Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Runcorn
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===New Town development=== [[File:Southgate Estate, Runcorn, August 1989, 2.jpg|thumb|The ill-fated [[Southgate Estate]] in Runcorn New Town]] In September 1963, the [[Ministry of Housing and Local Government]] published a draft of the Runcorn New Town (Designation) Order which would allocate {{cvt|7750|acre}} in and around Runcorn for development of a new town under the [[New Towns Act 1946]]. The ministry cited the urgent need for more housing to reduce overcrowding in Liverpool and to increase the rate of [[Slum clearance in the United Kingdom|slum clearance]] there. Runcorn was chosen because of its strong road, rail and canal connections, ample water supply, convenient location on the Mersey Estuary for the disposal of effluent, established industry and the availability of land for more.<ref name="RUDI 5. draft designation order 1963">{{cite web |url=http://www.rudi.net/books/3320 |title=Runcorn New Town – 5. Designation Order Material |website=rudi.net |access-date=24 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018025423/http://www.rudi.net/books/3320 |archive-date=18 October 2014}}</ref> Following objections to the draft order, a [[Public inquiry |public Local Inquiry]] was held at Runcorn from 10 to 12 December 1963. The subsequent report accepted the location in principle and the proposed population of 90,000. It did, however, recommend that {{cvt|500|acre}} around the village of [[Sutton Weaver]] to the south of the [[Chester to Manchester Line|Chester–Manchester]] and [[Crewe–Liverpool line|Crewe–Liverpool]] railway lines be excluded from the designated area, partly to preserve its highly productive agricultural land. The minister, [[Keith Joseph]], accepted the report's recommendations and the designation order was made on 10 April 1964.<ref name="RUDI 5.3 Minister's letter">{{cite web |url=http://www.rudi.net/books/3322 |title=Runcorn New Town – 5.3 Minister's letter |website=rudi.net |access-date=24 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022081437/http://www.rudi.net/books/3322 |archive-date=22 October 2014}}</ref> The New Town masterplan of 1967 more than doubled the population as it encompassed neighbouring settlements and created new housing estates to the south and east.<ref name="New Town Masterplan" /> The key features of the new town were its unique housing and estate designs, segregated pedestrian pathways, [[Runcorn Busway|Busway]], extensive landscaped green space, separate industrial areas and new town centre.<ref name="50th anniversary of RNT">{{cite web |url=https://www.theplanner.co.uk/opinion/what-happened-to-the-new-towns |title=What happened to the New Towns? |last=Renison |first=Nathan |date=8 April 2014 |publisher=The Planner |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723160946/https://www.theplanner.co.uk/opinion/what-happened-to-the-new-towns |url-status=live}}</ref> The new town centre was designated at the geographical heart of the expanded town with [[Runcorn Shopping City|Shopping City]], an American-style enclosed mall, as its focus.<ref name="Tale of Two Centres">{{cite journal |last1=Couch |first1=Chris |last2=Fowles |first2=Steven |date=2006 |title=Britain: Runcorn – A Tale of Two Centres |jstor=23289488 |journal=Built Environment |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=88–102 |doi=10.2148/benv.32.1.88}}</ref> This was a source of conflict between [[Arthur Ling]], the new town Master Planner, and [[Fred Roche]], Chief Architect. Whereas Ling envisaged a centre reminiscent of a citadel or acropolis at the base of Halton Castle, Roche preferred to expand the existing town centre, partly to placate the Urban District Council and existing traders.<ref name="David Gosling interview">{{cite web |title=The New Towns Record – Planning the New Towns...In their own words |url=http://www.theknowledgeexchange.co.uk/media/5418/New-Towns-Record_FINAL-web-May-2016.pdf |date=May 2016 |publisher=Idox Knowledge Exchange |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228132353/https://www.theknowledgeexchange.co.uk/media/5418/New-Towns-Record_FINAL-web-May-2016.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The new Halton site was favoured and Shopping City opened in 1972.<ref name="Tale of Two Centres" /> However, the Urban District Council secured a commitment from the Development Corporation to continue a programme of regeneration which the council had already begun.<ref name="RUDI 7.6 Town centre">{{cite web |url=http://www.rudi.net/books/3322 |title=Runcorn New Town – 7.6 Town centre |website=rudi.net |access-date=24 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018044833/http://www.rudi.net/books/3349 |archive-date=18 October 2014}}</ref> In 1971, the Development Corporation published Master Plan Amendment No.1 which focused on the urban renewal of the Old Town centre, now designated a smaller 'district centre'. The plan sought to increase public open space, reduce shopping provision, rationalise roads and renew housing stock. It also included plans to widen the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge from two to four lanes and create a new system of junctions between the bridge and the expressway.<ref name="Masterplan Amendment No.1">{{cite web |url=http://www3.halton.gov.uk/lgnl/pages/86821/86836/89285/151961/159419/159422/10._Area_Specific_Evidence/AS5/Runcorn_New_Town_Masterplan_Amendment_No1_(1971).pdf |date=1971 |title=Runcorn New Town Master Plan Amendment No.1 |publisher=Runcorn Development Corporation |access-date=24 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411084056/http://www3.halton.gov.uk/lgnl/pages/86821/86836/89285/151961/159419/159422/10._Area_Specific_Evidence/AS5/Runcorn_New_Town_Masterplan_Amendment_No1_(1971).pdf |archive-date=11 April 2013}}</ref> The masterplan was amended for the second and final time in 1975. Amendment No.2 extended the expressway further to the east and redesignated land at Sandymoor intended for industrial use to residential.<ref name="Masterplan Amendment No.2">{{cite web |url=http://www3.halton.gov.uk/lgnl/pages/86821/86836/89285/151961/159419/159422/10._Area_Specific_Evidence/AS6/Runcorn_New_Town_Masterplan_Amendment_No2_(1971).pdf |date=1975 |title=Runcorn New Town Master Plan Amendment No.2 |publisher=Runcorn Development Corporation |access-date=24 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411084056/http://www3.halton.gov.uk/lgnl/pages/86821/86836/89285/151961/159419/159422/10._Area_Specific_Evidence/AS6/Runcorn_New_Town_Masterplan_Amendment_No2_(1971).pdf |archive-date=11 April 2013}}</ref> The Runcorn Development Corporation merged with Warrington Development Corporation on 1 April 1981 and was wound up on 30 September 1989.<ref name="TCPA factsheet">{{cite web |url=https://www.tcpa.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=bd616ca8-f2bc-4998-966b-a01f8f99c233 |title=Runcorn, Cheshire – 'Mark Two' New Town – Designated 10 April 1964 |publisher=Town and Country Planning Association |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715054519/https://www.tcpa.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=bd616ca8-f2bc-4998-966b-a01f8f99c233 |url-status=live}}</ref> Much of the architecture of the new town was innovative, especially the [[Southgate Estate|Southgate development]] designed by [[James Stirling (architect)|Sir James Stirling]] and built between 1970 and 1977. Stirling's housing development was beset with problems and it was demolished in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=430&storycode=3084063&c=2&encCode=00000000012cb5c6 |title=Unhappy customers |access-date=27 July 2007 |date=30 March 2007 |publisher=BD: The Architects' Website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003054/http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=430&storycode=3084063&c=2&encCode=00000000012cb5c6 |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="Southgate">{{cite web |url=https://flashbak.com/naked-demolished-runcorn-scandalous-tale-james-stirlings-lost-utopia-393320/ |title=Naked and Demolished in Runcorn: The Scandalous Tale of James Stirling's Lost Utopia |author=Hugh Pearman |date=15 January 2015 |website=FLASHBAK |access-date=21 July 2020 |archive-date=21 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721223429/https://flashbak.com/naked-demolished-runcorn-scandalous-tale-james-stirlings-lost-utopia-393320/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2002, the Castlefields Partnership (made up of [[English Partnerships]] and Halton Borough Council) was created to comprehensively redevelop the Castlefields estate, including the demolition of over 700 deck access flats.<ref name="House of Commons Report 2008">{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcomloc/889/889.pdf |title=New Towns: Follow-Up – Ninth Report of Session 2007–08 |publisher=House of Commons |date=11 July 2008 |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-date=26 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426202113/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcomloc/889/889.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)