Judging by the comments raised on various topics over the last few weeks, it appears that not many are familiar with the proposal for an Urban Village.
Perhaps you should take a look at the following PDF document and then come back to the forum with your comments.
My view remains the same. We should be encouraging footfall in Cheap Street and protecting existing retailers. I'll come up with a design for my idea and send it over to you so that we can have a comparison.
My view remains the same. We should be encouraging footfall in Cheap Street and protecting existing retailers. I'll come up with a design for my idea and send it over to you so that we can have a comparison.
I thought your view was that more affordable housing should be built?
I thought your view was that more affordable housing should be built?
Yes, but not on that site. I would use this area of town to do something to regenerate the southern end of town to try and inject a bit of life into it to help the small and independent retailers. I'd much rather protect affordable housing allocations withing proposed residential developments like the racecourse and sandleford.
Yes, but not on that site. I would use this area of town to do something to regenerate the southern end of town to try and inject a bit of life into it to help the small and independent retailers. I'd much rather protect affordable housing allocations withing proposed residential developments like the racecourse and sandleford.
Wouldn't having a load of new potential customers on their doorstep help small and independent retailers?
My view remains the same. We should be encouraging footfall in Cheap Street and protecting existing retailers. I'll come up with a design for my idea and send it over to you so that we can have a comparison.
... take a look at the following PDF document and then come back to the forum with your comments.
I have posted about this plan in the past - noting that most people seem totally unaware that another large building site will cover another chunk of the town in the neat future.
All we have seen to date are documents like the Vision 2025 and the Design Brief you linked to. When we finally see some design proposals I fear it will be another case of overdevelopment - 5, 6 or more stories of bland blocks of flats made to look smaller in the artist's impressions. There is talk of more houses fewer flats - but that doesn't sound so profitable to me - so I suspect it will be quietly forgotten.
RG is right to note that Cheap St will by bypassed by the proposed new route into town - but this new 'gateway' underpins the whole thinking behind this bit of the Vision. The Visioneers won't let the fate of a few small businesses put them off track.
I was surprised to note how few listed buildings there are in the southern part of Cheap St - I wonder when a developer will be eyeing up that area for demolition?
A big problem with the whole scheme is that the wonderful new gateway will just deliver folk to the huge blank face of the Kennet Centre / Cinema.
All we have seen to date are documents like the Vision 2025 and the Design Brief you linked to. When we finally see some design proposals I fear it will be another case of overdevelopment - 5, 6 or more stories of bland blocks of flats made to look smaller in the artist's impressions.
Notwithstanding a last minute approval for a massive department store slapped right in the middle of any concession to public space.
I have seen that before and I wondered at the time how much that had cost the council for the laziest piece of consultancy work I have ever seen. Cobble together a few ideas which no doubt they have picked up from the visionaries, add in the same old environmental paragraphs, a bit about cycling and pedestrian walkways and just to make it colourful a couple of overwritten maps, some vision sketches and some pictures of cut outs from other towns. They could have probably done better by offering it as a project to St Bart's or Park House.
I have seen that before and I wondered at the time how much that had cost the council for the laziest piece of consultancy work I have ever seen. Cobble together a few ideas which no doubt they have picked up from the visionaries, add in the same old environmental paragraphs, a bit about cycling and pedestrian walkways and just to make it colourful a couple of overwritten maps, some vision sketches and some pictures of cut outs from other towns. They could have probably done better by offering it as a project to St Bart's or Park House.
They would have more expertees than the council are used to! Anyway they would probably have made some sensible suggestions that the local clique were unable to make any profit from so no good I am afraid?
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