Overall Strategy and Vision
 
The Council’s vision for Stourbridge is as an attractive, historic Town Centre which should remain as an important focus for a wide range of shopping, leisure, cultural, housing and administrative activity. In particular, the Council wishes to promote Stourbridge as a ‘Centre for the Arts’ since it has a large artistic population with a high demand for space and premises to exhibit, perform, create and record.
 
The Inset Plan has regard to the Dudley Retail Study (May, 1999) and its specific findings for Stourbridge. The report revealed that Stourbridge Town Centre displayed some signs of weakness. Reports of disappointing store performance, coupled with some degree of shopper dissatisfaction indicated that the centre must be improved in order to avoid its long term decline. Particular priorities are the need to address the quality of the car parking and the excessive extent of traffic intrusion on the High Street.
 
In the update to their earlier study, the Council’s consultants consider that in relation to future comparison goods expenditure, there is, over and above the outstanding commitments, scope to provide an additional 4,500 square metres (gross) of mixed comparison goods floorspace within or on the edge of Stourbridge Town Centre. In considering proposals for development in edge-of-centre locations the Council will have regard to the need to ensure that the development proposed would neither undermine the consolidation of the Town Centre’s existing comparison shopping role or prevent the potential reuse or redevelopment of existing town centre floorspace.
 
Supermarket trade underpins Stourbridge’s role and is of central importance to the centre in terms of attracting shopper visits to the Town. However, survey results indicate that the older generation town centre stores which suffer from a lack of free surface level parking are less able to compete effectively with more modern stores elsewhere and that Stourbridge Town Centre is losing trade as a result.
 
With evidence that existing stores are not fully meeting customer needs the report states that the mixed development of a modern foodstore and ‘bulky’ comparison goods floorspace on land adjacent to and including the Angel Passage site could bring major benefits for the Town Centre providing such a scheme was properly integrated to become part of the existing Centre. This would involve the diversion of the Ring Road to the east of the site and the retention of the bus station and Stourbridge Town rail station within the scheme, thereby maximising access by a choice of means of transport.
 
Acceptable proposals on the Angel Passage site and adjoining street blocks will include a modern superstore of around 7,000 square metres (gross). The site also has potential for some comparison retail development, given the quantitative requirement identified for Stourbridge.
 
THE URBAN QUARTERS
 
The Inset Plan is based on an area within easy 400 metres/10 minutes walking distance of the Centre, which for Stourbridge is the Town Clock in the High Street. This has been adjusted to allow for natural features or barriers. This is divided into the main character areas (urban quarters) which represents an assessment of the existing pattern of land use and built form and the potential for promoting beneficial change:-
 
Town Centre
Currently defined by the Ring Road and can be divided into two distinct areas.
 
Upper - This is the current focus of retail and civic activity and is characterised by a narrow and historic street pattern disrupted by modern developments at the Crown Centre, Ryemarket and Bell Street car park. This area will continue to operate as the retail heart of the Town and would benefit by the removal of intrusive traffic in High Street and Market Street.
 
Lower - This is the site of the original settlement with a wider street, rising to the Town Centre. It is becoming a fringe, mixed use area of the Town in need of uplifting. A major development site currently under construction for housing, provides an ideal opportunity and catalyst for regeneration.
 
Stour Valley
 
The trading estate dominates this area which is on two distinct levels separated by the Stour itself. This area currently has little relationship to the Town and is a major barrier to pedestrian access from the residential areas to the north-east. The upper area, fronting the ring road would benefit from greater interaction with the Town. Pedestrian and cyclist access to and through this area to the Town Centre needs improvement.
 
Canalside
 
This is historic industrial area, part of which is a conservation area including visitor atttractions of the canal and Bonded Warehouse. Improved physical links to the Town Centre are required whilst maintaining the established mix of uses in the area.
 
North Gate
 
The former gasworks site is a major out-of-centre development opportunity, still to be exploited. Whilst close to Lower High Street its distance from the main centre of the Town, the physical separation caused by the River Stour, the industrial estate and ring road and its location on rising ground, means it has a poor physical relationship to the Town Centre. This needs to be improved.
 
Angel Passage
 
A further opportunity site, close to the Town Centre which may provide a valuable option for retail or bulky development given the lack of suitable sized sites within the Town itself. This would necessitate diversion of the ring road and other pedestrian linkage measures to enable the site to become part of the retail core, and a relocation of the current bus station.
 
Eastern Gateway
 
Currently, this is a mixed area either side of the River Stour and fronting the A456. Opportunities for redevelopment of this edge-of-town site could provide uses complementary to the Town Centre to help bolster its vibrancy, in addition to enhancing the open space along the river corridor.
 
Western Gateway
 
The corridor along Enville Street (A458) has suffered badly from the blight of a road improvement line. The need for this line is being reviewed and the future of the area depends on this review and how the major traffic flows are to be managed.
 
St. John’s
 
This is a mixed use buffer area between the Town and the residential areas to the east. Dominated by the Church, this area was originally a strong element at the southern end of the High Street. Reintegration of this area with the Town and its proximity to the development of the Angel Passage would bring major benefits.
 
Southern Gateway
 
This mixed use area manages to function as part of the Town, despite the severance effect of the Ring Road. Again, this area will benefit from improved linkages to the Town offered by downgrading the Ring Road.
 
Peripheral Residential areas
 
The Western and Eastern residential areas provide the immediate local population for the Town. The western area has the traditional strong links to the Town, severed by the Ring Road. Both areas will benefit from improved pedestrian linkages and a general improvement in the attractions in the Town.
 
Ring Road
 
The ring road was originally seen as a solution to the traffic congestion problems within the Town Centre. Now, although moving traffic efficiently past the Town, it is at the root of many problems. It is a restrictive collar which has constrained expansion of the Town and increased the difficulty of gaining access, for all modes of movement, but particularly for the pedestrian. This restriction needs to be tackled in order for the Town to prosper in the future.

go to menu go to homepage 
© 2005 - 2008 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Council House, Priory Road, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1HF