Urban Deisgn Project - Gary Mackin

Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design School of Planning, Architecture Queen’s University, Belfast

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01

Introduction

Civil Engineering

Keady Town Centre Redevelopment Proposal Derry-Londonderry

The location which this design project will focus on is the urban area of Keady - a small town situated approximately seven miles to the south-west of Armagh City in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

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Aerial Photograph of Keady Town Centre, with the Study Site Highlighted

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Top - Location of Keady in Northern Ireland and Below - Surrounding urban areas and road connections.

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Finally, a financial appraisal of the development proposal will determine the economic investment required to achieve such proposals before concluding with a project summary and reflection.

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A townscape analysis will then investigate and identify the main issues and opportunities which currently exist within the study site, focusing on three key areas - Kinelowen Street, The Glen and the Cow Fair.

The analysis will then be followed by a number of development proposals which will aim to tackle the issues identified, and also to take advantage of the opportunities which exist throughout the study site to revitalize the town as a whole and create a high quality environment which celebrates the history of the town, addresses the needs of the towns local residents and its visitors, and facilitates the growth of the local economy and its businesses.

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In the pages that follow, a brief account of the towns history outlines how and why the town grew into one of the main urban areas in the Armagh District, and how the functional elements of the town influenced development and shaped the town which we see today.

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WILLIAM KIRK MONUMENT

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Currently the town centre is largely a vehicle dominated space with Kinelowen St. forming part of the busy A29 route, and surface level car parking prioritized over pedestrian access and amenity. This is compounded by the poor quality and/or poorly maintained pedestrian areas which do exist in the study site.

Portadown

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FAIR GREEN ESTATE

OLD MILL AND CAR PARK

The Moy Aughnacloy

The images opposite identify the location of the town approximately four miles north of the Northern Ireland-Republic of Ireland border, 7 miles south, south west of Armagh City, and 60 miles south west of the capital, Belfast. The main area of focus for the design project will be the town centre, (coloured blue in the centre image), where public realm and urban design improvement would have the greatest social, economic and environmental benefit to the town and its hinterlands.

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Classified as an intermediate settlement, Keady is currently the largest of the local towns in the Armagh District with a population of approximately 3000. The town’s origin can be traced back to 1674 in a letter addressed to the Head of Trinity College - Dublin, during which time the district was part of a grant of County Armagh lands to the college. The town’s name came from the Irish “an Céide”, which means ‘the flap-topped hill’.

OLD RAILROAD VIADUCT

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Main roads into and out of Keady Town Centre

Figure Ground of built form in Keady Town Centre

02

Historical Context

Origins

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Keady

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School

Historical Context

of the

Study

The Mill Pond - Keady, 1860

The town of Keady originated as a market town at a ford (crossing point) of the Clay River, acting as a meeting place and stopping point for traders and travellers.

BEETLING MILL

Study Site

The Cow Fair, 1930 - Local traders attending the weekly Mart to buy and sell livestock amongst other goods.

The presence of the Clay River running through the heart of the town also helped stimulate the economic growth of Keady and surrounding area, after a local entrepreneur erected a corn mill and an associated market house at the point of a large natural fall in the river.

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Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering Queen’s University, Belfast

SLUICE

KINELOWEN ST.

< 1860 Railway Network

In Keady, a mill pond was created in the centre of the town to provide the smaller Beetling Mill with a constant supply of water via a sluice (slipway). As a result, the subsequent development along Kinelowen Street faced away from this area, ultimately “turning it’s back” on what was essentially seen as an unattractive, functional component of the towns linen operations.

The Mill Pond and the Beetling Mill which it served have long since been removed, however its existence over 150 years ago is the fundamental reason for the numerous urban issues from which this site now suffers.

Whilst topography is another issue this area must overcome, poor decision making and development control in recent years have exacerbated the difficulty in which this site can be integrated into the existing urban fabric of the town.

The map opposite identifies the railroad network which existed in Ireland the year 1860, servicing the main urban areas of Belfast and Derry in the North with Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Cork, Clare and Waterford amongst others in the South.

1923 Rail Network > With over 50 linen mills existing within a seven mile radius of the town, competition between rail companies resulted in the Keady line opening in 1909 (Red).

Many railways were built connecting rural areas in Ireland at this time.

FLAX SPINNING MILL

The railway brought a significant if somewhat brief commercial benefit to the town.

< Present Rail Network The partition of Ireland in 1920 forced many goods and passenger lines to close in rural areas in and around the border areas.

COW FAIR The Corn Mill which utilized the large natural fall in along the River Clay to help stimulate economic growth within the town, later converted to spin flax.

Since the Mill Pond was created by placing a weir across the River Clay, the buildings on Kinelowen St. have always been orientated away from the area which is now The Glen, creating the backland nature of the site and the problems which come with it.

The natural fall eventually drove two water wheels which powered almost 2000 spindles when the mill was later converted to spin flax in 1891. The town soon established itself as an important centre for tailoring and linen production from the mid-eighteenth century through to the beginning of World War I. This boom in linen production encouraged the development of a railway line through the town, which furthered the economic prosperity of the area, as was the case in so many small towns throughout rural Ireland during the early 1900’s (see opposite).

The construction of the mill and the development which followed has had a lasting effect on the towns urban fabric, creating issues which have been either neglected or exacerbated ever since, and design problems which exist to this very day in a challenging study site in the centre of the town.

This along with the declining flax industry made many rural lines economically unfeasible to maintain, and so ceased operations.

Keady Railroad Station and employee’s 1906. Keady Viaduct shortly after opening in 1909. The platform at Keady Station shortly after Evidence of the flourishing linen industry in The impressive seven arch viaduct still opening in 1909. the town. stands today.

Disused Rail Network >

Example of a Mill Pond constructed to provide a constant flow of water to a water-powered mill.

Children playing in Market St., with the Workers standing outside the service entrance The strong frontage of Kinelowen St. in William Kirk Monument, Markethouse and of the Flax Spinning Mill in Kinelowen Street the late 1930’s. This has remained largely Spinning Mill in the background. (circa 1930). unchanged since this time.

A mill pond is a body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. These were often created by placing a mill dam or weir at a point along a watercourse to provide a constant flow of water to the mill.

The Keady rail line (Red), closed in 1924, making the line the last to be opened in Northern Ireland and the first to be closed.

Despite this, the impressive viaduct which was built during this period of economic prosperity still stands just north-east of the town centre.

Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design School of Planning, Architecture Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Belfast

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03

Study Site

Civil Engineering

Keady Town Centre

Site Land Use Rotated 70 o

The view of the Old Mill from Kinelowen Street

The purpose of this page is to introduce the study site for this project, identifying the mains areas which will be affected by the proposals, provide greater detail regarding the land use of the area, pedestrian and vehicle access, and green spaces to name a few.

Car Park, approx. capacity: 120 cars Kinelowen Street looking south

Retail Only Retail and Residential Public House/Restaurant

Residential Only Community/Religious Facility

The main image has identifies some of the main areas, landmarks and districts throughout the site, some of which have a more important role to play than others.

Frontage Activity

Active Soft Edge

Green Spaces

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Street Tree

Passive Soft Edge

Vegetation

Open Green Space

William Kirk monument

Existing Built Form

Legibility

Landmarks

The view of the impressive viaduct built in 1906, still standing strong today.

Hard Inactive Edge

Existing Community Centre located in the Cow Fair.

Lighting At Night

District

Node

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Edge

The main edges which exist in the study site are those created by the buildings and hard landscaping of Kinelowen St. and also the River Clay, with the major landmarks being the Old Mill, the William Kirk monument, the Northern Bank building in Kinelowen St. and the Caledonian in the Square.

Bright Area

Fair Green Avenue

The Glen, looking south towards the Cow Fair.

Pedestrian Access

Dark Area

Very Dark Area

This image illustrates which areas of the town centre are well served by street lighting at night, and also which areas are less well provided for. Notice how The Glen area and area around the Old Mill suffer severely from lack of street lighting at night.

In terms of existing pedestrian access the town can be considered reasonably well connected, however it is in the quality of these connections where the issues lie. Note the lack of pedestrian access to The Glen area from its surrounding areas due to the unbroken frontage of Kinelowen St. and the topographical change to Fair Green Avenue and the Cow Fair.

Vehicle Access

The main vehicle routes through the site are obviously the main street (Kinelowen St.) and Bridge St. Market St. articulates with Kinelowen St. either side of the William Kirk monument, whilst there are numerous small alleys and culs de sac off Kinelowen St., some leading to car parks and delivery areas for local businesses.

04

Townscape Analysis

School

Kinelowen Street - A Busy Main Street Struggling

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Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering Queen’s University, Belfast

Vehicular Traffic

Cookstown As the town’s main axis, Kinelowen Street has retained its historical layout with the buildings flanking the street providing a strong frontage.

But despite being part of the A29 main route to Dublin, and usually a lively, vibrant place - the large number of vehicles, especially freight, cause at times quite severe congestion (below), detracting from the quality of the environment. On street parking exacerbates this problem especially at narrow points, with the narrow pavements and poor quality public realm generally making Kinelowen Street at peak times an unwelcoming and unpleasant place for the pedestrian.

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Armagh City A29 Keady R181 It is unsurprising then that despite this level of activity the area has failed to attract and equivalent level of local investment - evident in the number of vacant and derelict retail units and poor quality building frontages throughout main street (below).

The section above illustrates the building height to space ratio at the narrowest point of Kinelowen St, and also the vehicle to pedestrian space ratio. The presence of on street parking here exacerbates the congestion problem at this point - with ample car parking less than 50 metres from this point its necessity is questionable, whilst the requirement for improved/increased pedestrian space is unquestionable.

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The section above illustrates the topographical change from Kinelowen St. to the Old Mill Car Park immediately adjacent. These are separated by a wall for obvious safety reason but its placement severs any connection from the street to the nearby Clay River and also The Glen and Cow Fair area.

St. Francis of Assisi Primary School

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Fair Green Ard Na Greine

Carrickmacross

Caramoyle/Rathmoyle

Granemore Park St. Patrick’s High School

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Ardee Rathlir/Carbry Drive

Kinelowen Street now exists predominantly as a transitory space for both vehicles and pedestrians, with the number of residents living in residential units along the street having also declined in recent years.

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Building Placement

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< Kinelowen Street forms part of

the A29 route which originates at Coleraine, County Derry, almost 70 miles north of Keady.

Although alternative routes can be taken, those travelling to Dublin from areas as far as Maghera (Co. Derry) or Cookstown (Co. Tyrone) may take the A27 through Moy, Armagh City then Keady before deviating onto the R181 once across the Northern Ireland - Republic of Ireland border towards Castleblayney and onwards to Carrickmacross.

Kinelowen Street

Kinelowen Street Dublin

Once through Castleblayney travellers can journey uninterrupted onto the N2 bypassing Carrickmacross, Ardee and onto the M1 Dublin bound.

The picture above identifies the main residential areas which have been more recently built to accommodate the growing population of Keady.

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Building Placement

Carbry Heights

As the majority of the towns school children attend St. Francis of Assisi Primary and St. Patrick’s Secondary schools, those travelling by car from the residential areas above converge at the junction of Bridge St. and Kinelowen St., creating quite severe congestion problems at peak times.

An upgrade of this junction to manage traffic flow during these and other busy periods is essential to allow ease of movement through the town.

> Opposite is a walkthrough Kinelowen St. from North to South,

indicating its wider, “breathable” nature to the north moving towards the more congested, almost suffocating nature towards the south.

Note here also the lack of evidence that the River Clay runs through the town, as the elevated nature of the street combined with poorly placed hard landscaping, makes viewing the river almost impossible.

Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design School of Planning, Architecture Queen’s University, Belfast

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05

Townscape Analysis

Civil Engineering

The Glen - An Abandoned Riverside Walk

In the Glen, Keady has one of the most enviable assets an urban area could hope for - a open, green, pedestrianised space in the heart of the town centre, well screened from the noise of the main street by large, mature deciduous trees with the presence of the river course which helped establish the town as an economically prosperous centre for linen production.

However the functional use of this area in the 17th and 18th Centuries as a Mill Pond for the Beetling Mill meant the buildings of the main street (Kinelowen St.) were orientated away from this area, meaning the area acts more as a back land site which is poorly connected (both visually and physically) to Kinelowen St. and the other surroundings areas of the town centre.

Sketch illustrating the orientation of the adjacent buildings flanking The Glen.

The Glen

Housing on West Side of Fair green Avenue

Pedestrian Footpath

The Glen

River Clay

Buildings on East Side of Kinelowen Street

Walkway

Kinelowen Street

Pedestrian Footpath

Routes surrounding The Glen, note how there is no main path traversing The Glen area.

This problem was compounded by the housing development on Fair Green Avenue which flanks the opposite (eastern) edge of the site. Built in the 1990’s, poor development control and strategic planning for this area meant Fair Green Avenue was not only orientated away from The Glen, but is neither connected to nor related to the site.

Fair green Avenue

Cross section of area stretching from Fair Green Avenue through The Glen to Kinelowen Street looking North. This section illustrates in greater detail the backland nature of The Glen, with both sets of adjacent building orientated away from this area, providing no natural surveillance of this space.

Outdated and vandalized playpark in the northern end of The Glen.

With both sets of adjacent buildings orientated away from this area, The Glen possesses no natural surveillance, suffers from severe connection issues, is poorly maintained and overgrown and has no street lighting. As a result the area has now become an uninviting, unattractive and intimidating place to visit, especially at night, and has become more a haven for underage drinking and anti-social behavior as opposed to the “beautiful riverside walk” it is described as by the local council.

> A walkthrough The Glen area gives a better understanding of its layout and

Play park and Playgroup

Access to The Glen from Bridge St.

North end of The Glen

A narrow pedestrian footpath is the only access to The Glen from the town centre (Image 2), which descends into The Glen and is of questionable quality.

Linear nature of The Glen

The large deciduous trees buffer the noise of the main street, however they are overgrown in places and smother the space making it seem a lot smaller than it is (Image 3).

Simple sketch illustrating the topographical change from The Glen to the Cow Fair which makes connecting the two so difficult.

Large natural fall which powered the Linen Mills.

Bright Area

Entrance to The Glen

Dark Area Very Dark Area Map identifying the quality of street lighting in certain areas of the town centre. Note the absence of street lighting in The Glen, making it a haven for anti-social behaviour.

A bridge takes you across the large, picturesque fall in the River Clay alongside the Old Mill and towards the main Glen area (Image 1).

Bridge across the River Clay

The path extends north through the site (Image 4) where a play park which has been vandalized to the point of ruin is located, along with ‘The Den in the Glen’ playgroup (Image 5). It is here where the large viaduct built over 100 years ago can be seen, yet this impressive structure has also been left unattended and is currently used for grazing horses.

Dated, ill-maintained and vandalised signage typifies the general upkeep of The Glen Area.

Poor quality access which provides no visual connection from the street to The Glen and vice-versa.

A hugely attractive natuYet more evidence of poor ral fall at the north end of maintenance of this “beauThe Glen, yet overgrown so tiful riverside walk”. cannot be seen.

Evidence of Anti-Social behaviour, common place in this area.

Outdated, substandard and vandalised public furniture.

06

Townscape Analysis

The Cow Fair - Once

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Cattle Mart...now

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Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering Queen’s University, Belfast

Car Lot.

The historic layout of the town would have been centred on the area around the Cow Fair and Bridge Street. This would have been the main meeting place and the location for cattle markets and other events (see below).

Derelict retail unit.

The Old Mill Car Park

Pedestrian Footpath

Kinelowen St.

Pedestrian Footpath

Northern Bank Building

Pedestrian Footpath

The significant increase in car use over the years has reduced the attractiveness of this space for such uses, with it now being used primarily as a surface level car park (below). However the existing form of the space still exists and has the potential to be redeveloped.

Extremely heavy duty fencing and an NIE Switch house

River Clay

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Bank

The Cow Fair

Existing Community Centre

Cross-section of area stretching from the Cow Fair to Kinelowen St,looking north. The change in level from the Cow Fair area westwards towards Kinelowen St. has created a serious problem in terms of connecting the Cow Fair with the rest of the town centre. However the location of the undeveloped Old Mill car park offers a unique opportunity to develop this area into a open civic space, which would inevitably connect the three mains areas of Kinelowen St., The Glen and the Cow Fair almost instantly, with the Old Mill placed at its heart.

Cow Fair 1930

Outdated, under-utilized and unattractive Community Centre

Re g e n e r a t i v e plans for the Cow Fair area are already in place in the shape of a new £2.5m Community Centre on the site of the existing centre which is to be demolished.

Cow Fair and Square 2012

The new facility will boast a state of the art auditorium with retractable seating - suitable for dramatic productions and concerts, as well as rehearsal rooms, conference space, changing rooms and kitchen facilities.

Landmark

District

The legibility map of the study area above illustrates a number of the problems which face the Cow Fair area of the town centre.

The presence of the river and its natural processes have created quite a severe topographical change between the Cow Fair and the adjacent areas of Kinelowen Street and The Glen. This edge severs any connection between these areas and as a result renders the Cow Fair as a Culs de Sac with only one entry and exit from Bridge St. for both vehicle and pedestrian alike.

The overgrown vegetation on the east bank of the River Clay also hinders the visual connection to and from this area - so heavy

Node

Path

Edge

the Old Mill can barely be seen and its only 30 metres away. Combined this with its current use as a surface level car park, the derelict retail unit and the increasingly neglected Community Centre - the Cow Fair is a relatively dead, inactive, severely under utilized space in the heart of the town centre.

Access to the nearby Old Mill is also far from ideal (see sketch opposite) as pedestrians must enter The Glen from Bridge St. to cross the river. The issue remains no matter where your destination in the town centre from this point.

With the proposals for an new state of the art community centre (inset), connections to and from this area must drastically improve.

As part of the scheme there will also be additional environmental and open space development to reinvigorate The Glen area to ensure it is better integrated with the new community facility and the town as a whole.

The new facility is also to be named after one of the town’s most famous sons, Tommy Makem, a world renowned musician who was born in Keady in 1932. An artist impression of the new community centre from Bridge St. is illustrated below.

Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design School of Planning, Architecture Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Belfast

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Site Strengths

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- Strong industrial heritage and buildings of architectural merit (Kinelowen St).

Kinelowen Street The greatest challenge which faces the main street is to reduce the impact of vehicle traffic and create a place where people and pedestrians can shop, socialise, feel comfortable and enjoy. Increasing the ratio of pedestrian space to vehicle space is key here, but doing so without exacerbating the traffic problem will be a real challenge.

- Located along the main route to Dublin from Armagh and mid-lands.

Kinelowen Street.

- Large open green space in the town centre, enviable of most urban areas.

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- Proposed government investment in new community and arts centre.

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Kinelowen Street.

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- Opportunity to develop the town as a key service centre, capitalising on passing trade.

- Precious natural resource in the form of the River Clay.

The Cow Fair

- Undeveloped area between the Cow Fair and Kinelowen St. provides obvious opportunity for much needed civic amenity space.

Site Weaknesses

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The Glen The Glen

- Congestion is a major issue along Kinelowen Street and the Bridge St. Kinelowen St. junction at peak times.

The Glen

- The Glen is a poorly connected backland site and a haven for anti-social behavior.

- Lack of leisure and youth facilities in the town centre, possibly resulting in the aforementioned anti-social behavior.

- Evidence of the Clay River and its natural qualities all but non-existent in the town centre.

The Glen

Cow Fair

- Dereliction and poor quality shop frontage, inc. Old Mill - Lack of pedestrian/civic space within a town centre which is vehicle dominated.

Despite the historic role and economic impact the River has had on the town, it has unintentionally severed the Cow Fair from the main street and The Glen, creating such a severe topographical change that up until now has not been properly addressed, causing the connectivity issues which have been identified in the analysis.

With the proposals for the new community and arts centre, providing appropriate connections to this area from the rest of the town centre must be a priority.

town centre.

Cow Fair

- Topographical changes throughout the site cause serious connection problems.

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- Take advantage of the natural elements of the study site and combine them with the opportunity which exists between Kinelowen St., Cow Fair and The Glen - Improve the quality of the public realm in Kinelowen St. removing on-street parking to help alleviate congestion - Create a series of linked public spaces throughout the town centre which improve the physical and visual permeability of the town, and providing a much needed social amenity space in the heart of the town centre - Improve the linkages between Kinelowen Street, The Glen, The Cow Fair and the rest of the town by creating new public realm areas

Cow Fair

Vision The proposals of this project will aim to re-establish Keady as an active and culturally vibrant market town where people can live, work, shop and relax. Improving the physical and visual connections between the towns key assets and upgrading the quality of the public space to allow maximum pedestrian activity is central to achieving this objective - with the River Clay reinstated as a distinctive feature at the heart of the town centre.

More specifically it will focus on protecting the cultural heritage of the town by reinventing the Old Mill, the Cow Fair and Kinelowen Street, creating a series of high-quality, mixed-use civic spaces in the centre of the town, well connected visually and physically with a revitalized Glen area which will function as the social and recreational heart of the town, collectively creating an environment which will attract local footfall and investment.

Kinelowen St.

- Re-establish the Old Mill as the focal point of the town, intensifying its use and improving its surroundings - Improve open space and recreation provisions in the town centre, locating them in The Glen area to increase the usage of this space.

Vision Cow Fair

The Glen

Summary

Individually the three main areas of the study site suffer from numerous issues, but its collectively where the real problem exists for the town. The poor visual and physical connections throughout the site are a major issue and as a result they create three distinct, detached and unrelated spaces in the heart of the town centre.

This disconnect is illustrated by the image opposite which conceptualizes the fractures in the towns urban fabric which separates Kinelowen St., Cow Fair and The Glen.

Addressing the issues in each area may well improve the towns functionality and attractiveness, but it is in connecting these three areas, both with each other and the wider areas of the town centre, where the town would see the greatest reward - creating an entity which is greater than the sum of its parts. This surely, is the objective of any urban design proposal.

With the unbroken frontage of Kinelowen Street and the significant topographic change to the Cow Fair, The Glen is extremely disconnected both physically and visually from the busiest areas of the town centre, and with no active In this conceptual diagram, the area frontages, services or facilities in the area, there is no reason for locals to use this as a functional route and so is a dead representing the existing Old Mill car park has space. It is even less inviting at night due to the absence been left neutral to the three areas, this is because of street lighting. Providing a functional use at the presently it is not really incorporated into any of these spaces north end of The Glen is key to its short-term - however it is perfectly placed to bring together these three main success, whilst providing some sort of active frontage must be a long-term objective. areas and by creating a much needed civic space in the heart of the

- Poor/substandard public realm throughout town centre.

Project Objectives

07

Townscape Analysis

Civil Engineering

Like some of the other areas investigated, the Old Mill car park suffers from a number of issues such as antisocial behaviour, poor quality public realm, a lack of natural surveillance and no street lighting. By transforming this space into a pedestrian square it would remedy so many of the connection problems identified in the analysis.

With the declining usage of the Old Mill it is now subject to vandalism, and with no new occupants anticipated to take up tenancy in the near future, it is likely the building will suffer further.

08

Concepts, Ideas

and Rationale Creating a Functional, Sociable and Well-Connected Town Centre

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Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering Queen’s University, Belfast

Connecting Kinelowen Street and The Glen In this page the problems which were identified in the analysis have be combined with a number of concepts and ideas aimed at addressing these problems, creating the rationale for the development proposals which will follow later in the project.

As well as the three main areas of the study site, the existing areas of importance in the town centre must also be included in any proposals made for the area to collectively create a functional and truly wellconnected town centre.

Congestion issues at main junction Currently the junction around the William Kirk Monument of Bridge St., Kinelowen St. and Market St. creates severe congestion problems at peak times. Although only a total bypass of the town centre would solve this problem, it is hoped a re-design of this junction may alleviate some of the congestion.

For this reason a number of areas outside the initial study site have been included in these proposals to create a more holistic development approach to form a series of both new and old spaces throughout the town centre linked together by an improved pedestrian network and public realm improvements.

Attracting footfall from the main street is a necessity for The Glen area if it is to be successfully incorporated into the everyday life of the town and its people. However in order for this to become a reality there must be adequate access and a practical need for them to visit the space. Currently the route is obsolete in that people can access every area of the town centre without using it, and so they choose not to both for convenience and also for aesthetic and safety reasons.

Improving the connections and natural surveillance at the southern entrance of The Glen would be the most obvious solution to achieve this objective, and probably the most rewarding short-term. However in time a secondary access should be considered further north to penetrate the unbroken building frontage of Kinelowen St., whilst an active frontage along this space, possibly along the Fair Green Avenue border of this space should be a long-term ambition.

Connecting The Glen and Improving the Towns Recreational Facilities Although it lies outside the study area, creating a functional amenity in the northern end of The Glen is crucial to any success a redeveloped Glen area is going to have.

Currently the only function which exists is “The Den in The Glen” playgroup, however a percentage of the funds awarded for the new community and arts centre have been earmarked for development of recreational facilities in the northern Glen area.

Connecting the Cow Fair with the towns main node The main nodal area of the town around the William Kirk monument must be considered and connected with any proposals for the study area, especially with the anticipated community and arts centre to be built in the Cow Fair. Relocating the towns library functions to the Old Mill will not only increase usage of the important building, but also allow for the removal of the existing Library to provide a visual and physical connection to the new facility from the towns main node, whilst improving access to and from the Old Mill and Cow Fair.

Placing these much needed facilities here would create a genuine reason for people to travel to this area of the town centre, and thus make The Glen the main pedestrian link between the two newly developed public facilities in the town. The Glen would now be an important, active and integrated area of the town centre.

The Glen will protrude from the town centre almost like a green finger, a high-quality landscaped area extending northwest following the direction of the River Clay out of the town centre towards new recreational facilities.

Connecting the Cow Fair with The Glen and Kinelowen St. Bridging the topographical change from the Cow Fair to The Glen and Kinelowen St. is hugely important for this area and the overall connectivity of the town centre, made even more important with the development of the new community centre.

Improved access across the River Clay to increase the Cow Fair’s physical and visual permeability is of paramount importance here.

New Urban Square on site of existing Old Mill Car Park Capitalizing on the undeveloped nature of the Old Mill car park to create an open pedestrianized space would help to alleviate some of the connectivity issues in the three main areas of the study site. It would also place the Old Mill, a local landmark and public building, as the focal point of the square with the River Clay providing a natural and calming ambience to the space.

As a natural point where all three areas converge, strategically it makes sense, with its below grade nature also offering the potential to create an ampitheatre-type space which has been so successfully executed in other urban areas. The space would act and an entry point to the redeveloped Glen, would be overlooked by the new Community and Arts Centre, all the while fulfilling the requirement for a civic amenity space that will also allow activity from Kinelowen St. to flow into.

Kinelowen St.

Cow Fair

The Glen

Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design School of Planning, Architecture Queen’s University, Belfast

and

Creating Realignment of Bridge Street.

New Building in Kirk Square

To alleviate the issues of congestion at the Market St., Kinelowen St. and Bridge St. junction, Bridge St. could be realigned. Only a complete by-pass of the town centre will solve the traffic problems here, but junction realignment could be considered as a shorter-term measure.

To create an additional frontage onto the newly designed Kirk Square, a south facing contemporary building contextually designed will overlook the space, providing natural surveillance for both the square and the southern section of The Glen. Ground floor retail and commercial units combined with office/residential accommodation in the upper floors will ensure this area remains active at all times of the day.

There are other benefits to be had from this proposal other than traffic management. Relocating the Library functions to the Old Mill will increase the usage of this important landmark, whilst removal of the Library building will make room for landscaping improvements around the Old Mill and also increase the amount and quality of pedestrian space around this busy and vibrant area of the town centre.

09

Development Proposals - Site Masterplan

Civil Engineering

Public Realm Improvements in Kinelowen Street Due to the historical layout of Kinelowen St. and its narrow nature, improvements which can be made here are limited. However the presence of on-street parking at its narrowest point can little be justified, and so by removing this unnecessary convenience, pedestrian space and both single carriageways can be widened and upgraded, improving traffic flow through this area the town, and also the experience for the pedestrian user.

a

Functional

and

Well-Connected Town Centre

New Open Space and Recreation Facilities in The Glen The lack of recreational facilities in the town centre of Keady, both in terms of open space and indoor recreation is of major concern to the local people. Although St. Patrick’s High School operates a dual use scheme whereby the school uses the facilities during the day and is open to the public in the evenings, it is not accessible to all and so the need therefore exists to either develop leisure facilities in the town centre or work with the school to expand their facilities.

In protecting the natural and recreational value of The Glen, the existing paths should be developed further for walking and cycling to provide connections to nearby housing areas, with an indoor recreational facility constructed to house the existing ‘Den in the Glen’ playgroup, and provide indoor and outdoor sports facilities in the town centre complete with parking. This will be made viable by realigning and upgrading the River Clay to create the space necessary for such activities.

Kirk Square Named after William Kirk who’s Corn and Linen Mills brought so much prosperity to the town, Kirk Square will become the heart of the town around which all main areas of the town centre will articulate.

This area, as well as The Glen and Cow Fair will also provide the town with much needed open public spaces for community activities, performances and celebrations.

Renovation of the Viaduct With the new recreational facilities proposed for this area of The Glen, the impressive 7-arch viaduct will provide a magnificent back-drop to these new stateof-the-art facilities, connecting a historical reminder of the towns economic prosperity from the past to its one built for its bright and youthful future. The viaduct will also be incorporated into the towns existing highway to health route.

This masterplan for the town centre of Keady is intended to increase the connectivity, safety and quality of public realm between the towns major nodes and facilities, improving access to services and the opportunity for local people and businesses to develop. The proposals also take advantage of the towns natural assets to create environment which celebrates the local history of the town, but also fulfils the needs of its current and future residents.

Kinelowen Street The main focal point in the town is found around the junction of Bridge St., Kinelowen St. and Market St. This is the location where all the main routes into and through the town meet, and due to the traffic volumes combined with the narrowness of the streets, it suffers from significant traffic congestion. It is also the focus for most pedestrian activity, an element which should be capitalised upon rather than lost with any redevelopment of the town. The aim of the proposal is to improve traffic flow, pedestrian access to the new Community and Arts Centre, while at the same time improving the public realm and attractiveness of this arrival point, emphasising the historical character of the Old Mill and the Kirk Monument.

Further north the removal of the on-street parking to allow for the widening of the road and pavements should help to alleviate some of the congestion issues at this narrow point, improving traffic flow and the pedestrian/cycling environment.

The Glen Legend

The rationale behind the suggested improvements to The Glen are to increase its usage and make it more attractive. If the Glen was a main route for pedestrians and cyclists to and from the town centre, and was one of the main areas for outdoor sport and recreation, its usage would increase, anti-social behaviour would decrease, hence the whole character of the space would change.

Paved Area Road Car Park Built Form

The realignment and upgrading of the Clay River would increase the usable space within the Glen, allowing for an improved pedestrian network and a much more attractive riverside environment. Most importantly it provides the scope to create an open space/ sports area at the northern end of The Glen.

River Vegetation

The Cow Fair The main problem which exists for the Cow Fair is access, due to the topography of the land, the Cow Fair is disconnected from the rest of the town with access only to and from Bridge St. With the proposals for the new Community Centre, the success of this facility is dependant upon the quality and ease of access to it, but also from here to other areas/ facilities in the town centre.

The Cow Fair A landscaped plaza in front of the new “Tommy Makem Community and Arts Centre” overlooking and linked to Kirk Square, Kinelowen St. and The Glen will reconnect the Cow Fair visually and physically with the rest of the town centre.

A number of newly installed bridges across the River Clay will also dramatically increase access to the Cow Fair and the new arts centre from the rest of the town centre, with the open plaza providing the opportunity for the weekly market to return, which were so popular in the past.

Parking facilities will be located behind the new community centre for those travelling by car.

Redevelopment of The Glen The Glen should be renovated in line with the proposals for the Cow Fair and Kirk Square, with improved pedestrian linkages and natural surveillance. The weekly market which used to be held in the Cow Fair may also expand down to this area if successful, with service access from the northern end of The Glen to allow stalls and/or entertainment vehicles to use this area and Kirk Square for cultural celebrations and activities.

Improved tree planting will buffer the rear of the adjacent buildings with the long term possibility of relocating the housing on Fair Green Avenue to allow for an active frontage onto this space. Vehicle access would be available from the rear.

Access to Kinelowen St. from The Glen A long term ambition for the town centre should be to provide access to The Glen from Kinelowen St. and vice versa. This has the potential to become another nodal point along the main street, with access located opposite the main car park in the town centre to allow for those travelling by car to also avail of this area, and stop and spend time in the newly landscaped surroundings and adjacent facilities.

The removal of heavy vegetation which forms a suffocating collar around this space will visually connect the Cow Fair with the rest of the town centre, with new walkways across the Clay River providing the much needed physical connection the town needs.

The proposals put forward in this projects aim to create a place where people move to it, rather than through it.

10

Development Proposals

Kinelowen Street

and

School

The Glen

Provision of facilities, increase in activity and upgraded access to The Glen

Public Realm Improvements in Kinelowen Street Despite the main street being a busy and vibrant place it does not translate into a fully occupied street, with numerous vacant retail units and neglected building frontages. In this first phase, the aim is to carry out public realm improvement works along Kinelowen St. to address the congestion problems and also to improve the environmental quality of the street for pedestrians and those who may which to stop and spend some time.

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Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Belfast

During the analysis it was identified that the on-street parking along Kinelowen St. was proving to be a problem at certain points with the traffic lanes already proving to be very narrow for heavy goods and agricultural vehicles. Removing the on-street parking lane and widening both the traffic lanes and the pavement should help alleviate some of these problems, installing high quality paving, street furniture and street trees.

The main short-term proposal for The Glen would be carry out some landscaping works and install street lighting to improve the environmental quality and safety of this area for its users, and also place a new open space and recreational facility at the northern end of the site to attract footfall from the town centre.

However with regards to the wider area, to integrate The Glen with the rest of the town centre connections will be made with the main street and also with the Cow Fair and the New Community and Arts Centre via the newly proposed Kirk Square and bridges over the river clay.

Once these are established The Glen will become the main pedestrian link between the two main public facilities in the town centre, attracting footfall at both ends at all times of the day. To further increase the attractiveness and safety of this area, an ambitious objective to introduce an active frontage from Fair Green Avenue has been proposed (See section below). This would see a newly built residential development overlook and directly connect to The Glen, completing its transition from a backland site to an attractive, safe and fully functioning open space in the town centre.

Cross Section of the The Glen in its current condition.

Kinelowen Stree

t

Pedestrian Footpath + Cycleway

Cross Section of the The Glen with the stated proposals.

Pedestrian Footpath + Cyc

leway

Kinelowen Street

Sketch of a fully integrated Glen area, a vibrant, high quality landscaped urban space connected to all main areas of the town centre with high pedestrian footfall and natural beauty.

River

The Glen

Walkway

Kinelowen Street

New Housing and Associated Access to The Glen

Fairgreen Avenue

Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design School of Planning, Architecture Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Belfast

and

11

Development Proposals

Civil Engineering

Clay r e v i R

air

nity

en w o l e n Ki Street

ill Old M rk Car Pa

Cow F

mmu o C g n Existi entre C

The Cow Fair

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Kirk Square

Amongst the other proposals for the town centre we have the major redevelopments around the Cow Fair, and the space occupied by the Old Mill car park adjacent to Kinelowen St. Opposite is a 3-dimensional cross section of the area in question, both in its current condition and with the proposed developments in place.

From the section you can see the topographical change which has been caused by countless years of erosion by the river. It is at the this point where the largest fall in the river is located, so this explains the drastic change in topography which we can see in this site.

It can be seen clearly here how the land changes across this site and how the heavy vegetation on the river bank causes severe connection problems from the Cow Fair area to the rest of the town centre, which up until now has failed to be addressed.

Although it houses a very important facility for the local people, The Old Library building is of little architectural merit, and so by relocating the Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s functions into the Old Mill, removing the existing building would release land in the heart of the town centre to be redeveloped and provide space for the realignment of Bridge St., and also visually connect the Cow Fair with the main nodal area of the town.

The presence of the Old Mill car park whilst performing an important function for the public building, further removes Kinelowen Street from the Cow Fair and The Glen. The hard landscaping installed along Kinelowen St. for pedestrian safety forms an uninviting edge to this area, forcing pedestrians to walk around The Glen area rather than through it. By making this area a paved pedestrianised space it will act as an entry point to The Glen, improving the visual and physical connections between Kinelowen St., the Cow Fair and The Glen, attracting footfall to these areas from the main street.

Due to the below level nature of the site, and because of the topographical nature of this whole area - unless large scale in fill takes place provisions will have to be made to traverse the change in height. Whilst some in fill would be welcome to mitigate the sharp incline in topography, hard landscape in the form of large urban steps will border the square, doubling as seating areas where people can stop, sit, socialize and observe the every day life of the town.

These will be similar those seen in other urban areas such as the Chavasse steps in Liverpool, which provide access to an above level urban park, but are also popular resting places for locals on lunch or tea/coffee breaks.

Innovative lighting methods could also be incorporated into these stepped area such as those seen in Melrose, Scotland. This environmentally sustainable lighting system would undoubtedly increase the attractiveness and energy of this area.

V

Chavesse Steps, Liverpool One

>Melrose, Scotland

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F Cow

River Clay

akem ts M y Tommty and Ar uni m m Co Centre

owen l e n i K t Stree

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Squa k r i K

12

Conclusion

Financial Appraisal

School

and

Project Summary

Valuation Analysis

Conclusion

The residual valuation method of property valuation will be utilized for the mixed use development proposed in Kirk Square in Keady town centre. This financial appraisal of the proposed development calculates the site value using up-to-date property market research information from the Valuation Office Agency’s Property Market Report for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Other costs such as construction fees, professional fees, marketing the scheme and yield required on return are all inputs into this valuation equation. Northern

The proposals put forward in this design project were developed following a thorough assessment of the conditions which exist in Keady town centre. This involved site surveys, topographical studies and meetings with local residents and councillors as to what they feel are the main problems which need addressing in this area.

Gross Development Value - 9% Yield Required Net Letable Area: - Retail - Residential Rental value per sq. ft.

- Retail - Residential Rental income per annum On site parking spaces Total Estimated Rental Value (ERV) Yield required Capital Value (Gross Development Value – GDV)

Building works Professional fees Total Building costs Marketing Marketing and other lettings costs 12,000

400 / m2 800 / m2 £700 /m2 £200 / m2 440,000 (25 @ £150 pa) £3,750 443,750 9.0 9% 3,993,750

420,000 1,200 m2 @ £350 /m2 42,000 10% of building work costs 462,000 [Works + fees]

12,000

Finance Estimated total interest paid over refurbishment period

495,000

Total Development Costs

969,000

Profit 15% of total development costs

1,114,350

Total Development Costs and Profit

2,083,350

Minus purchaser’s costs - Surveyor’s fee @ 1.75% - Stamp Duty @ 5% Site Value

0% 1% 3% 4% 5% 7%

on on on on on on

properties properties properties properties properties properties

1,910,400 GDV less [total costs and profit] 721,957.5 1.75% surveyor’s fee; 2% stamp duty 33,432 95,520 £1.781,448

*In Northern Ireland Stamp Duty is worked out as a percentage of the whole value of the property, and the percentage rate payable is graded into bands as follows: between £0 - £125,000 between £125,000 and £250,000 between £250,000 and £500,000 between £500,000 and £1,000,000 between £1,000,000 and £2,000,000 over £2,000,000

It is hoped that both the issues identified in the analysis and the development proposals put forward will help inform future decision making regarding the town centre of Keady, with the possibility of some of them being realized in the future.

To recap, the objectives which were formulated from the analysis stage were to:

2. Development Costs Building Works

3. Site Value Amount left for site purchase

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Gary Mackin - 40070004 Individual Design Project MSc Urban and Rural Design Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering Queen’s University, Belfast

- Take advantage of the natural elements of the study site and combine them with the opportunity which exists between Kinelowen St., Cow Fair and The Glen -Improved the quality of the public realm in Kinelowen St. and removing on-street parking to help alleviate some of the congestion problems in this area of the town.

- Create a series of linked public spaces throughout the town centre which improve the physical and visual permeability of the town, and providing a much needed social amenity space in the heart of the town centre

- Improve the linkages between Kinelowen Street, The Glen, The Cow Fair and the rest of the town by creating new public realm areas - Re-establish the Old Mill as the focal point of the town centre, intensifying its use and markedly improving its surroundings - Improve open space and recreation provisions in the town centre, locating them in The Glen area to increase the usage of this space.

With the proposals that have been put forward for this study site in Keady, it is in the authors opinion that they meet most if not all of the objectives, and address the majority of the issues which were identified in the analysis. Additionally, these proposals represent conceptual ideas and are of course open to interpretation and alteration.

One of the main difficulties which face this site however is the low density living which exists in the town, and of course the settlement size. This makes it difficult to justify proposals of a relevant scale and nature, as a large percentage of the population are reliant on the private motor vehicle as their primary mode of transport and so will resist most proposals which reduce the convenience of this. However, the proposals put forward in this project have been conscious of this and, in principle, would create a better connected, more vibrant and attractive town centre for Keady.