Stafford Road Corridor Area Action Plan

e celebrated and nurtured as successive phases ofdevelopment are planned.Local Planning Authorities are required to set out apositive, proactive strategy for the conservation andenjoyment of the historic environment in the Local Planfor their area. The National Planning Policy Frameworkalso requires Local Authorities to set out strategicpriorities to deliver protection and enhancement of thehistoric environment. The AAP will take into account thesignificance of the historic environment of the area andthe social, economic and cultural contribution that theconservation of heritage assets can make on the qualityof life of this and future generations.The options below are how we feel we can addressthe above requirements and information:Option 1Adopt the buildings and areas identified in the HLC ashaving heritage significance and townscape value toformally recognise that their protection andenhancement should form an important considerationthroughout regeneration.Option 2As option 1, and also identify measures to guide thefuture management of these assets in key locations,such as where they relate to development sites, or ifthey are in gateway locations.There are merits in both options. The preferred policyapproach is Option 2, however we feel the policy shouldonly give additional guidance in specific locations, suchas where these assets are likely to be affected bydevelopment. This approach also reflects the preferredpolicy approach identified in ‘Encouraging distinctivenew development in key locations’ (see below). Theheritage and townscape assets identified in the HLC canbe found in Part 3. Some of these assets are identified inemerging development sites in Part 3 and this is wherethe AAP will need to give further guidance.New development should acknowledge the past andrespect these rare survivors of earlier times and wherepossible carefully considered design can be used to helpengender a greater appreciation of that heritage.This can be achieved though a combination of carefultargeted conservation and encouragement of newdesign that respects the old and helps knit together thefractured townscape of many parts of the area. Respectshould be shown for those distinctive, and sometimessurprising, elements of the landscape, by protecting andenhancing views to key sites and improving accesswhere possible and providing interpretation to fostercommunity engagement in the unique heritage of theCorridor. Achieving the vision for the area will need asound respect for the foundations of the past to helpdrive forward an area with a sustainable future.Creating a Higher Quality and MoreDistinctive Public RealmThe Stafford Road itself forms a strategically importantapproach to the City from the M54 Motorway Junctiongateway into Wolverhampton from the north, to the CityCentre gateway entrance at Five Ways Island to thesouth. Townscape analysis of this route has beenundertaken and, together with HLC Study, it has beenpossible to define what is distinctive about this route andwhere strengths and weaknesses lie.This approach into the City includes key arrival points tothe area for road based visitors and will have particularsignificance for companies located in the area that dobusiness beyond the local area making the most of linksto the national motorway network. For users, legibility isa key issue - the ease with which visitors can gain anunderstanding and appreciation of place will helpprovide a positive experience of the Corridor.The two key gateways at the Motorway Junction andFive Ways Island are complemented at the local level bya series of important local focal points. These largelytake the form of junctions where movement is slowed,land uses are more intense and are therefore moreprominent. These areas are also generally used for localeast/west journeys by car, cycle and on foot. Locallydistinctive canal focal points around locks and bridgesare a particularly important part of the experience of thearea, particularly for people passing through the area byboat and along the towpath. The Three Tuns Centre isanother key marker on the Corridor that provides afocus for enhancement (see Policy Area 3). There arealso key prominent frontages which are identified forimprovement - many linked to new developmentopportunities. All of these gateways, focal points andfrontages provide an opportunity to enhance theperception of the area and create a distinctive sense ofplace. Many cross above or below railway lines which,whilst being significant landscape features inthemselves, also present barriers to movementthroughout the area and separate neighbourhoods.We therefore feel the AAP needs to promote publicrealm improvements and high quality design at keylocations to improve the experience of those arriving inthe City and those living and passing through the area tocreate a more positive image of Wolverhampton as aplace in which to live, work and invest. This is thepreferred policy approach as it will provide and support28Options Report for the Development of the Stafford Road Corridor