Royal Mail Sorting Office Consultation Event

The Plans

Royal Mail have come up with an audacious plan for their old Sorting Office site in Semilong Northampton.

The 1970's building which has been likened to a 'concrete carbuncle' will have it's height marginally reduced in places. This will involve removing tonnes of concrete in order to create a 55,000 square footage food store.

The store will be initially offered on a lease but the likelihood is that the store will purchase the lease after 25 years. The keenest to take on the store is currently TESCO.

The road outside will have traffic lights, including pedestrian crossings to make it safer for those crossing both Barrack Road and from the Leicester Terrace side.

The outside of the site will be flattened to create a much more open and cleaner area with trees which will line the border of the property.

There will be disabled parking at the front of the store with disabled and wheelchair friendly pavement access to the store also provided. Free parking for 400 cars will be provided at the rear of the store.

On Semilong Road, at the edge of the property, the vast expanse of wall will be replaced by a ramp to allow vehicular access to the rear car park and the loading bay. The old and damaged red metal fencing will be replaced.

Inside the property, will be escalators to the sales floor area. (The ground floor, as well as the open rear area of the site, being used for car parking) Included within the store on the first level and overlooking the popular Barrack Road will be a cafe.

It is up to the store leaseholders to sort out with Planning Departments what the hours of opening are to be, whether these are to be restricted to closing at 10pm or to be allowed 24 hour opening.

Residents Concerns

SEMILONG.ORG have heard resident's express their concerns of the planned development at a recent Semilong Community Forum meeting and through comments to our SEMILONG.ORG website. We accept these as genuine concerns. However, when SEMILONG.ORG put these concerns to Royal Mail Estates Ltd, the concerns were answered very well for the most part:

• There will be an increase in noise - "Though the Sorting Office was, when it was running, had lorries and vans coming and going at all hours of the day and night, residents may have become used to no traffic at all using the site. However, the impact of noise will be reduced as the loading bay is set away from residential areas on Semilong Road. In addition to this, lorries arriving or leaving the site will not measure the previous traffic of Royal Mail. They will also minimise any noise with the design of the boundary wall and fence"
• They are creating a rat-run from Semilong Road - "No entrance or exit from the site will be created on Semilong Road"
• There will be shopping trolleys everywhere - "It would be up to the store leaseholder to prevent this and it is in their interests to do so. They may for instance charge one pound deposit for a trolley as some stores already do"
• There will be groups of people on site drinking - "The Co-op on Semilong Road sells alcohol, do they have this problem? This problem can be reduced by design and by working with the Police"
• Crime will increase - "There will be CCTV cameras all round the car park, and the site generally. The car park will only have one exit, onto the Barrack Road. The Police have supported our plans. The Sorting Office itself has suffered crime even after it closed operations. There is no indication that the site development will increase crime in the neighbourhood"
• The increase in traffic will affect the safety of the kids going to the nearby school - "The extra pedestrian crossings will help the children to cross the road safer. Also do not forget this was a major Sorting Office previously so had lorries, vans, private vehicles and pedestrians continually using the site entrance then without issues"
• There cannot be adequate parking there - "Parking will be provided free on site for 400 vehicles. Shoppers can also use existing the public transport network with two bus stops very close to the store"
• It will challenge the shops on Semilong Road and the Post Office will close - The plans are for a food store only and there are already food stores on the Barrack Road. These other places cater for a different customer base. The site plans would be too small for a TESCO Extra or its equivalent"
• The area is already close to an Air Quality Management Area and the extra traffic will impact on this by creating more pollutants in the air - "We are aware of the Air Quality Management Area Designation on the Barrack Road and further up. We are working with this in mind and the planning proposal will take account of this"
• The Sorting Office is on a bend in the road and will be dangerous for drivers with a turning there - "It is up to driver's to be aware and to drive responsibly. We will be taking the wall down at the front left hand side of the site to create a better line of sight for drivers coming up the Barrack Road"
• Pedestrians especially the disabled will have problems crossing from Leicester Terrace side - "The traffic lights will not only cross the Barrack Road but also the vehicle access road. There will also be tactile paving for the sight impaired and a dropped kerb for wheelchair users"
• It would have been better to convert the empty building to residential use - "We did look at this but the site was not suitable to be converted to residential use. To knock the building down totally would mean removal of many tonnes of concrete and is not a viable option in terms of cost and for environmental considerations"
• It is important not to seize the first plan that comes along - SEMILONG.ORG's answer to this one is that it is right not to settle for the first plan that comes along unless that plan is right for Semilong Northampton. The building has been laying empty and derelict for years, having first closed in 2003. After seven years even Royal Mail could hardly be accused of rushing in.

SEMILONG.ORG's Concerns That Remain

On the face of it, this appears a good development that will benefit our Semilong Northampton neighbourhood. However, we do have concerns that hopefully, will be looked at and covered in the planning process.

• The photographs of the front of planned store show trees in planters. We believe these planters would become seats for social degenerates and youths and need to be omitted from the development.
• With the planned store open late evenings or even 24 hours it will encourage a lot of residents to use the alleyway between the store and Leicester Terrace. Though not owned by Royal Mail it should be improved in the development as the alleyway is not suited for a high level of pedestrian traffic and needs to be paved. The area also needs to be lighted, opened up more and covered by CCTV. The CCTV should cover not only the car park and inside the development but all paths leading to the store. Otherwise it may become a mugger's paradise or worse.
• There needs to be space incorporated in the design for recycling bins for customers to recycle bottles etc
• The development should pay for litter bins, not only outside the store, but also on Semilong Road, in the residential areas and at regular intervals on Barrack Road.
• The space at the front of the store should include a pick up and drop off zone for customers and taxi's. This should ideally have two entrance exits.
• Will one entrance exit road to the store's main parking area for 400 vehicles be adequate?

Article Date: 12th June 2010
SEMILONG.ORG

Royal Mail Sorting Office Plans

The plans show the store bright and clean with clean lines and tree lined walkways.

Derelict since 2003, Royal Mail sorting office on a prime 3.71 acre site close to the Northampton Town Centre, set to become a food store??

This side view of the plans for the Royal Mail Sorting Office in Semilong Northampton, show a cafe overlooking the popular Barrack Road.

Glass frontage and reduced brick and concrete on the planned store allowing a light airy feel. This could rejuvenate this area of Semilong Northampton to become something we can be proud of.

Royal Mail's plans would see this great expanse of brick wall in Semilong Road in Semilong Northampton, removed and the area given an open, less crime inducing feel.

(The above images are produced here courtesy of Royal Mail Estates Ltd)