Consultation Portal

Kettering Town Centre regeneration and the Restaurant Quarter: Public Realm Improvements to Sheep St and Market St - What do you think?

A pedestrian friendly Market Place

Kettering Borough Council is seeking views on plans to make Market Place, Market Street and Sheep Street more pedestrian friendly. 

As the £2.2m project to transform the Market Place nears completion, Kettering Borough Council is planning the next phase of public realm works. The re-designed Market Place is part of the first phase of ambitious regeneration plans to create a distinctive and vibrant town centre that will ensure Kettering is a focal point for North Northamptonshire.

The project has set the scene for new investment in Kettering and raised the standard for public spaces elsewhere in the town centre. It has been funded by the Government’s Growth Fund following a successful bid by the North Northants Development Company, working in partnership with Kettering Borough Council.

This area is being promoted as Kettering’s Restaurant Quarter through its regeneration programme for the town centre. The Kettering Town Centre Area Action Plan (AAP) is due to be consulted on later in 2009 – the AAP presents eight distinctive quarters (as depicted on the plan below). Key quarters are as follows:

• The Restaurant Quarter – as stated above, this will be the focus for restaurants and community events.
• The Shopping Quarter – will be the focus for high street brands
• The Yards – the focus for niche and independent retail
• The Station Quarter – the focus for office and commercial development.

The Market Place is central to the vision for the quarters. However, to successfully integrate the Market Place with the adjoining quarters the vision is to remove through traffic from Market Street and Sheep Street (whilst retaining bus stops and access for residents on Sheep Street), and extend the town centres pedestrianised area into this area. This will help encourage use of the Market Place and the new Yards Quarter, and better connect it to the amenities available and planned in adjoining quarters.

Sheep Street and Market Street Improvements

The plan above shows the area affected and illustrates the key design principles and changes proposed. Public realm alterations to Market Street and Sheep Street will:

• Be of the same high quality as the Market Place, including paving materials, furniture and landscaping
• Involve removing through traffic from Market Street and Sheep Street, whilst retaining bus stops and access for residents on Sheep Street
• Reduce on-street parking, (but more parking will be available at Horsemarket and Sheep Street)
• Involve allowing access-requiring traffic/ deliveries
• Involve the introduction of shared surfaces wherever possible, which will encourage pedestrian movement but enable vehicular traffic where necessary
• The area in front of the Church will also be improved to better integrate the Church grounds with the new Market Place.

What is a Shared Surface?

Removing or lowering a kerb that separates areas for vehicles and  pedestrians, creates a shared surface street. The aim of a shared surface is to reduce the dominance of vehicles, making the area more ‘people-friendly’.  Evidence shows that shared surfaces slow down traffic.

Traffic Regulation Orders

To support the transformation of this important area, it will be necessary to publish Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO). These will be needed to restrict parking, loading and through traffic where necessary. A formal consultation on the proposed TRO will follow later in the year, at which point you will have another opportunity to comment.

Other Consultations

These proposals are part of a wider Transport Strategy for Kettering Town Centre. This strategy is still being developed and will be consulted on later in 2009. The results of both these consultations will inform the production of the Kettering Town Centre Area Action Plan – Proposed Submission. This document will be published later in the year and will include retail, commercial and housing allocations alongside solutions to accessibility and movement.

What do you think?

The Borough Council would like to know peoples thoughts on the above proposals for Market Street and Sheep Street. In particular we would like your views on:

1. Do you support implementing public realm improvements to Market Street and Sheep Street?
2. Do you support removing through traffic from Market Street and Sheep Street whilst retaining bus stops and access for residents on Sheep Street?
3. Do you support the use of shared surfaces as part of the pedestrianisation of the area?
4. Do you have any concerns regarding loading and unloading restrictions on Market Street and Sheep Street?
5. Any other concerns you may have.

We would like to know your thoughts on the proposals for Market Street and Sheep Street.

Please respond by the 29th July 2009.

How to respond

Please fill in the online survey below - this will allow you to quickly and easily fill out a short questionnaire.

Alternatively you can download a response form to provide your views on the proposals. Please click on 'Supporting documents' below to download the form and return it to:

Infrastructure Team,

Development Services,

Kettering Borough Council,

Bowling Green Road,

Kettering,

NN15 7QX

Alternatively you can write to the above address or email planningpolicy@kettering.gov.uk

A leaflet explaining the proposals can also be downloaded by clicking on 'Supporting documents' below.

Thank you for taking the time to take part in this consultation.