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By Craig Alletson and Kristie Sherriff

The Future of Morley

Introduction

The future of Morley is not a precise thing, however there are improvements that can been seen that would better the area. On this basis by pointing out the changes that could be made to the area a prediction of the near future of how Morley will change can be suggested. Morley is a small town that has a strong community spirit and this can affect the future of the town as it shows more care within the area. By the community having such a strong independence and community spirit it would give a sense that the area will not be overrun by high street shops or consumers and will most likely remain a close net of local shops within the area. However if the local vacant areas lower the rates on the shops it may entice other small business owners around Morley to buy one of the vacant buildings which would bring in more amenities to the area. The area seems to have many different types of housing and residential areas however there are some areas in which Morley would benefit from a higher standard of housing to bring in a different style of person to the community. This would allow further explanation of the community bring a variety of skills into the area. From bring more people to the area it would also create a stronger need for clear transport systems. Therefore Morley would be at an advantage to create and introduce a dominant train station to the area.

Renovations

Renovation areas

Within Morley there are a number of sites that have been selected as areas that possibly could be renovated in the future and that would benefit from the renovation. The areas that have been highlighted in yellow are the sites that have been selected for improvement. The types of areas that have been selected are station road and the train station as they are transition points that need improving for the aesthetic of the area to give a more welcoming feel to the people arriving into Morley. The improvements that would benefit this area are a more predominant train station that gives clear understanding that the area is Morley. The route from the station to town is difficult to work out the way, this needs improving as there are a few areas along the way that could make the walk more pleasant, as well as the road being resurfaced. What could be done with these areas is creating small greenery areas with flowers and well-kept trees to bring colour and brighten the walk up, this would make the area a lot more pleasant for both residents and commuters. The areas could also be improved with smaller alteration such as benches or bins this make the area seem more publicly developed rather than the area feeling intimidating and would split up the journey for less mobile commuters.

Renovations

Renovation areas

There is a vacated building with grounds which appears a good redevelopment site that could be used to introduce other facilities that are needed in the area such as further accommodation or even facilities such as a leisure centre. The empty plot next to Levisham Park could be used to create a prominent entrance or be a further extension to the park. The Morrison’s building was also a discussion point of renovation as it seems like an unsuitable use of the area as well as use of the building and could be put to better uses or made to give more to the town with improvement such as making the building two storey. The building could be developed into a entertainment centre or it could be transformed into several different locations to things such as becoming a small market area with small businesses or it could become a bowling facility which would be entertainment for all generations. The last site that was highlighted was the vacant land next to the old cinema called “The Pavillion” as this seems like a prime location to give the town another attraction or building that would facilitate the areas residents better.

Renovations Areas

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps

St Mary’s In The Woods St Marys in the woods is a part of the town’s history and heritage. It gives the town a unique quality and is an asset to the town. However with the current plans to demolish the church and build accommodation and a restaurant on the site it seems as if Morley will rip apart of its history away. The idea that should be put forward to change St Mary’s is to renovate the church re-enforce the originally parts of the building and reconstruct the natural pieces that are still standing. However it should then be brought into the present by combining the church with a modern design for the most damaged parts of the building. This would combine the history of the town with the future. Once the building has then been rebuilt it would be pleasant to then make the building used for either an art gallery, museum or it could even be changed into a community space for events or a new restaurant so that the public can use the building and experience the beauty and history of the place as well as giving the building new life.

The Pavillion The Pavilion cinema in the town centre is currently vacant and isn’t being used for any purpose it would seem that this site is currently a missed opportunity. The building in the past has been used for a cinema and a restaurant which would be a prime idea to put back into the town facilities. The building is currently already designed as a cinema and if it was to reopen as it would be an attraction to all ages and give the people of Morley some entertainment which seems to be the main thing missing for the area. This space could also be reclaimed and used in other ways for the town for example the space has being suggested to be turned into an art space or art gallery. By using that space for art spaces it would give Morley a unique attraction and give the area a standard of which to create within the area that they wish to keep. The land next to the pavilion cinema could expand the building and extend the use of the facility. This could allow the space to be usedas one building or it could have two buildings which interconnect with one another such as an exhibition space and a restaurant. Although the building could also make a beautiful theatre within it which would allow new entertainment and standards to the area and it would also create a small amount of jobs within the area.

Green Areas

Green areas

There are many green areas in Morley which gives the town a natural feel to the area; however it is a feeling that for improvement in the future some of the green areas could do with further development. For example it is clear that “Levisham Park” and the “Well Hill” greenery area both have had something created within them, however it would seem from looking at them both that the current designs for them do not use the full potential of the areas. To make both the areas more efficient the greenery areas do not need as much concrete over the area. It would be nice to have seating areas created around flowery areas but no major changes are needed to the areas. The Troy hill area was a large area that was felt to have plenty of wasted space and that seems overgrown and uncared for, as this is a key route from the train station to the town centre we feel this should show Morley in the best light and create a pleasant promenade. This is also similar to the green area along station road as the area again seems unused and these could both make the entrance from the train station a more pleasant experience. This could be improved by caring for the greenery and introducing new plants and street furniture to the area. By generally taking care of the area would bring a welcoming influence to the area. Some other areas that would benefit from greenery area improvement are the numerous roundabouts with in the town as these could be spaces to utilize more greenery in the town and give more aesthetic to the location by again simply adding plants and greenery onto the areas and giving a pleasant as the people pass by.

Green Areas

Road Movement

Road Movement

The road system in Morley has several ways around the town and the streets follow the residential areas. The major roads go around Morley which does not interfere with the minor roads within the town. However this may change within the future as Morley expands, the major roads will compromise the outskirts of the town. From looking at the current road system however, it can be seen that there are some changes that can be made to make the access of the area much more legible. For example the highlighted area in blue is the area in which the valley road could be extended to join to Albert road which would supply an easier access and transition from the train station to the town centre. By moving this road it would also allow quicker walking access as well as driving and this could then produce a more comfortable walk from the train station to the town. The location that is highlight seems to be space that is either used as a car park for a pub or what looks like a small hidden path. These two places seemed like places that could be the most efficient places to add the road as it would not disrupt any buildings which would mean only limited removing of trees that are in the area. The other suggestions that could be made within Morley to make the driving prospective better would be to change the amount of one way roads to a limited amount however this is a good quality for the pedestrians’.

Parking

Car Parks

Clearly highlighted in grey is the car parking areas within Morley, as is clearly visible there is a variety of parking areas in the small town. From observing the town centre it can be said there is a lot of parking in the main business district if the residential areas and industrial areas of Morley are not taken into consideration. Looking at the space that is taken up by the car parking areas this seems to be space that could be used for further development of the surrounding area where new developments or public spaces could be created. The car parks are currently widely used for shops of Morrison’s , the high-street area and for parking while they work or visit others. This means that the highlighted car parks are mostly used for the Windsor and queen street areas which in comparison is a high number of parking areas when the main usage would be on days when the town hold events in the high street area. To improve the area one of the car parks could be developed into a multi-storey car park so to free up the demand for parking so that the other car parks could be developed for other purposes to a greater benefit for Morley. Although by creating a multi-storey car park it could also be and interesting insight into improving the area of the Morley by creating an architecturally interesting car park within the town. It is however clear that there are many vacant areas and buildings within the town that could be renovated before the town looks and using the car parks they have within the town for development. Although even if the town do not use the car parks for redevelopment a lot of them are in need of resurfacing .

Transportation

http://www.wymetro.com/NR/rdonlyres/9CF6E371-0C53-4B3C-89CD-D2CC4A02A665/0/Leeds_Route_Map.pdf

The transportation in Morley for the area would benefit for improvements so that it can become better connected. For the improvements of the area a new bus service and station would give more connections and clearer bus services. As well as clear maps of the areas bus services to give clear destinations. Along similar situations it would also be beneficial if Morley had a prominent train station. By having a prominent train station and a clear bus station it would give the area better transportation services, allowing people to travel to and from Morley. The advantages of having improved bus services and trains services are that good transport services allow people to commute with ease and will encourage people to move to the area. The train service would be good if it could branch out into other areas without having to change in between and would be an improvement they have notice boards to give clear directions to platforms for the trains. There are also many other advantages of having good transport in the town it can become more well-known which could entice businesses to open in the area which would create a higher financial income for the area allowing the exploration of more improvements to the town. The transportation in Morley could become more healthy as well by introducing bike lanes which could give the town a new efficient way for people to travel around the town.

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Businesses in Morley The business district of Morley town centre is an important area to both the residents and to the town economically. Currently the business area appears to be in a state of decline, where shops are closing and charity or bargain shops are opening in their places, our vision of Morley is where there are less of these kinds of shops and more boutique style shops or independent local retailers. The town should encourage small businesses to open up and offer benefits for these businesses to open up in Morley instead of somewhere else; we think these businesses would appeal more to visitors and tourists. Some ways to encourage these type of businesses is that the business rates for the area could be lowered for small businesses, some councils other councils across the country like Amber Valley Borough Council in Derbyshire offer Small Business Rates relief for business’ with a rateable value of less than £12000 and business don’t have to pay anything if their business rateable value is less than £6000. Other ways to encourage small businesses is to offer a business start-up scheme where entrepreneurs are offered support by the town council, in the way of professional training of how to run a business, or perhaps a mentor scheme from other successful local entrepreneurs to help each other or perhaps a start-up loan scheme upon completion of a training course and preparation of an approved business plan. Local business networking group could also promote business within one another too as a lot of close knit towns prefer to use sources from within the community that they know than some unknown big corporation.

References

http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/images/d/d0/Morley.jpg (accessed 15/2/13) http://www.wymetro.com/NR/rdonlyres/9CF6E371-0C53-4B3C-89CD-D2CC4A02A665/0/Leeds_Route_Map.pdf (accessed 18/2/13) Some of the images in the presentation have been supplied by google maps http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl (accessed 18/2/13) http://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/business/business-rates/small-business-rate-relief.aspx (accessed 20/2/13) A series of self took photographs have also been used as well as diagrams from the urban study on morley presentations.