9. ANEXOS
9.4. ANEXO: OTROS RESULTADOS SECUNDARIOS OBTENIDOS DE LA
Road North Masterplan
Introduction
11.1 This section of the masterplan highlights how the principles in the Harlow Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) have influenced the preparation of the London Road Masterplan and subsidiary design codes.
Purpose
11.2 Design Principle DG1 of the Harlow Design Guide requires applicants proposing development to
demonstrate how the principles of this guide have been taken into account in the design of the development proposals.
11.3 The purpose of this appendix is:
to fulfil the requirements of DG1 by providing a statement to demonstrate how the design principles have informed the masterplan proposals for London Road North and their accompanying design codes; to demonstrate that the requirements established for
applicants are the same as for the Council when putting forward development proposals within the District; and
to support the design rationale and masterplanning decisions presented in the London Road North Masterplan and design code.
Structure & format
11.4 This appendix draws out the key design principles put forward in the Harlow Design Guide SPD which are seen to be relevant to development at London Road North. It explains how these principles have been carried forward in the London Road North Masterplan and design code.
11.5 Grey boxes edged with orange boundaries provide references to the London Road North masterplan and design code and explain how key principles of the SPD have been incorporated into the design and planning framework for the site.
London Road North masterplan and design code reference boxes
Harlow Design Guide SPD – Guiding Principles
11.6 Pages 21 to 27 of the Harlow Design Guide establish guiding principles for development in Harlow. Of particular relevance to the London Road North Masterplan are:
Compact Development;
Integrating Natural and Historic Environment; Circulation; and
Well-defined Urban Spaces. See:
spatial vision (LRN masterplan, chapter 8) street hierarchy (LRN masterplan, page 31)
street and development frontage parameters (LRN design code, chapter 5)
Circulation
11.7 The Harlow Design Guide promotes development which contains well connected, legible, safe and attractive routes. Legibility is defined as the degree to which a place can be easily understood and travelled through.
11.8 The SPD recognises that the character of street types is integral to sense of place. It acknowledges that many roads in Harlow are heavily movement focused design. It stresses that a more contemporary approach is needed for new development in Harlow. This should promote streets as places and establish a movement hierarchy. Within this overall movement hierarchy a different design approach for each street type is recommended.
Well-defined urban spaces
11.9 Well-defined urban spaces is a guiding principle of the Harlow Design Guide. The SPD recommends that buildings define, enclose and overlook all streets and public spaces.
See:
movement framework (LRN masterplan, page 28 and 29)
street hierarchy (LRN masterplan, page 31) development principles (LRN masterplan) street and development frontage parameters
(LRN design code, chapter 5)
development principles along key routes (LRN design code, chapter 6)
Integrating natural and historic environment
11.10 A guiding principle of the Design Guide is to integrate natural and historic environments. This approach stresses that the Gibberd Masterplan for Harlow was based on a landscape-led approach which protect existing natural features and integrate them into development as strong structuring principles.
11.11 It recognises how the protection of natural assets in development is still very much a prevailing issue for contemporary urban design and sustainable development. It recognises that such assets can be important features in fostering a sense of place and character.
See spatial vision (LRN masterplan, page 40)
Urban Structure
11.12 The Harlow Design Guide advises that the structure of a place right, in terms of the network of streets and open spaces, location of land uses and density is critical to the quality of a development in terms of finding your way around easily, being able to walk to shops and services, developing a sense of community and contributing to making people feel safe.
DG2 - General Place Making Principles
11.13 DG2 provides a set of generic placemaking principles which should be applied to all development proposals. They are intended to help create places that work, that are easy and pleasant to use, that are safe and that will support a range of uses. They are adapted from By Design: Urban Design in the Planning System – Towards Better Practice (DETR, 2000) and are listed below.
See:
development principles (LRN masterplan, chapter 6) masterplan (LRN masterplan, chapter 7)
spatial vision (LRN masterplan, chapter 8)
Development Principles for London Road North
11.14 The London Road North Masterplan establishes a set of
development principles for Enterprise Zone development at London Road North. These development principles are mostly taken from the Harlow Design Guide – General Placemaking Principles. Additional principles have been added where these were highlighted during the planning and design appraisal process or through engagement with stakeholders. The development principles for London Road North are as follows:
o Character
o Ease of Movement o Adaptability
o Continuity and enclosure
o Active Frontages and Natural Surveillance o Quality of Public Realm
o Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs) o Accessibility
o Diversity
o Landscape Context o Residential Impact o Area wide integration o Landownership
11.15 They are set out in more detail in chapter 6 of this masterplan document.
Principle DG3 – Compact Development
11.16 Principle DG3 of the Harlow Design Guide defines compact development as development that uses land efficiently. It explains that this can be achieved by
optimising the number of buildings developed on the land and making the layout of surrounding streets efficient. 11.17 However, it highlights that the density of development is
only one measure of compaction and that this should not be achieved by reducing the quality and connectedness of development. DG3 therefore stresses that it is vital to ensure development is connected and not fragmented or severed by highways or infrastructure. DG3 suggests that the extent to which new development is walkable will strongly influence whether compact forms of development are successful.
11.18 The London Road North Masterplan has been strongly influenced by Principle DG3. The preparation of the LDO and Masterplan are based on trying to establish the optimum development potential of the site as a whole and of individual parcels. The preparation of the masterplan, LDO and design codes has been guided by the intention to balance maximising the use of land and the e
Principle DG4 - Movement Network
11.19 Principle DG4 promotes a walkable, connected street network which offers the shortest and most direct walking routes with multiple connections to places. It recognises cul de sac / pod developments located around spine roads are inefficient and comparatively less accessible and less walkeable than more permeable and connected layouts.
11.20 It advises that development should be based on an integrated and permeable movement network at all levels, providing a clear hierarchy of streets and spaces for uses. 64
11.21 Principle DG4 suggests that new development should integrate into the established movement network in a location and should
incorporate landscaping features and assets within a movement network.
11.22 It recommends that new development should provide a strong hierarchy of routes – each with a distinct character.
11.23 Principle DG4 requires that development should establish a well- connected, direct pedestrian and cycle network that integrates with the street network to be provided.
DG6 - Public Transport
11.24 Principle DG6 requires new development to make public transport an efficient and viable option and calls for all major new
development to provide direct corridors for public transport which integrate with the existing network.
11.25 Principle DG6 promotes new development providing immediate access to the bus network, stops in easy walking distance by destinations.
DG7 - Cycling and Walking
11.26 Principle DG7 states that cycling and walking routes should provide safe and direct access and should be integrated into the local street network and well overlooked by development. It advises that
walking and cycling routes should run along major desire lines. For new developments, where cycle routes pass through built-up areas, cycle routes should form an integral part of the street.
See:
Movement framework (LRN masteplan, page 28-29) Spatial vision (LRN masterplan, page 38)
DG8 - Streets
11.27 Principle DG8 makes clear that all new streets should integrate with and enhance the existing network. It advises that, when masterplanning large areas, masterplans should create a network and hierarchy of streets selecting from the street types identified in this section.
11.28 Further requirements set out in DG8 for planning and designing new streets are as follows:
Streets should maintain a pedestrian movement zone free from obstructions such as street furniture, tree planting and lighting.
The needs of cyclists should be an integral part of the street design.
Safety and inclusivity should be an integral part of street design.
All streets should have development fronting onto them to contribute to public safety.
Street specific guidance
11.29 Pages 40 to 44 of the Harlow Design Guide provide street specific guidance for different streets within the overall hierarchy. These street types include:
Avenues;
Primary Route Network (Main Streets); Secondary Route Network (Local Streets); Access Streets; and
Mews and Cul-de-Sacs.
11.30 In terms of the London Road Masterplan, the following relationships can be identified:
Harlow Design Guide Streets London Road Streets
Avenue A414
Primary Route Network (Main Streets)
Urban Boulevard
Secondary Route Network (Local Streets)
Main Employment Avenue Access Streets Access Road
Harlow Design Guide Principles
11.31 Pages 30 to 34 of the Harlow Design Guide provide the following principles for specific streets within the street hierarchy as they apply to the London Road North masterplan and design codes: 11.32 Avenues:
Strategic routes aligned to green wedges Primary to accommodate through traffic
Frontage development where this enhances public safety and character
Informal street planting See:
Table 5A – A414 frontage design parameters (LRN design code, page 26)
spatial vision (LRN masterplan, page 35)
illustrative masterplan (LRN masterplan, page 31)
11.33 Main Streets (Primary Route Network): Main streets should be lined with consistent,
continuous building frontage of a sufficient scale (3-4 storeys), to provide an appropriate level of enclosure. On-street parking should be allowed in designated
bays.
Cycling routes and parking should be incorporated into the street design.
See:
Table 5B - Urban Boulevard (Link Road) West Design Parameters (LRN design code, page 27) Table 5C – Urban Boulevard (Link Road) East /
Newhall Approach Design Parameters (LRN design code, page 28)
spatial vision (LRN masterplan, page 35-36)
EZ Gateway character area (LRN masterplan, page 45-46)
Newhall Approach Character Area (LRN masterplan, page 47-48)
illustrative masterplan (LRN masterplan, page 31) parking standards and design (LRN design code,
chapter 11)
11.34 Local Streets (Secondary Route Network): Provide spine roads
Pedestrians and cyclists should be prioritised
Local Streets should be line with building frontage of sufficient scale (2-3 storeys) to provide appropriate level of enclosure. On-street parking should be permitted unless there is a reason
why this would be inappropriate. See:
Table 5D – Main Employment Avenue Design Parameters (LRN design code, page 29)
Main employment avenue and fringe character area (LRN masterplan, page 50-51)
Newhall Approach Character Area (LRN masterplan, page 48-49)
spatial vision (LRN masterplan, page 37-39) illustrative masterplan (LRN masterplan, page 31)
parking standards and design (LRN design code, chapter 11)
11.35 Access Streets:
Should connect to wider network
Only be used by traffic with a local origin / destination Limited design speeds with traffic calming
2 to 3 storey frontage development Cyclists accommodated on carriageway
See:
Table 5E – Access Road Provided adjacent to existing public right of way design parameters (LRN design code, page 31)
Main employment avenue and fringe character area (LRN
masterplan, page 50-51)
spatial vision (LRN masterplan, page 37 to 39) illustrative masterplan (LRN masterplan, page 31)
parking standards and design (LRN design code, chapter 11)
DG9 - Street Furniture
11.36 Street furniture such as lighting, benches, bins and street trees should be located within a clearly defined furniture zone at the kerbside of the footway, thereby maintaining a pedestrian movement zone free from obstructions.
DG10 - On-Street Parking
11.37 Parking should be accommodated on-street where possible. The inclusion of landscaping should be integral to the design of the street.
DG11 - Street Trees
11.38 Street trees and associated landscaping are encouraged in street design and should reflect and reinforce Harlow’s character.
See:
street and development frontage parameters (LRN design code, chapter 5)
table 5I - street tree spacing requirements (LRN design code, page 34)
spatial vision (LRN design code, chapter 8) character areas (LRN masterplan, chapter 9) parking standards and design (LRN design code,
chapter 11)
68
DG17 - Employment Areas
11.39 Section 4.6 and design principle DG17 of the Harlow Design Guide SPD provides specific urban design guidance for employment areas in Harlow. The guidance provided covers layout and access and design and is summarised below:
11.40 Layout and Access
Development should be well served by public transport with good pedestrian connections to residential areas.
New employment development should be structure as a network of connected streets with development fronting the street.
Cycleways should be incorporated into movement routes. Service yards and large parking areas should be internalised
within the block of development to avoid these spaces fronting onto the public routes.
Buildings should be located so as to provide a series of ‘street pictures’ with untidy back areas kept out of public view.
Limited visitor and disabled parking may be provided on the street frontage but keeping building lines to no more than 15 metres from the highway will ensure that a good streetscene is maintained.
Visitor parking should be incorporated into the landscape design with tree planting breaking up the visual impact of parked cars.
11.41 Design
The structure employment areas around spine road which are in the form of boulevards
Designing gateways to provide a strong entrance to and identity for the development.
Physical assets including areas of open space,
natural woodlands and water which employees should be able to see from their work places and enjoy on their breaks.
New development should improve connections to the surrounding landscape.
Building frontage should face the public realm. Active frontages – opportunities can be limited but
every effort must be made to avoid large areas of blank frontages adjacent to the public realm. Building entrances should front onto streets and
spaces and make a positive contribution to surveillance and legibility.
The position of reception areas and office space should be located to positively contribute to the surveillance of public realm.
Reception areas on corners overlooking entrance areas and forecourts contribute to the surveillance of those areas.
See:
spatial vision, masterplan, movement framework and character areas (LRN masteplan, chapters 7, 8 and 9) street and frontage development parameters (LRN
design code, chapter 5)
frontage development principles along key routes (LRN design code, chapter 6).
parking standards and design (LRN design code, chapter 11)