About the draft Whitefield Town Centre Plan

Whitefield town centre’s economy has suffered because of large‑scale shifts in the retail economy, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis. These issues, however, are universally felt by towns and cities across the UK, many of which, alongside Whitefield, are searching for a new way forward.

The most significant challenge that Whitefield struggles with is how Bury New Road severs the high street and communities to its east and west.

The environment along the road is poor for every user - businesses are crammed in, pedestrians have little space, and high levels of noise and air pollution are experienced. There is limited planting along the road corridor, and traffic congestion has a clear and negative impact on both sense of place and public health.

Whilst incremental, and potentially community-led, improvements to the high street and surrounding areas will have a positive impact on the street environment. The long-term strategy for Whitefield must be to rethink Bury New Road (and the town centre more broadly) through an alternative lens, that of people, place (including its economy), and the environment.

The challenges

Whitefield’s biggest challenges include:

• The amount of vehicular traffic and wide roads
• A lack of variety of things to do
• Difficulties moving around on foot or bike
• Narrow pavements and low-quality public spaces
• Limited community facilities
• Too many shutters and blank shop fronts
• Parked cars detracting from the quality of public spaces
• Historic buildings which have lost quality and character from modern shop fronts and building works
• Whitefield lacks a heart/centre due to its linear form. During consultation events attendees were split as to whether Whitefield’s heart is in Elms Square; near the junction at Church Lane, Stanley Road, and Bury New Road; near the former town hall and library; or by Victoria Square
• Badly connected areas off from the A56

The strengths

Whitefield’s biggest strengths include:

• Many nearby green spaces
• Sport facilities and parks along Bury New Road
• A strong community spirit with active community groups
• Heritage buildings
• Famous shops and organisations
• A high-quality conservation area
• Mature trees and green residential streets
• Sport and parks at the centre of town
• Education facilities at the centre of town

The opportunities

Whitefield town centre can be enhanced as a destination, creating a range of activities, functions and uses to draw people to the town centre, and encourage them to stay there for longer.

The rethinking and physical redesign of Bury New Road is another key opportunity and is an essential step in transforming the town centre.

A new “heart” could be created for Whitefield – in the area from the former library to the former Town Hall and Slattery by encouraging activity in this location.

Other opportunities include improving:

• Public realm (by decluttering streets; using higher quality materials; creating new spaces for people; reclaiming space from the highway)
• Movement and connectivity (through creating new walking routes; improving crossings; adding cycle parking; rationalising car parking; encouraging more people to walk, wheel, and cycle)
• Navigation (by adding improved signage and wayfinding)
• Opportunities for the community to get involved in delivering projects
• Green spaces (by planting street trees, creating parklets, creating green alleys)
• Buildings and the built form (by encouraging sensitive development and refurbishments in the town centre)

A joint council and community vision for Whitefield town centre

To be a place where communities come together to influence the high street and its surrounding neighbourhoods.

About the vision

The vision for Whitefield Town Centre imagines a 'Town of Hearts' - referencing; the strong community spirit highlighted through the engagement process; the three historic hamlets which once acted as centre points along Bury New Road; and, the three new destinations proposed within the draft plan.

The vision objectives

• Create more activity, interest, and things to discover
• Celebrate Whitefield’s history
• Create a greener, more vibrant Whitefield
• Reduce car dominance
• Enable active travel so that walking, wheeling, and cycling comes first
• Create more clearly defined town centre areas throughout Whitefield

Five priority areas for the plan

1. Transforming Bury New Road: The transformation of Bury New Road is a major project in itself, and requires a strategic approach in order to have the greatest impact
2. The Whitefield Common: A new community heart to Whitefield Town Centre
3. Little Cultural Quarter: A network of minor streets and back lanes located to the north of the town, with the Garrick Theatre at its centre. The Little Cultural Quarter could add vibrancy to currently inactive backland streets
4. Little Makers Quarter: Create a destination via transformation of the car parking area to the rear of a cluster of independent businesses, adjacent to Victoria Park into a destination (with potential to host a range of events, start-up businesses, temporary uses and a unique food and beverage offer).
5. Tram Stop Gateway: As a main entrance into Whitefield, this site can and should be improved

This could include the former library, the Pinfold Day Centre, the former town hall and the land behind Slattery’s and south of Hamilton Road Park.

Potential features include:

• Vehicle access (currently used by the Uplands Medical Centre)
• Urban village – new homes on what is currently the Uplands Medical Centre
• Community garden space – in the green space behind Slatterys
• Integrating Slatterys – where the levels allow there is potential to create spillout spaces around Slatterys
• The former town hall site is an opportunity for possible future development
• The former library to be redeveloped to accommodate GP and health facilities. Options being considered for Pinfold Day Centre
• Retained woodland and pedestrian routes through to Hamilton Road Park

The vision and framework are broken down into six strategies.

Active Travel Comes First

Design principles

• Improve walking and cycling facilities leading to the town centre
• Make it easier to cross Bury New Road and Higher Lane
• Reduce the impact of vehicle traffic along Bury New Road and Higher Lane
• Create new routes off from Bury New Road
• Improve signage for navigating

Quick wins

• Incorporate painted cycle lanes at Park Lane, Phillips Park Road, and Moss Lane
• Create a new walking route parallel to the A56 from the junction at Moss Lane and Pinfold Lane to the junction at Radcliffe New Road and Bury New Road
• Temporary signage could be made by local community groups to navigate the new path
• A wayfinding palette and style should be developed as part of the community branding workshops.
• Temporary signage and art installations could be created at key locations on other routes off Bury New Road

Big moves

• Deliver cycle lanes across key routes in the town centre
• Introducing partial or time restricted closure residential streets to reduce "rat-running" by car traffic
• Additional routes could be delivered on both sides of the A56 connecting areas of interest and parks
• Improve existing crossings at key junctions
• Create new crossing points along Bury New Road
• Create a wayfinding strategy for the town centre

Celebrate Whitefield

Design principles

• Enhance the environment around historic buildings and local assets
• Mark Whitefield’s historic hamlets at the key junctions
• Develop a brand identity for Whitefield
• Bring vacant buildings back to life

Quick wins

• Temporary art, signage and lighting can be used to show people that they are in Whitefield
• Opportunities for integrating temporary measures (such as art signage and lighting) should be explored at junctions
• Involve local artists in painting run-down building facades with murals
• Create temporary pocket parks
• Create a heritage trail with local community groups and artists

Big moves

• Redesign Bury New Road’s junctions to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists
• Totems or other permanent art installations should be considered as part of the redesigned junctions
• Development opportunities should be explored in the junctions into Whitefield
• Important building elevations could be lit up
• Painting and rerendering of buildings with a poor appearance
• Explore opportunities within a redesigned Bury New Road to allow businesses to further spill out onto footpaths
• Permanent pocket parks to be created

Unite Whitefield around a series of community hearts

Design principles

• Support residents and community groups in developing a community led organisation
• Support diversity

Quick wins

• Consider a “community Activator” who will help lead the support and facilitate the projects brought forward by residents and community groups
• Contact community groups and stakeholders who have expressed an interest in developing a wider community organisation and arrange a face to face workshop
• A previous consultation showed an interest in community gardening and greening
• Improve working between the Council and organisations with large community spaces, such as the Oasis Centre

Big moves

• Hearts in Whitefield – the Council can support a community led organisation to help deliver projects outlined in the plan
• Create a “Family Hub” - Family Hubs are buildings which host organisations who provide support to families with babies, children and young people from birth until they reach the age of 19 (or up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). Family Hubs provide support for physical and mental health, housing and debt advice, youth services, domestic abuse support, as well as services run by charities.

Create more things of interest

Design principles

• Create space for a range of events and community calendar
• Create a wider range of events for younger and older people
• Facilitate community start ups

Quick wins

• Identify spaces to host events
• Work with the emerging Whitefield community organisation to develop an events calendar
• Create a database of existing community grousp
• Create a physical community noticeboard
• Involve young people in creating events
• Earmark key backland streets/ alleys for small scale temporary installations
• Identify areas in the town centre where temporary structures could be located

Big moves

• Identify and develop new public spaces and vacant buildings to accommodate a range of events
• Create a Whitefield events group to co-organise the events calendar
• Create a policy framework which supports “meanwhile” and temporary uses in Whitefield
• Deliver the three priority areas (Little Cultural Quarter, Whitefield Comon, Little Makers Quarter) to create a unique off-corridor offer for Whitefield

Reduce car dominance

Design principles

• Reclaim highway space for people and nature
• Integrate short-stay parking along Bury New Road
• Create the infrastructure to encourage short trips via active travel
• Increase the capacity of “edge of centre” car parks
• Develop multi-modal hubs (spaces where you can move from catch one form of transport like a bus to another like a tram or bike)

Quick wins

• Audit the number of car parking spaces within the town centre and within a 5 minute walk of the boundary
• Engage with landowners of private car parking facilities about the potential to use car parks for the good of Whitefield
• Create real time directional signage
• Encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging points in existing and new car parks
• Roll out e-cargo bikes for a trial with Whitefield businesses
• Advertise bike shop and cycle parking facilities at Cookson cycles
• Identify bus stops where cycle parking facilities could be added
• Advertise and deliver a series of events with the Nationwide Cycling Academy
• Establish a bike library in Whitefield town centre (where you can borrow bikes for free

Big moves

• Create larger more efficient car parking hubs in locations at the edge of the town centre
• Work with Transport for Greater Manchester to create short stay parking into a redesigned Bury New Road
• Additional cycle parking facilities created near to shops
• Deliver pavement widening on Bury New Road

Create a greener Whitefield

Design principles

• Create more diverse and ecologically rich parks
• Create space for community food growing and gardening projects
• Draw the surrounding green character into Bury New Road

Quick wins

• Wildflower planting project on amenity green space
• Box planters delivered along street edges
• A community growing project could be delivered at the old town hall site
• Identify small amenity green spaces across the town centre to deliver small scale gardening projects
• Engage with schools about growing and greening
• Identify how Whitefield’s parks can be ecologically enhanced
• Create a community vision for Whitefield’s parks

Big moves

• Create Tree planting and the installation of Sustainable Drainage Systems in a redesigned Bury New Road
• Work with homeowners and landowners to deliver vertical greening projects
• Deliver more activities in Whitefield’s parks

Step 1

Work with members of the community who expressed an interest in being involved in the next steps of the plan

Step 2

The Council to identify an internal team to help deliver and facilitate the projects

Step 3

Create partnerships between the community, business, Bury Council, and other representatives

Develop a town centre plan working group to help deliver projects

Step 4

Prioritise quick-win projects and review the recommendations in the Plan

Step 5

Hearts of Whitefield engagement workshops to develop brand identity

Step 6

Feasibility plans to be drawn up for the longer term big wins