A new public realm design for Horsefair based on 12 Streets for People indicators.
The aim of Pontefract’s Streets for People (SFP), on Horsefair, is to transform the quality of the street to improve connection between the town centre and the castle. Realising this through a new public realm design will result in:
- The improved health and well-being of visitors and residents of Horsefair
- More people being encouraged to visit Pontefract
- Reduced vehicular access to attract pedestrians and cyclists
- An identity and character for the street, including green infrastructure
- Kick starting social/economic regeneration in the town
In 2019, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council commissioned Nash Partnership to identify ways in which people’s health and well-being can be improved on Horsefair, one of the principal link routes for both pedestrians and vehicles close to Pontefract town centre.
Streets for People was funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is the first of five demonstration projects taking place across West Yorkshire.
The project ran alongside the Pontefract masterplanning work we were also commissioned to carry out. Horsefair is seen as the priority intervention area for investment through the masterplan and Streets for People is the catalyst for this process.
Understanding Horsefair
Many of the street’s buildings are poor quality and do not face the street in an engaging and positive way. Despite having a few seats and trees it is not a pleasant place to spend time. The road acts as a barrier to visitors to the town and the castle, and people are not inspired or encouraged to walk along it. This area also comprises a tired social housing estate for c.250 homes and a jumbled mix of uses that have developed over time such as a gym, car garage and the sorting office. It is unappealing and uninviting and has a high volume of traffic.
Through our initial research and a baseline analysis, we understood the existing context of Horsefair and how it functions now. Mapping was used to establish building uses, routes and permeability, activities, significance of listed buildings, key frontages, green spaces, landmarks and more. Our research showed the street has a very different character from one end to the other: by splitting the street into five zones for further assessment, we could decipher their quality, why they were successful, and identify targeted solutions.
Healthy indicators
To provide a benchmark for change, assessment of Horsefair’s five zones was carried out objectively against 12 indicators, ranging from ‘inclusive streets’ to ‘carbon impact’. Together with our research and qualitative information gathered at consultation, these scores gave the foundations from which new designs could emerge.
Consultation was a crucial component of this project, with much of the feedback identifying similar themes and aspirations. Design ideas directed by the SFP criteria and public consultation resulted in two main design options, which were then evaluated according to the urban design principles and the SFP matrix. The changes between the overall scores (current and proposed) showed the potential for improvement to Horsefair for pedestrians, with both main design options suggesting a good level of improvement.
Responding to the Climate Emergency
Areas of study for the route included the public realm, widening footpaths, planting trees, and installing seating as well as rethinking how vehicles move along it. Traffic modelling and highways analysis of the local road network helped test the potential impacts of the two options.
The preferred option is a combination of the two scenarios outlined at consultation. As a result, some key moves have been proposed which would bring a reduction in traffic, more flexible servicing and loading options and create social spaces. These changes respond to the Council’s Climate Change Declaration, improving air quality and creating an environment where people are encouraged to walk.
The final feasibility study of Horsefair and the options, presented in line with the 12 Streets for People scores, promotes a public realm improvement scheme that addresses its problems directly and will be delivered by Wakefield Council. Horsefair will be reinvigorated as a street for happy and healthy residents.
In June 2021, the scheme was named a winner at the national Planning Awards in the ‘Fostering a Healthy High Street’ category.