www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

Chur

ch R

oad

Mount Pleasant Road

Mount Pleasant Road

Cres

cent

Road

Civic Centre

Holy Trinity Church

Calverley Grounds

Rail Station

West aerial view - prior to demolition

WELCOMEThank you for taking the time to visit this public consultation and to view our ideas and opportunities for the old ABC Cinema site in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

About AltitudeAltitude Real Estate Limited is a privately owned real estate company that specialises in development, investment, asset management, planning and strategic land assembly. We are an imaginative and entrepreneurial company who believe that extensive consultation with local communities is a vital and integral part of the development process.

Altitude was established 5 years ago by former Argent directors Gary Taylor and Stephen Tillman. Nigel Robson, founding partner of Resolution Property, joined in 2013 - between them, our senior team has over 80 years of UK real estate experience. Our ‘hands on’ approach runs from concept to completion, with the operation and management

of developments and investments working in partnership with owners and occupiers.

Collectively, our team has been responsible for development, investment and asset management projects totalling over 8 million sq ft. These include Brindleyplace and Paradise in Birmingham, Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh, The Governors House and Greater London House in London and One St. Peter’s Square in Manchester.

We are proud of our ability to deliver award winning projects that appeal to owners, occupiers, visitors, communities and investors across all real estate sub-sectors.

View from Civic Centre - After demolition

Site panoramic view - after demolition

View South-West from centre of the site - after demolition

THE SITE

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

HISTORY OF THE SITEThe site has been the location of variously branded cinemas in the past. It has been the home of the Essoldo, a Ritz and finally an ABC Cinema before it closed at the start of this century.

It has since had 3 different owners – GLN (Copenhagen) Ltd, Rydall Properties Ltd and Carlyle Group (in partnership with Bellhouse Joseph) - before being purchased again earlier this year.

■ The site of the old ABC Cinema in Tunbridge Wells has been empty since 2000 when an out-of-town Odeon cinema complex opened at Knight’s Park and the ABC closed

■ A planning inquiry on the site was held in 2004 following refusal of an application and granted consent

■ Planning permission was first granted for a mixed retail, hotel and office scheme totalling 253,000 sq.ft in 2008

■ The Carlyle Group acquired the site in 2011 with plans to develop a Waitrose anchored mixed use scheme

■ Demolition of the buildings on the site was subsequently carried out in 2013. However, the proposed development failed to materialize and the site was put back on the market in early 2015

■ The site was acquired by Prime Finance (Tunbridge Wells) Limited, represented by Altitude Real Estate Limited, in April 2016

Following an overwhelming response to options for names for the new development, we are very pleased to announce that it will now be known as:

The name Belvedere (from the Italian for ‘fair view’) reflects the history of the immediate area, as the original Belvedere House sat on the site and the Belvedere Estate is alongside.

Altitude has assembled a strong and experienced design team to develop the ideas and opportunities for the site. Members of this team are here today to help with your queries. If you have any questions, please speak to anyone wearing an Altitude name badge who will do their utmost to assist.

The valuable feedback from a ‘workshop’ we held earlier this year has been carefully considered in developing the ideas on show today. Further feedback can be left on the comment forms available today or online at

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

1898 Railway development

N

Site prior to demolition

Ritz Cinema - 1934

1870 Belvedere House setback from main street

Early 1930s CInema development

1909 Clanricarde Gardens development

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

THE SITE IN CONTEXTAs the site sits in such a prominent part of the town, our ideas will have an impact on the surrounding area.The plan below highlights a number of important elements, as identified at our previous workshop, which we have had to take into account when developing our ideas.

■ Restriction covenants ■ Rail tunnel ■ Neighbours

■ Key views ■ Roads ■ Conservation area

■ Public rights of way ■ Levels fall in 2 directions

1. Trinity Theatre

2. Civic Centre

3. Library, Museum & Art Gallery

4. Adult Education Centre

5. Decimus Burton’s Arches

6. Lloyds Bank

Residential

Civic

Commercial

Retail

Culture / Commercial

Church

Hospital

Railway Station

Carpark

Site

Listed Buildings Building Typology

Rail Line Main Roads A26 Site Parking 2min Walk 5min WalkN

2min Walk5min Walk

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

Church Road

Mount Pleasant Road

Clan

ricar

de R

oad

THE SITE IN CONTEXT

Conservation Areas

Key Views

Challenging Topography

Area of Restrictive Covenant

Site BoundaryCinema Restrictive Covenant Area

N

Views towards the site Views out from the Site Site

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

Although it is not possible to incorporate every suggestion into our plans, all responses were fully considered and

have influenced the ideas and options you see today.

During a public workshop held at the Trinity Centre on Monday 18th August 2016, visitors were invited to provide written feedback via comment forms and post-it notes.Approximately 140 people attended the session including local councillors and officers, representatives of the local business and community groups and residents. Around 70 comment forms and a number of post-it notes were returned.

COMMUNITY ASPIRATIONS

The most commonly raised issues and topics were:

■ Distinctive architecture

■ Independent cinema on the site

■ Access to and through the site

■ Importance in linking The Pantiles and Royal Victoria Place areas

■ Vibrant street level on the development

■ Car parking

■ Inclusion of a water feature / public realm

■ Community space/facilities to be provided

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

Existing Path Proposed Path Enhanced Green Link

25m

N

Opportunity to Enhance Urban / Green Link

Calverley Grounds

The Common

4. Opening through the site on Mount Pleasant Road

FOOTPATHSWe recognise the importance of maintaining access through the site and see an opportunity to improve the existing routes.

We are therefore proposing new and improved footpaths that will provide good access and permeability through the site.

1. Existing north / south link

2. Parking on the west of the site 3. Existing east / west link

Opportunity to Improve Urban / Green Link

Footpath Proposal

EXISTING FOOTPATHS

1

2 34

N

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

OUR CURRENT IDEASOur design team has explored a number of options for a vibrant, new, mixed-use scheme providing residential, retail, leisure and commercial space to encourage local people and visitors to the town centre and link existing retail/leisure areas.

Our approach and scope has been limited due to a number of constraints:

■ The provision and location of a cinema

■ The provision of footpaths

■ The location of the railway tunnel

■ Key views

■ Listed buildings

■ Servicing arrangements

In addition, our discussions with the local authority have emphasised the need to include a ‘landmark’ building, in our proposals, as set out in the Urban Design Framework for Tunbridge Wells.

For any development to successfully proceed, it has to be commercially viable. Planning permission has been granted for previous proposals of a similar size, but development did not go ahead due to viability issues.

We believe our ideas have the right mix of elements to make The Belvedere a very successful development that will attract the numbers of visitors and residents to make it commercially viable.

Option two Option three

Option one

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

68 TUNBRIDGE WELLS CINEMA SITE

ALTITUDE UK

Highcross, Leicester ORTUS, Home of Maudsley Learning, Maudsley, LondonVimto Gardens, Salford

St Andrews, Bromley-by-Bow, London Fitzroy Place, Fitzrovia, London Turnmill, Clerkenwell, London

Facade Precedents

68 TUNBRIDGE WELLS CINEMA SITE

ALTITUDE UK

Highcross, Leicester ORTUS, Home of Maudsley Learning, Maudsley, LondonVimto Gardens, Salford

St Andrews, Bromley-by-Bow, London Fitzroy Place, Fitzrovia, London Turnmill, Clerkenwell, London

Facade Precedents

68 TUNBRIDGE WELLS CINEMA SITE

ALTITUDE UK

Highcross, Leicester ORTUS, Home of Maudsley Learning, Maudsley, LondonVimto Gardens, Salford

St Andrews, Bromley-by-Bow, London Fitzroy Place, Fitzrovia, London Turnmill, Clerkenwell, London

Facade Precedents

North Elevation

East Elevation

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

■ Reflect elements of the local architecture

■ Encourage dwell time in the town centre

■ Provide an appropriate water feature

■ Improve access and permeability through the town centre

Our designs have been developed to:

Reflecting Local Architecture

Facade Precedents

Character

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

A new water feature could provide a focus for the development and reflect the ‘spa town’ history of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Encouraging Dwell Time in the Town Centre

The Young Vic, Lambeth, London The Mailbox, Birmingham Kingsleys, Cowper Wharf, Sydney

Public Realm Precedents

Access and Permeability

www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

Artists impression

If you are unable to do so, completed forms can be posted to:

Stephen Osborne-Brown Altitude Real Estate c/o Core Marketing The Exchange 19 Newhall Street Birmingham B3 3PJ

The valuable feedback from a ‘workshop’ we held earlier this year has been carefully considered in developing the ideas on show today. Further

feedback can be left on the comment forms available today or online at www.AtTheBelvedere.co.uk

THANK YOUThank you for taking the time to visit and view our ideas.We will analyse all responses and feedback on our ideas before finalising a planning application for submission to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. We hope to be able to submit this application early in 2017.

Once the application has been submitted, you will have a further opportunity to comment on our proposals before they are considered by the Planning Committee.