“It’s a beauty born of industry and one which displays its monolithic grandeur with typical Yorkshire matter-of-factness. This is not beauty for beauty’s sake, this is beauty with purpose – a thinking man’s beauty.” (John Betjeman, on The Piece Hall)
The designing places team, whilst at Yorkshire Forward, were asked to work closely with Calderdale Council and English Heritage to draw up a Supplementary Planning Document (to be put forward for adoption) for the Grade 1 Listed Piece Hall and it's environs. This document was used to complement the Vision for the Piece Hall as developed within a successful Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) submission.
The role of the document was to illustrate how the Piece Hall's surroundings could do much to support and expand upon the opportunities and ambitions available for the Piece Hall. Offering a major opportunity to capitalise on the quality of place and life for residents and visitors alike. It also proposed how the Piece Hall could maximise economic opportunities for the town.
The Designing Places team prepared urban design analysis of the environs area, before developing an Urban Design Framework and associated design guide. The team managed the project throughout. Negotiating with heritage agencies, stakeholders, consultants and politicians to reach agreement on a practical and sensitive vision for the environs. Interpreting this into best-practice guidance for specific development sites. The analysis revealed an urgent need for planning guidance for the surrounding environs to ensure key development sites are developed in a co-ordinated and complimentary way to the ambitions for the Piece Hall.
The team also initiated a series of workshops with the local authority to evaluate the Piece Hall project’s spatial and economic vision through design, procurement, funding and governance perspectives. The workshops focused on allowing the client to understand the project’s potential, and building consensus to maximise the value of surrounding development sites.
The final document demonstrates the importance using a joined up approach to develop a vision for a place. Our work to fully understand the wider environs of the Piece Hall, before translating it into planning and design guidance, could assist investors, entrepeneurs and local communities to achieve the best solution, highest quality and greatest value for the Piece Hall transformation.
“The Designing Places team (...) have been instrumental in enabling a strategic approach to the redevelopment of the Piece Hall. Their sustained work on the project has ensured that it is well grounded within a co-ordinated and comprehensive strategy for Halifax town centre”
Robin Tudderham, Director Safer and Stronger Communities, Calderdale Council.
To find out more about how Designing Places team could help develop visions for your project visit the Design Support pages.
