Bingley Neighbourhood Development Plan

Overarching Design Codes

Key Guidance

PR01 - Improvements to streets and footpaths

• Pedestrian and cycle friendly - widen pavements, shared spaces, in the town centre (see TC02 Option 3), provide cycle infrastructure, remove barriers, good maintenance of surfaces, high quality materials, active frontages, create places to be equally with the traditional focus on movement.
• Improve street scene - create small pockets of green, street trees, remove street clutter improve surrounding open spaces, respect existing buildings and local distinctiveness, good repairs and maintenance of buildings.

PR02 - Accessibility

• Remove barriers that create separation and unnecessary effort.
• Ensure that buildings and other places are accessible to people with different mobilities.
• Materials used for public realm improvements should not create physical or virtual barriers.

PR03 - Traffic Calming

• Extend kerbs to widen pavements and narrow streets to slow down traffic and provide safe conditions for pedestrians.
• Install speed bumps and cushions to slow motor-vehicle traffic to improve safety.
• Speed tables and raised pedestrian crossings to slow vehicles more gradually and provide safer conditions.

PR04 - Cycle Provision

• Provide and integrate cycle storage facilities with others uses on Main Street.
• Ensure cycle storage is located conveniently for the main cycle routes in safe areas and should be easy to access.
• The design of cycle stands should be robust and simple.
• Larger cycle hubs should be accessible and integrate well with local and national cycling routes. All infrastructure should be LTN1/20 compliant.

PR05 - Gateways and Wayfinding

• Provide signs and wayfinders at key gateways within Bingley Town Centre to improve legibility and accessibility for all visitors.

PR06 - Surface Materials

• Select high quality surface materials for pavements and carriageways. (paving options: Yorkstone paving; granite paving; pennat sandstone paving. - Carriageway options: Yorkstone sett; granite sett; concrete sett; asphalt). - Modern interpretation must complement the existing character of the town scape.

PR07 - Street Furniture

• Primary function in the public realm by unifying the street scene, creating a sense of place and identity.
• Street furniture across Bingley town centre should be complementary based on a unified design pallete for each character area, used to strengthen the legibility of key routes and spaces. Street furniture can be of a contemporary design.
• All street furniture design should be attractive, simple and robust and easy to maintain. It should be provided for different user groups.
• Benches minimum 450mm from the edge of the highway and should be able to seat at least three people.
• Bins should be covered.
• Bollards should be well integrated to avoid street clutter and be dual use with cycle stands where appropriate. Bollards should be avoided where spaces are narrow and would hinder pedestrian flow.
• Planters should be well integrated and spaced carefully to avoid street clutter.

PR08 - Newbuilds and Extensions

The local distinctiveness of Bingley should be respected. New buildings or extensions to buildings can have a significant impact not only on the character and appearance of the building, but also on the street scene within which it sits. A well-designed building or extension can enhance the appearance of the street, whereas an unsympathetic extension can have a harmful impact and create problems for the overall character of the area. The following are suggested for Bingley town centre and local centres:
• New buildings or extensions should be appropriate to the scale, massing and design of the existing building and complement the streetscape.
• New buildings or extensions are more likely to be successful if they do not exceed the height of the original or adjacent buildings. Two-storey extensions should be constructed with the same angle of pitch as the existing roof.
• The design, materials and architectural detailing of new buildings or extensions should be high-quality and respond to the existing and neighbouring building and the local character of the Neighbourhood Plan area. Impacts upon the space surrounding the building such as overlooking and overshadowing should be considered.

Several Design Codes for building extension are suggested below:
• Alterations and extensions of historic buildings should respect the host building. Replacement of historic and traditional features, such as timber windows and doors with uPVC and other non-traditional materials should be avoided.
• The original building should remain the dominant element of the property regardless of the number of extensions. The newly built extension should not overwhelm the building from any given point.
• Extensions should not result in a significant loss of the private amenity area of the dwelling.
• Designs that wrap around the existing building and involve overly complicated roof forms should be avoided.
• The pitch and form of the roof used on the building adds to its character and extensions should respond to this where appropriate.
• Extensions should consider the materials, architectural features, window sizes, and proportions of the existing building and recreate this style to design an extension that matches and complements the existing building.
• In the case of side extensions, the new part should be set back from the front of the main building and retain the proportions of the original building. This is in order to reduce any visual impact of the join between existing and new.
• In the case of rear extensions, the new part should not have a harmful effect on neighbouring properties in terms of overshadowing, overbearing or privacy issues.
• Side extensions must ensure that appropriate gaps are left between buildings such that terracing does not result.

PR09 - Environmental and Biodiversity

• New developments and building extensions should aim to strengthen biodiversity and the natural environment. Existing habitats and biodiversity corridors should be protected and enhanced.
• New development should encourage greener infrastructure within built-up areas.
• New development proposals should include the creation of new habitats and wildlife corridors. This could be achieved by aligning back and front gardens or installing bird boxes or bird bricks in walls. Wildlife corridors should be included to enable wildlife to travel to and from foraging areas and their dwelling areas.

PR10 - Sustainable Development and Climate Change

• Design-in passive solar heating, cooling and energy-efficient landscaping to reduce overall domestic energy use. Design-in solar panels on newbuilds and minimise their visual impact, for example by using solar roofing materials.
• Include rainwater harvesting in new developments and make storage tanks attractive and unobtrusive.
• Incorporate permeable paving in new developments, whilst respecting the materials palette. Create specific enclosures of sufficient size for all necessary waste bins, within easy access of the street, perhaps integrated with cycle storage.
• Use an appropriate materials palette. Soften with planting. Green roofs can be designed in from the start and can be used to complement the surrounding landscape and help to integrate buildings with the countryside.

Town Centre Codes

TC01 - Bingley Market Square

Retain four key elements that constitute the Market Square, including 'hard surfacing' which can be used for activities and events, 'soft surfaces' which provide landscaping and greenery, 'public amenities' such as the Little Theatre and public toilets, and 'access and movement' which facilitates use of the Square.
• Future development should exhibit flexible design so that the Square can accommodate a wide range of events and activities throughout the year.
• More amenities should be introduced into Market Square - public art, benches, green spaces, play areas and the like, to encourage social interaction.
• More activities should be held in the Square to attract visitors throughout the day and throughout the year.
• A more pedestrian-friendly environment should be created to facilitate ease of access and use of Market Square.

TC02 - Improvements to Main Street

• Priority should be given to pedestrians and cyclists, achieved through urban design solutions, with options including the pedestrianisation of Main Street, or the creation of wider pavements and narrower carriageways, or the creation of a shared space for cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

Shopfront Codes

SHPF01 - Shopping Parade

• Shopfront design should respect and be sympathetic to the host building, the overall composition of buildings and the street scape. Traditional shop width and rhythm should be maintained and the aim should be to achieve high quality shopfronts.
• Simple measures recommended include the use of internal instead of solid external security shutters, signage which relates to character and proportions of the buildings instead of ignoring this, and fascia design details to frame shop fronts (like panelled stallrisers, fanlights and pilasters) instead of large, flat fascias.

SHPF02 - Design Approach

• With regard to individual buildings, historic shopfronts should be retained with repairs to original shopfronts encouraged over replacement. A modern shopfront needs to be of high quality and sympathetic to the surroundings.
• Heritage assets, buildings in the Conservation Areas or traditional buildings should only have traditional shopfront designs.
• A traditional shopfront may consist of pilasters, with elements such as capital and plinth, a corbel or console bracket, cornice and frieze or fascia, which generally has a hand painted sign. The shop window will typically include two vertical mullions and a transom rail at door head level with clerestory or transom lights above. It will be made of timber and sit within the traditional architectural framework around the opening.
• In the areas outside the Conservation Areas, where appropriate to the architectural context, a modern shopfront may be acceptable. The design of modern replacement shopfronts should be of a high standard in order to bring diversity and vitality to the street.

SHPF03 - Windows

• Shopfront windows should be designed according to the character of the host building. Large glass window lacking mullions and transoms are not acceptable on traditional shopfronts, in Conservation Areas or on heritage assets.
• Smaller vertical and horizontal sub-divisions of windows will be appropriate on historic buildings with larger sub-divisions appropriate to modern buildings.

SHPF04 - Display Space

• Display space should be of high quality and should provide a good view of products sold. Shop window display space should not be dominated by advertising which obscures views in and out of the shop.

SHPF05 - Fascia

• Shopfront fascias should generally be smaller and monotone which is more likely to be sympathetic to host buildings and will reduce visual clutter.
• Fascias should not extend below the bottom of the corbel, not obscure windows and architectural detailing, not project above the ground level and align with other fascia in the parade.
• Where a store occupies several units, each should have a separate fascia, linked visually by common design. The use of box fascias should be avoided as they are often unsympathetic to their surroundings in terms of bulk, size, materials and the lighting within the box fascia, and no acrylic and matte finish materials should be used in fascia design on heritage assets.

SHPF06 - PIlasters

• Pilasters are an essential part of the shopfront and should always be incorporated into the design in some capacity.
• Historic or traditional pilasters should always be retained or re-established if missing. Contemporary design should use pilaster detailing to distinguish separation between adjacent shops and buildings.

SHPF07 - Doors

• Shopfront doors and door detailing should be in keeping with the rest of the shopfront and parade, reflecting the overall character of the buildings. The bottom of the door glazing will often be on the same level as the top of the stallriser to be in keeping with the overall rhythm.
• Second entrance doors should be considered as elements of the overall shopfront and be of similar design to the main shop entrance.

SHPF08 - Stallrisers

• Bingley town centre has a significant number of its traditional and historic stallrisers retained. They should be protected and restored where required. This will contribute to the enhancement of Bingley's character.
• Stallrisers should be provided on any heritage asset be it a new or replacement shopfront. They are also desired on contemporary designs. Stallrisers must be designed to full width of shopfront and the height must be between 0.3-1.0m. Stallriser should be of stone, timber, metal or masonry construction as long as they are in character with the architectural style and historical context of the host building.

SHPF09 - Lighting

• Shop lighting should be provided sensitively and with subtlety so that it does not dominate host buildings. All illuminations should be aesthetically sympathetic to the individual building and the streetscape. Within Conservation Areas and on Listed Buildings, full internal illumination signs will not be acceptable.

SHPF010 - Security

• Security measures on retail premises should complement the shopfront design and should not dominate the street scene when the premises are closed. Solid metal shutters should be avoided as they create an unwelcoming atmosphere and reduce surveillance through blocking views in to and out of premises and are easily vandalised. If integrated shutters are to be installed, these should be internal behind the glass and should be of a construction which allows vision into the interior beyond.

SHPF011 - Signage

• Shopfront signage reflects the business and defines the character of the whole shopfront. Signage should be well designed and complement the architecture of the host building and whole parade. Shopfront signage should avoid creating visual clutter and should harmonise with the surroundings.
• Encouragement is given to retail chain businesses to adopt more attractive signage. Shopfront signage should make a positive contribution to the street scene and within Bingley town centre this means avoid projecting box signs and ensuring that project or hanging signs do not obscure architectural detail.

Design Principles

Proposals and Interventions

Bingley town centre

Create a high-quality public realm through the implementation of the Design Code document and application of interventions and proposals, which will improve shopfronts, streets, roads, pavements, Town Square and public open spaces.

Resurface / raised table / traffic calming to create gateways.

Create northern, eastern and southern gateways with resurfaced roads, prominent buildings and frontages as well as safeguarding of the green open spaces where possible.

Proposed new gateway to the north.

Provide priority to pedestrians and cyclists and create links with other settlements in the Neighbourhood Plan area.

Improvements to the streets and footpaths. From Bingley Design Code - Public Realm Strategy.

Improve and establish alternative routes and networks for cars and buses to improve traffic flow, creating a high-quality public realm.

Proposed new cycle and pedestrian routes, including along the B6265. Develop ideas for new bus stop location on alternative route to serve Main Street and integrate with the railway station.

Main Street will be upgraded to become the main destination in the town centre and will help to enhance Bingley identity.

Resurface the street and widen footpaths. Priority to cyclists and pedestrians; from Bingley Design Code - Public Realm Strategy.

Improve Bingley Town Square to become more active, appealing and attractive to the residents and visitors of the town centre.

Enhanced existing route, which will circulate traffic around the town centre and allow improvements to Main Street.

Rearrange / extend the train station car park.

Rearranged / enhanced open space.

Proposed gateway to the east.

Improved and enhanced open space as key gateway feature.

Shopfront improvements. From Bingley Design Code - Shopfront Design Guide (CODES: SHPFT)

Landscaping to be kept and enhanced.

Potential to redevelop and add value to the Town Square.

Extend the hard surface to create a high quality public space.

Proposed gateway to the south.

Enhance and integrate the existing Public Rights of Ways into a permeable pedestrian Bingley town centre network. This public footpath will provide unique waterfront space experience to the town.

The A650 (Sir Fred Hoyle Way) should contribute to local traffic release by encouraging and guiding vehicles to this road.

Crossflatts

Enhance existing and create new routes through the proposed development site at Sty Lane which will link the Crossflatts village centre with the surroundings.

Access only lanes to existing residential development.

Give priority to pedestrians and cyclists by providing better pavements and cycle routes throughout the village centre. Improve, widen and reinforce the bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Potential new road connecting south, north and further east.

Create a gateway through resurfacing of the street and pavement widening, which will create a 'sense of a place'.

New cycle route into the site and further east.

Widen the pavements to create a better and more pedestrian orientated public realm.

New residential development consented .

Potential to widen and reinforce existing bridge over Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Road improvements to accommodate cycle and pedestrian routes.

Resurface / raised table / traffic calming to create a gateway.

Wider pavements to create a pedestrian orientated public realm.