HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD - DRAFT Baseline Document July 2015 - Knowsley Council
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HUYTON
MASTERPLAN SPD
DRAFT Baseline Document
July 2015
Allies and Morrison
Urban Practitioners
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 1
2
contents
1 Introduction and background 6 6 Economic context 32
1.1 Purpose of the study 7 6.1 Property market review 32
1.2 Study area 7
7 Key sites
45
2 Urban design
8
2.1 Historic context 8 8 Direction of travel 51
2.2 Layout 14 8.1 An emerging framework 51
2.3 Land use 16
2.4 Townscape 18
3 Transport and infrastructure 23
3.1 Pedestrian and cycle 23
3.2 Public transport 24
3.3 Car parking and road links 25
4 Planning context 26
4.1 Existing and emerging policy 26
4.2 Planning applications 29
5 Socio economic context 30
Allies and Morrison
5.1 Overview 30 Urban Practitioners
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 3
A59
A5
65
East Lancashire Road A580
ST HELENS
M57
HUYTON
LIVERPOOLL
M62
BIRKENHEAD A57
WIDNES
RUNCORN
RUN
M53
6
Diagram 1: the location of Huyton M5
ELLESMERE PORT
4
list of diagrams and figures
Diagram 1: the location of Huyton Diagram 17: Possible opportunities within
the Huyton Masterplan SPD
Diagram 2: The Huyton Masterplan SPD
study area Diagram 18: Initial strategic diagram for
Huyton town centre
Diagram 3 : 1845
Figure 1: Liverpool City Region
Diagram 4: 1906
Figure 2: Liverpool City Region transport
Diagram 5: 1938
plan
Diagram 6: 1960
Figure 3: Map 6.1 from Knowsley Local
Diagram 7: Huyton Conservation areas and Plan : Huyton and Stockbridge Village
listed buildings
Figure 4: Resident population (Huyton
Diagram 8: A figure ground plan Partnership Area Dashboard, 2014)
illustrating the variety of building grain
Figure 5: Residents claiming job seekers
and disparate block structure in the centre
allowance (HuytonPartnership Area
of Huyton
Dashboard, 2014)
Diagram 9: The block structure within and
Figure 6: Community safety (Huyton
immediately around the study area
Partnership Area Dashboard, 2014)
Diagram 10: Land use
Figure 7: retail performance
Diagram 11: Building heights
Figure 8: available units
Diagram 12: Trees and green space within
Figure 9: retail deals in recent years in
the study area
Huyton
Diagram 13: Poorly defined areas of public
Figure 10: demand in Huyton
realm
Figure 11: deals schedule
Diagram 14: Pedestrian routes
Figure 12: availability schedule
Diagram 15: Bus routes within the Huyton
Masterplan SPD study area
Diagram 16: The Huyton Masterplan SPD
study area
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 5
Diagram 2: The Huyton Masterplan SPD study area (not to scale)
© Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
6
1
introduction and
background
1.1 purpose of the study 1.2 study area
Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners Huyton is located approximately 6 miles
was commissioned in June 2015 to prepare (9.5km) to the east of Liverpool on the
the Huyton Masterplan Supplementary newly electrified rail axis between the City
Planning Document (SPD) on behalf of and Manchester. Huyton also benefits
Knowsley Council. Our team for the from good road connections, with easy
project includes GL Hearn, providing access to both the M62 and M57 with
specialist commercial property market, Archway Road providing the primary link
viability and delivery advice. to both motorways.
This masterplan will supplement key The town centre is contained by the rail
local plan policies relevant to Huyton line to the south and Lathom Road and the
town centre. The masterplan will set out large Asda store to the east with Archway
a vision for the town centre, establish Road acting as the third side of this
masterplanning principles and identify triangle, running from the north east to
sites for new development to seek to the south west corners of the centre. The
attract new investment to the centre. town centre is surrounded by established
residential neighbourhoods, many of
This is the baseline document for the
which have a strong historical character.
masterplan and provides a high level
The majority of the town centre, ‘Huyton
assessment of Huyton Town Centre and
Village’ was demolished in the 1960’s
the immediate hinterland areas. This
to make way for road widening and
document establishes an evidence
redevelopment of the shopping centre.
base and identifies a set of potential
development sites. The baseline report The town contains a good mix of uses
concludes with a series of key questions which define a number of clear character
which will be important to consider as the areas. Derby Road forms the principal
masterplan evolves. retail high street through the centre. To
the east and west of this are civic uses.
Further west, leisure uses are located next
to the station, with education uses just
outside the town centre.
To the south east of the town centre, the
industrial areas form an extensive bank
of employment land focused around the
former Huyton Quarry.
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 7
2 urban design
2.1 historic context
Huyton started life as Hitune (translated
as High Town), a small rural settlement
noted in the Domesday Book. At this
time, Hitune was located within the “West
Derby Hundred”, manor lands which
encompassed a wide area stretching
across to the Mersey and North Sea. The
settlement’s name varied over the next
centuries, with Huyton firmly established
from 1300. The original settlement
Derby Road from St. Michael’s Church, 1870s focused around St. Michael’s Church, with
today’s building of medieval origin which
still survives. In 14th Century Huyton
Hey Manor was firmly established, with
the remaining land forming part of the de
Latham lands.
It was not until 19th Century that
Huyton experienced any real change.
Responding to industrial development,
Huyton Quarry was opened and became
an important catalyst for employment
and housing growth. Significant areas
Derby Road / Huyton Hey Road junction, 1930
of terraced housing were constructed to
house the workforce. In 1830, Huyton
Station opened as part of the Liverpool-
Manchester Railway line which was the
first passenger line in the world. This led
to further growth of the town centre and
surrounding residential neighbourhoods.
Huyton College for Girls was established
around a complex of Victorian villas and
became a prominent landmark in the
town. In the 1960s the old Huyton village
Huyton Station, 1860
was significantly redeveloped to support
road widening and the construction of
the shopping centre. From this point, the
town centre took on a very different feel
and character.
8
1845 - Rural beginings
In the mid 19th Century, Huyton was
a small rural village focused around St.
Michael’s Church. A school and post office
are visible on Diagram 3.
The key axes of Huyton’s current road
structure are visible including Derby Road,
Blue Bell Lane and Huyton Lane. The
Manchester to Liverpool Line, built in
1830, runs past the village to the south
and the station is called Huyton Gate.
Diagram 3
1906 - Victorian growth
By 1906 there has been significant
expansion, responding to industrial
development including the Huyton Quarry.
Large villas can now be seen on diagram
4 such as along Victoria Road as well as
terraced housing for the workforce.
Development along Derby Road has
extended to the south where the council
offices are located. A network of smaller
streets has developed to the west of Derby
Road and also to the south of the railway
line.
Diagram 4
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 9
1938 - Early 20th century intensification
Further residential development has taken
place in the area, particularly to the west
of the town centre.
Other facilities such as schools, recreation
grounds and the cricket ground, where it is
seen today, are visible on diagram 5.
The red line is the SPD boundary within
which comprehensive redevelopment took
place in the 1960’s.
Diagram 5
1960 - Post-war expansion and
redevelopment
During this period the village underwent
significant expansion and part of the
town centre has been redeveloped to
accommodate the Sherborne Square
shopping centre. Road widening along
Huyton Lane and Archway Road has also
taken place.
Diagram 6
10Conservation areas and listed buildings and possibilities to open up views to key
assets from within the study area should
Although the central part of Huyton was
be explored, such as Huyton Parish Church
comprehensively redeveloped, the historic
of St Michaels.
fabric is largely intact at the edges of
the study area. The conservation areas Whilst the majority of the buildings within
of The Orchard, St Michaels Church, Huyton Village were redeveloped in the
Victoria Road and Huyton Church Road 1960s, key elements of the underlying
are all examples of good quality historic urban structure of the centre remain.
townscape within a short walk of the However, many of the secondary streets
commercial town centre. and routes have been lost, with some of
the urban blocks having ‘fused’ over time.
In addition, some of the immediate
Opportunities to repair and reinstate these
residential areas contain attractive
routes and paths should be explored as
Victorian and Edwardian homes and
and when opportunities emerge.
villas. These areas should be enhanced
St Michaels Church
Conservation Area
Victoria Road and
Huyton Church
Road Conservation
Area
The Orchard
Conservation Area
Diagram 7: Huyton Conservation areas and listed buildings © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 1112
History and character
The historic character of the
surrounding neighbourhoods forms
an attractive setting for the study
area, protected by a number of
conservation areas.
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 132.2 layout
Building grain This is compounded by the piecemeal
redevelopment and the land to the rear
The figure ground plan clearly illustrates
of Derby Road including the Council
the contrasting character between the
offices, the Club 3000 Bingo and the Asda
study area and its surrounding context.
development.
The relatively weak connections into the
study area and undefined areas of open The comprehensive redevelopment and
space are also visible. road widening that took place in the 1960s
has resulted in an environment which feels
Derby Road remains the key commercial
isolated from its immediate hinterland.
street through the centre, but several larger
Opportunities to create a townscape
parcels of land were redeveloped which
which is more responsive to and respectful
has resulted in an area of more coarse
of its surroundings should be taken as they
urban grain. Sherborne Square and the
arise.
adjacent Landsdowne Way development
are cases in point.
Diagram 8: A figure ground plan illustrating the variety of building grain and disparate block structure in the centre of Huyton
© Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
14Block structure Diagram 9 illustrates a key opportunity
to help mend the block structure at the
Road connections into and across the
Council owned car park at Archway Road,
study area are not simple and many
with the formation of new routes.
vehicular routes are dead-ends. Small
service yards and parking areas are
located at the end of many of these routes.
These contribute to a disjointed and
fragmented townscape, particularly along
Lathom Road.
A key objective for the masterplan
will be to help simplify and improve
the legibility of this block structure,
improving the connections into the wider
neighbourhoods.
Diagram 9: The block structure within and immediately around the study area © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC
100017655 (2015)
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 152.3 land use
Use classes recent larger Asda store to the east of
Lathom Road.
The land use plan (digram 10) illustrates
the distinct areas of land use within the The other uses in the study area contribute
study area. to the sense of Huyton as the civic heart of
the borough with many institutional uses
Derby Road is the main focus of retail, a and services including healthcare, council
spine stretching from Huyton Hey Road to offices and the library.
Archway Road (A1-A3 use). Cavendish
Walk, built on the site of the earlier town The study area is surrounded by
centre Asda store, is the newest retail residential streets, with Huyton Business
development, connecting to the more Park located to the southeast of the study
area.
Diagram 10: Land use © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
16HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 17
2.4 townscape
Building heights
The study area is generally low rise with
buildings of between one to two storeys.
Towards the south of the study area the
multi-storey car park and office building on
the corner of Huyton Hey Road are slightly
taller at four storeys.
The tallest buildings in the study area are
Edendale House and the Municipal offices
at eight storeys, visible from Archway
Taller buildings visible from Archway Road
Road.
Diagram 11: Building heights © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
18Landscape and greening improving the townscape quality of central
areas. It is also noticeable that green
Whilst open space is limited within areas of public realm are well maintained
the study area, there are a number of and attractive, projecting a ‘cared for’
locally significant green spaces including character across the town centre.
McGoldrick Park, Huyton wetlands which
is the source of the River Alt, school Derby Road, in contrast, has relatively few
playing fields and the cemetery. street trees and a key objective for the
mastrerplan will be to consider how this
The town centre environment benefits green character could be extended into the
from expansive areas of mature and high street, and connections across to the
structural trees. Many central streets Parish Church improved.
are tree-lined and these play a key role in
Diagram 12: Trees and green space within the study area © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 1920
Landscape
Whilst there is little public open
space provision in the town
centre, Huyton does benefit from a
significant number of mature street
trees which play an important role
in ‘greening’ what is otherwise an
urban town centre environment.
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 21Public realm area, attractive new library and benefits
from a prominent Archway Road frontage.
Due to the lack of a connected street It has the potential to help improve the
pattern and inactive building frontages legibility of the area and create new
facing some key streets and spaces, frontage onto Archway Road
extensive areas of poorly defined public
realm characterise the centre. Car Area B - Lathom Road. This is an
parking, service yards and large building important link south to residential areas
setbacks dominate parts of the study area. and the industrial estate south of the
railway. This street could be improved
The masterplan should focus on improving by increasing active uses facing the
these areas with particular focus on; street and by reviewing the quality and
Area A - the Council owned car park. This consistency of the public realm.
site is adjacent to the most vibrant retail
B
A
Diagram 13: Poorly defined areas of public realm © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
223 transport and infrastructure 3.1 pedestrian and cycle Archway Road to the north and the railway There are no existing formal cycle routes line to the south constrain pedestrian within the study area. The masterplan connections and have created unpleasant will review the potential to strengthen pedestrian environments in many places the quality and legibility of pedestrian with staggered crossing points. However, routes within the study area and identify recent improvements to the railway opportunities to promote a safe cycling underpass have improved facilities for route. pedestrians using this important route. Derby Road is pedestrianised and many alleyways and pedestrian cut throughs lead back to this street. There is also a well used pedestrian route under the railway line and a route from Asda to the leisure centre. Diagram 14: Pedestrian routes © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015) HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 23
3.2 public transport
There is a well used network of buses
which connect Huyton town centre with
surrounding neighbourhoods and the rest
of the borough. The bus station is south of
the main retail centre, accessed via Derby
Road and Huyton Hey Road.
Huyton is also easily accessible from
central Liverpool by train every 15 minutes.
There has been significant investment into
Huyton Station including the electrification
of the line. Huyton train station also has a Modern bus station within Huyton town centre
direct service to Manchester Victoria and
Wigan.
to Kirkby
to Stockbridge
Village
to Liverp
ool
Roby
Huyton Bus Station scot
to Pre
Huyton
to Liverp
ool
John Lenn
on Airport
to
Huy
to
n Ind
us
tri
al
Es
tat
e
Diagram 15: Bus routes within the Huyton Masterplan SPD study area
© Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
243.3 car parking and
road links
Huyton is easily accessible by road, being The team will review with council
a short distance away from junctions on officers the potential for redevelopment
the M57 and M62. and reprovision of a number of these car
parks. Car parking will be important to
There is a significant amount of car
the economic health of the centre, but
parking within the town centre. There are
car park sites may present development
a number of public car parks, both short
opportunities which might, on balance,
and long stay within easy access of Derby
be considered to bring more significant
Road. Asda has its own car park.
benefits to the centre. The management
The study area is dominated by smaller of the existing car parks might also be an
private car parks located in service areas important consideration.
and adjacent to office buildings.
Diagram 16: The Huyton Masterplan SPD study area © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655 (2015)
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 254
planning context
4.1 existing and emerging policy
Regional planning
The Liverpool City Region Growth Plan
sets the strategic vision for the wider area.
Alongside the North, Central and South
Investment Corridors, the Growth Plan
provides an overarching agenda around
economic development, housing, transport,
employment and skills. As a borough
with three town centres important to
delivering the Growth Plan, Knowsley has
a significant part to play.
Figure 1: Liverpool City Region
In January 2015, the government
expanded the original growth deal by
£31.6m, adding to the original £232.3m
of funding committed for investment
between 2016 and 2021. The Local
Enterprise Partnership estimate that the
Growth Deal will bring up to 13,000 jobs;
10,000 homes; and up to an additional
£200m into the Liverpool City Region
economy from public and private
investment.
A number of key projects have been
identified for future funding including
Heron Road into West Kirby. Projects
which were announced in summer
2014 included access improvements to
Knowsley Industrial Park, improvements
to the A5300 Knowsley Expressway
and other education and transport
improvement projects.
A transport Plan for Growth (March 2015)
has recently been published to bring
Figure 2: Liverpool City Region transport plan
26together the existing Merseyside and equal role in serving residents and meet
Halton Local Transport Plans. This sets Strategic Objective 4 of the Local Plan to
a vision, access and delivery plan for promote distinctive, viable and sustainable
investment across the combined authority. town centres. The plan states that the
three centres are currently failing to
Local planning
perform to their full potential as locations
The emerging Knowsley Local Plan: for shopping, leisure and other town centre
Core Strategy due to be formally adopted uses (Town Centres and Shopping Study,
later this year, translates the strategic 2009).
objectives of the Growth Plan and sets a
strong strategy for balancing and directing Policy CS6: Town Centres and Retail
growth in the borough. Strategy sets out:
The Core Strategy clearly articulates that “Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot Town
the three centres of Huyton, Kirby and Centres will enhance their equal
Prescot should each grow to have an role in providing comparison and
Figure 3: Map 6.1 from Knowsley Local Plan : Huyton and Stockbridge Village
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 27convenience shopping. This will be relatively close proximity to the town
supplemented by a complementary mix centre. The regeneration programme for
of leisure, health, residential, education, North Huyton which will provide at least
cultural, employment, service uses and 1,450 new dwellings before 2030 will help
complementary evening and night time to bolster the number of people using
uses.” Huyton as their local centre.
Specifically, the emerging Core Strategy The town centre itself will also have a role
promotes the enhancement of Huyton in supporting the provision of housing,
town centre through the following and this will also continue to support the
measures: demand for new retail and other uses, as
well as helping to support the vitality of
• Improving retail around Derby Road and
the town centre beyond traditional core
Cavendish Walk,
retail hours.
• Enhancements to the public realm
through environmental interventions, The planned expansion of Huyton
• An extension of the mix of activities, Business Park (CS4), south of the town
and centre will also help to support the local
economy and provide passing trade for the
• Enhancing the heritage assets in and
town centre.
around the town centre.
Huyton town centre will therefore need to The Infrastructure delivery plan identifies
accommodate further retail development £0.2m of funding for the improved
and increase its mix of uses to support integration between Huyton rail and bus
its long term vitality. The emerging Core stations which will help the council to
Strategy suggests an increase of 4,100- meet policy CS8 and improve the public
6,800 sqm of gross internal floorspace by realm in this area of the town centre.
2028.
A significant number of new homes in
the surrounding area is an important
consideration for the masterplan and will
raise the demand for retail and service
floorspace within the town centre.
Housing growth will be brought forward
on sites released from the Green Belt in
284.2 planning applications
There are a number of planning
applications which have been made in the
town centre over the last 6 months. These
include:
• Change of use of the magistrates court
to a police station on Lathom Road;
• Demolition of the former fire station and
erection of a three storey care home and
residential units behind Huyton Parish
Church on Blue Bell Lane; and
• Shop front fascia alterations on Derby
Sites on Lathom Road
Road.
There has been interest from a number of
larger food retailers in sites on the edge
of the town centre. A key objective for the
masterplan will be to identify sites within
the town centre for these uses. Locating
new retail provision within the town centre
and, most preferably, on the high street,
Derby Road, should be the preferred option
wherever possible.
The setting of the Parish Church will need to be carefully
protected in the context of any adjacent development
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 295socio-economic
context
5.1 overview
Demographics 81.0 years respectively between 2003-
07 and 2008-12. This was higher than
The 1970s and 1980s saw a significant
the Borough’s average but lower than the
population decline in Knowsley, with the
national average and has remained stable
population continuing to fall to 145,900
since then.
in 2011. However, there was consecutive
population growth in 2012 and 2013 Income, employment and education
to 146,086 and it is projected that the
Huyton’s proportion of economically
population will rise by 3,100 between 2011
active people (64.3%) was lower than the
and 2021.
Borough (65.6%) and 5.4% lower than the
The structure of the population has proportion for England and Wales (69.7%)
changed significantly. In 1981, 28% of the in 2012. In March 2014, 62,4000 (66%)
population was under 20, falling to 25% by working age residents were employed in
2011 and the proportion of persons aged 65 Knowsley. In 2013, 4.2% of the working
plus rose from 9% to 16%. age population in Huyton claimed job
seekers allowance, slightly higher than the
Huyton had a population of 56,135 in 2012, average levels across the borough.
living in approximately 25,808 households.
This figure has decreased by 7.1% from The area has the second highest
2002, in line with the trend in the Borough proportion of working age population
as a whole. The age distribution of Huyton in the North West that do not have any
is also in line with the Borough trends. qualifications, at 16.2%. Progress in
GCSE English and maths is being made,
Male and female life expectancy increased with passes in English rising by 13.6%
by 0.8 years to 76.9 years and by 0.4 to
Figure 4: Resident population (Huyton Partnership Area Figure 5: Residents claiming job seekers allowance (Huyton
Dashboard, 2014) Partnership Area Dashboard, 2014)
30between 2008-2013, and maths rising by Quality of life and level of deprivation
16.7%. However, English and maths scores
Knowsley is among the most deprived
are still 16.8% and 19% lower than the
boroughs in the country; 44.6% of the
average scores for England with 43.7% of
borough’s population live in a lower layer
local school GCSE students achieving the
super output area (LSOAs) amongst the
5ACEM standard in 2013.
10% most deprived in England.
The number of jobs in Knowsley increased
A total of 31.2% of all children in the
between 2009 and 2012, from 56,489 to
borough were living in low income
57,896. The proportion of private sector
households, falling from 32.8% in 2008.
jobs to public sector jobs has remained
This represents a gap of -11.1% between
stable at around 75%:25% and this is
England and Knowsley.
consistent with trends in England.
Broadly in line with Borough trends,
Housing
Huyton saw a decrease in crime of 36.4%
The typology of housing in Huyton is very between 2008/09 and 2012/13. However,
similar to the Borough more widely. Most perceptions of crime have increased.
of the housing stock is semi-detached and
terraced housing. Flats comprise 9.3% of Between 2007/08 and 2012/13, anti-social
the stock. behaviour decreased by 60.4%
Huyton has experienced a 1.2% increase
in average house prices since June 2012.
The average house price in Huyton is 9.2%
lower than that of the borough (a price
differential of £11,615).
House prices in March 2013 ranged
between £67,216 for a terraced house
and £167,726 for a detached property in
Knowsley. In March 2013, the average
price for an entry-level house was 4.7
times the average annual pay for a full- Figure 6: Community safety (Huyton Partnership Area
Dashboard, 2014)
time worker in Knowsley.
(All figures within this section from Knowsley Council’s
indicator report, 2014 or Huyton Partnership Area
Dashboard, 2014)
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 316
Property market and
economic context
6.1 property market review
Introduction into landownership patterns, historic and
emerging development proposals as well
The following section provides a property
as highlighting the issues and challenges
market overview of Huyton, which
facing the town.
along with urban design and planning
considerations will build an understanding The overview considers all pertinent
of the capacity, timing and likely market sectors but given the character of
distribution of land uses. The primary the study area particularly focuses on the
purpose of the property market analysis retail and leisure market sectors.
is to inform the emerging development
proposals, ensuring that opportunities are Property market overview
created which reflect the local context and Before commenting on the local property
market demand but also meet the longer market characteristics it is important
term regeneration objectives of Huyton. to set out the emerging trends affecting
town centre development as inevitably
The masterplan will be a key tool to
this will have a direct impact on likely
promote and facilitate the delivery of new
market demand and form of development
development within the town centre as
proposed.
well as helping to attract further inward
investment. The masterplan will articulate Town centres context
a critical mass of new development The retail environment and the function of
opportunities, which will aim to widen town centres have evolved substantially
the attractiveness of Huyton to employers, over the last 15 years. There has been a
visitors and residents. general move away from the town centre
The content of this section has been and high street as the focus for food and
informed through a review of the Council’s non-food shopping, combined with the
evidence base and also by both primary loss of many traditional town centre civic
and secondary research. Specifically and community functions. Significant in-
we have reviewed previous reports and town and out-of-town developments have
findings relevant to the Huyton property combined to change consumer shopping
market, analysed available data on patterns over the long term.
leading property market websites and The expansion of retail warehouse parks
spoken directly to agents active in the trading comparison goods and the
area. We have also spoken to council significant non-food ranges sold by large
officers and the Huyton town centre out-of-town supermarkets have eroded
manager who provided a useful insight town centre trade. More recently, the
32trend to remove bulky goods planning a major bearing on the future demand
restrictions on first generation retail for physical space.
parks has resulted in more out-of-town As a direct impact of the above, retailers
comparison goods floorspace. are becoming increasingly selective.
The retail sector has experienced a perfect The strong, more dominant centres are
storm since 2008, resulting in many becoming even stronger, attracting the
retailer administrations and a fundamental key domestic and international retailers
change to the retail and town centre and combining these attractors with an
landscape. Two key factors have coincided increasingly diverse leisure and food and
to create this change:- beverage offer. Secondary centres are
being squeezed and often leaking trade to
• Firstly, the recessionary environment the more dominant centres.
experienced post the 2008 global
financial crash has been deeper and For many town centres it is becoming
longer than the downturns witnessed increasing difficult to offer the right type
in previous economic cycles. The result of space to meet the current space and
has been a decline in real household configuration requirements of the major
disposable income multiple retailers. The demand, particularly
from the multiples, tends to be for large
• Secondly, the growth in the use of the
units to allow showrooming, full range
internet for shopping has dramatically
merchandising, high levels of technology
grown in the last five years, enhanced
and an improved shopper environment. It
by improved wireless connectivity and a
is the larger centres and out-of-town retail
huge uptake in mobile and tablet usage.
parks that are often better matched to
The manner in which retailers account
meet this need.
for and allocate multi-channel sales
and how this impacts on their relative Figure 7 provides a useful summary of how
investment in ‘bricks’ versus ‘clicks’ is the retail sector has performed relative to
still an unknown, however it could have the other property market sectors.
Sector Total return 3 years to Total return 5 years to Total return 10 years to
2013 p.a. 2013 p.a. 2013 p.a.
All property 7.3% 8.0% 6.3%
Offices 9.2% 8.7% 7.2%
Retail 5.9% 7.6% 5.6%
Industrial 7.7% 7.6% 6.0%
Leisure 10.1% 10.6% 8.0%
Figure 7: Source: IPD Annual Digest
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 33Figure 7 indicates that retail has performed • A greater awareness of ‘healthy
the worst out of all property sectors when lifestyles’;
measured on total returns over 3, 5 and 10 • A greater concern for the environment
years. Conversely it is the leisure sector and green issues;
which has been the best performer over • An ageing population which will stay
the same period, which perhaps reinforces youthful longer; people will remain more
the trend for town centres from traditional active;
retailing to a more diverse range of retail
• Overall growth in UK population; and
and leisure uses. The success of the leisure
sector is predicted to continue and this is • A greater number of leisure activities,
an area we expand on further below. for example shopping and home
entertainment, which are now
The convenience retail sector has also competing for leisure time and spend.
continued to grow. In particular, there has Increasingly the catering sector is playing
been huge growth in small convenience an important role in town centre renewal.
stores, with most of the main supermarket There has been significant growth in the
operators expanding in this format. This ‘casual dining sector’, which has been
trend is expected to continue for at least driven in part by the growth in brand
the next few years, in contrast to the larger chain food groups. This will mean that
supermarket sector which has reached some independent restaurants will find it
saturation point. Another key trend in more difficult to compete in this highly
the convenience retail sector is the rise competitive market place. Conversely
of the discounters and particularly Aldi traditional pubs have suffered from
and Lidl. Both retailers have started to oversupply and most notably falling alcohol
take significant market share from the big sales. A key trend is traditional pubs
four and as a result are pursuing major diversifying into food and accommodation.
expansion plans.
The last issue of note is car parking. Car
The leisure economy is a dynamic sector parking is an emotive issue, however, its
that has become increasingly important to key role should be to provide easy access
consumers and has been growing strongly. to town centre facilities. The amount,
There are a number of demographic location, quality and price of parking
and tourism trends which will continue needs to be arranged to meet this primary
to impact on tourism development and objective. If this is not provided then the
investment in the UK. The general viability of a centre can be significantly
demographic profile of the UK is changing impacted.
in a number of ways:
34Local market characteristics the retail core. The store is significant
in scale and provides for a wide range
Good accessibility to Huyton town
of convenience and comparison goods.
centre by car and public transport is a
We understand the store extends to
significant advantage. The centre is easily
approximately 118,403 sq ft and is
accessible by the motorway network being
supported by 825 car parking spaces,
located close to the M57. The centre also
which are arranged in a decked format.
benefits from connectivity to a number
of destinations via rail links to Liverpool, The main town centre retail provision runs
Wigan, St Helens and other destinations, along Derby Road but there are distinct
with the railway station immediately pockets of accommodation which vary
adjoining the town centre. significantly in terms of provision and
quality of accommodation. The northern
As mentioned above Huyton is one of
end of the High street is anchored by
three main centres in the Borough, which
the Cavendish Walk retail development,
are offered equal weight in terms of the
which was completed circa 10 years ago.
Borough’s retail hierarchy. The other
Cavendish Walk was delivered alongside
centres of Kirby and Precott are very
the re-provision and expansion of Asda.
different from Huyton in character. This is
particularly the case with Prescot which is It is quite clear that the Cavendish Walk
a larger centre that has a more varied offer development has helped to improve the
with a more diverse range of buildings / overall retail offer of Huyton bringing new
heritage assets. tenants to the town including Wilkinsons,
New Look and Costa Coffee. It has also
Huyton is a product of its time and the
helped to improve the quality of the public
form of development is typical of the 1960’s
realm at the northern end of Derby Road.
in that the retail core is largely low density
However, there remain a number of vacant
and inward facing turning its back on the
units in the scheme, which we comment
main vehicular routes surrounding the
on further below.
town.
Beyond Cavendish Walk, the town centre
In terms of size according to the latest
offer comprises a mix of multiples and
Goad category report the town centre
independent retailers. Other multiples
has an estimated 114 outlets, which are
retailers in the town include Peacocks,
arranged within circa 390,000 sq ft of
Store Twenty One, Wilkinson, Boots,
floorspace. The centre is dominated by
Superdrug, Poundstretcher and Home
Asda Wal-Mart, which is located east of
Bargins. In general terms the overall
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 35retail offer is concentrated, primarily, on The multi-storey car park is leased by the
the lower/middle and lower end of the Council and comprises a mix of short and
spectrum. long stay spaces. The long stay spaces
are well used by Council offices and also
Located to the east of Derby Road
shop workers in the town. The short stay
are two further areas of note namely
spaces are less successful as there are a
Sherborne Square and the Shopping
number of surface and cheaper car parks
Village. Sherbourne Square comprises
located throughout the centre. With the
predominantly independent retail and
pending increase in office workers as a
service providers. The quality of retail
result of the consolidation of Knowsley
stock in this location is poor and the upper
Borough Council’s administrative function
floors are underutilised and in a number
coming to Huyton this car parking is seen
of cases fallen into disrepair. The overall
as important in accommodating the likely
quality of the environment in this part of
increase in demand.
town is extremely poor and uninviting.
In terms of delivery we understand that The main high street (Derby Road) from
Sherbourne Square is within single private Sherbourne Square down to Huyton
ownership albeit the units are subject to a Hey Road is varied comprising a mix of
multitude of leasehold interests. multiples and independent retailers. There
is a cluster of vacant properties located on
Turning to the Shopping Village, which is
the east side of the High Street just south
located south of Sherbourne Square, this
of Lansdown Way, which are detailed in
was formerly an In-Shops concept, which
the availability schedule below.
fell into administration and as a result
has received little investment in recent At the southern end of Derby Road
years. The Shopping Village occupies there is a cluster of multiples, namely
the ground floor of the town’s only multi- Peacocks, Pound Stretcher, Iceland and
storey car park, which consists of circa Specsavers, which are arranged around
280 spaces. The Shopping Village itself is a public square. The area also includes
a collection of sub-divided kiosks but there the post office, which relocated from 76-
are notable vacancies and areas which are 80 Derby Road to a smaller unit adjoining
underutilised. The connection from the Specsavers. The vacated former post
shopping village back to the Derby Road office building offers a good opportunity
is via Landsdown Way, which is an arcade to attract new retail or leisure occupiers
consisting of a number of smaller retail to the centre although we understand
units and is within the same ownership as that the yard to the rear of the building is
the main shopping village.
36proposed to be retained by the post office. town centre. The table below details the
available units which are currently being
The Southern end of the town benefits
actively marketed.
from its proximity to the train station and
bus interchange, which has recently been Address Sq ft Rent Agent
subject to recent investment. Also to the 16 Cavendish
1,847
£250,000
GVA
Walk p.a.(£13.53 psf)
south of the town is the McDonalds Drive
5 Cavendish £28,000
1,456 GVA
through, which is extremely popular and is Walk p.a.(£19.23 psf)
located alongside a small public car park. 22 Cavendish
489
£17,500 Mason Owen
Walk p.a.(£35.78 psf) & GVA
In addition to retail, Huyton also contains 27 Cavendish
668
£20,000 Mason Owen
Walk p.a.(£29.94 psf) & GVA
a number of service multiples in the form 28 Cavendish £22,000 Mason Owen
944
of banks and travel agents. Food and Walk p.a.(£23.30 psf) & GVA
drink multiples comprise Costa Coffee, 34 Derby
973
£18,000
Mason Owen
Road p.a.(£18.50 psf)
McDonalds, Subway and Domino’s Pizza.
38 Derby £29,000
794 CBRE
In addition to above The Barker’s Brewery Road p.a.(£36.52 psf)
Public House (Weatherspoons), which 67 Derby
733
£17,500 Mason Owen
Road p.a.(£23.87 psf) & Partners
has been recently refurbished, is located
71 Derby £17,500 Wild
on the north side of Archway Road. In 733
Road p.a.(£23.87 psf) Commercial
general terms there is a significant under- 75 Derby
650
£17,500 Mason Owen
Road p.a.(£26.92 psf) & Partners
representation in the restaurants and
77 Derby £23,000
cafés sub-sector and with the exception 1,099 GVA
Road p.a.(£20.92 psf)
of the Venue and Club 3000 Bingo located Hitchcock
7 Lansdowne £9,500
641 Wright &
Way p.a.(£14.82 psf)
west of town centre there is no material Partners
Hitchcock
provision of commercial leisure facilities, 2-4 Lansdowne £15,000
798 Wright &
Way p.a.(£18.79 psf)
Partners
which results in Huyton having a lack of 7 Sherborne £9,000
681 GVA
evening economy. Square p.a.(£13.21 psf)
Figure 8: available units
Availability
Within Cavendish Walk, the town’s newest
As part of our research we have reviewed retail development there are currently five
a number of property market databases vacant units. We have spoken to a number
and spoken to local agents and the of the letting agents in the town and
tables and commentary below provide a they report a challenging market with a
summary of our findings. According to continued lack of demand from retailers.
latest Goad category report there is circa
15,700 sq ft of vacant floor space in the The agents indicated that the national
retailers which they have attempted to
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 37attract to Huyton have been extremely Rental levels / transaction schedule
reluctant and in the main have a strong
Figure 9 provides a summary of retail
preference to be located in larger centres
deals in the town centre in recent years.
and in particular Liverpool town centre.
As can be seen, the achieved rents range
At the independent end of the market significantly from £12.67 - £23.14 per sq
the agents indicate that the high level ft. Agents have advised that typically for
of business rates is seen as a significant newer space in the town the rental level is
barrier. We have been advised that many between £20.00 to £25.00 per sq ft on an
of the units in the town are now been overall basis.
let on an overall basis instead of zoning
Achieved Rent
and landlords are being more flexible in Address Tenant Sq ft
terms of rental levels considering offers in
15 Derby Undisclosed £32,000
the region of £20-25 psf, which provides Road Tenant
1,957
p.a.(£16.35 psf)
a further indication of the challenging 87-89 Derby Pound
3,720
market. Road Stretcher
40 Derby £30,000
Maine Hair 1,296
There is a general feeling that the Road p.a.(£23.14 psf)
development of a varied leisure offer could 41 Derby Potential 4
1,370
£23,000
Road Skills Ltd p.a.(£16.78 psf)
greatly assist the town centre, through 45 Derby £22,000
Phones 4 U 1,669
increasing footfall and extending the hours Road p.a.(£13.18 psf)
18 Huyton
of activity. The development of further Hey Road
£39,000
food and drink uses aimed at the daytime WH Smith 3,076
p.a.(£12.67 psf)
The Forum
and evening economy would provide an Centre
opportunity for Huyton to further enhance 5 Huyton Hey 661 £10,500
Zygone Ltd
Road sq. ft. p.a.(£15.90 psf)
its performance. An increase in family Figure 9: retail deals in recent years in Huyton
orientated attractions and a better mix of
Demand
uses within the town centre would also be
desirable. According to national databases demand
for Huyton is extremely low with only
four requirements listed namely Savers
Health and Beauty, Halfords, Claire House
and Cirro. Figure 10 details their specific
location and size requirements.
38and health facilities. The proposed further
Retailer Requirements
consolidation of Knowsley Borough
Savers Health and
Seeking new spaces ranging from Council’s administrative functions to
2,000 to 4,000 sq ft in secondary
Beauty Huyton will provide a major boost to
high street /suburban locations.
Halfords are looking for new sites as the centre from a spend and footfall
part of a significant national expansion, perspective.
Size requirements are from 3,500 to
Halfords Ltd
8,000 sq ft or sites of around 0.25
acre, with a minimum of 8 dedicated Outside of the public sector organisations
parking spaces.
there is limited commercial office provision
Claire House Children's Hospice is
Claire House looking to acquire new sites as part of
in the town centre. The office rental profile
Children's Hospice their retail expansion. 400 to1200 sq of the town is currently low but this in
ft, with 300 sq ft of backup space.
part reflects the lack of new product in the
CIRRO is seeking to acquire new
Cirro sites as part of their retail expansion. town in recent years. Endendale House
Requirement is for 300 - 800 sq ft. and the former Education Office on Huyton
Figure 10: demand in Huyton
Hey Road are two privately owned office
blocks both of which are situated in highly
In addition to the above active
prominent locations within the town.
requirements we are aware that Aldi have
been enquiring about a site on the fringe Edendale House is located directly
of the town centre. The above range adjacent to the ASDA supermarket on the
of requirements highlights the current junction of Huyton Lane and Lathom Road.
difficulties in attracting new investors / The property is a multi-let office building
operators to Huyton. built in the 1960’s and comprises 7 floors
Office and employment market of accommodation. The ground floor of
overview Edendale House is let to Job Centre Plus.
In general terms through the economic The former education office building
downturn investment yields have softened on Huyton Hey Road was sold by the
and rents have fallen. It is clear in the Council in 2013. The property comprises
current market that delivery of employment a four storey 1960’s office building with
uses will be challenging but nevertheless a mix of open plan and subdivided office
is important in achieving a balanced and accommodation.
economically sustainable town centre.
Both Edendale House and The Former
A key advantage for Huyton is the Education Office building have vacancies
presence of significant employment in the and the agents report very low levels of
Council’s offices, Government buildings demand despite both being competitively
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 39priced. Set out below is a summary of the Residential market commentary
latest office transaction and availability
schedule in the town. National and regional context
The pre-2007 residential market was
Achieved
Address Tenant Term Sq ft
Rent defined by a high identified need for
Former
£42,000
new housing, constrained supply and
Education 15 Nov 6,000
Office – Ingeus UK 2016 – p.a. (£7 psf) forecasted continued growth in property
Huyton Ltd 14 Nov
Hey 2006 prices. Development funding was more
Road readily available from national and
1A 19 Feb
New Start £24,000
Huyton
Community
2015 –
3,121 p.a.(£7.68 international lenders. In tandem with
Hey 18 Feb
Living Ltd psf) this, there was strong government policy
Road 2020
Figure 11: deals schedule
support for urban living, leading to a
development focus on apartment schemes.
Address Sq ft Rent Agent
55-65 In 2008, the global banking crisis initiated
£5,551
Derby (£5.88 psf) by the collapse of the ‘sub-prime’ lending
John Barker Hitchcock
Road 944
Wright and Partners
Partial 1st market in the US led to a deep recession
floor
55-65 in Europe. This caused a property market
£3,898
Derby (£5.87 psf) crash in the UK as demand disappeared
John Barker Hitchcock
Road 663
Wright and Partners
Partial 2nd and values plummeted, by as much as
floor
50% in some property market sectors and
Figure 12: availability schedule
regions.
From 2008 to 2012, despite significant
measures by the government to support
the economy such as quantitative easing,
historically low interest rates and the
part-nationalisation of major banks, the
economic recovery was slow, fragile and
faltering.
Over the past 24 months there has been
a greater air of optimism returning to
the residential sector. This growth has
been created by an improvement in
the availability and a reduction in the
40cost of credit, partly as a result of the remains a notable difference in the pace of
Government’s ‘Funding for Lending’ and recovering with the strongest growth very
‘Help to Buy’ schemes. much focused on London and the South
East. The latest reports (July 2015) from
However, in terms of demand for
Land Registry shows an annual increase
residential development opportunities
of 9.1% per cent in the south east. Over
outside the major cities, developers are
the same period property priceS in the
still concentrating largely on housing
North West were up by 3.4% with an
rather than apartment development. There
average property price of circa £114,321,
are a number of reasons for this. Many
which compares to the national average of
developers suffered losses from overly-
£179,696.
optimistic flatted development proposals
during the recession and this is still In terms of future growth, many of the
influencing their thinking. Also there is main residential commentators have been
a financial, and particularly a cashflow revising their forecasts upwards on the
influence on this. Housing schemes can be back of the government housing growth
phased with units being brought forward agenda. A recent publication by Savills
in relatively small tranches to react to indicates a UK wide 5 year house price
demand and sales. It is relatively easy to growth of 19.3%. For the North West
increase or decrease the speed of delivery region this has been estimated at 13.7%
to ensure that holding and finance costs over the same period.
are kept to a minimum.
Local characteristics
The nature of flatted development is that it As mentioned earlier it is proposed that
has to be delivered in quite sizeable blocks housing growth will largely be brought
and if sales come forward slower than was forward on sites released from the Green
anticipated this can have a strong impact Belt but in relatively close proximity to
on viability. Accordingly there remains the Borough’s town centres. In total there
reluctance for developers to sign up to are 9 sites earmarked for removal from the
large-scale flatted developments unless Green Belt and several of these sites are
there is an unquestionably high level of particular relevant in the context of the
demand or buoyant established market. future strategy for Huyton town centre
In term of sales values the annual price namely land at Knowsley Lane, land at
change currently stands at 4.6 per cent, Edenhurst Avenue and also the SUE
bringing the average house price in planned for land bounded by A58.
England and Wales to £179,696. There
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 41The Huyton residential market The most recent apartment development
predominantly consists of post war in the town centre is Mulberry Lodge,
semi-detached properties but there which is located just north of Asda. The
are also pockets of period housing as scheme experienced notable difficulties
well as a limited number of apartment and ultimately a large proportion of the
developments. units were sold to buy to let investors at
well below their original asking and indeed
In terms of sales values the average
transactional prices for the earlier units.
property price in Huyton (according to
Zoolpa) currently stands at £113,244. There are also a number of older purpose
Huyton’s average property price is similar built apartment blocks located close to
to that of nearby towns of Huyton-With- Huyton train station. Within these blocks
Roby (£113,053) and Whiston (£117,368) there are a number of units currently
but is considerably cheaper than Prescot, on the market which provide a further
which stands at £144,443. Set out below indication of sale value tone in the area.
is a breakdown of the average property One bed units within the development are
price by residential typology in the town. typically marketed for circa £90,000 and
two bed units between £75,000 - £135,000
• Detached - £218,291
depending on quality and locality within
• Semi-Detached - £125,924 the development.
• Terraced - £88,376
Conversely to the apartment market, local
• Flats - £97,606
agents report steady demand for housing
As a result of the economic downturn, typologies within the hinterland of the
like many other centres in the North town centre. One such development is the
West, the Huyton residential market saw a Orchards development by Barratt homes,
considerable decline both in demand and which is located 0.4 miles west of Huyton
price. town centre comprises a range of 3 & 4
In terms of the core town centre there has bedroom semi-detached Housing ranging.
been no new apartment developments. Sales value within the development
Local agents report a continued lack of range from £176,995 to £229,995. The
demand with developers not willing to take sales agent confirmed that the units
additional cost and sales risk associated have received steady interest, which
with apartment development over lower provides an indication of improving market
density housing schemes. conditions in the area.
42Other notable new build developments One agent stated that “Over 90% of
include Queensbury Grove, Kingswood, their sales in Huyton are of 3 bed semi-
which comprises a number of three detached properties being sold to families.
bedroom semi-detached properties which The large majority of apartments in
are currently being marketed at sales Knowsley Borough are occupied by
values ranging from £124,995 - £130,000. younger purchasers who would prefer to be
Homes by Gleeson are also offering semi- situated closer to Liverpool city centre and
detached properties with a mixture of not in Huyton.”
2 & 3 bedrooms for between £94,955 &
Another agent commented “I believe
£139,995 respectively.
that an apartment development within
In terms of future provision the council Huyton would struggle at the moment. An
have undertaken recent research which apartment block on Mulberry Lodge went
has indicated that younger professionals onto the market in 2008 that struggled
have a strong preference to be located to reach required prices with a number
closer to Liverpool city centre or more of the units being sold to investors at
locally in Prescot, which has a more almost £100,000 under the initial asking
diverse housing stock and varied leisure price. However, if the market changed
and evening economy offer. The lack of in the future then an apartment complex
evening economy in Huyton is seen as a could be considered since there is very
significant barrier to retaining the younger little provision within Huyton and in the
population and this represents one of the Borough”.
most pressing challenges to be addressed
It is clear that residential development will
in the masterplan.
not be the key value driver in the short
In conducting our research we have term but it is important to highlight that
spoken to a number of local agents the masterplan also represents a long term
with regards to the possibility of future vision for Huyton. As such residential
apartment led development within the use alongside commercial opportunities
town centre. There is a consistency in the core town centre requires careful
of opinion amongst local agents that consideration especially in light of the
it is difficult to see how apartment continued commitment from central
development could be delivered viably in government to assist meeting housing
the short term in the context of the value need on brownfield land.
characteristics, demand and demographic
profile of the local area.
HUYTON MASTERPLAN SPD Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners July 2015 43You can also read
