Appendix III: Environmental Enhancement in Biggleswade – Some Ideas

The Healthcheck has revealed local community concern about the appearance of the town, a perception that the town has ‘gone downhill’ in recent years, and a common view that public spaces (e.g. recreational areas) are bland or uninspiring. In addition it is noted that there are few signs of ‘civic pride’ – such as streetscape features, original and well-designed shop fronts or elements which give clues about the past history and tradition of the community.

Key issues for the local economy include the desire to boost local retail business, to expand the variety and quality of existing retail and food/beverage outlets and to provide an attractive and vibrant town centre. This will provide more for the local community, assist businesses that want to attract the best staff, and support the local economy in a variety of other indirect ways – particularly through local tourism. All these goals could be addressed with a programme of environmental enhancement projects designed to capitalise on the town’s distinctive features and develop a more distinct ‘sense of place’.

Biggleswade has a number of attractive environmental assets – the river, the Commons and associated meadows and some attractive older buildings. The Market Place has an attractive scale and shape and provides an excellent centrepiece to the town. However, these assets are not well exploited – and the opportunity to give a positive image of the town to visitors or potential investors is lost.

Some particular aspects noted are as follow (see also pictures):

• The town has poor ‘presence’ at major gateways – and can easily be missed by motorists on the A1. The railway station gives a negative introduction to the town and has no disabled access. Secondary gateways and arrival areas such as car parks also give a poor impression of the town at present.
• There are few amenity features in the town centre. A small flowerbed next to the war memorial and planting in front of Stratton House are the only notable civic plantings in the town centre. The Healthcheck has been undertaken in the winter but there appears to be no provision for hanging baskets or planter tubs around the town. A small centre like Biggleswade could be greatly enhanced by these features, without great cost.
• Existing ‘parks and gardens’ are low key – some of them distinctly dull. The space at Franklins Recreation Ground is possibly the most central and potentially high profile park space in the town, but has lost key features in recent years (bandstand/paddling pool). The only notable park space with any civic planting is the Drove Road Recreation Ground, which is unlikely to be found by visitors to the town – or even most locals. Civic planting such as annuals beds, shrub borders and formal tree planting can be expensive to maintain and may be seen as dated by some. However, small areas of intensively maintained garden can bring colour and variety to town and park spaces and indicate a sense of pride in the presentation of the town.
• Some potentially landmark features and spaces - which could be instrumental in attracting visitors to the town and in providing an attractive environment for residents - have been degraded by past decisions. For example, the millpond at Franklins Mill has been partially filled and the concrete weir does little to enhance the river course. The location of the Harris fair winter park site substantially spoils the entire river setting in this part of town – and discourages access along the river bank. The steel palisade fencing around the Franklin Recreation Ground is another unsympathetic feature.
• Streetscape design within the town appears generally not to be considered from an aesthetic viewpoint – perhaps with the exception of the Market Place. Good streetscape design can enhance the character of a space or group of buildings, provide continuity to a Conservation Area, add value to property and customers to businesses. From older photographs it appears the centre of Biggleswade never had many street trees, but in the past more properties had gardens, front railings and other frontage features that enhanced street appearance. Contemporary solutions are required to create attractive urban spaces in the age of the car.
• The quality of some pavements is a concern. Some pavements are not wide enough for use by people with prams or wheelchairs – forcing them into the road. Tactile paving and other considerations for people with disabilities outside the Market Place are rare. There is concern about general cleanliness and maintenance to pavements.

Promote the Image of the Town!

The following ideas could help develop a more attractive sense of place for the town, with a range of potential benefits for the local economy. By illustrating civic pride and vision there is the potential to begin a cycle of inward investment and economic diversification that could strengthen and promote the town for many years.

Strategic Plan: There are a variety of areas of the town that give an unfavourable impression of Biggleswade. It should be a priority to establish a strategic plan to enhance these locations over a period of time – so that when opportunities arise for joint venture funding, Section 106 initiatives or other possible grants, it will be easy to define a desired outcome and to illustrate to developers or agencies how small sites fit into an overall vision for the town. A strategic plan will also ensure that a co-ordinated programme of works can take place over a period of time – allowing the works to progress in relatively small packages.

Planners: Planning decisions need to be taken with strategic goals for the town in mind. For example, a need for a roundabout access for new housing or retail needs to be seen as an opportunity for an improved approach to the town. Where individual property is key to the appearance of a section of the town (e.g. Rose Lane School), all efforts should be made to encourage capable developers to quickly and appropriately redevelop the site. Grants or incentives may be necessary to ensure that parts of the town do not stagnate.

Gateways: A strategic plan should include an assessment of priority. High priority sites should include Gateway areas – principally the road approaches to the town and the rail corridor and station. Of particular concern at present are the two main road approaches from the A1 and the rail station – all three of which have many negative elements (see photographs). Potton Road, Langford Road/Hitchin Street and Dunton Lane are secondary gateways which need to be addressed in a strategic plan as are planned future access corridors such as the eastern relief road and great north cycle route. Approach roads such as Shortmead Street, Hitchin Street, London Road and Potton Road also have a major influence on perceptions of the town, as do arrival areas – e.g. car parks and principal premises (see Table 1).

Town Signage: There are no prominent landmarks or signposts for Biggleswade from principal approaches. Serious consideration should be given to developing large landmarks at the A1 roundabouts. Prominent signage at these two intersections includes logos for Sainsbury’s, Homebase and Halfords. Consider working with these companies to perhaps add ‘at Biggleswade’ neon signage to these company signs. This would at least help to locate the town. Whereas the new town signs are of reasonable quality, they appear low-key at the town gateways. Additional landmarks are required.

Streetscape Design: A strategy for streetscape furniture, signage, lighting, paving and planting should be defined so that a cohesive style and quality can be implemented throughout the town. This will assist planners, developers and new business investors to be quickly informed about design requirements for the town. As well as setting good standards and helping to develop a Biggleswade vernacular, it may help with investment. Developers will see that a good quality of design is always expected and that future building will not undermine their own investment. The District Council already have supplementary design guidance on a range of issues (e.g. play areas, shop fronts etc). Strategies for streetscape design should allow a flexible approach to design whilst ensuring quality and integration between different neighbourhoods and projects. This could help tie new development to the old town.

Bus Shelters: Bus shelters are scarce in Biggleswade. Investment in new bus shelters with comprehensive information about routes and timetables should be seriously considered. This investment would indicate that the town was serious about promoting and enabling public transport. Some towns are now providing stops with satellite bus links saying exactly how far away the bus is.

Interpretative Information: Biggleswade lacks information about its history, founding families and traditional industries. This type of information helps define sense of place and civic pride as well as being vital in helping visitors and residents alike understand their environment. Themes could include brewing, river trade, engineering, markets and fairs and famous individuals (e.g. Albone/Jordan).

Plaques and information signs are one way of doing this. However, it can also be achieved with logos and icons in design elements, public art works, heritage trails and many other creative ways. This should be incorporated into future planning and design processes.

Access Planning: Clearly a large number of all submissions received in the Healthcheck process have related to access issues. Decisions need to be taken about removing heavy goods through-traffic from the town centre; traffic circulation on key streets (e.g. Hitchin Street); about the need for traffic lights at all pedestrian crossings; the quality and size of car parks and pedestrian access between them and retail areas. Design details relating to - pedestrian access at parking spaces (Market Place); access into particular buildings (e.g. the public toilets); and pavement quality along all major thoroughfares - need to be reviewed and altered if necessary. Ultimately town centres are about people and Richard Morrish Associates believe that pedestrian access should generally take precedence over vehicle access in the principal retail areas. However, in our view, pedestrianisation of significant parts of the town centre would not be practicable or desirable.

Pedestrian and Cycle Routes: A co-ordinated plan for implementing the proposed dual-use pedestrian/cycle network throughout the town should be a priority for the Town, District and County Councils. All opportunities to implement sections of the plan alongside new development and/or road alterations should be taken. Implementation of these new paths should also be used to provide opportunities for environmental enhancement works – boundary improvements, planting, lighting, signage etc.

Key Town Centre Sites: The Former Brewery. This is a very difficult site in urban design terms. It has no real frontage with principal town thoroughfares and poor access. It has sensitive frontages with residential and school neighbours. The majority of surrounding buildings back onto the site - providing a mismatch of boundary walls, backyards and bin areas. Links to the Market Place and the main retail areas are limited and there is little opportunity for visual links. Any development on this site will require excellent urban design solutions to enable it to enhance Biggleswade as a destination for retail or entertainment. In particular, the quality of pedestrian and cycle links to the site and across the site must be excellent. Large tree planting around boundary areas could help soften the interface with neighbouring buildings. Vehicular access along the narrowest section of Rose Lane should be discouraged, as the existing situation is already dangerous for pedestrians. Large expanses of open car park will not create a high quality urban environment. References to the site’s historical use will help develop the interpretative information described above.

Key Town Centre Sites: Bonds Lane. This site is another ‘back street’ site with significant urban design problems. However, we believe the area is key to intensifying the future retail sector of Biggleswade. New retail units and enhanced pedestrian access between Budgens/Post Office and Market Place as well as to Hitchin Street could significantly benefit all the immediate businesses and the town in general. The redevelopment of the derelict area as a mixed-use site with office and catering and possibly walk-up residential flats above may be practicable. Rocco Two is an important restaurant for Biggleswade but the position of the existing premises could compromise re-development of the entire site. The feasibility of temporarily moving the restaurant and replacing it later in a new development should be considered. Vehicular circulation around the main space now used as the Budgens car park needs to be carefully considered. In urban design terms, maximum permeability is ideal (i.e. avoiding restrictions and one way systems) but may not be feasible. Pedestrian access should take precedence over vehicles. The space should be considered as an urban square with a need for parking and delivery access - rather than as a car park.

Key Town Centre Sites: Former Civic Buildings. Important older buildings in the town centre such as the Old Town Hall, George’s Hall, the Magistrates Court and the Sea Cadets building on Station Road could provide excellent opportunities for innovative refurbishment. Successful conversion of these buildings could significantly enhance the townscape of Biggleswade whilst offering a cost effective way of developing new community or office facilities. Whilst all of these buildings have been affected in some part by insensitive alterations in the past, they all have significant qualities and presence. Feasibility studies should be considered for the ‘missing’ community venue or Town Council Offices.

The Back Meadows: This area is considered to be an under-used asset for the town. It has a poor quality east-west footpath access (FP23) which informally passes under the A1 via a culvert. (A study to provide a better quality underpass is mooted.) The riverside footpath (FP21) is the Kingfisher Way at this point but is partly hampered by the Harris’s Fair parking area. The area is farmed by the Shuttleworth Estate under a Countryside Stewardship scheme. It is suggested that the site could be utilised as country park.

Hierarchy of Open Space: It is considered that much of the open space within the town is underdeveloped in terms of its amenity value, wildlife value and recreational value. This is highlighted in the Ivel Valley Project report on ‘Greenspace’ within the town, and it is recommended that a strategy of improvement begins as soon as possible. The long-term goal should be a strategic hierarchy of public spaces – wherever possible linked with off-road paths and green corridors, and providing a variety of recreational facility and spatial qualities. A graduation from a more formal urban style in the town, to informal spaces with rural character at the edge of town, should be considered. Open space should also be considered for its ability to raise property values, enhance the presentation of the town and provide distinctive character and diversity to the urban structure as much as it is considered for recreational activities, relief from built areas etc.

Maintenance and Management: It is suggested that management of urban spaces and public open space needs to be reviewed. There have been a variety of comments regarding cleanliness of streets and spaces - and dirty streets reflect poorly on the image of the town. ‘Keep it tidy’ campaigns should be considered as well as ‘Britain in Bloom’ type initiatives. There may be a need for a clean up hit squad or weekend initiatives to clean up certain areas with a team of volunteers. Initial observation suggests that maintenance of open space needs to consider long-term design goals and intent. Slavish pruning and chemical weed treatment may not allow trees and shrubs to mature properly. Failure to remove stakes and ties has been cited as the most common reason for young tree deaths in past surveys. A holistic landscape management approach using permaculture techniques and natural processes may deliver a better end product as well as being more cost effective and environmentally sustainable.

Think sponsorship: Funding environmental enhancement processes can cost a lot of money. It is suggested that local businesses, community groups and individuals should be involved in fundraising for this type of initiative. Many companies will have a vested interest in enhancing the frontages of their own properties – perhaps as a joint venture project with the council. Groups of retailers may be able to collaborate to enhance small sections of street or pavement. Small projects could perhaps be sponsored by a firm or group of benefactors (e.g. roundabout enhancement). Many towns allow small plaques on seats or other furniture, even names on paving blocks, to show where donations have come from. Community-based projects to enhance public open space engender ownership and have been shown to reduce vandalism and generate community spirit. To reduce the long-term maintenance requirements of local authorities, it is also good to try to encourage long-term adoption of management responsibilities (e.g. trees outside a business premises).

Table 1

A Preliminary Assessment of Environmental Enhancement Needs for

Biggleswade’s Gateways and Arrival Areas: