Irvine Bay Case Study

IRVINE BAY CASE STUDY

SCOTTISH PLACEMAKING CASE STUDY

LEARNING POINTS

URBAN REGENERATION COMPANIES IN SCOTLAND

IRVINE BAY

CHOOSING A DEVELOPER WHO UNDERSTANDS PLACE IS CRITICAL The decision by Irvine URC to select Urban Splash as the developer for the project will be the most influential decision in creating a high quality economically successful new neighbourhood for people to live in.

REBRANDING PLACES CAN BE A BUSINESS MODEL The selected developer for this project has been successful in numerous challenging regeneration areas, by not only making a significant change in the form of an area but also by using excellent designers to completely change the perception and hence the attractiveness and economic desirability of an area. This is a process of creating a market.

PLACE BASED ECONOMIC MODELS TAKE TIME TO BE SUCCESSFUL This is viewed as a 10-year development programme, with the distinctive nature of the place established in the early years, which allows the values to increase in the later phases. The long term timescale is required to provide the financial return. Requirements for early capital receipts for land can jeopardise this model.

CLEAR JUSTIFICATION ASSISTS THE APPROVAL PROCESS The quality of information and illustrations which were used in the consultation process and for the Design Statement provided a very clear explanation and justification of the design solution and this helped the understanding and support for the proposal.

FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO MASTERPLAN HELPS A masterplan design which incorporates flexibility in building use and aspects such as the size of residential units provides the flexibility to respond to market conditions during development and provides adaptable accommodation for future residents, enhancing the sustainability of the community.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

RELEVANT CASE STUDY GUIDANCE:

OTHER CASE STUDY THEMES:

Clydebank re-built: Connection & Control Clyde Gateway: Integrated Urban Infrastructure PARC Craigmillar: Creating a Street Raploch: Village Square at the heart of the Community Riverside Inverclyde: ReImagining Place Assets

Irvine Bay, North Ayrshire

The Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs) are special purpose vehicles set up to deliver complex regeneration projects - attracting and coordinating public and private sector investment around a shared plan with the aim of achieving the sustainable transformation of their areas.

Architecture Policy Designing Streets PAN 59 Improving Town Centres Pan 65 Planning & Open Space PAN 881 Community Engagement PAN 83 Masterplanning

PRACTICALITIES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES Incorporation of one large scale wind turbine, ideal in this coastal location, could have provided a cost effective way of off setting CO² for the development. However, concern about noise levels, the nearby bird sanctuary and the important views of the island of Arran have ruled out this approach. A passive approach has been adopted with high levels of insulation etc proposed.

QUAYSIDE

The URCs in Scotland have committed to the placemaking agenda. This is one of a series of case studies looking at URC initiatives which have been chosen to reflect a variety of projects in term of scale, type and stage. The purpose of the case studies is to share evidence from these initiatives in delivering places by design. They are presented in terms of key lessons and challenges to:-

CAR PARKING IN THE PUBLIC REALM This location attracts a large number of visitors particularly on sunny days, the majority of whom arrive by car. The design of large areas of car parking for limited intensive periods of use while retaining the quality of the public realm to the Quayside is difficult. The approach chosen has been to spread the provision along the whole street rather than locate it in defined car parks.

Showcase the achievements of the URCs Provide Scottish examples of how place making policy

has been implemented

Assist learning on what works and why

ACCOMMODATING CAR PARKING OFF STREET IS COMPLEX The form of the central street relies on controlling and limiting the car parking within the street. Accommodating the car parking within the urban block, to the rear of the properties and providing open space at first floor level requires a complex and costly solution.

CHALLENGING OPEN SPACE STANDARDS This site is surrounded by dramatic areas of public open space, and hence only small areas of private open space are provided to the rear of the houses. This enables the distinctive intensity of built form to be established.

Following generic standards in relation to provision of open space would have undermined this important aspect of the Place.

RE-MAKING A SCOTTISH COASTAL NEIGHBOURHOOD

The learning in this case study is targeted at anyone who is involved in the planning, funding, delivery and management of places in Scotland.

BEACH DRIVE SKETCH

Irvine Bay Regeneration Co 43 Ardrossan Rd Saltcoats KA21 5BS t: + 44 (0) 01294 608634 f: + 44 (0) 01294 603437 e: info@irvinebay.co.uk w: www.irvinebay.co.uk Winter 2010

The case studies focus on design issues and are based on the six qualities listed in the Scottish Government ‘Designing Places’ policy statement and subsequent planning guidance.

This case study focuses on the application of high quality architectural design and place making to create a development market for a new area of the town of Irvine.

CENTRAL STREET

The Scottish Government has set out an ambition to achieve better places as part of the sustainable economic growth agenda.

PLACES are ‘people spaces’. They are an expression of social, cultural, economic and environmental values. Quality of place can be measured in terms of design quality, stewardship and public life.

“Places where people want to be”

IRVINE BAY CASE STUDY

IRVINE BAY CASE STUDY PROJECT CONTEXT

DISCUSSION ON QUALITIES

Irvine Bay is located on the North Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It lies in an area of natural beauty spanning 14 miles of sandy coastline, extending to more that 35 square miles and containing the five main towns of Irvine, Kilwinning, Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenson. Together these towns have a population of more than 88,000 people.

Irvine Bay Regeneration Company is one of Scotland's second generation urban regeneration companies and was set up in late 2006. Its objective is to shape the creation of the physical conditions and local infrastructure that will lead to the successful regeneration of Irvine Bay as set out in the i-Bay Strategy.

“Designing Places” identifies six qualities which are key to achieving successful places.

By their nature these qualities are interlinked and influenced by a wide range of factors such as community view, planning policy, statutory context, economic circumstances and the procurement process. The following review assesses the Irvine Harbourside Development Masterplan against the most relevant qualities for this project, which are Distinctive, Ease of Movement, Adaptable and Resource Efficient.

DISTINCTIVE Strong street pattern

PROJECT INFO: Site Area:5.5ha Up to 350 new homes Up to 30,000 sqft commercial

Landscape

space

Possible 100 bed hotel DESIGN TEAM: Urban Splash Reiach and Hall

EASE OF MOVEMENT Connections to public transport

Gross Max Max Fordham

VISION FOR IRVINE BAY:

IRVINE HARBOURSIDE MASTERPLAN

I-BAY STRATEGY:

The i-bay Strategy was produced in 2007. It identified 5 themes which form the basis for a series of projects and ultimately masterplans for the 5 towns. i-work: creating and spreading wealth i-live: quality of life for existing and new residents i-sea: rediscovering the sea i-play: making Irvine Bay a good place to spend time i-bay: transforming the bay’s image

“The vision for Irvine Bay is that through rediscovering the coast and our connections to Glasgow we will create a place where people will thrive, businesses will flourish and communities will grow.”

Irvine is the largest town in North Ayrshire with a population of 33,000 people.

The town was built on the River Irvine and dates back to the 12th century. It was designated a ‘new town’ in the 1960’s and the subsequent development programme has shaped the physical and economic characteristics of the town today. The “Strategy for Irvine Bay” identified a site for a new residential development around Irvine Harbour.

The URC held a two-stage competition in 2007 to select a developer for the masterplanning, design and development of Irvine Harbourside Development. The second stage of the selection process involved presenting design proposals to a panel which included prominent members of the architecture and design profession.

The assessment was primarily based on the quality of the proposals submitted. The Manchester based developer Urban Splash was successful.

Urban Splash worked with Reiach and Hall Architects to produce a masterplan which has been approved as Planning in Principle. The development and design approach to the project has been to create a new neighbourhood defined by design excellence, innovation and sustainability. This aspiration for distinctiveness is a key aspect of the development and economic appraisal of the scheme, and is what is expected to attract new people to come and live and work in Irvine.

By developing an innovative response to current climate agenda in the context of traditional Scottish urban structure, a location specific response to private open space and a novel approach to dealing with the car a distinctive neighbourhood is created.

IRVINE HARBOURSIDE

This case study highlights how Place is a key principle of the development approach and the lessons to be learnt from this approach.

The design development has been influenced by the appropriate scale and grain of buildings and streets in harbour towns in the West of Scotland. Analysis of existing streets in Irvine was used to inform the proportion of the streets proposed.

The coastal edge to the north provides a strong landscape context. Creating a high quality space is complicated by its orientation and this has been responded to by setting back the buildings and creating public spaces along the edge, ensuring that sunny spaces are formed.

The site is located within a few minutes’ walk of Irvine train station, providing access to Glasgow in approx 30 minutes.

The current bus route is to be extended to include the site, ensuring that a bus stop is within 5 minutes’ walk of all areas.

The site is adjacent to the National Cycle Network Route 7.

The proposed streets have been designed for cycling and bicycle storage is provided.

Pedestrian routes linked to public spaces

Public spaces such as the Central Square have been located on key pedestrian routes and junctions. The commercial and retail uses are also located in these areas ensuring that they are busy places.

Integration of car parking

Car parking has been accommodated within the urban block at ground level with a first floor landscape deck above. This removes the majority of parking from the streets and thereby enhances the safety and quality of the streets.

Loose design

Distinctive Safe and pleasant Ease of movement Sense of welcome Adaptable

Cycling

ADAPTABLE Adaptable buildings

DESIGNING PLACES - six qualities:

Resource efficient

LANDSCAPE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

STREET DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The houses have been designed to accommodate contemporary living while being flexible enough for future changes. In particular, enhanced space standards create this flexibility.

Rigidly defined house types can restrict a developer from responding to market demands at a particular time. This can also restrict future flexibility for occupiers. The masterplan has been based on a standard size house plot which can accommodate a variety of house sizes. This responsive aspect of the built form will encourage and support a sustainable community.

RESOURCE EFFICIENT Orientation

The buildings have been designed to maximise daylight within the houses.

Sustainable standards

Sustainable design codes are to be developed that will achieve better than Eco Homes rating Very Good and commercial buildings which will achieve BREEAM rating Excellent. The development aims to be carbon neutral by 2016.

OLD IRVINE

QUAYSIDE