North Arran Way Village Centre
01st Sep 2008
On 12 June 2008, Munro + Whitten received planning permission for the North Arran Way High Street and Village Centre submitted on behalf of Inpartnership and North Solihull Partnership. The development forms the centrepiece of regeneration proposals for North Solihull. The proposals consist of a high quality public realm, designed in line with Manual for Streets, to create a pedestrian centered space and a new village square.
The design incorporates a carriageway linking Windward Way and Kingfisher Drive with junctions to roads and private parking areas. It is to be surfaced and laid out in a manner to promote shared use of the space where pedestrains are dominant to cars and other vehicles.
The High Street encompasses the length of the public realm and locks together the high street developmentscreating a mixed-use space for residential and retail uses, as well as the new Kingfisher school. The high street will safely accommodate access for cars, buses, pedestrian and cyclist through the site. The High Street is a shared surface throughout.
The Village Square is designed as an open space to be the central focus for the surrounding community. The high quality usage of materials throughout the site emphasises the regeneration and sense of place. The square has designated car parking bays delineated by a change in the material, traffic calming measures and bollards define their space. Bus access into the High Street stops directly in the main square creating a central transport node to the site. The east side of the main square works in relation to the Kingfisher School. The space has been designed to be clear of traffic creating a safe spill out space and gathering place for parents and children. Focal open seating areas and mature trees define miniature courtyards within the main square creating ample places for people to relax.
The design team for the project is Munro + Whitten (public realm design) and Scott Wilson (engineering & highways), IDPartnerhsip (phase 1 architects), Architects Design Partnership (school architects), EC Harris (cost consultants), Inpartnership (client) and Bovis Lend Lease (project and construction management)