The Vision and Principles
We want to know if you agree with our Vision and Principles for the Masterplan.
Scroll down to find out more about the proposed Vision and Principles and take the survey to tell us what you think.
We have worked with the Town Council, stakeholders and the neighbourhood steering group to develop the aims of the masterplan - these comprise ‘The Vision’.
Vision for the town centre
There is an opportunity to regenerate and improve several sites across the town centre, focusing on sustainable growth, adaptable development and active travel.
Building on Cirencester’s unique character and rich history, this framework embraces the social buzz and diversity of the town, to create a thriving urban community with placemaking at its heart.
The Map illustrates the notional town centre boundary with key places and potential sites for change.
The Principles
These principles are a response to site analysis (e.g. green space, parking, heritage) forming a set of objectives that, together with those developed by the steering group, will underpin the masterplan.
Principle 1: Natural Environment - more multifunctional green and blue infrastructure.
The Cirencester town centre health check identified a lack of green space/green infrastructure. This is key to delivering biodiversity net gains and better connect the wider ecological network. The masterplan should therefore seek to draw green infrastructure into the historic core of the town. In addition to the ecological benefits, this will help to cool and provide shade, thereby attracting more visitors, which in turn will help to sustain the Town Centre.
Principle 2: New Development = Net Zero Carbon
The Council has declared Climate and Ecological Emergencies and is committed to making its Local Plan "Green to the Core", on top of the legal and moral duty to address climate change.
Sustainability must be considered in all aspects of future development, from its conception through to its occupancy. This includes electric vehicle (EV) charging, addressing modal shift in transport (e.g. more walking and cycling), and generating energy from sustainable sources.
Principle 3: The Historic Environment - better connecting people with Cirencester’s past
The framework masterplan should seek to build upon Cirencester's charming character of streets and lanes to introduce new routes, places and spaces. The Masterplan should seek to reintroduce historic street patterns and strengthen former historic gateways into the town, enhancing the arrival experience.
There is the opportunity to create a strong east-west route, encompassing the pivotal crossing of Fosse Way and Ermine Street, linking the Town Centre to the Roman amphitheatre, potentially via a bridge link across Bristol Road (A429).
Principle 4: Townscape and Enhanced Views
The Masterplan must ensure that existing important views are not obscured by redevelopment and that, where possible, new or better views to key town landmarks can be revealed, enhanced or maintained.
This particularly includes maintaining or re-establishing positive vistas towards the key landmark of Cirencester - the tower of St John Baptist Church on Market Place. This will contribute to a renewed sense of place in the Town Centre.
Principle 5: Transport - 21st Century Mobility
Being able to move freely and safely through the town centre offers a wide range of community, health and wellbeing, environmental, business and tourism benefits. Therefore consideration should be given to creating a new or enhanced mobility hub and increasing active travel measures - such as walking a cycling routes - to supplement and, where possible, offset the demand for parking in the Town Centre.
Vehicle parking will still need to be a feature of the town centre. But consideration should be given to relocating car parking to the periphery and/or in developing facilities such as Park and Ride/Stride. This will create and allow the redevelopment of space in the Town Centre to create a thriving urban community with placemaking and sustainability at its heart.
Principle 6: Permeability and Better Connections
The existing grain of the Town Centre provides the opportunity for a new east-west pedestrian/ cycle route from Old Station car park through to Waterloo car park. This will be activated through a series of new spaces and uses to form a new animated route, encouraging active travel across the Town Centre.
On top of this, there is the potential for a layer of 21st century townscape that interprets the Roman and Medieval heritage. This could form a new pedestrian/cycle 'trail' that could be based upon the existing cultural activities in the town, such as heritage, art or sculpture.