Imagine the Future 5 Delivering the Strategy for Wycombe High - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Imagine the Future 5 Delivering the Strategy for Wycombe High Wycombe Town Centre Workshop 8th July 2009

Introduction

Councillor Mrs Jean Teesdale Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability

Programme for the Evening

7.00 Welcome by Jean Teesdale (Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability 7.05 Revitalising the Core of High Wycombe Town Centre (David Dewar, Policy Officer, WDC) 7.15 Delivering the High Wycombe Masterplan (Chris Schmidt-Reid, Principal Policy Officer, WDC) 7.30 High Wycombe Masterplan – The New Road Network (John Kemplen, Transport Planning Team Leader, BCC) 7.45 Questions 7.55 Introduction to workshops 8.45 Feedback and concluding comments 9.00 Close

Delivery and Site Allocations

Three key documents in WDF:

• Core Strategy (adopted

July 2008)

• Delivery & Site Allocations
• Development Management

(2011-2013)

Scope of IF5?

• An 'Update consultation'
• Will Cover:

– Major issues with significant change – New issues not covered before

• Won’t cover:

– Issues that have been covered before and there is not significant change

Revitalising High Wycombe Town Centre

Current ‘state of health’ of the town centre Potential future policies and initiatives

David Dewar Planning Officer, Planning Policy, WDC

The Good News

• Impact of Eden on High Wycombe town

centre

– Over 75,000sq m of new floorspace – Boost to retail rankings – Weekly footfall more than doubled – Creation of evening economy – New public facilities

• More in the pipeline

– Sainsbury’s - August 2009 – Bucks New University building – Other town centre fringe sites

The Bad News

• More empty shops in the town centre

(8.5% in 2006 to 14.5% in 2009 – measured by floorspace)

• Loss of environmental quality of public

realm

Why the increase in empty shops?

• Partly due to new shopping centre
• pening

– Particular impact on Chilterns Shopping Centre

• But mainly this combined with the

economic downturn – has hit ALL town centres

• High Rents + Time lag of lease periods

– delayed take-up of units

What are we doing about it?

• Responsive planning frontage policies
• Connectivity in the town centre
• Quality of the public realm
• Branding for the town centre
• Corporate focus from all stakeholders
• Needs landlord support

What do we say about all this in the LDF?

More fine-grained approach to analysing the town centre More flexible policies on change of use where appropriate Mixed-use site allocations policies where necessary

Eden (incl former Octagon)

• Prime shopping and leisure area for

High Wycombe

• Vacant frontages = approx 22%
• Wider economic downturn having an

impact

• Improve connectivity with other parts
• f town centre
• Greater mix of good quality food and

drink uses to be encouraged in former Octagon Centre

• Target minimum percentage of shops:

80%

High Street

• Prime shopping and market

area

• Current vacant frontage = 14%
• Woolworths effect
• More flexible frontage policy here

but maintain as retail area

• So target minimum percentage for

shops: 50%

Chilterns Shopping Centre/Frogmoor

• Leisure/Food and Drink Quarter with

Supporting Retail – Prime Public Square

• Potential for refurb of Chilterns Centre
• Potential for hotel area
• Need to maximise use of public open

space at Frogmoor

White Hart Street/Queen Square/Church Street

• Historic Core and key link
• Opportunity to maximise the historic value of

this location

• More flexible planning approach
• Local Development Order
• Improve the quality of the public realm

Town Centre Masterplan

Chris Schmidt-Reid Principal Planning Officer, Planning Policy, WDC

Town Centre Masterplan

Unique opportunity to transform High Wycombe town centre

Master plan

• Background
• Vision
• Solutions
• Opportunities
• Phasing
• Costs

High Wycombe Master Plan

• Developed in 3 parts
• Core Strategy
• Proposed vision for

Town Centre

Issues

• Connectivity
• Environment
• Movement
• Economy

Connectivity

• Key barriers identified are

– Abbey Way – Archway

Nature in the Town

• Hunt for the river

Movement

Economy

• Poor quality offices
• Recession and Eden

• “In 2026 High Wycombe town centre will be a uniquely

appealing destination with a thriving economic centre, and a high quality public environment, which emphasises the natural environmental, historic and cultural assets of the town. The town centre will be a place where people choose to live, work and visit, with a variety of uses that include a good retail offer, high quality office accommodation and cultural and educational

• pportunities centred around the Swan theatre and Bucks

New University campus.

• The town will be will connected and accessible both by

road and by public transport to a range of destinations, including the Thames Valley; through traffic will be accommodated on a new A40 route, allowing the full integration of the historic and expanded town centres. High quality public open spaces will connect key areas together, including opportunities to enjoy the River Wye and with direct and attractive linkages for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Vision

Solutions

• Re-routing traffic
• Removing Abbey Way and downgrading

Archway

• Creating new public spaces
• Linkages creating new and enhancing

existing

Main Roads - Existing

Main Roads - Future

Open Spaces, River, Gateways

Opportunities

• Oxford Road roundabout
• Archway
• Swan Frontage
• Bus Routing

Oxford Road Roundabout

Archway

Swan Frontage

Delivery and Site Allocations

Phasing (1)

• Phase one - Eden – In place
• 2009 - 14 provide alternative route for through

traffic

• 2015 – 2020 eastern town centre changes
• incl. removal of flyover ramps and gyratory
• 2021 – 2026 western town centre changes
• incl. removal of flyover ramps and Archway

reduced to single carriageway

Deliverability Assessment

• Looks at the following key areas:

– Cost of infrastructure and phasing of delivery – Possible financial contributions expected from town centre developments – Financial benefits gained from sites released by removal of carriageway – Identification of funding mechanisms and funding gap

Deliverability

• Costs

£20.9m

• Developer Contributions

£3.3m

• Other contributions

£6.7m

• Funding gap

approx £11m

Conclusions

• Unique opportunity to transform High

Wycombe town centre

• Constraints and costs being worked on
• Funding remains a challenge – but not

insuperable

• Continue to work with stakeholders

But does it work????

• Practically feasible
• Will be complemented by measures

that reduce traffic and encourage

• ther modes

Town Centre Masterplan

John Kemplen Transport for Buckinghamshire

High Wycombe Town Centre Vision (LTP2)

Main Roads - Existing

Main Roads - Proposed

Changes to traffic direction

Local Access Roads

One Way Bus Loop Option

New Road Alignments

Traffic Modelling Results (1)

• Do minimum 2026 scenario (incl. planned growth)

involves large additional movement costs cf. 2006

• Modelling shows relatively modest movement costs

beyond this because:

– Outside the peaks existing network has spare capacity; confidence gained from experience with Eden – Gas works, and Westbourne St link etc provide effective route for through traffic – Some displacement of traffic from the town centre – Compared to the original masterplan

• Some simplification of key junctions
• Some more spreading of traffic within town eg Archway

Road Travel Costs for High Wycombe

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

2006 2026 Core Strategy 2026 with TC changes (signals on Abbey Way) 2026 with TC changes (roundabouts on AW)

'000s of hours

2006 2026 extra trips 2026 extra congestion Extra costs of town centre changes

Traffic Modelling Results (2)

• Issues:

– Abbey Way Gyratory simplified – uses roundabouts rather than signal controlled junctions – Further investigation in progress to confirm

• Impact on Bridge Street / Bus Station
• Impact on Eden southern access/egress during

Saturday afternoon peak – Significant displacement into surrounding areas, including Priory Road area – need to manage this

Phasing

• Phase one - Eden – in place
• 2009 – 2014 provide alternative route for

through traffic

• 2015 – 2020 eastern town centre changes

including removal of flyover ramps and gyratory

• 2021 – 2026 western town centre changes

including removal of flyover ramps and Archway reduced to single carriageway

The Gas Works Link

• Critical link forming part of new east-west route
• PBA Report on Link Road Design complete –

amended to reflect BCC highway design comments

• Modelling confirms suitability as a route for through

route (carries 24,000 vehicles/day)

• Agreement to phased construction – first stage

implemented as part of National Grid development (current planning application)

• Based on Manual for Streets principles rather than

DMRB to balance movement issues with “place” issues and to cope with constraints

Conclusions

• Unique opportunity to transform High

Wycombe town centre

• Constraints and costs being worked on
• Practically feasible
• Funding remains a challenge – but not

insuperable

• Will be complemented by measures that

reduce traffic and encourage other modes

• Continue to work with stakeholders

Questions & Discussion

Workshop questions

Topic One: Revitalising the Town Centre

• 1. Do you support the different roles and functions identified for different

parts of the Town centre?

• 2. Do you agree with the more flexible approach that we are proposing?

Topic Two: Town Centre Masterplan

• 1. Do you agree with the vision for High Wycombe Town Centre
• 2. Do you feel the vision for the town centre could be improved upon? Is

there anything missing?

• 3. Do you support the new route for traffic around the town centre and other

changes?

• 4. Key sites – Swan Fontage/Archway/Oxford Road roundabout

– Are we creating the places that people want to see? – What’s important to go here - opening up of the river etc? – Do the benefits outweigh negative effects Also, looking at the benefits gained in these areas against the rerouting of traffic through QAR / gas works / Desborough Road - in affect, do the benefits outweigh the negative effects in this area?

• 5. Which of the two town centre bus routing options do you support, and

why? (as existing, or anti-clockwise one way loop, with new bus only link)

Final Comments

Other Consultation Events

• 9th July – Housing workshop, 7-9pm,Town

Hall

• 13th July – M40 Gateway workshop, 7-9pm,

Amersham and Wycombe College

• 15th July – Desborough exhibition, 2- 8pm

Green Street School

• 16th July – “Sustainability” workshop – 7-9pm,

John Hampden School Consultation closes 14th August. All written comments by then.

What happens next….

Autumn 2009 Finalise the DSA document May 2010 Publish final version for consultation Sep 2010 Submit document to Government Jan 2011 Public examination Apr 2011 Binding Inspector’s report Jul 2011 Adopt

www.wycombe.gov.uk/ planningconsultations

Town Centre Vision

• “In 2026 High Wycombe town centre will be a uniquely

appealing destination with a thriving economic centre, and a high quality public environment, which emphasises the natural environmental, historic and cultural assets of the town. The town centre will be a place where people choose to live, work and visit, with a variety of uses that include a good retail offer, high quality office accommodation and cultural and educational opportunities centred around the Swan theatre and Bucks New University campus.

• The town will be will connected and accessible both by

road and by public transport to a range of destinations, including the Thames Valley; through traffic will be accommodated on a new A40 route, allowing the full integration of the historic and expanded town centres. High quality public open spaces will connect key areas together, including opportunities to enjoy the River Wye and with direct and attractive linkages for pedestrians and cyclists.”