Glengormley Masterplan

1 Introduction
Background to this Consultation
Scott Wilson, a professional team of urban design specialists, has been appointed by the Department for Social Development to produce a Regeneration Masterplan for Glengormley Town Centre. Together with the Department, Newtownabbey Borough Council, other public stakeholders and representatives from the local Chamber of Trade, we have been exploring potential regeneration options suitable for the town. The Masterplan will provide guidance on the location and form of development in the Town Centre over the next 20 years. It will help to direct public and private sector LQYHVWPHQW WR WKRVH DUHDV WKDW ZLOO PRVW EHQHW ORFDO people, support local businesses and contribute to the long term vitality and viability of the Town Centre. Having reviewed the available evidence and analysed the issues affecting the Town Centre, we have formulated a set of proposals showing how, and where, development opportunities might be realised. These presentation boards are intended to provide you with some idea of the kind of development that might happen in the Town Centre, in terms of what things might look like and how they will contribute to the success of Glengormley.

The Glengormley Town Centre Study Area

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Please Let Us Know What You Think

Your views are important to the team, and will help VKDSH WKH 0DVWHUSODQ 3OHDVH OO LQ RQH RI WKH UHVSRQVH forms, and put it in the collection tray, or drop us an e-mail at rdo@dsdni.gov.uk. These exhibition boards are also available to view on the DSD website www. dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations and Newtownabbey Borough Councils website www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/ glengormley

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The aim of this consultation is to provide you with an opportunity to comment on what is being proposed and express your thoughts on any other matters that you think are relevant to the Town Centre Masterplan. We have given as much information as possible on the potential of the Town Centre to adapt, grow and improve over the next 20 years to enable you in assessing the proposals. At the end of the consultation period, we will consider the views provided by all those who have responded.

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Purpose of this Consultation

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Glengormley Town Centre

Glengormleys structure is derived from its origins as a settlement that grew up around a series of junctions between main roads connecting Belfast with other towns. Since

the post and inter-war periods, major housing developments have removed Glengormleys rural character and brought it within the Belfast metropolitan area. The retail offer in the Town Centre has suffered major decline in recent years, due to congestion, parking problems and out-of-

town competition. In response, Glengormley has developed a niche role in the service sector. It has built up a strong reputation for eating out, take aways and in the leisure and entertainment sector, boasting a cinema, bowling alley and a number of good restaurants.

1. Antrim Road

3. Financial and Business Services

5. Glengormleys Cinema

2. Busy Antrim/Carnmoney Rd. Junction

4. The Thunderdome Caf

6. Nearby Out-of-Town Competitors

www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/glengormley www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations

Glengormley Masterplan
1 2 Issues Introduction
7KHUH DUH D QXPEHU RI LVVXHV WKDW KDYH LQXHQFHG WKH GHYHORSPHQW RI WKH GUDIW 0DVWHUSODQ for Glengormley Town Centre:
Policy Context: Economic Context: Physical Context:

Streetscape Design Local Traders Once Dominated

Glengormley was once at the centre of a smaller community in which butchers, bakeries, furniture shops, fashion shops and newsagents combined to generate a distinct sense of place. The Town Centre lacks presence and impact as a result of the dominant roads and car parking DUUDQJHPHQWV 7KLV VLJQLFDQWO\ XQGHUPLQHV WKH WUDGLWLRQDO FKDUDFWHU 7KHUH LV D ODFN RI D GHQHG character in architectural terms.

Belfast Metropolitan Area

Glengormley is part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area. It is recognised as a Town Centre within the draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015, providing shoppers with accessible convenience and comparison goods close to where they live.

Key
Good Moderate Poor

Limited Retail Offer

Glengormley now has a limited range of retail units selling clothes, fashion accessories, books, art and crafts, etc. It also offers little by way of day-to-day and weekly food shopping.
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Strategic Transport Connections

Glengormley lies on the Antrim Road, which forms part of the strategic Antrim to Belfast Metropolitan Transport Corridor, one of eight key transport routes in the BMA.

The quality of the public realm is poor throughout Glengormley Town Centre. There are also no areas of good townscape quality within the Town Centre.

Major Out-of-Centre Competition Antrim Road

7KH 0DVWHUSODQ ZLOO QHHG WR KHOS PDQDJH WUDIF demand and better integrate land use planning and transportation. The Town Centre competes directly with the Abbey Centre, the Northcott Centre and Belfast City Centre, limiting the potential of the Town Centre to develop as a retail destination.

Accessibility
Inadequate (or a complete lack of) safe pedestrian routes and badly maintained open space contribute to the generally poor quality public realm in much of Glengormley.

Strong Leisure and Evening Economy

The leisure offer is a key strength, including a cinema, bowling alley and indoor childrens soft play centre. This is supported by a good offering of popular restaurants. However, these services could be improved.

Development Opportunities
There are major variations in the built form between the older areas of the town to the north and the newer southern area. There are a number of large vacant sites around the Glenwell Road Industrial Area to the south, in contrast to very few development opportunities in the historic northern part.

Sustainable Transport
Transport problems should be addressed by promoting more sustainable transport choices and reducing in the need to travel.

www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/glengormley www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations

Glengormley Masterplan
1 3 Introduction Opportunities
What are the opportunities for change in Glengormley?
There are number of ways in which Glengormley might change over the coming years. These changes might be:  Physical: delivering development, including new buildings and public spaces  Economic: creating opportunities for new and existing businesses  Management: changing how the Town Centre is used, introducing new uses and ways of doing things This board explores what these changes might be and where they might happen.

Key
Comprehensive development might happen relatively quickly Refurbishment and limited re-development
0 100 200 metres

Development Potential
There are a number of development sites that might come forward over the coming years. Glengormley is fortunate in having so many opportunity sites. The key to making the Town Centre a successful place to live, work and recreate, will be to make sure that these development sites are managed and delivered in a strategic manner.

Strategic Location
Glengormleys location, within the Belfast Metropolitan Area (BMA) gives it a distinct advantage when considering the location and nature of commercial and leisure provision that might become a regional attraction. Other than large-scale retail provision, there would appear to be few, if any, large developments providing leisure/recreation opportunities in the BMA.

People friendly streets: make spaces that are safe, attractive and well used

Local retail: local retailers are an important part of the character and the attraction for local people and visitors

Restore the townscape: improve the shop and building fronts helps project D VWURQJHU PRUH FRQGHQW image of the Town Centre

Public art: introduce new and interesting artefacts into the townscape, especially at key locations in the townscape

New development: new residential development can add something different and exciting to the Town Centre

New facilities: some of the existing facilities need to be replaced by development WKDW UHHFWV *OHQJRUPOH\V future potential as a destination

Residential development: GRHV QRW KDYH WR PHDQ DWV but can be family homes, with attractive streets and open spaces

Extensive, outdoor leisure: alternatively, there is space for sports provision - making the site a regional attraction

Adequate parking: given the connections to the main road network, a new GHVWLQDWLRQ QHHGV VXIFLHQW parking spaces

Dining opportunities: a wider range of food outlets would complement other leisure and commercial businesses

Concentration of similar uses: there needs to be a greater critical mass, to make the site more attractive to investor and visitors alike

www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/glengormley www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations

Glengormley Masterplan
1 4 Vision Introduction
A Vision for Glengormley
A Steering Group comprising DSD, Newtownabbey Borough Council and local business people was asked to consider how Glengormley might change over the next 20 years. To do this, the Steering Group, working with the consultants, prepared a draft Vision for the future of Glengormley. We asked the Steering Group to give us a some idea of what Glengormley suggested to them, as a place to live, work and recreate. We recorded their thoughts below.

The Regeneration Objectives

To achieve the Vision, a short list of regeneration objectives were prepared. The proposals set out in the Masterplan should seek to achieve these objectives.

entertainment
convenient
surrounding banking QDQFLDO point
providing

1. Create a shared place where people want to come throughout the day; 2. Accept the presence of RXWVLGH LQXHQFHV DQG IRFXV on creating complementary development/uses; 3. Stitch together the various uses within the Town Centre; and 4. Prioritise the opportunities and focus resources on a few, good projects, rather than a scattergun approach.

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for choice range high IRFDO quality SURIHVVLRQDO communities

accessible

services

leisure

At the end of the exercise, after taking on board the Steering Groups ideas and comments, a Draft Vision for Glengormley was proposed:

Glengormley is a destination of choice and a focal point for the surrounding communities, providing an accessible and convenient range of high quality leisure and entertainment, banking DQG SURIHVVLRQDO QDQFLDO services.

The Town Centre is dominated by the main roads that fragment the study area

The public realm is tired and in need of rejuvenation

The Abbey Centre and Retail Park Glengormley already has a strong provide strong competition for the foundation in the leisure and Town Centre service sectors

Is this the right sort of Vision for Glengormley Town Centre? If not, what should the Vision seek to say about Glengormley?

Some of the facilities and, parts of Industrial and commercial the retail offer, are past their best development, in the south and need to be replaced east corner, makes for a major development opportunity

www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/glengormley www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations

Glengormley Masterplan
5 Proposals
Improving the Urban Fabric
The urban fabric consists of the public realm (the streets, squares and parks), as well as the buildings. Taken together, these two components give Glengormley its character. In many ways, the public realm is one of the most important elements to be considered by the Masterplan. By improving existing spaces, and creating new, attractive spaces for people, the Masterplan will provide a structure around which new development can be arranged. New public realm will be designed to provide for the needs of pedestrians as a priority, whilst recognising the importance of the Antrim Road as a main arterial route. Away from the main road, where vehicles are allowed access, we will give more regards to the needs of those on foot. This makes for a more attractive, safe and friendly Town Centre.
Robust, simple palette of materials: provides the public realm with a sense of quality and longevity Re-using older buildings: restoring and re-using older buildings preserves the character of the town

Key
Town Centre Boundary Streetscape improvements Set-piece public realm improvements New/improved pedestrian crossings Building frontage improvements
0 100 200 metres

Places for people: the public realm is the focus for people to meet, shop and relax

Restoring the built fabric: the frontages of historic buildings, when restored and cared for, are an important economic, as well as a physical, asset

A Vibrant Mix of Uses

The Masterplan has been developed on the basis that there are two areas of focus: the historic core, at the junction of he Antrim and Ballyclare Roads and the large area of land to the south of the Antrim Road, between Glenwell and Farmley Roads. However, throughout the Town Centre, the aim of the Masterplan is to create a vibrant mix of uses, with commercial retail, leisure, and recreation uses being co-located with residential and civic uses, such as a health centre.

Hospitality: food and drink outlets are an important part of the mix, providing an added attraction to other recreation and leisure uses

Improving existing facilities: augmenting the quality of the uses that already exist is one of the Masterplan objectives

Key
Town Centre Boundary Retail/commercial at JURXQG RRU Leisure/recreation

Residential development Refurbished/ relocated health centres

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New leisure uses: new uses should bring something different to the Town Centre

Re-locating existing uses: existing uses/venues can be refurbished or relocated within the Town Centre to take advantage of development opportunities

Retaining Parking Provision

Glengormley is located along one of the main arterial routes into Belfast, with large numbers of cars providing an opportunity, as well as creating an obstacle for the Town Centre to establish itself as a successful destination. Given the focus on commercial leisure and recreation, it is important that there is adequate parking provision, located in the right places. Parking provision is, therefore, located in proximity to the new development, each parking area being shared amongst a group of venues, rather than each having their own. These large parking courtyards will be landscaped and designed to minimise the impact of the parked cars on the townscape and safe pedestrian movement.

Parking: integrated with new development

Adequate parking: SURYLGLQJ VXIFLHQW capacity for new leisure, recreation and commercial development

Key
Town Centre Boundary Publicly accessible parking Development blocks
0 100 200 metres

Sympathetic: parking which doesnt dominate the townscape or the landscape

Mixture of parking: can be on-street as well as in designated car parks

www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/glengormley www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations

Glengormley Masterplan
6 Summary
The Draft Masterplan
The Design Concept for Glengormley is simple in that it has three key components:  Restore the critical mass of a more compact Town Centre core, with shops and services providing for local needs  Improve the public realm by mitigating the negative effect of the main road network, principally Antrim Road, by promoting pedestrian connectivity and creating safe, attractive civic spaces  Create a different kind of offer, to the south of Antrim Road, one that takes advantage of the sites location on one of the principal routes into Belfast from the north, and its connectivity with the wider transport network The draft Masterplan, below, shows how this concept might be applied to create a Town Centre with both a local and a metropolitan IRFXV 7KHUH DUH WZR FOHDUO\ GHQHG DUHDV within the study area.  To the north, the older, historic core is the focus for development intended to restore the local centre functions of Glengormley Town Centre. Local shops and services are the key component of this revitalised centre.  To the south, along the Antrim Road, a new type of destination, focussing on commercial leisure and recreation provision is intended to transform Glengormley into a regional attraction, within north Belfast.
The main development proposals contained within WKH GUDIW 0DVWHUSODQ DUH H[SODLQHG EULH\ DV follows: 1. The junction of Antrim and Ballyclare Roads is re-modelled to create an opportunity to make a more pleasant pedestrian environment. The car wash is replaced by new development, RQH WKDW LV VLJQLFDQW LQ WKH WRZQVFDSH ZLWK a small civic space to the front. This will create a new landmark and focus in the Town Centre. One of the key interventions might EH WKH UHFRQJXUDWLRQ RI WKH MXQFWLRQ DQG WKH addition of a bus lane to facilitate better public transport connections. 2. The corner site (comprising a number of plots) is redeveloped for new commercial/retail space, together with short term parking that allows visitors to access goods and services. Portland Avenue is improved, with additional parking and, potentially, restricted access. 3. This corner site, which is currently occupied by a bank, health centre and commercial leisure, is a long term aspiration, but its delivery would help to create a more coherent townscape, with buildings located up to the footpath, and parking behind. The buildings could accommodate a number of uses, including those already located on site, but in D PRUH HIFLHQW DQG EHQHFLDO PDQQHU 4. Public realm and townscape improvements are intimately related, especially on busy roads running through a small Town Centre like Glengormley. Improvements would need to be reviewed with DRD Roads, and a more complete public realm strategy prepared, but the aim would be to reduce the negative impact of the roads, and create more attractive pedestrian routes and places. 5. This proposal involves the new residential development which would help bring people back into the Town Centre. It requires further investigation, to test its feasibility, but the design and delivery rationale for pursuing this as an option are strong. The key to this proposal is the consolidation of commercial leisure activity on the south of Antrim Road (see Proposal 6), freeing up the northern side of the road for residential development. 6. Development to the south of Antrim Road focuses on providing a new kind of leisure attraction in Glengormley, one that takes advantage of its location within the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area. Commercial leisure provision, building on the presence of the cinema, nightclub/restaurant and other existing businesses, would be delivered to create a hub that provides for the wider North Belfast area. 7. The Glenwell Road Industrial Area would be re-developed, primarily for residential development, the aim being, in part to have more people living in the Town Centre, thus increasing the use of local services.
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Publicly accessible parking

Streetscape improvements

Set piece public realm improvements

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Building frontage improvements

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www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/glengormley www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/consultations