Representation from the Southend BID In relation to the Southend on Sea Central Area Action Plan (SCAAP) Southend on Sea Borough Council
Prepared by SKARCHITECTS
RIBA
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Table of Contents 1.
Executive Summary
2.
Introduction
3.
Strategic Vision
4.
Preferred Options
5.
Key Areas
6.
Southend BID Consultation
7.
Conclusion
Page No 3
Appendices Appendix 1
Southend BID Consultation SCAAP Pro Forma
Appendix 2
Results of BID Pro-Forma Consultation
Appendix 3
Evidence from Businesses in relation to Transport Constraints
Appendix 4
Record of Public Consultation (key themes)
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1.
Executive Summary 1. The Southend BID have duly considered the SCAAP documentation. Representatives of the BID have attended one of the workshops that the Local Authority hosted. As a general view, the aspirations and preferred options as outlined in the SCAAP documentation are supported in relation to the further regeneration, renewal and employment growth in the SCAAP area. 2. Through the Southend BID a number of representations have been made following the BID’s own consultation on a range of issues. Transport and Access into the Town is a key theme and in order to deliver the aspired number of new dwellings and new jobs in the Central Area, the BID wish to see this appropriately addressed through the SCAAP documentation. At present the BID does not believe that the Transport, Access and Parking issues have been given enough consideration. Nor has the highway infrastructure on existing businesses let alone the aspirational growth. 3. The BID wholly support townscape improvements, improvements to the public realm, enhancement and retention of key views, vastly improved connectivity from the car parks to the Seafront, car parks to the High Street and the creation of active public spaces in an otherwise linear High Street. Based on various research and commissioned reports there is substantive evidence to indicate that the High Street is mainly a singular and due to change in customer expectations and behaviour the type of High Street is no longer viable. The BID support the Council’s view that spatially the High Street and connections to the seafront are an inappropriate configuration for regeneration and commercial vitality. 4. The proposed redevelopment of Roots Hall and Roots Hall Stadium are predicated on the Football Club relocating to Fossetts Farm with a significant volume of retail use. Whilst the redevelopment of these sites is supported the retail use and volume at Fossetts Farm would see the end of the High Street as a retail offer. The BID most strongly opposes the Fossetts Farm proposals and any movement of retail away from the SCAAP area and Town Centre.
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2.
Introduction SKArchitects Ltd have been appointed by Southend BID to make a formal representation as part of the consultation by Southend on Sea Borough Council in relation to their Southend on Sea Central Area Action Plan (SCAAP) preferred option. The BID is a locally funded and accountable organisation and wants to play a supportive role in advocating change for the Central Area, the Central Seafront and High Street, providing that its views are duly considered and appropriate action is taken in terms of the next stage of the SCAAP development. The BID support the idea of the Central Seafront Area achieving a compact defined prime retail core in the Town Centre with a mixture of uses and peripheral areas made over to complimentary uses and in particular support the intensification of the growth of housing in the Central Area. This response follows the Public and Business Workshops, of which SKArchitects attended along with a small number of seafront businesses the Business Workshop. This Workshop, we believe was poorly notified resulting in only four business representatives being present. This representation follows a considered review of the associated SCAAP documents, those being the Preferred Option Executive Summary, Preferred Option 2015, SCAAP Development Plan, SCAAP Appendices B, C and D.
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3.
Strategic Vision In relation to the vision, Southend BID support the aspiration for Southend to be a City by the Sea and be a prosperous, vibrant, safe, thriving regional Centre as the cultural hub within the Thames Gateway and a great place to live, work and visit. The Southend BID would argue that in relation to the Strategic Vision the Sea is what gives Southend its Unique Selling Point (USP) and this needs to be a key theme in relation to future planning policy supporting the continued growth, regeneration and reinvestment. Many of the seafront businesses consulted as part of the BID’s own consultation have identified their concerns that leisure and tourism is not a strong focus of the SCAAP. As part of this representation we have reviewed Blackpool’s Local Plan Making as a similar seaside town and comparable seaside resort. As part of Blackpool Core Strategy Consultation and examination in public, the seafront businesses made succinct clear representation regarding the impact of traffic and parking on the sustainability and future growth of Blackpool as a tourist resort and destination of choice. (This is addressed further in the BIDs comments on Transport and Access in Chapter 4 – Preferred Options of this written representation). The Seafront business representation noted that the major attractions that make Blackpool a tourist destination rely on easy access to car parking and good access from the car parks to the attractions by foot and public transport. The Seafront businesses further noted that this matter is often not well understood by councils, who generally consider that it is not necessary to plan car parking for peak periods only. In most industries, for example planning the levels of parking for shopping areas based only on the Christmas peak, this is a reasonable approach but for the businesses which are seasonal and need to meet visitor targets to survive (or at least to continue at their present scale), this approach can have far reaching consequences. The Southend Seafront businesses feel this particular issue is not understood by the Local Authority and as such the level of tourism and investment has peaked. Many of the Seafront businesses have expressed their view as part of this consultation that they cannot invest further in the town due to the issue of access and parking and as such they already have a declining customer base.
5 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Members of the BID together with representatives of local businesses within the SCAAP area discussed highways and parking issues with Southend on Sea Borough Council’s Head of Planning and Transport. As the Chief Officer responsible for transport he was recorded as saying ‘the issue with parking is if you create more parking spaces, more people will come and they will create more congestion’ ie there will be greater numbers of visitors to the Town meaning greater business! This exasperates the concerns of local businesses that parking and transport issues are not fully understood and have no serious consideration as part of the Council’s preferred option and the SCAAP framework. Interestingly the representations made by the Seafront businesses in Blackpool persuaded the Government Inspector of their position. The Inspector concluded in their report that ‘Car Parks need to accommodate peak weekend/bank holiday parking’. In relation to strategic objectives, the BID would support the improvements and transformation on economic, vitality, viability and diversity of Southend Central Area and the encouragement of a wide range of homes, businesses and retail. It would also support the opportunity for additional learning, recreation and leisure. The BID also supports the Councils aspiration for design excellence and good quality development proposals and significant public realm improvements to reinforce the sense of place to compliment the new and existing infrastructure and townscape of the Central Area. The BID also supports the Councils aspiration to establish Southend as low carbon City providing that it doesn’t have any adverse impact in terms access, connectivity and parking allocations within the Central Area. The BID further support the improvement to accessibility and the further encouragement of sustainable modes of transport. In relation to the High Street the BID have considered the context of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and a number of reports commissioned to look at the position, cause, effect and potential solution to the Nations declining High Streets.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (Introduced in March 2012) Chapter 2 - Ensuring the vitality of Town Centres The Government’s focus in paragraph 24 is on Local Authorities applying a sequential test to planning applications for main Town Centre uses that are not in an existing centre and not in accordance with an up to date plan. Preference should be given to accessible sites that are well connected to the Town Centre.
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In para 26 the NPPF note – Local Authorities should require an impact assessment of any development outside of the Town Centre which is over a proportionate locally set floor space and also to assess the impact of the proposal on the Town Centre vitality and viability. Where an application fails to satisfy sequential tests there is likely to have significant adverse impact on one or more of the above factors it should be refused. Para 23 sets out National Planning Policy for Town Centres and reinstates long established Town Centre first policy for retail and office development. Although mainly concerned with planning for new development where Town Centres are in decline Local Planning Authorities should positively plan for their future to encourage economic activity. Helpfully the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) introduced in 2015 groups together the Class Uses which gather most High Streets. The GPDO allows changes from one of the Uses to another without the need for consent in most circumstance. The Government is also proposing several measures to make it easy to change uses, particularly to residential. The Government is also introduced measures to make it easier to change into residential however this is probably fairly restrictive in the High Street itself but Southend as the Local Planning Authority should consider the widening of that, certainly into some of the units off the High Street and the BID would argue to some extent and quantum of the High Street itself as part of the SCAAP. Further consideration of the National Planning Policy Framework in relation to the SCAAP, is sited in Chapter 2 Local Authorities should positively promote competitive Town Centres and the policies, management and growth therein. The Local Authority through the SCAAP have recognised the importance of the Town Centre in viability and vitality terms and have also looked to enhance the existing markets where appropriate and introduce and create new markets. As part of the SCAAP there is also an allocation of an arrangement of sites to meet the scale and type of retail, leisure, commercial, office, tourism, cultural community and residential development needed in Town Centres. Through their information paper the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have released the first edition of High Streets Adapting for Change. Through this paper the RICS introduce the Governments recognition that our High Streets have to offer something new and different that neither the shopping centres nor the internet can match. They need to offer an experience that goes beyond retail and they need to be a destination for the socialising culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning. Offices alongside shops, alongside housing, alongside eateries. Changes in consumer behaviour, the growth in car ownership and its impact on accessibility of in and out of Town Centre shopping is reasonably well understood. This is particularly likely to be an issue should the Council grant the Fossetts Farm application to substantially increase a retail offer in an out of town centre location. 7 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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The growth of out of town shopping centre has been widely blamed for Town Centre decline and planning policies have attempted to restrict this growth, which the BID wish to see reflected in the Council’s determination of planning applications at Fossetts Farm. (The outcome of Planning Applications for extensive retail at Fossetts farm will determine the value of the Council progressing the SCAAP process. If the Fossetts Farm retail development is approved the BID feel the SCAAPs aspirations will be undeliverable.) In looking at reviving Town Centres, the RICS suggest these fall into 4 main categories as possible strategies: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Improve Competitive Performance Reduce the cost base Diversify away from retail uses Grow the local economy and/or population
The BID would support the Council in their aspiration in all of the above, which is a strong theme in the preferred option principle. In line with the RICS the BID recognise that the High Street should be a social place that makes creative use of public space with a vibrant even economy. Given that there is a shortage of housing and surplus retail property, there is no doubt that conversion to residential use should form part of the future of the Town Centre. The SCAAP should be seeking diversification of some of the retail uses on the ground floor as conversion to residential uses, providing attractive exit strategies for the asset managers and investors. This needs careful consideration in terms of how spatially to organise the retail uses potentially at north and south and breaking out east to west, more likely towards the southern end of the high street. Ultimately growing the local economy with the best and most sustainable approach to improve the fortunes of Town Centres. The RICS also through their paper discuss the issue of parking charges, whereupon many retail and warehousing out of town shopping malls provide free parking. In contrast to this since 2007 many local authorities have increased parking charges significantly. In the SCAAP Area this is a key issue which requires an essential review. This is in contrast to the smaller districts of the wider Southend on Sea, Leigh and Southchurch where the Council have extended free parking to 2 hours. The districts of Leigh and Southchurch have independent and boutique retail offers, which the BID argue hardly need stimulation or encouragement. The Council have widened free parking to two hours, which has had a very positive effect in Leigh. Compared to Central Southend and the SCAAP Area where parking for 2 hours is in excess of £3.30. In the BID’s view this is a deterrent for people coming into Southend particularly for shopping. This combined with the poor spatial and environmental quality is a contributing factor to the decline of Southend’s Town Centre.
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BPF Real Estate have produced a report that was commissioned and funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to look into securing successful town and City Centres. The report Town Centre Investment Zones calls for a number of key themes being focus for the Local Authority and the Local Planning Authority. In their report ‘Meeting the Town Centre Challenge’ – BPF site the significant macro-economic forces placing pressure on Town Centres such as Southend on Sea including polarisation, retail portfolio restructuring, changing consumer behaviours and aspirations and not least e commerce and the internet. The result is that many retailers need fewer outlets and in fewer towns, often focussing on bigger boxes in bigger centres. As a nation BPF cite that as a nation we have too many shops. Together these trends are posing challenges for the ability of town and City Centres to deliver space suited to demand to secure a better occupy line-up and improve the overall customer experience. Many of our High Streets have been shaped by their past, however they are now trapped in their current configurations and often in poor shape to face the future. In relation to Southend on Sea, this is certainly the case. The High Street in particular has a linearity with no social space for congregation, interaction and the alternative commercial uses that would reactivate these spaces such as cafes, coffee shops, office space and importantly a high intensification of residential uses both at ground level in pockets and above at higher levels. The SCAAP and the BID recognise that the High Street in particular requires a restructuring on a significant scale. Both the Council and the BID recognise the need to diversify the uses within the Central Area and indeed cite the success of London Road eateries. However, this needs to have some further consideration in relation to pedestrianizing the stub-end of London Road, introducing a series of stalls that would allow for street food to further define this zone as a place that people come to enjoy, to eat, to meet and to use the cinema, which would include a reconfiguration and animation around Victoria Circus bleeding across into the northern end of the High Street.
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10 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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As noted in BPF’s report, Town Centres are accessible places suitable for densification and accommodating more housing. In this regards the BID supports the aspirations of the Local Planning Authority through the SCAAP. The BID support the enhancement and quality of the Green and Open spaces along the Central Area and the protection of Southend’s unique Heritage including the nationally important Grade II Listed Southend Pier. The BID would further support the enhancement of the Pier as national icon and a significant regeneration and enhancement of this key tourist attraction, which at present underperforms both in terms of its attraction and in terms of its visitor experience. As mentioned throughout the BID response, there is a wholehearted support for a greater residential intensification of the Central Area The BID wholeheartedly supports the encouragement and expansion of businesses in the Southend Central Area, although note that issues around transport, access and parking need further consideration and understanding. This is particularly an issue for Seafront business and the tourist economy. Many Seafront businesses have peaked in terms of visitor attraction due to the infrastructure issues. The highway infrastructure makes journeys into the Town prolonged and difficult. Many visitors and customers simply don’t return.
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4.
Preferred Options Through the Preferred Option Southend Council have outlined the development strategy as the following key specific policies:
Retail Provision Transport Access and Public Realm Flood Risk Management and Sustainable Drainage Landmarks and Landmark Buildings Key Views
The Council through the SCAAP have also identified the policy areas as illustrated on their Map 1. In scoping the representation in response to the Council’s consultation process the Southend BID has considered the following key issues: 1. Overarching view on the regenerative and social economic sustainable growth proposed in the heart of the Central Area. 2. Transport and Access, this is an absolute key theme for BID. 3. A significant number of new homes. 4. The proposal improvements to public realm and pedestrian connectivity. 5. Townscape improvements and guidance on design quality and Heritage preservation and enhancement. 6. Energy and Utilities Southend BID wish to make representation, comments, observations and recommendations on these key issues based on feedback from their Members and some fifty plus businesses consulted as part of this representation. These issues are addressed in both the main body of the BID response and the answers to the specific questions the Council have included as part of their consultation documentation. 1. Overarching view on the regenerative and social economic sustainable growth proposed in the heart of the Central Area. Southend BID support the Councils aspiration through the SCAAP outlining the regenerative, social and economic sustainable growth proposed in the heart of the Central Area. The BID support a higher intensification of residential uses in the Central Area together with a broader mix of commercial uses ranging from A1 retail, A3 restaurant café, D2 leisure and B1 offices to provide a more diverse multi-use High Street and Central Seafront.
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2. Transport and Access, this is an absolute key theme for BID. Southends Unique Selling Point is the Seafront which is a destination of choice. The Seafront and High Street inter relate on each other for business with the major attractions of Southend relying on easy access to car parking and good access from the car parks to the High Street and the Seafront attractions by foot or public transport. Access into the Town is problematic certainly on peak days, but also in evenings when there are events on in the Town and Central Seafront this can be evidenced in Appendix 4 where local businesses have clearly indicated their concerns in relation to access and egress into the Town along the A127. There is a view that from the Victoria Gateway junction to the Raleigh Weir on days of high visitation and sunny days the key route is completely grid locked between these two key points. This represents somewhere in the region of 3840 cars parked nose to tail across the main artery into the Town which is mainly a dual carriageway. Some members of the BID and representatives of the Seafront businesses believe that one way in which the congestion into the Town could be improved is for an additional 3840 parking spaces to be made accessible and available within close proximity to the Seafront and core High Street Area. This is due to the day visitor attraction industry, particularly family attractions such as the Seafront receiving the vast majority of its income in a few weeks of the year. These generally coincide with the school holidays. During this peak period a visitor attraction business needs to be able to accommodate every visitor that wants to visit as these peak days effectively subsidise the operation for the rest of the year. If the access to the main attractions is limited on peak days by the availability of car parking spaces, this could and does have serious impact on the viability of the Seafront businesses. The main parking areas are generally at capacity on peak holiday periods. Any loss of capacity as a result of the SCAAP proposals would result in a cap of visitors during these peak periods. This as mentioned through various parts of the BID response limits the amount of investment within the Seafront to the current status quo. Of course transport and access is not just limited to the Seafront and does have a huge impact on the High Street, combined with parking tariffs, access and egress, and poor legibility around the Town Centre. Whilst the changes outlined in the SCAAP from a space and use perspective will do an awful lot to reinvigorate and regenerate the High Street, this must be inclusive of a renewed and fresh approach to parking provision within the SCAAP Area.
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3. A significant number of new homes The BID understand the concept of a much greater residential intensification of the SCAAP area and would wholeheartedly support the Councils aspirations for an additional 4000+ homes however, this must be in the context of insuring there is suitable amenity and infrastructure. The intensification together with a greater mix of uses in the Town Centre and Central Seafront create a much more buoyant and sustainable economy and the BID welcome the Councils proposals as part of the SCAAP planning document. 4. The proposal improvements to public realm and pedestrian connectivity. Various improvements have been made to the Central Seafront including improved connectivity through Pier Hill and the City Beach. Whilst there has been some improvements to the landscape of the High Street, this needs a much greater consideration and linking to new development. There needs to be greater inclusion of soft landscaping and public spaces and improved connections from the High Street through to the Seafront. This is particularly the case with Seaway Development. This development site represents a great opportunity to create a gateway development and pedestrian links and improved Public Realm linked to the Seafront. The BID would wish to see a breaking down of the linearity of the High Street and the creation of a number of destination and unique quarters. This resonates particularly through with the Tylers Avenue, London Road and Alexandra and Clarence Street opportunity sites. 5. Townscape improvements and guidance on design quality and Heritage preservation and enhancement. The BID view the townscape improvements and guidance on design quality and Heritage preservation and enhancement are inextricably linked to improvements to Public Realm and pedestrian connectivity. The BID like the majority of the Town support the continued regeneration and reinvention of the Towns greatest icon Southend’s Pleasure Pier. As there are a number of opportunity sites outlined in the SCAAP document, the BID would suggest that the Council (through the SCAAP document) develop design codes and development briefs to ensure that the townscape improvements and quality of design of future developments meet the aspirational high standard to create a coherent and consistent Central Area. This need to reflect on the Towns Heritage and look towards the future to create Southend as unique place and destination for leisure, shopping, living and working.
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6. Energy and Utilities This is picked up by the BID in a couple of areas. Through the SCAAP representation many Members of the BID will be aware that the existing energy infrastructure in the SCAAP area is somewhat limited and has indeed limited the future developments of some of the Town Centre and Seafront businesses. Before the SCAAP document is enshrined, the BID would ask that the Council carry out thorough research, analysis and investigation into the capabilities of the existing infrastructure and the capabilities of utility suppliers to meet the aspirational growth. This is essential and will need some degree of consideration in terms of new sub stations around the SCAAP area. This directly links to townscape and Public Realm improvements as these sub stations represent an opportunity to not create a negative space in the overall townscape.
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SCAAP identifies a number of opportunity sites and site specific proposals. The development sites have been identified as follows: Whitegate Road Pitmans Close Lakeland House Southchurch Road Sainsburys and adjacent buildings Elmer Square Phase II Queensway Warrrior Square 18-20 Southchurch Road Clarence Street Alexandra Street Tylers Southend Pier Seaways Marine Parade New Southend Museum Woodgrange
Esplanade House Victoria Avenue Heath House and Carby House Carnarvon Road Victoria House Water Board Site Roots Hall Roots Hall Stadium 297 Victoria Avenue 25 Roots Hall Avenue Salisbury Avenue/North Road 175 London Road Sutton Road 257-285 Sutton Road 319-321 Sutton Road Kenway
The SCAAP combines a number of these sites and identifies them as collective ‘opportunity sites’ as follows: OS1 Whitegate Road OS2 Pitmans Close OS3 Elmer Square Phase II OS4 Queensway OS5 Warrrior Square OS6 Tylers OS7 Southend Pier OS8 Seaways & Marine Parade OS9 New Southend Museum
OS10 Woodgrange OS11 Victoria Avenue OS12 Water Board Site OS13 Roots Hall OS14 Sutton Road OS15 Sainsburys & adjacent buildings OS16 Clarence Street OS17 Alexandra Street
Looking at the growth planned in these areas, this represents a targeted growth both pre and post the plan periods 2021 of some 4,348 net additional residential units and some 6,000 jobs within the SCAAP area. Through the document the Council have categorised these into a number of spatial areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Central Seafront Victoria Gateway High Street London Road Elmer Square
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Queensway Warrior Square Clifftown Tylers Sutton Neighbourhood
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5.
Key Areas The BID response to the Councils aspirations for the key spatial areas is as follows: The primary focus of Southend BID is the Central Seafront, Victoria Gateway and the High Street. Key Area
1. Central Seafront
Council Proposals
To create a thriving vibrant leisure culture and tourism area centred on a rejuvenated and iconic Grade II Listed Pier. There will be high quality, mixed use scheme which includes residential use and Spanish steps providing increase of connectivity into the High Street pedestrian links into Seaway, the Seafront Lido and World Class Museum is also proposed. This will all be centred on a vastly improved Public Realm with creative lighting and public art and a continuation of the City Beach Public Realm scheme.
BID Response
To support all of the aims of the Central Seafront policy, however, in particular there are two opportunity sites that the BID wish to make further comment on. This is OS8 Seaway Car Park and Marine Parade and OS9 New Southend Museum. There is concern that proposals for the Seaway Car Park are missing the opportunity to see this as a key gateway site for both the Town and Seafront and an opportunity to provide a greatly enhanced Public Car Park provision as part of the overall site redevelopment. (See Chapter 6) In relation to OS9 the BID wholly support the Museum but would seek the inclusion of a public car park which would appear to be feasible as the construction method for creating the Museum would involve extensive ground work, which could utilise the lower levels for a covered car park.
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Key Area
2. Victoria Gateway
Council Proposals
The Councils aspirations for Victoria Avenue are to form an attractive vibrant gateway to the Town Centre with greater connectivity and accessibility. The creation of urban green pocket parks, community gardens and extensive landscaping. Victoria Avenue will be an attractive area in which to live sustainably with mixed use development and a greater intensity of residential use.
BID Response
Wholeheartedly support the improvement on Victoria Avenue as a gateway in to the Town. The BID recognises that much of this work is already underway with the ongoing redevelopment of Heath and Carby House. The BID would further make recommendation that there is an opportunity lost on the Victoria Gateway Public Realm Improvements and the large public space should be activated with a small commercial use and extensive landscaping and planting. There is the further opportunity to reopen the deepening alleviating some of the traffic stress that has resulted of the Highway alterations and there is a great opportunity to display public art in terms of film projection on to the rear of the Victoria Plaza and the existing Odeon building. This further runs then in to the top end of the High Street where there is a greater opportunity to enhance Victoria Circus, which the BID make further comment on in regards to the High Street.
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Key Area
3. High Street
Council Proposals
The Councils aspiration for the High Street along with the Victoria and Royal Shopping Centre all form part of a vibrant and successful Town Centre shopping area. This will be a destination of choice within the sub-region and will include a variety of new uses such as cafes, restaurants to enhance the visitor experience and any encouragement of a growth in residential prevision in the heart of the Town Centre to extend the economy through day and evening and create a safe quality pedestrian space linked with greater connectivity to the Seafront.
BID Response
The BID’s response factors on a number of areas, previous comments made in the strategic vision highlight the concern around High Streets and various papers and policies that have been looked at rejuvenating similar High Streets and Town Centres around the Country. The BID would note a few points that could be addressed as part of the SCAAP document. In relation to the middle of the High Street from Pitmans Close, Whitegate Road through to Tylers Avenue in line with the National Planning Policy Framework guidance from BPF and the RICS recognising the value that the University and Colleges have made to this element of the High Street, the BID support the extension of the education and cultural quarter into this area and would further suggest that the SCAAP looks at office use within the High Street itself and some residential uses above these offices. This would stimulate a broader economy and a safer pedestrian environment. In relation to the opportunity Sites the BID have commented on these in particular further this representation. The southern end of the High Street: The BID would want to ensure that OS6 Tylers Avenue includes a replacement car park for the existing public spaces plus the parking requirements for a future development.
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In relation to Public Realm improvements, there is an opportunity to create a southern square as part of the Tylers Avenue proposals and link this through to the pedestrianised High Street. There could also be an improvement of pedestrian connection from the Central railway station of Southend on Sea into the Public Realm and a vast and extensive soft landscape scheme introduced around the Tylers Avenue/High Street connection to the railway station. The southern end of the High Street: The BID support the Public Realm improvements and further connectivity down through and into the Seafront. The BID recognise that Pier Hill has had a huge success in this regard however there is a greater opportunity to look at the Seaway site as a Gateway both connecting the High Street around St Johns through Lucy Road and down onto the Seafront. This is a fantastic opportunity that could yield both greatly improved Public Realm, High Street offer and experience and a significant number of residential units.
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21 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
4. London Road
Council Proposals
Through the SCAAP the London Road area is to be a vibrant Gateway to the Town Centre providing high quality offices, shops, cafes, restaurants and residential at a high level. This will be complemented by Public Realm enhancements, public art installations, creative lighting and landscaping.
BID Response
Comments have been made in relation to the Victoria Gateway and how the introduction of public art in the form of light projection against the back of the Odeon and Victoria Plaza and greater connectivity from Southend Victoria Station through to the High Street and an enhancement of the public space that has been introduced as part of the Victoria Gateway transport junction enhancement. In relation to the existing Sainsburys site and redevelopment of the whole block OS15. This is a site that could take a much significantly higher building to cater for a larger number of residential units, complementing the Victoria Gateway proposals to re-use a great deal of the redundant office space to residential. Fantastic views are offered here and the larger number of residential units would sustain the A3 restaurant and café uses around the top end of the High Street and stub end of London Road. This all needs to be considered in relation to adequate onsite parking provision, greater connectivity to public transport and a greatly enhanced Public Realm. The Bid would call for the Council to present design codes to ensure the design quality of development meets the Councils high aspirations. The stub end of London Road and a landscape enhancement including mature tree planting as a boulevard into Victoria Circus. The A3 restaurant and café uses at the top end of the High Street have been a huge success and through the SCAAP document this could be further encouraged with the inclusion of some small stalls to encourage street food and pop up food outlets centred around a large kiosk or amphitheatre at Victoria Circus. These small pavilions could then spread to the norther quadrant of the High Street. This would further stimulate the eastern end of London Road and the top end of the High Street as a destination for eateries and later entertainment to extend the evening economy.
22 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
5. Elmer Square
Council Proposals
Elmer Square has been recognised as the heart of the educational hub in the centre of Southend, providing state of the art library and lonely facilities set within a high quality Public Realm and integrated pedestrian link with the High Street and London Road. The Council’s aspiration through the SCAAP are for a visually active frontages encouraging stronger engagement with the public space forum and academic buildings and reinforcement of Queens Road as a secondary shopping area.
BID Response
The BID wholly supports proposals for Elmer Square and repeats the comments that have been made in relation to the High Street. There is a greater opportunity for this segment of the High Street to have a mixture of uses as well as retail. This includes office space that directly correlates to the education hub and again a strong residential use above this segment of the High Street. The BID recognise that the Local Authority, University and South East Essex College has already delivered significant achievements in realising the aspirations so far.
23 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
6. Queensway
Council Proposals
The Councils aspiration through the SCAAP are to see the Queensway policy area as a long term strategy, securing regeneration of the entire area to create a balanced community supported by social and community infrastructure. This is to be complimented by active ground floor uses to Chichester and Southchurch Road and a greatly enhanced Public Realm and landscape to create a defined public and private green and open space. This policy area is to be residential led to create a sustainable neighbourhood with distinctive character and innovative housing technologies. The Queensway duel carriageway is to be transformed and to give some greater priority to a safe and accessible pedestrian connection particularly into the High Street.
BID Response
Support a vastly regenerated and improved area. The BID recognise the value in creating innovative housing typologies and a high quality built environment. There are a couple of issues that the BID want to ensure are adequately addressed through the SCAAP. The first of those is the potential of having residents parking zones, this could have a negative effect on the existing Town Centre on and off street parking and consume spaces that are vital for visitors. The other issue that the BID want to make through the Queensway policy area is the connectivity into the Seaway Car Park and the opportunity to see Seaway as a Gateway to the Seafront and the first visual connection to the Sea. Please see the Seaway Car Park preferred option and key area for the BIDs further comments in regards to this particular aspect.
24 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
7 Warrior Square
Council Proposals
Warrior Square through the Council SCAAP will provide a tranquil contrast to the lively High Street. Focussed on predominantly small scale residential character and the Warrior Square public open green space. Any new buildings are to be well designed and respect the character of the Conservation Area. The scale and massing appropriate to Chichester Road and Warrior Square and set within a green landscape.
BID Response
The BID have little comments to make in relation to the Warrior Square. The retention of the green space is paramount and greater legibility needs to be brought through to the High Street. Clearly the previous swimming pool site is a development opportunity and the BID would seek that that this is of the highest quality providing some activity around the ground floor to support the small pocket park of Warrior Square. The BID recognise that this site could deliver a significant number of residential units. The BID would want to see that the existing public car park provision is retained and any residential and commercial development yield aims to meet the requirements of the Councils development management plan in regard to parking provision.
25 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
8. Clifftown
Council Proposals
Through the SCAAP Clifftown will be a vibrant area with lively food, drink and small boutique niche retail offer that is active through the day and into the evening. The distinctive character, fine grain and appearance of the Clifftown conservation area will be conserved and enhanced and the setting of designated non-designated Heritage assets within the area will be respected. The area will have strong cultural identity capitalising on the fine grain of its historic street, attractive character properties and links to a leisure, recreational resource of the central seafront.
BID Response
The bid wholly support the aspirations for the Clifftown area and recognise the value of the Clifftown conservation area. There are two development sites namely Clarence Street and Alexandra Street car parks which have been identified for redevelopment. The BID generally support the redevelopment of these areas providing they respond to the fine grain character of the Conservation area and the scale of Alexandra Street. The BID recognise there is an opportunity to further enhance the boutique offer of this part of Southend by means of high quality architecture and high quality retail together with A3 uses and residential uses at upper levels. In relation to car parking, the BID would seek that the existing public car parking spaces are either allocated as part of the museum provision or are included elsewhere within the south west corner of the SCAAP area. There is an opportunity with the Empire Theatre as a large basement already exists. A public car park could form part of a wholesale mixed use redevelopment of the Empire theatre.
26 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
9. Tylers Avenue
Council Proposals
The Tylers Avenue area identified in the SCAAP document seeks to integrate a new travel centre, public space and fairly large scale residential development on the upper floors. This is in the context of the historic grain of York Road and the surrounding environs and the aspiration for an improved high quality Public Realm including extensive street planting and public art and a greater connectivity to the High Street and Central Seafront.
BID Response
Generally the BID support this approach, again as previously comments that have been made in both the High Street and Strategic Vision, the SCAAP needs to recognise that the site already delivers a large number of public parking spaces. These spaces need to be reprovided as part of the development and the development yield should also aim to meet the requirements of the Councils Development Management Plan.
27 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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Key Area
10 Sutton Neighbourhood
Council Proposals
The Sutton Gateway is to be regenerated with high quality sustainable buildings to restore and re-graft the built fabric creating distinctive sense of place for people to live and work.
BID Response
The BID support the Councils aspiration but have not further comments to make in relation to the Sutton Neighbourhood. The BID also support the improvements to connect the Sutton Neighbourhood into the Town Centre, improve connections to key public transport nodes and retail and employment areas.
28 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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6.
Southend BID Consultation As the Council only held two business workshops which were not highly publicised members of the Southend BID have undertaken their own consultation and produced a consultation form based on the key themes and opportunity sites highlighted in the SCAAP, a copy of this can be found in appendix 1. Southend BID received a 100% consultation responses having sent the Pro Forma out to 50 plus business consultees. The results of these can also be found in the tables in Appendix 4. Overwhelmingly the business consultees supported the SCAAP aspiration for Southend to be a prosperous, vibrant, safe cultural hub and City by the Sea. 94% of respondents supported that. In relation to the SCAAP’s aspirational growth in homes in the Central Area 74% of the consultees supports the Councils vision. In relation to the job growth within the SCAAP area 90% of the respondents supported the Councils aspiration. The consultees of the BID consultation process have also supported the overarching aspirations in the SCAAP document. In relation to Key Themes the Southend BID asked consultees to respond on a 1-10 priority (1 being low 10 being high) regarding the key themes contained in the SCAAP. Leisure and Tourism received 70% response as a top scoring 10 priority. Retail provision achieved 82% top score high priority. Transport and Access and Public Realm also received 70% of respondents giving this a score of 10 and a top priority. Flood Risk Management and Sustainable Drainage 48% of respondents gave that a top 10 priority. Landmarks and Landmark Buildings 36% of respondents gave that top 10 priority. Key Views were given a 20% top 10 priority. Energy and Utilities 32% top priority and Townscape Improvements and Guidance on Design, Quality and Heritage Preservation were given a top 10 priority by 36% of respondents. (See Appendix 2) The BID survey then went on to ask a question over the Key Development Sites as identified within the SCAAP document and prioritising these also on a 1-10 scale. 84% of respondents scored the High Street as a top 10 priority, 68% of recipients scored the Seafront as a top 10 priority. 34% scored the London Road as a top 10 priority. 34% scored Elmer Square as a top 10 priority. Queensway was scored by 24% response as a top 10 priority as was Warrior Square and Clifftown was scored by 18% as a top 10 priority. Tylers as was Tylers & Sutton Neighbourhood and Victoria Neighbourhood was scored by 22% of respondents as a top 10 priority. The BID wish to make the following comments, objections and representation to the identified Key Areas and Opportunities sites. The Key areas of concern relate to the Seaway Car Park, Roots Hall, Roots Hall Stadium and Fossetts Farm.
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Seaway Car Park The BID have a wish to express a view in relation to the current proposals for Seaway Car Park as part of the SCAAP document. This also follows the announcements in the Local Press in relation to the proposed development involving Turn Stone Limited. The BID believe that this is a fantastic gateway site linking through from Queensway to the Seafront and as such the proposals thus far are a lost opportunity. In terms of that first snippet of the Sea and discouraging traffic movements around the weaker infrastructure of Southchurch road and the Seafront. A conceptual idea – please see the figure below, which looks to create a gateway in from Queensway directly off the roundabout, significantly reducing the congestion down through Southchurch Road toward the Kursaal and Seafront beyond. Due to the topography of the Seaway Car Park there is an opportunity to cut into the site and create a formal entrance that can create a visual gateway as part of the access route. There is an opportunity to accommodate somewhere in the region of 1500 parking spaces arranged over 2-3-4 floors. Traffic movements would then come in directly at the northern edge of the site and filter through into the layered car park.
30 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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To the south side Lucy Road could then be completely pedestrianised and a punch through to the seafront creating a large piazza activated by new A1, A3 uses to compliment both the Central Seafront and the links into the High Street. The pedestrian link would then improve the environs around St John’s church. To drive some additional value it is perfectly legitimate to consider a number of floors of residential uses above the car park and retail/A3 commercial offer. Roots Hall & Roots Hall Stadium Whilst the BID do not object or have any particular concern regarding the moving of the Southend Football Club the move is predicted on the suggested development requirement to combine a significant number of retail outlets. This is being presented as a financial necessity to allow the Club to move to new premises, however, if this is supported many if not all the High Street chains are likely to follow. Fossetts Farm In relation to the Fossitts Farm development. Proposals to have a large quantum of A1 retail provision would have a major impact on the Town Centre which is highly likely to lead to a further decline of an already struggling retail offer within the High Street and surrounding environs. Furthermore, the highway connection and infrastructure would not support the level of traffic journeys that the proposals at Roots Hall are likely to generate. The BID would ask that the Council ensure that in accordance with advice in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) a sequential test is undertaken and would like to be informed of the conclusions in relation to the impact on the vitality and viability of the Town Centre. The BID are rightly concerned that the Fossetts Farm proposals will have negative impact on the future of the High Street and the existing retail economy of the SCAAP area.
31 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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7.
Conclusion Having digested the aspirations, Council’s vision and preferred options for the SCAAP Area Southend Bid would conclude their representation as follows: There is wholeheartedly a support for regeneration and renewal of the SCAAP Area, the BID would support the improvements to the Victoria Gateway through to the top end of London Road, down the High Street including Tylers Avenue, connection through to the Seafront from the High Street, improvements to the Seafront, the Public Realm, landscaping of the Public Realm, enhancement of key views and connectivity, preservation enhancement of the iconic Southend Pier and the general approach to intensification of the Town Centre. However, the major concerns to all of those things being achieved falls into a number of categories, transport, access and parking is a key theme and at present the existing parking provision is woefully inadequate. The access route into the Town is often unable to cater for the number of visitors on sunny days and this is likely to be detrimental to economic sustainability and the projected growth of 6,000 jobs within the SCAAP Area. The next issue in relation to parking results from the proposed development sites. The identified opportunity development sites are mainly existing public car parks. Through the SCAAP the Local Authority should seek a minimum of a replacement like for like number of public spaces on each of the sites whilst also meeting the development requirements in accordance with the Council’s Development Management Policy. Another major issue for the BID is the opportunity site (O~S13) re-development of Roots Hall, and Roots Hall Stadium. There is extreme concern that the redevelopment of these sites is predicated on Southend Football Club moving out to Fossetts Farm and the supposed enabling development to allow this to happen, which consists of a large quantum of A1 retail units. As highlighted earlier in this representation the retail proposals at Fossetts Farm would be fatal to Southend’s retail offer in the High Street and the aspirations for a vast improvement to the retail provision in the SCAAP area. Members of the BID raised the lack of the vision in relation to one of the key opportunity sites. Proposals for the Seaway Car Park appear to be a significant loss of opportunity to create, not only a gateway site, and gateway into the Seafront. The Seaway opportunity site could deliver a significant number of parking spaces together with A3 cafes/restaurants, A1 retail offer, a pedestrian breakthrough to the Seafront with a significantly improved Public Realm and the inclusion of a fairly substantive quantum of residential development at higher levels to drive value into the development.
32 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016
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The BID have also highlighted a concern in relation to energy and utilities. Many of the Members of the BID are continuously seeking to improve their offer and find that the limitation of the existing utilities coming into the SCAAP area prohibit their future plans and proposals. This has not been at all addressed in the SCAAP document. Southend BID would like the above issues together with the content of this representation to be duly considered and the key issues addressed in the further progression of the SCAAP. It is the intention of the BID to formally present this position in any examination in public and review by the Planning Inspectorate.
33 SCAAP – Southend BID – January 2016