central windsor neighbourhood plan for...

Central Windsor Neighbourhood Plan for Business

Windsor 2030

Draft for pre -consultation: 14 September 2015

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Central Windsor Neighbourhood plan for Business | Windsor 2030

Map

First draft for consultation 14 September 2015

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Contents

Map ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 2

Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 4

History of Winds or ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5

How we gathered evidence and consulted ................................ ................................ .... 6

Key Concerns and Issues ................................ ................................ ............................. 7

Objectives ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 8

Policies (policy framework in this draft) ................................ ................................ ........ 9

Legal ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 13

Annex 1: Examples ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 14

Annex 2: Evidence Base ................................ ................................ ............................ 15

Annex 2: SWOT Analysis ................................ ................................ ........................... 16

Annex 3: Strategic Environmental Analysis ................................ ................................ 17

Annex 4: Shop and Building Frontage Policies ................................ ........................... 18

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Introduction

The Central Windsor Neighbourhood Plan for Busin ess is known as Windsor 2030 to reflect the period the plan covers.

It is a pioneering plan, one of the few neighbourhood plans in the country representing

both residents and businesses. Its aim are:

Conserving and enhancing our heritage

Supporting a

Promoting economic growth

Windsor is, of course, famous for its castle and it receives about seven million visitors

per year. The royal association, going back almost a millennium, makes the town an

internationally recognised brand.

Windsor is also where its residents call home and it has traditionally served as a

market town for the surrounding area, serving from Bray to Ascot, a role that it still

fulfils today with a vibrant shopping area. e

experience it has been able to adapt to the downturn in retail better than most hence

the paramount objective of conserving and enhancing our heritage in this plan . Recent

growth has been in its leisure offering , with over one third of shop space bein g in this

sector, from coffee shops and hotels to bars and nightclubs.

The town is not without its problems, however. Research conducted to support this

plan has shown a town that is suffering from parking and access problems , losing

business occupiers at an alarming rate and suffering from a lower quality of shops than

its local demographics and visitors might otherwise suggest . This i s in danger of

creating a downward spiral for its commercial core to

reverse this .

Windsor 2030 came about as a result of the collapse of the previous Central Windsor

Neighbourhood Forum . The previous forum , based on the historic parish of Clewer

Within , was on the on e hand thought to be excluding the w est of Windsor (traditionally

Clewer Without ) and on the other not giving a voice to the businesses that make up the

heart of the town. The divergent views proved impossible to accommodate and much

better progress has been made with neighbouring plans working alongside each other .

The polici es in this document are its core , covering both preservation and growth .

These have intentionally been kept to a minimum, recognising that much of the

neighbourhood is in a conservation area and that the borough already has detailed

policies covering thes e and other topics. Windsor 2030 aims therefore to complement

these and, b y giving the centre the focus it deserves, a more far -ranging plan for the

future than might otherwise have been possible.

The plan aims to achieve significant economic gr owth, above recent trend rates

appropriately for Windsor celebrating tradition .

Windsor 2030 thanks the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead for its financial and

political support as well the professional assistance of council officers.


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History of Windsor

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How we gathered evidence and consulted

Founding the Forum

Publicising the Forum and seeking views

Vision Day

Surveys and other primary research

Third party research

First draft consultation

Second consultation

Evidence base

The full evidence base is listed in Annex 2


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Key Concerns and Issues

The following key concerns and issues emerged from the evidence base

Heritage

Environment

Retail

Business

Access & Parking

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Objectives

The following are the objectives of this plan . These are aimed at addressing the

concerns and issues which emerged .

1. Conserving and Enhancing our Historic Environment

elling Point" (USP). Preserving and enhancing this is

the top priority of the neighbourhood plan. This applies to buildings, to the

environment and to the public realm such as parks and open spaces.

2. Supporting a Five Star Windsor

central area, to businesses, employees, residents and visitors . This experience includes

their journey to and from the town as well as the facilities and attractions t hey have

come to enjoy.

3. Economic Growth

Being a business neighbourhood plan, representing the commercial core of the town as

well as providing services and employment to residents , economic growth is a priority.

The objective, however, is not merely to support the status quo but to achieve and

enable significant growth relative to recent decades .


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Policies (policy framework in this draft)

General design standards

Policy G1: Aesthetic design

Windsor is a unique and globally famous location. It is theref ore reasonable to expect

the highest standards of architecture and materials to match. This is a higher

standard than the general requirement of the National Policy Planning Framework

(NPPF), to improve upon or to match the building being replaced or thos e nearby. New

buildings and modifications must also meet the aspirations of the neighbourhood

businesses and residents to deliver simultaneously a "5 star Windsor", to maintain and

enhance the historic environment and the traditional feel of Windsor, main taining

economic growth. It is this that will enable Windsor to compete with more modern

shopping centres by providing the historical experience.

Note that building that are of a very high standard and very attractive in their own right

might not necessari ly be appropriate for this neighbourhood. They must be not only of

the highest standard but also fit with Windsor and be identifiably British. This is not

to specify a particular style of architecture but it does mean that they must contribute

to the fee ling of a celebration of tradition .

Policy G2: Density

the typical Georgian and Edwardian buildings existing in Windsor, taking particular

account of the need to match or enhance particular street scenes.

Policy G3: Parking provision

Developments that provide additional parking (relative to current provision) for

employees, customers and residents will be looked on more favourably than those that

do not. Underground parking will be preferred and applications that do not provide

this may be refused on these grounds.

Policy G4: Cycle parking provision

Developme nts that provide additional cycle parking (relative to current provision) for

employees, customers and residents will be looked on more favourably than those that

do not. Those that do not provide this may be refused.

Shop and Building frontages

[Shop and building frontage policy being prepared separately by RBWM - NP to be in

alignment]

Site allocations

Peascod Place: Policy S1

This site is as drawn on the following map. Applications for this site will be favoured if

they support the following: a mix of a large anchor -store, high quality family

apartments together with ample parking for both.

[map of Peascod Place]

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King Edward Court Shopping Centre: Policy S2

Enhancement of this location will be favoured if it improves: (1) the visual aspect from

the outside of the centre, (2) the quality and quantity of parking provision and (3)

.

[map of KEC]

This area is supported as distinct shopping area for small businesses and

independents in particular. This caters especially for residents, as distinct from the

more visitor -orientated areas nearer the castle . Applications should enhance this

offering to be approved.

[map of St Leonard's Road]

Windsor Riverside: Policy S4

[1902 picture of Alexandra Gardens]

Building, residential or commercial , in the riverside area shall be consistent with the

masterplan pro vided [awaiting drawings]

This shall conform to all the following principles:

Views of the castle and river shall be preserved or enhanced

The public pleasure parks and riverside shall be preserved or enhanced

The building design shall celebrate tradition. That is, it shall accord with the

general design policy G1 above

Building on car and coach parking sites is supported provided suitable

alternatives are found and that it is consistent with the masterplan

A new station and transport interchange will be included supporting a through

rail link, taxi ranks, bus stops and better integration with car parking


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[map of Windsor riverside area]

New parking

Policy P1: Safeguarding existing parking

Given the extreme shortage of parking, no building that dim inishes the net parking

supply will be supported unless suitable alternatives are provided.

Policy P2: New parking

Additi onal parking will be supported , subject to there being no loss of public realm and

preserving or enhancing historic views and complianc e with other policies , in the

following locations :

Under Alexandra Gardens

York House multi -story (behind existing council office)

Victoria Street multi -story

King Edward VII (additional deck half above and half underground)

East Berks College car park [precise boundary of NP to be confirmed]

Hog Common [just outside this NP but recommended to outer Windsor NP]

Windsor Riverside station (provided consistent with rail proposals, policy S4)

Policy P3: Preserving the historic environment

New or expanded surface and multi -storey parking, other than as identified in P1

above, is viewed as detrimental to the historic environment and adding to traffic and

pollution problems, especially so in or near to the conservation areas, They shoul d not

be permitted.

Developments on sites that provide underground parking will be viewed more

favourably, subject to traffic analysis.

Transport

Policy T1: Integrated transport hub

Access to the town has been identified by the research as critical to the survival and

sustainability of the retail and commercial core, as well as a key issue for residents.

The construction of a railway tunnel joining the two existing lines via a tunnel to make

a through line is, therefore, supported. [subject to continued support in BLP ,

consultation live ]

A new railway station, in conjunction with the line upgrades, is supported, provided it

is consistent with the riverside masterplan (policy S4). This is also provided that the

two existing station buildings and historic views are mainta ined or enhanced.

The new station shall improve upon integration with bus, taxi and car parking facilities

with the aim of: (1 ) reducing the need for car usage, pollution and other stress on the

roads for a given economic activity and (2) improving the overall experience of

employees, residents and visitors to the town centre.

Public Realm

Public realm, both green spaces and stre ets, emerged as a highly valued component of

Windsor. At a macro level these are already protected under the borough local plan

http://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200414/local_development_framework/594/emerging_plans_and_policies/3

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and in the conservation areas but it is also important to ensure that street furniture,

road and path surfaces and other fixtur es are designed to achieve the overall effect.

Policy R1: Maintenance of public realm

[Separate policy document on standards of fittings in public spaces]

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