Cornwall Shopfront Design Guide

Appendix 1 St . Auste l l

Contents

1 Using this guide2 Heritage assets: Conservation Area3 Heritage assets: Listed buildings4 Fore Street5 Fore Street6 Western gateway7 Other shopfronts in key views 8 Clay Town ceramic design9 Clay Town ceramic design10 Townscape Heritage scheme11 Modern shopfronts12 Links

Page

This guide has been produced for Cornwall Council and

St Austell Town Council as part of the Heritage Lottery funded Townscape Heritage

by Tim Kellett Urban Design

August 2017

1

Us ing th i s gu ide

This guide is an appendix to the Cornwall Shopfront Design Guide, so you must refer to that document for more detailed information on design options, technical advice and good examples. It also complements the St Austell Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan with more information on the heritage of the town and its future management.

Historically, shopfront designs were often based on the same pricniples and main components but they did vary tremendously in their detail. Again, the main Shopfront design Guide will illustrate these.

In this document we are looking at some of the specific characteristics and opportunities in St.Austell itself so any work can be more relevant and locally distinctive. We should aim to restore the lost character of the historic retail core to ensure it is still attractive and distinctive in order to be competitive.

The town centre can provide an alternative shopping environment of specialist and local businesses mixed in with new commercial and community activities. It can revive its connections to its past through repair and restoration but it can also develop new attractions through the incorporation of arts crafts and ceramic design.

2

Her i tage assets : Conser vat ion Area

St. Austell town centre is mostly designated as a conservation area. See map above. This is divided into character areas that have evolved in different periods for different reasons. The important areas for shopfronts are 1 The Church Core, 2 Fore Street and 3 The Western Gateway. Shopfront designs in the Conservation Area will need to ensure they preserve or enhance its special character.

A Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan has been produced for St Austell to help to manage any changes in a positive way. It can be seen on the Cornwall Council Conservation Area pages. Shops such as this at 25 Truro Road are one of the few historic shopfronts surviving in the Conservation Area. It was designed as an integral part of the building and at one time home to a monumental mason. The first floor niche once held a statue.

3

Her i tage assets : L i s ted bu i ld ings

There are many listed buildings in St Austell which can be viewed on the British Listed Buildings website.

Most of these [listed below] currently incorporate shopfronts or commercial frontages and would require listed building consent for any alteration that affects its character as a building of special interest. Clearly many of these are deserving of future restoration or enhancement work because a lot of that original character has been lost. z 6-7 Church St

z White hart hotel Church street

z The Red Bank Church Street

z 3-7 Fore Street

z 12a 12b Fore Street

z Commercial Hotel High Cross Street

z 15 High Cross Street

z 1 Market Street

z Market House Market Street

z Queens Head Hotel Market Street

z The Old Manor House North Street

z 13 and 15 Truro Road

z 3 Vicarage Hill

z 1 and 3 Victoria Place

z 6-12 Victoria Place

z The Stag Inn Victoria Place

6-7 Church Street and adjoining 1 and 3 Victoria Place are listed buildings in a very prominent position opposite the Holy Trinity Church. There is a great opportunity to install better subdivided shopfronts, cornices and framed signs to enhance the elevations

The historic consoles and fluted columns that remain show the significance of this listed building shopfront in 6-12 Victoria Place. They give a good starting point for a very significant restoration project.

The listed No. 1 Market Street is a very prominent corner building in the Church Core. Its listing description includes ”..large incongruous modern shopfront” - it is a good candidate for reinstating a traditional shopfront. Historic photos (on the right) give clues to the original design.

4

Fore St reet

CONTEXTSt Austell is a historic market town. Fore Street is the street that ran “before”, or up to, the market. That was when it was originally held outside the church, in the very centre of town. Fore Street became the most commercial street, and in the Victorian period demonstrated the retail strength and diversity of St. Austell. The number of classically based shopfront designs gave this street its special character.

While the general scale still remains, there has been a gradual loss of shopfront features such as cornices and traditional fascias, mullions and transom lights, pilasters and console brackets, that created the special character of the street.In addition, the loss of several buildings in the middle section, following the great fire of 1940, and replacement by low, wide, horizontal buildings, set back from the main building line, has created a weak section of townscape. Fore Street has been pedestrianised but recent competition with online and out of town shopping, and the development of White River Place, has meant that Fore Street and its outlying shops have become less popular as a primary retail destination, resulting in more vacancies.

These two photographs, from the early 20th century, look along Fore Street in both directions. The subdivision into narrow shop units, the projection of strong cornices, and the enclosure of the narrow street, all contributed to the special view that culminated in the landmark of the church tower.

ISSUES• Most historic shopfronts have been lost in the town centre, only remnants remain.

• Poor quality shopfronts in very prominent locations

• Large flat signs dominate the shopfronts and add little to the architectural quality.

• There is little subdivision to the ground floor shopfronts to reflect the buildings above..

• Demolition and re-development in the 70’s has changed the scale and the building line of Fore

Street detracting form the strong historic townscape.

• Shops are closing down on the edges of the retail centre.

• Side streets and alleys are losing the small businesses that draw visitors through.

Source Old Cornwal l Society

Source Old Cornwal l Society

5

Fore St reet Fore St reet

OPPORTUNITIESThere are a number of key principles, that could be followed, to help this area regain some of its special character.• No more loss of historic fabric - Owners and

designers should examine the buildings and

identify any historic features.

• Repairing historic shopfront features as a priority

and incorporate into new shopfronts.

• Do not cover over historic features with new

signs or panels.

• Reinstate characteristic features such as

projecting cornices, framed fascias, pilasters

and console brackets.

• Ensure any contemporary designs are of the

highest quality and create a strong frame for the

shopfront in the elevation.

• Promote the redevelopment of the 60s and 70s

buildings in the centre, to restore the original

building line, and scale of the street.

• Promote the re-development and improvement

of side streets such as Chandos Place to

incorporate active frontages with shopfronts to

make them more attractive routes.

• Use glazed ceramics in the shopfronts bringing

colour, and quality design to support the clay

town initiative.

These modern buildings, at 19-23 Fore Street, have been identified as part of a retail redevelopment site in the Allocations Document of the Local Plan. This creates an opportunity to restore the original street line and original building heights, to create an attractive retail frontage, to create an active route on Chandos Place with shop frontages leading into the redevelopment.

Shop owners could investigate what may be hidden under new fascias and signs. Elements of earlier shopfronts may be evident and worthy of restoring

Flat fascias could be replaced with projecting cornices and new fascias to bring back some of the strong character of the street.

6

This group of modern buildings curves around the end of Fore Street [Nos. 45 and 47] and Trinity Street [Nos. 1-10]. They are at one of the most important entrances into the commercial town centre leading the eye (and the visitor) up the hill and around into Fore Street. They present a great opportunity for a co-ordinated enhancement scheme of the shopfronts and the elevations. It could be a flagship project for the “Clay Town” initiative using ceramic design in the shopfronts and building frontages.

Western gateway

CONTEXTThe streets of Bodmin Road, Truro Road, Trinity Street and

Fore Street, all converge at an important junction known as the

Western Gateway into the Town Centre. It is a vehicle dominated

route, and currently difficult for pedestrians to negotiate

comfortably. It does, however have some good retail, community

and business opportunities and is enhanced by the distinctive

China Cafe mural by Janet Shearer and its adjacent public space.

OPPORTUNITIES

A public realm scheme to improve the accessibility and comfort for

pedestrians at this whole junction would pay dividends. All of the

surrounding buildings have great scope for shopfront and facade

improvements to help create a memorable place.

The Assembly Rooms and adjoining small building, have an opportunity to develop more complementary signage to improve this space and its historic building.

7

Other shopfronts in key v iews

There are many important historic buildings in highly visible locations on the corners at junctions or at the end of key views. Nearly all of these have lost their historic shopfronts and they have not been replaced with anything as significant in terms of design quality or being complementary to the building. These should be prioirities for design improvement, to enhance the character of the whole street which will make the area more attractive, as a whole, to visitors and customers.

This is No 1 Fore Street, opposite the entrance to the Churchyard at a very prominent location.

It includes a curved corner that once had a very significant two storey shopfront. there are numerous historic photographs which could be used to assist a reinstatement project.

This is one of several target buildings for the Townscape Heritage scheme.

No.9 Church Street is another prominent curved corner building opposite the churchyard.It once had a more significant shopfront as evidenced from photographs.

Should the opportunity arise this could be reinstated and is also targetted in the Townscape Heritage scheme, and could create a bigger impact with new shopfronts in the listed buildings on the other side of the street.

For example No.1 Vicarage Hill will become more prominent in this view if the Vicarage Place retail development is undertaken in line with the advice given in the Conservation Area Management Plan.

8

Clay Town ceramic des ign

This regeneration initiative is being pursued by key partners to celebrate St.Austell’s history of clay production and the industry it supported. One opportunity is to identify ways that ceramic work can be used to enliven the town’s environment and build a really distinctive character. Ceramics in shopfront design have a long history using glazed tiles, glazed bricks, faience, terrcotta and mosaic. There are examples in Cornwall, however inspiration for more creative use can also be found further afield giving some idea how this visitor and commercial environment could be transformed by a few well chosen schemes and supportive retailers or property owners.

Dos Riberas shopfront

Cour tesy: Pol lenoid

9

Bike shop Jubi lee Wharf Penryn

Litt le Jems Penzance

Jubi lee Wharf PenrynWhite glazed brick Brompton

Mosaic shopfront Paris Falmouth stal l r iser and threshold

Faience shopfront Devon image Poole MuseumTradit ional glazed s ign Falmouth

Red Bank Terracotta

Clay Town ceramic des ign

10

Townscape Her i tage scheme

A Townscape Heritage scheme is proposed for St Austell. This is a bid for funding from the Heritage Lottery and Cornwall Council to support the repair of historic buildings and the reinstatement of lost historic features including shopfronts.

A target area has been identified focussing on the historic town centre and specific target buildings have been selected in order to get the maximum impact from the scheme. It is hoped the scheme will run between 2017 and 2021.

Below: 34 Fore Street could be in the Townscape Heritage scheme.

WEST

5

4

5

House

St Austell

7 to 11

6

Methodist

7

5

24

PRIO

RY

ROA

D

2

25a23

4

Post

PLACE

14

33

Old Vicarage Place

11a

1

8

Court

Post

Club

6 4

6

1

412

31

MARKET HILL

1 to 3

CHURCH

2

25a

Hall

STREET

9

7

10

1

The Old

Bank

10

9

Savoy Building33

Sembal

4

St John's

Posts

8

46

36

3

21

Posts

15

12

40

1

Posts

2

Bank

Market

30

VICTORIA PLACE

5

1

1 to

8

PH3

Studi

o Hou

se

5

Church

16

Oravia

27

68.9m

10

1a

TREVARTHIAN R

OAD

5

8a

11

23

30

41

9

66.8m

HILL

82

20

16a

COLLEG

E GR

EEN

16

66.5m

9

19

65

4

9

16

GRANT'S WALK

Aylmer Place

White River Place

6

10

12b

31

10NO

RTH

STREET

2

1

2

41

14

5

TCB

MARKET STREET

29

The

4

29b

7

8

2527

Hall

37

Friends Meeting House

5

28

El Sub Sta

Audiology

El S

ub S

ta

FB

1313

8 to23 to 29

1

1918

25

18

1719

12

TRURO ROAD

2

Baptist Church

9

22

TRINITY STREETBurton H

ouse

7

Piran Place

Car Park

2

FORE STREET

24

CHA

ND

OS

Club

PC

PC

Bank

11 to 14

11

9

China

1

Car Park

PH

22

7

20a

28

9

60.7m

Cornwall

7

Memorial

6

12

(Hotel)

6

TCB

11

2

CR

9

El Sub Sta

The Sycamores

14

49

39

to

21-23

38

West

12 to 49

Globe Yarda

19

TCB

1 47

2

Cinema

a

42

Trelawney House

Bowling Alley

TCBs

Posts

1 to 2

11

2

El Sub Sta

VICARAGE

8

1

6

12

Elm Terrace

11

House

20

17

War

Holy Trinity

8

19

511

1PH

Job Centre

17 19

14 to 54

8 CattleGrid

The Loft

COACH H

OUSE

LANE

47 1

St Austell Station

33

1 to

14

26

80

74

1

16

11

HillCourt

13a

Church

5b

73

81

2

3

14

8

31

47

Posts

Posts

Biddick's Court

12

7-8

12a9

18

PC

21

9 to 11

5

21

4

EAST HILL

68.3m

1

ED Bdy

LB Centre

Club

45

22

88

to72

9

20

6

9a to 11a

11

27

LB

Penhaligon

16

44

PCs

Post

29

451 to 55

25

28 26

63.4m

Club

Mengue Hall

4 to 9

15

Posts

3

3

El Sub Sta

Club

10

DUKE STREET

15

House

14

4

14

TREGARNE

6

White Hart

2Bank

14

1 to 3

Institute

12

2

14

15

Car Park

12

1 to 12

6

Fn

45

86.0m

THE MALTINGS

15b

15

50 to 68

2513

Shelter

45

10

Bank

6a

3

40

Post

34

27

23

1816

19

Posts

9

3

LB

HILL

63.4m

18

PH

2

33

The H

all

19

8

55.8m

PC

6

2523

TERRACE

3

1

CROSS LANE

Women's

Bank

5

Head Post Office

29

20

Bus Station

43

Tregarne

7

© Crown copyright and database rights 2015 Ordnance Survey 100049047.

¯

LegendNew Shopfront opportunities

Traditional shopfront repair opportunities

St Austell Target Area

Target BuidlingHigh Priority

Medium

Reserve

St Austell Townscape Heritage Scheme:Shopfront Repair & Reinstatement Opportunities

1 1

Modern shopfronts

White River Place is a modern, mixed-use

development creating a new retail area with

larger units to cater for particular commercial

needs.

It is particularly important that it creates an

external street network rather than an internal

facing “mall”, which allows it to become part of

the town centre. However the design does not

allow the main linking route on Aylmer Place to

have many active frontages which would have

created a much more animated link This is

important to take into account in the next phase

with Old Vicarage place and Chandos Place

The buildings in the new development have some

variation in cladding and their simple forms to

reflect the smaller scale of town centre buildings.

The shopfronts, however, are relatively standard,

with similar flat piers or exposed steel beams,

forming a framework for standard shop-glazing

and the corporate graphics of the mainstream

retailers. These shopfront designs would not

translate well to existing buildings in the town

but with a little more modelling and developing

a contemporary cornice feature, could work even

better.

Modern shopfronts in White River Place retain

the smaller scale of a traditional retail centre

but their character is made up of corporate

graphics.

Aylmer Place is one of several small routes

that link the old and the new shopping areas.

It would benefit from smaller shops and active

frontages.

1 2

L inks

Click the title to link to the website

Cornwall Shopfront Design GuideThe parent document to this appendix with comprehensive design guidance on shopfronts.

St Austel l Conser vation Area Appraisal and Management PlanThis is the recently approved descript ion of the historic development of the conservation area and its special

features. It includes urban design guidance and an Action Plan.

St Austel l Al locations DPDCornwall Council planning document focusing on St Austell with objectives, strategy and allocated sites for development

St Austel l Town PlanProduced by St Austel l Town Counci l in 2012 with the local community.

St Austel l Old Cornwall Society A contact point for the historical society with information and historic photographs of old St Austel l , which

may help with shopfront restorations.

St Austel l BIDBusiness Improvement Distr ict- set up to improve th etrading environment for St Austel l town centre.