Brownfield LZC Strategy Leicester

Simply by typing in 'Brownfield policy Leicester' into Google, I stumbled upon this little beauty.

http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/uploads/Brownfield%20LZC%20Strategy%20Leicester%20190510.pdf

It is a presentation, given in 2010 by AECOM detailing carbon outputs and strategies for building on brownfield sites.

Areas being discussed for development are the Abbey Meadows area of the city, as well as the All Saints Road Area (incorporated into an area called Waterside, as shown in Figure 1) which I have discussed previously in this blog.

Figure 1

 Interestingly, this site has been earmarked for high density dwellings (101-250 dewllings per hectare).  However, the current single apartment block that stands on a section of this site has many empty properties, so this type of accommodation doesn't suit.  Much of this block is being used as self catering apartments.

Friday Street Area

Whilst walking to HQ the other dat for a spot of Manual Handing training (no sniggering at the back), I remembered that the factories that run down the side of St.Johns Street, Friday Street and Watling Street are all mainly sat empty.  These factories would have been old shoemaking and knitwear factories that would have been serviced by the Grand Union Canal, which runs alongside.

As can be seen from the pictures and map, this area remains mainly intact but very empty.  Some of the factories are being used as a martial arts centre, but the majority of those near the canal are either fully or partially demolished.

Although not as sizeable as the other areas that are sat empty in the vicinity (i.e. All Saints Road area), this still represents an area that is ripe for development and housing.  Close to the city centre and empty for some time, this site would be great for housing.

 

 

Lewis Baltz - Candlestick Point

This book has been lent to me by one of my fellow students.  Before this, I have to admit that I had never heard of Lewis Baltz and certainly hadn't heard of Candlestick Point (although I was aware that the 49ers played at Candlestick Park).  However, I was well aware of Baltz's style (New Topology) as I am a big fan of the Bechers, who pioneered this style of photography.

Lewis Baltz's book, Candlestick Point, published originally in 1989 takes a look at the State Recreational Park that is Candlestick Point.  It consists of over 170 acres of land and foreshore at the southern most point of San Francisco.

Originally the park was intended, during World War II as a shipyard.  However, the war concluded and the park was left until 1973, the Californian State Legislation purchased the area for $10million.  It was in 1977 that it was voted the area be used as a recreational park.

Originally published in 1989, Baltz takes a disparaging look at this piece of land that has been mistreated and misused by nature and humans alike.  Natural and human detritus can be seen strewn across this vast tract with various objects ranging from simple flotsam and jetsam washed up by the passing tide to huge piles of abandoned bricks and tyres, left by fly tippers, demolition and general abandonment.  It consists of 128 pages of 72 b&w images and 12 colour images, together with a hefty and hard going essay, written by Wolfgang Scheppe.

Throughout the book, the images remain almost unsophisticated and bland, with no real 'focus' and centre point. The images are taken against a typical San Franciscan day, with mist and fog hanging in the air, adding to the sober and dispassionate feeling of the pictures. However, what they do do is show to what degree man can make an area devoid of any soul and feeling.  Through this complete disregard for this area, Candlestick Point had become a drab, barren and uninteresting place, full of the leftovers of man.

As a reprise, it is interesting to see nature attempting to reclaim this area, as seen in Figure 1.

This book raises a valid and still current point.  Man has expanded and contracted cities and left behind derelict space that remains spoilt and dysfunctional.

 

Figure 1

Filbert Street area

Whilst walking home from work, I thought I'd take a different way home rather than my usual route.

Having moved to Leicester after Leicester City F.C. moved from their old ground at Filbert Street to their new ground, the Walker stadium, I was curious to see what had happened where the old stadium was.

As can be seen from Figure 1, some student flats (on the left hand side of the picture) have gone up, but a vast part of the site remains unused.

Originally, Filbert Street football ground was built into the actual terrace street, with a gap in the housing making way for the fans to get to the turnstiles and enter the stadium.

The stadium was eventually demolished in 2003 and this portion of the site has sat empty ever since.

Looking on Google Maps and, the row of terraces behind the site consists of 17 houses.  A development of a similar sized house could easily fit within this site.

Figure 1

Grand Union Canal

In an effort to focus this project further and after some consultation with my tutor, I have decided to narrow my investigations down to areas of the city on or near to the Grand Union Canal.

The reason for this is that many of the buildings and derelict areas of the city lay on or close to the GUC and are a consequence of the deindustrialisation of the city of Leicester.

Furthermore, by starting at the point the GUC comes into the city in the north I shall be able to look at housing projects that have cropped on the outskirts as well as brownfield sites in the city.  This is also true as the GUC leaves the city in the south.

This change of tack has been inspired by Iain Sinclair and his book Lights Out for the Territory.  This details journeys made on foot across London and observations, history and graffiti made along the way.  He goes into great detail about particular buildings, parks and roads along the way.

So, you the reader, do you live in Leicester?  Are you near the Grand Union Canal?  Are you aware of any derelict land or buildings?  If so, can you let me know whereabouts it is.

Location : 1 Nelson St, Leicester, LE1 7BF,
Jonathan Briggs