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Ashford ring road

CABE enablers supported the ongoing improvement of two stretches of Ashford’s ring road.

The scheme was originally conceived as a traffic management issue but developed to embrace the council’s vision; To create a thriving, high quality mixed use town centre: distinctive and accessible; capable of serving the current and future needs of Ashford and its wider catchment area.

How CABE’s enablers helped this project

  • enabled a fresh look to be taken at a design that was unlikely to improve the town centre
  • pointed to examples of how the design could be improved to deliver the objectives in the brief
  • understood how to manage the dynamics of a multidisciplinary team
  • steered the necessary changes to achieve integrated design
  • facilitated the integration of art into the design work
  • gave guidance on approaches to design
  • facilitated close working between the various elements of the implementation team.

Background

Ashford has been identified within the Sustainable Communities Plan as one of the South East’s major growth areas. The deficiencies of the current town are recognised and a policy of ‘mend before extend’ has been adopted. In particular this applies to the public realm. Furthermore public art has historically had a low profile in Ashford and the ring road scheme was intended to go some way towards redressing this.

Improvement and expansion of Ashford town centre is key to the future viability and vitality of the town. Past measures such as the pedestrianisation scheme in the High Street have resulted in pockets of indistinctive improved public realm that sit uncomfortably within a somewhat neglected streetscape.

Two stretches of the ring road were identified as priorities for the town centre; to the northwest (West St/Forge Lane) and to the south (Elwick Road). The challenge was to radically transform the environment around the town centre, to allow it to ‘breathe’ and expand, to re-introduce streets for people whilst allowing essential car access to and around the town centre.

The scheme aimed to:

  • create a quality public realm scheme of new streets in accordance with the Public realm strategy
  • bridge the gap between engineering and art
  • meet the minimum traffic needs of the area
  • adhere to ‘shared space’ principles wherever possible
  • be a showcase for the public realm and public art
  • seamlessly integrate with its surroundings.

Enabling process

A design competition had already begun and awarded design contracts for the two stretches of the ring road when CABE Space was engaged.

The initial design concepts were for a “Ramblas” to be formed between the two carriageways in the north-western section and the creation of a public square to the south.

There were some reservations about the capacity of the competition winning designs to deliver the main requirements of the brief.

Enabler Robert Rummey initiated a series of meetings to get the main players to work together in a more integrated way, and to guide them towards a new design that more closely delivered the requirements of the brief. He asked the team to revisit the reasons behind the scheme, to make wider linkages into the urban environment, and to refine the design to make it more effective in delivering its fundamental purpose. Enabler Peter Fink facilitated the involvement of the artists commissioned to ensure their work was integrated into the designs.

Revisiting the design

This stage of intervention resulted in a re-visit of the original design concept towards an approach that saw an emphasis on making the crossings over the ring road more significant. This change took some time to achieve, given the loyalty that some of the original team had towards the old design, and the fact that there were still issues over the treatment of the space between the carriageways.

The delivery arrangements for the project proved to be fairly complex leading to lack of clarity between design objectives and practical construction issues. CABE Space’s role expanded to be a source of good practice examples of how the required design principles could apply in practice. The team needed guidance on approaches to design and to establishing cross disciplinary relationships.

With the buy in of the client to the new design concept and the commitment of the traffic engineers to making this work, an exhibition and workshop around the new design was organised. This addressed the needs of pedestrians, the issues of the role of public art, lighting, quality of space and form. Additionally, Michael Pinsky worked on a temporary artworks programme, 'The Lost O', to challenge and add interest while the road changes took place.

Project management

As a result of CABE’s intervention, better working was achieved between the landscape architects, engineers and main contractor. The lead enabler acted as a critical friend to the client group and ran workshops where the design team were challenged to develop a unified understanding of the two parts of the scheme. In particular an excellent working relationship developed with the landscape architects and the artists, ensuring that public art was integrated into the design with a clear purpose.

An earlier third party intervention, before the design became compromised by practicalities around construction, and before some of the main players became wedded to the initial design concept, would have reduced the difficulties inherent in the major change of direction that was needed.

In practical terms, the complex delivery arrangements, the involvement of so many parties in the project, and a propensity of the main players to send large numbers to meetings, made managing the process of change difficult.

However, the enabler’s knowledge and understanding of the importance of integrated design in delivering outcomes, and their ability to facilitate this, was fundamental to the achievement of a much improved, and award winning scheme.

Project Team

  • Project management: John Farmer / John Caldor (Kent County Council)
  • Chairman of champions group: Richard Stubbings (Kent County Council)
  • Project director: Elaine Lawford (Jacobs Babtie)
  • Public art strategy: Christina Fuller (Ashford Borough Council)
  • Maintenance: Alan Ross (Kent County Council)
  • Highway and traffic work: Jacobs
  • Landscape architecture: Whitelaw Turkington
  • Public art consultants: RKL Consultants
  • Specialist 'shared space' advice: Hamilton-Baillie

CABE enablers

  • Robert Rummey
  • Peter Fink

Artists

  • Structural issues: John Atkin
  • lighting proposals: Nayan Kulkarni
  • paving proposals: Simeon Nelson
  • lost O: Michael Pinsky