Each of the three town centre schemes in Braintree, Witham and Halstead have moved a step forward: and each in a different way.

The Braintree scheme involves a large site and potentially, a single new development.  Because of its size and value, the development opportunity has been advertised as required by legislation in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).  This is intended to attract interest from developers from across the EU.

Initial interest is being assessed.  It could take several further months before firm proposals will be available for further public consultation.  The process aims to get the best overall result, progressively knocking out second best ideas and encouraging the most appropriate and imaginative commercial and community proposals.

You can see a short description of the advertised development.  However the description does not specify every detail or feature to be included.  For example: the form, location and style of the community centre and associated facilities will emerge during the ‘dialogue’ stage and by not specifying them at the outset, the scope and expectation can be explored through competition.

Link to advertised description of the scheme Braintree town centre scheme as advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union.

In Halstead, the site area is owned by eight different landowners, who have agreed to put the whole site onto the market to see if there is commercial interest to develop it in line with a development brief for the area.

Expressions of interest will include outline proposals, which may need to be modified before planning applications can be made.  At that time, the proposals will be published and there will be opportunity for people to comment.

In Witham the situation is different again.  The Newlands Shopping Centre is being marketed with the aim of finding a developer who would be interested to modernise the Centre and enter a partnership with the Council with regard to public car parking.  It is likely that a viable scheme would involve significant remodelling of the centre and the car parking areas, regardless of where the current property boundaries lie: hence the partnership. 

Although market conditions are very difficult, many developers are using this time to plan and prepare for new schemes which can be started during the next year or so.  Preparation and design costs take a lot of investment and whatever schemes are proposed, these costs have to be met within the cost of the scheme, which in turn has to fit each development brief and be commercially viable.

Updated - June 2009
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Where it all began

During the autumn last year, many local groups and individuals took time to think about their town centres.  Outline proposals have been viewed, discussed, challenged and refined; and most people supported the ideas in principle.

Everyone can see that the quality and appearance of the new developments will be very important.  The aim is to help re-energise parts of the town centres. Equally important is the need to encourage people to use the centres at all times of day and into the evening; keeping the areas busy and alive.

Discussions continue with local groups and neighbouring landowners who may be interested to get involved.  Bigger schemes may be more viable and enable the community objectives and town centre improvements to be achieved.

It’s important to recognise that sketches and plans at this stage are to set out the main components of the schemes.  They do not dictate the final shape or appearance of the new developments.

Manor Street car park and bus terminal in Braintree

A new commercial office area, rising to a similar height as the old Town Hall, with a courtyard and an open view plaza will link the bus interchange with Market Place.  Bringing several hundred office staff into the town centre, from different organisations, will achieve a significant boost to the retail economy and liveliness of the town.

More bus stops are planned, yet will take less space than at present.  There will be at least as much parking on site as now and a new community centre will be built.  There will be some high standard private and shared ownership housing.

Who will pay for it?

There’s a complex formula based on lots of different factors.  Early ideas included offices for the District and County councils although reappraisal of the costs and benefits of doing this now indicates that this is now unlikely to be included.  The District Council has decided to keep its main office at Causeway House.  New homes are likely to be included and some are likely to be shared ownership or for rent.  The amount of parking and whether it be underground or at ground level only will affect the calculations.  The site slopes so cars can be tucked out of sight, yet still be at ‘ground level’.

The answers to these questions have still to be worked out and while the world economy has been in turmoil, investors are planning ahead for when the all the conditions come right again.

Newlands Shopping Centre in Witham

The development brief for the Newlands Shopping Centre and car park has been prepared in close consultation with the centre owners.  A phased approach to increasing the size of the shops, partially covering the ‘mall’ and radically improving the appearance, quality and design of the whole centre and car park will attract more shops and make it better for customers.  Everyone agrees that the market is an important attraction for the town and if the car park is renewed, with better layout, attractive planting and a clear view right through to Newland Street, shoppers will begin to see the Centre as a new and welcoming gateway to Witham.  Parking and how it is managed is central to the success of the improvements.

Who will pay?

The council owns the car park and some of the access roads.  The Centre owners and developers will invest in a scheme which offers good returns, just as retailers can see the benefit of making investment which will improve their businesses.  It’s a complex formula and the details are still being worked out.  The goal is to help improve Witham as a local centre.  Not to become a Chelmsford or Colchester, but to raise the game by a couple of points so that more people can and want to visit, through the day and into the evening.

Right in the middle of Halstead: land east of the High Street

Eight different owners have agreed together to seek redevelopment of this area of private land, between High Street, St Andrews Road and Factory Lane East.

It’s likely that a new food store will be an important part of the area.  Parking and access will be studied carefully, because everyone knows that heavy lorries are a problem in a local market town like Halstead.  Of the parking options, pay and display was most favoured, because it helps to limit the time people leave their cars.  Halstead does have free parking in many places such as High Street and The Centre.  Free parking has been tried in Halstead in the past, but just leads to motorists occupying spaces all day – in effect reducing the number of visitors to the town: so vital for shops.  Any kind of controlled parking requires regulation and therefore has a cost, in addition to the cost of the spaces, which can be upwards of £3,000 for each new one.  Even so, you can park free for up to 2 hours already in parts of Halstead.

Many people who responded to consultation favoured a development which would fit comfortably in Halstead, rather than one which was bold or radically different to its surroundings.