Meeting documents

RadstockTown Centre

RegenerationPrinciples

1.         Introduction

1.1      Radstock town centre sits within the wider Midsomer Norton/Radstock area.It is an area with many positive attributes and great potential as a place tolive work and visit. Through the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative the firstcommunity plan for the area has been produced - the Brighter Futures Plan.This is a wide ranging plan, significant elements of which require establishmentof a framework for future development of the area. Arrangements are therefore tobe established for providing strategic co-ordination within the Council'scorporate governance systems for Development and Major Projects. Regard willneed to be had to the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy and influencing this inthe interests of the area.

1.2      Within Radstock town centre a long standing aim is the regeneration ofthe former railway and associated land. This land is allocated within the draftLocal Plan and the Norton Radstock Regeneration Company (NRR) and itsdevelopment partner Bellway is due to bring forward proposals in the Spring ofthis year. Radstock town centre is therefore an immediate priority.

2.         Radstock Town Centre

2.1      The town centre of Radstock has been the focus of considerableregeneration activity. Improvements and investment over recent years includeRadstock Museum, refurbishment of over ten buildings in the centre, a new ICTLearning Centre, Tom Huyton Park, the Memorial Park at Waterloo Road, NortonRadstock Greenway, The Colliers Way and a new school.

2.2      Whilst these improvements provide a good foundation, to build on thisinvestment and underpin the long-term regeneration of the town centre willrequire continued development of a strategic approach.

Challenge

2.3Across the wider Midsomer Norton and Radstock area there are a number ofstrategic issues:

• Vulnerable economy - high proportion of manufacturing
• High levels of out-commuting
• Transport and communication - links to Bath, Bristol and Mendip towns
• Significant level of low skills and educational achievement
• Affordable and intermediate housing needs
• Population size  - viability of centres, services and amenities

2.4Radstock town centre has a role to play in helping to address theseissues if it is to be more than a dormitory town to Bath and Bristol.

2.5The town's former role as the centre of the Somerset Coalfield gave ita clear and distinctive function. Since then, its role has never been properlydefined and developed following the closure of the coal mines and loss ofassociated industrial and railway activity.

2.6The historic role of the town brought with it major railway and otherinfrastructure. This has been stripped out leaving a town centre that is severedand which lacks a physical framework to enable it to adapt and respond tochange.

2.7The challenge is to establish a sustainable centre with a clear rolewithin the wider area. To achieve this will require a physical form that enablesthe town to develop and adapt to meet current and future circumstances.

Opportunity

2.8 The former railway land, which has beena blight on the town for over 30 years and is pivotal to its regeneration, isnow in the ownership of a community interest company - NRR. The Company hasappointed a development partner and through a development agreement will realiseits land value to help achieve local benefit and regeneration. NRR/Bellway areprogressing toward submission of a planning application.

2.9The NRR/Bellway project provides the potential to fundamentallyrestructure the town and act as a catalyst for regeneration.

2.10   For the town centre there are also big opportunities for the futurearising from its place as part of the wider Midsomer Norton & Radstock area:

• Quality of life and distinctiveness
• Location - Bath/Bristol city region, Mendip towns & attractive rural surrounds
• Growth and associated infrastructure investment potential within the context of the Regional Spatial Strategy
• Land supply and land values - availability of land and costs lower relative to some other urban locations.

3.         Community Plan

3.1The community has developed its own plan for the Midsomer Norton &Radstock area (incl. surrounding parishes) - The Brighter Futures Plan. Thissets out a broad community vision for the area and a vision for Radstock TownCentre. The vision for the town centre is:

• A local service and employment centre
• A focal point for the community
• Reinforce and enhance retail provision and community facilities,
• Expansion of tourism and small business enterprise
• Provide for more people to live in the centre, particularly through the opportunities presented by the regeneration of the vacant railway and other land

3.2 To help take this vision forward,address the challenges and realise opportunities a set of regenerationprinciples is proposed for Radstock town centre to provide a broad contextwithin which a physical regeneration framework can be brought forward. Theseprinciples are based on the extensive regeneration work and consultation thathas already been undertaken.

4.         RegenerationPrinciples

Form

Once a town dominated byrail and mining infrastructure Radstock now lacks a strong heart and isdominated by roads. An overarching principle for regeneration is therefore:

Toestablish a physical structure that enables development of a coherent andconnected centre that can respond and adapt to change over time.

Function

Historically a coal town,Radstock now has an unclear role. A future regeneration principle will be:

Creationof a modern market town that remains distinctive, provides a focal point for thecommunity and civic life, accommodates a mix of enterprise and compatible uses,and maximises visitor potential founded on its heritage and location

Economy, Uses &Activity

Originally, a towndominated by heavy industry and providing local services. Now it is dominated bya superstore with a range of services but lacks vitality. A regenerationprinciple for the future of the town will be to develop its latent potential:

Developmentof economic activity and uses around, arts based enterprise, smallenvironmentally friendly businesses , a stop off and base for visitors, retailand other services serving the local population and complementary to MidsomerNorton town centre.

Living

In an area of pit-headsettlement with housing concentrated on the surrounding hillside, there iscurrently little town centre living. A future regeneration principle will be:

Increasetown centre living to enable people to live close to shops, services andtransport whilst adding to the vitality of the centre.

Community and Services

Radstock has a strongtradition of community activity, education and self-help. This continues butlacks focus and, despite recent exemplars such as the new school, is diluted bypoor and disparate facilities. For the future of the town a regenerationprinciple will be:

Developthe town centre as a community and local service hub with excellent, flexibleand accessible facilities.

Connection & PublicRealm

Once a rail town, Radstockis now a through town dominated by traffic. Pedestrian and cycle movement issevered and curtailed and while the centre is an important hub for buses,interchange facilities are poor. A regeneration principle is therefore:

Atown for people where a sense of place predominates, with safe, attractive andconnected streets and spaces, transport interchange facilitated and goodinformation technology links.

Buildings & NaturalAssets

Radstock has grown up as adistinctive industrial town in a rural setting. It has previously been at thecentre of a local industry supplying fossil fuel. Today the town's characteris diluted by poor modern development and it has no particular 'energyprofile'. A principle for future regeneration is therefore:

Ensuringa town that is distinctive, urban and green, with a high quality of new buildingdesign, buildings that are safe and secure by design, promotion of sustainableenergy supply and conservation, with river and green corridors providing forwildlife, recreation and links to the countryside.

Equality of Opportunity

Radstock has a tradition ofseeking to address social and economic disadvantage experienced within the localcommunity. For the future a regeneration principle is therefore:

Ensuringthe town centre provides for and affords opportunities to all sections of thecommunity.