Jenny Frew urges greater focus on the character and quality of England’s streets

Streets are the foreground of our buildings and the backdrop to everyday lives. Yet England’s streets are increasingly cluttered with a proliferation of traffic signs, bins, bollards, guard rails and street furniture. This results in streetscapes that are both unsightly and lack character. We pay attention to the maintenance and restoration of historic buildings, but if the view of the building is marred by a badly planned and maintained street then much of our efforts can be lost.

English Heritage has launched a major campaign to bring character back to our streets. Save our Streets focuses on the amount of unnecessary clutter which can accumulate on roads and pavements if there is no overall management of the street. In conjunction with the campaign, EH is publishing streetscape manuals – Streets for All – for each of the English regions, which highlight examples of good and bad practice and set out general principles for good conservation, management and design of streets. The emphasis is on retaining local features, making sure paving is appropriate to the street and function, and removing unnecessary clutter.

The benefits of improving street quality are not just aesthetic. Keeping a street’s individuality helps to create a sense of place, which in turn has community and regeneration benefits. Well designed, well ordered and well maintained streets are an expression of a confident and caring community. Chaotic and cluttered streets are a symptom of a community in decline with low self-esteem.

Investing in quality solutions can also reduce maintenance costs and make cleaning easier. Although using natural paving materials instead of man-made concrete slabs can initially be more costly, they are more durable so whole-life costs are reduced.

The principles advocated in Streets for All may seem common sense. But an informed look at England’s streets shows that most would benefit from the application of some simple measures.

Paving is a key component of almost every street scene. Surface materials should be appropriate to the local context – whether York stone flags, cobbles or brick paviours. Inappropriate paving, such as small unit blocks in arbitrary or discordant colours, can detract severely from the character and appearance of historic streets.

Historic street furniture should be retained and kept in good repair. It adds interest and reinforces local character. But the finest townscapes often have the minimum amount of street furniture. In some streets, as much as 70 per cent of all street furniture is unnecessary. Street audits, carried out by conservation staff in conjunction with highways staff, can identify redundant or superfluous furniture. Local community groups, such as civic trusts, can also help, and can extend the survey to include a record of historic furniture and paving of merit.

The biggest clutter culprits are often unintentional, the cumulative effect of additional signs, litterbins and bollards. Street audits can identify where signage can be minimised, or where signs can be fixed to existing posts or buildings to reduce the number of poles obstructing the pavement.

Another layer of clutter results from an overcautious approach to safety. Guardrails at the edge of the pavement are sometimes necessary but they are often over-used and mar the street scene. It has been suggested that excessive provision can increase vehicle speeds by creating a sense of security – and thereby increasing the risk to pedestrians. Bollards to prevent vehicles overrunning the pavement create an additional obstacle on the pavement and should be avoided where possible. Good design can often eliminate the need for both guardrails and bollards.

Improving the quality of our streets can not only enhance the surroundings, it links to a range of other objectives, from regeneration to promoting walking and cycling. Streets for All helps to identify what needs doing; the next stage is delivery. Effective action involves a range of bodies: local authorities (often more than one tier), utility companies, statutory undertakers, the Highways Agency and others. Even within a single authority, partnerships need to be established between conservation and highway staff, and messages need to be communicated to contractors.

This requires persistence, an appreciation of the wider benefits, and ideally someone to take personal responsibility for enhancing the quality of England’s streets. But the evidence from a few places shows that the results will be worth the effort.

Jenny Frew is senior policy officer for transport at English Heritage

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