Transforming Trowbridge

Transforming TrowbridgeMasterplan Development Stage One - Scoping and Vision Study

Final Report - August 2010

2 TRANSFORMING TROWBRIDGE | Masterplan Development Stage One - Scoping and Vision Study | August 2010


1. Introduction 10

2. Understanding Trowbridge 14

3. Stakeholder consultation 41

4. Transforming Trowbridge - the vision 48

5. Transforming Trowbridge - guiding principles 50

6. Transforming Trowbridge - area framework 74

7. Conclusions and next steps 99

TRANSFORMING TROWBRIDGEMasterplan Development Stage OneScoping and Vision Study

CONTENTS

Executive Summary 5


Executive summary

Introduction

This Scoping and Vision Report has been commissioned to inform the development of a masterplan for Trowbridge Town Centre. Trowbridge currently has a number of large vacant sites around the town centre, and has been identifi ed as an area suitable for growth by Wiltshire Council and regional planning bodies. The Scoping and Visioning exercise and the masterplan to follow therefore have a key role to play in shaping the future development of Trowbridge.

Understanding Trowbridge

A review of Trowbridge was undertaken which included the following aspects:

Strategic context;•

Demographics;•

Economy;•

Shopping;•

Legibility; and•

Historic context.•

The key fi ndings of this review are set out on the adjacent page, along with the implications this has for the production of the masterplan.

Preferred strategic site option for Trowbridge, Wiltshire Core Strategy 2009

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. License No. 100022961


Socio-economic and planning context

There is a need for affordable housing • in Trowbridge, the masterplan is an opportunity to seek to redress this issue;

The town is a service and • administrative centre for the area and is the county town. The town also performs a strong role and provides higher order services and facilities for towns such as Melksham, Westbury and Warminster, therefore oppportunities for Trowbridge should be considered in this context;

Trowbridge is relatively self contained • in terms of commuting patterns (68% of residents work in Trowbridge). Therefore there is a need for these employment uses to be maintained and further employment opportunities secured through the masterplan process;

Indicators of health such as long • standing illness, child well being and mortality rates show Trowbridge is one of the unhealthiest community areas in Wiltshire;

The lifestyle of Trowbridge residents • varies widely. There are pockets of households which are relatively affl uent

and which spend money on food, fi ne wine, clothing, home furnishings, golf, gardening and travel.This contrasts with other parts of the town where households tend to have very low incomes with little money for fashion shopping and cheaper clothing is bought from discount stores and supermarkets. The current retail provision in Trowbridge tends to provide for the lower end of the market with many value retailers. This demographic spread suggests that there may be an opportunity to try to secure further middle market retailers to the town centre to try to encourage the more affl uent residents to also come into the town centre; and

Trowbridge has been identifi ed as • an area for housing and employment growth in the former RSS and emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy. The masterplan will need to appropriately respond to this requirement by identifying suitable locations for such growth (as set out in the Core Strategy preferred options report). This growth also provides Trowbridge with the policy framework to secure additional housing and employment within a sustainable location, and the scale of development envisaged

provides an opportunity to help deliver new services and facilities which are urgently needed in the town.

Historic context, movement & property market

The town contains a number of listed • buildings and areas of original street patterns and urban grain, therefore the masterplan should seek to celebrate the historic assets of the town through improvements to public realm, and respect the traditional street patterns by working with the historic grain;

There are a number of large vacant • sites in the town centre, many of which have lain vacant for some time and detract from the appearance of the town centre. The masterplan will need to consider carefully how best to develop these sites, what uses would be most appropriate and viable and if there are any temporary uses that can be implemented to improve the appearance of the town centre in the short term;

The historic core of the town centre • contains a mix of both pedestrian and car dominated areas. There is therefore an opportunity to improve

the environment of the core through seeking to reduce the dominance of the car in particular parts of the town (particularly some of the large gyratory systems around the town centre);

County Way currently severs the • residential hinterland from the town centre with limited opportunities for attractive and safe crossings for pedestrians and cyclists moving between the areas. The masterplan should look at how to address this issue;

There are a large number of car parks • in the town centre, but these are not always easily accessible, well signed or well used, therefore a strategy to address this should be developed as part of the masterplan process;

There is a lack of strong leisure and • evening economy uses in the town centre - the large vacant sites in the town centre are an opportunity to redress this;

Offi ce stock in the town centre is • poor, and coupled with the often low quality of the environment in the town centre (including lack of evening and leisure uses, cafes, restaurants and bars) the centre is not attracting new offi ce occupiers; and


Legibility and urban character P

Historic core & town centre

Gateways

Landmarks

Pedestrian barrier

Perceived non town centre walking route

Main approach to centre (pedestrians)

Main approach to centre (vehicles and pedestrian)

Railway

Railway station

Parking

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. License No. 100022961There is future retail capacity for • comparison retailing (West Wiltshire Retail Needs Study predicts 6,000 sqm net of comparison goods fl oorspace to 2012 rising to around 18,000 sqm net by 2016) in the town centre and there is currently a good mass-mid market retail offer. There is therefore potential to improve this offer through the masterplan process. The study also showed that there is also likely to be capacity for convenience retailing, however the new Sainsburys store in the town centre is likely to take up most of this capacity.


Following a review of the current and historic context of Trowbridge (summarised previously) a review of previous planning strategies for Trowbridge was undertaken including the Urban Design Framework and early Masterplan. Consultation with key businesses, Council Offi cers and stakeholders in the town was carried out through a series of one to one meetings. All of this work informed the development of a Vision for Trowbridge as shown in the adjacent box.

The vision has been expanded into fi ve key themes for Trowbridge for which guiding principles were produced. The themes and guiding principles are summarised overleaf.

Trowbridge will be a vibrant town, providing shops, services and leisure facilities for local residents and businesses. It will fulfi ll its role as the county town of Wiltshire, acting as a hub for the network of surrounding towns. Acknowledging that Trowbridge cannot compete with the retail offer of Bath, Bristol or Salisbury it will instead focus on providing a good core offer which meets everyday needs. It will attract people by providing this in an attractive environment which is welcoming and easy to access.

Trowbridge will be the focal point for signifi cant new development including comparison retail, employment, leisure, housing and higher education. New leisure facilities including a new cinema in the centre of Trowbridge will attract visitors to Trowbridge throughout the day and evening, and will be complemented by new restaurants and cafés which will encourage visitors to spend longer in the town centre.

The new leisure facilities in Trowbridge will be focused around a revitalised River Biss Corridor, which will provide high quality space, new

pedestrian connections and improved bio-diversity in the town centre. New housing in and around the centre of Trowbridge will provide a mix of types and tenures, including a signifi cant potential for family housing within easy walk of local shops and services. Development in and around the town centre will knit in with the urban grain and character of Trowbridge, protecting and enhancing its many historic buildings.

Trowbridge will use the unique opportunity presented by the large number of development sites around the town centre to become a leading example of a sustainable market town. This will include a focus on delivering a sustainable mix of uses, zero-carbon development, local energy generation and sustainable modes of transport. New technologies will be embraced to facilitate fl exible and sustainable forms of transport and employment.

Trowbridge will celebrate its location and distinctiveness through promoting locally based produce, arts, businesses and historic buildings to increase civic pride and local interest.


Attractive centreMake the best use of vacant sites in the • short and long term;

Secure a mix of retailers;•

Secure a mix of leisure operators;•

Promote the town centre through • public space improvements and events and improve the perception of Trowbridge; and

To celebrate town centre assets such • as the River Biss, Trowbridge Park and the historic core.

EmploymentAttract and retain larger businesses;•

Accommodate different uses in fl exible • buildings;

Secure infrastructure to meet growing • needs and capitalise on existing infrastructural advantages; and

Improve links from outlying businesses.•

MovementImproving the gateways and approaches • to the town centre;

Integrate new development;•

Make the best use of existing • infrastructure;

Manage car park supply and demand;•

Promote good linkages;•

Improve the town centre pedestrian • environment;

Encourage healthier, more active and • sustainable transport modes;

Reduce travel and increase town centre • activity;

Make better use of the railway; and•

Embrace future technology,•

HousingSustainably accommodated housing • growth to the south and east of Trowbridge and on the key opportunity sites throughout the town centre.

A mix of housing types and tenures • to cater for Trowbridge’s needs, in particular, securing more affordable housing (to be provided in line with Wiltshire’s Core Strategy affordable housing targets).

EnvironmentResilience to climate change.•

Low carbon development.•

Self suffi cient energy generation.•

Healthy natural environment.•

Best use of vacant sites.•

Promoting local goods and services.•

Detail on each guiding principle next steps and implementation is provided in section 5.

Framework

An initial framework of opportunities illustrating appropriate uses for vacant sites and future sites and the relationship with the surrounding character and land uses. This framework is illustrated on the opposite page and a vision for each character area has been developed. There is a second variation of the framework which alters the land use concentrations around Cradle Bridge and St Stephens Place in recognition that if ASDA can be relocated to this area from the Shires (allowing additional comparison retailing on site) there is scope to allow retail here, however it would not be appropriate for an additional food retail store, as there is no need for any further signifi cant convenience fl oorspace in the town centre.

Key sitesThe key areas of change in the town centre are around the vacant site of the former Bowyers site and also around Riverside and the St Stephens Place and Cradle Bridge areas. There is potential for the Bowyers site to accommodate new housing with employment uses focused in the existing historic buildings fronting Stallard Street. In the shorter term,

Thumbnails of the vision themes


Transforming Trowbridge area framework diagram - option one

option two inset

1

2

3

45

67

8

9

10

11

1213

1415

16

17

18

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. License No. 100022961 1. Town centre – retail and service core

2. Stallard Street/Wicker Hill/Fore Street – professional/service/higher density housing (northern part)

3. Station – Transport interchange4. River Way – industrial area in

transtition5. Broad Street – residential6. Sainsburys – edge of town food

retail7. East Trowbridge – residential8. Roundstone Street – professional/

service9. Polebarn Road – residential/

professional/service10. Ashton Mill – mixed industrial/

service11. Trowbridge Park – open space12. Tesco – edge of town food retail13. Cradle Bridge – Riverside

opportunity site14. Castle Street/Court Street

– mixed use enterprise/evening economy/residential

15. Riverside – leisure/service16. County Hall – civic17. West Trowbridge – residential18. Bryer Ash business park –

business


there is an opportunity to work with the owners, Council and local community groups to introduce temporary uses onto the site, such as allotments, which would help to immediately improve the image of the town.

The St Stephens Place and Cradle Bridge area is a fundamental to the future shape of the town, and Castle Place/St Stephens Place has substantial potential for new retail (non food) which would help to re-invigorate the town centre. As mentioned earlier there is also potential to relocate ASDA to this area provided that store relocated from the Shires site and new retail (non food) is redeveloped in its place.

The Riverside site offers a key opportunity for new leisure facilities, including leisure centre and potentially a cinema. The redevelopment of this site, in combination with the refurbishment of County Hall also provides an excellent opportunity to introduce a district heat and power system which can be connected to from the other large development sites around the town. This would contribute signifi cantly towards making Trowbridge an examplar for sustainability in the region.

Bowyers - former factory buildings

The rear of Castle Place

Bowyers - historic building Court Street

Library at RiversideCradle Bridge


Next steps

Chapter 7 of the report sets out in detail the next steps recommended in order to produce a masterplan for Trowbridge. Key pieces of work and information requirements which are required to implement the vision are set out theme by theme.

Trowbridge has an established role as the county town of Wiltshire and should continue to build on this. The town should provide a focus for the surrounding market towns in terms of retail, leisure, employment and civic functions, and there are tangible opportunities to foster this role through the development of a number of large sites around the town centre and to the south and east of the town.

The evening economy offer in the town is currently relatively poor, with few restaurants or destinations at the upper end of the market. Improving this offer and also the daytime offer in terms of cafes etc would also help to attract businesses back into the town centre, and encourage more visitors into the town centre. Therefore the masterplan will need to ensure that there is adequate

provision for this. The Riverside site offers signifi cant scope to improve this, particularly if a cinema and leisure centre is provided as part of the mix.

It is recommended that the masterplan is progressed as an Area Action Plan (AAP)development plan document (DPD) to be adopted by Wiltshire Council into the Local Development Framework (LDF). This would allow the masterplan to allocate land use, whereas other approaches would only be able to detail land use allocations set out in the Core Strategy. The AAP process would also afford the resulting document more material weight in planning terms as it will need to go through the examination process.

There will also need to be a more dynamic role for any masterplan team to enable and help shape the approach to key sites and to work closely with both the council and key land owners.

Key issues for the masterplan to address

The masterplan will need to include the following key components:

An agreed approach to the key • sites including a catch-and-steer role working with developers and landowners;

A framework for block structure, • movement and public realm for key areas where change is envisaged;

A guide as to the design character and • attributes for buildings in each area;

Identifi cation of key infrastructure • and public realm investment required, together with identifi ed means of funding;

An approach to transport and • movement issues, including the proposed transport interchange, changes to key junctions, parking and the wider pedestrian and cycle network; and

An agreed approach to the design and • use of key public spaces.


Trowbridge is Wiltshire’s County Town. This is a refl ection of its former status as the largest town in Wiltshire and the most industrialised in the south of England due to its good location in relation to the canal and later railway. However Trowbridge is not commonly known as Wiltshire’s County Town and its former grand status is no longer refl ected in the town. The national decline of manufacturing and changing economy has resulted in the closure of many of the town’s largest businesses, notably the relatively recent closure of Ushers Brewery, Bowyers and the many woollen mills (the last of which closed in 1982). The closure of these businesses has weakened the role and identity of Trowbridge in the sub-region and left large swathes of vacant former industrial land around and within the town centre.

Despite these changes the town has a strong and characterful historic core including an impressive array of listed buildings and a superb park. Trowbridge is an important administrative centre, home to County Hall and therefore has a signifi cant public sector workforce.

Trowbridge’s County Town status therefore results in a unique set of

1. Introduction

challenges for the town, particularly the negative perception of the town held by many and the reliance on public sector jobs, which in the current political climate of public sector cuts may make Trowbridge more vulnerable to changes in unemployment levels. Conversely this status, administrative function and industrial heritage provide the town with a unique identity in the region which can be brought to the fore through the masterplanning work.

The Transforming Trowbridge Board was created as an advisory Special Purpose Vehicle (public/private sector partnership) supported by Wiltshire Council. The aim of the board is:

“To grow and integrate the infrastructure and capacity of Trowbridge to meet existing need in retail, leisure, employment, commerce, housing and skills and to meet the future challenge of the anticipated demographic change and growth in population.”

The Board wishes to create a masterplan for Trowbridge to provide a strategic document to guide and co-ordinate future development in Trowbridge, which is specifi c and unique to Trowbridge and

can inform and supplement the Wiltshire Core Strategy. One of the key aims of the document should be to enhance the economic performance of the area and improve the quality of life for residents.

Whilst there have been previous studies and plans for the town centre, the closure of the Bowyers site and recent development projects such as the Shires Gateway create a new context and opportunities which require a fresh approach.

This Vision and Scoping Study represents the fi rst step in producing this Masterplan. The study sets out a vision and set of guiding principles for the town which should be used to inform the development of the Masterplan as well as other project and policy ideas which may be taken on in other ways. The document then sets out the work needed to deliver the full Masterplan and the key actions required from stakeholders.

Ensuring that the Masterplan is both informed by and shapes the Core Strategy and Wiltshire LDF in terms of its approach to Trowbridge will be a key factor in the development of the Masterplan. This document identifi es

how best the Masterplan can tie in with this process. As this document is being produced by the Transforming Trowbridge Board with Wiltshire Council it fi ts well with the new Government’s localism agenda for planning, and shows how the community can work with local Government to produce plans for the future of their communities over the next 10-15 years.


Introduction

Trowbridge is one of the three strategically signifi cant towns in Wiltshire, the others being Chippenham and Salisbury, and is identifi ed as a focus for growth in the former draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy (Wiltshire 2026). Despite the recent revocation of all RSSs by the new Government, evidence supporting the potential for signifi cant growth in Trowbridge remains and the town has a critical role in delivering development in the next 15 years as identifi ed in Wiltshire Council’s work to produce Wiltshire 2026 Core Strategy. This section outlines the context for Trowbridge including the following aspects:

Strategic context;•

Demographics;•

Economy;•

Shopping;•

Legibility; and•

Historic context.•

All data in this section is taken from the 2001 Census unless indicated otherwise.

Strategic position

As mentioned previously, Trowbridge is Wiltshire’s County Town and is located at the western edge of the county, close to the county border with Somerset. Trowbridge is well located on the strategic road network, linking to the M4 and A303 and the A350 to Chippenham and the A36 to Bath. There are regular direct train services to Bath, Bristol and Salisbury and routes to London via either Bath or Westbury. Trowbridge is centrally located between a group of the smaller towns of Frome (in Somerset), Warminster, Westbury, Devizes, Melksham and Bradford on Avon and plays an important role as a centre for employment, administration, leisure and services. It is located on the River Biss and the Kennet and Avon canal runs to the north of the town, which played an important part in the industrial development of the town.

The town is also within 25 miles of signifi cant tourism attractions such as Stonehenge and Longleat.

2. Understanding Trowbridge

Trowbridge context plan

Surrounding settlement pattern


2200mm innuu tt ee ss

4 00 mm ii n uu tt ee ss

66 00 m i nuu tt ee ss

TROWBRIDGE

Melksham3

Corsham

Caine

Devizes

Chippenham

Swindon

Bath

Bristol

London

Frome

Radstock

Warminster

Bradford-on-Avon1

Salisbury

Westbury2

20 mins / 2 per hour

40 mins / 2 per hour

20 m

ins

/ 2 p

er h

our

20 m

ins /

1 pe

r hou

r

40 mins / 1.5 per hour

40 m

ins

/ 2 p

er h

our

/ 1 c

hang

e

120 mins / 2 per hour / 1 change

56 m

ins /

1.5 pe

r hou

r / 1

chan

ge

3 ) T h e r e a r e t r a i n s t o M e l k s h a m b u t t y p i c a l l y o n l y 2 d i r e c t p e r d a y , w h i c h t a k e 9 m i n s , a n d 2 p e r d a y r e q u i r i n g 2 c h a n g e s w h i c h t a k e 5 5 m i n s

2 ) 8 m i n u t e s , 2 t r a i n s p e r h o u r

1 ) 5 m i n u t e s , 2 t r a i n s p e r h o u r

S o u rc e : w w w. n a t i o n a l r a i l . c o . u k

S e t t l e m e n t l o c a t i o n t o r e f l e c t j o u r n ey t r ave l t i m e b y t r a i n

S e t t l e m e n t l o c a t i o n b a s e d o n g e o g r a p h i c a l d i s t a n c e

S e t t l e m e n t w i t h o u t a t r a i n s t a t i o n

D i re c t r a i l c o n n e c t i o n

C h a n g e o f t r a i n s r e q u i r e dTrain services and travel times from Trowbridge


2200mm inuu tt ee ss

4400 mm i nnuu tt ee ss

6600 mm ii n uu tt ee ss

Melksham

Corsham

Calne

Devizes

Chippenham

Swindon

Bath

Bristol

London

Frome

Radstock

Warminster

Bradford-on-Avon

Salisbury

Westbury

S o u rc e : m a p s . g o o g l e . c o . u k

S e t t l e m e n t l o c a t i o n t o r e f l e c t j o u r n ey t r ave l t i m e b y c a r

S e t t l e m e n t l o c a t i o n b a s e d o n g e o g r a p h i c a l d i s t a n c e

33.5

mile

s / 6

1 m

ins

30.7 miles / 49 mins




13.2

mile

s / 2

9 m

ins

15.1 miles / 3

1 mins

112 miles / 143 mins

10.7

mile

s / 2

3 m

ins

9.9 m

iles /

22

mins

11 m

iles

/ 26

min

s

TROWBRIDGE

Car travel to and from Trowbridge


Planning context

The now revoked draft Regional Spatial Plan for the South West (2006) indicated that Trowbridge should be a focus for new housing and employment. It estimated that there was capacity for up to 11,700 jobs in the plan period and for 250 dwellings per annum. The Transforming Trowbridge Board was set up to respond to this policy context and is a partnership of Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Town Council, Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce and South West Regional Development Agency. The Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan (2006) also promoted Trowbridge as a Strategic Centre of services and allocated 5,000 new homes and 35ha of employment land in Trowbridge up to 2016. The Structure plan also promoted the protection of the Western Wiltshire Green Belt to maintain the open character of the land between Bath, Trowbridge and Corsham and to prevent urban sprawl.

Wiltshire’s emerging Core Strategy Wiltshire 2026, (2009) sees Trowbridge as one of the three towns which should be the focus for development which refl ects the previous work undertaken for the

RSS. The strategic objective in terms of housing is to allocate 6,000 homes ( a proportion of which should be affordable homes) in Trowbridge of which half are already committed and the town will be the primary focus for new housing along with Chippenham and Salisbury during the plan period to 2026. A summary of the key issues for Trowbridge identifi ed in the Core Strategy is set out below:

Lack of community facilities;•

High level of out-commuting;•

Need for investment in leisure and • recreation facilities;

River Biss corridor is a poor quality • environment;

Improvements to the A350 are • required;

Through town traffi c congestion is an • issue; and

A number of regeneration • opportunities exist throughout the town.

The strategy identifi es the need to provide new greenfi eld development around Trowbridge, for housing and employment uses, the preferred location

Wiltshire community areas and settlement hierarchy, Wiltshire Core Strategy 2009

North, east and west Wiltshire

South Wiltshire

Strategically significant towns

Market towns

Small towns and villages© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. License No. 100022961


for this growth is to the south east of Trowbridge with a new secondary school to the east of the town. There is an option to develop 2,650 dwellings and 35 ha of employment land on a strategic development site to the south east of the town (bounded by the railway line to the west and the A350 to the south/east), which will play an important role in helping to deliver the Core Strategy objectives and supporting the revitalisation of the town centre. The strategic development site will provide a new secondary school to the east of the town which helps to reduce through town traffi c. The employment allocation to the south east provides an opportunity to move some town centre uses which would be best re-located, and provide opportunities for high quality employment provision which is currently absent in the area. Development here would also be required to improve the Yarnbrook A350 interchange which would have wider benefi ts to the town.

Preferred strategic site option for Trowbridge, Wiltshire Core Strategy 2009

Demographics

Trowbridge is the third largest settlement in Wiltshire, with a population of 42,930 (2006 estimate) and has been identifi ed as a suitable location for housing and employment growth in the draft



Percentage of total population

Wiltshire

Trowbridge - male | female

0 11 2 32 434A

ge b

and

Male Female

0

1-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-85

85+

Population composition of Trowbridge and Wiltshire - taken from Trowbridge Joint Strategic Needs assessment

(ONS data)

Regional Spatial Strategy and Wiltshire 2026. The strengthening of Trowbridge’s service centre role is highlighted as an important target for the town. In terms of the shopping population catchment there PROMIS estimates that this is 59,000 people, which is below the UK town average although is greater than Chippenham’s shopping population (33,000). This fi gure represents the number of people that regularly use Trowbridge as their main destination for comparison shopping. The potential shopping catchment area for Trowbridge is estimated by PMA/PROMIS at 147,000.

In terms of educational attainment most of the wards in Trowbridge have signifi cant lower proportions of the population with higher level qualifi cations with the exception of Trowbridge Park ward which matches the Great Britain average of 20%. Only 11% of Trowbridge Drynham ward’s residents have higher level qualifi cations. Trowbridge is, however, home to one of Wiltshire College’s campuses which has a range of higher educational and vocational courses and is seeking to improve their offer.

Population:Trowbridge has a slightly greater than

average proportion of people aged 60/65 and over compared to the UK average, but this is below the Wiltshire average. Trowbridge has a lower proportion of those aged 16-59 than the UK, South West and Wiltshire average although has a higher proportion of the population aged between 0-15 than the UK, South West and Wiltshire average. Trowbridge is also one of the fastest growing towns in Wiltshire, and the population is set to increase signifi cantly with the planned increases in housing and employment in the town. The PROMIS database indicates that there is a high proportion of older working adults aged 45-64, but lower proportion of 15-24 year olds which contradicts the ONS Census data.

Deprivation:Parts of Trowbridge fall within the most deprived 20% of England (2007 Indices of Deprivation) particularly around the north east and central parts of the town. This contrasts with areas which are amongst the least deprived in England to the south, north west and east of the town, indicating a polarised town. PROMIS shows that Trowbridge is moderately affl uent overall, but less affl uent than nearby centres such as Bath. In terms of housing, although


Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2007

National Quintiles

Within most deprived 20% in England

Within least deprived 20% in England

Bristol 2%Frome 1%Greater London 1%Newbury <1%Reading <1%Swindon 2%Trowbridge 68%Chippenham 3%

This indicates that Trowbridge is relatively self-contained in terms of employment which perhaps goes against perceptions. Although several major employers have shut down in Trowbridge since the census, it is understood that this has not greatly infl uenced employment levels in the town.

In terms of the mode of transport people use to get to work the majority of people living and working in Trowbridge drive to work (44%). However a signifi cant proportion walk to work (27%) or work from home (14%). However of those working in other destinations 80% drive to work and 7% are passengers in cars. Therefore local trips, which are the majority of trips, include a high proportion by sustainable modes but there is still room for improvement to reduce majority which are by car. External trips, still a large proportion, are

house prices are cheaper than those in neighbouring Bath and some other nearby market towns, however in parts of Trowbridge access to housing is ranked only just outside of the lowest 25% in the country (Indices of Deprivation). The community of Southwick in particular has identifi ed housing need (Wiltshire Spatial Strategy Background Paper 2009).

Employment:The PROMIS database shows the main areas of employment are the public sector (69%) and fi nancial and business services (19%). The manufacturing industry in Trowbridge has been hard hit with the closure or the Bowyers Sausage Factory in 2008 and Ushers Brewery in 2000. The largest employers in the town are Wiltshire County Council, Apetito Frozen Food Manufacturers, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, PB Beauty Ltd, Nutrica Ltd and Shaw Trust.

Commuting patterns: The residents of Trowbridge commute to the following locations for work on a daily basis in the following proportions:Surrounding towns 15%Andover <1%Basingstoke <1%Bath 9%



heavily reliant on the private car.Health:Traditional indicators of health such as the amount of long standing illness, child well being, mortality rates from cancer and circulatory diseases rank Trowbridge as one of the unhealthiest community areas in Wiltshire. Indictors such as the regular purchase of fruit and leisure centre attendance also indicate that the lifestyle in Trowbridge is one of the least healthy in Wiltshire.

Lifestyles:The town varies in levels of prosperity according to the ACORN classifi cation method. To the north east of the town centre, there appears to be a concentration of wealthier households. The sample indicated the presence of people falling into Category 1,B,5: “older affl uent professionals”. People in this category tend to be couples over the age of 45 who have good incomes, many have paid off their mortgages and tend to be highly qualifi ed earners. Car ownership tends to be high and leisure time they enjoy golf, hill walking and gardening. This group enjoys having a glass of wine at home rather than going out to restaurants and they travel regularly. They also tend to spend signifi cant amounts

Category 1, B, 5“Wealthy Achievers, affl uent greys, older affl uent professionals”

Category 5, N, 48“Hard-pressed, struggling families, families and single parents, semis and terraces”

Category 3, I, 34“Comfortably off, settled suburbia, lower incomes, older people, semis”

Category 3, I, 33“Comfortably off, settled suburbia, middle income older couples”

Category 1, C, 9“Wealthy achievers, fl ourishing families, older families, prosperous suburbs”

Category 4, L, 40“Moderate means, Post-industrial families, young working families”

ACORN classifi cations for a sample of postcodes



on buying luxury food, wine, clothes and home furnishings by mail order.

To the far north of town, to the north of Trowbridge Park, there are “older families in prosperous suburbs” (Category 1,C,9). Homes here are typically semi-detached and family incomes are high, some will have second homes and have money available for purchasing cars, holidays and similar items. Adults are well educated with managerial and professional jobs. Food shopping tends to be done in Waitrose, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencers, with clothing bought in M&S, department stores, Next or French Connection or by mail order. Leisure activity is varied, many enjoy evenings at the theatre. Some play golf, while others exercise at the gym. Others have an interest in antiques, wine, eating out or current affairs.

At the north western edge and south of Trowbridge the sample found that the households there tend to be “comfortably off in settled suburbia” (Category 3, Group I). Those in the north western part of town were classed as “middle-income older couples” (type 33) who tend to live in three bedroom detached and semi-detached houses

and bungalows, many with children who have left home. These people tend to eat out on a regular basis and interests include golf, wildlife, photography and gardening. To the south of the town there are more households classed as “lower incomes, older people in semi detached housing”. These areas tend to have high numbers of single pensioners and older/retired couples. Most people live in semi-detached houses or bungalows with two or three bedrooms. Those that work tend to work in manufacturing, retail and other routine occupations with signifi cant numbers of women working part time. They like to go to the pub for a meal, otherwise gardening, pets and wildlife are popular. They tend to be reasonably frugal when shopping for food and clothing, buying clothing, plants and health products by mail order.

Directly north of the station adjacent to the railway line the sample suggests there is a pocket of those of moderate means who are classed as “post industrial families, young working families” (Category 4, L, 40). This household type tend to be two parent households with school age children living on estates. Few of the adults have formal educational qualifi cations and employment prospects

tend to be in the manufacturing, construction and retail sectors. People are careful with spending with food bought at Asda or Co-Op and many items bought from catalogues. There is a higher than average level of bad debt. Leisure activities include watching horseracing, football pools, angling, bingo, watching cable and satellite TV and playing computer games.

To the south of the ringroad at Tescos the sample picked up an area with households which are categorised as “hard pressed, struggling families, in semis and terraces” (Category 5, N, 48). These tend to be large families living in semi-detached council housing and these areas often produce the highest proportions of children leaving school with no GCSE passes. Incomes tend to be very low and where people are working it tends to be routine jobs in nearby factories and shops. Unemployment in this category is high. There is little money for fashion shopping and cheaper clothing is bought from discount stores and supermarkets, mail order shopping is less popular apart from for gifts and gadgets. Travel to work tends to be by foot or public transport and leisure activities include fi shing, betting, computer games, music and cookery although fast food and take away

are consumed more than average. The map on the previous page illustrates a snap shot of the variety of different communities, as classifi ed by ACORN, in Trowbridge based on sample postcodes.


Implications for the masterplan

The policy, socio economic and demographic context of Trowbridge indicate that there are several key issues that will need to be taken into account in a masterplan for Trowbridge:

There is a need for affordable housing, the • masterplan is an opportunity to seek to redress this issue;

The town is a service and administrative centre • for the area and is the county town. The town also performs a strong role and provides higher order services and facilities for towns such as Melksham, Westbury and Warminster, therefore oppportunities for Trowbridge should be considered in this context;

Trowbridge is relatively self contained in terms • of commuting patterns (68% of residents work in Trowbridge). Therefore there is a need for these employment uses to be maintained and further employment opportunities secured through the masterplan process;

Indicators of health such as long standing illness, • child well being and mortality rates show Trowbridge is one of the unhealthiest community areas in Wiltshire;

The lifestyle of Trowbridge residents varies widely. • There are pockets of households which are relatively affl uent and which spend money on food, fi ne wine, clothing, home furnishings, golf, gardening and travel.

This contrasts with other parts of the town where households tend to have very low incomes with little money for fashion shopping and cheaper clothing is bought from discount stores and supermarkets. The current retail provision in Trowbridge tends to provide for the lower end of the market with many value retailers. This demographic spread suggests that there may be an opportunity to try to secure further middle market retailers to the town centre to try to encourage the more affl uent residents to also come into the town centre; and

Trowbridge has been identifi ed as an area for • housing and employment growth in the former RSS and emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy. The masterplan will need to appropriately respond to this requirement by identifying suitable locations for such growth (as set out in the Core Strategy preferred options report). This growth also provides Trowbridge with the policy framework to secure additional housing and employment within a sustainable location, and the scale of development envisaged provides an opportunity to help deliver new services and facilities which are urgently needed in the town.


Historic character

Trowbridge is an historic town which greatly expanded from the 17th century onwards, largely due to signifi cant growth in the number of woollen industry. Trowbridge was described as “the Manchester of the west” in 1820 as it was a prominent market town and trading centre and was the 80th largest town in England (it is now approximately the 480th largest). Evidence of the town’s former dominance in the wool and textile industry can be found today in the attractive old industrial and mill buildings that cluster around the River Biss and are dotted around the town. After the decline of the wool industry, Trowbridge became reliant on a number of new industries including the bed making industry, brewing and the food industry, notably Bowyers which was one of the largest employers in the town until the site closed in 2008.


Map of Trowbridge in 1899


Trowbridge Today

Trowbridge is the County Town of Wiltshire. However, it is generally felt to have a relatively weak image. In terms of the town’s shopping catchment (approximately 59,000 people shop in Trowbridge), this is predominantly local and fails to draw people from a wider catchment or compete with larger destinations in the area.

Historic coreThe town still retains a collection of attractive historic buildings around Fore Street at its core, but the main focus of retailing has moved progressively westwards with the development of the Shires Shopping Centre and more recently the Shires Gateway with retailing to the east of Fore Street now being predominantly secondary. The town’s department store, H J Knee, was established in 1879 and is one of the largest department stores in the west country. The store is much valued local asset and is an historic presence on Fore Street. The southern end of Fore Street is pedestrianised and there are weekly markets held here which add to its vibrancy. St James Church to the north of Fore Street also provides an attractive

historic focal point. The historic core is fi ne grained in terms of urban grain with smaller footprint buildings and smaller urban blocks than the nearby shopping centres and vacant industrial sites.

Shires Shopping CentreThe Shires Shopping Centre is situated on the site of a former Mill and alongside the River Biss. The Shopping Centre is accessed via footbridges across the River Biss from the adjacent car park which is provided on two levels (1000 spaces) and from entrances on Fore Street and Castle Street. The river is addressed as a barrier rather than an asset, and the pedestrian environment is very poor, with weak linkages from the train station through to the town centre itself. The Shires Shopping Centre was completed in 1990 and is an indoor arcade arrangement. The main anchor tenant is ASDA which attracts food shoppers into the arcade, and the largest units are located adjacent to ASDA. The majority of the shop units close at 5.30pm and the centre itself shuts at 6pm which restricts radial pedestrian movement after this point.

Shires GatewayThe Shires Gateway scheme has been

recently completed and is directly to the west of the Shires scheme. The development contains large format retail units occupied by Next, New Look and Brantano with parking above.

Both the Shires Gateway and Shires Shopping Centre are located close to the train station and provide the fi rst impression of the town for people arriving through them.

Trowbridge Park and Castle PlaceTrowbridge Park is a signifi cant town centre asset and is at the heart of the town. The park is accessible off Silver Street and through Castle Place Shopping Centre, however there are opportunities to improve its integration with the town centre.

Castle Place Shopping Centre was completed in 1974 and refurbished in 1991. However, it has a tired appearance and the shops are secondary and tertiary in nature. The interface between the centre and the park could be greatly improved to create a more attractive overall environment and bring activity into the park.

New SainsburysA new Sainsburys supermarket is being developed to the north of the town centre. Plans for the store show that it will be orientated away from the town centre. There is a risk that this development will be to the detriment of the remainder of the town centre if pedestrian links between the site and the town centre are not enhanced.

Railway StationTrowbridge Rail Station is located to the north west of the town centre. The legibility of links between the station and the town centre is currently poor, with the majority of those arriving walking through the Shires car park to the town centre rather than along Fore Street which was the historic heart of the town. This creates a poor fi rst impression of the town.

River BissThe River Biss runs on a roughly north south axis through the town centre. The river forms a physical barrier to radial pedestrian movement, as there are limited crossing opportunities. Whilst there are riverside pathways these are not well used as the river is currently


Legibility and urban character P

Historic core & town centre

Gateways

Landmarks

Pedestrian barrier

Perceived non town centre walking route

Main approach to centre (pedestrians)

Main approach to centre (vehicles and pedestrian)

Railway

Railway station

Parking

overgrown and the paths unlit, poorly maintained and unattractive. The former industrial nature of the area has also ensured that few buildings face onto the river.

County WayCounty Way allows for through traffi c to move around Trowbridge in an effi cient manner and is the main arrival point for most people travelling by car to Trowbridge. However, the road severs the town centre from much of its residential hinterland and there are limited safe and convenient pedestrian crossing opportunities. Particularly problematic are the poor pedestrian links between the Tesco superstore (which is open 24 hours) located to the south of County Way and the town centre, as this does not encourage Tescos customers to make linked trips into the town centre.

County HallThe main civic functions for Wiltshire are carried out in Wiltshire Council’s offces at County Hall. This site is separated from the town centre by both Bythsea Road and the River Biss.



Recent developments & vacant sites

The key zones for redevelopment in the town centre are illustrated in the adjacent plan. These sites all refl ect the loss of Trowbridge’s industries over the past decades.

Complete/under construction

Shires Gateway1. – shops, offi ce space and residential units completed in 2009.Brewery Gate 2. - new Sainsburys, shops, car parking, and homes under development.The Brewery3. – new homes.

Major opportunity areas

4. Riverside - development opportunities alongside the River Biss, constrained by location of the sewer system.

5. Castle Place – shopping centre is in receivership there are currently talks underway with new owners.

6. St Stephens Place / Cradle Bridge – vacant redevelopment sites, partially constrained by the location of the sewer system.

7. Bowyers - vacant site of the former Bowyers factory.

Potential areas of change within the town centre

1

2

3

7

4

5

6



Movement

Trowbridge’s main strengths and weaknesses in terms of movement are listed below following a scoping analysis of the existing conditions.

Strengths:

Focused town centre –• traditional town built around historic linkages including road, rail and canal. The hinterland extends out from the middle in concentric form (retail centre, business, industrial, residential). Most parts of the urban area are within 3 km of the town centre, therefore sustainable distances involved.

Mixed use –• most services are available locally. Employment opportunities (albeit in need of regeneration and diversifi cation) support the local population.

Arterial road network –• access by road is good via A-roads radiating out in all directions. The town is some way from the motorway network but links to Chippenham, Devizes, Warminster and Bath are good.

Public transport network –• a good coverage of bus routes forms a network across the town that focuses on the town centre. However, it is

diffi cult to make orbital journeys. The railway station is well located near to the town centre with a good service.

Pedestrianised (part) town centre • – the town centre environment is mostly welcoming to pedestrians. Although partly traffi cked, there are many quiet streets and pedestrian-only areas.

Linkages through the park – • the park offers a key movement route especially for trips from the east. The route through the park is direct, well used and away from general traffi c.

Relatively fl at topography –• with the exception of a few small examples, the topography creates few barriers to movement making the town suitable for cycle and walking.

Parking supply – • there is a good supply of parking that is relatively cheap, especially for short stay parking. The car parks are located within easy reach of the town centre.

Ring road (County Way) – • not always a popular feature of a town for many reasons. However the ring road does though give the opportunity to displace traffi c from the town centre and still provide linkages between arterial routes.

Weaknesses:

Traffi c dominance –• the town is heavily traffi cked which is not surprising as it is the confl uence of the A361, A363 and the A366. However, even the town centre, which has constrained access, still feels heavily traffi cked in parts.

One-way streets –• as a means to manage traffi c circulation there are several one-way systems. The downside of these is that they are not favourable to cyclists as they create unnecessarily longer trips.

Ring road –• the ring road results in a barrier to non-motorised transport. There are few pedestrian or cycle facilities along it and limited places to cross it. A pedestrian bridge linking Trowbridge Park with the Longfi eld area provides a useful link but the gradients up and down are likely to be a hindrance to many.

Dominance of car parks – • the car parks, especially those accessed from Bythesea Road, have a visual and physical dominance on the urban environment. They also act as a barrier to movement and use up valuable land resources.

Linkages –• there are specifi c desire lines that are not well served or have barriers that prevent direct movement

for pedestrians and cyclists. In particular the River Biss through the town centre has the opportunity to provide a useful link but fails to deliver. The link from the town centre to railway station could be improved and is not clearly marked. Linkages to the east and south of the town require crossing the ring road, the opportunities of which are limited.

Way fi nding –• clear directions to local facilities, parts of the town and specifi c destinations e.g. the station, are not clear. Whilst there is signing, a clearing signing strategy is needed to encourage walking and cycling in particular.

Circulation – • This is poor, especially for pedestrians who fi nd themselves on the west side of the River Biss within the town centre. The grain of the streets in the core of the town is quite fi ne giving good permeability and circulation. However, to the west of the town the grain becomes coarser with less permeability.

Public transport –• there is a lack of good quality information about public transport. Information about where to catch buses and onward connections is diffi cult to obtain. Integration between public transport modes is also limited.


Property market

This section has been developed following a review of the local property market in terms of residential, retail and offi ce markets and summarises the key strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in the town. The full property market analysis can be found at appendix 1.

SWOT analysis

Strengths

Despite current economic conditions • the development prospects for Trowbridge remain positive. In particular it is unusual for a town of Trowbridge’s size to have the number of potential development opportunities which exist within close proximity of the town centre core. This provides a real opportunity to positively change the character of the town by creating development parcels to which investors and occupiers can respond positively.

There is a reasonable mid/mass • market retail offer and a clear, discrete and reasonably extensive shopping catchment.

Trowbridge is a relatively affordable • location, relative to Bath, with good

public transport links and the town is a good base for commuters.

Trowbridge is fortunate in having a • strong civic role being the County Town of Wiltshire and the location for Wiltshire Council’s offi ces.

There has been some recent/ongoing • investment in Trowbridge including the Shires Gateway, J Sainsbury and Ushers apartments.

Trowbridge has a relatively strong retail • presence which has the ability to grow, as evidenced by the construction of the Shires Gateway scheme.

There is forecast capacity for an • increase in comparison retail, plus planned residential expansion.

Unlike Bath, Trowbridge can relatively • easily provide the larger fl oor-plates typically sought by many national multiples

Weaknesses

Like many other towns in the UK it is • clear that the economy in Trowbridge has felt the effects of the wider economic recession. As a result there has been some caution amongst

developers, investors and purchasers of property and opportunities have been slow to realise, meaning that there has been a failure to capitalise upon key sites within in the town.

Although Trowbridge is the County • town of Wiltshire it is apparent that it fails to attract the same type or number of offi ce occupiers as towns such as Chippenham, Bath and Salisbury. In perception terms, Trowbridge is a “blue collar” town which lacks the cachet of Bath or Salisbury. Also, while Trowbridge is reasonably accessible, there are other locations closer to the A303 and M4.

There is a lack of strong leisure/• evening economy. Without this evening economy and an associated commercial offer, large employers typically fi nd it hard to attract young graduates and a wider workforce. As a result many businesses will prefer to locate in centres such as Bath.

The majority of offi ce stock in • Trowbridge town centre is of a poor quality, being period type offi ces which are characteristically small, second hand or refurbished with either no or very

poor car parking compared to that typically attached to modern out of town offi ce space. There are a number of public car parks in the town but these are pay and display.

The low quality offi ce stock has • resulted in there being low rents, poor rental growth and limited occupier demand. This has resulted in limited investor / developer demand to buy or develop new offi ce space.

As there is a weak town centre offi ce • market, new development is unlikely to be viable, unless there is a strong pre-let to a development. The relatively large number of vacant sites/buildings which can create a poor impression, and uncertainty in the market.

The town “turns it’s back” on the River • Biss.

Property values are still high for many • local residents despite its relative affordability in comparison to towns such as Bath.

Opportunities

There is a predicted increase in • population for Trowbridge with a substantial amount of new residential


development being planned for the Trowbridge area and hence an increased demand for employment, as well as town centre uses.

There are also opportunities to • provide new housing within the town centre.

There is latent demand in Trowbridge • for new development such as the Shires Gateway. Demand has been forthcoming (albeit this has included some relocations of occupiers in the town), where appropriately confi gured space is available.

There is continued foodstore demand • from Asda and Morrisons.

We believe there to be continued • leisure demand. The ability to secure a leisure scheme would have spin off benefi ts for both residential and the offi ce market.

There are a number of available • sites (e.g. St Stephens Place/Cradle Bridge, the Bowyers site). which can accommodate appropriate new development if planned/phased correctly (this may require strong public sector leadership). It is important to consider further how

Out of town employment sites

best to accommodate this demand/growth and ensure the greatest possible benefi ts for the town centre, for example the enhancement of the River Biss.

Trowbridge has the ability to • accommodate some new residential close to the town centre which would enhance the town centre.

The likely change in ownership • of Castle Place may be a positive development for the town, if it leads to new investment in the centre, and in St Stephens Place.



Implications for the masterplan

The history, property market and movement context have highlighted that there are a number of key issues that need to be taken into account in the development of the masterplan:

The town contains a number of listed buildings • and areas of original street patterns and urban grain, therefore the masterplan should seek to celebrate the historic assets of the town through improvements to public realm, and respect the traditional street patterns by working with the historic grain;

There are a number of large vacant sites in the town • centre, many of which have lain vacant for some time and detract from the appearance of the town centre. The masterplan will need to consider carefully how best to develop these sites, what uses would be most appropriate and viable and if there are any temporary uses that can be implemented to improve the appearance of the town centre in the short term;

The historic core of the town centre contains a • mix of both pedestrian and car dominated areas. There is therefore an opportunity to improve the environment of the core through seeking to reduce the dominance of the car in particular parts of the town (particularly some of the large gyratory systems around the town centre);

County Way currently severs the residential • hinterland from the town centre with limited

opportunities for attractive and safe crossings for pedestrians and cyclists moving between the areas. The masterplan should look at how to address this issue;

There are a large number of car parks in the town • centre, but these are not always easily accessible, well signed or well used, therefore a strategy to address this should be developed as part of the masterplan process;

There is a lack of strong leisure and evening • economy uses in the town centre - the large vacant sites in the town centre are an opportunity to redress this;

Offi ce stock in the town centre is poor, and coupled • with the often low quality of the environment in the town centre (including lack of evening and leisure uses, cafes, restaurants and bars) the centre is not attracting new offi ce occupiers; and

There is future retail capacity for comparison • retailing (West Wiltshire Retail Needs Study predicts 6,000 sqm net of comparison goods fl oorspace to 2012 rising to around 18,000 sqm net by 2016) in the town centre and there is currently a good mass-mid market retail offer. There is therefore potential to improve this offer through the masterplan process. The study also showed that there is also likely to be capacity for convenience retailing, however the new Sainsburys store in the town centre is likely to take up most of this capacity.


Review of previous plans and strategies

One of the key requirements of this Scoping and Vision Study is to review, assimilate and summarise previous studies of Trowbridge and identify any shortfalls or gaps in information. This section therefore seeks to provide this information, which has helped to inform the remainder of this report.

Trowbridge Vision/Initial masterplan

Summary of document: This masterplan was produced in 2002 by Porphyrios Associates. The key principles of the masterplan are set out below:

“establishment of a pattern of urban • blocks, streets and squares in distinct quarters/neighbourhoods to engender a sense of belonging and ownership of the public realm;

creation of a sense of community and • civic presence with the existing traditional urban pattern of the town;

enhancement of the river front as a • pedestrian promenade with improvement of visual and physical access to the river giving Trowbridge a river front life;

development based on a human scale;•

achievement of a balance between • pedestrian and transport needs of a vibrant town centre;

harmonic co-existence between built form, • pedestrians life and nature and capitalise on the rich inventory of existing built form;

the right mix of commercial, residential • and leisure to ensure a changing but consistent pattern of occupancy of the city centre throughout the day;

provision of a fl exible framework for • growth and accommodate the changing economic climate; and

development of the town along in a • socially, economically and environmentally sustainably principles with a fl exible framework that is both fundable and deliverable”.

The principles of the masterplan are considered to be broadly acceptable, although it is considered that the parts relating to the management of traffi c and parking are not as appropriate in the town centre today- particularly the proposal to replace existing parking provision with new underground car parks and measures to avoid on-street parking. On-street parking is not always detrimental to town centres, and

availability of easily accessible parking which is close to shops can assist in securing passing trade. The masterplan proposes four new neighbourhoods of: Old Brewery Quarter; County Hall Quarter; Castle Place, St Stephens Place and Cradle Bridge; and St James’s Quarter. There is little detail provided on these quarters, apart from their proposed restructuring in the preliminary masterplan, therefore the value of the document is limited despite the generally appropriate principles.


Trowbridge Urban Design Framework

The key principles of the UDF are outlined as the following:

Create more quality public spaces and • reduce car dominance within those that exist;

Create better points of arrival into • Trowbridge and town gateways

Establish pedestrian priority streets and • spaces, particularly between important destinations;

Consolidate and rationalise the • majority of parking to the periphery of the town centre;

Retain an historical dialogue with • possible building conversions;

Realise and enhance visual and physical • connections to key landmarks and destinations;

Create a greenspace network and • natural grid and encourage sustainable forms of energy and design;

Create new town character areas with • a mix of new uses and development opportunities to enliven and add vitality at different times of the day; and

Realise the potential of River Biss • as one of the towns main assets and attractions.

The framework itself seeks to achieve these principles and sets out a visionary framework and urban design codes (both town wide and for character areas). These key principles are considered largely appropriate for the town centre, and are based on well established good practice urban design principles. In reviewing these principles and considering them against the local requirements of businesses and retailers it is considered that the principle of moving the majority of car parking outside of the town centre needs to be tempered to ensure there is still availability of short stay car parking in/close to the town centre, to ensure the continued viability of the town centre.

The document provides a great amount of detail on design codes in general and for the specifi c areas. There is detailed design information for the public realm materials etc, which might have sat better in a separate document as this is considered to be too detailed for a framework for the whole town centre. Conversely the prescriptiveness of the guidance for the specifi c character zones of the town centre is not considered to be strong enough, and the key projects required to achieve the overall objectives

are not well highlighted or prioritised. Of particular concern is the overall block structure proposed for new development. This is grand and deliberate and does not appear to owe much to the fi ne grain, organic feel of Trowbridge or to the fragmented land ownership. The UDF proposes redevelopment in the form of a series of blocked development around the town centre, which are all designated as mixed use. The more detailed section on each character area contains ambiguous design codes and a lack of specifi c priorities/requirements for the area. There is a signifi cant number of projects which are contingent on each other, effectively making it much harder to deliver due to land acquisition and partnership issues.

Information gaps:The UDF is based upon a wealth of research and public consultation and the report notes that there is an issue in the area with “consultation fatigue” due to the amount of consultation undertaken in the area to inform various iterations of reports on Trowbridge. Therefore any public consultation as part of the production of the masterplan will need to be carefully managed and perhaps targeted to specifi c local groups.


UDF baseline report information gaps

Planning & policy – This information will need to be updated, as a signifi cant amount of new policy has been produced since these documents were fi nalised.

Socio-economic & market – Updates to the socio-economic and property market information will be essential in the development of an up-to-date and relevant masterplan, therefore this information should be revisited as part of the baseline work for the new masterplan. In terms of shopping patterns, the information here is based on a 2001 shoppers survey, which it may be benefi cial to update either as part of the retail assessment recently commissioned by Wiltshire Council or as a separate study.

Hydrology – This assessment is based on a hydrological study of the catchment in 2001. A Level 2 SFRA has been commissioned for parts of the town centre affected by fl ood risk which are proposed for redevelopment, the fi ndings of this report should inform the development of the masterplan.

Air quality – A review of the current air quality conditions and any more

recent predictions for future air quality should be undertaken to inform the development of the future masterplan, although it is not considered that there is likely to be a signifi cant problem with air quality in Trowbridge, given the fi ndings of the baseline assessment.

Noise & ground conditions – The ground conditions assessment draws upon desktop assessments of the likely contamination of the key opportunity sites. Signifi cantly the Bowyers site, Waterside sites and St Stephens Place are not included within these assessments, of which the Bowyers site is likely to be contaminated, therefore further investigation is likely to be required. There is also no reference to the sewer and water infrastructure, which we understand is a considerable constraint on parts of the Waterside and Cradle Bridge sites, this should be refl ected upon in the fi nal masterplan. There is also no information on noise, although this information could be requested to be investigated on a site by site basis as development comes forward.

Landscape & visual – A green space and landscape appraisal was carried out. It is not considered that any further detailed work would be required on this element.

Ecology – A Habitat Survey, Phase 1 Habitat Survey and a Field Survey have been undertaken for the UDF in 2003. It is not considered that it is likely that these will need to be updated apart from checking the current water quality status of the River Biss. In addition, further research may be required in taking forward sites where the surveys identifi ed potential ecological sensitivities.

Archaeology – No further work required in terms of research. Masterplan should take into account the fi ndings of the desk based archaeological report, and highlight where conservation measures are required as part of redevelopment proposals.

Transport – The transport information provided in the baseline is slightly dated. An updated section on the existing parking situation, public transport and commuting should be provided in the evidence base for the masterplan where newer information is available. For example, Wiltshire Council have commissioned a County-wide Parking Report, due later in 2010.

Consultation – Targeted consultation required on new masterplan proposals. This should be designed to engage with residents and businesses but not repeat

the format/aims of previous consultation undertaken.

Urban Design – Updated public realm audit and urban design review required to build on the work undertaken here.

Sustainability – The existing information contained on sustainability is largely out of date as the sustainability agenda has moved on a great deal since the time of publication. In addition more information on the feasibility of renewable energy generation and CHP in the town should be investigated. Wiltshire Council have commissioned a feasibility study which is due later in 2010.

OverallSince the publication of the UDF a number of further opportunity sites have come forward, along with the development of some of the key sites. Signifi cantly the Bowyers site is now vacant. An integrated approach to masterplanning across the town centre, including the Bowyers site will be essential in ensuring that there is an appropriate balance of uses. The UDF is a lengthy document, which detracts from its usability. The language of the document is vague in terms of requirements from development, with words such as “possibly” and


“could” used predominantly rather than “should” etc, which leaves the door open to interpretation from developers, although allows for fl exibility. The document currently does not highlight the key requirements from development well, there is a need for clear policy requirements for each area and less detail for the overarching urban design elements would signifi cantly improve the usability of the document. The UDF helped to kick start a number of regeneration projects in the town centre. However the language used in the document was not use-specifi c enough to ensure that the redevelopment of the Ushers Brewery site and the development of the Shires Gateway site were properly integrated into the town centre, and the uses were appropriate to their location.

Implications for the masterplanThe future masterplan should provide clear policies (highlighting key requirements, with direct language- particularly in terms of acceptable uses) in a more succinct and useable document, whilst building upon the wealth of background research undertaken for the UDF. The masterplan should be integrated with Wiltshire’s emerging

LDF and taken forward as a formal Development Plan Document (an Area Action Plan) or Supplementary Planning Document to the LDF to ensure it has suffi cient planning weight to guide future development in the town centre.

River Biss Supplementary Planning Document

The objectives of the public realm design guide include:

To promote a strong sense of place and • a distinct and positive identity;

To create a vibrant, well-used • waterfront by promoting a range of activities along the corridor;

To create a network of high quality, • diverse and multi-functional public spaces responding to the adjacent mix of land uses;

To create a sustainable movement • corridor which is easily accessible and strongly linked into the pedestrian, cycle and open space network;

To improve the environment, reduce • fl ood risk and enhance biodiversity;

To promote the river corridor as a • cultural and educational resource

through interpretation, public art and nature conservation;

To design the public realm to address • issues of community safety and reduce opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour; and

To ensure the quality of the public • realm provision can be sustained in the long term and through effi cient and effective maintenance regime.

Overall comments: The document is thorough and contains a summary of the existing condition of the public realm and character of the town centre. The level of detail on the existing condition and materials used for public realm in the report could be improved through the mapping of the existing condition, although this is not essential it could be useful to indicate where the priority areas for improvement are.


uses such as retail or leisure and civic provision.

Land at Court Street/Castle Street: SP2 • town centre retail provision

Ushers Brewery: urban mixed use • allocations and tree planting (H4Da). Redevelopment for a mix of uses, 120 dwellings plus retail, leisure/arts or offi ce/businees plus retention of listed buildings.

Ashton Mill: urban mixed use and • tree planting (H4E) conversion and redevelopment for a mix of uses including 40 dwellings plus offi ce, business, industrial/warehousing or leisure/arts.

Adjacent sewage treatment plant: • employment (E2a)

Land at Shails Lane (H4D) mix of uses, • 50 dwellings and offi ce, business or leisure but not retail.

Land north of Green Lane – (H8c) 160 • dwellings.

Land at Southview – (H9) 300 dwellings•

Land at West Ashton Road – (H10) 100 • dwellings

Land at Paxcroft Mead – (H11) 550 • dwellings

Wiltshire 2026 Core StrategyA number of large town centre mixed use sites identifi ed as preferred options for mixed use development, and also locations for employment development and housing growth identifi ed outside of the core town centre area.

Potential planning policy routes for the masterplan:

SPD – building on the existing allocations from the UDF, emerging Core Strategy and adopted West Wilts Plan. This process would be relatively quick, however it would not have as much material planning weight as an AAP, as the consultation and SA processes could be streamlined and there is no examination in public involved. The SPD is something that would be informed by and build on the strategic direction set out in the Core Strategy and therefore should not alter land use designations.

AAP – an AAP would also build on the existing work, although as a separate document this would be capable of informing the direction of travel of the Core Strategy and SSAs more directly, rather than being informed by them and could reallocate land uses. However, it

The masterplan will need to work with existing planning policy and emerging policy, therefore a more detailed review of the existing planning policy for Trowbridge is provided here to help to inform how the masterplan can potentially be integrated into Wiltshire’s LDF.

Existing adopted planning policy

A summary of the approach taken to Trowbridge town centre and site allocations for development in adopted planning policy is set out below:

Trowbridge Urban Development Framework – mixed use allocations across the majority of the sites contained in the masterplan.

West Wilts Adopted District PlanThe following allocations are particularly relevant to the preparation of the town centre masterplan:

Shires Gateway: housing allocation •

Court Street: mixed use and tree • planting (H4Ea) Conversion and redevelopment for mix use 112 dwellings and retail, offi ce or mixed use – retention of listed buildings

St Stephens Place: LE2 town centre •

is recognised that there are a number of specialist reports currently being prepared for the Core Strategy the results of which will be important in shaping the masterplan for Trowbridge. The process would involve statutory consultation and SA production.

Key action: Discuss the implications of both routes within the emerging policy framework with Wiltshire Council.

Implementing the masterplan


Good practice review for improving the performance of medium and small sized towns

Medium-sized and smaller towns – Raising the Game, BCSC, 2009

A review of best practice for medium-sized and smaller market towns has been produced by the British Council of Shopping Centres and issues raised which are particularly relevant to Trowbridge are summarised below:

The report highlights that additional • shops will only be delivered once demand exists, and that retailers will not locate in an area only anticipating increasing demand. Taylor Wimpey suggest that the minimum size for a new settlement to support a signifi cant high street is about 3,500 homes.

The report highlights that a lack • of coherent and well managed parking in smaller towns is a major deterrent to shopping and highlights that opportunities to rationalise and improve shopping provision through new development in the town centres in combination with sensible signage can greatly improve a shoppers experience.

Other advice offered to small and • medium towns is for groups of smaller towns and their LPAs to get together to agree a unique selling point for each town which can be carried through in the policies and funding strategies. North Northamptonshire have taken this approach by setting out ranges of increases in shopping fl oorspace in different towns to ensure that development is balanced across all the towns.

Encouraging shoppers to stay longer is • now being promoted in smaller centres, and encouraging a more diverse range of town centre leisure uses, particularly at ground fl oor level. The report cites interventions at Castle Morpeth and Skelmersdale as examples of where this has been successful.

Retaining independent shops and • markets in towns add to the local distinctiveness and attractiveness of town centres. The report suggests that developers can assist in retaining/securing independent traders and smaller businesses in new developments by providing affordable premises, which was achieved in the Modus’s development at Edmonton Green where half of the space is let to local retailers, who have been carefully

chosen to ensure that there is a balanced mix.

Dorchester is a market town which is • taking advantage of the vacant historic buildings left by a former Brewery. The county town’s retail offer had been declining and the closure of the brewery offered the opportunity for new retail, restaurants cinema, fl ats, offi ces, hotel, theatre and arts centre. Using historic buildings and natural features creates distinctiveness which helps to create a more enjoyable experience for the shopper and encourage them to stay longer and spend more money.

Lessons for the masterplan and Wiltshire LDF work Wiltshire’s Core Strategy already highlights the signifi cant role it expects Trowbridge, Chippenham and Salisbury to fulfi l in terms of accommodating new housing, jobs and serving nearby local communities. The Mid Wiltshire Economic Partnership is formed by the towns of Bradford on Avon, Devizes, Melksham, Pewsey, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury and has been set up to facilitate these towns working together to improve their economic performance.

Each of the towns have an opportunity to provide distinctive offers and to work together to encourage more people to work and shop locally, rather than travelling to places such as Bath, Salisbury and Bristol to spend their time and money.

As Wiltshire’s County Town, Trowbridge will have a signifi cant role to play. Trowbridge is a service hub, and there is potential to grow the service and leisure offer and to improve the perception of the town. Key issues for the masterplan, and wider core strategy work to consider include: What characterises each town? what is missing? and where is it best to provide missing elements? A comprehensive approach is required which can be directed through the LDF Core Strategy process.


Working towards the vision - Key implications from section two

Researching the interests of local people can help identify where there are current gaps in the retailing provision and opportunities (as highlighted in the lifestyles section of this report). The baseline research for the masterplan should further investigate the socio-economic profi les of the surrounding three towns and agree the approach to retailing across the towns (as recommended by the BCSC report). It is envisaged that Trowbridge should seek to meet more than just the everyday needs of its own population, but should seek to capitalise on potential shopping catchment population contained in the surrounding smaller market towns through aiming to secure and consolidate the mid-range convenience shopping offer in the town centre. In order to achieve this and attract additional retailers, businesses and skilled professionals to come to Trowbridge the experience of the town centre needs to be improved to address the following key issues:

Accessibility: Poor legibility and signage to car parking from the access roads to the town centre. There is plenty of parking in Trowbridge. However, these are not always clearly signed for visitors. There is also low quality public realm linking the car parks to the core retail area. The links from the residential hinterland are particularly poor, as are radial routes, particularly east west connections in the centre of town. The ringroad is a barrier to pedestrian movement and there is little signage indicating pedestrian routes to the town centre. The route along the River Biss is currently underused and unattractive.

Activity and pride: A lack of choice of cafés and restaurants in the town centre mean that people are not encouraged to linger when visiting. Encouraging more cafés and restaurants in the town centre (although this will need to be carefully managed to ensure this is not to the detriment of A1 retail) will help to extend activity into the evening, particularly if new leisure uses could be secured in the town centre. There is also a perceived lack of pride in the town. There are already markets and events in the town, but the scale, frequency and marketing of these events could be increased.

Attractiveness: The quality of the public realm in Trowbridge is currently varied and in places it is very poor (particularly around the station, River Biss and the Shires). However Trowbridge has a wealth of attractive historic buildings which are currently not well celebrated, often surrounded by poor public realm or low quality modern buildings. There are also a large amount of vacant sites in the town centre which signifi cantly detract from the attractiveness and vibrancy of the town centre and experience when visiting Trowbridge.


In order to understand local issues and concerns in Trowbridge, the consultant team met and spoke with a number of key stakeholders during the preparation of this report, who are listed below:

Spencer Drinkwater & Alan Creedy, • Highways, Wiltshire Council;

Peter Weston , Wessex Water;•

Peter Wheelhouse, Head of Economic • Development, Wiltshire Council;

Doug Ross/Mary Stacey, Trowbridge • Community Area Futures;

Dave Roberts, Regeneration, Wiltshire • Council;

Andrew Maxted, Spatial Planning, • Wiltshire Council;

Bill Parks, Streetscene, Wiltshire • Council;

Lance Allan, Trowbridge Town Council;•

Lucy Murray Brown, Leisure service, • Wiltshire Council;

Vincent Albano, Climate Change, • Wiltshire Council;

Clare Hennessey, Homes and • Communities Agency (HCA);

Antionette Pullen representing the • interests of the Shanley family;

Nick Scott, Parkridge (Cradle Bridge & • The Gateway);

3. Stakeholder consultation

Vision Capital, DTZ (Bowyers Site);•

Matt Morris, GVA Grimley (St Stephens • Place and Castle Place Shopping Centre);

Louise Pletts, Vodafone;•

Jonathan Knee, H J Knee Ltd; and•

John Grinnell, Centre Manager, The • Shires.

Key issues raised are set out below, and have been grouped together for ease of reference.

The Local Business perspective

Vodafone

Vodafone are located in the White • Horse Business Park because they took over the building from Mercury Communications when they bought the company. This is therefore a legacy arrangement rather than a direct choice to locate in Trowbridge;

There are no plans for the expansion in • Trowbridge;

Most of the staff commute by car to • work (many of whom commute from Frome, Westbury and Warminster), therefore the large amount of parking available at the White Horse Business Park is well used;

Not many people uses buses as these • are seen as unreliable;

Tescos is a main attraction at lunchtime • and after work, as its easy to get there by car; and

The town centre doesn’t have much • to attract people in the evening, with empty shops, many of which are in need of a facelift.

H J Knee

Knees Department Store is well • established in Trowbridge on Fore Street;

Knees also own sites throughout the • town, including properties on Court Street which are currently being used by small businesses;

Way-fi nding in the town centre is poor • and the state of the river and derelict sites create a poor impression;

Would like to see Fore Street de-• pedestrianised and left-hand turns out of Market Street allowed;

Wiltshire Council should open more • car parks to coincide with extra demand from events;

The Department Store opens between • 9am and 5.30pm and would need a critical mass of people in the town centre to make it worth extending opening hours;

The public want easy access, cheap and • safe parking, choice and clean streets; and

Would not want to see an increase in • out of town retailing and parking as this would take trade away from the town centre.


The Shires

The site is owned by Threadneedle • which is an investment company rather than a development company, so their main aim is running the centre, not development;

The existing building is now 20 years • old and footfall in the centre is up at the moment;

The Shires and wider Trowbridge is not • in competition with Bath or Salisbury, there is a need to provide a distinctive offer;

Diffi cult to compete when Bath • and Bristol are so easy to get to, particularly by train;

The offer in Trowbridge at the moment • is about affordability and accessibility;

The supermarkets are a threat to • the town centre, particularly as they expand their non-food offer;

The town centre environment is weak • and very cluttered with street furniture and A-boards. This makes it diffi cult to attract new retailers as they don’t see the town as attractive;

The Shires car park is also a weakness • - some cosmetic improvements are planned;

The Shires gateway is drawing some •

users out of the town centre, and this is likely to increase with Boots about to move there;

There is big potential for evening • economy to grow, with a cinema in particular helping to drive footfall;

Late opening times have previously • been tried in the Shires, but it is hard to get smaller local operators to sign up to this and you do need a large majority of shops to be open for it to work;

All the shops are planning to open • late every night in December in the Christmas run-up;

The Shires are also organising other • attractions and entertainments to encourage late shopping in December; and

Has explored ideas of a temporary • drive-in cinema in the car parks this could also be an idea for the vacant sites.

Shanleys

The Shanley recycling business on • Shails Lane would be very diffi cult to relocate as there are no identifi ed opportunities to locate nearby and the

cost of relocation would be signifi cant;

The current value of the Shanleys site • is greatest in its active recycling use. It would be diffi cult to get a high value for the site for other uses given its likely contamination;

Trowbridge is perceived to be a • minimum wage town;

There are no places for families to go • on Sundays in Trowbridge. People go to nearby towns such as Chippenham and Bath and to country pubs; and

The large number of listed buildings • give the town a positive character.

The Developers perspective

Parkridge

Trowbridge has an advantage over Bath • in that it is relatively easy to provide large units in the town centre;

The existing planning consent at the • Shires Gateway for fl ats is likely to be converted to townhouses to meet market demand;

The Shires Gateway tenants are • trading well and there is interest in the remaining units;

Cradle Bridge is a strategic landholding •


and the extant planning permission provides them with a high degree of fl exibility over future use;

There is further foodstore demand for • the town from ASDA and Morrisons but not Waitrose;

There is still leisure demand in the • area for cinemas and hotels such as Travelodge; and

The town doesn’t have any major • negatives, but would like to see more residential and businesses coming into the town.

GVA Grimley

St Stephens Place has a Local Plan • allocation for mixed use;

There is potential to combine St • Stephens Place and Castle Place;

It is viewed that the town is “punching • below its weight” in retail terms, however the planned housing growth may provide an opportunity to address this; and

There is consent to refurbish/redevelop • Castle Place/St Stephens Place, but the investor, Thyian Investments, is now in receivership.

DTZ (advising Vision Capital, owners of the Bowyers site)

Vision Capital owns the Bowyers site • and part of the Shails Lane area

Have an approved application for a • mixed use scheme for the restoration of the heritage buildings on Bowyers site (these are Grade II Listed buildings) and the creation of 38 fl ats

There has been interest from food • retailers on the wider Bowyers site

There is a funding gap due to the • contamination and sewers running through the Bowyers site

Little demand for employment space in • the local area, therefore employment on its own is not fi nancially viable or deliverable

Previously incorporated the College • into a scheme for the wider site, however funding has now been lost and the College is now set on improving their existing premises

Keen to work with the Council to fi nd • an acceptable way forward for these important sites

The regeneration perspective

Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)

The HCA wouldn’t be able to assist • directly with any remediation costs, however, it would work with Wiltshire Council to understand abnormal costs and potentially, subject to appraisal, support some schemes;

The HCA is moving away from • responding to bids and more into a commissioning role to work with local authorities early on in the process which helps to get a better mix, higher quality or more units, and better environmental gains;

Bowyers factory could be quite a • good example - would welcome involvement, although there will be a need to understand abnormal costs, the heritage angle and contamination;

The idea of securing new leisure in the • town is also interesting but would need proper connections to the town, and to avoid a “big leisure box” scenario which creates a poor urban realm;

Trowbridge’s existing retail offer is not • very coherent and is pretty weak;

There are some small units in the town •


The Council perspective

(Wiltshire Council and Trowbridge Town Council)

EmploymentLarge town centre sites are • opportunities for employment provision;

The conversion of older properties for • start up businesses could be promoted;

Links with Bath University could be • strengthened to promote creative industries;

50% of the Wiltshire population have • degree level qualifi cations but many commute out of the county to work;

The vision for Wiltshire is for a • high skill and high value economy – therefore need to attract high value jobs into the town centre;

There is a shortage of creative • industries, ICT and environmental technology industries in the area;

Wiltshire College has an expert • engineering centre being developed and has expert knowledge on composit technology;

It will be important to check Wiltshire • College’s future aspirations in light of the loss of funding, as if there is anyway

to improve links between the College and the town centre this should be explored through the masterplanning process; and

There is a lack of provision of start • up space for businesses and an underprovision of modern offi ce space.

Vacant sitesThe development sites represent • opportunities for niche and artisan businesses;

A planning framework is needed for • the brownfi eld sites, containing an appropriate mix of uses;

Wasted assets such as the Old Town • Hall;

Need space for leisure activities to help • to attract new businesses; and

River Biss is an underused asset.•

Town centre attractionsLooking to secure a new leisure facility • in the Trowbridge area;

There is a need to promote the • town centre as a business hub, with bars, cafés and restaurants to attract workers into the town centre at lunchtime and in the evening; and

Variety of shops and jobs.•

centre but there is not really a clear vision;

There should be a concentration on • the mid/upper market to attract and retain business;

The HCA can provide advice on • delivery vehicles, including:

selection of developers;•

priority open key sites; and•

bundle up packages;•

Looking at the phasing of development • across the town will be crucial with the Bowyers site as an early priority which also provides the opportunity to improve links into the town centre and to secure supported housing near the town centre which is an HCA priority; and

The HCA look at models which • optimise returns and share in the value of the sites with leverage in terms of the right type of development.


MovementGateways to the town centre do not • project a positive image of Trowbridge;

The railway has poor existing rolling • stock and the trains are infrequent and indirect;

Would like the national cycle route • along the canal to link into the town centre;

Opportunity to secure new activities • along the River Biss, and improve network of footpaths and cycle paths into town;

There is work in progress by Wiltshire • Highways Department to look at Wiltshire’s transport network and parking;

Trowbridge and Wiltshire as a whole • currently welcomes the car;

The existing road network capacity • is likely to run out with the planned housing growth;

Parking management could assist in • encouraging sustainable transport choices, through increased charges etc; and

It will still be important to keep • shopper car parking near to the shopping areas.

Climate changeWiltshire Council have a Carbon • Reduction Commitment to meet therefore are keen to ensure that the Masterplan contributes towards this;

Currently working to improve the • sustainability performance of public buildings;

Would be interested in organising • community scale energy generation;

Feed-in tariffs introduced which • provide incomes for investors, therefore renewable energy generation is becoming a more attractive proposition;

Wiltshire Council aspire to reduce • CO2 emissions at County Hall by 40% and reduce the emissions of the whole Council estate by 50% by 2020;

Trowbridge is car dominated, therefore • need sustainable transport links in from the hinterland;

Would like to see at least one • exemplar project in the Town Centre early on in the masterplan period which achieves Excellent Code for Sustainable Homes; and

Temporary allotments on vacant land • would work towards local sustainability agenda.


OtherThere is a need for a new secondary • school on the eastern side of the town;

Need to ensure masterplan can be • used as a positive planning tool;

Potential opportunities through • Wiltshire’s Waste Strategy – are there any ways to use this to assist the relocation of the recycling site from Shails Lane;

There is a need to ensure that the • Framework for Trowbridge works within the context of Wiltshire 2026, in planning for the growth that is needed, and that was positively received as part of public consultation for the Core Strategy;

There is no materials palette for • Trowbridge town centre, this could be improved through the production of a public realm strategy; and

The town currently lacks the gravitas of • its County Town status and Trowbridge needs a wider vision of itself.

Other stakeholders perspectives

Wessex Water

The main sewer runs through the • centre of Trowbridge linking to the

treatment plant to the north of the town and these are currently over capacity; and

The sewer position will affect • development on Cradle Bridge and Riverside sites, as an eight metre buffer strip is required.

Trowbridge Community Area Future

People tend to have low aspirations for • themselves and their children, which perpetuates the low wage economy;

The existing retail offer in the town • centre refl ects what Trowbridge is;

Leisure and retail in the town centre • will be key; and

Would like to see employment in town • centre sites and more cultural uses promoted in general.


Introduction

This Vision has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders and objectives are given for fi ve key themes. These objectives are guiding principles which future development can be evaluated against and will form the overarching framework for a Masterplan for Trowbridge. On the following pages, each objective is set out in more detail alongside a concept plan to indicate the key spatial moves required.

4. Transforming Trowbridge - The Vision

Trowbridge will be a vibrant town, providing shops, services and leisure facilities for local residents and businesses. It will fulfi ll its role as the county town of Wiltshire, acting as a hub for the network of surrounding towns. Acknowledging that Trowbridge cannot compete with the retail offer of Bath, Bristol or Salisbury it will instead focus on providing a good core offer which meets everyday needs. It will attract people by providing this in an attractive environment which is welcoming and easy to access.

Trowbridge will be the focal point for signifi cant new development including comparison retail, employment, leisure, housing and higher education. New leisure facilities including a new cinema in the centre of Trowbridge will attract visitors to Trowbridge throughout the day and evening, and will be complemented by new restaurants and cafés which will encourage visitors to spend longer in the town centre.

The new leisure facilities in Trowbridge will be focused around a revitalised River Biss Corridor, which will provide high quality space, new pedestrian connections and improved bio-diversity in the town centre. New housing in and around the centre of Trowbridge will provide a mix of types and tenures, including a signifi cant potential for family housing within easy walk of local shops and services. Development in and around the town centre will knit in with the urban grain and character of Trowbridge, protecting and enhancing its many historic buildings.

Trowbridge will use the unique opportunity presented by the large number of development sites around the town centre to become a leading example of a sustainable market town. This will include a focus on delivering a sustainable mix of uses, zero-carbon development, local energy generation and sustainable modes of transport. New technologies will be embraced to facilitate fl exible and sustainable forms of transport and employment.

Trowbridge will celebrate its location and distinctiveness through promoting locally based produce, arts, businesses and historic buildings to increase civic pride and local interest.

Attractive centre

Trowbridge will be a place which people will want to spend time in throughout the day and evening, with a variety of shops, restaurants, cafés and leisure uses. Trowbridge will celebrate its assets including Trowbridge Park, the River Biss and the historic town centre core and make the best use of vacant sites.


Employment Movement Housing Environment

Trowbridge will have a thriving town centre and well performing out-of-town business parks with strong links to the town centre. Small and medium sized businesses will be supported and opportunities for local skills and training realised. New development should be fl exibly designed to allow for a quick and sustainable response to a changing local economy.

Trowbridge will be a town that has adapted to climate change, with locally generated energy, a low carbon footprint, green environment and healthy sustainable lifestyles.

A mix of housing appropriate to the needs of Trowbridge will be provided on suitable sites in and around the town centre and a proportion of these will be affordable to local residents. Trowbridge will sustainably accommodate housing growth to the south and east of the town through ensuring it is easily accessible by foot, cycle and public transport.

Trowbridge will have a town centre that is easy to move around by sustainable transport modes, and which is well connected to its residential hinterland to promote walking and cycling. Trowbridge will embrace future green transport technologies and provide infrastructure (such as vehicle charging points) and incentives for use of alternative energy vehicles.


Attractive centre

In order to improve the perception of the town centre and encourage civic pride the Masterplan needs to seek to deliver an attractive town centre to retailers, businesses, employees and residents. The following guiding principles have been developed to help to realise the vision for an attractive centre, and these are detailed overleaf.

Guiding PrinciplesMake the best use of vacant sites in the • short and long term.

Secure a mix of retailers.•

Secure a mix of leisure operators.•

Promote the town centre through • public space improvements and events and improve the perception of Trowbridge.

To celebrate town centre assets such • as the River Biss, Trowbridge Park and the historic core.

5. Transforming Trowbridge - Guiding Principles

A set of guiding principles has been developed for each vision theme, along with details of the next steps and implementation required to realise them. These are detailed in the following pages and should provide a basis for which a Masterplan for Trowbridge can be developed from.


Actions for masterplan - Attractive centre

Trowbridge has a number of large vacant sites around the town centre which have resulted from the loss of its traditional industries. These create a poor fi rst impression of the town centre. The town centre also does not have clear and attractive routes into it and the road network circle around the centre gives a poor impression of what is actually in the town centre itself.

The town currently turns its back on the River Biss, which is a missed opportunity to provide attractive walking links to the town centre. The town centre does not currently have a strong positive image.

The town centre currently lacks a strong leisure/evening economy and high quality comparison retailers in the town centre.

Trowbridge will be a place which people will want to spend time in throughout the day and evening, with a variety of shops, restaurants, cafés and leisure uses. Trowbridge will celebrate its assets including Trowbridge Park, the River Biss and the historic town centre core and make the best use of vacant sites.

Make the best use of vacant sites in the short and long term.

Secure a mix of retailers.

Secure a mix of leisure operators.

Promote the town centre through public space improvements and events and improve the perception of Trowbridge.

To celebrate town centre assets such as the River Biss, Trowbridge Park and the historic core.

In the short term, opportunities for using vacant sites for temporary community uses such as allotments or pop up parks should be maximised, to bring vibrancy and activity back to these areas.

In the long term the redevelopment of vacant sites should seek to reinforce the town centre with complementary housing, leisure and smaller scale employment uses. These uses should complement, rather than compete with the core town centre retailing and employment.

To secure high quality comparison retailers in the town centre, with a mix of independents and national chains, by providing a high quality environment and appropriate shop units.

To create a vibrant town centre throughout the day and evening through extending town centre shopping hours (potentially one day a week), supporting new quality restaurants, bars, cafés and leisure facilities, particularly a new cinema, which could anchor Trowbridge’s evening economy and help create the right pre-conditions for new employment uses. These should work towards a step change in improving Trowbridge’s image.

To create a family friendly town with Trowbridge Park at its heart, with shops and services facing onto the park to draw people from the town centre. Improved public spaces will be capable of hosting street performance, cultural and arts events regularly to help Trowbridge become an exciting place to visit.

To enhance the town’s historic core, through the re-use of existing vacant historic buildings.

To celebrate the River Biss corridor as a key pedestrian link across the town, which is attractive and safe to use.

ISSUES VISION PRINCIPLES DETAIL


The potential for using vacant sites for temporary uses should be investigated through discussions with landowners, community groups and the council. These discussions should focus around obtaining the agreement of owners to use the sites temporarily and also to engage with community groups or parts of Wiltshire Council and Trowbridge Town Council who would be willing to manage the activities. Some of the sites will require clearance before use and strict management to ensure that they are able to be used effectively. Potential uses that won’t permanently impact on sites/require land remediation are allotments – if these are set up in temporary grow-bags etc. Legal agreement between land owners and food growers will be required in order to utilise the land (www.landshare.net provides examples and templates).

Continued discussions with land owners, major retailers and leisure operators will be required in order to secure high quality retail and leisure attractions. The large opportunity sites provide excellent opportunities to secure new leisure operators in the town centre in particular. The Masterplan work should set out the most appropriate form of development and split of uses across each of the town centre opportunity sites. The Masterplan should also indicate key links, routes and environmental enhancements required to ensure the redeveloped sites benefi t the wider town centre.

Test options for approaches to town centre management which is required to ensure a coordinated approach to the town centre and to foster relationships with retailers and businesses. Town centre management will also have an important role to play in the organisation and promotion of town centre events and potentially could implement a scheme such as weekly late night shopping to promote town centre use in the evening.

Ensure future planning documents are capable of securing funding for improvements to the river corridor, through setting out S106 requirements.

Masterplanning process to engage with key landowners, retailers and leisure operators to understand needs and aspirations and how to accommodate these, both within the town as a whole and on specifi c sites.

Updated Retail Study for Trowbridge.

Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Town Council, Transforming Trowbridge Board, and local voluntary and community groups need to work with key local landowners. The introduction of temporary uses can be facilitated by the masterplanning process, but can also be happening outside of this process, through support from local government and community groups.

The masterplanning process to clearly identify priorities for S106 funding.

NEXT STEPS IMPLEMENTATION


Employment

Trowbridge already has several large businesses located in the town, although major business such as Vodafone and Apetito are located on the outskirts of town in business parks. Within the town centre there are a number of smaller businesses operating out of fl exible workspace that set precedents for the areas they are in, such as the cluster of businesses around Court Street. Retaining and expanding these businesses will be important in ensuring the future sustainability of the town, and will help to support town centre retailing and housing. The following guiding principles have been developed for the Masterplan which are detailed overleaf.

Guiding PrinciplesAttract and retain larger businesses.•

Accommodate different uses in fl exible • buildings.

Secure infrastructure to meet growing • needs, and capitalise on existing infrastructural advantages.

Improve links from outlying business • areas into the town centre.

Provide fl exible enterprise spaces in • the town centre and at the strategic development site to the south east of the town.

Enhance skills and training.•


Actions for masterplan - Employment

There is currently a weak town centre offi ce market, with low quality offi ce stock and low demand for space. However the out of town offi ce space including the White Horse Business Park is performing well but tends to operate with little relation to the town centre, with employees commuting by car and bypassing the town centre. The emerging Local Development Framework promotes the creation of an additional 35ha of employment land around the town.

There are currently areas of the town centre with thriving small and medium sized businesses. There is potential to further enhance these clusters and convert redundant buildings to similar uses where possible.

Trowbridge will have a thriving town centre and well performing out of town business parks which have strong links to the town centre.

Small and medium sized businesses will be supported and opportunities for local skills and training realised.

Attract and retain large businesses.

To retain and attract larger businesses in the out of town business parks and at the strategic development site to the south east of the town, and support their expansion and integration into the town centre, particularly through encouraging workers to visit the town centre at lunchtime and after work.

Accommodate different uses in fl exible buildings.

To provide fl exible space for small and medium size businesses in new town centre development and in converted existing town centre buildings.

New development should, where possible, be capable of adaptation between different uses, from employment to housing or retail etc to allow buildings to be capable of responding to changes in the economy and local market.

Secure infrastructure to meet growing needs, and capitalise on existing infrastructural advantages.

To enhance Trowbridge’s existing physical infrastructure such as road links, rail links, services and broadband speeds to capitalise on Trowbridge’s central location and promote the town as an excellent business location.

Enhance skills and training.

Enhance local skills and training opportunities wherever possible.


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To be brought forward by key landowners/developers through the masterplan process and development of individual sites.


The masterplanning process should promote fl exible business space in new town centre development and the re-use of appropriate town centre buildings capable of adaptation for small and medium size businesses. In certain areas it should be a priority to promote the design of buildings which are “long life - loose fi t” and particularly are not residential use in perpetuity.

Ensure future planning documents are capable of securing funding for improvements local transport network, local skills and training through setting out S106 requirements.

Investigate ways to improve physical links between the town centre and out of town business and employment areas through reviewing fi ndings of local transport and parking strategies and public transport planning. Undertake a more detailed study with businesses and employees to identify opportunities which would attract them into the town in greater numbers.

The masterplanning process should seek to create the right environment in the town centre, promoting uses that are active throughout the day and evening and a high quality environment that will attract town centre businesses.


Movement

Being able to move around Trowbridge in a sustainable way will be increasingly important over the next few years. Therefore, enhancing existing footpath and cycle networks and making the best of the existing public transport network will be essential. It is recognised that given Trowbridge’s location residents will still want to use their cars for some journeys so measures to encourage the use of greener vehicles in the town centre should be explored. Guiding principles are set out below and these are detailed more fully overleaf.

Guiding PrinciplesImprove the gateways and approaches • to the town centre.

Integrate new development.•

Make the best use of existing • infrastructure.

Manage car park supply and demand.•

Promote good linkages.•

Improve the town centre pedestrian • environment.

Encourage healthier, more active and • sustainable transport modes.

Reduce travel and increase town centre •

activity.

Make better use of the railway.•

Embrace future technologies.•


Integrate new development.

Integrating transport improvements with development – there are several redundant sites close to the town centre which need regeneration. Improved transport linkages to these sites by all modes of transport will help to realise their potential. In addition, the local growth agenda will see many more houses built to the east of the town centre. These will create more demand for travel so it is essential that infrastructure, associated with sustainable modes of travel in particular, is provided. Aligning the Vision with the growth and regeneration agenda is therefore very important.

Make the best use of existing infrastructure.

Ring road multi-modal route – the ring road is a key movement corridor yet currently only favours private car travel. Pedestrian and cycle routes should be provided along its length with linkages east and west to the neighbouring residential areas. In addition, whilst not heavily used by buses, the ring road could be provided with bus priority measures to enhance circulation of bus services and perhaps re-routing away from town centre roads. Crossings of the ring road should be improved and be made in favour of at-grade facilities. However, this will result in slightly increased travel times for general traffi c and therefore, needs to be done as part of further restricted access to the town centre roads.

b il h

Actions for masterplan - Movement

Transport has historically developed around a prosperous industrial and market town. The town has good canal, rail and road links. However, in spite of its industrial and manufacturing decline, the growth in car traffi c has continued unabated. Much needed future growth in the town needs to be developed around a strategy of sustainable movement.

To create a town centre that is easy to move around by sustainable transport modes, which is well connected to its residential hinterland and which has embraced green transport technologies, including incentives for the use of alternative energy vehicles.

Improve the gateways and approaches to the town centre

To improve the arrival points to the town centre by enhancing landscaping with selective planting along the main routes and by introducing a series of way fi nding signs to promote the town centre facilities. New development along the main routes around the town should have active uses facing onto the roads and be of high quality design, as these will form the fi rst impression of the town of those arriving by car.


CO

NTIN

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VERLEAF


Develop opportunities through the masterplan supported by a clear landscaping strategy.

Masterplanning process.

Ensure that the integration is progressed through the LDF and planning briefs for individual sites. An overarching masterplan will ensure co-ordination of plans.

LDF, masterplan for Trowbridge, and partnerships with developers and land owners.

Through design options, test the viability and demand for the implementation of this measures.

Wiltshire Council highways department in conjunction with design engineers.


i d


Enhance the town centre.

Manage car park supply and demand.

Promote good linkages.

Car parks – currently the town is well served with parking yet access to some of the car parks require travelling through the centre of the town. All car parks should have access restricted to ‘from the ring road’ only (or Wicker Hill, Church Street and Union Street to the west). Long stay parking should be moved further from the town centre encouraging ‘Park and Walk’ amongst commuters. Short stay parking aimed at visitors and shoppers should be maintained closer to the town centre. The need for disabled parking will remain in the town centre.

Linkages – these need to be improved if cycling and walking is to be encouraged. Recent development in the town centre have not considered pedestrians and cyclists well and opportunities have been missed to open up new links. However, with the opportunity of further new development in the town, linkages for pedestrians and cyclists should be identifi ed at an early stage. Routes to the station, along the River Biss, through the Bowyers site and east to the urban extensions should be identifi ed. All should provide direct, safe and obstruction-free passage to key destinations in the town centre.

Town centre environment – the town centre environment is already of a high quality. However, it could be further enhanced for pedestrians and cyclists by allocating more space away from the car. Traffi c on Castle Street and Fore Street in particular, currently acts to sever the town centre environment. Measures could be put in place to reduce the dominance of traffi c on these streets. Creating more space for pedestrians in the town centre will help to animate the space and provide the opportunity for greater activity and events to take place.

CO

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Through the masterplanning process, ensure that existing links are exploited and new links are identifi ed through potential regeneration sites. These should then be included in site development briefs.

Following the implementation of Phase 4 of the town centre traffi c management scheme, look at further benefi ts that can be accrued from the reduced levels of town centre traffi c.

In conjunction with the on-going parking study, ensure that parking is managed so as to grow the economy of the town but reduce the environmental impacts on car use.

As part of the masterplanning process, the opportunities to land swap some of the car parks should be considered.

Consultants to produce supplementary Parking Strategy for Trowbridge.

Masterplanning.

Masterplanning and urban design.

Wiltshire Council and design engineers.


Encourage healthier, more active and sustainable transport modes.

Smarter Travel initiative – greater emphasis needs to be given to non-car modes of transport. The health and wellbeing benefi ts of smarter choices travel should be emphasised. Marketing and campaigns to encourage take up of smarter choices have proved successful in the Sustainable Travel Demonstration Towns with a potential 15-20% shift away from the private car. It might be that consideration should be given to demand management measures also such as raising parking charges especially for commuter trips.

Reduce travel and increase town centre activity.

Town centre living – having more residential properties in the town centre not only reduces trip making, it also enlivens the town centre especially in the evenings. This in turn makes it safer for pedestrians and cyclists thereby encouraging these modes above car and taxi use.

Make better use of the railway.

Enhance the railway station environment with improved interchange with complementary modes. This should include encouragement of sustainable access modes balanced with appropriate levels of car parking.

Embrace future technologies.

Having an eye on the future – recognising the part transport technology may play in the future, the town can be seen to be embracing and encouraging modes of transport with alternative energy supplies. For example, priority spaces in car parks, electric charge points, charging incentives etc. could be used to clearly send a message that Trowbridge wants to embrace environmentally friendly transport.


A Smarter Travel Initiative could be introduced throughout the town. The promotion of low carbon vehicles through parking management, improvements to public transport interchange and to the pedestrian and cycle routes throughout the town would all be publicised under a “Smarter Travel” promotion.

Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Town Council and key stakeholders to work together to promote Smarter Travel Initiative.

Through the LDF and masterplanning process, encouragement should be given to mixed use development that includes residential elements in the town centre.

LDF and masterplanning.

The LTP2 proposals to enhance the railway station environment should be progressed alongside local redevelopment.

Wiltshire Council in partnership with Network Rail and local landowners.

The town should demonstrate an openness to introduce new technologies that enable it to grow sustainable. Technological ‘fads’ should be avoided but technological trends should embraced.

Identify technology opportunities and hold local stakeholder debate. Link with providers.


Housing

Trowbridge has been identifi ed as a location capable of accommodating signifi cant housing growth by the former RSS plan and the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy. Approximately 50% of the 6,000 homes allocated to Trowbridge have already been consented, and consultation on the Core Strategy suggests that residents believe that Trowbridge is capable of supporting additional housing and that the target for new housing should therefore increase. The growth of Trowbridge would help to support the delivery of improved infrastructure and facilities which are much needed, and help town centre vitality. It will be important to ensure that housing growth is accommodated sustainably, and meets the needs of local people.

Guiding PrinciplesSustainably accommodated housing • growth to the south and east of Trowbridge and on the key opportunity sites throughout the town centre.

A mix of housing types and tenures • to cater for Trowbridge’s needs, in particular, securing more affordable housing (to be provided in line with Wiltshire’s Core Strategy affordable housing targets).


Actions for masterplan - Housing

Trowbridge is expected to accommodate up to 6,000 homes, of which 2,650 are proposed in an area to the south east of the town. This housing growth will need to be accommodated sustainably and accompanied by appropriate infrastructure.

A mix of housing appropriate to the needs of Trowbridge will be provided, in particular, securing more affordable housing.

Sustainably accommodated housing growth.

A mix of housing types to cater for Trowbridge’s needs.

Provide town centre living.

All new housing to be well linked to the town centre.

To accommodate housing growth in a sustainable manner at locations to the south and east of the town (as indicated in Wiltshire’s Core Strategy) and as part of mixed use developments in and around the town centre.

There will be a mix of housing types and tenures to cater for Trowbridge’s needs, particularly securing new affordable homes as part of developments, to redress the local issues with access to affordable housing. The proportion of affordable housing required should refl ect the targets set out in Wiltshire’s Core Strategy.

New housing should be sustainably accommodated through: ensuring there sustainable transport options available to new residents to provide easy access to Trowbridge town centre; and, that there are local services and facilities provided within the new communities to meet their everyday needs such as local shops, schools, jobs and health provision.



Develop guidance for housing locations and design through masterplanning process and potentially further more detailed work.

Review Trowbridge housing needs and set out requirements for mix of housing in the masterplan, based on the requirements from the Core Strategy affordable housing requirements where appropriate. Opportunities for new housing on previously industrial land around the town centre should be explored.

Ensure new housing is accompanied by appropriate infrastructure through setting out appropriate requirements in the masterplan, particularly including details of pedestrian, cycle and public transport links between new housing growth at south and east of Trowbridge and the existing town centre.

Through the masterplan process.

Through the masterplan process and potentially through more specifi c development briefs for the areas of planned housing growth to the south and east of Trowbridge.


Early engagement with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) could help to unlock vacant sites close to the town centre through advising on options for de-contamination and funding. The Masterplan should indicate which sites re suitable for housing and seek to involve the HCA throughout the process.


Environment

Trowbridge has a number of environmental assets which are currently undervalued, particularly the River Biss and Trowbridge Park. There are also signifi cant swathes of vacant land which will be redeveloped over the coming years which represent a signifi cant opportunity to introduce renewable energy generation and low carbon development to put Trowbridge at the forefront of sustainable development. It is recognised that particularly in the current economic climate the cost of implementing sustainably designed schemes may be slightly higher, but over the long term their increased outlay will pay back through energy savings and improving the profi le of the town, therefore a careful balance should be sought. A list of guiding principles is set out below and these are detailed in the following pages.

Guiding principlesResilience to climate change.•

Low carbon development.•

Self suffi cient energy generation.•

Healthy natural environment.•

Best use of vacant sites.•

Promoting local goods and services.•


Actions for masterplan - Environment

Trowbridge has an opportunity to implement a step change in sustainability through guiding the redevelopment of a number of vacant large town centre sites. The majority of the vacant sites were previously used for industrial uses and their redevelopment therefore also provides an opportunity for de-contamination of the land.

The River Biss runs through the heart of Trowbridge but is currently in a poor state, and is not used as an amenity resource by local residents.

Trowbridge will be town that has adapted to climate change, with locally generated energy, a low carbon footprint, green environment and health sustainable lifestyles.


Resilience to climate change.

Low carbon development.

Self suffi cient energy generation.

Healthy natural environment.

Best use of vacant sites.

Promoting local goods and services.

To create a town centre that is capable of adapting to climate change, with tree planting and Sustainable Urban Drainage throughout the town, to help to minimise fl ood risk. Tree planting will help to provide shading and cooling and absorb carbon dioxide, therefore providing an important way to adapt to future increase in temperature.

To ensure housing is designed to minimise carbon emissions and meet a high level of the Code for Sustainable Homes (Level 4 by 2013 and Level 6 by 2016 or as required in Wiltshire’s Core Strategy). There is also the opportunity to renovate buildings to reduce carbon emissions, as building new build to zero carbon standards alone will not signifi cantly reduce Trowbridge’s carbon footprint.

To promote the integration of local renewable energy supply such as local renewable decentralised power and heating supplies. Reducing reliance on traditional energy supplies will be important as traditional fossil fuel energy generation becomes less available, therefore Trowbridge could make an early start in beginning to integraate these technologies as part of the development of the large development sites.

To improve local biodiversity through supporting the enhancement of the River Biss corridor and of Trowbridge Park and promoting their use. The River Biss is an excellent strategic link between the countryside to the south east of the town, the northern fringe of the town and the heart of the town. Enhancing the river and providing attractive pedestrian and cycle routes along it will help to encourage sustainable movement across the town.

To bring vacant underused town centre sites back into viable economic use and secure the decontamination of these sites as part of the development. The redevelopment of these sites also provide opportunities for town centre living, improved pedestrian and cycle links and zero carbon development to act as a catalyst for the transformation of Trowbridge.

To promote the production and sale of local produce (including food and services) in Trowbridge, to increase self suffi ciency and reduce the need to travel. This would tie in with the aim to improve the retention rate of skilled people.


Investigate opportunities for branding and promoting sustainable local initiatives in Trowbridge to look to promote wider sustainability objectives. Opportunity to tie Trowbridge to overarching council sustainability objectives, or to introduce town wide sustainable movements such as the Transition Network, or One Planet Sutton. Initiatives can look at promoting retrofi tting homes to reduce carbon emissions, promotion of local goods and services, allotment caretaking (as part of the temporary use of vacant sites), support of decentralised energy network, care and management of the natural environment and promotion of sustainable movement.

Opportunity for the Council to lead by example through the refurbishment of their properties integrating sustainable technologies and renewables wherever possible and taking the lead in setting up a wider renewable energy network. Also potential for caveats to be included in the sale of Council land to require future developments to use best practice sustainability techniques and renewable energy generation.

Investigate potential for implementation of decentralised energy in Trowbridge, particularl looking at where and how local energy schemes can be implemented.

Level 2 SFRA for the town required to inform riverside development opportunities.

Transforming Trowbridge, Wiltshire Council, – can be tied into the masterplan but it would be a separate action. Potentially would involve the cooperation of several organisations and community champions.

Energy consultants already appointed to inform the LDF and masterplanning process.

Level 2 SFRA required to inform LDF and masterplanning process.


Test potential options for viable re-use of sites

Consider options for promoting local through masterplanning and other council initiatives.

Test through the masterplanning process.

Masterplan and other council initiatives.


6. Transforming Trowbridge - Area Framework

Introduction

This section of the report provides a breakdown of Trowbridge on an area-by-area basis and provides a vision for each zone in terms of land use and character. The key function of this approach is to assist in providing appropriate advice as to the suitability of schemes for particular areas and particularly to identify where proposals may be inappropriate for a given site.

The approach defi ned for each area is also intended to act as an agreed baseline for the development of a more detailed spatial masterplan which will consider block structure and street networks, detailed movement issues and deliverability.

This section identifi es two options for a core group of site in the town centre, largely stemming from the options available for St Stephen’s Place and the options which fl ow from this. In other respects the surrounding sites and issues over key routes and connections remain the same.

Transforming Trowbridge area framework diagram - option one

option two inset

1

2

3

45

67

8

9

10

11

1213

1415

16

17

18



Transforming Trowbridge area framework diagram - option two

1

13

14

15

1. Town centre – retail and service core

2. Stallard Street/Wicker Hill/Fore Street – professional/service/higher density housing (northern part)

3. Station – Transport interchange4. River Way – industrial area in

transtition5. Broad Street – residential6. Sainsburys – edge of town food

retail7. East Trowbridge – residential8. Roundstone Street – professional/

service9. Polebarn Road – residential/

professional/service10. Ashton Mill – mixed industrial/

service11. Trowbridge Park – open space12. Tesco – edge of town food retail13. Cradle Bridge – Riverside

opportunity site14. Castle Street/Court Street

– mixed use enterprise/evening economy/residential

15. Riverside – leisure/service16. County Hall – civic17. West Trowbridge – residential18. Bryer Ash business park –

business



1. Town centre – retail and service core

EXISTING

The existing town centre of Trowbridge has grown gradually westwards from the original core area of Fore Street, fi rst into the Shires shopping centre and more recently with the development of the Shires Gateway scheme on the western side of Bythesea Road. This effectively gives three complementary shopping areas – the fi ne-grain historic core which acts as the eastern ‘anchor’; the large format retail boxes which act as the western ‘anchor’ and the covered shopping area of the shires which provide a range of local and national retailers.

ISSUES

The main issue facing the town centre is that of east-west movement. The recent development of the Shires Gateway has highlighted the acute lack of good pedestrian connections west from the Shires entrance with people having to wend their way through a decked car park and then cross a busy road.

There are two principle options which should be considered in tackling this:

Option 1 - Remodel Asda: In the event that Asda seem likely to remain on the site for the foreseeable future, investment could be made to improve the east west pedestrian connection through the creation of a new route from the Shires entrance, across the front of the Asda store and continuing past the job centre to Bythesea Road; or

Option 2 - Re-locate Asda: It may be possible to relocate Asda to the Cradle Bridge site, releasing the present area for new development. In this situation the aim should be to create a retail environment which establishes strong east-west links in a street-based model, overcoming the barrier effect of the existing car park and providing a much stronger relationship with the river corridor.

In either situation, it would be helpful to seek the long term removal of the petrol fi lling station as this creates a very car-dominated environment.

The future of the Cradle Bridge site will also have a signifi cant bearing on the eastern end of the town centre, and particularly the Castle Place shopping centre. If a food store were to be

located at this side of town (see options for site 14) then it would be desirable to see the redevelopment of the shopping centre and car park to create a more street-based scheme which can properly link the new development with the Fore Street area. It would also provide a previously missed opportunity to establish a stronger relationship between the town centre and the park and open up new direct walk routes from more remote locations such as Tesco and the housing areas beyond.

The Shires is a major element of infrastructure and also accounts for a large share of the town centre shopping. It is likely that it will remain in its current form for the foreseeable future. However, as and when development options are considered, they should focus on the establishment of a street-based character which relates to the river and one which will allow for more gradual and piece-meal adaptation in the future.

VISION

A strong retail centre with a principle • east-west access and a strong retail circuit including Fore Street, the Shires

and Shires Gateway;

A positive relationship with the river • corridor, including new pedestrian routes and active use of the space for bars and cafes;

A signifi cant reduction in the barrier • effect created by the existing decked car parking, either through redevelopment as a street-based retail area or through more gradual remodelling.

KEY PROJECTS

Establish whether the Asda store • should move to the Cradle bridge site or not;

Create an appropriate vision for the • regeneration of the Asda site and the Castle Place site;

Establish strong east-west connections;•

Prioritise the creation of a strong • relationship with the river.


Area 1, town centre - option 1

Area 1, town centre - option 2

1

1


2. Stallard Street/Wicker Hill/Fore Street – professional/service/housing

EXISTINGThis site contains the former Bowyers factory and a number of businesses along Wicker Hill and Fore Street beyond the northern edge of the town centre. The site is bounded by the historic route along Stallard Street, into Wicker Hill and eventually Fore Street which is a mixed area, heavy with traffi c but blessed with many interesting and characterful historic buildings. A number of premises on Wicker Hill are already home to professional and service businesses whilst on the Stallard Street end there are a number of vacant and underused buildings associated with the former Bowyers site. The area also contains a signifi cant public space around the river crossing, although this is weakly defi ned by some of the buildings and badly affected by the impact of highways engineering.

The Bowyers site closed in 2008 after 203 years in Trowbridge. The removal of this major food processing use leaves a collection of older buildings accompanied by a much larger areas of modern factory building and large areas of open hard standing.

The older elements of the Bowyers complex have potential for creative redevelopment and re-use. The remaining buildings have little merit as business premises and even less as architectural specimens.

ISSUESThe Bowyers part of the site benefi ts from being close to the station and close to the town centre. It also has a long frontage onto the river, although it largely turns its back on this at present and the uses on the opposite bank are industrial in nature. Although previously designated as an employment site the northern part of the Bowyers site has the potential and the capacity to deliver a substantial amount of housing whilst providing jobs into a more focussed corridor along Stallard Street. This area could provide new space for business and professional services in the historic buildings at the southern side of the site where they would have both excellent access and good visibility.

Due to the former industrial character of the Bowyers site it is likely to require remediation work to bring it to a suitable standard for modern development.

The development of the wider area needs to balance the impact of heavy traffi c with aim of providing an important east-west pedestrian connection and making best use of an impressive array of historic buildings.

The area around the bridge is severely compromised by the existing highways arrangement, and particularly the servicing to the northern side of the Shires. The two storey row of modern buildings running east from the river may provide a good development opportunity, and would be particularly benefi cial if the servicing could be re-planned and the river frontage opened up to more active use.

VISIONA new area of predominantly • residential development on the part of the Bowyers site to the north of the listed buildings. This area is on the edge of the town centre providing both affordable and private housing in a mix of unit types;

A thriving business quarter on the edge • of the town centre characterised by a strong stock of historic buildings along

the main streets;

A strong frontage onto the river, • including the creation of a riverside walk;

The provision of an improved • connection through the area linking Innox Road with the town centre; and

A strong east-west corridor with clear • wayfi nding and high quality public realm linking the station with the historic core of the town.

A revitalised public realm including • the creation of a clearly defi ned public space around the bridge over the river and improved relationship between the activities and the river.


2

Area 2, town centre - Stallard Street, Wicker Street, Fore Street

KEY PROJECTSCreation of a new route linking the • station with Wicker Hill;

Establishment of a strong block • plan across the redeveloped parts of the area to create street-based development;

Development of new housing on the • northern part of the Bowyers site with an appropriate mix of units types and tenure to meet local needs;

Refurbishment of the historic buildings • at the edge of the Bowyers site to deliver business/enterprise space and new public realm;

Integration with proposals for a new • transport interchange at the station and proposals for the wider Bowyers site; and

Review of the existing uses and • ownerships of the buildings immediately to the east of the river to establish a model for regeneration and renewal.

RATIONALEThe approach of considering some • residential development in the northern part of the Bowyers Site recognises the fact that there is very little potential for large scale employers to be attracted to the town centre, and that housing may represent the most appropriate viable use.

Balancing this, the main route is a key • approach to the town and is relatively heavily traffi cked. It is therefore important to ensure that it maintains a strong commercial/business character and that it is recognised as a location which would not be best suited to residential development.


3. Station – Transport interchange

EXISTINGThe present station environment is very weak, approached from either side through areas of car parking. The station itself comprises relatively modern buildings on the western side of the line but has otherwise very modest facilities. The approach to the town centre from the station is poor, with the natural inclination being to walk through the Shires car park. Contrary to this, a clear and direct route could be established through the southern part of the Bowyers site which would provide an attractive and direct route to the Fore Street core of the town

ISSUESThe existing station is not integrated with bus services in the area. The existing availability of land presents an opportunity to overcome this through creating a transport interchange which would provide better linkages and hence promote public transport use.The area around the station needs to be attractive and the routes into the town centre clear and well-defi ned. This is vital to create a strong positive impression for the town. Whilst there should be a good case to make for some

3

Area 3, station - transport interchange

retail around the station area, this should primarily be focussed at meeting small scale convenience needs and should not include a signifi cant food store element.

VISIONA new transport interchange • integrating bus, rail and taxi provision;

A strong built form and public realm • which establishes a clear positive image for Trowbridge; and

A clear route from the transport • interchange to the town centre, including the establishment of a clear new route linking to Wicker Hill as part of any proposals for the Bowyers site.

KEY PROJECTSUndertake a feasibility study to • demonstrate how this would be achieved, and the level of integration that can be expected between the bus and rail services; and

Review of the land ownership issues.•

RATIONALE

An attractive and effi cient transport • interchange will promote public transport use, and particularly facilitate integrated trips which link train use with bus or bicycle.

An attractive point of arrival in • Trowbridge is an important asset for businesses located in the town, particularly in terms of establishing positive perceptions for visitors.


EXISTINGRiver Way is an area of Trowbridge which has a long history of heavy industrial use. The historic maps of the area reveal that this has been the location of a signifi cant gas works, but that there has also been a woollen mill and a Malthouse. Whilst the built form of the area is very fragmented, some historic industrial buildings do remain in use. E J Shanley and Sons waste reclamation centre is located in the north of this area, having a signifi cant impact on its surroundings, both in terms of the use on the site and also due to the frequent heavy lorries.

ISSUESDue to the historic and current patterns of use the site is likely to be heavily contaminated, rendering any redevelopment project very expensive. In addition, the Shanleys site is likely to prove diffi cult and costly to relocate due to the embedded nature of the business and the cost of fi nding an alternative suitable site.

Although the site has a long frontage onto the river, it fails to take advantage of this, and turns away from the water. New employment development to the south east of Trowbridge which is in proximity of the A350 may provide an opportunity

4

Area 4, River Way – industrial area in transtition

to move some of the industrial uses currently located in the town centre.

VISIONThis will be an area in transition, with • anti-social heavy industry uses gradually being replaced by cleaner businesses and uses, particularly on sites south of River Way;

The move to cleaner industries • and uses will be accompanied by an improved relationship with the river;

Measures should be encouraged to • reduce the impact of the Shanley’s site in the short/medium term; and

As the site has many complex • constraints including contamination, level changes and existing businesses a phased approach to development is likely to be required. The masterplan should identify how phases may come forward in a way which creates a cohesive urban form rather than piece-meal development.

KEY PROJECTS

Establishing a long-term approach to • the gradual de-industrialisation of the area;

Focus on the areas south of River Way • as the primary target for regeneration

4. River Way – industrial area in transtition

and more hospitable uses facing onto the river corridor; and

Ongoing liaison with Shanleys and • the other businesses regarding long term options and potential to relocate outside the town centre.

RATIONALEThis area is both complicated and • expensive to tackle due to the existing and historical uses on the site. Although close to the town centre it does not have the fundamental impact of some of the key sites and therefore cannot be regarded with the same high priority.

Despite this, there will be some • pressure for change, including opportunistic proposals for small parcels of land. This will not produce cohesive long-term results and so it is considered that there will be need for a strategy which can demonstrate how development may proceed on a phased basis but ultimately deliver a unifi ed urban area.


EXISTINGThe Broad Street area is dominated by traffi c and provides the principle gateway to the town centre for much of the northern half of Trowbridge. The closure of former industrial uses, including the Ushers Brewery has released signifi cant areas of land, some of which has already been taken up by housing development and some which has been left as open space and brought into use as car parking and bus layover space.

ISSUESThe existing gyratory system is a signifi cant element of road infrastructure and presents a poor quality pedestrian environment. On the other hand, the recent development to the south of Broad Street and on the Back Street site demonstrates a suitable scale and grain for new development.

VISIONA signifi cant remodelling of the road • network in the area to remove the gyratory effect and return more streets to a simple two-way fl ow to improve the pedestrian environment;

Continued gradual development of the • area for town centre housing; and

Priority given to the creation of good •

5

Area 5, Broad Street – residential

5. Broad Street – residential

quality north-south pedestrian links

KEY PROJECTSInvestigation of the technical and cost • implications of removing the gyratory system; and

Review of the long term parking • strategy, including an assessment of whether the existing surface car park can be removed so that the site can be released for development.

RATIONALEThe existing gyratory arrangement • facilitates higher traffi c speeds and creates a more hostile environment for pedestrians and cyclists. Re-engineering these roads to conventional two-way streets will create a more humane environment.

Improvements to the public realm, • including greater priority for pedestrians will promote walking for short trips and reduce car use in the town centre.


EXISTINGAt the time of writing a substantial new Sainbury food store is being developed on the site. Additional residential development is also planned, but not yet under construction.

ISSUESThe plans for the store, which are currently being implemented, show a large retail unit which is orientated to face away from the town centre, towards a large car park to the north east. Whilst a walkway is provided back into the site with frontage from two retail units this is unlikely to provide the kind of quality environment which will promote linked trips into the town centre as part of a Sainsbury shop.

In terms of the wider public realm the scheme provides a very poor elevation onto Conigre and the Upper Broad Street - essentially offering blank elevations and service yards to face onto key public routes. The very rectilinear shape of the rear of the store is interspersed with incidental planting.

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Area 6, Sainsburys – public realm improvements

To ensure that the potential for linked trips is maximised it is very important that the two secondary retail units in the scheme are actively used, and investment is required in the public realm and crossings including Manvers Street to create a strong link from the store to Fore Street.

VISIONGiven that the store is due to open • shortly, it would be reasonable to expect that it will remain in its present form for a considerable time. However in the longer term, improvements to the public realm linking the entrance of Sainsburys and the town centre should be made to encourage Sainsburys shoppers to use the town centre shops.

KEY PROJECTSPublic realm investment including • improved pavements and crossings to establish a strong link from the store to the town centre.

6. Sainsburys – public realm improvements

RATIONALEThe Sainsburys store is likely to • attract mainly car-based trips, and the orientation of the store away from the town centre towards the car park and the poor quality of the pedestrian link is likely to discourage shoppers from also visiting the town centre. A signifi cant improvement in the quality of the public realm is therefore necessary to overcome this and promote the idea of linked trips.


7. East Trowbridge – residential

EXISTINGThe eastern side of Trowbridge town centre includes a wide selection of residential areas, ranging from the new development around Brewery Walk, through the attractive historic area around The Halve to the attractive suburban streets east of County Way.

ISSUESFor this area, the principle issue is that of east-west connections into the town centre. Those streets to the north of Roundstore Street/Hilperton Road have reasonable access to the town. However, those outside County Way and south of Hilperton Road are severely cut off, with extremely limited access. The roundabout at the end of County Way is a major contributory factor due to the pedestrian underpasses and the lack of at-grade pedestrian facilities.

VISIONResidential neighbourhoods which have • better access to the town centre; and

An reduction in the impact of the car • to create a better pedestrian realm.

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Area 7, East Trowbridge – residential

KEY PROJECTSConsideration of ways in which • additional road crossings can be providing to link across County Way; and

Investigation of alternative designs for • the roundabout junction to provide a more pedestrian and cycle-friendly environment.

RATIONALEReducing the dominance of the car • will have a benefi cial impact on the character of the area, promoting the use of walking and cycling and creating a more attractive gateway to Trowbridge from the eastern approach.


8. Roundstone Street – professional/service

EXISTINGRoundstone Street is a mixed area, including a signifi cant number of impressive historic buildings. It is populated by a range of uses, from solicitors and other professionals at one end of the spectrum through to take-aways and marginal retail uses at the other. It used to be the principle approach into Trowbridge from the east, but its narrowness, coupled with the gradual shift of the town centre towards the west and the development of County Way has reduced its role in the shape of the town.

ISSUESThe retail uses in this area are very secondary, whilst professional services and other business appear strong. Given the gradual shift of the town centre to the west, it seems that this area will continue to be marginal for retail and so there should not be an unrealistic requirement to retain this use when others might fare better.

The relatively large square and public parking in the middle part of Roundstone Street, coupled with the edge-of-town nature of the area does make it a sensible location for takeaways and restaurants,

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Area 8, Roundstone Street – professional/service

although clearly one would wish to see a quality of shop front and presentation commensurate with the historic buildings.

VISIONA mixed edge-of-town area including • and range of professional functions and local services; and

A strong public realm to assist in • creating better links into the town centre for areas east of County Way.

KEY PROJECTSEstablish planning policy which permits • existing retail premises to switch to service/offi ce use or residential use.

RATIONALEAs this is a very marginal area for • retail and the centre of gravity of the town centre is likely to remain in the west it is unreasonable to expect any signifi cant renaissance of retailing here. However, it is an area which could accommodate a growth in small scale employment, particularly in professional services and small business sectors. This will help Trowbridge to retain a signifi cant employment level in the town centre, supporting the vibrancy and quality of the shopping and leisure.


9. Polebarn Road – residential/professional/service

EXISTINGPolebarn Road is a relatively quiet street, isolated from the town centre by the park and cut off from the adjoining residential areas by County Way. The area is predominantly residential although there are some interesting exceptions to this including a Magnet showroom and the local police station.

ISSUESThe severance which has occurred due to the imposition of County way is perhaps most easily observed in this area, with terraces stopping abruptly, only to continue on the other side of the road. Whilst a pedestrian underpass still links Polebarn Road with West Ashton Road and an informal link is clearly well used between the two halves of Ashton Street this sense of separation lends a very quiet cul-de-sac feel to this part of town. This quiet residential feel makes the presence of a large Magnet retail unit all the more surprising.

VISIONProtection of the strong architectural • heritage and gradual extension of the residential character as and when sites become available; and

Establishment of stronger connections •

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Area 9, Polebarn Road – residential/professional/service

to the outlying residential areas to encourage more people to use Polebarn Road as an access to the town centre.

KEY PROJECTSReview the pedestrian network in • conjunction with the other projects in the area; and

Highlight the potential and parameters • for residential development on anomaly sites, particularly the existing Magnet retail building.

RATIONALEThis is an area which is relatively • isolated from the rest of the town centre and lacks the high level of through traffi c and visibility which might make it suitable for commercial uses.

The Magnet site at the southern end • of Polebarn Road remain an anomaly. Its replacement with housing would reduce the number of large vehicle movements in the area and help to create a more unifi ed and cohesive streetscape and pedestrian network.


10. Ashton Mill – improved linkages

EXISTINGExisting mixed industrial area, focussed around the Knees Agricultural Machinery manufacturing facility. The building itself is an interesting mill building which is a signifi cant landmark on a prominent site.

ISSUESThis is a relatively isolated area of manufacturing and industrial space. However, it has good visibility, interesting historic buildings, riverside setting and good transport access. Whilst there is no intention to disrupt existing uses it is likely that the site could sustain a number of other possibilities in the long term if the site became vacant. Therefore, in the longer term, it may be appropriate to consider how the uses in the building will diversify and perhaps become more open to public access. Sites such as Salts Mill in Saltaire, Bradford, demonstrate how buildings such as this can accommodate both ongoing studio/business use as well as providing gallery, restaurant and retail space. In this event, the frontage relationship with the river corridor is likely to offer rich potential for integration.

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Area 10., Ashton Mill – improved linkages

VISIONRetention of the existing uses within • the site; and

Improved relationship between the site • and the river corridor.

KEY PROJECTSNone•

RATIONALEThe existing uses represent a viable • approach for the present, and the Vision for Trowbridge should support the continued presence of a range of employment on the site.

For the longer term, the location • and format of the building would suggest that there is potential for it to be opened up and for uses to be diversifi ed. However, this is not a high priority given the out-of-centre location and established existing uses.


11. Trowbridge Park – open space

EXISTINGTrowbridge park is one of the prime assets of Trowbridge town centre. It combines open park areas, formal gardens, children’s play areas and sports provision to provide a superb resource for the local community.

The Park’s biggest weakness is in its access and setting. The main link from Fore Street into the park is narrow and offers little signal to the casual visitor of the space which lies beyond the buildings. The buildings themselves largely turn their backs on the park, with perhaps the Castle Place shopping centre and car park being the most signifi cant missed opportunity.

ISSUESAlthough the park is a continuation of the river corridor, County Way creates a signifi cant barrier and sense of severance. As housing for Trowbridge expands to the south and east it would be attractive to think of this corridor as a strong walking/cycling route into the town centre. However, it will need signifi cant improvement to achieve this.

The Royal Mail sorting offi ce site on the northern side of the park may provide

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Area 11, Trowbridge Park – open space

a long term development opportunity which could both create a new access way into the park but also provide an element of active frontage and defi nition.

VISIONA park which continues to provide the • highest standard of open space and leisure provision for the town centre;

Improved linkages with the town • centre including some elements of active frontages which will take advantage of the parkland setting; and

Attractive links with the river corridor • extending to the south east, promoting the opportunities for walking and cycling into the town centre.

KEY PROJECTSProposals for the river corridor, • delivered as a component of the off-site improvements delivered with any major new housing scheme; and

Consideration of the park access • and setting in any of the surrounding projects which share a boundary with the park.

RATIONALEImproved access and stronger frontages • will reinforce what is already a major asset for Trowbridge, promoting greater public access and improving key pedestrian links from the south into the town and from the park along the river corridor.


12. Tesco – improved linkages to town centre

EXISTINGThe Tesco store to the southern side of County Way is a large format store, although as it has been built in a series of phases over time it is perhaps not as well confi gured as a more modern unit. Its very broad range of stock and long opening hours, coupled with convenience of access by car means that it is very attractive to people travelling in from the edges of the town. For some people it effectively replaces the functions of a town centre for the kind of short convenience shopping trips that happen at lunch or as part of a daily commute.

ISSUESThe scale of the store and ease of access makes it attractive. However, given the signifi cant distance from the town centre and the barrier created by County Way it would be reasonable to assume that there is a very low proportion of those shopping at Tesco who also then walk into town as part of a linked trip. By providing such a wide offer, the store effectively drains vitality away from the town centre (as is the case with all out-of-centre stores such as this).12

Area 12, Tesco - improved linkages

This area also includes a substantial pedestrian bridge over County Way, providing access from the housing to the south into the town centre. The quality of pedestrian environment created here is poor, and likely to discourage people from walking, particularly outside daylight hours.

VISIONImproved connections from the • store to the town centre, including potentially at-grade road crossings.

KEY PROJECTSCreation of a new at-grade pedestrian • network including a crossing of County Way.

Other options for improving linkages • should be explored through the masterplan process.

RATIONALEImproved links from the town centre • to Tescos and the surrounding housing will promote walking and cycling, particularly facilitating linked trips into the town centre.


13. Cradle Bridge – Riverside opportunity site

EXISTINGThe area known as Cradle Bridge comprises sites on either side of the river, with a slim site bounded by the river and County Way and a more rounded site inside the river with frontage onto the park. The northern site is presently clear awaiting further proposals, whilst the southern site is home to some redundant manufacturing buildings. Both have previously been the subject of a planning application for a foodstore.

ISSUESThe sites together benefi t from considerable frontage onto the river and also onto the park. In addition they have excellent access by car.

There are essentially two options for this area, interlinked with the retail centre in area 1 and particularly the option to relocate the existing Asda store adjacent to the Shires.

Option 1 - In the event that the existing Asda store remains in its present location it would be appropriate to extend the organic growth of the Castle Street /Court Street area to provide mixed use development which can accommodate a range of enterprise, leisure and housing.

Further detail on this approach is included in the proposals for area 14.

Option 2 - In the event that the Asda store is removed from its existing location a new store could be provided on the main part of area 13 north of the river whilst site to the south could include elements such as petrol fi lling station and a hotel. This scenario should trigger the project to redevelop the existing Castle Place shopping centre and car park to create a signifi cantly better connection to the High Street and frontage into the park to ensure that the food store is properly linked with the town centre and not seen as an isolated project.

Any food store development in this area should not be permitted to proceed without establishing a sensitive urban design approach that creates active frontages to the park, integrates residential development and is orientated towards the town centre rather than towards County Way.

The area to the south of the river is crossed by a major underground sewer running broadly east-west. This is a major element of infrastructure which

will need to be relocated as part of any development scheme, requiring either a strong commercial proposition or some element of cross funding or subsidy.

VISION - OPTION 1A mixed use area characterised by • buildings which are suitable for a wide range of uses and draw on the character of the historic mill quarter; and

Creation of strong frontages onto the • park and the river.

KEY PROJECTS - OPTION 1Relocation of the sewer within the • southern area to permit development; and

Establishment of a strong block • structure and design code, integrated with area 14.

VISION - OPTION 2A new food store development linked • closely to the town centre;

A scheme which creates good quality • active frontages, particularly towards the park and which is orientated towards the town centre; and

Development which maximises the use • of the river.

KEY PROJECTS - OPTION 2A capacity study to assess the detail • issues around delivering a foodstore in an appropriate design;

Discussions with Asda as to the • potential for them to close their existing store; and

Relocation of the sewer within the • southern area to permit development.

RATIONALEDue to the western growth of the • town centre it is considered that town centre-style retail development would be inappropriate on this site as it would elongate and dilute the main retail core.

Whilst it may be acceptable to consider • an edge-of centre use such as the relocation of the Asda food store, this is predicated on the subsequent improvement of the existing Asda site to benefi t the town centre and also on the creation of much stronger pedestrian linkages to the Cradle Bridge area to ensure that the problems experienced with the new Sainsbury’s store and Shires Gateway scheme are not repeated.


Area 13, Cradle Bridge – Riverside opportunity site - option one Area 13, Cradle Bridge – Riverside opportunity site - option two

1313


14. Castle Street/Court Street – mixed use enterprise/evening economy/residential

EXISTINGThis area is the part of Trowbridge which perhaps best demonstrates the industrial character of the historic town. The mix of retained mill buildings, workshops and courtyards provides a series of robust spaces which are suitable to a wide range of uses and the scale of the buildings is strongly urban in character.

The existing buildings are occupied by a spectrum of small businesses ranging from creative industries through to workshops. The unpretentious character of the area means that it is relatively affordable and so provides a starting point for new enterprises. It is also home to a number of existing restaurants and cafes and there is the potential for this to be nurtured and grown as a more mature evening economy quarter, particularly given the potential for the riverside frontage and the signifi cant increase expected in the resident and working population.

ISSUESThe area does have a number of sites which have been cleared and are now typically used for parking – these fragment the character of the area but do offer potential for intensifi cation.

14

Area 14, Castle Street/Court Street – mixed use enterprise/evening economy/residential

The area has weak connections to the town centre, particularly due to the way in which the Shires shopping centre cuts off the original route of Court Street, closing it with a service yard and providing only a small back door into the shopping centre. The mill buildings also largely turns away from the river corridor, despite the walkway. The area has the potential to deliver new connections which could be particularly strong if this includes new river crossings into area 15.

Land ownership is likely to be fragmented in an area such as this, meaning that any development or regeneration is likely to be an organic and gradual process.

VISIONThe Castle Street/Court Street area • has the potential to become a thriving mixed use quarter, providing space for enterprise and creative industries;

The river frontage should gradually • be opened up with existing and new buildings taking advantage of the setting; and

The area should become the focus for • evening economy activities linked in with the leisure proposals for area 15, including opportunities to establish

water-front bars and restaurants.

KEY PROJECTSEstablishment of a clear block structure • and design code for the area which will deliver fl exible, adaptable spaces rather than tightly defi ned single-use buildings;

Establishment of a working group of • landowners and potential developers to implement plans; and

Integration with the approach for area • 13, dependant on the outcome of proposals for the existing Asda site.

RATIONALEThe Castle Street/Court Street area • has a mix of building stock, existing uses and available development land which makes it a very attractive proposition for gradual intensifi cation and improvement. Its location between the town centre and the river also suggests that it could provide an ideal setting for evening economy uses, mixed with offi ce/studio space and town centre apartments to create a very vibrant feel. The proposal to locate larger scale leisure development immediately across the river will complement this approach.


15. Riverside – Leisure/service

EXISTINGThe Riverside site lies between County Hall and the river corridor. It includes a number of sites in relatively low intensity use, many of which are given over to council services such as providing the depot site for the mobile libraries. The existing library building at the southern end of the site is likely to be removed and the library service relocated into the Civic Campus across the road.

ISSUESDespite its proximity to the town centre the site has very weak connections with the rest of the town and takes no advantage of the riverside setting.

The northern part of the site is backed onto by the Asda site. A combination of the raised store and the falling ground levels mean that the store presents a signifi cant dead elevation on this side and is dominated by the store servicing area.

As with area 13 this site is crossed by a large underground sewer which runs on a curving path approximately parallel to the river. This will need to be moved prior to any major redevelopment and will be a substantial cost.

15

Area 15, Riverside – Leisure/service

VISIONThe Riverside area has the potential • to establish a new leisure quarter for Trowbridge, including sports and leisure facilities as well as more commercial leisure opportunities such as a cinema and bowling alley. This approach will be complementary to the more organic evening economy proposals for the Court Street/Castle Street area and both will relate closely to the river corridor; and

The site will open up new east-west • connections from County Hall into the town including new river crossings. To achieve this it will need to include a street-based block plan and avoid creating areas which are dominated by blank frontages or vehicles.

KEY PROJECTSRelocation of the sewer to facilitate • development;

Relocation of the existing council • services and other uses to deliver sites;

Establishment of a strong block plan • to agree the approach to routes and connections; and

Integration with the proposals for the • other riverside sites.

RATIONALEThe existing riverside area is • substantially in public ownership. It has the potential to deliver a signifi cant area for new development including major leisure uses including the provision of a new leisure centre.

The leisure centre project would be • driven by the public sector, giving a greater degree of control over the design, and particularly the network of streets and spaces. It will also provide the critical mass necessary to tackle key issues such as the underground sewer which crosses the site.

The Riverside area has the potential • to unlock signifi cant new connecting routes which will anchor the Civic Centre more closely into the town centre. This is important both for public access to the Civic Centre, but also recognises that the Civic Centre is a key employment location which could benefi t the town centre if links are improved.


16. County Hall – civic

EXISTINGThe original County Hall building, completed in 1940 is a distinguished and imposing structure. However, it has a relatively poor outlook, with no direct visual or pedestrian link with the town centre. It is also lumbered with a now-dated extension block to the south which provides signifi cant additional offi ce space. The setting and approach to the building is also dominated by the large surface car park.

ISSUESIn the context of the town centre, the Council is one of the most signifi cant employers. Furthermore, it is currently reviewing its outlying offi ce buildings with a view to consolidating it operations onto the main site on Bythesea Road. This provides an excellent opportunity to consider how the existing buildings might be updated and perhaps extended.

The weakness of the connections to the town centre is a signifi cant hindrance, both in terms of providing easy access to services provided by the Council, but also in terms of promoting use of the town centre facilities by the Council’s staff. In the event that the library is moved into the main civic campus this separation will become ever more acute.

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Area 16, County Hall – civic

VISIONThe civic campus has the potential to • expand and intensify, improving the setting of the original building and improving access to services whilst also reducing the impact of parking on the public realm; and

As part of the projects for areas 14 • and 15 new vistas and routes need to be established which will connect the council more closely with the town centre.

KEY PROJECTSCoordination with the Council’s offi ce • space strategy; and

Coordination with the proposals for • areas 14 and 15.

RATIONALECounty Hall is a signifi cant landmark • building. Integrating it more closely with the town centre and providing a more attractive urban setting is a key element in improving the perceptions of Trowbridge as a substantial and dignifi ed county town and in providing excellent public access to services.

As a major town centre employer it • is important that County Hall is well integrated with the town centre to encourage employees to take advantage of the retail and leisure offer.


17. West Trowbridge – residential

EXISTINGThe western side of Trowbridge is a predominantly residential area, characterised by Victorian terraces in the area immediately to the west of the railway tracks giving way to successive generations of development with each stage westwards. Interspersed with this are small areas of industrial and business space, including council offi ces at Bradley Road. The other signifi cant land use in the area is schools.

ISSUESThis area of town is isolated from the town centre and outlying areas are generally low in density. This is likely to promote car trips in favour of walking or cycling, and may also discourage use of the town centre shops and services given the comparative ease of access to out-of-town retailers by comparison. Routes into the centre are limited to two crossing points – Stallard Street by the railway station and then Mortimer Street and County Way. Although this second pair provides two separate bridges, they are located so close to each other that they provide little additional benefi t or choice of routes for pedestrians.

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Area 17, West Trowbridge – residential

In addition to the barrier created by the railway the road network in the area is also signifi cant. The character of County Way and the gyratory systems at Bradford Road and Longfi eld Road provide a high speed car-based environment which is unattractive for pedestrians.

VISIONThis area will become better linked • with the town centre, including better quality of routes and additional linkages where they can be created; and

The existing gyratory systems will be • improved to provide more humane streetscape and more attractive gateways to the town centre.

KEY PROJECTSIdentifi cation of suitable funding • sources, either through public sector fi nance or more likely through developer contributions as part of other development projects

Investigation of options for • improvement and potentially technical studies through a formal transport strategy for Trowbridge which should set out priority projects.

RATIONALEA stronger network of streets is • important to improve pedestrian links from this signifi cant residential area to the town centre.


18. Bryer Ash business park – business

EXISTINGThe existing business park on the western side of the station is a modest, modern set of three storey buildings surrounded by car parking.

ISSUESThe existing buildings are likely to continue in serviceable use for some time. However, given the potential for the station to be upgraded to a proper transport interchange and the step change in the intensity of uses on the other side of the railway lines it would be sensible to review whether this site should accommodate more intensive uses in the longer term. This may incorporate residential use as part of a mixed use scheme, or might include additional business space.

VISIONAn attractive mixed use development • which creates a better context for the station and hence a better gateway for the town.

KEY PROJECTSPromotion of the concept and the • wider regeneration strategy with the landowner to identify the potential for additional development. Area 18, Bryer Ash business park – business

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RATIONALEWhilst this site performs relatively well • in its existing setting, this setting could change substantially and create an impetus for more intensive use around the station.


On the basis of the preceding work, we would wish to make the following conclusions and recommendations to the Transforming Trowbridge Board:

Role of TrowbridgeTrowbridge has an established role as the county town of Wiltshire and should continue to build on this. It should be expected that it will provide a focus for the surrounding market towns in terms of retail, leisure, employment and civic functions. It is clear from the work to date that Trowbridge cannot expect to compete with Bath, Bristol or Salisbury in terms of retailing - these centres will always be able to offer a wider range as well as more comprehensive choice at the quality end of the market. Trowbridge therefore needs to provide a good core offer for shoppers in the local area, particularly focussing on the ease of access and the quality of the overall shopping experience.

There is also a clear role for Trowbridge as a location for employment and housing growth both within the town centre and at the strategic development site to the south east of the town (as identifi ed in Wiltshire 2026 Core Strategy). Additional housing and jobs are needed

7. Conclusions and Next Steps

to support the town centre’s role in providing a retail, leisure, employment and civic facilities and to achieve the vision for Trowbridge.

Town centre retailingThe shape and extent of the town centre has changed signifi cantly with the development of the Shires and the subsequent Shires Gateways schemes over the last twenty years, with the focus of the retailing centre moving gradually westwards. This has created an elongated centre which would benefi t from further consolidation rather than any signifi cant expansion. Whilst the St Stephen’s Place site presents the opportunity for new retail development it would not be appropriate to regard this as an extension of the core centre which would further fragment the town. However, it may be possible to consider the relocation of the Asda store to this site and thereby free-up the existing Asda site for improvements and intensifi cation which would signifi cantly benefi t the centre and the wider context.

In considering how to make the town centre more attractive to both retailer and shoppers it is also important to consider the quality of the public realm and car parking, and to identify

target areas for improvement. These are essential elements of the quality of experience for visitors which play a big part in defi ning shopping habits.

Evening economyTrowbridge has an under-performing evening economy, and particularly lacks destinations and restaurants at the upper end of the market and provision for families. These are regarded as essential if Trowbridge is to attract and retain better shops and businesses. Along with Trowbridge, surrounding towns have previously identifi ed a desire for a cinema, and this would bring with it a halo of other leisure offers. The status of Trowbridge within this group of towns, together with its ease of access by rail from Warminster, Westbury and Bradford should make it the preferred location for this project. The Riverside site has been identifi ed as a suitable location, and benefi ts from close proximity to the station, the river corridor, the main shopping centre and also the proposed wider evening economy development of the Court Street/Castle Street area.

Town centre housingThis study has identifi ed that a number of edge of centre sites may be suitable for housing, in some cases contrary to

their existing land use designations. This approach acknowledges that the town centre has suffi cient land availability to meet existing and projected retail needs and the need for substantial business sites in the town has receded in favour of smaller, more organic patterns of employment. By contrast, town centre housing has the potential to be very sustainable, to add vitality to the local economy in combination with housing growth to the south east of the town (as identifi ed in Wiltshire 2026).

Quality versus viabilityThere will be a continuing tension to balance the aspirations of high design quality and high sustainability standards with the commercial realities of the market. There is no simple answer to this and decisions will need to be taken on a site-by-site basis in the context of the wider impact on the town. A greater degree of compromise to commerciality may be viewed as more acceptable for projects which are only expected to have a short term lifespan. However, for key sites and for those which are intended to bring long term change it is particularly important to ensure that any scheme meets the high aspirations set for Trowbridge.


KEY ACTIONS

In terms of the key sites, the preceding report identifi es a set of recommended approaches and actions across the town centre. However, the following sites and projects are highlighted as being the most pressing and/or tangible, and hence those which require prompt action:

Key town centre sites

The future purpose of the Cradle Bridge/St Stephens Place area is fundamental to the future shape of the town. The town centre food offer will be well served following the completion of the new Sainsbury store, meaning that there is not likely to be capacity for another signifi cant store in the foreseeable future. However, as the Asda store is seeking to expand, and given the problems of their existing site for the wider town, it may be appropriate to consider a relocated Asda food store at St Stephen’s Place provided that the existing store is then offered for non-food retail and preferably redevelopment. In addition, it would be advantageous to any new development to secure the redevelopment of the existing Castle Place shopping centre and

car park. This approach essentially offers signifi cant potential for retail expansion in the centre of Trowbridge.

In the event that Asda wishes to remain on its present site, the future of the St Stephen’s place/Cradle Bridge area is likely to be much more organic and focussed away from retail. In this eventuality, the importance of Castle Place shopping centre is greatly diminished.

Next steps

Engage with Asda and the owners of • the key sites to discuss the potential options;

Agree a preferred scenario for the St • Stephen’s Place site;

Explore the detailed site capacity • and design options through the masterplanning process; and

Provide further design and • development advice for the existing Asda and Castle Place sites if required.

Former Bowyers site

This report has concluded that the best long term use for the main area of the

Bowyers site would be to establish a new area of town centre residential development, whilst the historic buildings to the south/east of the site should be included within the proposed employment area. Given the location of this site so close to the station and the town centre there should be a detailed consideration of the likely split between dwelling types, but given an area of around three hectares excluding the historic buildings and main street frontage this site should be expected to deliver in excess of 200 new dwellings, some of which will be family housing.

Next steps

Engage with Vision Capital to discuss • their response to the proposals;

Consult and engage with the HCA on • their aspirations for the site; and

Explore the potential design options • through the masterplanning process.

Riverside

The Riverside site has the potential to create a dynamic new leisure and recreation area for Trowbridge, provided it is agreed that this would be a suitable


location for a new Council sports and leisure facility. A public-sector led development of this sort would facilitate the re-routing of the sewage pipe which is at present a major barrier to development. It would also act as an anchor scheme for the delivery of a cinema and other associated leisure uses.

Next steps

Consideration by Wiltshire Council of • the potential for leisure development on the site;

Identifi cation of further opportunities • for uses and linkages through the masterplan project; and

Integration with the wider proposals • for the Civic centre site and the Court Street/ Castle Street area.

The potential development of the Riverside site for leisure, the planned refurbishment of nearby County Hall and potential development sites around the town centre provides an excellent opportunity to develop an energy/heat network in Trowbridge. It is recommended that this potential is explored further in the next stages of work.


Research and analysis recommendations for the masterplan

Expertise required

Core Strategy Other

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ATTRACTIVE TOWN CENTRE

Review opportunities for temporary uses on vacant sites with landowners, Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Town Council, Transforming Trowbridge Board and other local bodies

Policy support for temporary uses on vacant site to be included in Core Strategy

Engage with local landowners

Review retail strategy to inform options for vacant sites in terms of the quantum and type of retail that is likely to be able to be supported. Additional telephone survey of shopping habits to be undertaken if detail not provided in Wiltshire Retail Strategy, also further detailed research into lifestyles and consumer habits through a wider ACORN study.

Policy support for approach to retail in Trowbridge to be included in Core Strategy

Test land use options for vacant sites in more detail, building on concept outlined in Vision and Scoping report.

Masterplan to inform emerging Core Strategy and Site allocations

Engage with local landowners

Test options for approaches to town centre management

Explore options for implementing town centre management regime through use of S106 funding from major new town centre development.

Review public realm audit undertaken for Trowbridge UDF and River Biss SPD and update where appropriate

Explore options for implementing through S106 from larger developments and listing as priority projects

Review quality of the historic environment and identify areas and buildings where improvements are required



Expertise required

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EMPLOYMENTConsult with local businesses and employees to identify what changes could make them locate in Trowbridge.

Results to inform masterplan and Core Strategy

Identify appropriate locations for new restaurants, cafes, arts and leisure uses in the town centre

Link to LDF proposals map

Identify areas appropriate for the promotion of “long life - loose fi t” building design to allow for conversion between employment and residential uses in suitable areas.

Promote through Core Strategy

Identify buildings suitable for adaptation for small and medium sized businesses.

Promote through Core Strategy policy

Investigate potential for Trowbridge to develop and promote its good broadband speeds and good accessibility

Core Strategy to highlight Trowbridge is a centre for business growth

Explore marketing options with key stakeholders



Expertise required

Core Strategy Other

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MOVEMENTIdentify opportunities for improved arrival points to the town centre by enhancing landscaping and way fi nding signageEnsure new housing and employment and the redevelopment of the large vacant sites are sustainably integrated into the town with good public transport, pedestrian and cycle connections and legible links to the station, along the River Biss and to the town centre

To tie in with movement policy for Core Strategy

Investigate options for improving the ring road environment - particularly improved crossings, pedestrian and cycle routes, bus priority measures etc

Coordinate with Core Strategy

Investigate potential to rationalise town centre parking and moving long stay parking to the edge of the town centre and land swap sites, building on results of Wiltshire Car Parking Strategy

Results of on-going Parking Strategy to inform overall level of parking necessary to retain.

Identify future technology trends in green transport, particularly green private motor vehicles and look at ways to encourage usage. The potential to promote a smarter travel initiative should be investigated

Policy to support green technology required in Core Strategy

Investigate traffi c management in the town centre and opportunities to improve the pedestrian experience.

Develop strategy in masterplan - require overarching strategy in Core Strategy

Look at opportunities to enhance the railway station environment building on the LTP2 proposals.



Expertise required

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HOUSING

Identify locations suitable for new housing, building on the work in this report, and further detail particular site requirements based on urban design, connectivity and building design.

Opportunities for new town centre housing quantifi ed through this process and integrated into the Core Strategy.

Identify suitable mix of housing types (tenure and size) on a site by site basis in association with Wiltshire’s Housing Department

Set out infrastructure requirements associated with new housing development, including education, contamination remediation, transport links and community needs. New housing outside to the south and east of Trowbridge is likely to require a greater level of infrastructure investment

Ensure Core Strategy enables S106 contributions towards this. Site Allocations DPD should also follow masterplan advice

Engage with HCA to investigate potential for assistance with special infrastructure costs such as land remediation



Expertise required

Core Strategy Other

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ENVIRONMENT

Investigate opportunities for branding and promoting Trowbridge as a sustainable town

Vision for Trowbridge as examplar sustainable town incorporated into Wiltshire Core Strategy

Investigate opportunities for retrofi tting homes to reduce carbon emissions, allotment caretaking, decentralised energy network and sustainable transport modes (see movement section too)

Energy Strategy for Trowbridge required, this should inform both the masterplan and wider LDF work. Promotion of energy/heat network as part of the refurbishment of County Hall in association with nearby development, particularly at Riverside should be explored.

Local initiatives can also take place outside the planning framework

Ensure development does not increase surface water run-off and is not at risk of fl ooding from the River Biss - the results of the Level 2 SFRA commissioned by the Council should inform this work

Level 2 SFRA to inform acceptable extent of development and mitigation measures required

Investigate extent of contamination and sewer constraints on vacant former industrial sites around the town centre - recent reports on contamination undertaken for Bowyers site along with reports from other sites to be reviewed.

Investigate options for the production and sale of local goods and produce - potential to promote this through the temporary use of vacant sites as allotments, and protection of existing allotments and local markets and businesses

Local initiatives can also take place outside the planning framework



Expertise required

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KEY PROJECTS & ACTIONSThe Area Framework set out in Section 6 should be used as a basis for developing the masterplan. Complex sites which may require further detailed work through the development of a development brief following on from the masterplan include: - Bowyers site & River Way (sites 2 & 4)- Cradle Bridge (site 14)- Castle Street/Court Street (site 15 already benefi ts from a Brief, which could be updated)- Riverside (site 16)

A vision and key projects have been provided for each site. These should be tested and detailed further.

In addition to this the potential for Design Frameworks for each area should be explored in the initial stages of the masterplan process, and developed where considered most appropriate.

The Core Strategy should identify Trowbridge as a key location for housing and employment growth (as set out in the preferred options) but refer to the detailed masterplan for policy requirements for each site. A Site Allocations DPD can detail the allocations further if this is deemed necessary.


The Masterplan

Given the conclusions of this report, there is a clear requirement for a masterplan which begins to map out the vision and set key parameters for particular sites. However, in this instance, there is also a more dynamic role for any masterplan team to enable and help shape the approach to key sites and work with closely with both the council and key land owners.

The masterplan should be developed using the preceding table as a guide to the key strands of work required to produce a masterplan that is capable of meeting the vision for Trowbridge and is deliverable.

SPD or AAP?As mentioned earlier, the masterplan could be developed as an Area Action Plan (AAP) or a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), depending on how the Council wish to use it. An SPD would be quicker to produce, as it entails less statutory consultation and is not subject to examination, whereas an AAP once complete would have more material weight when it comes to making planning decisions. It is recommended

that discussions are undertaken with the Wiltshire Council’s Spatial Planning Team to determine which route would work within the context of the emerging LDF.

Given the complex nature of the sites and scale of change in the town centre it is anticipated that the AAP route may be preferable as this is potentially the most robust method, is capable of directing Core Strategy policy and suitable for areas of signifi cant change. It is also considered preferable as an AAP is able to change designated land use, something which may be important for a number of sites. The AAP should focus on implementation - providing an important mechanism for ensuring development of an appropriate scale, mix and quality for key areas of change.

It is recommended that a steering group including representatives from the Transforming Trowbridge Board, key offi cers of Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Town Council and other key stakeholders such as the HCA, is fully involved throughout the production of the SPD/AAP (as used for the production of this Vision and Scoping Report). The steering group will help to guide the production of the AAP. The level and

type of consultation should be planned with reference to the requirements of Wiltshire’s Statement of Community Involvement.

Masterplan productionIt is recommended that the following key stages be undertaken in the formulation of the masterplan AAP:

Stage 1: Baseline reviewReview of the information collected to date including forthcoming LDF evidence base documents such as the forthcoming Wiltshire Parking Strategy, Wiltshire Retail Strategy, Level 2 SFRA for Trowbridge sites and Energy Strategy for Wiltshire. The research elements highlighted in this report (in the previous table) should be reviewed and progressed at this stage. Additional baseline evidence should be collated to complement and update the existing baseline information collected for the Urban Design Framework for Trowbridge (see page 27 of this report).

Stage 2: Options testingPreliminary options for the masterplan should be developed from the ideas set out in chapter 6 of the scoping report. Up to three options for major

opportunity areas or masterplan themes should be developed, and these should be tested through workshops with key local stakeholders including land owners, local businesses and residents.

Stage 3: Masterplan developmentThe results of the initial consultation should inform the development of a draft masterplan document which should form the basis of wider consultation. The draft masterplan should be clearly and concisely laid out, with appropriate summary text to explain rationale, baseline work and consultation to date.

Stage 4: ConsultationThe consultation at this stage should meet with Regulations 25 (Town and Country Planning Regulations 2004 and 2008), requirements and include a variety of consultation methods to engage with a wide range of local people in a meaningful way. Methods of dovetailing consultation with other Council consultation should be explored and the potential to use existing Council publicity and newsletters to engage with the public fully explored.

Stage 5: MasterplanThe masterplan should be developed taking into account the results of the


consultation and an Implementation and Delivery Plan should be developed to illustrate phasing, key partners, funding and timescale for key projects and actions outlined in the masterplan. This plan will be a critical outcome for the masterplan and should highlight key actions and issues that need to be addressed in order to implement the masterplan successfully.

Stage 6: Pre-submission consultationA further round of statutory consultation should be undertaken at this stage, to comply with Regulation 27 of the Town and Country Planning Regulations 2004 and 2008).

Stage 7: Submission and examination in public and adoptionThe fi nal masterplan document should be submitted for Inspection following any minor changes. If signifi cant changes are required these should be consulted on. Following examination a fi nal version of the masterplan should be produced incorporating the inspectors changes.

SEA, Habitat Regulations Assessment & Equalities Impact AssessmentA Sustainability Appraisal should be produced to support the production

of the masterplan, and to fulfi l the requirements of the SEA Directive and Planning regulations. The production of the SA should tie in with the stages of production of masterplan and inform its development.

A scoping exercise should be undertaken with regard to the Habitat Regulations Assessment to assess whether a Habitat Assessment will be required. In addition to this an Equalities Impact Assessment may be required.

Key issues for the masterplan to address

The masterplan will need to include the following key components:

An agreed approach to the key • sites including a catch-and-steer role working with developers and landowners;

A framework for block structure, • movement and public realm for key areas where change is envisaged;

A guide as to the design character and • attributes for buildings in each area;

Identifi cation of key infrastructure • and public realm investment required, together with identifi ed means of

funding;

An approach to transport and • movement issues, including the proposed transport interchange, changes to key junctions, parking and the wider pedestrian and cycle network; and

An agreed approach to the design and • use of key public spaces.


Bibliography

British Council of Shopping Centres (2009) Medium and Smaller Sized Towns - Raising the Game

DTZ (2009) Wiltshire Workspace and Employment Land Strategy

GVA Grimley (2009) Castle Place & St Stephens Place Active Asset Management and Development Opportunities

Porphyrios Associates (2002) Trowbridge Masterplan

South West Regional Assembly (2006), The Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West 2006-2026

The Wiltshire Strategic Economic Partnership (2009) The Wiltshire Strategic Economic Assessment 2007/2008

Trowbridge Town Council, Wiltshire County Council, West Wiltshire District Council, South West Regional Development Agency (2003), Trowbridge Urban Design Framework and Baseline Report

Hartley, K.J. & Jones, A.D. (2009) Trowbridge Through Time

La Vardera, D. (2003) West Wiltshire Towns

West Wiltshire District Council (2006), West Wiltshire District Plan

West Wiltshire District Council (2004) Land at East Trowbridge Development BriefWest Wiltshire District Council (2005) Trowbridge Car Parking Strategy

West Wiltshire District Council (2006) Trowbridge Town Centre - Conservation Character Assessment

West Wiltshire District Council (2002) Realising the Vision for Trowbridge - Summary of Consultation and Research

Wiltshire Council (2008) River Biss Public Realm Design Guide

Wiltshire Council & GVA Grimley (2009) St Stephen’s Place Draft Brief

Wiltshire Council (February 2010), Trowbridge Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

Wiltshire Council (2009) Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment

Wiltshire Council (2009) Wiltshire 2026 Planning for Wiltshire’s Future

Wiltshire Council (2009) Wiltshire 2026 Planning for Wiltshire’s Future, Spatial Strategy Background Paper

Wiltshire Council (2009) Wiltshire Annual Monitoring Report 2008-2009

Wiltshire Council (2009) Wiltshire 2026 Sustainability Appraisal

Wiltshire Council (2009) Wiltshire 2026 Strategic Sites Background Paper

Wiltshire Council (2009) Wiltshire 2026 Vision and Strategic Objectives Background Paper

Wiltshire Council (2009) Broadband Provision in Wiltshire, Initial Report

Wiltshire Council (2010) Community Area Profi le statistics

Wiltshire LDF (2009) Strategic Transport Assessment

Wiltshire County Council & Swindon County Council (2006) Wiltshire & Swindon Structure Plan 2016

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Transforming Trowbridge

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