SLHS Stratford Gateway

2022 Plans

After engaging an initial design consultant in September 2022 Stratford District Council announced the Stratford Gateway project like this:

1. “Stratford-on-Avon District Council has long-held aspirations to regenerate land to the northeast of the town centre as a “gateway” to the town, befitting Stratford-upon-Avon’s standing as a town of international importance. The Council has a particular interest as part-landowner but wishes to see wider public realm improvements as well as the creation of a ‘World Shakespeare Centre’ to further drive the tourist economy of the sub-region.
   

2. The location of this site as your first impression of the town centre and as a home to a celebration of the World’s Greatest Playwright underlines the importance of achieving high quality architecture. It provides an opportunity for an architectural statement and a building of real architectural merit. For the Gateway site, good design will simply not be good enough.
   

3. It is proposed to prepare a masterplan for the site in due course, which would be subject to full public consultation and stakeholder engagement. In advance of that detailed work, this Development Brief sets a vision for what the Council wants to see on this site. It outlines the locational and policy context to the site, explores the site constraints and opportunities before establishing some key development principles. The Brief concludes with a section on delivery and the next steps necessary to realising the vision. As such, it establishes a baseline for the detailed masterplan work.”

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

To return to Master page click on ‘Future Stratford’ above.

Observations:

1. Unsustainable Transport
   

2. It does seem that the word environmental in their “Environmental Relevant Considerations” section is not talking about nature or climate change but the emotions invoked by a visitor in response to what they see.
   

3. Despite their paragraph about landmark opportunities which opens with “Stratford-on-Avon District Council has declared a climate change emergency” there seems be absolutely no emergency plan for sustainable transport of all the tens of thousands of visitors expected to use the site.
   

4. The car park and bus terminal are the existing and only provision. Whilst it’s true that a replacement for the noxious particulate emitting diesel engine for such transport is decades off. A fantastic opportunity for this was thrown to the developers on the site of the old Cattle Market at Stratford Railway Station which now houses the rather functional high rise stacks of flats there. If the multistorey car park there (241 spaces) were to be removed one option they offer is to build another “deck” on top of the Arden Street car park.
   

5. However, not even a footpath from the railway station to there is envisaged. All visitors alighting at the railway station will continue to have to run the gauntlet of the intimidating traffic lights by the ignominious weeds growing out of the heap left by the mainly demolished Green Dragon Pub. Wheel chair users will continue to struggle the very narrow access there and, if it has rained, the puddles on the corner will continue to provide their customary early bath.
   

6. Any local cyclist, or one that has arrived by train, has no provision.
   

7. 
   

8. Improvements To Greenhill Street
   

9. At the back it says that one of the Specific Requirements is to “enhance the appearance of Greenhill Street” which is remarkable seeing as this doesn’t connect to the site (see their diagram right).
   

10. 
    

11. What Community
    

12. Whilst the word “community” crops up in the document every so often there doesn’t seem to be anything provided for them.
    

13. 
    

14. Names
    

15. Where they mention “World Shakespeare Centre” this is the new development at 16-18 Henley Street.
    

See downloadable brief below

All maps are from this source

Funding Announcement On 18th July 2024

At the bottom of this page you will see the press releases announcing the joint funding for this project. The scope is very wide ranging and long term.

To get your own copies of the plans select the first document here:

    SDC Gateway Master Plans

The plans below (in yellow area) are from 2022 drawings and it is likely that some of these have changed.

The scope of the project.