council report - worcester city masterplan - adoption

Report to: Council, 16th July 2019

Report of: Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee

Subject: REFERRAL REPORT FROM POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE -

WORCESTER CITY CENTRE MASTERPLAN - ADOPTION 1. Recommendation

1.1 That the City Council adopts the Worcester City Centre Masterplan in

accordance with the recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee.

2. Background

2.1 At its meeting of the 4th June 2019, the Policy and Resources Committee recommended that the Worcester City Centre Masterplan (the masterplan), attached

as appendix 1, be referred to the Council for adoption. 2.2 A briefing session for all Members took place on the 13th June 2019. This enabled

officers to update Members on the changes to the Masterplan. A copy of the presentation is attached as appendix 2.

3. Preferred Option

3.1 The preferred option is for the City Council to adopt the City Centre Masterplan in line with the recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee on 4th June

2019. 4. Implications

4.1 Financial and Budgetary Implications

At its meeting of the 6th February 2018, the Policy and Resources Committee allocated £500,000 towards the delivery of the Masterplan. This funding will be used

to commission various studies and feasibility work to enable the City Council to make decisions as to the best approach to delivering the aspirations of the Master Plan.

4.2 Legal and Governance Implications

The Place and Economic Development Sub-Committee will be asked to review the funding arrangements and agree a way forward for the delivery of the adopted

Masterplan.

4.3 Risk Implications

There is a risk that the aspirations of the City Centre Masterplan will not be delivered if abnormal constraints are identified and not resolved.

4.4 Corporate/Policy Implications

Once adopted the masterplan will be used to guide future planning decisions and

Development Plan allocations for the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

4.5 Equality Implications None directly arising from this report.

4.6 Human Resources Implications

None directly arising from this report.

4.7 Health and Safety Implications


4.8 Social, Environmental and Economic Implications

Numerous opportunities will arise through the adoption of the masterplan, including:

• ensuring that a number and range of homes can be provided;

• fostering a well-designed and safe built environment, with accessible services

and open spaces;

• contribute to protecting and enhancing the natural, built and historic

environment;

• making effective use of land;

• ensuring sufficient land is available in the right places to support growth,

innovation and improved productivity; and

• identifying and coordinating the provision of infrastructure.

Ward(s): Arboretum, Cathedral, St Johns and Bedwardine Contact Officer: Nick Kay Tel: 01905 722560

Email: [email protected] Background Papers: Appendix 1: Report of the Policy and Resources

Committee, 4th June 2019 Appendix 2: Member briefing presentation

Report to: Policy and Resources Committee, 4th June 2019

Report of: Corporate Director, Place

Subject: WORCESTER CITY CENTRE MASTERPLAN - ADOPTION

1. Recommendation

1.1 That the Committee recommend to Council to adopt the City centre masterplan.

2. Background

2.1 The City Council approved the funding for the production of a City centre masterplan (masterplan) in March 2017 and consequently the Worcestershire LEP also agreed to make a contribution. A new masterplan was identified as the appropriate response to

a number of key town planning, economic plans and development projects that had progressed since the David Locke Associates stage one Master Plan was completed in

July 2012.

2.2 A masterplan project group was created of senior members and senior officers (Chair and Vice Chair of Place and Economic Development Sub-Committee, Worcester City

Council Managing Director, Chief Executive of the Worcestershire LEP and Worcestershire County Council – Economy & Highways) to oversee the masterplan

development.

2.3 A competitive procurement process occurred in which NODE were successfully appointed as masterplan consultants. The consultants brief was, in summary, as

follows:

Overall Master Plan Aims:

• A successful and growing “first division” Cathedral and University City, with more homes, businesses and jobs

• A City with prestige tourist, education and retail attractions

• A place that maintains its “city in the country” feel, its valued heritage assets and environmental quality

Overall Master Plan Objectives:

• the centre’s mixed-use regeneration sites

• a new strong and high-class and growing City centre commercial offer • an improved City centre retail/cultural offer

• on-going growth of the university and college • an urban design context for future growth that recognises its “university and

cathedral” character

• a step change in infrastructure and transport investment that focuses growth in the City centre

2.4 The masterplan presents a long term vision for the City centre. It is therefore

important that it is based upon broad political, stakeholder and resident support to

ensure that it can fulfil its roles as a planning document and as a means to engage

with the investment market, government agencies and external stakeholders.

2.5 Throughout the masterplan development process a number of engagement exercises

have occurred including:

• Creation of a project board which included Officers of Worcester City Council,

Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire Local Enterprise

Partnership as well as chair and vice chair of Worcester City Council Place and

Economic Development Committee (PED).

• Stakeholder workshops which focused on ‘seeing the wider picture’, ‘putting

plans in place’ and ‘delivering the vision’ were undertaken and were attended

by numerous stakeholders including Historic England, Civic Society, Canals

and Rivers Trust, Environment Agency, West Mercia Police, Network Rail,

University of Worcester, Worcester Cathedral along with land owners and

other interested parties.

• Member briefings after stakeholder workshops and Member workshop.

• One to One meetings with a number of key stakeholders including Heart of

Worcestershire College, Worcester BID along with land owners.

2.6 These engagement exercises aided the direction and production of the draft

masterplan, which was launched to public and stakeholder consultation on the 9th

October 2018.

2.7 The consultation process on the draft masterplan document finished in December

2018 and included:

• public and business engagement events (Crowngate and Guildhall)

• public questionnaire (City Council website) • stakeholder engagement consultations.

2.8 A report was presented to, and noted by, the Place and Economic Development Committee, at its meeting in January 2019 presenting the results of consultation and

suggested amendments to the masterplan in response.

2.9 The key amendments to the draft masterplan relate to:

• Maintaining the same provision of car parking spaces, controlled by the City

Council, within the City centre

• Looking at ways to extend Cripplegate Park without impacting upon highway capacity.

3. Preferred Option

3.1 The masterplan proposes a range of different land uses for sites within the City centre as well as providing design parameters for those sites. The final version of the

masterplan can be viewed at www.worcester.gov.uk/masterplan.

3.2 It sets out four main character areas of the city centre which incorporate public

realm improvements along with proposals for changes to the movement network around the city centre incorporating additional pedestrian/cycle routes as well as

destination car parks.

3.3 The proposals in the masterplan will provide opportunities to bring development

forward, to coordinate that development and to improve the public realm, not least in the areas around the two railway stations.

3.4 The masterplan, once adopted, will help inform site allocations within the South

Worcestershire Development Plan. This will mean that it will have significant weight

in the planning process as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. Upon adoption the masterplan will replace the previously noted David

Locke Associates stage one masterplan.

3.5 Using the masterplan as a ‘framework for decision making for proposals within the

city centre’ has a wider scope than purely planning-related matters. The masterplan is also a regeneration tool as a means of promoting the City centre to the

investment, development and occupier markets. It provides a vision and objectives to shape development proposals, identifies development opportunities and provides guidance for a number of Council-owned assets. Close partnership working with

partners and stakeholders provides a coherent and consistent strategy for city centre regeneration which supports funding bids to government such as the recently

successful Cultural Development Fund (CDF) bid which secured £3m of external funding towards a £4.5m project to open up the Foregate Street railway arches as a

Cultural Hub - one of the key proposals from the masterplan. £100,000 has also been secured through One Public Estate 7 funding to explore potential of sites identified within the masterplan as opportunity zones. The draft document has also

been utilised in support of a bid for Future High Street funding with an announcement expected this summer.

3.6 The masterplan is not intended to be prescriptive in setting out exactly how sites will

be developed or the number of residential units or amount of floorspace to be

achieved. It is rather a flexible document that provides design guidance and the range of uses that would be acceptable and allows potential investors and their

design teams a degree of certainty when progressing schemes that will implement the aims and aspirations of the masterplan.

4. Alternative Options Considered

4.1 An alternative is not to adopt the city centre masterplan and allow development proposals to come forward in an uncoordinated, piecemeal basis. It is considered this is not an appropriate approach to guide development in the city centre.

4.2 It is likely that without a comprehensive approach to development of the city centre

only those sites that are viable in their own right will come forward and that opportunities for public realm enhancement and improvements to the movement network, in partnership with the County Council, will be missed.

5. Implications

5.1 Financial and Budgetary Implications

Budgetary provision of £500,000 was allocated for delivery of the masterplan as part of the budget-setting process for 2018/19. The anticipated balance on the reserve at

31 March 2019 is £450,770 (subject to the final outturn report).

Further resources will be required to ensure delivery of sites., However this will include public and private investment as well as exploring opportunities for potential funding bids. Requests for further resources, including anticipated outlay from the

existing reserve, will be brought to the Committee as and when required.

As indicated in the report, the masterplan can be utilised as high level guidance in support of funding bids. It should be noted that all of the bids promoted the aims and objectives of the masterplan and as such the document was extremely useful in

indicating the City Council’s planned direction.

5.2 Legal and Governance Implications None directly arising from this report. The adoption of the masterplan does not

commit the City Council to delivering any specific schemes or development

proposals; all with be subject to future decisions through the City Counci’s usual

governance processes and detailed analysis of all relevant considerations.

In planning policy terms, while the masterplan will carry weight, as explained

elsewhere in this report, it has not been developed as part of the City Council’s Local

Development Scheme.

5.3 Risk Implications

There are no specific corporate risks associated with the adoption of the masterplan.

However, opportunity sites will need to progress through the Development Management process, which includes consultation process and currently unidentified

issues may come to light. This can be partially mitigated with regard to City Council-owned sites through further additional survey reports before progressing to design

stage of the sites. It should be noted that the masterplan has been subject to consultation and all

stakeholders have had the opportunity to make representations.

5.4 Corporate/Policy Implications

The adoption of the masterplan, will support a number of themes in the City Plan

including:

Prosperous City – promoting sites with good investment opportunities.

Heritage City – promoting sustainable growth which balances historic and good

quality new build.

Healthy and Active City - promotion of walking and cycling routes.

Sustaining and Improving our Assets – particular focus around the riverside and

canalside.

5.5 Equality Implications The adoption of the masterplan will bring forward development opportunities within

the City centre. As the design process progresses on the individual sites equalities

impact assessment/considerations will need to be carried out.

5.6 Human Resources Implications


5.7 Health and Safety Implications


5.8 Social, Environmental and Economic Implications

Numerous opportunities will arise through the adoption of the masterplan, including:

• ensuring that a number and range of homes can be provided;

• fostering a well-designed and safe built environment, with accessible services

and open spaces;

• contribute to protecting and enhancing the natural, built and historic

environment;

• making effective use of land;

• ensuring sufficient land is available in the right places to support growth,

innovation and improved productivity; and

• identifying and coordinating the provision of infrastructure.

Ward(s): Arboretum, Cathedral, St Johns and Bedwardine Contact Officer: Nick Kay

01905 722560 [email protected]

Background Papers: Worcester City centre masterplan can be viewed at: www.worcester.gov.uk/masterplan

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council report - worcester city masterplan - adoption

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