Design and Townscape Guide - Refresh 2009 (Consultation Draft)

Comment

Representation ID: 60

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

The Committee of the Leigh society welcome this draft Document.
It is clearly laid out, well designed and easy to read.
However, we feel it would be further improved if the sections in the Contents were labelled with page numbers for reference.

Comment

Representation ID: 61

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 4. The Environment and Urban Renaissance. It is the very strong view of the Leigh Society that the Southend on Sea planning team must have an Architect ARIBA of conversation and design experience to lead the quest for excellence in design.

Comment

Representation ID: 62

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 7. 1.3.4 Para 16 Commitment to the Environment.
The Prittle Brook creates a green way through the Borough. There is a strong need to de-sewer (grass-crete or paving on shallower angle walls) and improve the Brook from Belfairs to the Borough boundary as part of the cycle way and green grid proposals. We would like reference to possible improvements to the Brook in the text.

Comment

Representation ID: 63

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

1.3.5 Commitment to Good Design.
The Society feels strongly that in order to meet the demands of the text, an architect ARIBA with design and conservation experience must be part of the design and planning team.
The Society deplores the 'flat emply plot' situations where the built form of new buildings does not reflect the topography and sculptural shape of the land on which a new building stands, and where old and valuable planting is swept aside (Page 11 para 34 also refers.)
Southend on Sea has significant and important Estuary views, above and between buildings and respect needs to be paid to these, both near and distant, especially with tall buildings proposals.

Comment

Representation ID: 64

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 15. 44 Assessing Capacity.
It seems essential to us that a parking review follows as soon as possible, as the present Essex Planning Officer Association's standards have previously proved inadequate in the parking stressed areas, where the infrastructure is inadequate for historical reasons.
A major change in the EPOA standards is now proposed which we welcome as a step forward in reducing parked cars on our inadequate streets, in a worsening situation.
It might be appropriate at this stage to include a sentence to indicate that there will be some adjustment of parking requirements that will follow the parking standards review later this year.

Comment

Representation ID: 65

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 16. 2.3.1.2 Density.
'A good mix of housing types and sizes' is very welcome and long overdue. There is a severe lack of family homes in the Thames Gateway South Essex area, where 80% of all new dwellings are flats. We would like the present lack of 3 and 4 bedroom properties to be highlighted, and the present imbalance noted as a guide to developers.

Comment

Representation ID: 66

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 17. para 52.
Pre application advice should be extended as in other towns to include informal discussion between elected members as well as offices and developers.

Comment

Representation ID: 67

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 18. 54 Lifetime homes standard.
This is strongly welcomed. We expect that this will signal the end of he 'shoebox' flat.
We would welcome an addition at the end of this paragraph that 'wherever possible or feasible, conversions of existing houses or flats or other existing properties should recognise and reflet the lifetime homes standard'.

Comment

Representation ID: 68

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

Page 30. 2.3.4.2 Proportions and visual cues.
New buildings and extensions should be 'good mannered' neighbours.
Good detailing of buildings cannot be overemphasised enough, the set back of window frames from walls for example is essential to give interest to the building, and reduces the 'boring, dull and flat' effect so often seen around the town, usually accompanied by plastic windows and B and Q mass produced doors.

Comment

Representation ID: 69

Received: 04/06/2009

Respondent: Leigh Society

2.3.4.3 Continuity and enclosure.
The Victoria Wharf public car park and Strand Wharf are two open spaces that are visually poor and go against the grain of the Leigh Old Town, which is a tight area of compact dwellings with narrow vistas of the Leigh Creek and boats. We are aware of course of the Town Council's aspirations for Strand Wharf.
We would welcome a review and special planning document on the whole of the 'Old Town' including the car parks, cockle sheds and the unacceptable state of the cockle beach. Many of the cockle sheds are now refrigerators that could be sited elsewhere and different retail/craft maritime uses could be found to revitalise the area.
3 Plumb Cottage on Strand Wharf could be restored to enhance the proposals for Strand Wharf and its neighbours the Heritage Centre and the recently restored 2 Plumbs Cottage.