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7 Strategic Design Guidance

7.1 Introduction
7.1.1 The Transforming Trowbridge UDF identifies a number of key
aims regarding appropriate design for the River Biss corridor. This will
ensure that the character of the river and central Trowbridge is not
jeopardised and that existing assets in the area are protected.

7.1.2 The principles and design codes illustrated in this section of the
report are strategic in nature and are intended to provide overall public
realm design guidance to a range of developments along the river corridor.

7.2 Creating and Protecting a Sense of Place

7.2.1 Designers and developers should seek to complement and
enhance an existing sense of place by fully understanding what they are
contributing to the character of an area. Sensitive urban design is required
to reinforce local identity and to ensure that new development respects
the river locations. By its very nature, a sense of place needs to be local,
rather than one that has been imported from somewhere else through the
use of pattern book designs or pastiche.

7.2.2 Urban character is strongly influenced by the land use and activity
present in an area. This document cannot allocate land use, but does
support land uses which encourage activity along the river corridor.

7.3 Public Open Space Network

7.3.1 It is important that public spaces are fully integrated into the town
and respect the character and identity of their context. Access to public
open spaces is critical in order to ensure they are vibrant and well used
places. Public spaces should, therefore, relate closely to the proposed
movement and linkages in Trowbridge town centre.

Example of public art integrated into gateway features. Attractive stone retaining wall

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7.4 Movement and Linkages
7.4.1 New development adjacent to the river corridor should be
well integrated into the wider street structure and high pedestrian and
cycle permeability within the overall street layout should be a key goal.
A connected street structure offering pedestrians routes to where they
need to go (eg. local facilities, the bus stop or the local park) is the best
way of promoting walking and cycling. Development blocks that offer the
pedestrian and cyclist a greater choice of permeable and legible routes
should be promoted.
7.4.2 A network of interconnected streets and spaces should allow safe,
direct routes for pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and the mobility impaired.
This will maximise opportunities for interaction and minimise personal risk
and isolation. Developments should look beyond individual site boundaries
and ensure that linkages are made both to adjoining areas and within the
development itself.
7.4.3 The public realm should be easily accessible for all, regardless
of age or physical ability. It is essential that existing pedestrian routes
are protected and enhanced by development proposals. Development
proposals should provide direct links which are attractive, well lit, have
good levels of visibility and natural surveillance. Pedestrian links should
be designed to a high standard and be clearly defined through high quality
paving materials, pedestrian signage and street furniture. Seating should
be provided at key nodal points and street trees should be planted to
clearly define key routes.
7.4.4 Safe and direct access to public transport routes should also be
a key design principle. Providing easy walking access to public transport
to/from new homes, employment areas, leisure and community facilities
reduces the need to use the car and helps to ease congestion and
pollution. Proximity to public transport also helps to make these facilities
accessible to those who do not have a car. Bus stops should be located
in popular, well lit and overlooked places and allow ease of access to key
destinations.
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7.5 Urban Form, Street Structure and Layout
7.5.1 The street structure relates to the pattern of streets and
development blocks within a given area. The urban form of Trowbridge has
been analysed and compared with the layout and development of streets
in the town.
7.5.2 The historic layout of Trowbridge consists of a number of clearly
defined perimeter blocks with buildings facing on to the street and the river.
The historic town centre retail area has a relatively fine grain urban form
and narrow plot widths provide a vertical emphasis to the street scene.
7.5.3 New development should respect the historic urban pattern and
where required, should seek to repair the perimeter block structure. This
should ensure that all buildings have a positive interface with the public
realm, and there is a clear definition between public and private space.
7.5.4 The street structure and layout should respond to the prevailing
urban form of the town, but should also respond to the need to provide the
key series of movement links, public spaces and activities presented in the In summary:-
public realm strategy. Public and private spaces should be clearly defined to create a sense
of ownership. Development should front onto streets with backs facing
7.5.5 Layouts should be integrated into the wider urban fabric where onto private secure areas.
possible. The linkages should be based upon connected streets. Buildings All routes should be well lit and overlooked.
should be orientated to create a recognisable street even if it is only used Car parks and service areas should be located and secured at the
by pedestrians and cyclists. rear of development whilst blank walls interfacing with the public realm
should be minimised.
7.5.6 The block pattern should consist of an interconnected network of Routes should be direct with consideration given to the creation of
streets to create well defined, high quality, street environments. Continuity gateways and landmarks at key points. All new and existing routes
should be achieved by using perimeter block built form with buildings, should have a clear hierarchy and street typology and high quality and
arranged to provide street enclosure and definition. consistent signage should be provided.
7.5.7 Legibility refers to the degree to which people can understand and UDF: Streets should encourage through movement
identify with the built environment. Landmark buildings, marker buildings UDF: New river crossings should create landmarks to help orientate Trowbridge
and a clear hierarchy of routes and intersections should increase the towards its river
legibility of development. Building and layout design, planting and views UDF: Accentuate key landmarks and facades and emphasise key views to
should be employed to form visual focal points, achieve orientation and enhance the legibility of the town by night
identity and create legible routes. UDF: All uses must be accommodated within an integrated pattern of streets
UDF: A clear hierarchy of streets and squares should be developed.
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7.6 Building Heights and Relationships
7.6.1 Whilst the design and treatment of buildings is beyond the scope
of this public realm strategy, the interface between buildings and public
space is of major importance. The physical bulk of the building, in terms of
its footprint, length, width and height, has an impact on how public space is
perceived and used. The physical massing of buildings also has an impact
on the character of the area.
7.6.2 Trowbridge has a range of building forms including the fine urban
grain form of the historic core to the larger footprint former mill buildings,
municipal buildings and food stores. In general terms the Town Centre
consists of mainly 2 to 3 storey buildings with higher landmark buildings.
7.6.3 Designers will be expected to consider the relationship of the
building to the river and the public realm generally and in particular to the
scale and massing of adjacent buildings. The set back of buildings to the
river should also consider the proposed use of the adjacent public realm
and the types of activities required.
7.6.4 One of the main objectives of redevelopment along the Biss
Corridor is to ensure that buildings enhance the setting of the river. Key
frontages are critical to the appearance of any development. Particular
attention should be paid to the massing and architectural style of the
buildings adjacent to key open spaces, streets and squares to ensure
that these prominent areas have a building frontage which helps to create
distinctive quality and character.
7.6.5 Development should be outward facing through the use of
active edges and perimeter blocks. This will take full advantage of natural
surveillance. Buildings should be designed to enliven the street scene
through the creation of street frontages and entrances. Ground floor door
and windows fronting onto the street should be employed to provide
activity.
7.6.6 Where possible, new development should provide active
frontages on to all major public realm areas so the building design should
ensure sufficient interest and articulation to provide an interesting interface
River Biss
with the river corridor in these areas.
7.6.7 The landscape and urban design analysis highlights a number
of areas where space is poorly defined and where there is potential for
strengthening street frontages. These areas tend to be the backland
areas where the distinction between public and private space is
ambiguous. Development in these areas should build on the perimeter
block approach and seek to create active frontages on to adjacent areas of
public realm including roads, pedestrian routes and open spaces.
7.6.8 The orientation of buildings to overlook the river corridor and/or
street provides active frontages/eyes on the street which in turn provides
natural surveillance and addresses issues of security and community
safety.
7.6.9 Buildings should front the street to provide surveillance over
public realm areas and provide increased opportunities for social
interaction by providing entrances on to the street. The aim is to create
places and streets which are designed for everyone, reducing crime and
improving personal safety.
7.6.10 The position of the front of the building in relation to the street is
commonly referred to as the building line. Trowbridge Town Centre has
an urban character which in part is created by streets with a well defined
building line, providing a strong degree of enclosure. The urban character
is reinforced by nominal set backs from the back of footway and minimal
gaps in the street frontage. In general terms the buildings proposed in
new developments, have a minimal set back from the pavement, and so
reinforce this very urban character.
7.6.11 In the more suburban parts of the study area (such as the Innox
Road residential area) the building line should be set back from the street.
Where buildings are set back, a separate boundary is also provided
often in the form of a low wall, railings or shrub planting. These features
contribute to the character of a street or neighbourhood and should be
respected.
High quality pedestrian links created by a positive relationship between built form
and public realm.
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7.7 Building Line and Boundary Treatments
7.7.1 Ownership of space is one of the key determinants of well
managed safe and secure land. Where ownership of space is unclear,
anti-social behaviour can take hold and create safety, security and
maintenance problems. By establishing a clearly defined street and block
structure a clear delineation is made between private and public space.
7.7.2 Building lines and boundary treatments have a significant role
to play in clearly defining public and private spaces. How boundaries are
treated has a significant affect on the quality of the public realm. The scale
and design of barriers can influence how people feel in a particular space.
Blank elevations or high barriers can create a sense of insecurity.
7.7.3 To reinforce ownership within any new development the following
design principles should be considered:
UDF: Buildings of all types should front onto streets, squares or parks
UDF: There should be eyes on the street
UDF: Development should have a clearly defined building line to create a
disciplined and largely unbroken urban edge.
UDF: Where buildings are set back a significant distance from the street, they
should have sufficient presence to contribute to that street
UDF: All streets, squares and parks should be clearly defined by appropriately
scaled buildings and good quality trees.
UDF: Street elevations should be scaled to the proportions of the street
UDF: Use an approach that is of a sympathetic human scale appropriate to the
county town.
UDF: There should be a clear definition between public and private space
UDF: Development should have a clearly defined building line to create a
disciplined and largely unbroken urban edge

Sensitive placement and appropriate selection of physical

barriers gates, fences, walls and hedges create safe
places that are also attractive.
High fences and landscape that actively impede access
are most appropriate in places that are vulnerable to crime,
such as the backs of dwellings.
Such barriers should be visually permeable so as not to
hinder natural or other forms of surveillance or provide
places for offenders to hide.
Lower barriers, hedges and bushes are also highly useful to
signify the public/private divide.

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7.8 Street Design
7.8.1 Streets should be designed to be pedestrian friendly and
accessible for all users. In particular, public areas should be readily
accessible for the mobility impaired and wheelchair users.
7.8.2 The proportions of street width to building height are an essential
component in defining local distinctiveness and these proportions should
be taken into account within new development proposals.
7.8.3 Traffic calming is a key aspect of promoting pedestrian priority.
A holistic approach to traffic calming should be adopted, in which the
environment is designed to reduce traffic speeds. Design elements
such as tree planting, gateways and artwork can be introduced to deter
speeding traffic.
7.8.4 The arrangement of buildings and road alignment, which
comprise the urban form, should be the primary means of ensuring that
traffic speeds are appropriately low. The combination of road containment
by buildings or planting, together with small radii corners are the most
effective means of controlling traffic speeds. The careful location of these
elements can slow traffic speeds by limiting forward views and reducing
the physical and optical width of the carriageway.
7.8.5 This comprehensive approach to traffic calming creates a more
attractive environment and can reinforce local distinctiveness through
the use of appropriate materials and planting. Recent streetscape
improvements schemes, such as Kensington High Street, have sought to
minimise the use of guard railing.
UDF: Streets should be designed to encourage walking and cater for the needs of
people with mobility problems.
Trowbridge Car Parking Strategy
UDF: On-street and rear courtyard parking is encouraged.
UDF: The misuse of on-street parking must be avoided.
UDF: The impact of the car should be minimised.
UDF: On-plot parking should be avoided in front of houses.
River Biss
7.9 Parking
7.9.1 Whilst the quantity and distribution of car parking is beyond
the remit of the PRDG there are important design criteria related to the
visual impact of on street and surface level car parking which should
be considered. The wider context for car parking is contained in the
Trowbridge Car Parking Strategy. The UDF also contains important
references to the design of car parking in relation to built development.
In particular the use of on-street car parking is promoted in order to bring
activity to the street.
7.9.2 The need for disabled car parking spaces close to the town centre
and key community facilities is also required and should be provided.
7.10 Servicing and Access Requirements
7.10.1 The need to accommodate servicing vehicles must be addressed
for all developments, but is of particular importance for commercial
developments. The ideal mode of delivery should be from the street
directly to the building. Where a delivery/storage yard is necessary, it is
often placed within the rear of a development block, to ensure that it is
hidden from public view, potentially secured with gates. Service or storage
areas which have to be designed as semi-private space should be defined
by contrasting paving which marks a transition from public to private
space.
7.10.2 Access for refuse vehicles is a consideration for both commercial
and residential developments and appropriate manoeuvring space should
be provided. In particular, there is a need for achieving convenient access
to bins/recycling containers and minimising the distance they need to be
moved to the refuse vehicles.
7.10.3 In terms of the public realm strategy the main aim is to avoid
potential conflict between servicing vehicles and pedestrians. In this
respect, there is a need to keep vehicle servicing separate from pedestrian
priority areas through appropriate design or management.
7.10.4 Development should also provide safe and effective access for
emergency and maintenance vehicles to all parts of the town.
Street design is essential to promote pedestrian priority
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7.11 Public Space Design
7.11.1 The design of public open spaces should aim to achieve high
quality and multifunctional space which makes provision for a range of
activities.
7.11.2 The layout should be fully integrated into the surrounding street
pattern and River Biss corridor and should be based upon the townscape
analysis described previously.
7.11.3 The detailed design should respect the character of the area,
particularly in the use of materials, street furniture and planting.
7.11.4 Public space located nearer to the town centre should respect
the urban character that prevails. In these spaces the design will be based
upon a hard landscape treatment. Towards the urban edge the design of
public space should respect the parkland character.
7.12 Ecology
7.12.1 Ecological enhancement of the river and its corridor, should be
incorporated within new developments, creating a continuous wildlife
corridor. Ecological enhancements have the advantage of increasing
amenity and access opportunities and enhancing the aesthetics of the
river. Known health benefits of creating such green space further justify
improving the ecology of an area.
7.12.2 Opportunities should be taken to open-up the river corridor,
by re-profiling the river channel and its banks, with appropriate marginal
planting of native, locally characteristic species.
7.12.3 Creating a range of interconnected habitats within the corridor will
encourage a range of typical river species to use the enhanced habitat.
Selective tree and scrub removal can create a mosaic of light and shaded
areas along the river, adding to the diversity of habitats.
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7.13 Planting
7.13.1 Planting provides seasonal interest and colour to the urban
environment. It is in contrast to the urban form and should be used to
define public and private spaces. Tree planting is often an integral part of
the quality of the streetscape. In Trowbridge Town Centre there is minimal
planting which reinforces the urban character. There are opportunities for
additional street tree planting to strengthen the landscape of car parks and
existing green spaces.
7.13.2 In terms of street tree planting, ornamental species should be
used which are able to tolerate street conditions. Breedon gravel (or other
bound gravel surface) should be used in preference to tree grilles which
are often forced out of place by tree growth and can look unsightly if not
properly maintained. Where the presence of underground utilities does
not allow the use of tree pits, planters should be used. These should be
properly integrated into the streetscape materials and constructed of York
stone or other material appropriate to the particular character area. Where
tree guards are used, these should relate to the style and colour of street
furniture.
7.13.3 A palette of possible street trees includes:
London Plane
Ornamental pear
Sorbus
Whitebeam
Fastigiate Hornbean
Liquidambar styracifolia
UDF: Use tree planting in the urban squares and streets to structure views and
enhance the visual amenity of the built form.
UDF: Restore and enhance the character of the existing Peoples Park by
providing new specimen tree planting and additional planting.
UDF: Extend the formal avenue planting which currently exists in the Peoples
Park into the surrounding streets of Parkside to give this district of the town a leafy
character in keeping with the qualities of the existing park.
UDF: Deciduous species should be chosen for street tree planting which are
robust and suitable for the soil type and location. They should be planted at an
appropriate size to create initial impact in the development.
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7.14 River Channel
7.14.1 The definition of particular character areas offers the potential to
redesign the river channel to reflect the type of new development taking
place. The more naturalistic character of Biss Meadows is to be extended
into the Peoples Park by the proposed removal of channel retaining
walls. This will provide opportunities for habitat enhancement and nature
conservation.
7.14.2 An option for the existing concrete weirs along the river corridor is
to have v notches cut into them. They could also be dressed with stone to
create a more natural appearance and a more varied flow.
7.14.3 A low-flow channel, cut through the middle of the existing silty
river bed, would concentrate flows, providing faster flows in a central
channel, with slower, shallow water over marginal shelves adjacent to
the existing banks. These marginal shelves could be planted with aquatic
plants such as reeds, to provide much-needed habitat structure to the river.
7.14.4 In some locations, gabion baskets (stone-filled wire cages, used
for bank revetment) have silted-up over many years, resulting in a more
natural appearance. Vegetation is already established on some of these
areas and they should therefore be left in place if re-profiling of the river
channel and banks is not feasible.
Low Intervention
River Biss
7.14.5 Where new gabion baskets are proposed, they should be 7.15 Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS).
dressed with geo-textile or similar material and planted with suitable 7.15.1 New development should consider SUDS as an element of
vegetation. This treatment will reduce their visual impact. drainage infrastructure as well as for leisure and visual amenity. SUDS
can be designed into most urban settings, ranging from hard-surfaced
7.14.6 Where the river channel is highly engineered a range of options areas to soft landscaped features. They are used in conjunction with good
should be considered: management of the site, to prevent flooding and pollution. There are four
Low intervention: retain existing channel, but install rock general methods of control:
groynes to provide greater sinuosity and/or low-level berms Filter strips and swales
to provide marginal vegetated shelves. Introduce gravel Permeable surfaces and filter drains
substrate to enhance channel habitat. Infiltration devices
Medium intervention: cut a v notch in existing concrete Basins, ponds or centralised soakaways, reed beds.
weirs, to reduce the impounding effect upstream. Dress
the channel with stones upstream and downstream of
the weirs to lengthen them, increasing the variety of flow
and improving passage for fish. Install rock groynes to
provide greater sinuosity and/or low-level berms to provide
marginal vegetated shelves. Introduce gravel substrate to
enhance channel habitat.
Major intervention: remove existing retaining features and
re-profile whole river channel and banks to create a more
natural profile and provide better access. Create two or
three-stage channel profile to provide marginal soft berms
and higher-level berms for access. Carry out landscaping
and appropriate planting on both banks. Remove weirs
and restore channel bed, introducing gravel substrate to
enhance channel habitat.
Medium Intervention High Intervention
Public Realm Design Guide