CHAPTER 15: Wolverhampton City Centre

15.1

Introduction

Wolverhampton City Centre is a vital asset for the City, which needs continual improvement and investment. It is a focus for shopping, leisure, employment, and civic functions and, increasingly, a place for people to live. It also captures the City’s identity. A clear, robust, positive and up-to-date planning framework is essential to secure successful regeneration of the City Centre.

The main purposes of the City Centre Inset are: -

• to promote a vision for the City Centre;
• to provide a strategy and policy framework which defines the future shape and role of the City Centre;
• to provide a basis for monitoring and reviewing the performance and success of the City Centre.

Objectives

The Council will continue to help create and sustain a City Centre that: -

• is alive and vibrant both day and night, with a range of different uses and activities;
• is repopulated by a ‘balanced’ and ‘active’ community;
• is safer, more accessible, healthier, welcoming and attractive to all;
• offers a top quality shopping, cultural and leisure experience;
• is committed to academic excellence and life-long learning;
• meets the needs of businesses, investors, and the whole community, and builds upon the strengths of the City’s ethnic diversity;
• is a place that both retains strong traditions and also allows opportunities for innovative new development.

Strategy

The Council considers it is essential to improve the competitive performance of Wolverhampton as a sub-regional centre for retailing, leisure and employment, particularly in order to: -

• meet the competitive challenge from other neighbouring centres (such as Walsall, Birmingham, Telford, and Merry Hill);
• strengthen market penetration in the main catchment area;
• prevent further erosion of the catchment area and draw shoppers and expenditure back to Wolverhampton.

There are a number of issues that must be addressed if the City Centre is to be the focus for the regeneration of Wolverhampton. Essential elements must be to build upon the Centre’s key strengths as a traditional City Centre whilst addressing key weaknesses, particularly in terms of quality and choice of major retailers.

A diverse and dynamic City Centre is one which: -

• meets its sub-regional requirements for retailing, leisure and employment;
• meets the needs of all social and age groups in the City;
• is safe, and attractive to residents, visitors, businesses and investors;
• promotes a high quality image of Wolverhampton as a focus for attracting investment in the City.

The Council accepts that the area within the Ring Road cannot meet all of these requirements. It is essential that all developments which attract a large number of users or which contribute to the City’s sub-regional role and to the image and profile of the City should be located within or on the edge of the City Centre wherever possible. This is consistent with the sequential test approach set out in Chapter 9: Shopping and the Role of Centres.

The main components of the strategy are: -

• to continue to give priority to strengthening and creating new development opportunities within the core area, particularly for shopping (the ‘Shopping Quarter’);
• to undertake a planned and sustainable extension to the core area for specific uses and functions;
• to create a safe, welcoming and easily accessible City Centre;
• to create a townscape of distinction and environmental excellence.

Another key component of the strategy is to build upon the distinctive character and strengths of different areas of the City Centre, in order to create unique foci for regeneration which reinforce the wider role of the centre. This has been achieved through the definition of a number of quarters, each with a particular character and range of functions: -

• Shopping Quarter (Primary Shopping Area)
• Cultural Quarter, including the Artists Quarter.
• University Quarter
• St John’s Urban Village
• Chapel Ash
• All Saints / Royal Hospital
• Canalside Quarter

For each quarter, a vision and set of integrated proposals has been developed, to regenerate, reinforce and enhance the roles of the quarter and to create a broad mix of uses and activities which expands the range of functions within the City Centre as a whole. The boundaries of the quarters emphasise their close links and overlapping functions. It is important that each quarter evolves as an integrated active component of the City Centre. The co-ordinated approach for each quarter offers: -

• An integrated way of thinking, critical to a move towards sustainable development and economic, social, and environmental regeneration;
• An integrated way of resolving the various demands placed on the City Centre;
• An integrated approach to land-use and transportation issues;
• Opportunities for integrated and co-ordinated public and private action and investment.

The City Centre Inset provides a context for more detailed Supplementary Planning Guidance contained in the City Centre Action Plan (2005), the St.John’s Urban Village Framework Plan (1999), Evening Economy Action Plan (2005), ABCD Masterplan (2003) and the Canalside Quarter Implementation Plan (2000), and detailed Development Briefs for the Royal Hospital Area and other specific developments sites. In the event of any potential conflict between the UDP and Supplementary Planning Guidance / Documents, the policies as set out in the UDP will prevail.

Shopping Quarter

The Shopping Quarter is characterised by prime shopping locations such as Dudley Street, the Mander and Wulfrun Centres and Beatties Department Store, but also includes other traditional shopping streets within the Ring Road, such as Queen Street, Lichfield Street, Darlington Street and Worcester Street. Whilst the prime shopping streets are similar in character and function, other traditional shopping streets lie in areas with very different characters and overlap with other quarters such as the Cultural Quarter and St John’s Urban Village. For the purposes of proposals for retail development and the application of the sequential test as set out in Policies SH3 and SH4, the Shopping Quarter equates to the Primary Shopping Area.

Cultural Quarter

The Cultural Quarter, located within the Ring Road, forms the heart of leisure and cultural activities within the City Centre and will be the focus for future tourism activity. Within this area is the Artists Quarter, based around Princess Street, Berry Street and Princess Alley. Parts of the area also fall within the City Centre Conservation Area.

Considerable success has already been achieved within the Cultural Quarter, particularly in respect of the development of the evening economy. The City Centre has become regionally renowned for the quality of entertainment and venues and safety of visitors.

University Quarter

The University of Wolverhampton City Centre Campus plays an important role in the educational, economic and social life of the City Centre. Its Arena Theatre, for example, is a valuable leisure / arts and cultural facility, hosting plays and dance exhibitions for local and national companies, including work by the University’s own dance and drama students. The University’s expanding student population also supports the City’s economy.

The aim for this area is to continue to provide high quality teaching, learning and research facilities and a high quality campus environment.

Wolverhampton Urban Village

St John’s Urban Village

The St John’s Urban Village Quarter forms a key part of Wolverhampton Urban Village. The area contains the Old Hall Street, St John’s and Worcester Street Conservation Areas. It also contains an area designated as the ‘Learning Quarter’. This area is based around Old Hall Street and contains the Adult Education Service headquarters, the City Library and what will shortly become the City Centre base for the City of Wolverhampton College.

Chapel Ash

The Chapel Ash Quarter is an important part of the City Centre lying to the west and north-west of the Ring Road and centred on Chapel Ash commercial area, which was once a thriving Victorian / Edwardian suburb. The units in this area are small specialist shops and offices providing services for the City and local needs. They play an important and complementary role in the functioning of the City Centre. Many of the upper floors are vacant or under-used. The area includes the Chapel Ash Conservation Area and parts of the Park and City Centre Conservation Areas.

All Saints / Royal Hospital Area

The All Saints area forms the eastern part of the Wolverhampton Urban Village. It consists of a traditional residential area and some large derelict buildings, including the Royal Hospital buildings and the former Travel West Midlands Bus Garage. There are a large number of empty houses and the area suffers from a poor image with a deteriorating housing stock. Commercial properties abut the Ring Road and some investment has occurred close to the City Centre. The area forms part of the wider All Saints and Blakenhall Community Development New Deal for Communities Area (see Policy S1), for which a Master Plan has been adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Canalside Quarter

The Canalside Quarter lies to the north and east of the City Centre. The area is dominated by transport infrastructure which presents strong physical barriers to movement into and within the area and prevents the development of a coherent character. Major roads form boundaries to the area e.g. Ring Road St Patrick’s and St David’s, Cannock Road, and Horseley Fields and Wednesfield Road bisects the area from east to west. The present railway line, High Level Station and the Birmingham Main Line canal also form major boundaries.

General Policy

15.2

City Centre Shopping Strategy

Whilst the Strategy for the City Centre is to broaden its role and promote a variety of uses, retailing and associated services are likely to remain the dominant function. The ultimate success of the City Centre and its vitality and viability will depend upon the attractiveness of the Centre as a shopping destination. Therefore, it is vital that the City Centre maintains and enhances its retail role.

15.3

City Centre Business and Employment

The office market in Wolverhampton has declined over the past few years. The most severe impact has been within the Ring Road. Conditions are such that speculative office development is unlikely and the refurbishment of existing offices is unviable. Although demand for office space particularly within the Ring Road is low at present, good quality facilities are still desired. Generally the demand is from local businesses wishing to expand or new businesses setting up in the area. This is likely to continue, particularly for small-scale office users. There are opportunities to use existing redundant or outmoded office space for other uses such as residential, for example within St John’s Urban Village.

Office activity in the Waterloo Road area of the City Centre could be intensified, possibly through the conversion of existing properties in Chapel Ash in the shorter term or the attraction of a major single occupier in the medium to long term. Policy CC13 identifies Waterloo Road as a particular focus for office development within the City Centre ring road. The St Johns Urban Village could also cater for the demand for small-scale offices, through the refurbishment of existing buildings or new development.

With respect to large-scale office development this is realistically only likely to take place on a pre-let basis. Generally larger enquiries of a design and build nature are looking to the south of Birmingham along the M42 corridor. There is a need however to ensure that sites are available on high profile / high quality locations close to the Ring Road to attract such development. Such development can also assist in providing the mix of uses necessary to extend the City Centre into wider areas such as the Canalside Quarter.

Providing living accommodation in or close to the City Centre encourages walking to work and also make a significant contribution to the available housing stock (for example, by the conversion of vacant office space or space above shops to residential flats). A balanced approach will be needed, however, to ensure that future office space requirements and job opportunities are not prejudiced.

15.4

City Centre Housing

In the recent past there were significant areas of housing in and around the City Centre, but much has been lost through clearance. The enclaves of housing that remain are often characterised by a poor quality environment. However, as “urban” living in high density, high quality City Centre flats becomes increasingly popular, Wolverhampton City Centre is once again becoming a place where people wish to live. A number of high quality residential schemes are currently being developed such as Princess Lofts in the Cultural Quarter and Redrow Homes scheme in the Canalside Quarter.

The Council is promoting the development of an urban village within the City Centre (the Wolverhampton Urban Village). The aim is to create a living heart to the City, re-populated with a well balanced community and characterised by a mix of land uses designed to be compatible and complementary, recapturing many of the traditional benefits of urban living. Residents of the City Centre will benefit from proximity to major public transport routes, jobs, services, leisure facilities and the regenerated canalside area. In return, residential development will stimulate the regeneration of the City Centre by creating a thriving, mixed use environment and bringing under-used and derelict land and buildings, many of historical importance, back into effective use. Residential development will also be encouraged in the rest of the City Centre, subject to other UDP policies.

Details of larger proposal sites and estimates of the capacity of smaller sites are provided under Policies CC7 to CC12,  Chapter 13: Housing, the Technical Background Papers. “Living Over The Shop” schemes have been highly successful in the City Centre, and the conversion of under-used or vacant office space and floors above shops to flats will continue to be supported and facilitated.

15.5

City Centre Environment

Wolverhampton City Centre is a densely developed area with very few urban spaces. The creation of new urban spaces by developers is seen as important to the health and vitality of the City Centre. Potential new Town Squares have been identified at Markets Phase II development, Low Level Station, Royal Hospital and as part of the Raglan Street redevelopment scheme. New green open spaces / pocket parks will also be created alongside the canal.

Existing squares such as the Civic Centre Piazza could be redesigned to provide a venue for events and activities, themed festivals and promotional events in association with the evening economy, if appropriately marketed.

The Council’s vision is to encourage and achieve good design throughout the City Centre, not just within the Conservation Areas and along major roads but also on key gateway sites and approaches. Good design can enhance the quality of people’s everyday lives, help achieve sustainable development, attract business and investment and reinforce civic pride.

15.6

City Centre Access and Mobility

Wolverhampton is a sub-regional centre for shopping, business, work and increasingly leisure activities. Good access and mobility for all is important to the continued vitality and viability of the City Centre, and to the commercial success of local businesses. A sustainable transport system needs to reflect this role and support the economic revitalisation and regeneration of the City Centre.

The Council’s approach to access and mobility is based upon ‘Accessible City‘ principles which includes providing a sustainable transport system which offers more choice to everyone, that protects the environment, provides for future transport needs, and improves people’s quality of life. Enhancing the vitality of the City Centre, through improvements to access, mobility, image, attractiveness and security are seen as key priorities.

An effective transport system is vital to the promotion of a vibrant economy, healthier environment for living and to ensure better access and mobility for all. An important part of the strategy is to increase the range of transport choices and improve the quality of what is available, in line with Government Guidance.

The railway station is an important hub for services, especially for those who need to change trains between Shropshire and stations to the south. The bus station serves a wide area and provides a stopping point for national coach services. The Metro Line 1 provides an important link to Birmingham. The City’s transport system needs to reflect its role in terms of the level and quality of the services provided.

The provision of high quality, convenient and secure car parks is essential to support the vitality and viability of the City Centre. Opportunities to provide further short stay car parks will be examined within the context of City Centre development proposals. A strategy that considers appropriate car parking charges to encourage the more efficient use of all City Centre car parks will be developed.

The development of some existing surface car parks is essential to the implementation of the St John’s Urban Village. A phased approach will be taken to the development of these car parks in order that the effects of the closure of each car park can be monitored and then inform the decision on subsequent phases, and provision of new car parking spaces.

15.7

Shopping Quarter (Primary Shopping Area)

While much of the focus remains on improving the Shopping Quarter and securing new developments within it there is a need to secure appropriate additional retail development as close as possible on the edge of the Quarter.

The sequential approach has been applied in respect of food and non-food and other uses such as leisure and offices, and in accordance with Policies SH3, SH4 and SH5.One of the important requirements is to ensure that these retail sites, as part of mixed use developments, have strong and attractive pedestrian links with the Shopping Quarter and a high degree of accessibility by all modes of transport.

15.8

Cultural Quarter

The area contains many historic and architecturally important buildings. The sensitive refurbishment and re-use of these buildings for arts / cultural activities, particularly those which form landmarks or gateway features, will be encouraged.

The Council wishes to encourage a wide range of quality leisure, cultural and educational activities at different times of the day and evening, which appeal to all members of the community and complement the existing shopping facilities. The development of the Artists Quarter as an area for artists will support the already established leisure and cultural activities in the City Centre, and provide valuable new job opportunities.

The surrounding area’s existing leisure and cultural facilities, the range of buildings suitable for use, and the convenient access to the bus and rail station, means that the area is ideally suited to an increase in these kind of activities.

15.9

University Quarter

Since gaining University status in 1992 the University of Wolverhampton has gone from strength to strength. There are over 22,000 students, studying over 300 undergraduate and post-graduate courses ranging from traditional areas, such as history and law, to cutting edge disciplines, including virtual reality and e-commerce. The University has developed a Master Plan (the New Horizons Project) which will strengthen its position as one of the best Regional Universities in the United Kingdom.

15.10

St. John’s Urban Village

The immediate area surrounding St. John’s Church within the Ring Road is at the heart of the Wolverhampton Urban Village. The existence of established areas of heritage and character, such as St. John’s Square and the Markets, complemented by the regeneration of key development sites, will help to create a vibrant and exciting place to live, do business, shop and relax. A mix of new build, refurbishment and sensitive re-use of the area’s historic buildings is planned, together with a series of environmental improvements which will make the area more pedestrian-friendly. There are also plans to provide complementary community, leisure, cultural, commercial and life long learning facilities within the urban village. Linking developments to the shopping core to ensure the overall viability of the City is seen as a key component to the successful regeneration of the area.

15.11

Chapel Ash

The Quarter as a whole has a diversity of uses with business and commercial activity being the principle use; for example it contains one of the City’s largest private sector employers Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery. It also has significant areas of housing, for example terraced housing in Compton Road, Tettenhall Road, and large attractive houses overlooking West Park.

On the whole the area has a unique character and has the potential to be a distinctive Quarter within the City Centre. The area has suffered high traffic volumes and poor pedestrian links into the City Centre. Some progress has been made to improve pedestrian links to the City Centre through the provision of surface level crossings at Penn Road and Chapel Ash Islands, and Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries have made significant improvements to rear servicing on the north side of Chapel Ash.

The provision of a wide, rich and vibrant range of land uses will be encouraged to improve the areas vitality and viability. A large part of the Quarter lies within Wolverhampton Urban Village. New housing development is envisaged and will be expected to embrace Urban Village design principles. Important businesses such as the Brewery will continue to be supported. The Council is seeking to attract and sustain private sector investment and the provision of sustainable housing, shopping, leisure and cultural activities.

15.12

All Saints / Royal Hospital Area

Despite its decline in the recent past the area still retains an active community committed to its enhancement and regeneration. Key aims are to improve residents’ quality of life and the area’s image. The Council declared the All Saints Residential Neighbourhood a Housing Renewal Area in 1992. The All Saints Action Network (ASAN) is developing community involvement in the regeneration process. The All Saints area is an area of focus within the Single Regeneration Budget Round 3 and the New Deal for Communities programme. A Master Plan has been prepared for the wider All Saints and Blakenhall Community Development (ABCD) New Deal for Communities Area (see Policy S2). There is an approved development brief for the Royal Hospital / Bus Garage site.

15.13

Canalside Quarter

The Canalside Quarter is an area of considerable potential with opportunities for a wide range of regeneration initiatives, building on its historic industrial and transportation character and infrastructure and its location on the edge of the City Centre. However at present it suffers badly from a spiral of economic decline, with a lack of investment, site and building dereliction, poor environmental quality and inadequate linkages both within and into the area from the City Centre. The perception of the area is poor in terms of investment, environment and safety.

Improving the image of the area to create a strong and positive sense of place and identity will be a priority. This will include improvements to the public realm environment, including enhancing the streetscape and street furniture, the canal and canalside environment.

The area’s proximity to the railway station and transport interchange will be built upon and the strategic role for High Level Station will be enhanced. There are considerable opportunities for future change and improvement in this area.

15.14

Waterloo Road / Darlington Street Quarter

Darlington Street is an important western gateway into the City and provides an opportunity for new high quality mixed use development. Any mixed use development should retain a strong element of Class A1 uses at ground floor level, in accordance with the Secondary Frontage designation of this stretch of Darlington Street under Policy CC6 (c).