Views on town centre future:

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markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
I have no objection to new buildings in the town centre, or wherever, however the new buildings in Market Square are awful and do not preserve or enhance what is already there.

In conservation areas, new buildings should preserve or enhance the setting. I'm afraid, I believe the Santanter and boots building detract from the conservation area. As does the office block opposite the Gatehouse, which is also in the conservation area.
 
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markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
Gareth I used to be employed as an Urban Designer and was instructed by a Council to produce a town centre masterplanner for their town centre. Part of this task was to identify which buildings were worthy of retention. Needless to say the majority of buildings built in the 50s, 60s and 70s were identified as being 'awful'. From memory, I believe I recommended that only 10 buildings from a whole high street positively enhanced the high street!
 
Wormella

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
markpa12003 said:
I have no objection to new buildings in the town centre, or wherever, however the new buildings in Market Square are awful and do not preserve or enhance what is already there.

In conservation areas, new buildings should preserve or enhance the setting. I'm afraid, I believe the Santanter and boots building detract from the conservation area. As does the office block opposite the Gatehouse, which is also in the conservation area.
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But it was only designated a conservation area in 2008 - you can't go back an revise history and architecture, or else you end up with architectural gaps, in what should be a flowing time line of changes in fashions, ideas, materials etc. Having a range of buildings breaks up the eyeline, allows you to appreciate details that you don't if everything looks the same. That contrast between old and new is what gives towns a history, and character.

You may not personally like them, that's individual taste - but you should be able to appreciate a townscape as a whole. I also bet you anything Boots & Santander appreciate having a more modern building to work in, rather then be crammed into something not fit for purpose because it looks pretty on the outside.
 
M

markpa12003

Well-Known Forumite
It is not necessary for an area to be within a conservation area for new buildings to be attractive. However, whether the new buildings are in a conservation area, or not, they should preserve what is already there and if possible improve the area. I would have no problem with the Santander and Boots building if they were attractive 'new' buildings, but they are not.

Are you suggesting that the boots and Santander building improve the attractiveness of Market Square?

I appreciate that architecture is down to personal taste, however I suspect more people would share my view that the two buildings I have mentioned are unattractive and do detract from the quality of market square.

It is possible for the internal space of the old buildings to be altered to meet modern needs, as demonstrated by boots and the post office (and other older buildings) in the high street. Boots have 'knocked though' all the buildings (old and new) to create a larger store. This could still have been achieved if they had retained the previous building that stood in the place of the new 'awful' extension.
 
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Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Agree with Mark, you see old pics of buildngs in stafford high street and there was one where the co op and natwest banks are and even the former hotel where superdrug is. The frontages are no different is size back then to what they are now and could easily have redefined or extended as a number have been in stafford. Crying bloody shame.
but back then much of towns have today was seen as forward thinking and buildings didn't have protection like they do now.
 
Steve_b

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
Some fantastic suggestions on here for what the future of Stafford could look like, if only our council possessed this same outlook.
 
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ben0239

Well-Known Forumite
I agree with the posts above. Although in some instances the character of town/city can be enhanced by modern buildings and that is nice to see a history of architecture through the ages I take exception with the majority of buildings built in the 60s and a lot of buildings built in the 70s and 80s. The strive for modernity during these periods and the quest to build functional buildings has largely failed. Indicated by the number of buildings from those periods now thankfully demolished because in fact they proved not to be functional as in the case of roman point or indeed for for purpose.

Modern buildings in a street scene should enhance what is all ready there not detract from it. Unfortunately every modern building in stafford town centre is ugly which has impacted negatively on the street scene.

I do not accept the argument that traditional, historic buildings can not be made functional. There are numerous wonderful examples of where old buildings that are no longer fit for purpose have been given a new lease of life. Such as the ikon gallery which used to be a Victorian school.

What the construction industry is greater pride and finesse in what they are building. Rather than trying to create pastiche architecture of the past badly or building purely functional buildings with no aesthetic qualities or skill we should be striving to do better and innovate
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Boots
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Superdrug
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Supernews/Timpsons/Co-op Travel
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Steve_b

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
Stafford as it is?

Didn't realise Morrison's, Riverside, the Cinema and the Western Relief Road had been completed?

image.jpg
 
joshua

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
Steve_b

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
joshua said:
Three possible options for the area around the Guildhall and details of various projects which they think could benefit the town centre.
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All 3 options suggest Residential / Housing. NO housing please! Above retail flats ok but NO housing, this shows just how shortsighted these plans are, & lacking any imagination.there are far better suggestions on here from markpa12003 & ben0239

Housing is a cop out, no thanks
 
bpelectric

bpelectric

Well-Known Forumite
So seeing as the Guildhall holding company has gone bust Who's going to buy it
Because until that's settled nothings going to happen in fact the Guildhall could close full stop
The Councils should never have been allowed to sell off the old St Johns market in the first place
And Stafford planners couldn't plan a pee up in a Brewery
And all the talk of Debenhams coming in is pie in the sky there starting a new build in Wolverhampton from what im told via the trade

Here's a few links to follow whats going on.

www.urbed.com/projects/stafford-town-center
join the mailing list http://eepurl.com/XchvH

Complete the questionnaire online https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/staffordtowncenter
 
biccies

biccies

Well-Known Forumite
I hadn't realised Morrison's was planned to go there, I thought it was going oposite ASDA with the 'Riverside' development.
That car park is usually full on the weekends- where are they planning to park everyone?!
 
Steve_b

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
I Haven't see any suggestions for Leisure facilities on the Exhibition plans, Comedy club venue, a larger venue then the Gate House to attract big acts to the town, ice rink, a Restaurant Quarter etc

Clearly the Council don't want us to be a Happy Town
 
G

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Well the Gatehouse is doing very nicely and has had no trouble attracting talent such as russell kane, jason manford, lee evans, jack dee, russell howard and milton jones to name a few. the intimate setting has made stafford a hub for these to trial run their material before tours so is a unique setting in itself. Amongst everything the gatehouse I see as no issue at all, the lack of leisure elsewhere I agree with and is not covered at all, but the new cinema basically is not mentioned and neither is a possible usage of the current cinema (although at the south).
Housing I would rather not have especially as there are developments in the location such as universal, st georges, opposite the old hospital is enough. However as the internet and online shopping expands town centres are shrinking and will continue to do so, in future this may have to be an option.
market moving to guildhall is a must and the potential department store and car park at wilkinsons is a good idea. But another food supermarket is odd especially as the proposals almost forget about mentioning morrisons, it almost seems an after thought. While it is the other end of town parking of over 1000 new spaces will be covered at a south end that has had nothing 20 years, however this will change but the south end also has all the night activity and this needs to change as stated by other posters, there needs to be a balance.
 
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