Preferred Option

Welcome to this exhibition on the
future of The Wynd and Letchworth
Garden City Town Centre.
We need your views!
INTRODUCTION
STAGE 1
Analysis
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May 2011
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OPTIONS
We have taken a fresh look at the town centre and in particular,
The Wynd area, and are producing two documents, a masterplan
for The Wynd area and a Town Centre Implementation Plan,
which provide suggestions for the town centre and how
development may be guided over the next 10-15 years.
The Town Centre Implementation Plan will provide an overall
vision and individual strategies for shopping, arts and culture,
living, visitors, landscape and jobs in the town and review
ways to improve the look of the town centre. A separate plan
to improve The Wynd as a special place for local residents
and visitors is being produced. The plans will be finalised in
autumn 2012 and submitted to North Herts District Council for
consideration.
OS License number 100050351
1. LETCHWORTH’S ARTS AND CRAFTS QUARTER
STAGE 2
Options
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STAGE 3
Draft plans
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YOUR VIEWS COUNT
This exhibition shows the draft plans and proposals for the
masterplan for The Wynd area and the town centre, which have
been developed over the past year. At each stage of the project,
there has been a public exhibition in our project shop (previously
12-14 The Arcade) and events, meetings, school visits and
workshops with local community groups and businesses. People
were encouraged to provide feeedback at the exhibitions and
submit comments using special postcards and questionnaires.
This feedback has informed the development of plans at each
stage of the project.
OS License number 100050351
The most recent consultation presented three options for The
Wynd and an overarching concept for the town centre. The
results of the questionnaire and comments received, during
the six-week consultation period, have shaped the draft plans
presented at this exhibition.
2. LETCHWORTH’S HIDDEN GARDEN
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STAGE 4
Final plans
OS License number 100050351
3. LETCHWORTH’S ECO NEIGHBOURHOOD
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Consultation on options for the future of The Wynd and the town
centre was held between October and November 2011. The
project shop was open for a week-long exhibition during this
period. Materials were also displayed and presentations made at
key local events, community group meetings and schools.
The exhibition presented ideas for uses in the town centre and
three options for The Wynd area. A questionnaire and postcards
were used to collect people’s views on the town centre proposals
and options for The Wynd. Over 140 questionnaire and postcard
responses were received, plus an additional 163 responses from
our consultation with local schools. The consultation showed
overall support for the overarching objectives and ideas for
the town centre. These objectives and proposals are therefore
largely unchanged in this exhibition.
OPTION 2: PREFERRED OPTION
“
“
The most popular option for The Wynd was Option
2 - Letchworth’s Hidden Garden, which proposed the
creation of a new garden nursery centre in the core of
The Wynd, with the existing Wynd buildings reused for
garden and crafts uses. New mews houses were shown
around the edge of Openshaw Way with gardens facing
into The Wynd to create an attractive and green hidden
garden sanctury within the town centre. Not all elements
of this option had significant support, and people in
general did not support the closure of the existing
entrance to The Wynd from Leys Avenue. Therefore, the
draft plans shown in this exhibition reflect this concern.
Option 2 best
reflects the Garden
City
”
Option 2 is the most
balanced for housing
and crafts
”
160
140
120
100
Option 1
Option 2
80
Option 3
Combination of 1 and 2
60
No preference
40
20
0
Preferred Option
“
Works towards creating
a green oasis
”
“
Option 2 would help
smarten up The
Wynd
”
Letchworth will be:
Well connected:
TOWN CENTRE
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Ensuring arrival points, landmarks and places of
interest are well connected and have accessible
parking.
The overarching strategy for the Town Centre Implementation
Plan is set out on this wall. The proposals for the green
network, movement and uses across the town centre were
presented at the last exhibition and were well supported.
Green:
Six guiding principles are proposed for the Town Centre
Implementation Plan, which have also influenced the
development of the Masterplan for The Wynd. These
principles have been well supported, with 80-98% support
for each of the objectives. The guiding principles are set out
below and the overarching spatial strategy for the town are
illustrated on the adjacent plans.
Ensuring there are green routes between valued open
spaces. Looking at ways to fully utilise Broadway
Gardens, which could include further planting and
OS License number 100050351
activities, creating the potential for a learning
resource and visitor attraction. A new café on or near
the gardens could complement this.
A great place to spend time in:
Encouraging focal points for different parts of the
town centre, creating hubs for the arts, education and
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
civic uses around Broadway Gardens, and specialist
retail in The Wynd.
OS License number 100050351
1. Promote and utilise Letchworth’s status as the first Garden
City in the world, with potential to establish the town as
a centre for debate on the future of towns, including an
international festival of talks, films and events.
2. Promote, enhance and improve access (particularly cycle and
walking) to the high quality and attractive green spaces in and
around the town.
Key Pedestrian Route
Key Arrival Route by public transport
Key Arrival Point by car
3. Build on the existing cultural and leisure facilities grouped
around Broadway Gardens to create a cultural hub serving
residents, young people and those from further afield.
Hard Landscape
Soft Landscape
Trees
Big Box Retail
4. Consolidate Letchworth’s niche, independent shops, and
establish The Wynd as a destination for unusual shops.
Primary Retail
Secondary Retail
Specialist Retail
5. Further improve and enliven the town centre through
refurbishment of selected buildings and the addition of
complementary evening economy uses, including new
restaurants and cafés.
Uses complementary to the cinema
CONCEPT FOR LETCHWORTH
Arts and Education
Employment
Arrival Point
Events / Meanwhile Potential Uses
6. Recapturing Letchworth’s pioneering and sustainable ethos on
which it was founded, will be central to all proposals to help to
raise the profile of the town.
Improved use of open/public space
OS License number 100050351
“
Excellent to hear you
talk about return of
pioneering spirit
”
a d
Ro
1e
LETCHWORTH
1
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ea
1d
1a
N o r t o n
1c
ad
Ro
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io
at
St
T R A I N S TAT I O N
by
sh
Ru
ge
i d
B r
THE SPIRELLA
BUILDING
Av
en
ue
S o u t h
Le
ys
W a y
5
1b
2 2b
MORRISONS
B r o
a d w
a y
SUPERMARKET
GARDEN SQUARE
SHOPPING CENTRE
2c
2a
2d
Mixed use development of
The Wynd
3a
TOWN
HALL
CINEMA
n
r n o
G e
3
3b 3c
4b
Improved/increased parking
a d
R o
Long term refurbishment/
redevelopment
3d
Refurbished/redeveloped shops
and new homes above
Cultural/housing
4
4a
Youth
B R O A D WAY
GARDENS
P i x m o r e
Café
W a y
Idea centre/cultural
Hotel (long term)
Education/cultural
OS License number 100050351
1. STATION HUB: An improved Station Hub with new retail and
housing
Working with the station operator to provide:
a) A re-landscaped station forecourt to open up the view along
the Broadway and improve the crossing point, investigate
potential for moving the War Memorial to Broadway Gardens
b) Additional cycle parking to encourage sustainable transport
patterns
c) Improved station car park layout and provision of bus
interchange facilities
d) Dorchester House has the potential to be improved or
redeveloped for new retail and housing
e) Potential to enhance Spirella car park for commuter parking
2. ATTRACTIVE SHOPS: A refreshed Arena building and longer
term enhancements of Garden Square Shopping Centre
a) The Arena building refurbished in the short term. Longer
term potential to add an additional storey for new homes with a
decked roof garden over retained parking/servicing
b) New shops with housing above
c) Improved crossings along the Broadway and pedestrian
routes, tree planting and landscaping between the Broadway
and Eastcheap and Broadway Gardens.
d) Longer-term potential to enhance Garden Square Shopping
Centre
3. LEISURE HUB: New town Leisure Hub, reusing the Town Hall,
Museum/Library, Brotherhood Hall and Town Lodge with
some new supporting development
a) The Town Hall could be reused for a multi-use educational
facility with the potential for a new café extension facing onto
a re-landscaped car park
b) Retain Museum/ Library if possible. Should the library
voluntarily re-locate to a more central location within the
town centre, consider the use of the buildings for cultural,
leisure, hotel or residential uses.
c) Brotherhood Hall refurbished as a new youth space
d) Town Lodge refurbished for new café/leisure uses at the
ground floor with new homes above and a new building
linking to Brotherhood Hall
4. CULTURAL HUB: Cultural and education hub around a
refurbished/ redeveloped Plinston Hall and Grammar
School with some new supporting housing development to
the rear
a) The existing Grammar School building could be
refurbished for cultural and educational uses linking to
North Hertfordshire College
b) Plinston Hall could be refurbished or redeveloped for
theatre, arts and cultural uses with a positive design, which
addresses Broadway Gardens.
5. THE WYND
See adjacent board for details of the masterplan proposals
for this area.
THE WYND
A MASTERPLAN
“
Unique style of The Wynd should
be maintained - it is an asset to
the town
”
The draft Masterplan for The Wynd shown here is based on
the principles of Option 2, Letchworth’s Hidden Garden, as
this option received the most public support.
NEW HOMES New mews housing with garden
courtyards facing onto Openshaw Way, which will help to
improve the appearance of this street. New homes and
gardens would introduce more activity and greenery into
The Wynd.
FOOD AND DRINK Encouraging a
step change through available units in
The Arcade to provide complementary
uses, which will enliven this beautiful
building. Improvements to the
entrance to The Wynd and a new café
building to the rear of The Wynd shops
will help to strengthen links between
the two areas and create an attractive
place to be.
j
b
c
ATTRACTIVE SPACES
k
c
g
Improved pedestrian links, public
spaces and landscaping and the
introduction of new public spaces
will help to create an attractive
place for visitors.
h
e
i
a
d
Garden space
New housing
f
Kiosk
Retained Wynd buildings
Long term/temporary stalls/car
parking spaces
Wynd Nursery
Café
Food and drink in the Arcade
Relandscaped car park
New/improved public space
Mixed use at ground floor with
hotel or residential above
GARDENS AND CRAFTS A new Garden Nursery building
on the corner of The Wynd to raise the profile of the area and
create a specialist enclave of garden and crafts. Complementary
garden sheds/greenhouses would replace some parking at
weekends and potentially could become permanent structures in
the long term.
OS License number 100050351
UNIQUE CHARACTER The retention of
the existing Wynd buildings for arts, crafts and
garden uses. The retention of these buildings was
well supported, and they create an attractive and
unique character for The Wynd, which will help to
create a special place to visit.
a
Retained Wynd shops for garden and craft uses.
b
New mixed use building with café/restaurants at
ground floor facing onto Station Road and Openshaw
Way with either a new hotel or residential above.
c
New terraced mews housing with private parking and
terraces and communal gardens at the front.
A new Wynd nursery building at the corner of
Openshaw Way and The Wynd as the first step in
introducing garden uses into The Wynd.
e
Re-landscaped area at the rear of The Wynd and
Fenners Building to create a new public space with
a children’s play area, a kiosk and new café, with
outdoor seating overlooking the space.
f
Retention of the existing link between Leys Avenue
and The Wynd. There is potential for the gardens
to showcase local plants, flowers and produce as a
visitor attraction. Veranda/conservatory space and
outdoor seating is proposed to the rear of the former
Argos. Performance space and a kiosk close to the
entrance to The Wynd could be introduced. There is
long term potential for a new building at the corner of
Openshaw Way and The Wynd, to provide additional
garden and craft retail.
A refreshed and rebranded Arcade building with
complementary uses to The Wynd to enliven the area
in the day and evening. An improved pedestrian route
linking The Arcade and the new public space, play
area and café to the rear of the Fenners Building will
also help to draw people between the two areas.
h Landscaped car parking to provide a total of 136
spaces and a number of electric vehicle charging
points. Up to 36 of these spaces could be used for
temporary stalls/sheds selling garden and craft goods
at the weekends, in the short-term. In the longer-term
these could be developed into permanent structures.
i
Refurbished Fenners Building for community arts use.
j
St Michael’s House redeveloped for a new residential
block of flats. An improved pedestrian link and
crossing to Howard Park is also proposed.
OS License number 100050351
Movement
AW
SH
EN
OP
WAY
OPENSHAW WAY
d
g
Primary vehicular route
Primary pedestrian route
Secondary pedestrian route
Servicing route
Secondary servicing links
OS License number 100050351
Car parking
k
Potential for an additional 20 car parking spaces as
overspill parking in the longer-term. There is also long
term potential for new housing facing onto the car
park.
Private parking, 28 spaces
Public parking, 100 spaces
Overspill, 20 spaces
Temporary parking, 36 spaces
TOTAL: 184 new parking spaces
OS License number 100050351
Landscaping
Primary pedestrian route
Secondary pedestrian route
Places
1
2
3
4
5
Children’s play area and outdoor seating
Outdoor seating and gardens
Gardens & Event Space
Gardens
Improved pedestrian links and public realm
Green walls and trees
OS License number 100050351
Building heights
1-storey building
2-storey
3-storey
4-storey
OS License number 100050351