Plans have been submitted to redevelop a prominent site in Nuneaton town centre with vibrant new homes, workspaces, public green space and improved riverside connections.
Multi-disciplinary design practice, rg+p Ltd has developed proposals to regenerate the brownfield urban site, which is bordered by Bridge Street, Mill Street, the River Anker and the George Eliot Memorial Gardens. Acting on behalf of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, rg+p’s application is for 19 family homes and apartments, four live work units and
800 m² office space together with extensive landscaping and new public realm.
Ben Walton, rg+p’s design director, comments:
“The impact of the pandemic on town centres across the UK has exacerbated decline and deepened existing problems. Our intention is to reverse this pattern in Nuneaton and provide a sustainable new neighbourhood that will attract residents, business owners and visitors. The site’s location adjacent the riverside presented a real opportunity. Our design principles therefore focused on re-establishing pedestrian movement along here together with reconnecting the town centre and memorial gardens by extending the park onto the high street, creating a new gateway and improving overall visibility.”
Arranged in a series of distinct blocks, the proposed homes include a mix of terrace, courtyard and mews designs with two gateway buildings marking a new entrance point from
Bridge Street. Commercial space in the form of live work and office space is positioned along the ground floor to retain an active street frontage. House types are designed to appeal to individuals, couples and families and include one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts. All will exceed minimum National Space Standards. Ben continues:
“Partially located within a conservation area, it was important for our design to capture characteristics observed elsewhere within the town centre. Many of the neighbouring buildings feature clay tile roofing and traditional red brick, which has informed our material palette and should help provide the new development with a frame of familiarity. Varied rooflines including flat, parapet and gable add a feeling of informality and individuality.
“The family homes overlook a park and the River Anker, and whilst this brings a shared experience of the public realm for residents, it also creates issues of privacy that must be addressed to make the scheme successful. Level changes, planting and the internal layout of the houses have all been used to achieve a comfortable split, allowing the homes to fully benefit from their surroundings.”
To further connect the proposed scheme with the George Eliot Memorial Gardens and improve biodiversity, there is over 2,000m² of new landscaping. This includes footpaths
along the river and linking the new neighbourhood into the wider Riversley Park regeneration plan. To encourage sustainable travel, a limited number of parking spaces with electric
vehicle charging points are allocated, and cycle storage is available throughout the development.
Dawn Dawson, director for regeneration and housing at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council said:
“This site forms part of the wider Transforming Nuneaton masterplan and we hope it will act as a catalyst for further positive regeneration within the town centre, especially uniting families with local businesses and attractions. rg+p’s ambitious design seeks to create a genuine landmark within the townscape, not only in terms of high-quality homes and places of work but in re-establishing our connections with nature and opening the riverside.”