Morecambe Central Promenade Redevelopment Site

Lancaster

Masterplan for Morecambe's central promenade introducing housing as well as retail and leisure outlets. Designed by Flacq Architects.

Summary

We commend the local authority and the client for undertaking a rigorous design competition process to select an appropriate design team for the development of this unique site. We are pleased to see that the spirit of the winning design has been retained through to planning application stage. We note the scale and significance of this development for Morecambe and welcome the ambition and broad principles of this proposal. The curved form is an appropriate response to the site and the listed Midland Hotel; however, we are concerned that the three dimensional execution of this grand gesture creates a wall of development that divides the town from the foreshore. The resulting areas of concern relate to limited permeability through the dominating mega-block and the lack of differentiation in the treatment of the ground plan and architecture.

Urban design

This is a residential led mixed use development in an area which has previously not had any residential accommodation. While this is a bold move and we are mostly supportive of the mix of uses, we do not think that the design team have satisfactorily addressed the particular challenges that come with this proposition. For example, the large amount of residential parking allocation in the ground floor has resulted in a sprawling footprint. Not only has this severed pedestrian links between the retail quarter and the promenade, we also think that a valuable opportunity has been lost to open up long distance views of the bay from Marine Road Central. We feel that this is at odds with the formal gesture set up in the basic diagram which deliberately point and direct pedestrians from a central public space to the water. It is important that access to this large section of waterfront is not denied or impeded from the current residents of Morecambe and we feel that it is essential that the level of permeability through this scheme is increased.

The introduction of beach houses with individual front doors along the promenade could lead to an interesting and lively edge condition. The detailed architectural and landscape design along this stretch requires careful consideration; the design team should be mindful that the promenade does not turn into a private domain.

The promenade currently allows vehicular access. However, we feel that the amount of traffic could increase significantly with the proposed quantum of development. While using the promenade as a shared space could add to its vitality and uniqueness, we think that the pedestrian environment could be compromised by the high volume of cars. The design and landscape treatment of this space should be carefully handled to ensure that all users are given priority.

Open spaces

The open spaces and public squares are the main public benefits to be derived from the scheme; it is important to ensure that they are of a high quality and enrich the pedestrian experience. We are pleased to see the quality of landscape design across the entire site that sets out a clear and legible hierarchy of spaces. Midland Circus could have multiple benefits for the town centre; it could be used as a public space, facilitate pedestrian movement between the retail quarter, Midland Hotel and the promenade and calm traffic along Marine Road Central. We encourage collaborative working within the local authority and with the applicants to ensure that this space is delivered in the form that has been currently proposed.

We welcome the generous provision of private amenity space for the residents on the first floor podium. However, we feel that some of the communal gardens could occur on the ground floor to allow a visual connection from the town to the water. Additionally, the use of each building could influence the appropriate level of permeability through the space adjacent to the building. For example, the gardens adjacent to hotels could perhaps allow pedestrian and even vehicular movement through them.

Architectural design

To avoid repetition and monotony, we think that masterplan could allow for variety in the architectural expression of individual linear building blocks. Understanding the building uses and adjacencies could be used to inform the composition and treatment of the elevations and increase legibility in the overall expression. We feel confident that it would be possible to maintain the conviction and homogeneity of the plan form with variety in the architecture which responds to the immediate conditions and the program of each individual block. 

Detail design of phase 1

We feel that the strength of this overall composition is in the group value of the linear building blocks, which should be retained through the further iterations of the scheme. The local authority should ensure that the entire scheme is delivered within a reasonable timescale by embedding a phasing and delivery plan in the outline application.

We understand that the extent of the phase I application is largely determined by timescales and highway constraints. However, we are not confident that the use, quality and appearance of the left over site area in the interim period has been fully considered. The local authority should ask for a maintenance strategy for the park and a detailed elevation describing the interface between the phase I building and the park to the east.

We are concerned by the entrance sequence to the residential buildings; the single entry points at the ends of the buildings create a long, foreboding, corridor to gain access to the lift core and result in predominantly single aspect flats. Multiple cores accessed from different entrance points could relax the internal organisation and improve the living accommodation.

Sustainability

We do not believe that the environmental strategy is being thought of as an integral part of the design thinking. As a large scale scheme including a mixture of uses, we would hope to see a more detailed energy strategy than that so far provided. The potential for recycling of waste heat from commercial buildings for the benefit of the new homes should be investigated. Considering the high profile nature of this scheme within Morecambe, the local authority should set high standards for the environmental performance of individual buildings, on-site energy generation and reduction in carbon emissions.

Conclusion

This project could potentially bring about a significant change in the public perception of Morecambe. We think that the scheme must justify its own existence by making a tangible and lasting positive contribution to the town, in addition to being a good piece of architecture in its own right. While we are mostly supportive of many of the principles of the masterplan, we think that the local authority should be satisfied that the design team have satisfactorily addressed the concerns outlined in this letter before giving planning consent.