THE GLEBE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

Improvement Works Proposals

December 2010

THE GLEBE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS

AIM:To make significant and poignant interventions at the Glebe Neighbourhood Centre, contributing to the wider aspirations for the centres, that it is a place that:

Is at the ‘centre’ of its neighbourhood; - a place that is known and respected, not a place that is feared.

Has interest and provides a focus within the neighbourhood;- a place with something different, something special & vibrant with its own identity.

Encourages affinity with the wider neighbourhood;- a place serving the community that it can identify with and feel proud of.

Breaks down barriers, creates accessibility & interaction;- a place which has a positive ‘sense of place’ and availability to the whole community.

Stimulates use to benefit the economy of the neighbourhood;- a place whose shops are let and used by the community.

Links back to its past and the context of its neighbourhood in the wider town,- a place that reflects the history and continuity of the people in the community.

PROPOSALS:Having undertaken initial public and member consultations and in response to commentsreceived, the Architects group within Property & Estates Services are suggesting 12improvements aspiring to help achieve the aims, through changes and additions in the builtfabric of the public realm. These improvements are presented within the pages of this succinct overview of the proposals and looks to illustrate the issues raised through consultations alongside the proposed improvements. The improvements provide a diverse range of enhancements, seeking to address issues in a practical but creative manner, to overcome some of the perceived problems associated with the Centre .

FUNDING CRITERIA:The Growth Area Funding obtained by Regeneration is solely to make positive enhancements to the Neighbourhood Centres. The funding is not granted towards making repairs, although the improvements deemed appropriate may involve repairing aspects of the fabric where they form part of the new enhancement works. This is seen as an important factor to emphasis to avoid the misunderstanding that the Council is misspending money in difficult times. In fact it is encouraging that during these financially difficult times SBC is able to be involved in uplifting the environment of its neighbourhood centres where deterioration is evident, through a Government funding source that has been specifically granted for this and no other purpose.

IMPROVEMENTS PLAN

1. Centre sign masts

2. Centre name highlighted

3. New stepped access

4. White lining of car parks

5. Central feature paving strips

6. Enhancement of underpass

7. Alcove to flats to be enclosed

8. Reform square with features

9. Form new square with features

10. Decorate walls

11. Canopy enhancement

12. Uneven & broken paving replaced

1.

ISSUE:

LACK OF CENTRE IDENTITY

• Lack of identity from the main street

• No ‘announcement’ as neighbourhood centre

• Car park obscures shops

IMPROVEMENT:

CENTRE SIGN MASTS

• Signage to announce main access

• Banners to be neighbourhood colour

• Banners to state aspects of the centre

• Enhanced planting at low level

2.

ISSUE:

LACK OF CENTRE IDENTITY

• Lack of identity from main street

• No reference to centre’s name

IMPROVEMENT:

CENTRE NAME HIGHLIGHTED

• Centre name on two end walls

• Large stainless steel lettering

• Flood lit from canopy

• Lighting shade to neighbourhood colour

3.

ISSUE:

BARRIERS TO ACCESSING CENTRE

• Lack of pedestrian access from car park

• Lack of physical & visual link with shops

• Existing retaining wall fortress like

IMPROVEMENT:

NEW STEPPED ACCESS

• New steps breaking in to retaining wall

• New paved access making shops accessible

• New railings to steps

4.

ISSUE:

LACK OF DEMARCATION IN CAR PARKS

• No clear marking of parking bays

• No signage to disabled parking

• No clear marking of disabled bays

IMPROVEMENT:

WHITE LINING OF 3No. CAR PARKS

• New white lining to parking bays

• New hatching to access bays

• New signage to indicate location of disabled bays

5.

ISSUE:

STERILE PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS

• Bland central paving strips

• Lack of street furniture

• Street furniture uncoordinated

IMPROVEMENT:

CENTRAL FEATURE PAVING STRIPS

• Central paving strip containing;

• Contrasting paving slabs and blocks

• Trees

• Seating

• Litter bins

• Bicycle racks

• Street lights

6.

ISSUE:

DAUNTING SECONDARY ACCESS TO CENTRE

• Poorly lit

• Bland walls

• Unpleasant experience to pass through

IMPROVEMENT:

ENHANCMENT OF UNDERPASS

• New lighting

• Wall panels depicting local community & history

• Artistic intervention involving community design, centre name & town motto.

7.

ISSUE:

ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

• Gathering place

IMPROVEMENT:

ALCOVE TO FLATS TO BE ENCLOSED

• Reduce area available for misuse

• Enhance space with glass block wall

• Glass block wall to be lit from behind to form feature.

8.

ISSUE:

POOR QUALITY PUBLIC SPACE

• Un maintained plant beds

• Anti social behaviour

• Not protecting Living Room (stones thrown from plant beds)

IMPROVEMENT:

REFORM SQUARE WITH FEATURES

• Remove planted areas and replace with trees in resin bonded gravel surrounds.

• Redefine space and make area more usable by Living Room

• Re pave square with contrasting paviours and low walls, demarcating edges & forming boundaries

• Introduce ‘ring of steel’ sculpture to provide visual focus and practical barrier to using square for ball games

• Replace lamp post as part of sculpture

9.

ISSUE:

POOR QUALITY PUBLIC SPACE

• Missed opportunity to create centre focus and point of interest.

IMPROVEMENT:

FORM NEW SQUARE WITH FEATURES

• Removal of cross canopies to open space up

• Relocate polar bear sculpture to form centre piece to new square.

• Introduce contrasting paved areas to demarcate edges.

• Remove lamp post and provide new feature lighting to highlight sculpture.

• Introduce street furniture within demarcated square.

10.

ISSUE:

POOR QUALITY SURROUNDING FABRIC

• Poorly painted walls

• Dull colour

IMPROVEMENT:

DECORATE WALLS

• Use neighbourhood colour to bring some vibrancy.

• Paint alcoves to form back drop to square

11.

ISSUE:

POOR QUALITY SURROUNDING FABRIC

• Under canopy lighting dull.

• Canopy soffit ventilators missing.

• Canopy soffit & fascia lacking decoration

IMPROVEMENT:

CANOPY ENHANCEMENT

• Install new strip lighting to canopy edge.

• Replace missing soffit ventilators.

• Decorate soffits and fascias as required.

12.

ISSUE:

PAVIING

• Strip of paving to tarmac edge east car park

• Uneven block paving shop precinct

IMPROVEMENT:

REPLACE UNEVEN & BROKEN PAVING

• Paving to be removed and tarmac strip to be extended adjacent east car park.

• Blocks to be lifted and re-laid to alleviate undulation in front of shops.