Northumberland & Newcastle Society

Alnwick Civic Society

Study of the Streetscape in Central Alnwick, 2007

Peter McIlroy gives a brief overview

The historic core of the centre of Alnwick has been disfigured over many years by an ever-increasing series of signs and markings designed to control the flow of traffic and the provision of parking and loading places. The surfaces of roads and footways have been paved, broken and repaired so that they present a patched and run-down appearance. The addition of many items of street furniture has not been coordinated as to colour or style.

Alnwick Civic Society recognises that the requirements of the Law include formal controls, with prescribed signs and markings, and that many of the objects disfiguring the town are there to satisfy official regulations. However, it has also recognised that there is need for action to restore the visual quality of this ancient market town. As the District Council lacks the resources to carry out the detailed surveys and researches needed to produce an action plan, the Civic Society has, with the Council’s agreement, filled the gap in the hope that their recommendations may become Council policy in due course.

The streets in the area were surveyed on foot and photographed extensively. The surveyors concentrated on road and footway surfaces, road markings, signs, street lighting and overhead wiring, street furniture, shop fronts and significant building frontages.

A set of principles of good practice was established at the outset. These included such matters as the use of good-quality local traditional materials and the need for good maintenance of surfaces, for good lighting, for the minimum number of signs and markings consistent with road safety, for coordination in colour and style of street furniture, and for sensible provision for wheel chairs and prams.

As an essential part of the Study, research was undertaken into the different roles played by the Government, by the County Council, by the District and Town Councils and by Statutory Undertakers and private businesses. In the course of this research, it became clear that there is a lack of overall coordination in the exercising of the powers of each separate component. It had shown that it was possible, given strong local political backing, to improve matters dramatically.

The Civic Society’s recommendations were, in outline:
1. Create a Project Team to work in Alnwick under the direction of a professional Project Manager.
2. Establish an Historic Core Zone, including Bondgate Without near the Tower, Bondgate Within, Narrowgate, Pottergate, Bailiffgate, Fenkle Street, Market Street, The Market Place, Clayport Street to the Bus Station and The Lanes.
3. At each point of entry, or ‘gateway’ to the Zone, place signs showing a 20mph speed limit and a ban on any parking and loading except where positively indicated.
4. Within the Zone:

  • Reduce the effective widths of carriageways to a maximum of 3m.
  • Create 2m wide pedestrian refuges between carriageways where practical.
  • Re-pave carriageways.
  • Pave the extensions to footways in blocks or granite setts as appropriate, defining the edges of carriageways in blocks or setts of distinctive colour and shape.
  • Re-pave existing footways with blocks, cobbles or setts.
  • Remove all white-line markings on road surfaces.
  • Define on-street and off-street parking bays with setts and minimal signs.
  • Define parking bays and access on The Cobbles.
  • Where practicable, locate on-street parking bays to break up any long straight stretches of carriageway, creating a gentle chicane effect.
  • Remove all yellow ‘no-parking’ lines, replacing them with narrow, pale yellow lines only where strictly necessary.
  • Remove or re-locate to the rear of footways or onto walls of buildings all signs relating to parking and loading.
  • Remove Pelican and Zebra crossings.
  • Review directional road signage.
  • Re-locate any dangerous dropped kerbs, and introduce additional dropped kerbs with tactile studs or slabs.
  • Improve the quality of street lighting and floodlighting of key buildings.
  • Remove extraneous overhead wiring and redundant cables and equipment.
  • Review the locations, colour scheme and functions of street furniture.
  • Apply rigorously the guidance on shop-fronts in the District Council’s Design Guide.
  • Assume firm control over the activities of Statutory Undertakers, including the planning of works, the clear specification of materials used in repairs, and the monitoring of such works.

It is recognised that all the recommendations cannot be financed and achieved at once, and that phasing will be needed over an extended period. However, an overall, coherent plan must be established at the outset, to ensure that the work done in each phase is consistent with the required end result.

Alnwick Civic Society has presented its report to the Town, District and County Councils and is now embarking on a series of consultations and public meetings to explain the recommendations and to galvanise public support for their adoption.

CITY AND COUNTY
August 2007