Colne Housing Market Renewal
Projects Underway in Colne
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South Valley Masterplanning
As part of the Council's Housing Market Renewal programme, consultants Urbed were appointed to draw up a detailed plan, known as a masterplan. This sets out practical proposals for regenerating the South Valley area.
Urbed undertook extensive consultation with residents and relevant organisations in the South Valley during 2006 and 2007, in order to identify what the issues are and to discuss what should be done to address them.
The Final Masterplan Report for the South Valley area of Colne has now been produced and copies can be downloaded here:
South Valley Colne Final Masterplan Report - Part 1
South Valley Colne Final Masterplan Report - Part 2
South Valley Colne Final Masterplan Report - Part 3
South Valley Colne Final Masterplan Report - Part 4
The final Masterplan report was submitted to the Council in December 2007 and was approved with some minor amendments in March 2008. A map of the masterplan proposals as agreed by the Council can be downloaded here: South Valley Masterplan
Further work will now be done looking at the impact of some of the proposals detailed within the masterplan, details of which are given in 'Next Steps' below.
Further consultation on the Council's Preferred Option will follow before it is submitted to the Government for assessment. It is estimated that the next stage of consultation will take place in summer 2009. This will give time to allow the Area Action Plan to be prepared, alongside a further planning document which will consider the broad locations of new housing development across the borough.
Next Steps
To enable the masterplan proposals to proceed, Pendle Council must create an Area Action Plan (AAP). The development of the masterplan was the first step in the production of the AAP.
An additional study to the South Valley Masterplan is now to be commissioned in order to understand the possible impact of the proposed new housing on the wider area. The study is required as a key part of the evidence base of the South Valley Area Action Plan (AAP) to be taken to Preferred Options stage once the appropriate / necessary elements of the evidence base are in place.
The AAP will provide redevelopment guidance on planning, highways, urban design, sustainability and other issues associated with the regeneration of the area.
An Invitation to Tender process was opened in June this year for suitably qualified and experienced organisations who wished to be considered for selection to tender for a contract to produce the additional study to the Colne South Valley Masterplan. The closing date for submitting Expressions of Interest was Monday July 14th.
Planning Aid
For residents who wish to seek impartial planning advice, the Planning Aid service is available. For further details please click here.
North Valley Project (now known as the Churchfields Area)
The Project was identified as an early project for delivery in the ADF involving demolition of selected terraces, together with group repair/refurbishment of properties. As a result, it was included within the funding bids to Elevate and has been successful in obtaining funding each year from 2004, with a provisional allocation for 2007/08.
The proposal for acquisition and demolition of properties was the subject of a detailed consultation exercise during the summer 2004, which included one-to-one meetings with affected owner-occupiers, tenants and landlords and meetings with groups of residents.
Following on from this consultation exercise and further analysis of data, the Council revised the proposals as follows:
- Aquisition of 34 houses on Bright Street for demolition. This will be done initially by agreement but Compulsory Purchase action will be pursued.
- Creation of garden/amenity/parking areas on the site to be cleared of houses.
- Acquisition of vacant and poor quality rented property in Mason Street and New Market Street by negotiation to provide opportunities for owner occupation and for people displaced by clearance who want to stay in the area.
The Churchfields Update newsletter gives further details about the residents meeting plus the latest developments and progress made in the area. The latest edition can be viewed by clicking the link below:
Environmental Redesign Scheme
A number of design ideas and options were drawn up by consultants Barnes Walker for redesigning the Bright Street site (after the site is cleared of houses), as well as proposals for improving the general street scene within the area.
Following feedback and comments from the public consultation exercise, a preferred scheme design for the area was produced. The preferred scheme design was agreed in principle with the exception of the 'one way' proposal on the upper section of New Market Street by the Council's Colne and District Committee at it's meeting on 30th June 2005. There is also a need to test out a number of highways issues with Pendle's Highways Department on New Market Street
A leaflet informing residents and property owners about the preferred scheme design and the next steps has been produced and can be viewed by clicking on the link below
Churchfields Preferred Scheme Leaflet
The first phase of a Group Repair scheme, focusing on improving properties on New Market Street and Mason Street began in 2005.
The Group Repair Scheme on New Market St, focussing on selected housing and shopping blocks, is now complete and on Mason St (even numbered side) Group Repair work will be completed in Spring 2007. Work on front garden walls on New Market Street has also been undertaken. Further external block improvements including garden extensions are planned for the remaining houses 18-50 New Market St and 1-33 Mason St in future years (subject to funding).
A meeting for residents and owners on 2 - 32 Mason Street is taking place on Monday 8th December 2008 at the Lesser Hall in Colne Muni at 6:30pm. The meeting will provide an update on the progress of the garden extensions planned for the rear of the houses.
Improvement for Sale
For details of the Improvement for Sale project under Pendle's Housing Market Renewal initiative please click here.
Colne Neighbourhood Management
A Neighbourhood Management Team has been established in Colne.
The team, one of four in the Housing Market Renewal Area, works to co-ordinate Council services in a better way and to tackle a range of problems such as community safety and poor environment. They also support communities to get more involved in tackling local problems. For more information contact Sam Plum, Neighbourhood Management Co-ordinator on 01282 661339.
For the latest news and information about Neighbourhood Management in Colne please click on the link below:
Colne Neighbourhood Management
