Spaces/Alleys with Potential for Improvement

9. Link Via Somerfield Car-park - Cross Street

* Well-used route between Cross Street and Somerfield car park. South-facing area at northern end of car park closely fronted on three sides by buildings on Cross Street;

* Three coffee-shops/sandwich bars back on to the area, making it a potential site for the creation of a courtyard space with outdoor tables and chairs, with minimal loss of car parking;

* Area would benefit from resurfacing. Low walls, hedges or railings could be used to separate the space from the adjacent car park and create better approach to the town centre. Improved surfacing within the alley would provide a visually more appealing, safer environment.

10. Somerfield Car-park – High St (northern end)

* Important link between car park and High Street. Signage should be mounted on adjacent walls to indicate where passageway leads;

* Passageway would benefit from additional lighting on walls close to the High Street;

* Passageway is currently surfaced with black tarmac. Although in relatively good condition, its dark colour and functional nature do not enhance the historic character of the area. The area would benefit from resurfacing with natural stone or precast
concrete paving.

11. Somerfield Car-park – High St (Garfield Road junction)

* Important link between car park and High Street. Signage should be mounted on wall to indicate where passageway leads;

* Street lighting would enhance night-time security and contribute to visual amenity;

* Passageway not visible from car park end due to enclosure by fencing. Would benefit from enhanced signage;

* Close-board fencing along part of the passageway is of poor quality and would benefit from replacement by a low stone wall;

* Passageway is currently surfaced with black tarmac. Although in relatively good condition, its dark colour and functional nature do not enhance the historic character of the area. The area would benefit from resurfacing with natural stone or precast concrete paving.

12. Somerfield Car-park – High St (Albert Place)

* Important pedestrian route between High Street and Somerfields/George Street;

* Attractive vista through to Old Forge building should be conserved;

* Passageway is dark and would benefit from repaving with natural stone or pre-cast concrete paving;

* Lighting should be mounted on adjacent buildings to provide safe, attractive night-time environment.

13. Duffetts Bakery

* Alley adjacent to the bakery could be utilised for outdoor café seating;

* Currently visually unappealing but would benefit from re-surfacing with natural stone or pre-cast concrete paviors and the enhancement of building facades;

* Alley currently leads to Duffetts Mill a derelict building that has the potential for being demolished or redeveloped. Any redevelopment here could incorporate a pedestrian route between the High Street and the Victoria Street car park.

14. John Street

* Street is relatively quiet at its southern end with the character of an urban open space adjoining the High Street;

* Perpendicular street parking along northern side of the street contributes to its urban square’ feel;

* Masonic Hall and adjacent housing and retail units provide attractive mixed use elevation that should be conserved and enhanced;

* Public House on the High Street junction provide opportunity for outdoor tables and chairs;

* Street should be resurfaced to reinforce its character as an open space. The pavements should be widened and resurfaced with limestone flags. The carriageway shows evidence of stone setts beneath the tarmac and these should be restored or replaced.

* Street furniture should be black and of a simple contemporary design;

* The street is wide enough to benefit from planting with an avenue of relatively small street trees;

* The Woolworths loading area lies on the southern side of John Street. This open area with poor quality fencing presents a poor frontage to the street. If this site could be redeveloped it would provide an ideal opportunity to restore street frontage to John Street. (see 23 below)

15. Anglesea Street

* Well-used pedestrianised street with historic cottages and small shops on southern side and Somerfields supermarket on northern side;

* Black bollards, concrete pavers and granite setts contribute to the historic character and pedestrian scale of the street;

* Ideal area for outdoor cafe seating next to Thorntons;

* Area of cycle racks outside Somerfields are poorly used;

* Ideal area for small street tree planting, although practical problems of Somerfields underground parking would need to be considered;

* Use of hanging baskets in the summer would visually enhance the area. These could be sponsored by adjacent retail outlets.

16. High St Service Area

* Service access adjacent to shops in High Street;

* Offers potential for enhancement to incorporate outdoor seating;

* Would benefit from re-surfacing with natural stone or pre-cast concrete paving and the enhancement of building facades.

17. Link between George Street - Union Road

* Semi-public pedestrian link provides useful shortcut. Investigation into ownership is required and if necessary, negotiation to obtain public right of way;

* Resurfacing with natural stone or pre-cast concrete paving and use of wall mounted signage at each end would promote this potential link;

* Attractive vista eastwards towards nineteenth century property in George Street. This could be enhanced;

* Attractive variety of brick and stone building and boundary walls along southern edge of passageway should be conserved;

* Adjacent private parking yard off Union Road offers potential for redevelopment. This could be associated with the enhancement and visual enclosure of the passageway.

Also see:

51. Royal Victoria Arcade

* Open Spaces/Potential Play Spaces

18. St Thomas’s Church Yard

* One of the few green spaces in Ryde open to the public. - Important to conserve and enhance character as a church yard;

* Provides attractive setting to St Thomas’s Church improve visibility by re-instating historic railings in boundary adjoining St Thomas’s Square;

* Dominated by paved central area with some lawn. Variety of mature ornamental trees;

* Gardens would benefit from re-design to produce a high quality setting to the church and amenity gardens. This should include a reduction in the paved surface area, the removal of the raised brick planter and an increase in the grassed area. The standard municipal park furniture should be replaced by a higher quality, contemporary alternative.

19. Town Square, Somerfields

* Urban space between Somerfields supermarket and the rear of WH Smith on the High Street. Traditionally know as Town Square;

* Recent enhancement of space, with seating, tree planting, ornamental paving and hanging baskets. Historic bust of Queen Victoria has been relocated here to form focal feature;

* Area currently lacks pedestrian activity and has an open, empty character when not used for markets;

* Potential location for childrens’ town centre play area, being adjacent to a well-used pedestrian route to Somerfields supermarket and public car park. Facility could be developed in collaboration with Somerfields, WH Smith and/or the nearby Surestart Nursery in Ryde Baptist Church.