Trust Comments on "Station Approach" - TrustNews Jun 19
This application (19/00601/OUT) on behalf of Winchester City Council is for an area east of the railway station known as the “Carfax site", currently occupied by the former registry office, the Gladstone Street public car park and two private car parks. It is for a mixed-use development involving the erection of buildings up to 5 storeys from street level, lower ground floor level and basement to provide up to 17,972 m2 of office space and up to 1,896 m2 of mixed-use space including potential retail, restaurant/cafe, bar and leisure uses, refurbishment of the old registry office, associated car parking in basement (up to 135 spaces) and minimum of 756 cycle parking spaces. The application also proposes important changes to traffic routing in the public roads to and from the station. Because of the importance of the site, the Trust's comments submitted to the Council are reproduced here in full. The comment period for the application has expired and the application is likely to go before the WCC Planning Committee in June or later.
This is an outline proposal, which means that illustrations cannot be taken as indicative of what will actually be built on the site. The parameter drawings attached to the application are however definitive and do indicate the maximum amount of development that would be allowed on the site in terms of total floor area, car parking and building heights. There is also no guarantee that the actual developers will use the same architects as those that have produced the plans thus far.
The Trust welcomes the fact that the Old Registry Office building is to be preserved. It is also pleased to see that the need for active frontages is recognised (other than along Gladstone Street) along with the needs of pedestrians. It acknowledges that this scheme is an improvement over that which was previously proposed and that interesting architectural features are included. However, the fact remains that too much is being demanded of the site leaving the architects with the impossible task of trying to meet these demands while also producing buildings which will fit the context.
The Trust objections, itemised below, stem from this over-arching problem. We have seen no financial justification for the considerable increase in the number of square metres of office space planned over that which is set out in previous WGC development/design briefs, some of which covered both this site and the Cattle Market site.
Problems have been identified with the follow aspects of the scheme proposed:
1. Number of car parking spaces.
2. Scale of the buildings (height and mass) and their impact on the area.
3. Appropriateness/overall impression as an important gateway to Winchester.
4. Plans for pedestrian routes, cycle provision and public realm (including removal of trees).
5. Management of traffic flow in the station forecourt and surrounding streets.
6. Process
1. Given the exceptionally sustainable location next to the railway station with its parking as well as the proximity of the Tower Street and Cattle Market car parks, the Trust believes this is a great opportunity to provide minimal car parking rather than the small reduction proposed over the current capacity. A significant reduction would also help in addressing the traffic management problems around the station (see 5)
2. Our objection is not simply to the height of the buildings but to the footprint over which this height is to be permitted, especially on the frontage to Gladstone Street. The stepping down of the roofline toward Sussex Street is welcomed. As proposed the buildings would dwarf the station building, as well as the old Registry Office; even the Hampshire Records Office would look relatively small in comparison.
3. As the application acknowledges, the Station is an important gateway to Winchester and development here needs to reflect the very special and historic nature of the City. As proposed the development is contrary to adopted policies such as the Local Plan Part 2 with its desire “to protect and enhance the special character of Winchester". WIN 6 (1) in particular requires that any development respects the scale of the existing and adjacent residential properties as well as provides a fitting entrance to the town centre by enhancing and extending the public realm. It should also be noted that this site borders on the Conservation area and is visible from a variety of locations. We therefore do not agree that, as stated in the Visual lmpact Assessment, ‘The proposed development will have a low magnitude of impact on the overall character of TCA3, resulting in a potentially minor/moderate beneficial effect as the proposal will enhance the south-western gateway to the character area.’ Or that ‘Overall the magnitude of impact on the character of TCA4 is considered to be negligible and result in a negligible/neutral effect.’ (2)
4. The proposed pedestrian route via a passageway between 5 storey buildings to Sussex Street, across to Tower Road and Tower Street with the multi-storey car park alongside, would give the visitor a very poor introduction to Winchester, unless this can be alleviated in some way to overcome the ‘canyon effect’. The loss of the trees is regrettable, however we consider that a reasonable compensation would be to specify trees of at least a similar or even greater number elsewhere in Winchester.
5. The Trust is not convinced that space for taxis, drop offs/pick ups, service and delivery vehicles and bus services has been adequately taken into account in the plans.
6. Since Winchester City Council has the double role of developer and planning regulator for this site, it is imperative in our view that past practice should be adhered to and that a major development such as this should receive independent Design Review. This is recommended in the National Policy Planning Framework where it says that the outcome will be a material consideration. Bodies such as CABE or the SE Regional Design Review Panel have been used in the past. It would be far more cost-effective to have the review done at this outline stage of the planning than to wait until a final planning proposal is submitted.
The Trust therefore OBJECTS to this application.
(1) WIN 6 is the policy in Winchester District Local Plan Part 2 which sets out requirements for the Carfax site.
(2) TCA3 and TCA4 are “townscape character areas" identified in the application, north of Stockbridge Road - City Road - North Walls and respectively east and west of Worthy Lane.