04/01/2013

Aberystwyth Shop Fronts Design Consultation



Following on from this post, Ceredigion Council is now consulting on its draft Design Guide for Aberystwyth Shop Fronts.

The idea is raise the town's economic performance by ensuring all future building improvements and alterations have a positive visual impact and to assess this when deciding on planning applications.  The guidance asks developers within the town to consider these kinds of questions:

Existing Streetscape:
Has the relationship of the proposed design taken into account the rest of the building as well as those adjoining it? Has the design considered the overall character of the immediate environment?

Building Elevations:
Is the scale and design of any shopfront in proportion to the facade of the building? Do the upper floors and shopfront complement one another to create one harmonious building frontage?

Shopfront Design:
Are there any historic shopfront elements that are capable of being retained and remediated? Are there any historical photos which give clues about the original design of the shopfront?  Are the design materials and features employed in the scheme of high quality? Do they respond to the historical context of the shopfront?

Signage:
Is the graphic design style, advertisement and illumination appropriate to the rest of the shopfront, building and streetscape? Does it contain the Welsh language?

Canopies and Blinds:
Have they been considered within the overall design of the shopfront and the building as a whole? Are they appropriate to the use of the premises?

Security:
Do security devices obstruct any architectural features on the building or have a negative visual impact?
  
The consultation is open until 15th February and can be accessed here.

The photo shows Y Siop Leol, a nice-looking new shop selling Welsh produce in Pier Street