MASTERPLAN

JANUARY 2016

CONTENTS

3

1.0 Analysis of surrounding area 5 2.0 Detailed site analysis 6 Seadefenceandfloodingissues On-siteserviceconstraints Neighbouringlanduses 3.0 Previous schemes for the site 8

4.0 Carter Jonas’ involvement 10 InitialInvolvement Workshopconclusions

5.0 The new West Marina vision 13

Version: 3Versiondate: 22.01.16Comment FinalReportThisdocumenthasbeenpreparedandcheckedinaccordancewithISO9001:2000.

WEST MARINA | MASTERPLAN

EVENT POP-UPS AT SOUTHBANK, LONDON

FISHERMEN HUTS IN HASTINGS

4

SITE BOUNDARY

WANTAGE TOWN CENTRE | CAPACITY STUDY

100m

TOWN CENTRE

1.0ANALYSIS OF SURROUNDING AREA

5

ThisisthelastvacantwaterfrontsiteinHastingsBorough,andithaslainemptyforover30yearssincetheWestMarinaswimmingpoolandsubsequentholidaycampcloseddown.Althoughanexcellentsiteattheendofthewaterfrontpromenade,itsconsiderabledistancefromthetowncentreputsitatsomethingofadisadvantage.LondonRoadandWarriorSquare(theheartofStLeonards)areapproximately1.5kmaway,whichisabout20minutewalkingdistance.HastingsOldTownissome3kilometresaway,soanyprosperityinthetowncentresisalongwayfromthissite,makingitverymuchthefarendoftheseafrontconurbation.Infactitisaquietareawithatransitionalcharacterwhichisreinforced

bythesurroundinglandusesandcharacterofBulverhytheseafront–TerritorialArmy,SeaScouts,fishingboatsandSailingClub.

IntermsofitsSustainabilitycredentialsitishardtobetter,beinglessthan3minutes’walkfromWestSt.Leonardsrailwaystation,aminute’swalkfromtheshops,postoffice,BoPeeppubandbusesontheBexhillRoad(A259)andwithanationalcyclepathrunningalongtheseafront.

WIDER CONTEXT

MAIN ROAD

RAILWAY LINE

RAILWAY STATION

TOWN CENTRE

THE SITE

0

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1:500

2.0DETAILED STUDY AREA

6

SEA DEFENCES AND FLOODING ISSUES

Thesiteisinquiteanexposedsituationtotheseafront,withnoproperseadefencesandwithstormsregularlythrowingupshingleontothelowerdevelopmentplatform(at6metresAOD)belowthebankofthefootpath/cycleway(at8-9metresAOD).TheEnvironmentAgency(EA)havenobudgetfordefendingthispartofthecoastlineagainstrisingsealevelsandthecostsoffixeddefencesalong300metresofpromenadecouldrunintomanymillionsofpoundswithouttheadditionalcostsofrepavingandlightingetc.

Wehavedefinedthedevelopableareaasbeingtheareanorthofthefootpath/cycleway,althoughthesiteproperismuchlarger.Thesite’sdevelopableareavariesinlevelfrom7metresAODatitseasternendneartheConservationArea,to8-9metresAODalongtheseafrontwalkanddownto4,5metresAODatitsnorthwesternendonClinquePortsWay.Itwasclassifiedasbeinginfloodzone2untilrecently,whenitwasreclassifiedasbeinginfloodzone3afromfluvialflooding.GiventhatmuchofthesiteisgenerallyhigherthanadjacenthousingsitesalongtheSeasideRoad,andthatasafemeansofescapecanbeprovidedtotheeastalongGrosvenorGardenRoad,thiswillneed

WEST MARINA | MASTERPLAN

COMBINED CONSTRAINTS PLAN

STORMWATER TANK, MANHOLES AND CONTROL KIOSK

CONNECTING SEWERS AND OUTFALLS

STORM FLOW PIPE

ELECTRICITY CABLES

MAJOR FIBER OPTIC CABLE (BT)

PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY

CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY

THE SITE

0 50m

tobecheckedwiththeEA,butitisfeltthereisareasonablechanceofachievingagreementtoresidentialdevelopmentonthissite.

ON-SITE SERVICE CONSTRAINTS

Approximately50%ofthesiteisundevelopableforconventionalbuildingdevelopmentbecauseofundergroundconstraintsorseadefenceissues,withonlytheeasternpartofthesitebeingrelativelyunconstrained,andevenherethereisaback-filledswimmingpoolbelowthesurfaceoftheinformalpark.Noneoftheseproblemsareinsurmountable,buttheywillneedtobefullyinvestigatedbeforeanylandsaleorjointventurecanbeagreed,sincetheymayaffectthepotentialfinancialreturnondevelopingthesite.

Theconstraintsarenumerousandcomplex.Theprincipaloneisthelargesurfacewaterholdingtankinthecentreofthesitewhichdoesnotallowanydevelopmentoveritbutdoesallowopenspacetobesitedaboveit.Itissurroundedbymajorculverts,accessventsandchambersinacomplicatedarrangementwhichisbestleftwellalone.ThesituationisfurthercomplicatedbyanuglyElectricitySubStationtoitsnorthandtoitswestisaBTFibreOpticCablewhichwouldbeveryexpensivetomove.Thewesternpartofthesiteisalsoconstrainedbyavarietyofservices,anditisnotcertainwhattheirexactlocationanddepthbelowgroundiswithoutfurtheron-sitegroundinvestigation.Somemaybemoveableatareasonablecost,somenot.

NEIGHBOURING LAND USES, INCLUDING CONSERVATION AREA

Aspreviouslystatedthissiteisinatransitionarea–rangingfromtherathergrandscaleofthe4/5storeyresidentialblocksoftheConservationAreaintheeasttotheslightlyshabbysinglestoreysemi-industrialcharacterinthewest.InbetweenareanumberofemploymentsitesandtheElectroStudiobuilding,butwithapredominanceof2or3storeyresidentialunitseitherbacking,orfronting,ontothesite.Giventhattheyhaveenjoyedover30yearsofuninterruptedseaviews,theopinionsoftheseresidentswillbeveryimportantattheplanningconsultationstage.

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SURROUNDING USES

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FORMER BATHING POOL - CONSTRUCTED IN 1938, DEMOLISHED IN 1998

BUS ROUTE

RAILWAY

PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY

SHOPS

PUB/CAFE

ART/LEISURE CONSERVATIONAREA BOUNDARY

CAR RENTALS

CARE HOME

TERRITORIALARMY

THE SITE

0 100m

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Theremayhavebeenotherstudiesforthissite,butthefirstofwhichweareawareistheHalcrowFox/CluttonsWestMarinaAreaRegenerationStudycarriedoutin1999,datedFebruary2000.Thislookedattheregenerationbenefitsforthearea,andwassplitintotwoparts:aDraftRegenerationAreaStrategyReportfollowedbyaPlanningandDevelopmentBrief.Thelatterconsideredanumberofdevelopmentelementsincluding:publicslipway;water-relatedcommercialandleisureuses;foodanddrink;business;community;residential;openspace;andpublicpromenade.

ThiswasfollowedinDecember2001byaWestMarinaDevelopmentStudybyFullerPeiser/PosfordHaskoningwhichbuiltontheearlierHalcrowFoxstudies.Thepurposeofthestudywastoreportonthefeasibility,designandmanagementoftheslipwayandadviseonbringingforwardsubsequentphasesofthesite’sredevelopment.Itwasfeltthattheslipwaywasvitaltotheregenerationofthisareaofthetown,andthata

residentiallydrivenschemewouldnotbringaboutthesameregenerationbenefits.Theproposalsrequiredpublicsectorfunding.

TheTibbalds/CampbellReithschemeof2008didnothaveaslipwayandhadahighernumberofresidentialunits.Howeverithadlargeareasofhardandsoftlandscape,andstillrequiredconsiderablepublicsectorfundingfromSEEDAortheHCA.AtCarterJonas’initialclientmeetinglatein2014westatedourinitialviews:

• Toomuch(neutralvalue)mixeduse• Toomuchopenspace/hardlandscape• Theschemedidn’tworkhardenoughtopayfor

abnormalcosts• Neededpublicsectorfundingwhichwasvery

unlikelytobeavailable,thenasnow.

3.0PREVIOUS SCHEMES FOR THE SITE

HALCROW FOX / CLUTTONS DANIEL SMITH PLAN (1999)

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FULLER PEISER, POSFORD HASKONING & WHITELEY INTERNATIONAL SCHEME (2001)

TIBBALDS PLAN (2008)

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4.0CARTER JONAS’ INVOLVEMENT

INITIAL APPOINTMENT

CarterJonaswasinitiallyaskedtoinvestigatethepotentialformarketingajointventurebetweenHastingsBC(theCouncilasthelandowners)andadeveloperthroughanOJEUprocess.AtinterviewweexpressedreservationsaboutthisbeingthebestwayforwardduetothecostoftheOJEUprocess,theuncertaintyofthesiteconstraints,andtherelativelyweaklocaldevelopmentmarketwhichhadbarelyrecoveredtoits2008level(whenthepreviousTibbaldsschemewasdeclaredunviablewithoutpublicsubsidy).

Onreflectionwethinkwewererightinthisadvice.Westatedthattherewasareasonforthissiteremainingundevelopedforover30yearsandthatnewwaysneededtobefoundtodevelopthiskeywaterfrontsite.Thesewaysincludedtaking

anentirelypragmaticandquiteunconventionalapproachwhichworkedwiththeconstraintsratherthanagainstthem,andwhichrequiredtheminimizationofabnormalcostsbycleverdesign.WepresentedasketchdesignforaverycrudeMasterplanwhichreflectedtheseviews.

Initialideaspresentedatinterview• Increaseddevelopablearea• PotentialtomovePROW• Locatesbeachhutsoverservices• Tighterurbangrain

INITIAL SKETCH MASTERPLAN PRESENTED

0 50m

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THE SITE AND ITS SURROUNDING

WORKSHOP CONCLUSIONS

WepresentedtheseviewsatakickoffworkshopmeetingwiththeCouncilandtherewasafrankdiscussionamongsttheteam.Westatedthatonlyresidentialusescreatedanyresidualvalueinarelativelyweakanduncertainmarket,thatthe‘abnormalcosts’wereprohibitive,andthatmixedusesbarely‘washedtheirface’.WealsotoldtheCouncilthattheirsitewasnowinfloodzone3wheretheEAnormallyopposeresidentialdevelopment.

WethenhadareallyinterestingdiscussionabouttheCouncil’saspirationsforthesiteandhowwemightachievethem,andthesehaveinformedourMasterplanningoptions.

Thefirstkeypointwasthatthisistheendoftownsothereneedstobeagoodreasontogothere.Thismeansthatthemasterplanneedstocreateadestination–beitfunctionalorphysical,andideallyitshouldbeboth.

ThesecondpointwasthattheCouncilwantthistobeapublicplace,notjustaprivateresidentialenclave,sotheCouncilfeelitmusthaveastrongmixeduseelement.Thisissowhethermixedusesarefinanciallyviableornot,anditisexpectedthatretailandfood&drinkoutletswillstruggletosurviveyearroundinthislocation.Therewasaninterestingdiscussioninthisrespectaboutthe

wholeroleofthewaterfrontasaplaceforalltovisitandenjoyforfree,oratleastatrelativelylowcost. ThirdlyitemergedindiscussionthattheCouncil’srentedbeachhutsareanextremelycost-effectivesourceofrevenue,beingstandardprefabricatedpaintedtimbershedswhichpaybacktheircostinlittleoverayear.Thisleadtoconsiderationofotherusesforprefabricatedtimberbuildingssuchasartists’studios,glamorouscampingandweekendholidaychalets,whichmightsuitthislocationandwhich,beingremovable,couldbesitedoverservicerunswhereconventionalbuildingswouldnotbepossible.

InsummarytheCouncilrequirementistocreate:

• Adestination• Mixeduse• Beachhuts• Artists’studios• Holidaycabins(glamping)• Foodanddrinkifviable• Publicopenspace• Children’splayarea• Widestpossiblerangeofresidentialtypesand

tenures• 25%affordablehousing• Highqualitybuildingandlandscapedesign• Sustainabledrainageandothersustainable

designfeatures.

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5.0THE NEW WEST MARINA VISION

Thedevelopmentconceptisbasedonfourkeyelements:

• Acentralsquareovertheundevelopablewastewaterreservoirandadjacentservices;

• Theretainedseafrontwalkway/cyclewayrethoughtandenclosedbyrelativelyephemeraltimberbuildingsfocussedaroundapotentialartists’colonyanddisplayspace;

• Aninformalandsomewhateclecticvillageofverticaltimbertownhousesinthewest;

• AmoreformalresidentialdevelopmentintheeastrelatingtotheformandscaleoftheConservationArea.

Theconceptistrulypragmaticsinceitturnstheconstraintsontheirheads:thecentralsquareislaidoutovertheunbuildableareas;theuglyElectricitysub-stationisredesignedasachildren’splayhouse,theseafrontwalkway/cyclepathisretainedbutcanbeincrementallyupgradedovertimeandthebrightlypaintedglorifiedbeachhutsarecelebratedasacost-effectiveandappropriateseasidesolution;theapparentlyrandomvillageinthewestcarefullyavoidsthecostofdivertingmajorservicecorridors;themoreformaleasterndevelopmentbenefitsfrom

alessconstrainedsiteandmightattractdifferentdevelopmentmarketssuchasthesilversurfer.

Thedesignconceptbuildsonthevertical/horizontalaestheticofHastingsOldTownfishermen’shutssetinashinglelandscape,butalsogivesanodtoDerekJarman’sfamousshinglegardenatDungeness.Thisshouldbeahumorousplaceofcolouranddelightwhichcelebratestheseafront,ratherthanaconventionalhousingestate.

DESIGN CONCEPT

INITIAL DESIGN CONCEPT SKETCH SHOWING RANDOM BEACH HOUSES SET IN A SEA OF SHINGLE.

TYPOLOGIES

Thethree-dimensionalmassingideasforthesiteallowawiderangeofscalesfromthesinglestoreytimberbeachhuttothemoreconventionalfivestoreyapartmentblock.Inbetweenareoptionsfor:

• largersinglestoreyartists’studios• cafesandshops• twostoreystudiosandweekend‘glamping’

duplexes• threestoreyshingletownhouses• occasionalfourstoreytowerhouses.

Thesedifferenttypologiesareboundtogetherbyasimplegableendandtimberaestheticsetinashinglelandscape.

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VIEW FROM THE SOUTH WEST SHOWING APPARENTLY RANDOM CHARACTER OF ‘FISHING VILLAGE’ AVOIDING UNDERGROUND SERVICE CONSTRAINTS.

BEACH HUTS ALONG ST LEONARDS’ COAST LINE

FISHERMEN HUTS IN HASTINGS

DEREK JARMAN GARDEN IN DUNGENESS

BLOEMBOLLENHOF IN DUTCH VILLAGE OF VIJFHUIZEN

THE THREE DIMENSIONAL CONCEPT SCALES UP FORM SINGLE STOREY BEACH HUTS TO THREE-FOUR STOREY TOWN HOUSES OR FIVE-SIX STOREY FLATS

FIVE STOREY FLATS

THREE STOREY SHINGLE TOWN HOUSES

TWO STOREY GLAMPING/ STUDIOS/ BEACH HUTS

SINGLE STOREY STUDIOS/ SHOPS/ CAFÉS

SINGLE STOREY BEACH HUTS

CENTRAL SQUARE

Thelowerenclosurefrombeachhuts,artists’studios,andglampingchaletstothesouthallowssunshineintothesquarefromnoonuntilsundown.

Thelandscapecharactershouldbeofsand,shingle,boulders,seakale,seabuckthorn,maritimepines,brightlypaintedtimberandplayequipment.

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BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE CENTRAL SQUARE FROM THE SOUTH, SHOWING ENCLOSURE BY HIGHER BUILDINGS TO WEST, NORTH AND EAST.

INITIAL SKETCH OF THE SQUARE SHOWING ENCLOSURE FROM BUILDINGS, SHEDS AND TREES.

CHILDERN’S PLAY AREA

EAST BEACH CAFÉ, LITTLEHAMPTON

ARTIST’S DISPLAY SPACE

GLAMPING WHITSTABLE VILLAGE

CARTER JONAS1 CHAPEL PLACE

LONDONW1G 0BG

020 7518 3200CARTERJONAS.

CO.UK