Shaping Congleton's Future
Key Areas for Improvement
Policies 27 and 28 focus on enhancing the town centre by promoting pop-up uses for flexible commercial spaces and identifying areas for improvement throughout the town.
Policy 27 – Pop-up Uses in the Town Centre
Where planning permission is required, planning applications which seek permission for short term (less than 5 years) or temporary uses and structures that result in improved public realm within the town centre will be strongly supported.
Applications for these temporary or short term uses or structure should demonstrate how they will encourage increased footfall and time spent in each space. Each application should be accompanied by a management plan.
Temporary events, seating areas, parks and planting (including those associated with established uses) will all be supported subject to matters of highways, public safety and the amenity of neighbouring residential dwellings. In addition, temporary structures or spaces should also ensure that they are genuinely accessible and welcoming to all.
Busy Makers Market in the Town Centre
Justification
As part of the overarching approach to add flexibility within the town centre, the neighbourhood plan seeks to provide a policy that would encourage temporary – sometimes known as ‘meanwhile’ uses (where planning permission was required) – so that possible investors and business owners could seek to establish different uses that would not only support their own business growth, but further support the vibrancy of the town centre. Typically, this might account for the use of land or areas for outdoor seating, but may include any number of semi-permanent structures for which planning permission may be required.
It is often a ‘technicality’ that means that planning permission is required, and this policy is designed to ensure that whilst public health and wellbeing is maintained, a business owner or developer can explore a range of different aspirations in the confidence that they would be supported by the neighbourhood plan. In many cases the temporary nature of such development means that the Local Plan (parts 1 and 2) is entirely silent for decisions of this nature.
Policy 28 – Areas for Improvement across the Town
A series of improvement areas have been identified across the Town. This policy does not invite redevelopment of these areas but instead looks for tailored interventions of varying scales to ensure these areas make a more positive contribution to the visual quality and functionality of the Town.
These are:
- The area around and including surface parking on Stonehouse Green.
- Areas of hardstanding immediately surrounding Mountbatten Way, including car parks.
- Congleton Railway Station and the immediate area that surrounds it.
- West Street Conversation Area.
- Mill Street.
- Green Space behind the Town Hall.
- Capital Walk.
- Congleton Market.
Proposals, of all scales, that enhance the identified improvement areas will be supported in principle subject to the following criteria:
They consider parking provision and incorporate it, where necessary, into designs which avoid expansive surface car parks but at the same time incorporate a sufficient level of parking.
They consider parking provision and incorporate it, where necessary, into designs which avoid expansive surface car parks but at the same time incorporate a sufficient level of parking.
They support existing businesses, services and facilities and where possible enhance them.
They promote a mix of community and cultural uses that contributes to the existing activities in the Town.
They protect and enhance the character and appearance of designated and non designated heritage assets on or adjacent to each area, including the Conservation Areas.
They prioritise walking and cycling connections into the town centre and ensure any new routes are designed for all users and traffic free where possible
Improve access to public transport services.
They prioritise high quality public realm and incorporate landscaping and tree planting, creating new public spaces where possible.
They protect and make the most of key vistas and sight lines ensuring they are not lost through permanent or temporary structures.
They prioritise specialist housing and affordable housing where residential development forms part of the proposal.
Justification
This policy seeks to encourage and attract investment to improve the identified areas whether that be for simple public realm improvements, temporary initiatives to make better use of the space available or more involved redevelopment projects. This policy also seeks visual improvement, which may be achieved by investments in landscaping and Green Infrastructure provision. This and other interventions would not require the full redevelopment of a site.
There are areas across the town that do not make a positive contribution to the Town in terms of the condition and quality of the public realm and buildings. Some of these areas contain buildings and uses that are key to the town, for example the bus and railway stations, the library and police station. Other areas have already been invested to some degree and improvements made but there is more to do, for example, the Market Quarter.
All these areas form large important parts of the town centre that currently detract from the visual appearance of the Town or interfere with walking and cycling connections to, from and across the Town. Many of the areas are dominated by large surface car parks, some of which are located in key visual gateways into Congleton, giving a poor first impression to visitors. The only identified area not within the town centre is the area around the railway station.
This is strategically important for sustainable transport to and from Congleton but currently does not offer a convenient, pleasant environment for those walking, cycling or taking a bus to or from the railway station.
Phone
(01260) 270350
Address
Congleton Town Council, Town Hall, High Street, Congleton, CW12 1BN