10.1. The Borough Council attaches great importance to the maintenance and enhancement of Wellingborough town centre as the focus for the commercial, civic and cultural life of the Borough. The future vitality and viability of the town centre will derive in large part from a continued diversity of uses: shops, entertainment, restaurants, financial services, offices, small businesses and housing. In turn this assists in reducing unnecessary travel and supports the efficient operation of public transport. For clarification the term 'retail' is used in the Plan to encompass: shops selling goods direct to the public; financial and professional service uses (other than health or medical) where the services are provided principally to visiting members of the public; and food and drink uses (such as pubs, restaurants or hot food take aways).
10.2. The particular strengths of Wellingborough town centre, in addition to its diversity, are its compact nature, ease of access, with ample free car parking, and potentially attractive market town character. Qualitative improvements are, however, required in terms of the range of uses, pedestrian-vehicle conflict and the physical fabric. Meeting these deficiencies, whilst maintaining the advantages of compactness and ease of access and fully realising the area's character, are key issues to be addressed.
10.3. In providing for diversity, however, account must be taken of the particular importance to the centre of retailing and the benefits which derive from concentrating most shops close together, thereby minimising shoppers' walking distances and allowing easy comparison of goods. Consequently a core area has been defined, centred on 'primary shopping streets' in which shops should predominate at street level. The town centre and town centre core areas are defined on Inset1A.
10.4. Upgrading of the town centre environment has been initiated by a major refurbishment programme funded by the Borough Council. Schemes include modifications to the town centre road system and new street furniture, paving and lighting. The programme will be supported by policies to encourage high quality design of future development and refurbishment of existing buildings.
10.5. A town centre shopping area, within which it is intended to encourage and accommodate most retail uses serving the needs of the Borough as a whole, is subdivided into Primary and Secondary Shopping Streets.
10.6. Retail frontages will be protected to prevent encroachment of non-retail uses at ground floor/street level. This, together with proposals such as improved pedestrian access, rear servicing and environmental refurbishment, should provide confidence in the continued vitality and trading potential of established shopping streets and ensure convenient and easy access to major shopping facilities for the majority of shoppers. It is intended to retain the fullest shopping use of the Primary Shopping Streets and the general shopping character of the Secondary Streets.
10.7. These aims are substantially met at present within the shopping streets. Most of the street level frontage length in the Primary Streets is retail, 15% of this being financial and professional services and restaurants. In the Secondary Streets shops are again the largest proportion of street level frontage uses but with an increased proportion of other retail uses. This situation has not changed markedly over several years and it is considered that Policies C1-C3 will support the continued maintenance of a lively street scene with a convenient mix of retail uses and a limited amount of non retail uses complementing these.
10.8. Development of upper floors for small scale offices, leisure uses or flats will normally be justifiable in support of the vitality of the town centre, especially outside shopping hours. Development either of frontages or upper floors should not detract from either the appearance or efficient retail operation of the Primary or Secondary Shopping Streets; development which is incompatible with retail uses will be refused.
WITHIN THE PRIMARY SHOPPING STREETS, SHOPPING USES WILL BE GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION.
PLANNING PERMISSION FOR CHANGES OF USE WITHIN THE PRIMARY SHOPPING STREETS, INVOLVING THE LOSS OF A SHOPPING USE AT GROUND FLOOR/STREET LEVEL, WILL BE REFUSED.
WITHIN THE SECONDARY SHOPPING STREETS, SHOPPING, FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND FOOD AND DRINK USES WILL BE PERMITTED PROVIDED THAT THIS:
WOULD NOT RESULT, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR CUMULATIVELY, IN SHOPS NO LONGER REMAINING THE DOMINANT USE WITHIN THE SPECIFIC SECONDARY SHOPPING STREET AS A WHOLE; AND
WOULD NOT LEAD TO AN EXCESSIVE BREAK IN THE SHOPPING FRONTAGE.
DEVELOPMENT OTHER THAN AT GROUND FLOOR/STREET LEVEL FRONTAGE IN PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SHOPPING STREETS WILL BE PERMITTED IF THE PROPOSAL IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE FUNCTION OF THE STREET DEFINED IN POLICY C1 OR C2.
10.9. Within the Commercial Fringe Areas appropriate development will, in addition to retail uses, include other public uses such as meeting halls, health and indoor leisure facilities. These can be easily accessible to serve the needs of users from throughout the Borough, utilising the benefits of town centre car parking facilities and public transport as well as more localised pedestrian and cycle access. Such activities will contribute to the vitality of the centre especially during those periods which are outside shopping hours. Further retail uses to include smaller scale specialist facilities, which may not sustain the cost of a prime retail location, and some quasi retail uses such as car sales (as referred to in Chapter 5) will also be appropriately located here.
10.10. It may be necessary to impose some restrictions to ensure that a diversity of activities can be retained. Such restrictions would normally be applicable only in respect of overall provision rather than to individual locations. In addition, whilst a flexible approach will be taken regarding development involving the use of premises other than at ground floor/street level, potential conflicts will be resolved in favour of those uses referred to in paragraph 10.9/policy C4. Development in general within the Commercial Fringe Areas should be complementary to the Primary and Secondary Shopping Streets and to the specific proposals for development in the core area.
WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL FRINGE AREAS RETAIL OR NON-RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS OR ASSEMBLY AND LEISURE USES WILL BE PERMITTED.
OTHER USES WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED IF THE PROPOSAL:
WOULD NOT RESULT, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR CUMULATIVELY, IN THE LOSS OF A MIX OF USES REFERRED TO ABOVE PREDOMINATING AT GROUND FLOOR/STREET LEVEL FRONTAGES IN THESE AREAS TAKEN AS A WHOLE; AND
IS COMPATIBLE WITH THOSE USES.
10.11. In 1992 the Borough Council appointed consultants to advise upon physical refurbishment of the town centre and to produce a master plan setting out measures to enhance the appearance, safety and commercial viability of the centre. The objectives of the plan can be classified broadly into two categories : traffic proposals and townscape. Following public consultation, a series of proposals combining measures to slow traffic in the town centre with substantial environmental improvements to the areas used by pedestrians have been approved and implementation is now well advanced.
10.12. The principal components of town centre refurbishment are as follows:
A revised town centre distributor route comprising : one way streets of Sheep Street, Silver Street, High Street (South), Church Street, Gloucester Place (Park Road South) Alma Street and Midland Road (west of Commercial Way) together with Victoria Road two way; and a gyratory loop around the multi storey car park (Commercial Way and a new link - Castle Way - to the south east of the car park);
Traffic calming measures including junction modifications, speed reduction tables and carriageway restrictions (widened pavements) within the one-way streets noted above, Cambridge Street (one-way) and Orient Way;
Increased pedestrianisation within the Market Street - Market Square area.
Improvements to the streetscape, the settings of and space between buildings by new paving, landscaping and a co-ordinated scheme of new street furniture and lighting;
Provision for townscape improvements including buildings refurbishment and for landscaping schemes along Swanspool Brook to the north of London Road (in association with The Castle Arts Centre);
Environmental improvements to the multi-storey car park and Sharman Road and Jacksons Lane (surface) car parks;
Enhancement of the pedestrian links into the town centre and between the car parks, shopping streets and The Castle Arts Centre;
Provision for convenient bus and taxi access in close proximity to pedestrian areas;
Improved provision for the disabled including dedicated parking areas; and
Provision for vehicular access to All Hallows Church.
10.13. The improvements to be effected to the streetscape, together with traffic calming measures and pedestrianisation, will be complemented by encouraging buildings refurbishment and improvement and by sympathetic design and use of materials in respect of new development. In most cases proposals involving wide-frontage premises or the structural amalgamation of existing frontages will be resisted. Sympathetic use of materials and lighting for advertisements will be encouraged. The Borough Council will produce design guidance as appropriate, and consideration may be given to extending the Conservation Area grant system to the town centre.
REDEVELOPMENT OR REFURBISHMENT PROPOSALS WITHIN THE TOWN CENTRE CORE AREA WILL NOT BE GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION UNLESS THEY:
RETAIN TRADITIONAL STREET FRONTAGES, EXCEPT BETWEEN No. 3 MIDLAND ROAD AND GLENBANK;*
PROVIDE REAR SERVICING WHEREVER POSSIBLE;
ARE DESIGNED AND OF MATERIALS TO REFLECT THE TRADITIONAL MARKET TOWN CHARACTER; AND
CONFORM IN GENERAL TO THE BOROUGH COUNCIL'S TOWN CENTRE REFURBISHMENT SCHEME.
* this exception is to relieve the impact upon the character of this area imposed by the side elevation of the Swansgate Centre.
10.14. Existing uses in areas such as Church Street (All Hallows Church and gardens and the Tresham Institute of Further Education) and in the vicinity of Croyland Hall Gardens (the Tithe Barn, Croyland Hall, Croyland Abbey and the Council offices) are important community uses and are expected to remain substantially undisturbed. Areas of office uses in West Villa Road and Queen Street successfully provide diversity which adds to the centre's vitality.
10.15. Swanspool Brook Valley with Croyland Gardens and Tithe Barn Green are part of the town-wide open space system; they will be protected in accordance with Policy G19. The penetration of linear open space into the town centre adds greatly to its character and provides attractive pedestrian access. It is proposed to enhance this corridor between London Road and Castle Fields in association with the town centre refurbishment and The Castle Arts Centre.
10.16. The Borough Council considers the provision of further housing in the town centre to be of great importance in widening the choice of sites and enhancing overall vitality and security in the centre. The inclusion of housing within mixed use redevelopment/conversion schemes in the town centre core is referred to in paragraphs 10.18 and 19. Specific consideration is given in paragraphs 10.26 and 27 to expanding opportunities for residential use of upper floors in the Primary and Secondary Shopping Streets and Commercial Fringe Areas. Elsewhere in the core area, however, there are existing small enclaves of residential development, for example at West Street. It is intended to protect those areas where satisfactory residential amenity can be maintained.
PLANNING PERMISSION FOR CHANGES OF USE FROM RESIDENTIAL WITHIN THE FOLLOWING AREAS, SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP, WILL BE REFUSED : WEST STREET; CASTLE MEWS; CASTLE ROAD; AND OXFORD STREET (ARCHFIELD AND KENROYAL).
10.17. High levels of traffic in the Alma Street area may intensify as a result of refurbishment proposals to achieve overall improvement in traffic circulation. The Borough Council proposes to undertake compensatory works of pavement widening and dedicated parking bays. Pressure to extend retail use into Alma Street will normally be resisted. Proposals for conversions to small scale office uses may, however, be acceptable subject to conditions which will prevent undue increase in disturbance to residential occupiers.
DEVELOPMENT FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL USES WITHIN THE ALMA STREET AREA WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED IN RESPECT OF SMALL SCALE OFFICE CONVERSIONS AND WILL BE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTIAL AMENITY IS MAINTAINED.
10.18. Redevelopment and conversion proposals in the Town Centre Core (defined on Inset 1A) will be welcomed where they provide a mix of uses appropriate to the town centre and encompass vacant or underutilised back land and upper storeys of frontage development. Proposals should complement the shopping function of the primary shopping frontages with uses such as leisure, entertainment and services as well as additional retailing; the Borough Council will encourage also the provision of additional housing in the town centre. Promotion of mixed use development, including housing, will result in increased activity during the day and in the evening and support the fundamental aim of enhancing the vitality and attractiveness of the town centre. Bringing vacant and underutilised sites and premises into more effective use avoids the wasteful use of land and will help maintain the advantages of a compact core area. To encourage such investment the Borough Council will be prepared to consider the use of Compulsory Purchase powers where land assembly problems cannot otherwise be overcome. It will also take a flexible approach to matters such as residential parking requirements. In order to fully realise the potential for enhancement of the town centre, proposals should conform to the town centre refurbishment scheme including the provision of rear servicing. Good standards of urban design will be essential and normally traditional street frontages should be retained.
10.19. Two specific areas are identified where redevelopment proposals forming part of comprehensive schemes could play an important role in revitalising and enhancing the town centre. These areas, shown on Inset 1A are bounded by:-
Midland Road, Victoria Road, Cambridge Street and the rear of properties fronting Market Street North ('the Midland Road site'); and
High Street, Oxford Street, Jackson's Lane and the rear of properties in West Street ('the High Street site').
The Borough Council will prepare briefs to guide development in these areas. The Midland Road site is considered to be a key area for accommodating a mixed use development principally of retail and leisure uses; the western half of the site is considered by the Borough Council to be especially important in attracting quality non-food retailing. The provision of access for rear servicing and additional parking, provision of enhanced pedestrian linkages into the adjacent primary shopping areas and the requirement for high standards of urban design will form part of the planning brief. The High Street site is focused upon the Jackson's Lane public car park. Proposals must retain car parking but opportunities exist for selective redevelopment within the area for mixed uses which include retail and housing. Again requirements for access, enhanced pedestrian linkages and good quality urban design will form part of the brief. Briefs will also be prepared as appropriate for other areas with potential for comprehensive development which may emerge during the Plan period.
PLANNING PERMISSION FOR REDEVELOPMENT/CONVERSION PROPOSALS INVOLVING UNDERUTILISED BACKLAND AREAS AND/OR UNDERUTILISED UPPER STOREYS IN THE TOWN CENTRE CORE (DEFINED ON INSET 1A) WILL BE GRANTED PROVIDED THAT SUCH PROPOSALS:
REFLECT THE REQUIREMENT THAT A MIX OF TOWN CENTRE PUBLIC USES (RETAIL, NON RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS AND ASSEMBLY AND LEISURE) IS RETAINED TOGETHER WITH THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING IN THE TOWN CENTRE CORE;
CONFORM TO THE TOWN CENTRE REFURBISHMENT SCHEME AND ACHIEVE A GOOD STANDARD OF URBAN DESIGN; AND
COMPLEMENT THE RETAIL STRATEGY, SET OUT IN POLICIES C1 AND C2.
TWO AREAS ARE DEFINED ON INSET 1A OF THE PROPOSALS MAP WITHIN WHICH REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS MUST FORM PART OF AN AGREED COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME AND BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF POLICY C8.
THE AREAS ARE BOUNDED BY:
MIDLAND ROAD, VICTORIA ROAD, CAMBRIDGE STREET AND THE REAR OF PROPERTIES FRONTING MARKET STREET NORTH; AND
HIGH STREET, OXFORD STREET, JACKSON'S LANE AND THE REAR OF PROPERTIES IN WEST STREET
10.20. On the periphery of the defined town centre the predominant use is residential. Substantial open space areas of Swanspool Brook, Swanspool Gardens, the Castle Road cemetery and Bassetts Close to the south and west, together with the Sharman Road car park and the eastern frontage of Victoria Road form firm boundaries between residential areas and the town centre core. Elsewhere, however, there is a more gradual transition of mixed use areas.
10.21. Such areas can perform a valuable function. Town centre locations for uses such as some health and community facilities, hotels and clubs, quasi-retail establishments (referred to in Chapter 5), service garages and tyre/exhaust centres, allow ease of access for most users; sites in the compact core area are not, however, readily available in many cases - either physically or in economic terms. Other activities such as small scale factories and offices may also be inappropriate in prime town centre locations but the availability of sites close by will increase both the centre's vitality and the range of premises suitable for smaller enterprises which cannot be entirely accommodated within residential areas or the industrial estates. Consequently specific 'mixed use' areas have been defined within which such development will normally be acceptable.
10.22. Some housing in mixed use areas will also be provided for, increasing the variety of housing choice. New residential uses will not normally be acceptable where they would suffer from undue impact from noise, fumes or other disturbance, especially at weekends or in the evening, arising from existing non-residential uses. Conversely new proposals for incompatible non-residential uses should normally be located separate from existing residential properties. Clearly, however, residential amenity standards in mixed use areas will normally be lower than within defined predominantly residential areas.
10.23. Individual uses should not dominate mixed use areas at the expense of adequate opportunity for other uses; in determining applications for development, therefore, account will be taken of the availability of specifically allocated sites elsewhere. It is proposed to restrict most additional retail facilities within mixed use areas in order to avoid undue conflict with the aim of maintaining a vital compact core retail area. In addition in order to safeguard the environment of the mixed use areas, nearby residential areas and the town centre core, proposals which are likely to create significant increases in on-street parking will normally be resisted.
PLANNING PERMISSION FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE MIXED USE AREAS BEYOND THE TOWN CENTRE CORE WILL ONLY BE GRANTED IF IT WOULD NOT RESULT IN:
SUBSTANTIAL CONFLICT WITH SURROUNDING USES OR ADVERSE IMPACT UPON THE AMENITY OF ADJOINING RESIDENTIAL AREAS;
A CONSEQUENT LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR A BROAD RANGE OF USES TO BE ACCOMMODATED WITHIN THESE MIXED USE AREAS AS A WHOLE;
SUBSTANTIAL CONFLICT WITH THE STRATEGY OF CONCENTRATING MOST RETAIL USES IN THE TOWN CENTRE CORE AREAS; OR
SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN ON-STREET PARKING.
10.24. In order to reinforce the attractiveness and competitiveness of the town centre, the Borough Council will seek to ensure that both an adequate supply of attractive, convenient and safe car parking is maintained, with the needs of shoppers and other short term users being given priority, and the potential for access by public transport, foot and cycle is enhanced. The latter is discussed in Chapter 7. Existing town centre parking provision is comprised of approximately 2000 public off-street spaces (unrestricted), 200 on-street spaces (generally 1 hour stay) and 1350 non residential private spaces. Peak usage of the Sharman Road car park exceeds 100% but overall there is spare capacity in public car parks of 30% (Refer to Town Centre Car Parking Strategy within Supplementary Planning Guidance). The main public car parks at Sharman Road, Commercial Way (multi-storey) and, to a lesser extent, Jackson's Lane are well located to serve the needs of the town centre; there is, however, a shortage of spaces in the north east quadrant of the centre.
10.25. In the light of the above the following measures are proposed:
new development in the town centre should not include additional parking accommodation unless it can be demonstrated that adequate parking capable of short term use is not available within reasonable proximity; in lieu of parking provision contributions will be sought from developers towards measures to assist public transport, walking and cycling.
where parking provision within reasonable proximity is not adequate - notably in the north east quadrant of the town centre - additional car parking provided should not exceed the requirements set out in the current County Parking Standards (Supplementary Planning Guidance) or any minimum operational standards in future that may be set in revisions to the County Parking Standards; car parking provided for employees and customers should be maintained as short term public parking to serve the town centre as a whole;
favourable consideration will be given to the re-use of private car parking space where this will not result in constraints to highway capacity or adverse impact upon other road users, road safety, town centre residents, the competitiveness of the town centre or its environment in general;
the Borough Council will continue to monitor parking provision in the town centre in the light of the above and of additional development that emerges in the town centre and, if a surplus of public parking space continues, will consider the rationalisation of such space and its re-use for alternative purposes; and
the Borough Council will continue to generally review its car parking strategy to meet the aims of maintaining the attractiveness of the town centre and encouraging alternative modes of transport to the private car.
in the light of the findings of its 1997/98 survey of usage of car parks the Borough Council will limit car parking in the Sharman Road car park to a maximum of 3 hours.
To reflect the above considerations the following policy will apply in the consideration of applications for development in the town centre.
PARKING PROVISION FOR DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WITHIN THE TOWN CENTRE WILL BE DETERMINED ON THE FOLLOWING BASIS:
THEY SHOULD NOT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL CAR PARKING PROVISION UNLESS IT IS DEMONSTRATED THAT SUFFICIENT PARKING CAPABLE OF SHORT TERM USE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE WITHIN 200 METRES WALKING DISTANCE OF THE SITE;
WHERE A DEFICIENCY OF CAR PARKING IS DEMONSTRATED, ADDITIONAL CAR PARKING PROVIDED SHOULD NOT EXCEED AGREED MINIMUM OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND ANY SUCH PROVISION FOR EMPLOYEES OR CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AS SHORT TERM PUBLIC PARKING.
IN ALL CASES THE BOROUGH COUNCIL WILL SEEK TO ENTER INTO LEGAL AGREEMENTS WITH DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR MEASURES TO ENHANCE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND CYCLING AND WALKING ACCESS TO THE TOWN CENTRE IN LIEU OF PARKING PROVISION.
10.26. Opportunities can arise in the town centre to convert vacant or under used upper floors of shops or commercial premises to residential accommodation. Such conversions will be encouraged for the contribution they make to housing provision and choice, to the preservation of buildings of character, to the reduction in travel needs and to the revitalisation of the town centre. The Borough Council currently operates a grant system to assist in the conversion of disused accommodation above town centre properties for residential use.
10.27. As a result of a recent change in planning legislation, a single flat above a shop or financial/professional office no longer requires planning permission; Policy C12, below, will apply, however, in cases where planning permission is needed.
WITHIN THE TOWN CENTRE CORE AREA PLANNING PERMISSION WILL BE GRANTED FOR THE CONVERSION OF UPPER FLOORS OF COMMERCIAL PREMISES TO RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE OPERATION OF NEIGHBOURING EXISTING COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES.