What "The Times" architectural correspondent says
"Housing plan punctures rare vista of historic roofscapes" By Marcus Binney Architectural Correspondent of "The Times", 17th March 2003.
THERE is strong and sustained local opposition to proposals for a large speculative housing development by Taylor Woodrow on a sensitive site next to Bradford on Avon's ancient stone bridge. The developers nonetheless are hoping their latest scheme will go before the planning committee of West Wiltshire in the next two months and have the support of the new Commission on Architecture and the Built Environment.
The Kingston Mill site is five-and-a0half acres, extending 300 metres along the river. It was formerly occupied by the Avon Rubber Company. The proposals for 127 units, several in four or five-storey blocks, represent a jump in scale which will have a devastating effect on a town famous for the wonderful panorama of small weavers' cottages rising up the steep hill behind the river. Glorious roofscapes may be common in Italy but in England they are rare and exceedingly precious.
The scheme is designed by Broadway Malyan, architects of the controversial butterfly-roofed housing towers south of Vauxhall Bridge in London. Local people describe it as Poole Harbour meets Swindon Business Park.
To grasp the full horror of the proposed development it is necessary to stand on the hillside terrace in front of the chapel of Saint Mary Tory, which is approached along one of the most delightful winding rows of cottages in all England. From here it is obvious that the existing factory buildings rise no higher than the terrace of the famous early 17th-century hall - which was nominated by Sir Edwin Lutyens, no less, as the perfect English house. The new residential blocks would loom well above the terrace.
Even if they were screened by trees, the fact is that trees come and go and bulky new buildings are no more acceptable here than they would be rising in front of the terrace at Somerset House on the Thames.
The great engineer Alex Moulton (the venerable inventor of the Moulton bicycle), who lives in the hall, is understandably keen to see this matter resolved and has accepted the plan, but such an intrusive development would be a travesty of every undertaking ever made to protect the setting of fine listed buildings.
Taking advantage of the Deputy Prime Minister's call for increased housing densities, the developers have increased the number of units proposed from 64 to 127. Overall heights have also been forced up by the provision of a parking space for every single unit on the site. Yet Bradford on Avon already has more traffic than it can cope with across its single narrow bridge. The solution is simple. The district council should insist on a development without car parking to be sold to people without cars. The town has a well-used railway station, and a surprising number of the older houses are already on narrow lanes and footpaths without traffic or car parking. These houses and cottages are much in demand - even if they are a headache to removal firms.
The district council is demanding affordable housing on the site. Without car parking there should be room for more shops and mixed-use premises which local people want and which will help to boost employment. Already speciality shops are moving down from Bath because rents there are so high.
The new development should pay much more attention to open space, creating a precinct of small shops and restaurants in the Lamb Yard next to the bridge and keeping a large open space running down to the river in front of New Mill. This will provide a much betrter setting for beautiful Palladian Kingston House (now shrouded in scaffolding), which will otherwise be boxed in by higher buildings with a hideous sea of tarmac in front of it.
Along with Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, Bradford on Avon is one of the most atmospheric, best preserved and lively of ancient mill towns. Its survival largely intact is thanks to the determination of the local people, the town's preservation trust has successfully completed six projects, saving 11 buildings from demolition.
Their objection to bad, ill-considered, out-of-scale new building is not an objection to development or to contemporary design but is made on the sound principles of scale, urban grain, protection of key views and making good use of a river front.
Anything but outright refusal of the present proposals will be a devastating blow to this wonderful town."
[Reproduced with the permission of the author and publisher.]
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