Planning Appraisal for Businesses - Essay Example

Planning appraisal Planning Appraisal Part I General Introduction The paper entails the of an area located opposite UCLAN’s Harris building on Hope Street. It provides an appraisal for the area that could be significant in determining potential businesses within the place. For business development, such appraisals are imperative in establishing the value of a home. Moreover, the appraisals are indispensable in determining whether the project of choice is realistic. The site is a car park, and Jessica Campbell is the owner. Its location is quite prominent on the Hope Street and opposite UClan’s Harris building. Grantham’s shop has a location opposite to Hope Street and south to the car park. The east side of the park is equally spectacular. It has a smaller car park, and one would think that the less parking grew to become the centre of attraction along the streets. The northern and western surrounding are unique. The places have a good share of trees and grass vegetation. Together with the fresh breeze that sweeps over the land, it gives a spectacular feeling and comfort as well. A wooden fence separates both the car park and the vegetation. The grass looks neat and plain. The colour of the vegetation is green and brings a great sense of tranquillity despite the busy parking lot. The fence of the car pack appears weak yet distinct. Perhaps it is more of a demarcation than a barrier to keep off intruders. The fence goes around and covers a large portion of south of the park up to the entrance. The eastern and northern sides have no distinct boundaries except for the surrounding buildings and the busy roads. Nevertheless, the land remains open to projects and is a potential place for establishing any projects from shopping malls to additional car parks. It is an ideal recreation centre as the view of the place is genuinely appealing. The place has a good network of roads. Hope Street and Corporation streets meet perpendicularly at one corner of the site. There is a two-way highway in front of the parking space. Behind Grantham shops, another highway curves away from the parking lot to join the previous road. From the centre of the parking lot, one can get a good look at Adelphi quarter, UClan’s building. The area is, therefore, not remote, and the availability of well-established modern roads eases traffic as well. The area is still open, and many people can access it from all the four major roads that surround it. Indeed, its proximity to Lancashire and Preston city is an advantage for any business that could be set in the place. For instance, driving to Preston central business district is very convenient from the parking. Therefore, coordinating any plans from the city centre is easy. The same confers the area of security and 24-hour operation that facilitates economic development of the same. The area is always busy. The streets are constantly in use by students travelling from lecture halls. The students also take time to relax on the opposite sides of the park especially on weekends. Currently, a plan to explore the area includes the utilization of the car park and two buildings that are disused on the eastern side of the site. From junction 31 of road number M6, the site distance is approximately 3.8 miles. Such a short distance is vital for facilitation transportation of equipment and goods to and from the site. Alternatively, A5085 and A59 that run close to the parking could find use in transport. The site is close to the train station. Therefore, transportation of heavy weight goods that are essential to the construction is simplified. The place is virtually open to numerous businesses and projects because of sufficient and excellent transport outlay. Unfortunately, proximity to busy roads is a source of noise. The site has several unoccupied surrounding building. For instance, two buildings on the east are no longer in use. Such buildings require renovation and adequate utilization while expanding the economic base of the area. There are also other buildings owned and managed by other private companies and individuals. For instance, along the flagrante road, there are tall buildings that are potential places for opening up additional business activities. Therefore, developing the site would require extensive use of neighbouring buildings. Some are potential offices, lecture halls and shopping centres. The buildings could also remain demolished in to help expand the site. For example, the western side consists of buildings that are old and not in continuous use. The roads run between the buildings creating streets that are organised from an aerial view. From such a view, the whole site appears rectangular and parallel to Hope Street. The streets offer strategic locations for advertisement billboards. The trees also offer good shade and cold weather. Such need exploitation through creation of picnic sites and coffee shops. However, conservation of the same is necessary in order to sustain a green economy. Part II Local planning policy and development considerations Local planning policy The plan for developing the Preston city is strategic and entails regional planning, planning context and development strategy. The project involves the development of the countryside that surrounds the city, curbing of pollution, conservation of the environment particularly the historical one. In addition, it has an outlay of transport system, housing, social amenities, recreational facilities, industry and business. The local plan is quite different from any other previous plan. The plan is a reflection of the fundamental changes that will take place within the government policy, legislation and public attitudes upon adoption. The local plan is supposed to guide development decisions in the city and all the sites including the Grantham parking. It comprises of a proposal map that shows land allocation and appropriate development at every site. The plan also integrates environmental awareness. The acknowledgement of fundamental influences the plan will have on the environment is essential before initiating of any development. The plan mainly considers the impact on the environment in all the aspects of development. There is also an environmental assessment for resources that require conservation. They include soil, water and vegetation. The role played by transportation within the plan is critical and if sufficient, it will reconcile any environmental conflicts. The plan stipulates the developer responsibility explicitly. New developments are likely to be beneficial. At the same time, it will elicit costs that often results from the past by individual developer but not the community. The costs include loss of wildlife habitats, additional traffic, and the establishment of community facilitates. The plan fundamentally requires any developer to meet the costs. Fortunately, the plan has strategic mechanisms for achieving the same. The plan has a description of stakeholders that have the task to authorise and supervise any development. The local authorities, central government, the individual developer, and the planning panel will ensure that the plan is applicable in the city. Therefore, the plan directly affects Grantham parking and any interested party in the site must follow the planning act while developing the site. The plan sections address different development policies. For example, it clarifies on housing and shopping centres location along the streets. The environmental appraisal is protective against pollution and proposes on various means of sustaining a green economy. Such suggestions test any development proposals against numerous environmental criteria. In addition, a review section describes implementation and evaluation of the same plan. Developing the Grantham site requires integration of the transport, environmental, social and economic proposals in the plan. The site is an excellent place for establishing shopping mall, parking areas, recreational facilities such as play stations. Therefore, building of any houses for such activities necessitates supervision by the planning panel. The success of developing the site also depends on the excellent integration of the plan in the whole Preston city. The development of the place also entails an understanding of the area of the developer. The development will entirely depend on the highways that form the boundaries of the site and the two streets. The developer must, therefore, laisse with the county council while giving the site a new outlook. Indeed, the Preston plan is unique and realistic (Ward, 2013 p. 307). Application of all the proposals in the plan with additional innovation could develop the site into a magnificent trade, social centre or an economic harbour that provides quality services to the satisfaction of relevant consumers and the owners as well. Development considerations Possible ground conditions Before developing the site, there are factors that need examination for an effective establishment of a successful enterprise in the Grantham site. Such include both internal and external factors that influence establishment of business. For instance, the developer must have adequate finance to develop the site. Presently, the site appears old and less attractive. Renovation of existing facilities such as the disused houses is not enough (Anderson, 2014 p. 1160). The developer could demolish the buildings and put up new ones that are spacious and conducive for businesses. In addition to the Preston plan, the developer must have a micro-plan for the site. The plan should entail a map of architectural design of his/ her expectations upon completion of the project. Moreover, the developer needs to meet all the requirements for acquiring tenure of the area and follow the government policies to the later. Vehicular access While developing the site, one should consider safety standard in order to avoid accidents. The Grantham site has two surrounding roads and two streets. Management of the same is appropriate for a quick business. Both A5085 and A59 must have traffic lights in order to control traffic. In addition, the choice of buildings on the site should not obscure the roads. The streets need lighting at night (Ward, 2013 p. 309). The interior of the site especially the parking should have lanes, merging or diverging tapers. The site also requires excellent drainage. All the stations, shops and facilities require labelling. Provision of public space Developing the site requires restriction of the developer’s land. The developer must organize the plan to fit the structures within the area. Extension of buildings in the road or the streets is intolerable. The development must also keep off the grass vegetation and trees. A developer would taint his or her image and reputation in cases of invasion of public land an undertaking, which remains legally offensive. The internal structure of the new construction should equally provide public places however small in order to allow for human interactions in the home. Suggested uses The site has an excellent proximity to Preston city. Therefore, it provides an ideal business environment. Considerably, there exist numerous business opportunities that the developer can exploit within the site. For instance, the developer could build a shopping mall. The mall can house several supermarkets, gallery shops, clubs and recreational facilities such as play stations. The place is along two streets and is accessible by road. Therefore, it provides an excellent place for establishing offices. The developer could build tall buildings that are spacious, and that can accommodate several offices. Such could range from private to public agencies. Moreover, the developer can also hire offices to government parastatals. Accessible transportation also depicts the site as an excellent place for constructing a modern parking. The parking should however be restricted to private cars to be sustainable. In addition, the developer can choose to charge people for parking or offer free services as a competitive advantage for shopping in the mall. Public utilities The site could also allow for the establishment of several public services. Such can be in through service provision. For example, the developer can include a reliable water system that will supply the public with clean drinking water and car wash services. Other utilities include electricity and natural gas. Regrettably, the place is not convenient for dealing with natural gas or electricity as the risks for the same outweigh the benefits (ANDERSON, 2014 p. 1147). Nevertheless, the developer could provide telephone services for public use as well. Pedestrian access The structural modification of the site should allow for safe and quick access by pedestrians. First, the developer could engage the city council to establish crossing lanes in the main highways. The developer could also construct pavements that enable customers to keep off the road at all times. Moreover, he/she can put up signs that guide people in the mall and restrict access to specific areas in order to facilitate a smooth flow of human traffic. There is a need to employ security officers to monitor movements and easy access to all the points on the site. Parking Grantham parking currently occupies a large area. While developing the site, the parking space should remain reduced. Moreover, any excess space should find use in construction of a mall. However, the parking should be modern with adequate lighting and guidelines. A traffic police or private security guard must be in charge to monitor activities in the parking space. In addition, construction of the mall is dependent on the parking to some extent. The mall could overlap the parking yet give room for modern basement parking. Such a technique is vital to ensuring adequate yet efficient utilisation of space. Design considerations Inc. Massing The massing for the place should be unique. The place is on the highway from the countryside as one gets into Preston city. It should indeed give a reflection of the city and attract people as well. For example, it only requires a single building of about 30 floors. One building with many partitions is spectacular yet economical to construct. The building should be partitioned according to businesses that the developer that to carry out. The choice of doors, roof, windows and the nature of interior floors is all-important (Desouza et al., 2013 p. 93). The appearance of the building at a distance is a vital detail that results in excellent massing. The building ought to blend with the parking and UClan’s Harris building. It should however be taller than UClan’s Harris building. Design and aesthetics For a unique design, the developer could hire a full-service designer. A single designer firm will facilitate the use of design-build approach (Desouza et al., 2013 p. 97). It requires the development of the initial site from sketches toward a final construction. The objective of the design is to add significant value to a place and makes life enjoyable. The site should incorporate modern techniques and innovative extensions that attract businesspersons. The design of the building on the site must stand out particularly against the backdrop of the surrounding buildings. The internal design is also vital especially in facilitating the placement of recreational facilities. For instance, a model that places lifts, staircases and service conduits outside is appropriate. Such a design gives the interior a less cluttered feel (Anderson, 2014 p. 1140). The aesthetics of the place will be dependent on the activities at the site. In the case it is a shopping mall, shop facilities and arrangements will determine the beauty of the site. Nevertheless, the organization of the place from the parking to officers in upper floors gives additional beauty. The place could have neatly organized flower gardens. In addition, it should remain clean at all times to appear captivating. Construction materials The developer need to award the development tends to a company with a reputation. The company should be able to negotiate affordable and durable raw materials for construction. Such include concrete earth blocks. The type of bricks chosen should be of appropriate technology, and easy to handle. Other materials include vertical transport devices such as escalators and elevators. Construction of the parking requires adequate composites. Seemingly, the building construction will need insulation, building envelope, house wrap or conformal coating. The materials for internal construction include glass doors, windows electrical equipment, systems, and surface finishing. There is also a need for safety devices such a fire protection materials. Environment and landscape considerations No constructions must interfere with the environment. During construction, all wastes must remain deposited in a common place. Structural modification of the site should be restricted to the area and not overlap to the grass vegetation. After construction, each business in the site must be responsible for the environment and avoid pollution. Indeed, the developer can create recycling systems. Materials such as plastics from the shops can be recycled. The site has a relatively flat landscape. Such a landscape does not hinder construction of tall buildings. At the same time, it will facilitate water collection at the site. The scene gives an excellent aerial view of the place. The developer can exploit this by constructing tall buildings that will be stable. Bibliography Anderson, Michelle Wilde. 2014. "The New Minimal Cities." Yale Law Journal 123, no. 5: 1118-1227. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (Accessed January 6, 2015). Desouza, Kevin C., and Trevor H. Flanery. 2013. "Designing, planning, and managing resilient cities: A conceptual framework." Cities 35, 89-99. ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost (Accessed January 6, 2015). Ward, Stephen V. "Cities as planning models." Planning Perspectives 28, no. 2 (April 2013): 295-313. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (Accessed January 6, 2015). Read More