Swindon town centre • is not good enough •

4�Opposite : Swindon’s shopping centre

Swindon town centre

The redevelopment of many UK town centres after ‘World War 2’ could becalled Britain’s ‘great rebuild’.

•But the quality of that redevelopment is now viewed by many as anything but‘great’.

•Much of Swindon’s present town centre was created between 1970 and 1980.

•At present it has (regrettably) no cinema or large theatre, few residences andno school.It lacks the presence of large numbers of high quality retail stores, and mayhave suffered from the successful retail development in the old railway works.

•For these reasons, Swindon town centre has been likened to a doughnut - notwith jam in the middle, but with a hole in it.

•This must be changed.

•Successful ‘town centre regeneration’ is the key to Swindon’s future.

4�Opposite: David Murray John Tower, Swindon town centre (© English Heritage NMR)

Swindon town centre

Swindon town centre is not good enough today.

•Swindon Borough Council is determined to improve it.It wants to see a place that is great for people and for business.It wants to see efficient street cleaning, crime prevention, a new library, welllandscaped public realm with attractive open spaces, and convenient and safewalking routes, amongst other things.

•To achieve this, a ‘mix’ of land uses will be required with public accessactivities (e.g. restaurants and shops) at street level.

•‘The New Swindon Company’ has published plans for improvements to thetown centre and the Borough Council is working on a ‘Central Area ActionPlan’. Together a ‘Public Realm Strategy’ has been produced aimed atmaking things better.

•Swindon town centre is quite compact. (One can walk from one end to theother in 10 minutes or so, which is advantageous.)

•However, pedestrian subways and guard rails hinder movement andconcentrations of ‘single uses’ in particular areas (eg, pubs) detract fromSwindon town centre’s general ‘liveliness’.

•New ‘mixed use’ development is very much needed so as to correct thesedefects.

Opposite: Swindon town centre 4�

Swindon town centre

• strategy for improvement •

The Local Plan, Central Area Action Plan and The New Swindon Company’s‘Regeneration Framework’ identify several Project Areas where regenerationwill be concentrated in Swindon town centre.

•Good design will be critical to ensuring the success of these areas. It will alsobe essential to ensure that the parts of the town centre between the projectareas are well designed so that central Swindon works as an integrated entity.This is integral to The Swindon Central Area Public Realm Strategy.

•It is envisaged that the redevelopment of the major project areas and publicrealm will come forward through Development Briefs.These Briefs should ensure that the development proposed provides a mix ofuses with public access to ground floor frontages, minimises opportunities forcrime and improves the perception of safety and provides for ease ofaccessibility and movement.

•In doing this all Briefs should ensure that;

• Public and private space is clearly defined.Development should make a clear distinction between front and back with private space to the rear and a frontage onto the public realm, enforced by consistent building lines, with setbacks reduced for public buildings.

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Swindon town centre

• strategy for improvement •

The Local Plan, Central Area Action Plan and The New Swindon Company’s‘Regeneration Framework’ identify several Project Areas where regenerationwill be concentrated in Swindon town centre.

•Good design will be critical to ensuring the success of these areas. It will alsobe essential to ensure that the parts of the town centre between the projectareas are well designed so that central Swindon works as an integrated entity.This is integral to The Swindon Central Area Public Realm Strategy.

•It is envisaged that the redevelopment of the major project areas and publicrealm will come forward through Development Briefs.These Briefs should ensure that the development proposed provides a mix ofuses with public access to ground floor frontages, minimises opportunities forcrime and improves the perception of safety and provides for ease ofaccessibility and movement.

•In doing this all Briefs should ensure that;

• Public and private space is clearly defined.Development should make a clear distinction between front and back with private space to the rear and a frontage onto the public realm, enforced by consistent building lines, with setbacks reduced for public buildings.

• Streets have active frontages. Making frontages ‘active’ adds interest, life and vitality to the public realm.The more doors and windows that exist onto a street, the greater the amount of activity and uses that can be generated.

• Streets offer variety.Whilst many streets have a primary function, a mix is healthy in generatinginterest, diversity and choice. A mix of uses helps generate interestthroughout the day and into the evening and can contribute to a sense ofvibrancy and vitality.Care must be taken to ensure that uses are compatible.

• The environment must be clear and legible.The function of a street should be clear and movement through it should bestraightforward. Landmarks should be used to aid orientation.Signage should be clear, but kept to a minimum to avoid confusion andclutter.

The above themes should be enforced through building form and streetcharacter. Materials should be locally derived and re-enforce the best of theexisting urban environment. Colours should be muted, unless required tosupport a landmark feature. Lighting may be appropriate to add interest anddrama, but must be carefully designed to minimise unacceptable pollution.

The Borough Council expects Development Briefs on town centre sites to accord with these principles.

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other Swindon settlements

��Opposite: a new dwelling that respects its older neighbours

pg to be on the heavier stock

Swindon Old Town

• A Very Special Place •

Swindon Old Town stands on a hill to the south of Swindon’s moderncommercial centre. Victorian and Edwardian architecture predominate in OldTown, reflecting the expansion of Swindon in those eras.

•‘Town Gardens’ is a beautifully vegetated public park, on the English HeritageRegister of Parks. ‘The Lawn’ is another larger area of green open space onOld Town’s eastern edge. In the residential areas, mature trees are adistinctive feature. In some streets these are located in the pavement.

•‘Swindon Hill’ was a favoured settlement site from prehistoric times.Newport Street, Wood Street, Devizes Road and High Street were laid out inthe 13th century. Old Town’s historic core remains remarkably unspoilt andcontains a good number of historic listed buildings. But there are high levels ofthrough traffic, especially on Devizes Road, Victoria Road and Bath Road.Old Town is an attractive, distinct and special part of Swindon that has beenchanging slowly over many years. Specialist shops produce something that ismore interesting and attractive than a normal shopping centre.

•4 different parts of Old Town have been designated as conservation areas.In order to preserve features of architectural and historical interest in theseareas, demolition of buildings and works to trees are controlled by theBorough Council and special attention is paid when making planningdecisions to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the conservationarea’s special character and appearance.The Borough Council has published appraisals of each of the Old Town‘conservation areas’ character and special interest. Proposals for theirpreservation and enhancement are being prepared.

��Opposite: Wood Street, Old Town

Some parts of Old Town are purely residential but the older historic core is mixed-use (with residences, shops and other commercial activities). Ground-floor commercial use has been achieved in the modern ‘Godwin Court’ development.

•In Swindon Old Town the predominant building heights are 2 storeys (eg in ‘The Mall’) or 3 storeys (eg in Wood Street and High Street). On some streets, such as Wood Street, building facades are positioned along the edge of the pavement. On other streets, such as Goddard Avenue, building facades are positioned on a fixed line, set back from the pavement. Wood Street is particularly ‘tight’ with facing properties only around 10 metres apart.

(Most other streets have greater separation of properties than this.)

•Building materials are generally brick, brick with stone dressings, stone- painted brick or render. Property widths in Old Town are fairly narrow, ranging from around 5 metres on Goddard Avenue to an average of around 10 metres on Wood Street. Shopfronts in Old Town are of traditional design.

Where new development does not generally respect the above characteristics - unless they are of an exceptionally high quality contrasting design -, planning permission will be refused.

•Over-looking and over-shadowing of residential properties are particular risks to be avoided. Where a wider than typical site is being developed, a wide building can be designed as if a row of narrower buildings.

(As was done in the case of a 1999 apartment development at the top of Cricklade Street.)

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Highworth

Highworth is an attractive former market town with a population of about 8,200, some 6 miles north of Swindon. Its town centre has a mix of shops, pubs, restaurants, hotels, library and a post office.

•Highworth’s origins and layout are medieval and many historical

16th and 17th century features survive.

The historic core remains remarkably unspoilt and Highworth retains great

historical charm.(Because the High Street is not the main route through the town, the town’s shopping area

does not suffer from the high levels of noise and air pollution that bedevil by towns whose

commercial core sits astride a main road, so Highworth is a relatively quiet and pleasant place

to shop.)

•Highworth town centre has the character of a typical small English market town. Its bustling High Street contains a mix of residences, shops and other businesses. Almost all of Highworth town centre has been designated as a conservation area in order to preserve the town’s features of architectural and historical interest.(This means that demolition of buildings and works to trees are controlled by the Borough

Council and special attention is paid - when making planning decisions - to the desirability of

preserving or enhancing the area’s special character and appearance.)

•The Borough Council has published an appraisal of this area’s character and special interest, written in collaboration with Highworth Town Council.

•The predominant building heights in Highworth are 2 storeys and property widths are narrow. Shopfronts are of traditional design. New development must respect these characteristics.

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Opposite: Highworth town centre (proposals for Highworth’s preservation & enhancement - that include a form of ‘design code’ - are being prepared).

There is limited scope for new development in Highworth - but where it does occur special attention must be paid to respecting and enhancing the character of the place.

•New buildings (or building extensions) in Highworth must have pitched roofs.Stone or brick or painted render will be the appropriate walling material.Only a single walling material should normally be used for a building (except

•John Betjeman on HighworthThe late poet and broadcaster, John Betjeman (one time British Poet Laureate) wrote:“I have never seen Highworth given due praise in guide books for what it is one of the most charming and unassuming country towns in the west of England.”“Highworth is extraordinary because it has more beautiful buildings than ugly ones.”

•“When I am abroad and want to recall a typically English town, I think of Highworth.”

•“There was a sound of tea being cleared away in a cottage just near us.And suddenly with a burst the bells of Highworth church rang out for Evening Service.As though called by bells the late sun burst out and bathed the varied roofs with gold and scooped itself into the uneven panes of old windows.Sun and stone and old brick and garden flowers and church bells.That was Sunday evening in Highworth - that was England.”

(‘Postscript from Highworth’ in ‘First and Last Loves’ - John Betjeman, 1952)2006 marked the 100th anniversary of John Betjeman’s birth

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Wroughton

• Swindon Borough’s ‘largest village’ •

Wroughton is a large village - with a population of around 7,100.It has a sports centre, secondary school, library, pubs and shopping centre.Wroughton sits in rural surroundings - about 2 miles south of Swindon town centre on the south side of the M4 motorway. Immediately south of Wroughton is the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

•Part of Wroughton has been designated as a conservation area, to preserve the area’s features of architectural and historical interest. The Borough Council has published an appraisal of this area’s special interest (in collaboration with Wroughton Parish Council). Proposals for the preservation and enhancement of the conservation area are now being drawn-up.(These include a form of ‘design code’.)

•There is limited scope for new development in Wroughton, but where it does occur special attention must be paid to preserving or enhancing Wroughton’s character.

•For new development comprising of a group of houses, this means having a layout that is tailored to the local scene. For new buildings, it means avoiding standard modern design, and fitting in with the local context in terms of -• size and shape• materials• pattern of window openings• detailing of doors and windows• other featuresAccordingly, new buildings (and building extensions) in Wroughton must have pitched roofs.

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Villages and small settlements

• the importance of ‘local distinctiveness’ •

Swindon Borough has many villages and small settlements.

•Castle Eaton in the north is notable for its old ‘Cotswold stone’ buildings,whereas Bishopstone in the south of the Borough is distinguished by its thatched roof cottages. It is important to appreciate and respect this ‘local distinctiveness’.

•18 small settlements have parts that are designated as historic conservation areas for which the Borough Council has published appraisals (of their special interest). Proposals for their preservation and enhancement (a form of ‘design code’) are being prepared.

•Development in the villages should be related to meeting rural community needs (such as agricultural requirements - or ‘affordable housing’ for local people).Villages (and especially their conservation areas) are not suitable places for ‘speculative’ housing development.

•There is limited scope for new development in the villages but where it does occur special attention must be paid to preserving or enhancing their special character.

•In some villages modern development has not accorded with the traditional street pattern. (In Bishopstone, for example ‘cul-de-sacs’ have been introduced at ‘The Wyncies’, ‘Whatley’s Orchard’ and ‘The Hawthorns’.That jars with the ‘through traffic’ nature of Bishopstone’s older road and lane ‘loops’).

•Most villages do not have street lighting and its introduction in new development will clash with the older character. In some villages, wide grass verges are important landscape features (as are old stone boundary walls).

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Roads in villages can rarely accommodate street parking and still allow 2-way traffic.Car parking should (as far as possible) be kept clear of the road and be positioned out of sight.

•Villages do not have ‘kerbed roads’ or ‘standard pavements’.New development should not bring in suburban features such as these.

•New development should respect important views out from and into the village and views of important buildings - such as the church.New development layouts should incorporate traditional local treatments of boundaries (such as walls, fences, verges and planting), trees and natural features should be retained.Development in a conservation area should pay attention to the area’s appraisal.

•New buildings in villages best blend in if they follow traditional built form and use natural materials for external walls and roof cladding. New buildings and building extensions in villages must have pitched roofs. Buildings with ‘gabled’ ends or ‘half hipped’ roofs look more appropriate than ‘fully hipped roof’ buildings.

•Villages are often distinguished by older cottages and houses with a distinct shape and size (normally 1 or 2 storeys tall), although the roof is sometimes used as accommodation, lit by 1 or 2 small, pitched roof dormer windows.

•If not well designed, low buildings (such as bungalows) can look as much out of place as overly tall buildings. Older rural housing is often 1 room deep on plan with a steeply pitched roof. By contrast, a conventional modern house is often 2 rooms deep on plan, and does not have a steeply pitched roof.This makes it looks out of place because of its profile.

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Depending on the village, stone, brick or painted render will be the appropriate walling material. Normally, only a single walling material should be used for a building. When choosing a brick or stone, the colour and texture of older buildings in the area should be used as a cue for selection.

•For ancillary buildings (such as garages) horizontal timber boarding may be appropriate. Stone or clay tiles, slate or thatch may be suitable for roof cladding. Painted wooden doors and windows are much more suitable than plastic (‘UPVC’).

•In traditional design window frames are setback from the front face of the wall (this helps to articulate the façade and casts a ‘shadow line’ around the opening). Some modern houses have frames set flush with the wall face which makes the façade look uncomfortably ‘flat’.

•Traditional windows are usually taller than they are wide and have small panes of glass (around 30cm x 30cm). (By contrast, conventional modern houses often have windows that are wider than they are tall).Traditional outside doors are solid timber - often with vertical boarding.On traditional houses, dormers rarely involve any masonry (usually incorporating little more framing than the window itself). Dormers are usually taller than they are wide and have gabled or hipped roofs (or if originally thatched the dormer may be a simple slope).

•

When proposals for new development in Highworth, Wroughton and the villages fail to accord with the principles of this section, planning permission will be refused.

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new communities • large scale new housing developments

& the use of ‘ design codes ’ •

6�Opposite: a new estate at the planning stage

Creating ‘new communities’

• Swindon has been growing for years •

The need for more homes Demand for new homes has greatly increased over the last 30 years. People want to live and work in communities that have good jobs, transport networks, schools, medical services, shops and leisure facilities - all that is needed for a fulfilled life. The Borough Council will try to create sustainable communities that work - not just because they have good schools, health centres and other facilities - but because they are safe and attractive and desirable places to live in. It is imperative that new housing areas deliver on everyday practical needs such as getting to work and bringing up children.

•

Creating successful ‘new communities’ Swindon has been identified by Government as a ‘sustainable’ location for large scale population growth. The majority of this growth will have to be accommodated in new ‘urban extensions’ on the edge of Swindon’s urban area, thereby creating ‘new communities’. The provision of good housing that is accessible to all must be at the heart of these new communities. Successful places are distinctive and have their own individual character. They offer opportunities for meeting people. They feel safe, with minimal opportunities for crime and maximum opportunities for catching criminals. Well designed communities are easy to move around in, especially on foot or by bike, and are well connected to nearby centres of activity. Those are the qualities that the Borough Council requires for its new communities.

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The need for facilities - a truly ‘new’ community New communities need to provide - • a variety of housing types, sizes, designs and densities • private open space (including gardens and balconies) • public parks and formal squares • play areas for children of different ages • health care facilities (well located doctors’ and dentists’ practices) • care in old age • religious activity • education • shopping • movement and access • adequate car parking provision (including properly sized garages). In the past many garages have been too narrow for people to get in and out of their cars.

•

Designing new communities - layout and buildings The layout of new communities must be arranged with ease of movement in mind (especially walking, cycling and public transport routes). Public safety, public open space and landscaping must be provided. ‘Cul-de-sacs’ and ‘dead ends’ should generally be avoided.

•

Roads and access The road hierarchy should maximise the potential for public transport use. ‘Bus priority’ measures will be appropriate for certain streets. In all cases road layouts must allow for practical access for fire fighting and ambulance services vehicles. ‘Traffic calming’ may be needed in predominantly residential streets and these must be considered as part of the overall design process.

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Variety in housing and building design A range of dwelling types, sizes and densities will meet the different requirements of people. ‘Affordable housing’ should be ‘peppered’ throughout new housing areas - rather than being in ‘segregated’ clusters. A range of building heights and architectural design will add visual interest and will help people to orientate themselves. Houses should have gardens, and apartments above ground level should have useable balconies. Garages must be wide enough to easily park in.

•

Communal spaces Communal spaces must be planned as part of an overall layout for new communities. They should be landscaped to create a pleasant environment. Landscaping can be used to as a ‘screen’ to noise or vision. Communal spaces should be aesthetically pleasing, functional and capable of easy maintenance. Natural species planting should be used and tree planting should be maximised.

•

All development in new communities must adhere to the requirements of this guidance. In all cases care should be taken to - • enhance local character and create identity • create safe and pleasant public spaces • create places that are easy to navigate and move around in and, • promote best practice in sustainable construction.

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Strategic development in Swindon - Wichelstowe In 2004 the Borough Council resolved to grant planning permission for up to 4,500 homes and associated commercial, business and community facilities on a 309 hectare site to the south of Swindon. To guide the development, a masterplan was produced along with a ‘design code’. This code establishes the design, shape and layout of the blocks, streets, squares and lanes that form the new settlement. It comprises of a set of instructions for potential developers to use when drawing up design proposals for their individual sites. The developers, builders and their individual architects have flexibility within their site as to how they design the buildings as long as they conform to the code.

•‘Design codes’ are not a new idea. ‘Design codes’ have been used in one form or another for a long time. Some of our most cherished places (from the Georgian period - through to ‘garden suburbs’ and ‘new towns’) were based on design codes.* Much of the City of Bath was constructed according to a ‘design code’. In Swindon, Goddard Avenue and ‘The Mall’ in Old Town and the 19th century Railway Village were each built to detailed ‘codes’. The Borough Council will expect ‘design coding’ to govern the development not only of Wichelstowe but of all new ‘urban extensions’ and other large development proposals.

•If they are well conceived and thought-through design codes can set good standards for new developments and provide certainty to developers, local authorities and the general public by establishing the necessary design criteria appropriate to an area. Planning applications can then be dealt with quickly, thus allowing the planning system to be more responsive to the needs of its users.

* ‘Design Coding : Testing its Use in England’ (CABE, 2005) 6�

The Borough Council will require all strategic developments to be bound by design codes that are prepared by the developer, in consultation with the Borough Council.

•Design codes must cover the following -

• Design strategy - an overall masterplan that details how an area will function and how its land use components relate (depending on the size of the area this would be for the whole development or be broken down into blocks).

•• Access - embracing principles of developing higher densities in the most accessible locations and in ensuring public buildings are accessible to all users.

•• Transport - roads, public transport, cycleway and footpaths, including road and pavement widths and surfacing.

•• Land uses - including residential, retail, employment, open space and community buildings (details of these buildings - including location and design - should be stipulated). • Parking strategy - detailed aspects of garages, car ports and spaces, visitor parking both at residential and retail areas, and parking for employment purposes.

•• Building heights – codes should condition either minimum, maximum or fixed building heights (which may be implemented flexibly or rigidly depending on the conditions of the location).

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• ‘Frontage’ and boundary conditions - to define the visual appearance of the streetscene and how they will affect the positioning of buildings and spaces. • Garden dimensions, parking arrangements, positioning of walls, railings, fences and hedges.

•• Pattern of windows and doors.

•• Building materials and colours.

•• Landscaping and planting - including species, quantity and distribution of planting.

•• Provision of litter bins, signs, bollards, bus shelters and seat-benches.

•• Landmarks.

•• Sustainable construction – regard should be given to ‘EcoHomes’ categorisation and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) standards and how the development will conform with sustainable construction methods.

• Living conditions – this includes a consideration of issues such as privacy, daylight, outlook and outdoor amenity space, which require tight control if they are not to have an adverse impact on amenity.

•The Borough Council’s Design and Conservation Officer and Development Manager must be involved in the preparation of any design codes.

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Pointers to aid design coding - Roof form Traditional roof forms have steep pitches of more than 30 degrees. These roof forms generally give a development a more human scale. The addition of well positioned and detailed chimneys will help to enliven a roofscape and create roofline interest. Modern roof forms have tended to be shallower to accommodate a deeper plan form. This usually results in a bulky roof form and a bland and uninteresting side elevation. Roofing materials in new developments should reflect or respect those used in the area. Car Parking Vehicles should not dominate a new development. Car parking is best contained within small secure parking areas at the back of development blocks, (on higher density development designers should consider the options of underground or ‘under croft’ parking) which works particularly well where it is necessary to preserve or create substantial gardens or open spaces. The Borough Council has standards for car parking for new development that are reviewed on occasion and are explained in the Council’s publication ‘Transport and Streets - Transport Requirements for Development’. ‘Building line’ This is the position of the buildings in relation to the street. Either buildings should be sited at the back edge of the pavement or set back behind a boundary. Walls, hedgerows or railings contribute towards the character of a street. A similar type of boundary treatment throughout a development will help to unite it. Sustainable design New homes should be planned to minimise energy wastage, reduce ‘carbon emissions’ (and to enable easy recycling of water and waste). All new homes in new community areas should aim to achieve an ‘Ecohomes’ rating of ‘excellent’, or equivalent.

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Swindon’s development areasGood design of schools in ‘new communities’ The design of a school is critical (to its success and to its longevity).

•Practicality, flexibility, low maintenance costs and safety are the key issues for school design.

•Many people with young children want to live within close walking distance of a school. By contrast some people do not want to live close to schools (or to play areas or sports fields) because of the noise that young folk may make through their exuberance (and due to the disturbing light that may come from floodlit ‘games areas’). The layout of new development should take account of these truths.

•Schools should be ‘approachable’ (but safe and secure). Well designed and well routed footpaths are needed.

•School boundaries are normally best enclosed by low maintenance ‘soft topped’ railings that allow visibility and surveillance in a way that solid enclosures (such as walls) cannot (painted galvanised metal railings may be best).

•There should be a suitable distance from any public walkway to the main building (to allow for adequate planting and to prevent views of the inside of the building).

•Unfortunately (for land use efficiency aims) schools are often best suited to a single storey building design.

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Schools that are too close to a busy road can give rise to traffic safety issues (and can cause noise disruption for teaching sessions).

•Bus stops should be sited close to schools - with safe arrangements for movement. The route from the bus stop to the school must be safe and secure.

•Primary schools work best if there is an area within the school grounds (in front of the entrance) for parents to deliver and greet their children. Play areas are best sited at the rear of the school building.

•Practical provision must be made for the parking of teachers’ cars and for ‘dropping off’ children for whom walking (or taking the bus) to school is not practical.

•The roofs of school buildings offer an excellent opportunity for gathering ‘solar energy’. New school buildings should exhibit sustainable construction methods (making use of energy efficiency in both design and operation).

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