Colin Town Centre Masterplan

Colin Town Centre Masterplan

Colin, Belfast

Masterplanning and urban design

The Paul Hogarth Company Limited

Department for Communities (formerly Department for Social Development);

In June 2014 the Department for Social Development, working in partnership with Colin Neighbourhood Partnership and the Strategic Investment Board, appointed an Integrated Design Team led by The Paul Hogarth Company. The Terms of Reference were to: • Deliver a “world class” masterplan and urban design for Colin Town Centre in line with international best practice. • Develop a “world class” design for the new Multi Purpose Community “Hub” building and for the associated parkland to RIBA Stage 2 in line with international best practice and, in doing so, positioning it for funding applications. • Prepare and submit an Outline Planning Application for both the new Colin Town Centre Masterplan and Urban Design Proposals and for the new Multi Purpose Community “Hub” building. • Prior to and following the submission of the Outline Planning Application, the appointed consultant team was required to liaise with the appropriate authorities.

Highly commended LI Awards 2016

Landscape practice: The Paul Hogarth Company; client: Department for Communities (formerly Department for Social Development); client partners: Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, Strategic Investment Board; architect: Hall McKnight; planning consultant: Strategic Planning, environmental consultant/ quantity surveyor/ engineering consultant: WYG; traffic/ transportation consultant: JMP; social/ economic sustainability consultant: Sorhill Advocates; arboriculturalist: Philip Blackstock; archaeology consultant: Gahan and Long; peer review: Allies and Morrison Architects; project management and masterplanning: The Paul Hogarth Company

2018

21 ha

Colin is the relatively new name for a large urban area of south west Belfast. Built between the 1960s and 2000s, the area comprises the neighbourhoods of Poleglass, Lagmore, Twinbrook and Kilwee which together have a combined population of around 25,000. The site covers an extensive area of land of approximately 21.0 hectares and is bisected by the Stewartstown Road which is a main arterial route connecting Colin to Belfast City Centre, Lisburn and the wider region. The site to the west of the Stewartstown Road comprises a large area of green open space which rises steeply to the residential estate of Poleglass. This area is characterised by open spaces of mown grass and structured blocks of mixed deciduous woodland. To the south is Laurel Glen, a steep sided ravine clothed in mature woodland, while to the east are a number of buildings set within large car parks including shops, a health centre, credit union, pub and the local branch of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. To the south east, the site extends to Twinbrook and includes an expanse of grass land either side of Derriaghy River. This project has resulted in a strategic, long term spatial plan that will bring about transformation in a highly deprived area. A thorough understanding of the site, resulted in innovative design responses including best practice SuDS solutions and a wide landscaped, green deck, seamlessly connecting residents to the new civic centre. Existing topography and water courses contribute to flooding during severe rain events. Mitigating SuDS measures are designed into the Park, capturing water prior to joining the existing drainage system. It’s geometry suits the steep topography allowing for a series of passive and active spaces accessed by a network of ramps and steps. The Masterplan was formulated through a genuine collaborative approach involving many stakeholders. Central was the requirement to lodge an application for outline planning permission, important in terms of sustaining confidence within the community. Outline planning permission was granted in June 2016 with no objections and represents the first ‘town centre’ approval in Northern Ireland.