Bolton Local Distinctiveness Study

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L O C A L D I S T I N C T I V E N E S S S T U D Y

Kevin Murray Associates

February 2005

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Victoria Square Bolton BL1 1RU

B o l t o n L o c a l D i s t i n c t i ve n e s s Study F i n a l Repor t

February 2006

Kevin Murray Associates Willie Miller Urban Design Drew Mackie Associates

The team that prepared this part of the Local Distinctiveness Study are: Jas Atwal Janet Benton Katharina Hubl Drew Mackie Willie Miller Kevin Murray Ines Triebel Daniel Wilcox They were supported by officers from the Council including: Michael Taylor Jackie Whelan Neill Stewart

B o l t o n L o c a l D i s t i n c t i ve n e s s Study F i n a l Repor t

c o ntents introduction

1

approach and techniques

5

storytelling and distinctiveness

9

urban design perspective

21

propositions to reinforce distinctiveness

45

conclusions and next steps

53

appendices: people and organisations

55

documents and references

57

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

introduction images taken by Humphrey Spender of Bolton in the late 1930s

This is a new approach to the planning of towns and cities, particularly their traditional town centres which act as the focus for so many citizens. Historically, town centres have been planned by Councils using their civic architects and planners, or by landowners, developers and their designers.

Frequently town centres are not planned at all!

More recently the evolution of town centre policy has been a mix of general – and often generic -planning policy handed down to towns by the government, combining with

corner of Bank Street and Churchgate

pressure for more shops from the retail and investment sector. Sadly the results have often been monolithic ‘clone’ towns, increasingly the same in terms of the appearance of ‘anywhere’ shops and buildings.

Few have attempted to understand the identity and distinctiveness of a place as viewed through its different residents and users. By trying to appreciate this dimension of local distinctiveness, as actually experienced and interpreted by its people, Bolton Council is trying to take a more sensitive

the steps of the Town Hall in the late 1930s

and informed view of how its growth and evolution should progress.

“Good buildings such as the town hall are the envy of the area.” workshop participant

Historical Context Bolton has planned for its future from at least as far back as the first half of the 19th century. The most obvious evidence is the spectacular Town Hall with Victoria Square and broad shop lined streets leading off north and south.

the Town Hall steps today

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the Thomas Mawson plan for a new museum (right) Shankland Cox proposal for Bradshawgate (below)

Less well known visions of the future have been prepared since then, such as the Thomas Mawson study, financed by Lord Leverhulme and published in the early years of the 20th century. This set out a grand aspiration for broad tree lined avenues connecting the town hall with a new art gallery in Queens Park and a boulevard driven through from Victoria Square to St Peters Church. It was influenced by the prevailing Beaux Arts approach which also guided the planning of cities like Chicago at the time, but was not realised in Bolton.

In the 1960s a very different vision was prepared by consultants Shankland Cox and Associates; this envisaged the town as a modern retail destination with a pedestrianised core and efficient road connections to the suburbs. This the Thomas Mawson plan for Victoria Square (below)

was influenced by a more ‘segregationist’ approach to uses, pedestrians and vehicles, also pursued, for instance, in central Liverpool and several of the new towns. Unlike Lord Leverhulme’s study however, many of these recommendations were implemented, creating the townscape (both good and bad) that we see today.

Although ambitious, these visions for Bolton’s future rarely involved meaningful consultation with townspeople. The Council would like to redress this balance by preparing a fresh ‘Vision’ for its town centre based on the qualities that make Bolton a distinctive place. The first step in this process is the preparation of planning guidance that will help inform future masterplans and guide developers on the kind of proposals we would like to see in the town centre.

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

below: Shankland Cox proposals for Victoria Square (below) and Deansgate (right), 1964 (drawn by Gordon Cullen)

Building Bolton The Local Distinctiveness Study, commissioned from urban design consultants Kevin Murray Associates (KMA), will provide the research baseline for Building Bolton, incorporating consultation, urban analysis and policy recommendations. Working closely with Drew Mackie Associates and Willie Miller Urban Design, KMA have devised a unique approach to Bolton town centre – linking the inputs of different stakeholders to ideas and propositions for the future evolution and management of the town centre.

The following sections set out •

the innovative approach and method

•

the key findings

•

issues from an urban design perspective

•

proposition for the content of planning guidance

below: Victoria Square today

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

approach and techniques the method The approach to engaging different members of the community in thinking about and describing the distinctiveness of Bolton Town Centre comprised the following elements: •

an interactive storytelling process

•

additional filming and personal interviews to support this process

The core of the consultation work on distinctiveness was based on workshops held with a cross section of different

storytelling in action

groups throughout Bolton. These workshops have assessed the degree of distinctiveness that the Town Centre possesses and have defined the various elements of which that distinctiveness is composed. The aim of this process has been to provide the research baseline for ‘Building Bolton’, the Council’s design guidance document on town centre development.

The method used in these workshops has been the narrative technique of ‘storytelling’ now widely used in the business world. In this technique, groups of six people are asked to “A visitor asks what’s interesting to see in the Town

describe a fictitious journey into the Town Centre, describing

Centre. I tell him to go to the museum.”

what they see and do on the way. Incidents are fed into the

workshop participant

story at key points, such as asking the participants to stop and look around at various points in their journey.

storytelling record sheet

Group:

Shoppers

Location:

Start 2 people

Crompton Pl

Date:

Getting There car

Facilitator: T/D

2/3 Aug 05

Arriving

A Bolton Journey

When you’re there?

Underground at CP, ... one person walking difficulties

Shopping - disappointing for independent trade

Getting Home Back to DIV store via Reebok, then home.

banking, museum, art gallery, parish church

Start I start my travel in Deane. I walk to the bus stop which takes 5 min. I wait 10 mins for the bus to arrive.

Start Manchester. 1 person. Works in Crompton Centre

Start Borden. 2 People. Want to go shopping.

Getting There

Arriving

We alk from Deane down by the river Croal which on a fine day is a nice change.We stroll around town to do the light shopping and take the bus back.

I find that the new structure at Newport Streetwas a very costly exercise and thin the money could have been spent on other things e.g. things for the youngsters to do.

Getting There

Arriving

Car. 61 to 666.

Getting There Walk. What a pleasant walk down Manchester Rd. Pass ASDA. Cars and cars!

When you’re there?

Go to the bars in Bradshawgate: Yates, Barracuda, BL1 and Crompton Mule.

Show visitors around the town centre: Town Hall, Albert Hall, Square and market. They love it!

When you’re there?

Litter prominent on Friday and Saturday morning.

Service road for Crompton Centre

Arriving

Getting Home

Work in the centre all day.

Getting Home 5 pm finish. congestion. 7 pm no problem.

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Market/bus station. Market good. Bus station ok.

Welcoming with local people.

When you’re there?

Shopping at Crompton Place and market. Lunch in Newport Street, is ok.

Getting home

Same route

The reasons that storytelling is employed are: •

all cultures and age groups tell stories and can comfortably engage with the technique

•

stories are the way that we transmit information in daily life

•

stories are rich sources of diverse information

As facilitators of this process, we provided the props standard sheets for recording stories and ways of recording the results. We also provided kits and training to groups so they could run story sessions themselves in their own time.

getting started An initial list of local contacts was provided by the Council.

This was supplemented by a workshop with local groups and Council officers. The purpose of this workshop was to: •

explain the purpose of the study

•

explain the storytelling method

•

agree the story framework that we would use

Following a short presentation covering the above points, participants split into groups and drew up lists of contacts and contributed general ideas for incorporation in the study. a storytelling session

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the training workshop

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

score sheet(below) and filling in the story sheet (right)

training workshop A training workshop was held for organisations and individuals who might want to run storytelling sessions themselves. This was also used as a test bed for the framework that had emerged from the previous workshop and which consisted of: A: an A1 story sheet divided into columns representing various stages of a journey: •

start – showing the location and whether the journey is being taken by a group or an individual and indicating the purpose and time of the journey

•

getting there - the mode of transport to be adopted together with significant places, buildings and events encountered on the trip

•

arriving – the experience of arriving in the town centre

•

activities engaged in while in the town centre

•

leaving the town centre

•

getting home

B: a score sheet that assessed the distinctiveness of eight elements: •

shops

•

green spaces

•

public places

•

safety

•

people

•

transport and access

•

buildings and scale

•

things to do

Participants were asked to score each of these elements on a scale of 1 to 10 on the star diagram shown above. This diagram also allowed different groups to compare results at the end of sessions.

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storytelling incident cards

C: Maps of the Town Centre and the routes surrounding it.

Participants were asked to indicate their routes into and out of the town Centre. They also marked significant buildings and spaces and noted area characteristics. Finally they drew lines around recognisable areas with common characteristics.

workshop sessions Sessions were held with the following schools: •

Canon Slade Secondary School

•

Mytham Primary School

•

Eagley Junior School

Sessions were also held with the following groups:

These sessions allowed people to contribute to evolving stories started by others. These events also featured an

•

Bolton Over 50’s Federation

•

Community College Ambassadors

•

Bolton Community Network

•

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

The session held with Bolton Town Centre Company and

•

Bolton Town Centre Company

the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce followed a

•

Bolton Lads & Girls’ Club

different format from the other workshops. Participants were

•

Young Mum’s Unit

asked to create a business idea and take it through the stages

•

UCAN Centre groups

of start-up growth and change. In particular the effects of

•

A group of local councillors

the physical environment and planning policies were to be

Two drop-in sessions were also held at: • •

storytelling approach.

considered.

the Architecture Week event at Bolton University

In all 61 stories were constructed by just under 300 people.

Design School and

These participants were distributed around Bolton and

in the Crompton shopping mall

reflected a wide range of different age groups and interests.

over 50s storytelling workshop

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exhibition explaining the purpose of the study and the

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

stor ytelling and distinctiveness the results The results of the storytelling process are threefold: 1

The stories themselves reveal a spread of attitudes and perceptions related to the Town Centre. They also contain mentions of buildings, places and activities that we can assess by the number of times they reoccur across all story sessions

2

The maps indicate routes taken and areas perceived as having certain characteristics, both positive and negative

3

The score sheets give an assessment of the distinctiveness of various aspects of the Town Centre and a set of adjectival descriptions

stories General Few people live in the Town Centre, so most stories started in the suburbs or in other towns. Most of the stories covered group visits, which may be a result of the session format which emphasises group-work. Shopping trips and evening entertainment dominated stories told by people aged 25 and “Whitaker’s is a nice old building!” “…walk into the market hall - think the stalls are colourful but prefer the shops because they have more variety.” storytelling record sheet Fig 3.1 Mentions of particular buildings

upwards. Young people and children emphasised clubbing or fast food outlets.

Buildings and Scale Fig 3.1 shows the incidence of mentions of a particular building across all the stories. Note that this shows the distinctiveness of buildings and says nothing about their quality.

Unsurprisingly, the Town Hall and the Market Hall come top in terms of the number of times mentioned and these comments were invariably positive (although there were many negative comments about the current proposals for the Market Hall).

Workshop participants said that these buildings, along with those on Le Mans Crescent were seen as symbolic for Bolton and special efforts should be made to preserve them. Le Mans Crescent was also mentioned for its elegance as a gateway to the centre from the Bus Station.

The Bus Station was also mentioned frequently but the connotations here were almost entirely negative. The building

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and its surrounding area were seen as threatening by older groups and female residents at certain times of night. Some groups visiting the Town Centre at night would deliberately avoid arriving and leaving from the Bus Station even though this might entail a longer walk to their destination from some other bus stop.

The Museum and Library received favourable comments particularly by children, many of whom had been there on a school trip. The Egyptian exhibit in the museum was particularly mentioned.

The Railway Station was cited as an example of an unpleasant gateway into the Town Centre, although some of the adverse comment may be triggered by construction works that exacerbate an inconvenient way into the Centre.

Older residents, in particular, were critical of recent “Walk past the town hall steps and feel uncomfortable”

developments which are seen to be “out of scale” and “out of

“… discuss going to the Market Hall before they spoil it…”

character”. Developments in Marsden Road and the New Tax

“…there was nowhere comfortable to sit down for adults”

Office were singled out as bad examples. Those participants

workshop participant

saw Bolton’s historic buildings as a strength, which needs to be preserved and to be positively exploited. In their opinion, recent

buildings mentioned

developments added little to Bolton’s distinctiveness but rather

Town Hall

Market Hall

Bus Station

The Octagon

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

contributed to making Bolton more of a “clonetown”. By contrast, a large number of younger workshop participants, described the older buildings as “outdated” and wanted to see more modern architecture.

Shops Young residents liked the wide range of chain stores available, while older residents cited the importance of the market hall, the market in Ashburner Street and independent shops (including Whitakers in Deansgate) as key to Bolton’s distinctiveness. They warned that Bolton would turn into a “Clonetown” if independent businesses and the markets were not protected more effectively.

Older residents also valued the markets as they claimed they offer local goods at affordable prices.

Both younger and older residents were critical of the progressive out-migration of retailing from the centre. Local retailers have blamed high parking charges for decrease in turnover. The young and older participants, particularly less mobile people, complained about the inconvenience of travelling out of town.

“Water fountains - quite attractive.”

“Don’t bother with small stalls in market hall, it is itsy bitsy and rubbish! Should be more of a mall!” workshop participant

places mentioned Crompton Place

Victoria Square

Newport Street

Le Mans Crescent

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buildings mentioned

Group map 1

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Group map 2

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

places mentioned

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Nevertheless, the current choice of shops in the centre was highly

Fig 3.2 Mentions of particular places

rated.

Public and Green Spaces Fig 3.2 shows the incidence of mentions of particular places.

Often these were seen as places to meet. At other times they were markers along the journey. In both cases the place was a more leisurely element than the street or road - a location to sit or slow the journey down and interact with other people.

Green spaces achieved a low rating, not because of their lack of distinctiveness but rather because residents were dissatisfied with the level of provision. The only green space mentioned was St. Peter’s Churchyard, which was, however, not considered to be readily useable for amenity and leisure purposes. Parents and young people mentioned the need for more centrally located open green spaces. According to these groups, Bolton Town Centre needs more venues and spaces that are accessible to all and free of charge. It was suggested by some that we need to create more “useable” green spaces that also incorporated public art by local people. The Bolton elephants were frequently mentioned in the storytelling sessions as being symbolic of Bolton, with some older residents and children looking to see more of this kind of thing in the town centre.

In terms of public places, a surprising number of people mentioned Crompton Place. This was seen as a place to pass through on the way to Deansgate or a popular sheltered place to meet for coffee.

Victoria Square was mentioned favourably and usually as part of a route towards Deansgate. Newport Street was frequently mentioned as a “downmarket” part of the town centre, which nevertheless contributes to distinctiveness through its high number of bargain stores. Most residents suggested improving this southern part of the town centre through diversification of the retail market and further public realm improvements.

Business people wished to see both sides of shops covered to make them useable in all weather conditions.

Although not part of the Town Centre area under study, Queen’s Park was mentioned as an attractive and restful green space on some routes to the Town Centre.

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green space at Nelson Square

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

The perception of Bradshawgate differed greatly between

“They make their way to the Hen and Chicks - an older

younger and older residents. Both groups agreed that

pub at Deansgate that serves real ale. It is not as busy,

Bradshawgate is a distinctive place in Bolton, but argued

cheaper and usually not full of drunks.”

whether it has a good or bad reputation. While young adults saw Bradshawgate as “the only decent place to go out”, the remaining workshop groups mentioned it in a negative context

“We walk to Victoria Square. There are lots of people. The people are nice but it is very busy.” workshop participant

and associated it with loutish behaviour and drunkenness.

Those community members who do not drink alcohol find Bradshawgate a particularly unpleasant and exclusive place.

Transport and Access

Others complained that Bradshawgate’s increasing specialisation in entertainment would, despite adding to its distinctiveness,

While residents were generally satisfied with the transport

lead to an area of town which will not be well used at daytime and

conditions in Bolton, access was seen as a major problem. Most of

therefore counteract mixed use aspirations for developments.

these access points were considered to come directly off the ring road and therefore have little sense of arrival, positive character

The area around Silverwell Street/Brightmet Street has been

or distinctiveness. Parking was mentioned as the number one

described as a ‘red light district’ and ‘warehouse area’ which is

problem in terms of both the spaces available and the parking

viewed as more isolated and insular.

charges. This, however, was not seen as exclusivel to Bolton Town

Chorley New Road figured mainly as popular route into the Centre.

Deansgate and Oxford Street were mentioned as part of the network of activity streets that make up the civic core and generally received favourable comment.

Centre.

Public transport was seen to serve the town centre well, although service provision at weekends and evenings/night time was rated as poor. Participants also complained about high bus fares without any student or unemployed concessions. Several elderly residents mentioned Bolton’s distinctive and historic tram system

workshop participants

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and would like to see it reintroduced. They also talked about the free circular bus route, which ran around the pedestrian precinct.

A large number of residents, particularly the infirm, suggested its revival to improve general accessibility to and around the centre.

Some female workshop participants expressed reservations about using the bus station at night.

Things to do ‘Things to do’ in the town centre was rated fairly highly, even though workshop participants admitted this is mainly restricted to going shopping or going out drinking. Young people were dissatisfied with the range of facilities available to them.

Teenagers claimed that, since the relocation of the central cinema and the closure of the Laserquest venue, there was little to do.

Teenagers also complained that they now need to get out of town to get entertained. Similarly, other residents were concerned that a general trend of out-migration of services and facilities would counteract distinctiveness, not least because those facilitiesare now housed in large multi-complex venues with little

night scene on Churchgate

atmosphere. Parents expressed concern that Bolton’s leisure

felt safe in the Town Centre. Evenings – especially at weekends –

economy is now primarily built on shopping and drinking, and

were seen by the over thirties as not very safe because of alcohol-

that there is little opportunity for children to pursue free leisure

fuelled behaviour. Bradshawgate was invariably cited as the main

activities.

source of this concern.

The Octagon was mentioned as the cultural venue in the centre

Women and primary school children generally felt more exposed

for adults. Users of the Bolton Lads and Girls Club mentioned this

to antisocial behaviour and crime. Women tended to avoid

venue as a good place to go for teenagers.

certain places at night time (e.g. bus station, Bradshawgate)

Safety The time of day was a major factor in determining whether people night scene on Bradshawgate

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while younger children often described the town centre as “scary”.

Ethnic minorities did not feel more threatened than people of British heritage.

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

Generally, Bolton was not seen as a fairly safe place, especially in

Fig 3.3 Distinctiveness of town centre elements

comparison to Manchester and other bigger cities.

People A large majority of people considered Bolton people as highly distinctive. Mostly, these comments were very positive, with Bolton people generally considered to be “friendly” and “helpful”.

Participants of Asian heritage mentioned that Bolton people are generally racially very tolerant and that community cohesion amongst the Asian community is very strong.

Fig 3.3 shows the results of the Score Sheets in which participants rated the distinctiveness of various elements of the town centre experience between 0 and 10. The columns show the average score for each element.

Buildings scored highest with an average score of almost eight out of ten. Most people remarked on the imposing nature of the Town Hall and on the Market Halls when scoring this element.

Fig 3.4 shows the degrees of disagreement, or lack of consensus, on particular elements over all stories. This chart should be read in conjunction with chart 3. Thus Buildings had the least degree

Shops achieved the second highest score. Although many people

of disagreement over the scoring i.e. the range of scores given

commented that the range of shops was much the same as you

was narrow – and therefore the most consensus. Things to

would find in any town centre, the actual shopping experience

do, however received the broadest spread of responses as to its

within a tight central core and on a consistently flat surface was

distinctiveness, reflecting a much lower level of consensus.

held to be more exceptional.

Things to do was given a fairly good rating although responses varied on this element. Teenagers were less disposed to give this high rating than older respondents (see Chart 4).

The People category generated an interesting response with many participants commenting on how different they thought Bolton people were. Friendly, outspoken, critical – local people were seen as one of the things that made the town centre distinctive.

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business workshop

Fig 3.4 Degress of disagreement

The business workshop involved 15 members of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the Town Centre Company. After a short description of the aims of the study, participants were asked to consider the development of a fictitious business in Bolton Town Centre taking it through the stages of: •

business Idea

•

start-up

•

establishment

•

expansion

•

change or decline

Three groups considered this process. The business Ideas were: •

a town centre development based on revealing or creating water assets

•

a health food business

•

an Internet sales business

The general conclusions reached across the three teams were that: •

Bolton is a good place for small businesses but there is a problem with premises for expansion that may cause such businesses to move away from the town centre.

•

The town has no unique selling point to encourage potential businesses – maybe that has to be created by manipulating the physical environment.

•

Students must be encouraged to live in the town and to stay to contribute to the economy. The courses at the University are in disciplines that generally require a student to move after graduating.

•

Businesses will have to be resourceful and creative to meet the challenge of Bolton’s future. Merely following trends will not be enough.

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business workshop participants

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

exhibitions – Architecture Week and Crompton Place An Exhibition was mounted as part of Architecture Week held in the Design Unit of Bolton University on the edge of study area.

Participants were asked to create parts of stories that others had started. Because of the location of the exhibition room relative to the main events this generated few stories.

During an exhibition at Crompton Place shopping centre, people were given the opportunity to tell the team about good and bad things as well as delivering their ideas for Bolton’s future. A board on the wall with sticky notes was used to collect the feedback.

The information gathered during the exhibition largely confirmed what people wrote in the storytelling exercise: •

The Town Hall, Victoria Square, Le Mans Crescent and the Market Hall were seen as positive features. The

Architecture Week panel

markets were mentioned specifically regarding Bolton’s distinctiveness and regular continental and medieval markets were suggested as a good idea for the future:

•

“(there are) loads of local markets and local events going

centre was another great concern brought up by

on. (It is) wonderful to get local fresh produce so cheap!”

•

many exhibition visitors. It was generally agreed that particularly specialist shops would add to the

Parking conditions, the lack of green spaces and the pub

distinctiveness of Bolton town centre and prevent Bolton

culture at Bradshawgate were the three most common

from becoming a “Clone Town”. Competitive business

negative issues. Residents stated that high parking

rates and rent prices in the centre, however, would make

charges and “over keen” traffic wardens drive shoppers

it currently impossible for local businesses to prosper and

out of town. Even though public transport provision

supportive government policies were demanded.

is seen as being satisfactory, many people complained about high bus fares and irregular service provision in the

•

evenings.

•

The lack of independent local traders in the town

An important issue was the nature of new development.

Most residents were concerned about new developments which were seen as out of character. The tax office at

While Bradshawgate was seen as a popular destination

Churchgate and the new development at Marsden Road

for youngsters, the majority of older people and people of

were prime examples

Asian background found the development of this part of town concerning. Most residents told us that they avoid the area at night time (and do not see a reason to visit it

summary

during the day). They suggested licensing laws and the restriction of further pubs and clubs at this part of town.

• •

There was a broad range of opinion on how distinctive

Some shoppers opposed the retail environment along

Bolton’s Town centre is. On the one hand, it was seen as

Newport Street which is seen as the “scruffy part of

a not very special shopping centre with an increasing

town”. One woman wrote: “The quality of town centre

dominance of “anywhere” national chain stores. The

shops reflects the people attracted – pound shops and

individuality of smaller local shops was seen to have

charity outlets!” It was suggested that diversity would be

diminished and this was seen to have decreased the

increased by limiting further bargain and charity shops

distinctiveness of the Town Centre as a shopping

to upgrade the image of this part of town. The team was

experience. In particular, the proposed changes to the

told that Newport Street, as the pedestrian access from

Market Halls were seen to diminish the “local” feeling of

the train station into the town centre, should have a

the Town Centre.

more positive image.

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•

On the other hand Bolton was seen to have a tight civic core with a few exceptional buildings that made it visually distinctive. The disposition of this core on a flat surface with few changes in level was also seen as factor that led to a distinctive and user-friendly experience.

The core defined by the stories can be represented by the diagram at Fig 3.5.

the town centre as described in the stories •

The Town Centre’s historic buildings were seen to be both a distinctive asset and a barrier to the creation or

new development at Marsden Road

retention of certain types of business. Thus a business “Keep high rise to a minimum: people don’t feel overwhelmed”

that starts with a local role will find it difficult to

Workshop participant

expand its role beyond the town if has significant space requirements. At the same time national retailers will find it difficult to retain only a town centre location when faced with out of town competition. This will exert pressure either to move out or to expand within a physical framework that is essentially small scale and which has limitations on other provisions such as access and parking. This dichotomy is illustrated by the proposed move of Marks and Spencer to Middlebrook while retaining their town centre location.

•

There is a considerable difference in perception of the role of Bradshawgate. To young people, it is a magnet for entertainment and an exhilarating nightlife. To older people it is threatening at night the uses have appropriated an area of town traditionally associated with local higher quality shops. Bradshawgate is an example of the issue that faces many towns of Bolton’s size. Many of the people who crowd the pubs and clubs on a weekend come from out of town. The concentration of licensed premises in combination with the “its not my town” perception can lead to it becoming an area where drunken and rowdy behaviour is seen as the norm.

•

Fig 3.5 Bolton as told in the stories

The entrances to the Town Centre are seen to be less than successful. The centre is ringed by sites that have either been demolished and used for car parking or have been taken up by uncoordinated commercial development,

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•

In general people like Bolton Town Centre. Its tight

dominated by parking. Many stories commented on the

structure and human scale are appreciated. On the other

difficulties of crossing this zone on foot. Generally the

hand many people expressed concern at what they saw

experience of arriving in the town was not a pleasant

was the decreasing distinctiveness of activities and the

one. In particular the Bus Station was seen by older

pressures for physical change that may erode the balance

people as being threatening and unfriendly.

of old and new buildings.

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

urban design perspec tive introduction This chapter acts as a bridge between the findings of the storytelling process and the propositions that will reinforce local distinctiveness in the following chapter. It sets out an urban design perspective on Bolton Town Centre, then establishes linkage between that and the key messages of the storytelling.

“The town is always so busy!”

It is drawn from a combination of the issues raised and expressed

“It is always busy, mostly young people.”

by participants, but also an independent and experienced

“Busy people pushing around.”

perspective in urban design and townscape evolution matters,

workshop participants

which is not usually available to residents or other local stakeholders.

historic development Fig 4.1: Bolton in 1824

Bolton developed on gently sloping ground to the south of the River Croal. Churchgate, Deansgate and Bradshawgate were the town’s first streets and are shown clearly on the 1793 plan.

The town grew rapidly during the 19th century, initially around St Peter’s and to the south of Deansgate. By 1911, the town centre had a dense pattern of building blocks and streets that represented a peak of concentrated development.

During the 20th century the pattern of development in the town centre generally became less dense with extensive loss of urban grain and street enclosure around the fringes of the centre. This was balanced by the construction Le Mans Crescent in the 1930s Fig 4.2 series Bolton in 1793

Bolton in 1824

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Bolton in 1845

Bolton in 1890

Bolton in 1920

Bolton in 1953

Bolton in 1979

Bolton in 2005

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

which helped to give Bolton a distinctive civic core. The loss of the

Overlying these two structural elements are the remnants of the

traditional urban ‘grain’ became particularly marked between 1953

oldest parts of Bolton. Deansgate and Bradshawgate remain

and 1979 with the construction of the ring road. Today the pattern

as organic fishbone arrangements of streets and lanes which

of development in the town centre is notably less dense than it

represent the heart of the mediaeval town. St Peter’s Church

was in 1845. [Fig 4.2 sequence]

makes an imposing statement at the eastern end of the Deansgate

structural elements

/ Churchgate axis.

The basic framework of the town is made up of a number of distinct structural elements. Historically, these have shaped, and continue to influence, the physical layout and development of the town. They also play a large part in the mental map of the town and can be detected as a series of distinct layers. [Fig 4.11].

The topography of the town centre is a key shaping element and this relates to the course of the River Croal. [Fig 4.12] In places, this topography affords long views to the surrounding countryside.

Although the watercourse has been culverted in places, the valley section that cuts through the centre of the town is still a strong feature and continues to influence the way in which development can take place. In a similar way, the Y-shaped rail routes cut through the townscape in channels. The rail corridors also create slices through the urban grain but these are not necessarily an

The civic core around Le Mans Crescent and Victoria Square forms the next layer of town structure. This area is remarkable for the formality and dignity of the streets, spaces and individual buildings found there. Much of this area was designed as a ‘set piece’ and it brings noticeable and authoritative status to the civic core of the town, much more so than many comparably sized towns.

Imposed onto the historic layers is the Ring Road. This 20th century insertion has cut a swathe through older patterns of streets and building blocks and creates a ring of fragmented townscape around the town centre. The Ring Road is an extremely dominant structural entity in townscape terms and has yet to be properly integrated with the surrounding urban fabric, although evidence from elsewhere indicates this should be possible.

obstacle for streets which are usually bridged over the tracks.

Fig 11 Structural layers

Fig 12 Contours (abstracted)

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Set pieces

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

grain, morphology and street pattern Bolton has a distinctive grain and morphology which is a combination of historic organic development, planned civic interventions, especially during the 1930s, and contemporary forms of a dispersed nature. The centre contains elements of:

but in relation to new buildings which sit in car parks rather than

1.

medieval street patterns [fig 4.13]

Wharf – retain their historic street patterns but have experienced

2.

19th century commercial streets [fig 4.14]

3.

classical symmetrical set pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries [fig 4.15 ]

4.

formless car orientated layouts of the late 20 century

helping to define a street structure – for example Morrisons and the Casino [fig 4.16]Also on the edges of the centre, vacant sites and larger areas in transition – such as St Helena and Church large scale demolition and clearance.

th

The result of this is a town centre split into a cohesive core and an outer ring where urban Bolton falls apart – a shatter zone. [Fig 4.17– 19] The only points at which the shatter zone and town centre core areas overlap are at the railway station and the bus station.

Generally, 1-3 work well together and form the major part of the town centre.. Towards the edges of the town centre core, the influence of 4 is very pronounced, not only in terms of new roads

Fig 4.13 section through Churchgate

Fig 4.15 section through Howell Croft North

Fig 4.14 section through Newport Street

Fig 4.16 Morrisons

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Fig 4.17 town structure

Fig 4.19 town centre split

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Fig 4.18 buildings and spaces

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

heritage Bolton has many listed buildings and there is a concentration of these in the town centre. These include the landmark buildings of the Town Hall, St Peter’s Church and the Market Hall – described

by Graeme Shankland as ‘the trilogy’ in the 1964 study of the town.

Other notable buildings include Whitakers shop and Le Mans Crescent. [Fig 4.20]

Fig 4.20 Listed buildings

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Fig 4.21 Town Hall Fig 4.23 Market Hall

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Fig 4.22 St Peter’s Church

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

There are six conservation areas in the central area which cover most of the town centre. These are: 1.

Churchgate

2.

Deansgate

3.

St Georges

4.

Town Hall

5.

Mawdsley Street

6.

Silverwell Street / Wood Street

There is therefore a concentration of heritage assets in the town centre. [Fig 4.20-4.27] Fig 4.24 Conservation areas

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Fig 4.25 Silverwell Street/Wood Street Conservation Area Fig 4.27 Town Hall Conservation Area

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Fig 4.26 Deansgate Conservation Area

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

Fig 4.28 Building Materials Palette

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open space – green space The town centre core of Bolton has very little green open space which is usable. The most important area is the churchyard of St Peter’s. Other areas of open space are predominantly roadside landscaping, especially around the ring road, but these are not well located or particularly useable. Queen’s Park is the best area of formal usable open space but this lies some distance west of the town centre. The Park has suffered a slow disassociation from the town centre. The distribution of open space is shown on Fig 4.31.

Fig 4.29 St Peter’s Churchyard

Fig 4.31 Distribution of open space

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Fig 4.30 Open space at Queen Street/Cheadle Square

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

arrival As indicated in so many of the storytelling sessions, the experience

Bus station

of arriving in Bolton is disappointing and often confusing to those who do not know the town well. This is unfortunate as once in the core of the town centre, the Bolton experience is very positive.

There are four categories of entry point: [Fig 4.32]

The bus station is not well integrated with the town centre, sitting a block away from Le Mans Crescent. Contemporary bus stations are often not attractive places and Bolton’s is bleak and lacking any sense of focus or place.

Road access points Most of these access point come directly off the ring road and therefore have little sense of arrival, strong character or distinctiveness. Possible the most positive is the Deansgate entrance.

Car Parks

Railway station The railway station is undergoing alterations and its environment and approaches are also the subject of environmental works and other improvements at the moment. Hopefully these will improve what is at present a very negative experience with confusing linkages to the town centre.

In turn, most of the car parks relate to the entry points off the ring road or appear to be temporary uses on vacant sites. the best of these are the three multi-storey car parks in the core of the town centre.

The majority of arrival points are within the shatter zone surrounding the town centre. Although improvement of individual entry points through environmental work may result in benefits, the bigger issue is the reintegration of these entry points

Fig 4.32 Entry points to the town centre

in the urban fabric of the town centre.

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public realm The selection of materials for the carriageway and footways, how the street is lit and styles of seating, signage and planting all contribute to the distinctiveness of Bolton streets. As might be expected, generally, the more peripheral the street, the more ‘ordinary’ or utilitarian it becomes. Streets in the heart of the town centre are therefore most likely to have been pedestrianised, repaved and embellished, reflecting their greater status in the street hierarchy.

There are distinct zones of streetscape character that arise from the colour, style and arrangement of the street environment that is often influenced by the period in which the scheme was implemented. The key zones can be described as follows: Civic

Historic

This includes the streets around the Town Hall, especially Le Mans

These streets are defined by the historic street scale and often

Crescent and Victoria Square. In these areas the high quality

by the survival of historic surfacing materials or other artefacts.

streetscape treatment helps to reinforce the symbolic significance

Historic streets usually have a distinct ambience and the street

of the civic core of the town. The use of natural materials on the

treatment and framing of buildings combine to create a visually

carriageways, high quality street furniture and bold use of tree

cohesive whole. These streets tend to be of two kinds - streets

planting all reflect a formality and status that complements the

lined with historically significant buildings that have been

civic role and architectural calibre of the surrounding buildings.

protected or streets in neglected and rundown areas. In each case the character of the street evokes the atmosphere of the historic town that is now largely superseded. [Fig 4.33]

Fig 4.33 Public realm and character

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

‘1980s/Outdated’

Utilitarian

These areas are dominated by street surfaces laid with coloured

Streets are treated in a simple and functional way with concrete

and patterned small paving units. It is a typology that was popular

or asphalt footways and asphalt on the carriageway. This type of

with streetscape designers in the 1980s and 90s and has become

streetscape is the most widespread in Bolton and is especially

identifiable as a design approach from a particular period in time;

prevalent in the peripheral parts of the town. It serves its

it has inevitably become unfashionable. This type of streetscape

purpose as a functional treatment and is not generally eye-

design often has a strong effect on street character. Unfortunately,

catching or otherwise noticeable – it is simply fit for purpose. In

fairly modest materials were used and, as they have begun to

these areas the public realm is not a strong contributor to the

erode and become hard to maintain, can contribute to a sense of

overall distinctiveness of the area – it is a neutral element of the

decline.

townscape.

Fig 4.34 New public space at the University

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policy areas This urban design perspective has identified areas in which policy could help to reinforce local distinctiveness and for which particular propositions can be made [Fig 4.35]. These are:

New roads: un-integrated, landscaped, odd, non place Remains of traditional streets: remains of proper streets, patchy, fringe shops, reinforce

Civic Core: cool, dignified, imposing, popular, elegant Retail Core: varied, colourful, buzzing, rich, warm, traditional

Entry points: bleak, unfocused, poor direction, signage strategy

St Peter’s: historic, atmospheric, landmark

linkage with storytelling

River Valleys – St Helena and Church Wharf: fragmented, worka-day, overlooked, in transition

The urban design perspective highlights a number of linkages with the storytelling process. In general terms there is agreement that the town centre is a highly distinctive place with an attractive and popular environment. Most of the stories were told in relation to places in the core of the centre. The only fringe areas mentioned in stories were the bus and railway stations. In detail:

Bradshawgate - Evening Economy: nightclubs, bars, restaurants, too concentrated Warehouses: old, industrial, imposing, potential, intriguing Little Bolton: conservation, backlands, potential

•

Traditional approaches: important for entry, patchy, fringe shops, reinforce

•

Out of town: beyond the wall, fragmented, place to move through, no focus, The Strip, sheds

Fig 4.35 Policy Areas

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• • •

the majority of stories related to the core of the town centre rather than the fringes the bus and railway stations were the only areas mentioned outside the town centre core the shatter zone received little mention despite the presence of significant buildings and uses the storytelling highlighted the lack of open space in the town centre entrances to the town centre require improvement

BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

civic core

retail core

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St Peter’s

river valleys - St Helena and Church Wharf

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

Bradshawgate

warehousing

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Little Bolton

traditional approaches

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

out of town

new roads

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remains of traditional streets

entry points

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

variety in style, scale and materials

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

planning guidance propositions From a combination of the inputs and ideas from the storytelling, coupled with our linked urban design analysis and appreciation of the town centre, we have devised a set of propositions aimed at guiding the future development and management of Bolton Town Centre.

The twelve propositions cover: The town centre as a whole* Access and arrival* Movement networks and orientation* Building design distinctiveness* The range of uses – daytime & night-time* Scale & skyline character* Materials & colour palette*

stakeholder workshop

Sub-areas and neighbourhoods* Key areas and priority sites * A lighting strategy A green space strategy Celebration, events and marketing Those marked with an asterisk (*) were the subject of a review and prioritisation exercise with key stakeholders, and have been amended to take on board comments. The priorities allocated are indicated on the attached table and mentioned at each theme.

The other propositions listed are new introductions following that review exercise. The propositions are listed in turn on the following pages and the results of the testing are shown on Fig 5.1

Fig 5.1 Prioritisation of propositions proposition

priority weighted priority

access and arrival

low

11

timing medium

high

early

medium

1

3

1

3

key sites and streets

11

1

3

4

movement networks and orientation

10

2

2

2

1

priority areas

10

2

2

3

1

town centre

9

1

1

2

4

building design distinctiveness

9

1

4

uses - daytime/nightime

9

scale and skyline character

9

materials and colour palette sub-areas and neighbourhoods

1

2

3

1

1

1

2

2

8

1

2

1

3

1

8

1

2

1

1

2

long

1

4 2

1

Others better dry links

1

more heritage designation

1

green spaces

1

lighting

1

1 1 1 1

celebration activity and events

1

marketing

1

1 1

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the town centre as a whole As identified in the townscape analysis, the town centre is a combination of the higher quality and more coherent (core) and a much more fragmented townscape – mainly on the edges.

Although this edge area was not referred to widely as contributing Bolton’s distinctiveness by participants – except the station and bus station which were often viewed negatively - it contains much of the area in which future change and development is likely to take place.

The clear danger is that this will attract large, lumpy and alien development which will work against the essential character and urban quality of Bolton, whether by its mass, height, effect on views and connections, and quite probably design and materials.

Therefore a key overarching proposition is that:

1

Future expansion and infill should be carefully designed to work with the existing grain, scale, topography and rhythms of the best parts of the core area.

Review rating Medium-high priority: early action

access and arrival As both the storytelling outcomes and the parallel urban design overview show, there are deficiencies with the access to and arrival into Bolton town centre, notable via the train and bus stations, but also from some car parks. The sense of arrival is perceived to be weak, even threatening, from several directions.

The proposition is that

2

There is a need for a much clearer, more welcoming threshold for visitors by all modes of travel into the town centre. This includes the external arrival routes or corridors into the centre.

Arrival corridors could include radial routes like Tonge Moor Road, the A666, Manchester Road, etc.

The approach should embrace buildings, views towards the centre, signing, and crucially, the landscape planting and other public realm treatments.

Review rating High priority: Medium term

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

movement networks and orientation The internal networks were important in the travel routes of many storytelling participants. They provoked mixed responses, some about a feeling of lack of safety or, for some visitors, lack of comfort in moving from the outer edge to the core.

The urban design overview confirmed that there is a clear need for the movement networks – both for pedestrians and vehicles - to be strengthened, in order to make them much clearer and more legible to all users of the town centre.

The proposition is that: 3

There needs to be a clear navigation and wayfinding strategy to make the centre accessible and comfortable for all

This could take the form of signing from key points and more orientation and map boards – ideally linking to adjoining communities, as cities like Bristol are now pioneering. Some consideration should also be given to addressing covered networks in inclement conditions.

Review rating Medium-high priority: Early to medium term

building design distinctiveness

A key strength of Bolton’s town centre is the rich mix of building design and associated palette of materials, which complements the notable landmark and set piece buildings. Both the storytelling and the design overview confirm that there is a very rich mix of buildings from different periods, creating a dynamic, colourful townscape – all at a comfortable human scale.

The danger would be to allow new development that works totally against the grain and character of the evolved townscape – for instance, with lots of buildings on stilts or piloti, as some cities have pursued at different times.

The danger is to pursue a strategy which diminishes and damages Bolton’s essentially positive and traditional character.

Therefore the proposition is that

4

New development should be of a very high design quality, respecting and working with the grain and character of the townscape heritage to complement and reinforce Bolton’s distinctiveness

Review rating: Medium to high priority: Early action

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uses – daytime and night-time The storytelling identified that there is a mix of uses which draw people into the town centre for different reasons. However on closer examination of some of the concerns raised, it is clear that the town centre has become too clustered by type of activity.

Greater diversity is needed across the whole town centre if it is to avoid to avoid becoming a monocultural retail and commercial hub, with only shopping and office uses in the day and an alcohol fuelled leisure economy for the 18-25 year-olds in the evening. A mature and effective town centre needs to offer its citizens so much more across both time and space.

The dual proposition is therefore to :

5

Diversify the range of activities across the town centre, by widening the retail, leisure and cultural visitor activity, and also increasing residential, hotel and other uses, and

6

Spreading a broader set of evening economy uses more widely and evenly across town to make the centre more attractive and family friendly, averting the negative implications of an antisocial behaviour ghetto.

Review rating: Medium priority: Medium term

scale and skyline character The workshops and design analysis identified a peoplefriendly scale as part of Bolton town centre’s key attributes.

Complementing this is a distinctive upper floor and skyline character, which are also a major part of Bolton’s physical distinctiveness, particularly a richness and variety which is collectively subordinated to the Town Hall clock tower.

It is most important for Bolton’s long term identity that this richness and hierarchy are not obliterated by insensitive and out of scale development.

Therefore the proposition is that:

7

New development should reinforce the general scale of the town centre, both vertically in terms of the height of buildings – with clear height limits - and also horizontally in terms of reading underlying plot rhythms.

8

The skyline articulation of all individual buildings, whatever their use, should also be attractive, distinctive and interesting.

Review rating Medium to high priority: Early to medium timescale

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

materials and colour palette The workshops and urban design analysis identified that Bolton already has quite a wide range of materials and colours, textures and patterns. Infinite diversification beyond a locally distinctive ‘bandwidth’ will not necessarily reinforce the character, although clearly there is scope for sensitive and imaginative new design.

Whilst novelty and innovation of design can be incorporated within the overall palette, it is important that this is not contextless ‘anywhere’ design that could feature in another town.

It is important to reinforce those aspects of the strong sense of place that Bolton already incorporates.

Therefore the proposition is that

9

New development should seek to draw from, and develop upon, the many themes, materials and colours which already make Bolton town centre so distinctive.

Review Rating: Medium priority: Early timescale

sub area neighbourhoods The storytelling and townscape survey indicated that there are important sub- areas and ‘mental’ neighbourhoods in and around the edge of the town centre. Their respective identities need positive reinforcing, especially those in the ‘shatter zone’ around the edges of the centre.

The proposition is therefore that:

10 Sensitive planning and design of development

– particularly around the edges - is required, using imaginative briefs, guidance and codes to create distinctive places.

Review rating Medium priority: Early timescale

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key areas and priority sites There are a number of locations which present themselves as ready for priority treatment in order to optimise the positive transformation of the town centre. These are

• Church Wharf • Deansgate, Churchgate public realm • St Helena • Bridgeman Place/Bradshawgate • The Cultural Quarter - west of Le Mans Crescent, including the Bus Station

• • •

Little Bolton Railway Station triangle All gateways and arrival points

The proposition is that:

11 For each of these locations, clear guiding objectives should be set, together with an urban design brief which draws from the other structuring principles and propositions Review rating Medium to high priority: Early action

a lighting strategy In tandem with bringing more people into the town centre for a wider variety of activity, including the evenings and winter months, there is a need for innovative lighting to make the town centre more attractive and comfortable to different visitors.

There is also a great opportunity to display key buildings and townscape heritage.

The proposal is therefore

12 To devise and implement an imaginative lighting

strategy to make reinforce the town centre’s distinctiveness, attractiveness and safety for users of all ages and sectors.

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

a green space strategy The storytelling workshops identified a lack of publicly accessible greenery in the town centre as one of its more negative qualities.

Unlike some other towns and cities there is little in the way of quality green space close to the core.

There are ways to begin to remedy the perception of greenery, even without the creation of major new spaces.

The proposition is that

13

There should be a strategy and action plan for new green spaces, including sitting areas, planted areas, and also appropriately located street trees. Ideally these should be conceived as a network.

celebration, events and marketing In general, although Bolton town centre was seen to be comfortable, it was not necessarily perceived to be attractive, interesting and exciting for all people of all ages and backgrounds, including external visitors. This is borne out by some concerns in the Hemisphere work in creating a brand strategy for Bolton.

As part of an animation and diversification agenda, there needs to be a programmed series of events in the town centre all year round (building on what already happens), particularly those celebrating the richness and distinctiveness of the town as a whole, but also seeking to draw in visitors.

This needs careful programming, imaging and marketing to build up a new external profile for the town as a whole – in which the town centre must play a major part.

The proposition is

14 That a marketing and events strategy be finalised

and implemented in association with the actions of the town centre distinctiveness projects.

For instance each new project should be the focus of publicity and celebration to optimise the confidence building contribution and transformational impact of the project.

The townscape improvements should not be seen as isolated but worthy urban design acts – that will not secure adequate impact.

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

conclusions and next steps conclusions The foregoing report - and associated storytelling matrices and townscape survey information, (together with film material from the process) provide •

a composite basis explaining the perceived distinctiveness attributes of Bolton Town Centre in 2005

•

an innovative means of capturing people thoughts, ideas and concerns about their town centre

•

a related ‘triangulation check’ of the urban design and townscape issues – particularly an appreciation of how these have evolved over time and are expressed in space at present – for instance’ distinguishing between the core area and the peripheral areas in need of treatment

•

a set of clear directional propositions evolved from this process, which are able to form the basis for framing current and future planning and design guidance as well as development, management and promotional projects.

implementation •

In order to encourage and enable investment, Bolton Council is producing a suite of baseline material on various aspects of the town centre. Guidance on design issues will be provided in the document ‘Building Bolton’, due for publication in August 2006.

•

The material in this report provides the reference source on consultation and urban analysis issues for ‘Building Bolton’, supplemented by additional consultants’ work, and in-house research carried out by the Council’s Physical Regeneration Unit.

•

Following the recommendations in the Planning Guidance Propositions section of this report, it is expected that further guidance will be produced on specific issues such as public realm design and a tall buildings policy.

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

appendices individuals consulted or interviewed

1.

Kevin Durkin

2.

Rev. Phil Mason

3.

Helen McHugh

4.

Michael Carroll

5.

Paul Foster

6.

Cathy Savage

7.

Lynn Ashwell

8.

Gareth Tidman

9.

Jayne Craig

10. Garth Evans 11.

Carole Heaton

12. Tony Hughes 13. Ibrahim Kala 14. Rosie Marcus 15. Jackie Sumner 16. Michael Taylor 17.

Mark Rycroft

18. Lesley Turner 19. Jackie Whelan 20. Zonya 21.

Annie Ingram

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BOLTON LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS STUDY

references Bolton Town Centre Action Framework, Bolton Vision Partnership, 2005 - 2008 Bolton Draft Town Centre Map, Graeme Shankland Associates, 1964 Bolton Town Centre Map, Shankland Cox and Associates, 1965 Developing a Brand Strategy for Bolton (Draft), Hemisphere, 2005 Mawdsley Street Conservation Area, Bolton Metro, unknown date Silverwell Street/Wood Street Conservation Area, Bolton Metro, unknown date Churchgate Conservation Area, Bolton Metro, unknown date St Georges Conservation Area, Bolton Metro, unknown date Town Hall Conservation Area, Bolton Metro, unknown date Deansgate Conservation Area, Bolton Metro, unknown date

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Kevin Murray Associates 20 Southbrae Drive Glasgow, G13 1PY t: 0141 353 9540 f: 0141 353 9541 mail@kevinmurrayassociates.com www.kevinmurrayassociates.com