COURTHOUSE CAMPUS BARNSLEY Executive Summary March 2010

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1 COURTHOUSE CAMPUS BARNSLEY Executive Summary March 2010 Estell Warren Cartwright Pickard Buro Happold King Sturge BWA Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

2 introduction Courthouse Campus is the last major undeveloped site close to the town centre. It represents a significant opportunity for creating new jobs and community facilities including a new town centre park. Close proximity of the Courthouse site to the town centre suggests that it should form an integral part of the town centre fabric, fitting in with established uses, street patterns and building height and scale. The masterplan sets out a range of measures to achieve these aims whilst creating a strong framework of new public spaces. These spaces create the setting for new development but will also become a permanent piece of town centre infrastructure that will mature with time, offering a valuable new asset for town centre users and local communities. Within this framework of public spaces the masterplan offers great flexibility in terms of plot size, use and accommodation potential, for both public and private sector investors.

3 existing site The name Courthouse Campus reflects the former presence of a court for the judiciary in what is now The Courthouse pub. Before becoming a pub this magnificent building was used as the ticket office for the former Courthouse Railway Station, when Barnsley had two stations. Old maps show that the site used to be mostly open fields in 1852 and was then progressively occupied by railway sidings and the Courthouse Station. After removal of the station and sidings in the 1960 s the site has been used occupied by several Council buildings (since demolished) and then as surface car parking. Over recent years new high quality architecture has emerged on the site at The Digital Media Centre (DMC) and The Core, providing a home to modern business and community uses. Since removal of the station and sidings the name Courthouse has remained with the site and is an interesting reminder of earlier uses. Campus is a new addition by the Council, used to signify the current single ownership. Extending to 4.28ha in areas the site falls from west to east, with a central Victorian stone retaining wall and embankment dividing the landform into upper and lower terraces. Spectacular panoramic views are available to the east, across the Dearne Valley. Historic photos of the Courthouse Station Digital Media Centre The site is located adjacent to Barnsley town centre with pedestrian connections to Eldon Street (and the Transport Interchange) and Eastgate. The main vehicle access through the site is via County Way, which runs through the upper terrace, linking between Regent Street in the south and Old Mill Lane in the north.

4 policy background The Remaking Barnsley: Strategic Development Framework identifies a vision for Courthouse Campus of green and sustainable living conditions, a cutting edge learning environment, including living and office uses. This approach is reinforced in the Town Centre Area Action Plan. Supporting policy in the form of the Town Centre Public Spaces Strategy and Tall Buildings Study provides guidance on how Courthouse Campus should respond to and integrate with its townscape setting. The masterplan takes forward the aims set out in the Remaking Barnsley SDF and supporting guidance, to create a place to live and work, becoming the knowledge hub of the town and taking on a strong green character.

5 car park strategy Courthouse Campus currently forms the major surface car park for the town centre and is used by workers and shoppers alike. Continued provision of convenient car parking is recognised as essential to the future economy of Barnsley, in its role as a market town serving a wide surrounding catchment area. A review of options for providing replacement parking within the site concluded that new multi-storey car parks would provide the most economical, flexible and convenient solution, allowing the site to realise its development potential whilst acting as a major peripheral town centre car park. Existing surface parking would be progressively replaced as development plots are built out, maintaining the overall town centre car parking resource. Approximately 920 parking spaces are currently on the site. Including parking provision for new development this will rise to a demand of 1528 spaces. Two multi-storey car parks would provide 900 spaces with a further potential for 150 space in development plots and 25 street spaces, giving 1075 spaces within the developed site. The shortfall would be offset by proposals to provide new parking at the former CEAG site. Disabled parking is catered for in the masterplan. vision Courthouse Campus is a new piece of town centre; it responds to Barnsley topography and skyline, it has a strong public realm framework with a green character, it creates maximum opportunity and flexibility of future use in a sustainable manner and aims to become the knowledge hub of the town.

6 1. Belvedere Park 2. Digital Media Centre 3. The Core 4. Barnsley College 5. Old Mill Lane 6. Telephone Exchange 7. Railway 8. Eldon Street North 9. Transport Interchange 10. The Courthouse (pub) 11. Regent Street 12. Town Hall 13. Eastgate 14. Multi-storey car parks 15. County Way masterplan The masterplan responds to surrounding town centre fabric and the outstanding combination of topography and views present on Courthouse Campus. Careful handling of site levels, spaces and buildings brings out the best from these inherent qualities, creating a site that can compete with others in the region through flexibility of market offer, accessibility and distinctive sense of place. The split level character of the existing site is retained, along with County Way, which forms a clear north-south spine through the site and acts as the main vehicular access route. A new greenspace, Belvedere Park, is proposed on the lower terrace, taking advantage of the panoramic views eastwards over the Dearne Valley and creating an attractive entrance to the site from the Transport Interchange. West-east pedestrian links through to Barnsley College and Eastgate extend from Belvedere Park across County Way. They are designed as Green Vistas, responding to the special character of Barnsley by creating rising green routes linking back to the town centre and offering views out to the Dearne Valley. Building height and massing responds to emerging guidance and the aims of the SDF to create a Living Wall around the town centre. In addition, a sympathetic context is provided for the DMC landmark building and views to the iconic Town Hall are maintained. The net floor area of the completed development would be 32,146 square metres (including the possible development on Barnsley Chronicle land) excluding the multi-storey car parks. High quality, modern architecture is envisaged across the site, building on standards established by the DMC and The Core. Vehicle and pedestrian movement through the site is managed to provide functional access and minimise potential conflict. The important desire line between Transport Interchange and Barnsley College, used by thousands of students every day, is established as an accessible pedestrian

7 route through the site. Service access is catered for by a series of Lanes, narrower primarily hard spaces that provide a contrast in scale to the more open Green Vistas and the expanse of Belvedere Park. Plot design provides the maximum flexibility for future development allowing office, residential, learning or community uses to be accommodated. Plots may accommodate large single users or could be split down to cater for smaller users or create additional greenspace.

8 public realm A range of identifiable and distinct new public spaces is created including Belvedere Park, Green Vistas, Lanes and a revitalised County Way. In addition to creating a setting for development the changing scale and character of these spaces offers the visitor a range of different experiences as they move through the site. New public spaces are treated robustly and attractively, working in local materials and character and building on values established in recent town centre projects such as Mandela Gardens, the Advance Public Realm works scheme and the Town Centre Public Spaces Strategy. At 1 ha in size Belvedere Park has the potential to become a valuable community park, place for workers and a visitor destination. It takes advantage of panoramic views over the Dearne Valley, creates strong seasonal effects and combines nature and history within a town centre setting. Lines of semi-mature trees, expansive lawns, grass banks and stone lookouts create a multi-purpose setting for activity, from lunchtime relaxation to civic events. Autumn leaf colour and banks of spring bulbs bring strong seasonal interest to the park. A wide pavement along the western edge of the space creates potential for spill out from new uses established behind the existing stone railway arches, which are retained as a historic feature of the site.

9 View to the east along the northern Green Vista. View down the Pedestrian Spine and across Belvedere Park to the lookouts View to the east across the Dearne Valley from Belvedere Park View to the east along the northern Green Vista View to the DMC across Belvedere Park

10 sustainable design Energy and water conservation principles are built into the masterplan with recommendations provided on how these could be taken forward. Green roofs and green walls assist with energy conservation and are used as a means of illustrating the green ambitions of the site. The site presents an opportunity to act as an exemplar project, demonstrating how sustainable design principles can be accommodated within a new piece of town centre rather than in individual buildings or out of town developments. All commercial development will be required to achieve BREEAM excellent standard, and housing to achieve 3 stars (rising to 6 by 2016) under Codes for Sustainable Homes. There are high sustainable energy requirements and the potential for a decentralised energy centre for the site. Buildings will be required to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of B as a minimum. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) will be required and facilities to ensure that water consumption of no more than 2 cubic metres per person per annum. Waste management plans will be required for both the developments operation and construction. consultation The masterplan has been subject to a thorough consultation process and has received strong support throughout its development. Key issues identified at consultation include the value of car parking to workers and shoppers and the need for maximum flexibility in how development plots can be configured. Both of these aspects have been integrated into the masterplan.

11 the future Courthouse Campus offers investors a unique range of opportunities and flexible accommodation potential within a site of distinctive character, close to Barnsley town centre and with excellent transport links. This is the ideal time to build on the presence of the DMC and the Core with additional public realm infrastructure, to establish the important connection with the Transport Interchange and create a setting for new development in the form of Belvedere Park, Green Vistas and an improved County Way. Parallel upgrading of utility and public realm infrastructure will improve the attractiveness of development plots, reducing risk and delivery lead in times for developers. With new public realm and supporting infrastructure in place a catalyst will be created to pitch the site at the forefront of the upturn in the property market. In addition, this approach will provide much improved accessibility through the site and new community facilities in the form of a town centre park. View to the east along the southern Green Vista contact Barnsley Development Agency Westgate Plaza One PO Box 598 Barnsley S70 9EX Tel: investment@barnsley.gov.uk Web: