New Virtual Images at:We now have an appeal date: Tuesday 11th July at 10am Westport House Wareham.
We have also recently submitted a new set of plans for consideration. You can view the elevations at:
www.pierhead.plus.com/thumbnails3/index.htm
A design statement will follow shortly.
Your comments and/or suggestions would be most appreciated.
Posts
40 comments:
May I say that I think this looks fantastic and I look forward to you receiving your planning permission
Andy
Excellent. I think it looks great, can't wait to see the 3D visualisation and flyby.
Mark I'll post links the images when the virtual work is complete.
something (reasonable) needs to be done there, its an embarrasment to swange that area, good luck, I'm sure if they were flats sold to londoners planning would be no problem. Then they could all moan about the noise the smell the sea the sand the pier, the train whistle kids playing the list goes on........... but seriously good luck
This new design is not very convincing. It takes on board the planners objections to proximity to The Rookery and to way the previous design made that building more or less invisible from the seaward side but it is still very bulky. The promenade profile looks like a 1970s railway station. The proposed building is completely at odds with everything else in the vicinity.
Whatever goes on this site will define this part of Swanage for the next 100 years so its vital to get it right.
If you can predict what things need to be like in a 100 years can I just have next weeks winning lottery numbers thanks...... this has gone on long enough... most people like or have liked what was going in there.... but then again just leave it like it is and get lots of negative comments and letters from holidday makers..
Is the Rookery such an important building? I'm surprised they don't want to knock it down and develop the whole site. In any case the best views of it are up and down Seymer Road, and these won't be affected by the new building will they? The plans are a little unclear. I agree we need a photo visualisation or whatever you call it.
The Pier Head could well have been the railway station, how different the town would look now.
When it is said that it is completely at odds with other buildings I have to disagree. Good modern architecture can happily fit in with any surroundings and can complement existing buildings. I also agree with the comment on the Rookery, what's so good about it ? hardly stunning architecture there !!. As a local resident to the proposed site I'm all for it.
On the whole I'm in favour.
To be critical - it's too wide.
Ever since I was a kid it's been a mess - even when I worked there it was tacky - plastic bucket 'n' spades, grotty ice creams etc.
That is a part of Swanage that has desperatly needed something - anything? - for ages.
Criticism - what will happen to the Taxi firm, and what about SSRC?
The 3D impressions are a lot better than the line drawings which looked pretty awfull, however, it still does not relate itself to surrounding buildings. If you read recent decisions of the planning board this is something they are very keen of.
Its all very well saying good modern architecture will fit in anywhere but that begs two questions. Is this good modern architecture and why go for the modern style anyway. It was fine in the 1920s and 30s when it was visibly a departure from what had gone before but after three quarters of a century of it novelty is decidedly lacking. We have seen fake vernacular styles highly acclaimed in places like Poundbury so what would be wrong with pastiche Regency and early Victorian here?
We have had two blocks of flats put up a few yards away in the High Street which manage to fit in with their surroundings. Why not ask the architects responsible for these for suggestions?
Personally I hate Poundbury almost as much as I hate Stoborough Meadows. Why keep building film sets? Should we only listen to Beethoven for ever?
"what will happen to the Taxi firm, and what about SSRC"
Well the Taxi firm can rent a unit in the new building if they wish I suppose, but given the fact that everyone has a mobile phone these days and that the taxi rank will remain where it is I see no problem for them. Anyway so what ?they have just sold out to a company from Poole. The SSRC have asked STC for a plot on the site opposite. The sooner they get a club house of their own the better.
The comparism with Beethoven is interesting. The composers who are the musical equivalent of the modern movement in architecture are rarely played now. Then did you last listen to any of Schoenberg's 12 tone compositions? Beethoven, Mozart etc continue to delight.
Personally I would agree about Poundbury and Stoborough Meadows but neither had to be integrated into an existing townscape.
Get a life you lot. Do you still only watch black and white films and wish your curch service was sung in latin?(If the answer is yes please don't reply you are doin my head in!)
Well, I watched BBC4's programme about Frank Lloyd Wright last night on my lovely new widescreen TV, and marvelled at how the "modern" style started out in Queen Victoria's reign and how antique the international style is. I just don't think we need to be tied to an early twentieth century style for this particular site. The world has moved on.
Its funny how the Canadian army, which built the existing Pierhead managed to design something with empathy for its surroundings but the locals are resolutely blind to this.
If you had a few thousand Canadian soldiers camping on the Downs it wouldn't be too difficalt to find a use for the buildings, but have you noticed - they're gone!
Very amusing, but it ignores the point that their architect had a grasp of how to design a building that worked with and not against whats around it. Don't know why thats a problem for the present one.
I agree comletely with the many people who say the existing building is an eyesore. As I walked by the other evening I was struck by the fact that returning the site to grass and trees would do more for Swanage than any new building possibly could. Likewise what used to be the green opposite the Victoria, the appearance of which at present does not exactly instill confidence in the owners taste.
"returning the site to grass and trees would do more for Swanage than any new building possibly could." Would these grass and trees employ anyone? Pay any taxes? Attract more tourists? Contribute anything at all? Why stop at the Pier Head when Station Road could be restored to a chine? Allotments all along the High Street perhaps.
I think one of the problems for Swanage is that some of the prime positions are occupied by hideous buildings. At one end of the Bay you have the Pines Hotel, surely one of the worst buildings in the Town; in the middle you have the incredibly badly designed new
Mowlem building and worst at Peveril Point you have a mismatch of added on holiday lets with plastic windows. Let’s get a classy building on the Pier Head site. If you want to walk the dog alone there are plenty of deserted beaches between here and Weymouth.
A classy new building in Swanage would indeed be a considerable novelty. Unfortunately we are more likely to get the biggest lump of a building the planning board can be persuaded to accept.
If every inch has to give the maximum return why isn't there a campaign to build holiday apartments all over the Downs? They'd have a nice sea view and get the town council out of financial difficulty for a very long time.
And this is another prime site which will I am sure follow in the trend of hideous buildings in Swanage. When society is driven by profit how can it be anything else. What long term benefit to the town is such a big development on such a small site? What will be so good about this parade of shop with holiday appartments over that will bring in the crowds or do anything for Swanage. Why would anyone cross the street to look at it?
A grassy chine running down to the sea instead of Station Road? What like the centre of Bournemouth you mean? Pleasure Gardens? How quaint. No, we'd end up getting tourists coming here if they did that!
Gov't building policy is ti 'in-fill'. This has a major effect on places such as Swanage. being surrounded by AOB and SSSI Swanage can't physically expand. It can only build on land within it's boundaries.
Now, how about the 'concentration camp' at the pier head?
If anyone posting here would like a hard copy of the design statement which includes some explanation of the thinking behind the Pier Head project just e-mail your details and I'll post you a copy.
nick@pierhead.plus.com
I have read the brief and found it begs one question. The idea of craft/sales units with the owner living over the shop is an interesting return to a historical model but the economics look doubtful. What will they sell for? The last batch of sea-view apartments were all over £300,000 so add on a shop and what do you get. Anyone buying on a large mortgage will need to make a profit in the region of £50,000 to meet the payments before covering living expenses. As a retail location its very secondary with minimal pedestrian footfall for most of the year. They wont have any garden and its quite a noisy location. On the other hand they are an excellent second home prospect. I can't help thinking someone is being a trifle disingeneous. or is indulging in wishful thinking. It just does not add up unless they plan is not to sell them but to rent them out at peppercorn rents to artists which seems unlikely.
Yes the plan is to rent them out, but not for a peppercorn rent! "Each ground floor shop/office/gallery/ (or whatever use enterprising people may conceive for these units), is capable of being combined with the accommodation above," I would guess these would be ideal for a jeweller, architect, web designer, confectioner, book seller, writer, musician etc. This is a lifestyle thing. People can trade from home a sell an awful lot of goods and services without necessarily meeting many of their customers face to face. Having said that the building will be an attraction in itself, as will the catering facilities. I'm convinced there are many people who would relocate to Swanage if the Buzz can be put back into the place.
I think we all like having the Rowing Club in swanage. But surely just because they were given the big favour of being allowed to keep their boats on someone's private land for a few years doesn't mean there should be any criticism of the site owners if or when the time comes for them to move on!I believe they have some alternative e plans in mind. I wonder what they would have done if they hadn't been offered this site originally.
Prescriptive leases do a lot of harm in this Town. I know someone who wanted to take a unit under the Mowlem to make Cornish pasties from scratch. I've tried them they are totally different to the mass produced crap. But no hot food allowed there. So a card shop? Is that really better?
Also many second home owners in blocks of flats are not allowed to "holiday let", surely a bad thing.
With regard to this new development proposal, if people want to sell food they will need planning permission for change of use and agreement from the freeholder.
With regard to second homes, if someone is mad enough to pay a weekly rent, maintenance etc and not live there who can stop them? These units are not intended for sale.
Let's try to be positive about the future for Swanage.
I agree wholeheartedly about being positive. For some years I have been saying that locally generated investment is not enough and that we need to attract significant outside money. As Swanage is not attractive to commercial destination marketers this means public investment. When I have suggested it needs to be investment in something that will attract well heeled visitors with a decent amount of disposable income I have been attacked for all sorts of elitist heresies. There is a powerful current here that wants to keep the place thoroughly downmarket. If you can attract professionals/craftsmen/artists who can generate the sort of money they will need to generate it will be a large step in the right direction.
By the way, what planning classification will the units have?
well heeled people mmmm intersting surley swanage should appeal to all sorts of people, does it matter about their income surley thats what diversity means.. Just to clarify your point you are suggesting that only people with a large disposible income should be encouraged to come to swanage?
This area was built on all sorts of occupations right from the humble land worker to high powered bulders we need all sorts of holiday makers to make swanage tick,
I hope something is done and done quickly with that site good luck
It is definately an improvement on earlier proposals. As I can't see how a better design will be economically possible then this will have to do. Will the restaurant be any good or just more fo the same, but higher prices?
i would imagine the restauarant cud do for Swange what rich steind did for Padstow
i think this restaurant copuld do for Swanage what rich Stein did for Padstow
Dear mmmmmm,
The resources available for tourism marketing are extremely limited and those for encouraging pernament settlement are virually non exiatent.
I think it makes sense to spend the small amount which goes on tourism marketing on attracting those with money to spend. This would support investment in things like high quality restaurants. Why waste resources on persuading people who will do nothing more than buy a cup of tea and then visit the loos to leave the tea behind to visit Swanage? They are going to come anyway. Its not elitism its common sense.
I have noticed that every resort in the land wants a Rick Stein style fish restaurant. Will Swanage not be following a well beaten path here?
As regards people coming to live here, well what can I say. The widow's mite is somewhat too common a currency here. Of course we need to draw in high earners and to identify that as an aim and develop a strategy to deliver it. We also need to attract younger people. That will upset the District Council as they are likely to be commuters and want some decent roads to get to work on, but that is another story.
Forgot to mention that the average spend of a day visitor in Swanage according to research carried out for PDC is well under £4. Cup of tea and a bun and a couple of postcards. This is rather slim pickings for local businesses.
I keep having to go and do other things, sorry.
The logic behind this proposed development is:
1 There are people who want business units in this particular lcation.
2 They can generate sufficient income to buy the residential units as well.
Therefore
1 they will need an influx of high income visitors and residents into Swanage to buy whatever they sell, use their services etc.
2 This goes for the restaurant as well.
Hence if you support Nicks scheme you must support effort being put into attracting well off people into Swanage to help make it work. It cannot be everything for everyone.
Plus the additional employment opportunities and additional rates paid.
Nobody is suggesting tha you dont encourage the "well heeled" into town but dont just go for that market you have to cater for all tastes and income i dont find it a tad offnsive that just because i said you must not just consider the "well heeled" you thought I was not supportive of the scheme what ever you put in there you will upset someone....... oh s*d it lets build a casino and a brothel that should keep everyone happy!
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