copperhouse, an edge of town retail centre, some waterside development and hilltop development and incomplete connection between the component parts. As such it does not function effectively as a place. Hayle Town Council, Penwith District Council, Cornwall County Council and the relevant development agencies, are supportive of initiatives to regenerate Hayle to secure a more prosperous, stable and sustainable future for the town. Principal among these initiatives is Hayle in context the mixed use redevelopment of the expansive harbour area, delivering the scale and diversity of shopping, employment, leisure and housing The Area Action Plan places particular emphasis The aspiration for a more sustainable place will provision necessary to enable Hayle to function on enabling access by walking and cycling, and only be achieved if the currently disjointed centres more effectively. Other initiatives are also being also public transport, by making travel between and developments are adequately connected and developed and are encapsulated in the Council’s developments easy, safe and convenient. can complement one another, functioning as one emerging Area Action Plan for Hayle. The intention Fundamentally, it seeks to ensure that infrastructure place. Since water is accepted as the unifying is to re-establish Hayle as an attractive, vital and for walking and cycling is considered as part of element in the town, connection along the water’s vibrant town that is capable of sustaining its own planned growth at Hayle. edge is highly desirable and a Waterside Walkway community and economy in the longer term. must be central to achieving aspirations. 2 1.2 the vision for hayle 1.3 the concept • improved access to, and understanding of, The Hayle Area Plan 2005-2025 has been Water is clearly the town’s most prominent Hayle’s important ecological environment prepared under the Market and Coastal Towns feature, particularly when viewed from the air or in and reflecting its proud and internationally Initiative by the local community as a community- plan. However, at ground level the water is far less recognised heritage; led strategic plan for the town and the surrounding obvious: there is currently very limited interface • development of an image of an integrated Hayle area. The policy process aims to integrate with between the town and the water, with the exception that incorporates and derives maximum utility wider more formal strategies and processes, such of Penpol Terrace and Clifton Terrace, most areas from all of its assets; and as the Community Strategy and Areas Action Plan, of the town turn their backs on the water and there • an enhanced perception of Hayle as a destination and to apply them specifically at the local level. is only limited formal pedestrian access to the in its own right. water’s edge, again at Penpol Terrace and along The Hayle Area Plan sets out a vision: the north side of Copperhouse Pool via the King The Waterside Walkway represents an important “By 2025 Hayle will be a distinctive area, celebrating, George V Memorial Walk. element in Hayle Townscape’s public realm protecting and promoting its natural and heritage strategy and will play a significant role in branding assets; a friendly area, embracing new residents, The development of a continuous walkway, the town and making it more of a destination. It businesses and visitors in the warmth of its focused upon the water and linking all parts of the will help to engender a unified approach to future welcome and traditions; a skilled area, providing town to one another, connecting the town to the development and will reinforce the economic and skills and quality employment for local people history, wildlife and natural beauty of the estuary, community links between the town’s two main and growth opportunities for local businesses, the harbour, the beaches and the dunes (‘The centres, Copperhouse and Foundry, and the and a sustainable area, making sure that all new Towans’), has been a long standing aspiration that proposed harbour redevelopment. The creation initiatives are planned and developed for the the local councils and the residents of Hayle have of a Waterside Walkway will also help protect benefit of the community. We will have created been eager to develop. and celebrate Hayle’s heritage and environment, an effective environment for regeneration through providing opportunities to enjoy them, learn about branding, which we regard as key to the economic The development of a Waterside Walkway has the them and take pride in them. regeneration of Hayle”. potential to achieve several strategic objectives for Hayle, including; The intention is to achieve ‘regeneration through 1.4 aims of the strategy branding’ by establishing a clear and logical brand • economic benefits relating to increased footfall to focus the minds and efforts of all involved in the between key town centre “hubs”, between the The principal aims of this strategy paper are to: regeneration process. Three ‘strategic themes’ existing town centre and new development and have been identified with this in mind, all“based on between the beaches, town centre and other • demonstrate the importance of the Waterside the single key binding element of Hayle’s history, facilities; Walkway in the context of regenerating Hayle; heritage, culture and environment: water.” • environmental benefits of reduced town centre • outline the Waterside Walkway and indicate vehicular traffic, increased planting and the how missing connections might be delivered; Wherever you are in Hayle you are never far from upgrade of derelict, vacant or under-used built • focus on one missing section (the Copperhouse the water’s edge, and the water is fundamental fabric; link) in more detail, indicating the implementation to the explanation of both the town’s historic • social benefits of inclusion through equality of issues that need to be addressed; and development and its future potential. In short, access to assets, enjoyment and encouragement • indicate some of the key design principles of water is the common theme that defines and unifies of activities that support healthy living; relevance to the Copperhouse link. Hayle. 3 phillack beach 2.0 context towans copperhouse pool north quay clifton terrace copperhouse harbour east quay merchant curnow’s quay lelant penpol creek penpol terrace south quay carnsew pool foundry lelant water 4 LELANT THE TOWANS HAYLE PHILLACK CARNSEW POOL HARBOUR COPPERHOUSE POOL FOUNDRY COPPERHOUSE aerial view of Hayle 5 2.1 heritage The town of Hayle has a remarkable history that is belied by its current run-down and neglected appearance. Originally a natural estuarine harbour, the largest on the North Coast of Cornwall, it became a major centre of industry and international trade. As a result it now has international recognition as one of 10 designated areas within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (WHS). However, despite the heritage and the copperhouse many natural assets, years of industrial decline pool have resulted in a town that no longer fulfils its potential. Hayle Harbour COPPERHOUSE Positive change is now underway with considerable recent investment at the Foundry complex carnsew and through the Hayle Townscape Initiative at pool Copperhouse and Foundry town centres. A major opportunity to redevelop the harbour represents one of the region’s most exciting development FOUNDRY prospects, heralding the start of the next chapter in the town’s history. Hayle’s historic significance lies in its industrial activity, the impact of which was felt on the regional, national and international scene. Hayle played a very important part in the industrialisation Cornish Copper Company of the UK and its innovation, entrepreneurship the two foundries and productivity helped to support industrial Harveys & Co development across the globe. Pioneering engineers Woolf and Trevithick were among the Harvey and Co. of Hayle, based in Foundry. This exception of some higher but more peripheral areas famous Cornish engineers who worked in Hayle. rivalry had a dramatic impact on the physical of the town, that is only vantage point.