Improving the town centre
Background, Vision and Proposals for the Neighbourhood Plan
Background
The town centre has come up at every consultation we have conducted from the very beginning of the Neighbourhood Plan project, and is something that residents really feel could be improved. Our consultations have shown that issues associated with the town centre are:
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a lack of linked design
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the lack of access and flow for pedestrians surrounding the heart of the town
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concerns about the closure of shops in the future
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transport and car parking
Connecting with the Town Centre Regeneration Plan
In the spring of 2022, New Forest District Council revealed that they are working on a regeneration plan for Totton Town Centre (see article in the Lymington Times here). The Neighbourhood plan team fed our consultation data directly to the planning department at NFDC. NFDC then went on to organise a public consultation, run by the consultancy firm Feria Urbanism, focused solely on the town centre (see results here). The consultation data is currently being analysed and organised, which will feed into the eventual town centre regeneration plan, which may well include suggestions that have come through the Neighbourhood Plan project such as;
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creating a town centre that is based around Testvale park and the Civic Green to create a more enjoyable shopping experience,
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creating a better experience for pedestrians by connecting walkways and having more areas for street entertainment.
We know that Totton and Eling is overdue for town centre regeneration, and we welcome this news from NFDC. The Neighbourhood Plan team is committed to working closely with NFDC whenever resident input is required so that all stakeholders can help create the best possible town centre for the future of our town.
How the Neighbourhood Plan will support improvements to the town centre
The Neighbourhood Plan has certain limitations in what we can include as a part of the official, ratifiable document which is within our scope. In order to effect the large scale change which is required for the next chapter of Totton and Eling's life all stakeholders have to be involved and on-board - including the current landowners. This is a process which needs to be led by the local planning authority via a regeneration plan - in this case, NFDC (who have recently revealed that they are beginning work on a regeneration plan for Totton town centre).
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However, there are several things which we can specify as part of a Neighbourhood Plan document - namely, aiding in site allocations which have good potential for development, providing a vision for the town centre that highlights the wants and needs which residents have, and specific improvements to the public realm (which connects strongly with our Design Framework)
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Our Recommendations:
A Greener, more enjoyable town centre:
Any new development work could be based around the Civic Green and the Testvale Park in order to create a greener, more enjoyable town centre where people want to enjoy a shopping experience, take part in community activities and live.
Easier through routes for the town:
Ideally the town centre needs to be reconfigured to lead people from the shopping precinct through the civic green and up to the park area with amenities, community facilities and commercial activity taking place along the route. Easier pedestrian access around the town is also essential.
This could also include opening up the back of the precinct to community facilities or commercial premises, limiting traffic on Library Road and including busking sites, childrens town centre facilities, a town performance area or bandstand etc.
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A welcoming town centre:
The precinct needs to be outward facing so that visitors to the town are not greeted by the backs of our main shopping area.
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A vibrant town centre:
In order for the town centre to be more vibrant the current local plan designations of community use only need to be changed to include mixed use – commercial use, office use and community use. Alongside this could be buskers, town centre events, public art and street furniture that lends individuality to the town.
Our Vision for the Town Centre - created with consultations with residents and planning experts
With the help of planning experts and local residents, we have created a vision for a future Totton and Eling town centre that would better meet the needs of the town. Having a resident-led and approved vision will help landlords, stakeholders and planning authorities to work together to realise improvements and modernisations to the town centre that make sense for Totton and Eling, and where things have been thought about holistically, rather than piecemeal.
Improving how the streets work for us
We've conducted a great deal of research and put thought into how people use the streets in the town centre - where people like to cross where there are no current crossings, and the most common routes that people use in the town to get to other places by all modes of transport. Working with planning experts we have come up with a number of improvements to the street infrastructure and design that would be an improvement for residents and greatly improve the flow of people and traffic (which we know will increase in coming years). The above map shows our proposals for family friendly cycle tracks, wider pavements, new crossing points, and more accessible bus stops.
Town Centre Site Allocation Proposals
The Neighbourhood Plan can include sites which we recognise as having potential for positive development to meet the needs of the town. We can also suggest changes in designation to match the needs and wants that residents have highlighted for a particular area.
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The Civic Quarter is the area currently surrounding Testvale Park (also commonly referred to as War Memorial Park), including the community centre and town council civic centre. We currently have a number of disused and under used public buildings in this area, such as the fire and ambulance depots, and the old police station. These are all sites which could have their designations changed to allow for new development.
We are proposing a Civic Quarter for the town which has a mixture of apartments and civic buildings, surrounding an enlarged park to create a more vibrant town centre in line with the NFDC Local Plan.
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The Shopping Precinct is the main place people think of as the town centre in Totton. Residents are very keen to ensure the survival of the shopping precinct in Totton, and finding a way to help it to be successful for many years into the future.
We are proposing that the shopping precinct is reconfigured to have more of a mixture of retail, office and residential spaces. Having more people living and working in close proximity to the retail units is a key way to help support the shops, and create a vibrant centre with people around during more hours of the day.
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Eling Wharf is the area of Junction Road and Rumbridge Street down to Eling Lane and the area surrounding the wharf. Our proposal for this area is to create an area ideal for start-ups and small independent businesses in Junction Road and Rumbridge Street (utilising a mixed-use designation), which can lead all the way up to the riverside destination that is Eling Wharf.