DESIGN GUIDANCE: PUBLIC REALM - Stroud District Council

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CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT – VOLUME 4: INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS SPDPUBLIC ART14.21 Some people love it, some people hate it. Public art often provokes strongreactions. Well considered, well executed public art, which has hadregard to its context in terms of appearance as well as theme/subjectmatter, can add a great deal to our experience of our environment.14.22 Public art covers a wide range of work, both permanent and temporary -including freestanding sculptures, monuments, murals, even signage andstreet furniture. The Stroud Valleys have a vibrant arts scene, and that ispart of what our area is known for. Public art has the potential to increasethe vibrancy of a space and provide visual stimulation – but it is importantto remember that art is subjective: one person’s wine is another’s poison.Some people find public art obtrusive – indeed, some public art reallydoes not ‘add value’ to its surroundings.14.23 In terms of planning powers, it is really only the size, location andillumination that can be controlled in most instances, and sometimes noteven that. But it is important that new public art is sensitive to the historicenvironment, so give careful consideration to content and execution.Avoid cramming public art into every corner, just because it is possible.Make sure the art actually adds value and makes sense.Public art can enhance our understanding and experience of a place: itshould be used to enhance orientation and identity, reinforcing a sense ofplace and character. Public art can help us to see our historic environmentthrough fresh eyes if the subject matter is carefully chosen.Above: “Heritage interpretation” neednot be all about signage andinformation panels – why not a piece ofart, as in the case of this witty giantsheep at a redeveloped woollen mill inLeeds? A fabulous example of scale andsubject matter being well-matched tocontext.Below: a poem and some historicalinformation have been pained on a wallat a Coventry wharf.Be sensitive to scale. Bigger isn’t always better: even a small piece ofpublic art can become a local landmark; while there is joy in discovering atiny work of art in an unexpected place. However, some sites will requiregutsy scale, so that the art is not visually lost.Ensure that the art is well executed and well manufactured, thus providingan impression of quality and care, as well as ensuring that the item isdurable and easy to maintain.Whether huge or tiny,a quality piece ofpublic art can enhanceour experience of aplace. Ensuring that thesubject matter isappropriate to thecontext can help to‘add value’.Chapter 14 – Design Framework page 168
CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT – VOLUME 4: INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS SPDFurther information:Streets for all – South West:[DETR /English Heritage 2005]www.english-heritage.org.ukA guide produced by EnglishHeritage and the Department forTransport, offers guidance on themanagement and design of the‘public realm’. This manualencourages a coordinatedapproach, with different agenciesworking together to achieve theirvarious priorities in a way thatresults in a safe, attractive andplace-specific public spaces. Theguide encourages the recognitionand perpetuation of locallydistinctive characteristics,highlights the importance ofquality and sensitive design inhistoric environments, and pointsto the harm that can be done to aplace by blindly following themost ‘risk averse’ and standardhighway solutions.Stroud District Landscape Assessment SPG[Stroud District Council, November 2000]www.stroud.gov.ukCotswolds AONB Landscape Character Assessmenthttp://www.cotswoldsaonb.com/landscape_character_assessment/index.htmStroud District Residential Design Guide SPG[Stroud District Council, November 2000]www.stroud.gov.ukQuick check: how does the scheme match up to national policy guidance ondesign and the public realm?PPS1 Delivering sustainable developmentKey principle (iv), paragraph 13“Planning policies should promote high quality inclusive design in the layout of newdevelopments and individual buildings, in terms of function and impact, not just for the shortterm but over the lifetime of the development. Design which fails to take the opportunitiesavailable for improving the character and quality of an area should not be accepted”PPS3 HousingParagraph 1“Developments should be attractive, safe and designed and built to a high quality”Paragraph 34a“[local plans and policies should be aimed at] creating places, streets and spaces which meetsthe needs of people; which are attractive, have their own distinctive identity, and positivelyimprove local character.”Paragraph 37“New [housing] development should be of high quality inclusive design and layout… and beinformed by its wider context, having regard not just to neighbouring buildings but to thetownscape and landscape of the wider locality… The key test should be whether adevelopment positively improves the character of an area and the way it functions.”PPG17 Planning for open spacePage 2:“local networks of high quality and well-managed open space help create urban environmentsthat are attractive, clean and safe and can play a major part in improving people’s sense ofwellbeing”Page 20:“New open spaces should improve the quality of the public realm through good design”PPG 15: Planning and the Historic EnvironmentParagraph 2.14“In general, it is better that old buildings are not set apart, but are woven into the fabric of theliving and working community.”Chapter 14 – Design Framework page 169
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DESIGN GUIDANCE: PUBLIC REALM - Stroud District Council

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