News, News, News, News
Waterside scheme may not be as it first looked
When the Waterside plan was first unveiled four years ago, the Society initially welcomed the development. The planned residential accommodation around the canal basin looked very good together with the cafes and small shops leading from Exchange Street down to the waters edge. Although we had reservations on how the A41 would be crossed between sites A & B we felt that it could be overcome and would the footfall be that great anyway. We always understood that the retail development would only be viable if a department store and supermarket were on board. Last year we doubted whether a supermarket would want to be in a shopping centre mall which would not allow 24 hour shopping. Warner Estates has now revealed to the Society that a plan is being considered to put a large supermarket on the canal side backing onto Highbridge Walk. If members want to see what effect this would have on the streetscape then check out Morrison’s in Friarage Road or Tescos in Tring Road. These outlets are rarely architectural masterpieces and can only be financially viable if built like sheds. Therefore the aesthetic street scene shown in the original publicity material issued by Crest Nicholson and AVDC will be not be a reality.
Vision Framework looks short sighted
Vision Frame work meetings are continuing and your committee are attending where possible. It looks, however, that the mistakes of the 1960’s, where wholesale demolition left the town poorer and created ‘clockwork orange’ landscapes, is set to repeat itself. The consultants, aided by Aylesbury Advantage, are set to demolish vast swathes of the town creating a landscape similar to other towns in the South East such as Reading, Redhill & Woking to name just three, when we should be creating a Guildford or Winchester. Soon to be demolished are the historic electricity showrooms in Exchange Street followed by Jackson’s bakery and The Ship in Walton Street. Within the next decade this will be followed by the railway station, old police stations in Walton Street and eventually the 1929 County Offices and the County Tower/library complex. The Society is worried by proposed large slab buildings along Friarage Road which at the moment does have some open aspects. The replacement is called a Civic Heart but the concept is alien to Aylesbury and will make the town look like Milton Keynes. The proposals are set out in a report called ‘Vision Framework for Aylesbury’. It is the result of an assignment undertaken by urban planners SQW Ltd & BBP Regeneration and commissioned by English Partnerships on behalf of Aylesbury Vale Advantage and SEEDA. In the meantime we suggest you keep in touch with developments by logging onto www.aylesburyvaleadvantage.co.uk although this website is not as up to date as to should be.
Members unhappy with ring road crossing
Members attending the Society’s Annual Question Time in February were unanimous in condemning the imposition of the Inner Ring Road. Concerns were expressed to the panel by a number of members regarding the safety of the road. Illegal right turns, dangerous lane changing and an increase in speed had all been noticed by members. Many were particularly concerned about the eventual planned closure of the pedestrian underpass from Morrison’s car park to Friarage Passage. Despite the assurances of Town Cllr Steven Mitchell that the wait to cross the road on a controlled crossing would be minimal, members were left feeling sceptical.
The Panellists on Question Time were Town and District Councillor Ranjula Takodra, local estate agent and Aylesburian John Hinton, Aylesbury Vale District Council’s Forward Plans Officer Victoria Thomson and Aylesbury Old Town Residents Association newsletter Editor and Town Councillor Steven Mitchell. The evening proved to be very lively and entertaining and was ably chaired in ‘Dimblelesque’ fashion by Keith Robinson
Theatre funding doubts
Doubts were raised by members on the viability of the proposed new Theatre’s financial future at the Society’s Annual Question Time in February. One member wondered if the Theatre, being built on the corner of Exchange Street and Walton Street, would be able to sustain audiences ensuring the future financial viability of the project. Given the established competition in surrounding towns the new theatre would have to draw in large audiences virtually every day of the week to ensure that the District Council subsidy was kept to a minimum. The Society has learned that the subsidy could be as much as £500,000 per annum, the same as currently being paid to the Civic Centre. The Society is calling for a detailed Business Plan from the District Council.
New scheme looks bland
We are disappointed with the revised application to develop the important Big Hand Mo’s site on the corner of Oxford Road and Friarage Road with 24 apartments in a 3 and 4 storey building. We commented that the new scheme offers no improvement on the previous application no.06/01955/APP. To the contrary it appears to be a retrograde step. The change of frontage design and materials has an overbearing effect on this prominent ‘gateway’ location. We feel that this is partially due to the predominant use of red brick on a three storey building on a corner site. In the previous application the use of the yellow facing brick above the rendered plinth, and the use of rendered bays on the main elevation, added to the articulation of the façade, whilst the jullette balconies and stone window surrounds added to the pleasant appearance. In conclusion, the new scheme is bland and not distinctive enough for this prominent position.
Loss of more office space planned
The Society has objected to plans to demolish the 27 year old Ringwood House in Walton Street and build 38 flats on the site. We commented that i) the application is an overdevelopment of the site and uses a potential employment site of the type that we are told Aylesbury Advantage are seeking to use for future prospective companies due to arrive in the town following the planned expansion! ii) Car-parking, although within the guidelines set, is inadequate for 2 bedroom flats. iii) The development is too close to the road at the front and the boundaries at the rear. Now that Viridian Square has become a reality in Walton Street we can see that despite suggestions and comments from both the Society and the Town Council, the development should have been set back further from the street. The same is true of the Ex-Services Club being built next door. The new buildings have an oppressive effect on the street. The opportunity to create a tree lined avenue has been lost. Once again insufficient foresight by AVDC Planning Officers or perhaps just a lack of vision by developers.
Shop-front does not follow guidelines
Last winter the Society objected to the plans by multi national sandwich bar operator Quiznos for 26 Market Square (former Hadleigh’s china shop) We strongly object to the retrospective application for the installation of a shop front at 26 Market Square and made the following comments.
1) the design of the frontage and the materials used have no regard for the conservation area in which the building sits or the neighbouring listed buildings.
2) the shop front contravenes the District Councils Advisory Guide on shop fronts. On the front page of the guide its says ‘the way the ground floor of a shop is designed affects the building above and the quality of the shopping environment’ It also says that signs should be a balance between the amount of advertising, the shop front and the building’. We feel the colour and lettering of the signage is not discreet in a conservation area. The fascia is false and far too deep and does nothing for the building in general. Planning approval for an internally lit faccia has also not been given.
3) We are also unhappy with use by the franchisees of temporary free standing advertising banners and an ‘A’ board on a crowded narrow pavement
Supermarket may offer some competition
We generally welcome plans by the supermarket operator Aldi Retail to develop a derelict site in Cambridge Street into a food store. We think it will do much to regenerate this blighted area of the town, provide much needed jobs and offer some competition to Tesco.
Our only reservations are with regard to the residents of Mill Street and whether their well being has been catered for in the plans. An example is the placing of refrigeration compressors and condensers near to their homes on the street side. We think serious consideration should be given to placing them on the west side of the building facing the car park.
