Dudley Council

Part Two: Centres and Site Allocations (Regulation 18)

Ended on the 22 December 2023
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Design and Public Realm

Design

1.26 Local Plan Policy DLP4 provides the overarching context for considering design quality. Regard should also be had to policies for the historic environment. This section sets out those characteristics of the most importance to the Brierley Hill Strategic Centre Inset Plan area and town centre specific policies.

(1) Policy DLPBH2 Brierley Hill Design - Landmarks, Views, Vistas and Gateways

  1. All new development in the inset plan area for Brierley Hill should have regard to Local Plan Policy DLP39 to deliver high quality design. Developments within and in the setting of the Conservation Areas should have regard to policy DLP56.
  1. New development and proposed alterations to existing buildings should:
    1. Enhance the sense of arrival by improving existing gateways and where appropriate create new ones that reinforce principal routes and spaces.
    2. Create architectural corner features and new landmark features to improve the understanding of the town where appropriate.
    3. Safeguard and enhance local and important views, vistas, landmarks and gateways within and at the edges of the town centre.
    4. Protect key gateway buildings that give the town character and respect building lines, where appropriate, to assist the continuity of the town's heritage and help secure and improve views and vistas.
    5. Respect the height and mass and visibility of existing Brierley Hill landmarks. Such landmarks should not be overwhelmed by new development nor their setting compromised. Consideration of the effect on setting has regard to the importance of the landmark, the extent of any harm, and the benefit arising from development.
    6. Ensure that new buildings have a scale, mass, height and impact that is responsive to its context and sensitive to its roofscape/skyline.
    7. Create variations in roofscape that will respect important local and strategic views.
    8. Ensure that larger development facades and rooflines should reduce their scale and massing by subdividing into smaller architectural elements.
       
  2. Where new development is likely to have an impact on an identified view, skyline or landmark, accurate visual representations will be required as part of any development proposals. Choice of materials and finishes need careful consideration to protect and enhance the existing design context.
     
  3. The following landmarks, gateways, views and vistas should be protected and enhanced where possible in accordance with the above Policy considerations:
     
  4. Strategic Landmark (Positive):
  • SLP1- St Michael's Church
  • SLP2- Brierley Hill War Memorial
  • SLP3- Brierley Hill Civic Hall and Police Station
  • SLP4- The Landmark building, Waterfront Way
  1. Local Landmarks (Positive):
  • LLP1- Delph Nine Locks/Dudley No. 1 Canal
  • LLP2- Brierley Hill Market Hall
  • LLP3- St Mary's Church
  • LLP4- Brierley Hill Institute
  • LLP5- Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre
  • LLP6- Dudley College Inspired
  • LLP7- Brierley Hop House (public house)
  • LLP8- Resonance Music Institute
  • LLP9The Copthorne Hotel
  • LLP10- Merry Hill Shopping Centre
  • LLP11- Fat Yue Temple (Fa Yue Buddhist Monastery)
  1. Edge Gateway:
  • EG1- Hurst Lane/Level Street junction
  • EG2- The Boulevard/Coppice Lane junction
  • EG3- The Boulevard/Mill Street junction
  • EG4- Church Street/Venture Way junction­­
  • EG5- Bank Street/Level Street junction
  • EG6- John Street/Dudley Road/Waterfront Way island
  • EG7- Waterfront Way

Inner Gateway:

  • IG1- Merry Hill bus station
  • IG2- The Boulevard/The Embankment/Times Square Avenue island
  • IG3- Level Street/Waterfront Way/Hop House island

Development should have regard to and respect the following important views and vistas:

  1. Panoramic View (View Cone) in/out of Brierley Hill:
  • PV1- From Waterfront Way car park, looking eastwards towards St. Andrews Church, Netherton/horizon.
  • PV2- From the car park at the rear of Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre, looking eastwards towards St. Andrews Church, Netherton/horizon.
  • PV3- From Church Hill/Brierley Hill War Memorial, looking south west.
  • PV4- From Mill Street/canal bridge looking southwards overlooking Dudley No. 1 Canal/Delph Nine Locks
  • PV5- From the churchyard/St. Michaels looking west towards the Chimney of the former Stevens & Williams Glassworks, Woodcock Mews
  • PV6- From the green in front of the Brierley Hill Civic Hall and Police Station looking southwest towards the Chimney of the former Stevens & Williams Glassworks, Woodcock Mews
  1. Skyline Views:
  • SK1- From The Embankment looking southwest towards the high-rise flats at Brierley Hill
  1. Strategic View:
  • SV1- From the Level Street/Dudley Road/High Street junction looking south along the High Street towards the high-rise flats at Brierley Hill
  • SV2- From Merry Hill Bus Station looking west towards the high-rise flats at Brierley Hill
  • SV3- ­­From The Boulevard looking northwest towards the high-rise flats at Brierley Hill
  1. Vista:
  • V1- Waterfront east, both directions: east to west and west to east
  • V2- Waterfront west, both directions: east to west and west to east
  1. Local View:
  • LV1- From Waterfront Way looking west towards The Landmark building
  • LV2- From Waterfront Way looking east towards The Landmark building
  • LV3- From Waterfront West looking north towards The Landmark building
  • LV4- From Waterfront Way looking southwest towards the Hop House
  • LV6- From Level Street looking southwest towards the Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre
  • LV7- From The Embankment looking northwest towards the Hop House
  • LV8- From The Embankment/Central Way island looking west towards the Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre
  • LV9- From The Embankment looking northwest towards the Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre­
  • LV10- From Level Street looking west towards the Brierley Hill Civic Hall & Police Station
  • LV11- From Venture Way (as you turn off Level Street) looking southeast towards the Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre
  • LV12- From Cottage Street, junction with Venture Way, looking west towards the rear of Brierley Hill Market Hall
  • LV13- From High Street, looking north towards the front of Brierley Hill Market Hall
  • LV14- Along Albion Street, looking north towards the Brierley Hill Civic Hall & Police Station
  • LV15- From the junction of Fenton Street/Moor Street looking eastwards towards five ways junction & the former Marsh & Baxters building at 94 High Street
  • LV16- From Bell Street, looking south towards St. Michael's Church
  • LV17- From Venture Way, by the Brierley Hill Health & Social Care Centre, looking southwards towards Dudley College Inspired
  • LV18- From Venture Way, junction with Mill Street, looking northeast towards Dudley College Inspired
  • LV19- From Level Street bridge over Dudley No. 1 Canal, looking north towards Hop House/The Waterfront buildings complex
  • LV20­­- From Level Street bridge over Dudley No. 1 Canal, looking south over the canal towards Daniels Wharf & the High Plateau
  • LV21- From Church Street, looking northeast towards St Mary's Church
  • LV22- From Church Street, looking north­­­­west towards St. Michael's Church
  • LV23- From Church Street, looking southwest towards Brierley Hill War Memorial
  • LV24- From Church Street, looking northeast towards Brierley Hill War Memorial
  • LV25- From Church Street looking northeast to the main entrance gates Marsh Park/ Brierley Hill War Memorial & no. 18 Church Hill
  • LV26- From A4100 road bridge (Nine Lo­­­cks Bridge) looking northwards,­­­ overlooking Dudley No. 1 Canal

Justification

1.27 Views and landmarks within Brierley Hill help people find their way around the Town Centre and create a variety and interest to the townscape that reinforces its sense of place and gives local identity. Having an understanding and appreciation of the landmarks, views, vistas and gateways of the town will help prevent the erection of out of scale, poorly designed or sited buildings and structures within particular sight-lines around the town.

1.28 The 'Landmarks, Views, Vistas and gateways' plan illustrates an urban design appraisal of views, vistas, features and gateways both at the local and strategic level that positively contribute to the legibility of the town. Historically significant strategic landmarks such as St Michael's Church (SLP1) and panoramic views such as PV4 overlooking Dudley No.1 Canal/Delph Nine Locks are included. Where new development is likely to have an impact on an identified view or landmark, accurate visual representation of changes to the view will be required. Careful consideration will need to be paid to building materials and finishes, skylines and silhouettes.

Figure 1.1: Brierley Hill Landmarks, Views, Vistas and Gateways Plan

This figure shows landmarks, views, vistas and gateways in Brierley Hill. The panoramic views largely look outside of the Brierley Hill inset area outwards towards other areas of the borough, including Saltwells Nature Reserve. There are a number of local views within the area, largely facing towards Brierley Hill Centre. Please refer to Policy DLPBH2 Brierley Hill Design - Landmarks, Views, Vistas and Gateways for more detail.

Public Realm

1.29 The town's character is greatly influenced by its public realm, with some locations in need of upgrading. Public open spaces provide a focus for community activity and form connections within the Strategic Centre.

(2) Policy DLPBH3 Public Realm in Brierley Hill

  1. The Primary Public Spaces identified on the Brierley Hill Inset Plan Policies Map will:
    1. give priority to the convenience, enjoyment, and safety of pedestrians
    2. have active built edges that front the space
    3. incorporate well-designed street furniture, and hard and soft landscaping
    4. function as a meeting space; and, as appropriate, be designed to be able to accommodate events
       
  2. The Primary Thoroughfares identified on the Brierley Hill Inset Plan Policies Map will be delivered and existing thoroughfares will be safeguarded and, where necessary, upgraded. All thoroughfares must be designed with pedestrians and, as appropriate, cyclists foremost in mind and respect natural desire lines. Primary Thoroughfares will be required to:
    1. make a simple and relatively direct connection between the points indicated
    2. make provision for safe pedestrian movement and crossing including provision for people with restricted mobility
    3. incorporate pedestrian crossing facilities in all traffic signal controlled junctions where feasible and be designed as attractive, usable and memorable spaces
    4. be defined by elevations which are appropriately scaled to the width of the thoroughfare and offer relatively continuous active frontage
    5. be well overlooked by building frontages to assist natural surveillance
    6. display a consistent quality of design with street surfaces, lighting, street furniture, signs, hard and soft landscaping. Street clutter must be avoided.
    7. provide for high quality integrated landscape and biodiversity as an integral part of the design
    8. offer continuous and twenty-four-hour access to pedestrians.

Justification

1.30 'Public realm' can be defined as all areas that the public have access to, including streets, squares, and open spaces. It is considered necessary to introduce greenery into the towns' urban environment and resolve the competing needs of vehicles and pedestrians moving through the town centre. The quality of the public realm encountered, along with signage and legibility for visitors to understand and enjoy, is an important part in the role of the town centre.

1.31 Key design principles for the public realm include:

  • Quality of the Public Realm: increase the adaptability of spaces for future use; create legible spaces and routes that add to the 'sense of place' of an area; relate public spaces to surrounding buildings and vice-versa; introduce diversity; and improve continuity and enclosure.
  • Active Frontages: a common building line creates continuity of frontage and provides definition and enclosure to the public realm. Minimising set back distances increases the ability of a building to interact with the public realm. In the Town Centre buildings should be built adjacent to the pavement.

1.32 Passive, active, and incidental open spaces play a significant role in urban design. These different types of open spaces within Brierley Hill are crucial for creating liveable and vibrant communities. Passive spaces offer moments of tranquillity and respite, active spaces promote physical well-being and social interaction, and incidental spaces provide opportunities for leisure and engagement. Improving pedestrian links in Brierley Hill should take account of safety, accessibility, aesthetics, and the overall urban experience.

1.33 Within the town centre, the High Street forms a key central focus and major area of public realm which has been delivered through the High Street Heritage Action Zone and Future High Street project. New paving, street trees, and new street furniture have been installed, a new 'Link space' has been created between the High Street and Little Cottage Street as well as major enhancements undertaken to the Brierley Hill War Memorial and the Civic Hall Green. There are further opportunities for public realm improvements for the area, for example, to the area identified for the future Metro terminus Also of particular significance is the opportunity for improved east to west pedestrian connections across the centre, linking Brierley Hill High Street with Asda, the canal, Merry Hill Centre and Saltwells.             

1.34 Where appropriate, street trees will be required along public thoroughfares, within public spaces and in new development. This will include new public streets or spaces created within developments or where a development fronts or joins a public thoroughfare and public space. In such circumstances the incorporation of street trees must be considered at the design stage of the development to ensure there is adequate rooting area to avoid future nuisance and that street trees are co-ordinated with the overall streetscape. Street tree planting should take into account overhanging branches, traffic safety, underground and overhead services.

Figure 1.2: Brierley Hill Legibility and Public Realm Plan

This plan shows Brierley Hill Legibility and Public Realm. It highlights are number of areas to improve pedestrian links such as between Brierley Hill and the Merry Hill Shipping Centre and towards the Waterfront. The plan highlights the priority sites within the area which are Land at Waterfront Way and Level Street and The Embankment / Daniels Land Please refer to Policy DLPBH3 Public Realm in Brierley Hill for more detail.

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