Holes Bay the former power station site engagement: stage 1

Site History

Situated in Hamworthy, on the waterfront at Poole Harbour, the 40 acre site was left vacant following the closure of the former Holes Bay power station in 1994. Thanks to investment secured by Dorset LEP via the government’s Local Growth Fund, the site is now in the ownership of the local authority. Being in close proximity to Poole town centre, the commercial Port of Poole and neighbouring residential areas, it has since been designated as an important area for future regeneration and investment by the council.

BCP Council have commissioned FuturePlaces to bring forward recommendations for the creation of a new urban village at the Holes Bay former power station site. We have been working with local businesses and community groups to find out what’s important in any future development at Holes Bay and are now looking to hear from the wider community.

Have Your Say

Between October and November 2022 we launched the first stage of public engagement for the project. We wanted residents and businesses to get involved and tell us what they would like to see on the Holes Bay former power station site and asked them to take part by completing our questionnaire, sharing photos and images of architecture, green space, public realm and building material used elsewhere that they would like to see in this development and asking them to like or comment on other people's ideas board photos and images. The engagement period ran until 21 November 2022.

We held in-person events in Poole and Hamworthy where attendees could meet the team, learn about the design principles and ask questions about the development process. These events took place at:

• The Spire, High Street, Poole, BH15 1DF
  Wednesday 19 October 2022, 11:00am - 2:30pm
  Thursday 20 October 2022, 10:00am - 2:00pm
  
  
• The Cornerstone Academy, Blandford Close, Hamworthy, BH15 4BQ
  Wednesday 19 October 2022, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
  Thursday 20 October 2022, 5:00pm - 7:00pm

We also held an online meeting for the same purpose on Tuesday 8 November 2022, 1:00pm - 2:00pm.

Following the analysis of responses to our questionnaire and ideas wall, we held an online feedback session "you said, we've listened" to provide feedback on the key outcomes of public engagement, re-cap on next steps and provide information on how people could continue to be involved in the process:

• Online feedback session
  Thursday 12 January 2023, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
  

Design Principles

From early stakeholder engagement work we have produced a set of key design principles which will inform future recommendations for the site:

Views and Visibility
Creation of pleasing views from key points at a longer distance (townscape) and within the urban setting (street scene) as well as at entry points (gateway) through the urban design process. Capturing and protecting key views. Considering how the scheme will appear from long distance, from the water and from key view points.

Heart of Poole
The ‘Heart of Poole’ has been a name applied the middle of the high street or the area around the Dolphin Centre, depending on who is asked. The developing role of the Quays on each side of the backwater channel is an opportunity to reinforce the attraction of the waterfront as the vibrant ‘Heart of Poole’ whilst also linking Poole and Hamworthy.

Connectivity
How connected a place is when all modes of transport including walking are considered is a product of its street layout. The hierarchy of the urban design approach is to design streets that encourage active travel (walking and cycling), public transport and then private motor vehicles. The street layout itself should encourage connectivity through enabling people to walk where they want to go with well-sized blocks and cross cutting routes.

Desire Lines
Desire lines are the routes through a new development which appeal to the public as the preferred route to take. This could be the quickest, the most attractive or the most convenient to reach a destination. These should be recognised as an important factor guiding the urban design.

Linked Public Realm
Public realm can create places of value and interest within a scheme – through the creation of attractive squares and streetscapes. This balances attractiveness and activity away from the obvious attraction of the waterfront. High quality public realm is the joining tissue of the development, and the surface materials and street furniture (lighting, benches, guard rails, bollards) should be coordinated and designed to create a strong sense of place. A critical success factor is for appropriate activity to be designed into the buildings fronting public spaces to bring them to life.

Natural Environment
The natural setting is a very important feature of the site and emerging design and a key design principle will be to enhance and work with the natural setting as far as possible. This extends beyond incorporating high quality planting to considering how biodiversity can be improved; how the development interacts with the wider landscape; how development can minimise its impact on the natural environment.

Importantly, the emerging design should consider how people can be allowed to enjoy the natural environment whether actively through improved access opportunities, gardening or enjoying the view.

Designs should further consider how the scheme performs at different times of day and times of year – considering light and shadowing, wind and weather.

The Cornerstone Academy

The Holes Bay former power station site regeneration project was launched with a workshop for the pupils of The Cornerstone Academy at the end of September 2022. The workshop took place over a whole day, educating the students on the urban design principles of the project and culminating in the students producing two master plans with the facilitation of Boyle and Summers and Shore architects. Check out our photos from the workshop below:

To see how this project is developing, please visit our current project page