Feasibility Study for the Industrial Area - Part 1 (PDF 5 MB)

More documents

Recommendations

Info

7. Urban Design Audit 7.1 General Environment The study area is located along the riverside within the area of Walker in the East End of Newcastle. Walker has a broadly level topography, with the exception of the steep slopes of the Tyne gorge that are the key feature of the study area itself. As the Tyne has been deepened and narrowed to accommodate shipbuilding, the industrial riverside has a combination of steep slopes and flat man-made waterside plots. Industrial growth was shaped by the railways and the river and a railway once ran along the top of the cliff and the route has now been adapted to provide part of Hadrian’s Way National Trail, the off road recreational cycle and pedestrian route, which goes through the study area. Walker is predominantly residential, with homogeneous low rise and low density brick terraces and semis built in the 30s and 50s, with occasional 1960s tower blocks and 1970s precincts of blocks and terraces. Cleared plots and boarded properties are a recurrent feature. The industrial riverside is a compact strip of industrial buildings of varying quality and very large and visible cranes. The area has no overall boundary demarcation, but generally occupies the slopes and riverbanks east of Hadrian’s Way, with the exception of the central portion of Station Road/ Bath Street where a number of mixed industrial and trade activities are located in close proximity to the residential area. The northern boundary is an administrative one and property one (Newcastle City boundary and limit of Newcastle City Council freehold ownership), with otherwise no other physiscal demarcation. The southern boundary is Walker Park, a traditionally laid out urban park built over disused shipyards and the only proper park of the East End. The opposite bank is by and large occupied by the Hebburn New Town Riverside Park and its sweeping grassed slopes. The river is quite active at this location: large cargo vessels are often moored at the public quay; there is movement of people and goods on the riverbank in the south portion of the area and there are small leisure boats moored all along the south bank. There is little mature planting in the whole area, either as woodlands or street trees. Mixed scrub and lawns are the main landscape components of the industrial Walker Riverside. 7.2 Approaches and Legibility Walker Riverside is approached from the city centre via Walker Road (A186) and from the A19 via Hadrian Road (A187). From Walker Road: - The route crosses run down residential areas, with many cleared sites, boarded properties and vacant shops. The street itself is relatively wide and featureless (it is however a prime target for change in the Places for People Master plan, see Section 3). - The approach to the study area is marked by the gas holder past Pottery Bank. - The arrival into the area is marked by the metal scrap yard of Station Road. Despite quite good fencing and landscape edging the scrap yards are very visible, with piles of scrap, lorry traffic, as well as noise. - There are no gateways or substantial signage that point out the Malaya Drive access to the area. - Once Wincomblee Road is reached the big yellow cranes of the quay are immediately visible and become a hallmark for the area. From Hadrian Road there are two possible routes into the area. From Neptune Road into Fisher Street: - The route skirts all the major shipyards of Wallsend to arrive in front of the A&P Tyne site. It is clearly an industrial route, at present noticeably quiet. - The approach to the area is marked by Segedunum and its visitor tower. - There is no clear demarcation of the Walker Riverside, except the City boundary sign and a sharp bent into Fisher Street. Signage and features mainly relate to Hadrian’s Way cycle route. - The forest of cranes marks the arrival, with the pocket of housing and the playground somewhat at odds with the area. From Waverdale Avenue and Welbeck Road: - The route, past the Wallsend shipyards and Segedunum, enters the Walker residential neighbourhood, in a location that has generally better housing than Walker Road. - There is nothing that marks the arrival at Welbeck Road, particularly with the Bath Street Workshops so well screened by planting. - Past the former railway bridge (Hadrian’s Way), brightly painted in blue, the cranes of the shipyards and the Hebburn church spire open up in a sweeping view of the area. 36 Colin Buchanan
www.cbuchanan.co.uk Fig. 7.1 - Landmarks, features and views N Landmarks Features Primary view corridors Walker Riverside Feasibility Study Section 1 - p. 37
Page 1 and 2: Walker Riverside Feasibility Study
Page 3: Section 1: Baseline Audit..........
Page 6 and 7: Fig. 1.1 - Study Area N A&P Tyne Fi
Page 8 and 9: 4 Colin Buchanan
Page 10 and 11: 2. Consultation Meetings As part of
Page 12 and 13: Fig. 2.1 - Business Interviews Summ
Page 14 and 15: 3. Property and Development: Overvi
Page 16 and 17: The key limitation of the area appe
Page 18 and 19: Fig. 3.3 - Building types N Recent
Page 20 and 21: 4. Regeneration Initiatives There a
Page 22 and 23: Fig. 4.1 - Places for People Plan p
Page 24 and 25: 5. Planning Policy Audit This secti
Page 26 and 27: Housing Strategy Housing provision
Page 28 and 29: Fig. 5.1 - UDP policy map Proposed
Page 30 and 31: 5.2.2Local Economic Development Str
Page 32 and 33: 5.2.4 Walker Riverside Masterplan -
Page 34 and 35: 6. Transport and Movement Audit 6.1
Page 36 and 37: The Council’s preferred route to/
Page 38 and 39: each other whilst negotiating the j
Page 42 and 43: 7.3 Character The industrial Walker
Page 44 and 45: It has a variety of building types,
Page 46 and 47: 42 Colin Buchanan
Page 48 and 49: 8. Baseline Key Issues This section
Page 50 and 51: Fig. 8.1 - Issues N Old and dilapid

Feasibility Study for the Industrial Area - Part 1 (PDF 5 MB)

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?