REVIT Heritage Report.pdf

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Torfaen County Borough Council REVIT: A Review of the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Assets on Brownfield Sites 4.7.5 The existing green areas, water resources and open spaces are plentiful, although many green areas have no clear function and the spaces around the business premises are often in poor condition. There are also segments of open space without any clear function which tends to lower the quality of life in the area. The lay-out of the housing in the area is small-scale and there are a number of large business premises which clash with their surroundings. 4.7.6 The municipality’s view of the Piushaven is that its immediate surroundings should be turned into an area with a distinctive character with an attractive mixture of elements for living, working, and water recreation. The aim of the redevelopment of the Piushaven area is to create a usable harbour in direct proximity to the heart of the city. It is expected that this will also lead to a process of rejuvenation in the neighbourhoods around the Piushaven. 4.7.7 There are many aspects to the project: in addition to redevelopment of the real estate and restructuring of the industrial areas, a combination of retail trade, catering and recreation will be developed. 4.7.8 In 2000 the construction brief was produced which described the existing situation in the area, the environmental aspects and functions and socioeconomic structure, stressing the flexibility of Piushaven for the regeneration of the land, buildings and the environment. 4.7.9 Finally a construction brief was produced defining the main construction phases, the financing and proposed quality of design in terms of the layout, green spaces, water uses, functions and the environment. On the basis of the construction brief the municipality established a development vision for the area. 4.7.10 By producing these control documents the municipality aims to retain control over the further aspects of development in the Piushaven area. These controls include the urban development plan, the financial control and a covenant with the occupants concerning the interpretation of the plans. The municipality also looked in detail at matters such as energy consumption, anti-social business uses, health and effective sustainability. Tourism 4.7.11 The creation of a lively ‘harbour quarter’ in order to add an attractive and unique area to Tilburg. By retaining the historic aspect of the harbour with access for boats and providing berthing points for historic ships, this will act as a tourist attraction in its own right. In addition there are plans to develop the area’s café-culture in order to contribute to its attractiveness to a younger age group. 0014021/JM/001 39
Torfaen County Borough Council REVIT: A Review of the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Assets on Brownfield Sites 5 Conclusions 5.1 Introduction 5.1.1 Industrial heritage is increasingly recognised as a valuable and finite resource which forms part of our common European cultural heritage. Large parts of this legacy have already been lost and so it is vital to preserve the remaining sustainable elements of our industrial buildings, monuments and archaeological sites for future generations. The regeneration schemes which this report has examined generally, though not exclusively, involve a range of standing industrial buildings and structures, although sub-surface archaeological remains can be just as important to interpreting a site. 5.1.2 In this respect a central principle for providing the long-term conservation of historic buildings is that the most sympathetic form of re-use is nearly always the use closest to its existing or original function. However, the size and design of a building or structure, the level of statutory protection, the geographic location, the local economic requirements and community needs will always be important constraints in the regeneration of industrial sites. 5.1.3 Secondly finding a sustainable economic function is frequently the best way of ensuring the future preservation of a building. The loss of a sustainable function can make historic buildings vulnerable to demolition, neglect or vandalism. One solution to the problem of decline is to pre-empt that cycle of decline, if possible, and plan for re-use as buildings become vacant. 5.1.4 However, there must always be a balance between conserving the industrial heritage and new development. Brownfield sites are often archaeologically sensitive and require a proper assessment of sub-surface features in advance of design proposals. In terms of historic standing structures and sub-surface archaeology, early consultation is recommended in order that any constraints can be avoided in the design process and where this is not possible, any archaeological sites are recorded in advance, avoiding time and programming difficulties. 5.1.5 Sustainable tourism can also improve the balance between more or less affluent areas and contribute to the safeguarding of cultural heritage and the improvement the quality of life and education. Tourism is a key component in the safeguarding of the cultural heritage, functioning landscapes and the maintenance of biodiversity. 5.2 European Perspectives 5.2.1 There are many common themes to these European case studies. These include: • Transportation features: railways, canals; and • Waterways: rivers, docks, harbours, canals 5.2.2 During the 20 th century many historic dockyards, canals and waterways were abandoned but, where they survive, these represent an important resource which provides ecological habitats and in many cases can still supply sustainable tourism or a method of transporting bulky materials. In addition, most waterfronts have a distinctive historic character which, after regeneration, 0014021/JM/001 40
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