Stafford Road Corridor Area Action Plan

the cohesive regeneration of the area with no otheroptions considered. The sites/areas are identified inPart 3 and are split into:• Key Gateways• Local Focal Points• Canal Focal Points• Frontages / Enclosures to bestrengthened / enhanced• Street / Corridor / Canal Landscapesto be enhanced• Cross Links to be enhancedImprovements in these locations could includeenhancements to hard and soft landscaping and streetfurniture, reducing / rationalising signage clutter, qualityboundary treatments, and where appropriate,introducing distinctive public art inspired by the heritageand character of the area. Proposals should be preparedin consultation with local communities with the key goalsof creating a positive experience when entering orleaving the area by opening up key open spaces and thecanal through new development as well as exploiting theimportant transport heritage significance of the gatewaysby way of sensitive interpretation. There are also anumber of important views in the area which the AAPwill need to consider in the context of developmentopportunities.Encouraging Distinctive Developmentin Key LocationsPart 3 of the Options Report identifies anumber of key sites where developmentopportunities will come forward. Many ofthese are adjacent to gateways into thearea (such as the West Coast Main Line)and focal points or have an importantrelationship to heritage assets, inparticular the canal. Development ofthese sites presents an importantopportunity to enhance the townscape ofthe area. Information derived from theHLC and the Wolverhampton LocksConservation Area Appraisal should helpinform and shape development proposalson these sites (in terms of scale, density,massing, height, landscaping, layout andaccess) and create development that isdistinctive and responsive to the localcontext. Certain design guidance couldalso be provided for housing andemployment developments, such as thedesign requirements needed to deliver theright type of employment development in high qualityemployment areas.There are also sites within the Corridor which have beenidentified as being of poor townscape quality which havenot been identified as development opportunities.Design guidance could also be prepared for these sitesto encourage and promote enhancement and gooddesign through phased development, refurbishment,landscaping and boundary treatments.Option 1Prepare design policy guidance for all the emergingdevelopment opportunity sites identified in the plan as aguide for developers.Option 2Prepare design policy guidance for emergingdevelopment sites in key locations (e.g. gateways) andsites which have been identified as having poor or verypoor townscape quality, to promote redevelopmentand enhancement throughout the area.Option 3Provide limited policy guidance which enablesdevelopers to use information derived from the HLCand other sources to design and justify developmentproposals which they feel are appropriate fordevelopment sites on the basis that nationalplanning guidance should be sufficient to secureappropriate schemes.Option 2 is the preferred policy approach as clear sitespecific design guidance in key locations, but not overlyprescriptive, will assist developers in deliveringsustainable developments that will add to and enhancethe overall quality of the area. Guidance will provide aclear direction on creating proposals thatwill be responsive to local character interms of relationships to neighbouringbuildings, open spaces and any nearbyenvironmental assets which lend the areaa distinct local identity. It will also link tothe preferred policy approach identified in‘Creating a Higher Quality and MoreDistinctive Public Realm’.We feel that Option 1 may be tooinflexible, whilstOption 3 may not deliver design solutionsin line with local priorities.Wolverhampton LocksConservation AreaThe AAP allows for and encourages theredevelopment of several employmentsites which abut the Conservation Areawhich is one of the most significantheritage assets in the area. Only themiddle third of the conservation area lieswithin the AAP and before theConservation Area Appraisal can be formally adopted bythe Council, a wider public consultation must beundertaken to ensure community views beyond the AAPcan be considered before the document is finalised.However, contained within the appraisal are specificOptions Report for the Development of the Stafford Road Corridor29