Burnley Knowledge Park Design Guide

Good quality design is not a ‘desirable’ in Burnley it is an ‘essential’.

Our town has changed. It has, as the Financial Times declared, opened ‘a new chapter’ and nowhere is this ‘newness’ more apparent than the area adjacent to the Knowledge Park to which this Design Guide relates.

The new university and college campus has redefined our townscape whilst simultaneously igniting a desire for knowledge: university applications for Burnley are up 150% this year in comparison to a 7% national average.

Across the town all higher and further educational institutions are new: £350 million invested in the best educational facilities in the country. These buildings challenge the views of the outside world and change our community’s view of itself: they are encouraging confidence, self-belief and stimulating a desire for knowledge.

This is our town’s bigger story. Our new buildings and the quality of our public space that define the ‘new’ Burnley: bold, confident and modern. We choose the sustainable over the quick fix, quality over quantity, and innovation over the easy option. We are creating a sense of differentiation and uniqueness, a sense of place.

It is this sense of place that we would like you to strengthen through quality of your design: firmitas, utilitas and venustas to stimulate a desire for knowledge, a desire for the development of, and subsequent relocation to, Burnley’s Knowledge Park.

Steve RumbelowChief Executive, Burnley Council

Foreword

4 The Purpose of the Guide

5 Enterprise and Education in Burnley

6 The Location

8 The Vision

10 Delivery Mechanism

10 Site Capacity

12 Planning Policy

13 Design Best Practice

14 The Site

16 Design Principles

18 Design Parameters

23 Contacts and Acknowledgements

Contents

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The Purpose of the GuideThis guide provides direction to Burnley Council’s aspirations for the development on the Burnley Knowledge Park site.

It informs the design philosophy of developers’ design teams as they look to secure preferred developer status on the site. It forms part of the decision making matrix for officers and members of the council when selecting that development partner.

The guide is an integral part of the visioning and marketing of the future Burnley Knowledge Park proposal, and aims to make the concept of the proposals much easier to grasp and envisage being built out on the site.

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Enterprise and Education in BurnleyBurnley is undertaking a major improvement strategy for enterprise and education to benefit the district and wider Pennine Lancashire area. An £84 million education campus has been built for Burnley College and the University of Central Lancashire at Princess Way and all secondary schools have been replaced under the Building Schools for the Future Programme. A next key stage of the strategy is to develop a Knowledge Park alongside the education campus.

The Knowledge Park, alongside the education campus and Princess Way public realm improvements, forms part of Burnley’s Knowledge Quarter, an area that is pioneering education and enterprise in the town.

The site has capacity for up 12,000 sq m (130,000 sq ft) of commercial floorspace made up of a range of offices and workshops including an enterprise centre with incubation suites and managed workspace.

Target businesses are from the advanced technology, ICT, manufacturing and knowledge based sectors. These will be both new and existing SMEs including new start spin-off businesses from the education campus.

The University of Central Lancashire has a strong track record of business formation at its Preston campus and is now providing business start up and business growth support in Burnley. It is expected that the quality of the development and the location will attract existing companies looking to expand and invest on a prestigious business park.

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The LocationThe site is approximately 2 hectares, and lies to the north western edge of Burnley town centre, with an excellent aspect, and with views of the Pennine Lancashire countryside.

It is under 300 metres from Junction 11 and approximately 2.5km (1.5 miles) from junction 10 of the M65 motorway. Burnley Central railway station is within 300 metres and provides direct connections to Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn and Colne.

To Preston, Blackburn& Manchester

M65

Graphics and Communications, © Burnley Council 2010. Telephone 01282 425011.

Job number 5664.

Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction

infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Burnley Council. Licence No. LA-077364 2010.

J10

J11

Curzon StreetRetail Devt.

Burnley Town Centre

Retail Park

£84m UCLan & Burnley College

Campus

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Retail Park

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Surrounding uses include the Burnley Education Campus, which lies to the south of the site, housing is to the north and east, and the River Calder and playing fields are to the west. The ASDA retail park lies to the east, across Princess Way.

The proposed Curzon Street retail development is 500 metres from the site, and the heart of Burnley town centre is only ten minutes walk away.


M65


Job number 5664.



J10

J11

Curzon StreetRetail Devt.

Burnley Town Centre

Retail Park


Campus

To West Yorkshire

Retail Park

0 Kilometre 1km

0 Mile 0.5m

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M602

Lancaster

Blackpool

Preston

LiverpoolManchester

Leeds & Bradford

Burnley

Clitheroe

Blackburn

Darwen Rawtenstall

Nelson

Colne

Irish sea

Bolton

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M62 M60

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M55M6

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The VisionDesign Aspiration/VisionTo create a development of a quality that matches our ambitions for the Knowledge Quarter; that attracts incubator and start-up business locally and from further afield; that complements the surrounding townscape to provide a model of imaginative and innovative place-making. Most importantly, we want a development that works, both as a business park in its own right and as a key component of the Knowledge Quarter and linkages outwards to the town centre.

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• Creates a place with a strong sense of identity

• Incorporates contemporary, high quality and innovative design

• Enhances local character and positively addresses the topography and views

• Provides a strong urban frontage to Princess Way/Rectory Road

• Responds positively to and provides a sympathetic transition from the traditional vernacular to the College in terms of scale, form and materials.

• Reflects the best use of contemporary technology and resource efficiency in terms of the design and layout

• Encourages walking, cycling and the use of public transport

• Provides quality public realm

Key Design ObjectivesBased on the site analysis, the council is looking for proposals that:

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Delivery Mechanism

Site Capacity

Burnley Council is the sole landowner of the Knowledge Park site. The council is promoting development of the site together with the University of Central Lancashire, Burnley College and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

A private sector development partner will be selected through a competitive process which will follow OJEU procedures and take place in spring and summer 2011. The developer’s project team, including its designers, will work with the council’s project team on a phased development proposal prior to the developer submitting a detailed planning application.

On grant of planning approval the developer will enter into a formal development agreement with the council. The developer will be responsible for development funding, construction, marketing, lettings, sales and future management of the Knowledge Park.

Prior to issue of this guide an outline master planning exercise and highway capacity study were undertaken as part of a report produced by BDP architects and JMP transport consultants.

These studies assessed the current highway network capacity, and the capacity of the site to accommodate buildings for the proposed Knowledge Park, and have provided the basis for the guide.

The studies concluded that the site has capacity for up 12,000 sq m (130,000 sq ft) of commercial floorspace made up of a range of offices and workshops including an enterprise centre with incubation suites and managed workspace.

Plans (right) were developed illustrating how this volume of development could be accommodated on the site.

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Burnley Educa on and Enterprise ParkScale 1:350

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Building No. of Storeys

Gross Internal Aream2 ft2

1 3 2850 30,000

2 2/3 1950 20,990

3 a 3 1500 16,145

b 2 1000 10,760

c 2 1000 10,760

4 a 3 1500 16,145

b 2 1200 12,910

c 2 1000 10,760

Grand Total 12,000m2

Total Parking 280 Spaces

Enterprise Centre

3b

3a

3c

4a 4b

4b

1

2

Princess Way (dual carriagew

ay)

Rectory Road

Holme Road


Job number 5664.



0 Metre 150m

0 Feet 385ft

To J11 M65 andWest Yorkshire

To Burnley TC, Preston, Blackburn & Manchester

Enterprise Centre

Offi ce

Offi ce/B1

BuildingNo of storeys

Gross Internal Area

m2 ft2

1 3 2850 30,0002 2/3 1950 20,9903 a 3 1500 16,145

b 2 1000 10,760c 2 1000 10,760

4 a 3 1500 16,145b 2 1200 12,910c 2 1000 10,760

Grand Total 12,000m2

Total Parking: 280 spaces

Site capacity

N

M65


Job number 5664. Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction

infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Burnley

Council. Licence No. LA-077364 2010.

J10

J11

Burnley Town Centre

0 Kilometre 1km

0 Mile 0.5m


Movement to all destinations

Development Site

Route from town centre

and M65 West

Route from M65 East

Secondary Exit

Pedestrian Routes

Inbound Develpoment Traffi c

Outbound Development Traffi c

Pedestrian Route

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Access

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Planning PolicyNational PolicyGood design lies at the core of national planning policy and is most explicitly set out in Planning Policy Statement 1 which states that ‘good design is indivisible from good planning’.

PPS 1 encourages development decisions to consider more deeply and sensitively the environments that are being created. A number of principles are identified, the most important is considered to be that good design should contribute positively to making places better for people which means ensuring that a place will function well and add to the overall character and quality of the area, not just for the short term but over the lifetime of the development. Developments should be visually attractive as a result of good architecture and appropriate landscaping.

Local Policy – Burnley Local PlanThe Burnley Local Plan is currently the overarching plan for the borough and is used in determining planning applications. Under the Local Plan, the Knowledge Park site is allocated for business uses under Policy EW1/5 – Land for Business (B1), General Industrial (B2) and Warehousing (B8) Development. Therefore, the concept of business development is supported in principle.

However, details such as the siting, design, end use and transport issues would need to be developed in conjunction with Burnley Council’s planning department.

The Daneshouse, Duke Bar and Stoneyholme Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is a material consideration. It is also relevant to the site as it establishes the key design and planning principles for new development in Daneshouse, Duke Bar and Stoneyholme whilst also providing the basis for innovation, creativity and originality.

This design guide for the Burnley Knowledge Park must be read in conjunction with both the Local Plan and SPD.

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Design Best PracticeGood design is good business. The publication Better Places to Work established that good design and careful planning makes sound financial sense. It raises the profile of business, can improve access and by providing a pleasant professional and convenient place to work can also increase staff morale and satisfaction which in turn can increase productivity and improve recruitment and retention. It also creates places that local people are proud to have within their neighbourhood.

Quality design feeds economic regeneration. A further finding in Better Places to Work is that “a high quality workplace can act as a catalyst for the regeneration of a wider area… not just by providing employment… but also by changing the character, mix of use and amenities of an area…It can transform perceptions and help to ensure economic wellbeing”.

Encouraged by these findings, the council wishes to see excellent design, generated through a transparent consultative process, following best practice principles as outlined by CABE, particularly in ‘Better Places to Work’ and in ‘By Design’ (DETR/CABE, 2000), which is relevant to all aspects of design.

“Good Design Pays” convincingly demonstrates the investment value of design review. Consequently the council requires the selected developer to engage in pre planning application design review.

Burnley Council endorses the principles of good design as stated by CABE and outlined in ‘Best Practice’. Design Review will test these principles:

1. Ease of movement and legibility – Workplaces should be accessible by a wide range of transport modes, including foot, cycle, public transport and car.

2. Character, quality and continuity – Workplaces should have a strong positive relationship with surrounding areas, services and facilities.

3. Diversity – Workplaces should contribute to the vitality and viability of their locality

4. Sustainability – Workplaces should be resource efficient in terms of their design and layout.

5. Adaptability – Workplaces should be designed to be able to adapt to technological and economic conditions requirements.

6. Management - Management and maintenance regimes should be considered at the design stage so that quality and consistency are maintained.

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Campus

J10


To West Yorkshire

J11

Burnley Town

Centre

M65


Burnley Knowledge Park

The Site The site is approximately 2 hectares with two points of vehicular access from Rectory Road / Grosvenor Street and Home Road. At present the site is vacant.

The site is located in an urban setting with attractive landscape views. It was originally occupied by Stoneyholme Weaving Shed and rows of workers housing. It is a brownfield site located 700 metres north west of the town centre, close to the M65

(J11) in an area of mixed residential and commercial character. Immediately adjacent and sharing access off Princess Way is the new Burnley College and UCLan campus, an FE and HE institution. It is a relatively flat site apart from a 4m level change to the south eastern part of the site.

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Campus

J10


To West Yorkshire

J11

Burnley Town

Centre

M65


Burnley Knowledge Park

Running along the north eastern boundary of the site is Rectory Road, which connects to Princess Way (approximately 2m above and parallel). The road contains two rows of attractive, recently refurbished, stone built, two-storey Victorian houses.

The site tapers slightly to the north west to follow the curve of Holme Road which provides access to a small industrial estate. Views of Pendle Hill can be seen from the north of the site. The playing fields and River Calder present a soft edge to western boundary

where the site also benefits from distant landscape views. The southern boundary follows Grosvenor Street and is adjacent to the Burnley College campus. The remainder of surrounding uses to the north is predominantly residential with a retail park to the east.

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Design PrinciplesKey ConceptsThis guide envisages commercial buildings of up to four to five stories in height. These should be considered maximum heights, including plant rooms, and should be allocated with regard to the scale of neighbouring developments.

The vision for the Knowledge Park identifies several key aspirations, which should be delivered in the successful design:

• Optimise location and establish brand

• Establish unique identity

• Provide high quality facilities

• Develop a sustainable resource

• Maximise and enhance natural assets

• It is essential that the early phases establish a strong identity.

Sense of ArrivalCommissioning of a signifier, a landmark on Princess Way at the entrance to the site will address the location, which is otherwise depressed below road level. This could be bespoke signage or exceptionally a commissioned sculpture.

ConnectivityA hierarchy of roads and footpaths should relate to and link into established routes adjacent to the site, accessing bus stops, footway links to the town centre and from parking to buildings. Movement is a shared experience and treatment should establish appropriate setting and engender delight.

Iconic ImageThe appointment and briefing of designers with a reputation for prize winning and commercially viable designs will do much to attract media attention and potentially sustainable solutions.

Gateway SiteIt is essential that the development is built out, from the entrance location, adjacent to the college and Princess Way roundabout.

Sense of place

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Sense of arrival

Sense of PlaceThe unique aspects of context and location are outlined on page 14. Interpretation and integration of the physical assets and of the locational characteristics of the site can imbue the development with a sense of place, without compromise to the primary function of the development and without reversion to pastiche.

The Knowledge Park should relate to the Education Campus and should continue the “campus feel”.

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Design ParametersThe development site has distinctive character and surroundings and while its development potential is defined by access considerations, the potential to create a real asset for the town and property partners lies in adding value through a considered approach to high quality, cost effective and responsive design, which is developed below as follows:

1

4

2

3

Character areas: 1. Entrance 2. Boulevard 3. Riverside 4. Signage or public art

Character AreasThe site is compact yet with identifiable, distinct zones:

Entrance - Rectory RoadFirst impressions count! Developers should consider the low lying relationship of the site to Princess Way and the probable need for an iconic landmark on Princess Way.

Rectory Road is the first logical site for development, with existing infrastructure. A good neighbour development will integrate the development with adjacent housing along this road.

BoulevardKey to a sense of place in the development is the establishment of an urban scale in the application of formal design principles and establishing a clear hierarchy of uses in the spaces between the buildings below Rectory Road. The specification and integration of materials will be critical to the success of this strategy.

RiversideThere is an opportunity to create an open parkland treatment to the space between the built areas and the riverside. This area is suitable for parking, which should be landscaped, using generous numbers of formally planted semi mature trees rather than over reliance on shrub planting.

• Character Areas

• Building Scale

• Building Design

• Materials

• Public Realm

• Connectivity

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Proposed Scale and MassingAs outlined in the site capacity section, the gross development area of the site is limited by access constraints.

The height, massing and detail of buildings especially those fronting Rectory Road must respect the positive character of the locality and adjoining built forms and should not generally exceed 4/5 storeys. Rectory Road is the key interface between the new college and the traditional Victorian terraced housing and therefore requires a high quality built form.

A successful development can be achieved by establishing an urbanised setting with buildings dropping in scale from 4/5 to 2 storeys, from the college to the Rectory Road houses.

Riverside - Scale Reduction Scale and Massing

“Consistency in built form and detailing, combines with scale shift to provide good neighbour

development to Rectory Road houses.”

Boulevard - view down Central Walkway“Boulevard – landscaped route opens views southwards from Rectory Road.”

Entrance - view From Roundabout College to Left“Discrete contemporary forms with regular, classically proportioned glazing.”

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Building DesignIt is intended that the overall development should benefit from a strong co-ordinated approach to building design to give consistency in building form and, in particular, materials and the selection of colour.

The design principles applied to site layout, will apply equally to the elements of individual building design, from location, orientation and relationships with other buildings and facilities, to the sustainable selection and specification of systems and materials.

All new development should be energy efficient in terms of design, density, location and orientation. As standards of sustainable design are constantly increasing, with commercial properties achieving BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification, it is expected that buildings on the Knowledge Park will aim for BREEAM Excellent as best practice.

Proposed MaterialsIndigenous commercial and domestic buildings are from the Victorian era and characterised by coursed sandstone construction, frequently embellished with intricate carved detail. The scale and nature of these buildings may be inappropriate to the size and economics of current developments, yet it is possible to construct contemporary designs, such as the adjacent campus building, which integrates with the established architecture of the town.

Materials should relate positively to surrounding buildings in texture, colour, scale and quality and where non-traditional materials are proposed they should be of a high quality.

Consistent detailing and the use of value materials such as grey or buff brick in plain expanses with careful placing of the considered detailing of openings (windows, entrances) can establish robust, discrete development which will act as a foil to the aspirational treatment of the college and to the more refined rhythm and scale of the adjacent terraced housing.

Public realm

Gateway - Rain Bow Gate by Tonkin Liu, artist impression

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Public RealmThe design of the public realm will play an important part in the success of this scheme. Fundamental to identity, is the handling of public realm.

The manner in which the site is “knitted” together will impact upon its function and perception.

A code can be applied to the key components to achieve a consistent “sense of place”, principal routes, primary spaces, critical interfaces, orientation and entry points etc.

It is important to abide by the approach defined for each element as the development progresses; pathways, car parking, entry points etc, while recognizing that a true “sense of place” can only be achieved and maintained with a degree of flexibility and adaptability.

Careful attention should be given to the materials to be used on hard surfaces, with emphasis placed on the identification of car parking and circulation spaces, footpaths, margins around buildings. The palette of materials used on the Princess Way public

realm scheme should guide the design process.

ParkingParking will be in accordance with the car parking standards in the Burnley Local Plan. The treatment of car parking spaces should be carefully handled with the primary aim of focusing attention away from the parking areas towards the buildings themselves. Planting should help achieve this.

InfrastructureThe developer will be required to contribute financially to necessary infrastructure, services and facilities associated with the development such as public transport, highway improvements, walking and cycling routes.

Princess Way public realm

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ConnectivityThe site is well located adjacent to town centre activities and access routes. Adequate and appropriate parking facilities are essential to the successful operation of a business park, as well as its integration into the neighbourhood, to ensure a sustainable future and to assist in environmental assessments. It is essential that environmentally friendly movement patterns are encouraged through the planning, prioritisation and provision of pleasant and easy use, and access to established bus, cycle and footpath networks.

The design of these routes should both fully integrate with the established code for the site and be informed by other initiatives, such as the public realm improvements implemented for the campus entrance area.

Materials

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Kate IngramHead of Economic Regeneration and Business [email protected] 477271

Jon SharplesPrincipal Development [email protected] 477208

Adam LockettDevelopment [email protected] 425011 ext. 2521

Alistair Sunderland David Baldwin Chris Standish

Burnley CouncilPO BOX 29, Parker Lane Offices, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 2DT

Contacts

AcknowledgementsThe Council gratefully acknowledges the contributions to this design guide from the following organisations:

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Burnley Knowledge Park Design Guide

Documents

Transcript of Burnley Knowledge Park Design Guide