Chester Public Realm design guide
This Public Realm Design Guide (PRDG) for Chester city centre was produced to set the framework and quality standards for transformational change as a key component in achieving a high quality public realm which complements and is the equal of its architecture, urban form and historic features.
The PRDG’s key objectives are to:
- provide a coherent approach to improving connections across the city centre, particularly between severed parts of the public realm
- improve the physical and visual quality of streets for the benefit of residents and visitors, and in turn the city’s economy
- reinforce Chester’s distinctiveness throughout its public realm
- redress the balance within the city centre between vehicles and pedestrians/cyclists, such that street design enables civil and social interaction between the two
The PRDG is aimed at all those involved in the investment in, or design or maintenance of the public realm, whether they are overseeing public investment in the public realm or private sector development in the city centre. This will include council employees as well as private sector organisations, developers and consultants. In addition, local businesses may retain an interest as they will benefit from an improved public realm.
Key examples of how the PRDG should be used are to:
- inform and support Chester Renaissance’s ambitious programme of master planning initiatives already underway
- inform the design of new and enhanced public spaces and streets
- help coordinate and prioritise investment in public realm projects
- provide a framework for external bids for public funding to support improvements to public realm
- assist council highway officers to secure section 278 agreements to make improvements to highway and public realm
- assist council development control officers to secure section 106 monies and to ensure that developers deliver public realm that is of a consistently high quality and appropriate to the relevant part of the city
- guide the council, statutory undertakers and private developers in the selection of surface materials and furniture for the public realm
- help clarify management and implementation arrangements for streets and spaces
Chester Public Realm design guide documents
This provides a brief background and introduction to the PRDG, introducing the purpose of the PRDG, its anticipated audience and a guide as to how it should be used.
This section offers information on the existing public realm and forms the basis of all the subsequent design guidance. As well as completing the story of how the PRDG’s proposals were reached, this part also offers background information for designers and ‘specifiers’ of the public realm, as to what is distinctive about Chester’s streets and spaces.
- 2.1 Review of previous studies and recent initiatives (PDF, 899.4 KB)
- 2.2 Planning context (PDF, 367.4 KB)
- 2.3 Brief history of Chester (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- 2.3 Figure 2.3 - Chester City Council Local Plan (PDF, 3.6 MB)
- 2.4 Access and movement (PDF, 838.6 KB)
- 2.5 Legibility (PDF, 3.3 MB)
- 2.6 Urban form and land use (PDF, 3 MB)
- 2.7 Public realm condition, quality and character (PDF, 3.3 MB)
- 2.8 Trees, greenspace and public open space (PDF, 1.7 MB)
- Summary and guide to part two (PDF, 113.5 KB)
This section provides the strategic spatial framework and design principles in relation to Chester’s future public realm. Part 3 proposes a hierarchy of streets and spaces, as well as ‘street type’ designs which provide an overview on the use of surfacing materials and layout. This section is a key reference for designers/’specifiers’ carrying out works affecting the public realm within the PRDG’s study area.
- 3.1 The Overarching Vision and Public Realm Framework (PDF, 2.3 MB)
- 3.2 Spaces and gateways (PDF, 4.1 MB)
- 3.3 Street hierarchy (PDF, 4 MB)
- 3.4 Street type one - Principal Pedestrian Streets (PDF, 4.5 MB)
- 3.5 Street type two - Secondary Pedestrian Streets (PDF, 3.3 MB)
- 3.6 Street Type 3 - Minor Pedestrian Streets (PDF, 2.4 MB)
- 3.7 Street type four - Alleys and lanes (PDF, 2 MB)
- 3.8 Other pedestrian links (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- 3.9 Street design (PDF, 2.6 MB)
- Summary and guide to part three (PDF, 350.1 KB)
The public art strategy forms a stand-alone strategy for future public art projects and commissions, which has been prepared with reference to the wider PRDG. Part4 outlines proposed locations and themes for future public art, as well as providing further advice on how to go about commissioning and procuring artworks.
The lighting strategy also forms a stand-alone strategy. Part 5 contains information on the hierarchy of streetlighting proposed for streets and spaces, as well as specifications and products for use in various parts of the city centre. The lighting strategy also provides additional guidance on the use of architectural feature lighting and contains a series of conceptual designs for architectural feature lighting projects.
- 5.1 Introduction (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- 5.2 Existing lighting (PDF, 736.9 KB)
- 5.3 Previous lighting strategy (PDF, 133.5 KB)
- 5.4 Aims and objectives of current strategy (PDF, 329.3 KB)
- 5.5 Lighting hierarchy (PDF, 2.7 MB)
- 5.6 Gateways (PDF, 3.5 MB)
- 5.7 Public spaces (PDF, 3.2 MB)
- 5.8 Architectural feature lighting (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- 5.9 Public art (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- 5.10 Wayfinding archaeology management (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- 5.11 Environmental issues (PDF, 2.2 MB)
- 5.12 Design and specification of luminaires and equipment (PDF, 2.1 MB)
- 5.13 Conceptual lighting designs for key locations (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Summary and guide to part five (PDF, 145.3 KB)
The wayfinding and signage (non-vehicular) strategy has been prepared to draw together a substantial amount of work that has already been completed in relation to wayfinding and interpretation signage. This work, which includes current implementation projects, has been drawn together in the strategy set out in Part 6. This strategy defines a suite of signage for both wayfinding and interpretation and identifies locations for these along with further guidance on detailed design.
- 6.1 Introduction (PDF, 820.2 KB)
- 6.2 Overarching principles (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- 6.3 Figure 6.1 – Wayfinding overview (PDF, 2.7 MB)
- 6.3 Figure 6.2 – Existing wayfinding signage locations (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- 6.3 Figure 6.3 – Proposed locations for wayfinding signage elements (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- 6.3 Figure 6.4 – Destinations and visitor facilities in Chester shown with Ket walking routes (PDF, 2.2 MB)
- 6.3 Wayfinding (PDF, 1 MB)
- 6.4 Interpretation and trails (PDF, 3.9 MB)
- 6.5 Further design guidance (PDF, 2.7 MB)
- Summary and guide to part six (PDF, 116.7 KB)
Part 7 forms a substantial part of the PRDG and provides detailed design guidance on surfacing, drainage, street furniture, CCTV cameras, accessibility, trees and ornamental planting and management and maintenance. This part is directly informed by the principles set out in Part 3 and should be referred to by any designer/specifier working within the city centre.
- 7.1 Surfacing (PDF, 1.9 MB)
- 7.2 Drainage (PDF, 2.5 MB)
- 7.3 Fig 7.10 - Street furniture palette zones (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- 7.3 Fig 7.13 – Proposed locations for banners to lighting columns (PDF, 2.9 MB)
- 7.3 Street furniture (PDF, 3.3 MB)
- 7.4 CCTV cameras (PDF, 152.8 KB)
- 7.5 Accessibility (PDF, 4.8 MB)
- 7.6 Trees and ornamental planting (PDF, 4.7 MB)
- 7.7 Management and maintenance (PDF, 3.5 MB)
- Summary and guide to part seven (PDF, 147.3 KB)
Using the principles and design guidance from Parts 3 to 7, Part 8 offers outline designs for 15 key locations within the city centre. As well as providing initial schemes that can be developed at a later stage, this part also provides designers with a useful demonstration of how the PRDG should be applied to actual schemes.
Part 9 takes the design of two streets, Frodsham Street and St John Street to a more detailed design stage (RIBA Stage D) and also presents a stage D design for St Werburgh Street (prepared by other consultants). As well as providing detailed design schemes that could be taken forward for implementation, these schemes act as guide as to how the PRDG should be applied.
- 9.1 Introduction (PDF, 129.9 KB)
- 9.2 Frodsham Street - North (option one with buses) (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- 9.2 Frodsham Street - North (option two with no buses) (PDF, 955.4 KB)
- 9.2 Frodsham Street - South (option one with buses) (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- 9.2 Frodsham Street - South (option two with no buses) (PDF, 908 KB)
- 9.2 St John Street - North (PDF, 946.2 KB)
- 9.2 St John Street - South (PDF, 958.6 KB)
- 9.2 St Werburgh Street - existing (PDF, 217.1 KB)
- 9.2 St Werburgh Street - stage D design (prepared by BDP) (PDF, 217 KB)
- 9.3 Photomontages (PDF, 1011.6 KB)
- Summary and guide to part nine (PDF, 142.4 KB)