Copyright @ 1967

Runcorn Development Corporation, Chapel

Street, Runcorn, Cheshire.
Tel: Runcorn 4451.
Printed in England by
Hawthornes of Nottingham Limited, Palm Street,
New Basford, Nottingham.

Typographical design by Peter Searle, ARCA.

Type set in the Univers range of faces.
Printed on Mellotex Super White Smooth
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Printing plates produced by

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Runcorn new town
Significant Events in the History of Runcorn
AD. Ancient British tribe called the "Cangi", "dwelling within
76 sight of the Irish Sea", probably inhabited parts of
Runcorn.
916 A castle was built on Castle Rock in Runcorn by
Elfleda, widow of Eldred, Duke of Mercia. (No
remains). A Parish Church was founded in Runcorn,
probably about the same time.
1070 Barony of Halton created and the building of the Castle
started by Nigel, first Baron of Halton.
1087 Halton and Weston (but not Runcorn) mentioned in
Domesday Survey.
1133 Augustine Abbey founded at Runcorn by William, son
of Nigel, Baron of Halton. Afterwards removed to
Norton 1143.
1536 Norton Priory-Abbey dissolved under the Act for
suppression of minor monasteries, 1565 Rock Savage
built by Sir John Savage.
1644 Halton Castle retaken by the Parliamentarian forces.
Later dismantled.
1733 Chesshyre Library founded at Halton by Sir John
Chesshyre.
1751 First meeting of Runcorn's "Supervisors of Highways".
1773 Runcorn Locks opened.
1776 Completion of Duke of Bridgewater's Canal.
1791 Cutting of junction between Bridgewater and Trent and
Mersey Canals.
1803 Opening of the Old Quay Canal from Runcorn to War
rington gave a direct outlet for the Mersey and Irwell
Navigation.
1806 It was decided to build a "Round House or Brideswell".
1807 Original Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built. Later, in
1827, the Brunswick Chapel was erected.
1811 A National School was first erected. The Church Street
National School was built in 1833.
1817 A thousand foot single span suspension bridge was
proposed by Telford.
1818 St. John's Chapel erected.
1822 Saltwater Baths opened. Runcorn had already been
described as offering "a desirable retirement" and a
"pleasant and salubrious situation".
1828 New Locks and stone bridge built.
1831 Belvedere Terrace erected "for the reception of visitors
in search of health and pleasure".
The second "BrideswelL was built in Bridge Street con
taining Petty Sessions, County Court Rooms, Police
Station, etc
1832 The old Town Hall was built
1833 A Board of Health divided the town into five districts
for inspection after an epidemic of cholera.
1837 Gas Works established by the Gas Light Co.
1849 All Saints Church consecrated.
1852 Runcorn Improvement Act Provided for the drainage,
cleaning and lighting of the town and the
establishment of a market. It resulted in the formation
of a Board of Commissioners.
1856 Market Hall erected in Bridge Street by the
Improvement Commissioners.
1859 A Sessions House was built.
1863 Runcorn Railway Bridge constructed by London
-68 andNorth Western Railway Co.
1866 St. Paul's Church, High Street, built.
1871 St. Paul's Church, Halton Road, built.
1876 Branch Canal built between Runcorn and Weston Point.
1882 Central Library built.
1886 Salt Union Works established at Weston Point.
MerseySalt and Brine Co.
1892 Seamen's Institute established.
1893 Completion of Manchester Ship Canal.
1894 Technical Institute established.
1894 Present Urban District formed with passing of
LocalGovernment Act.
1896 Castner Kellner Works established alongside
theManchester Ship Canal.
1903 Victoria Memorial Infirmary built.
1905 Transporter Bridge opened by Sir John Brunner.
1911 Salt Union vacuum plant opened.
1924 Runcorn suffered in the economic depression
(more than 500 empty houses).
1925 Runcorn Hill Reservoir opened.
1933 Present Town Hall acquired-formerly a private
residence.
1936 Parish of Weston and part of the parishes of
Halton and Clifton added to Runcorn by the
County of Chester Review Order.
1947 Runcorn-Widnes Bridge project started.
1959 I.C.I. Divisional Offices at Heath Road South
opened, 1961 Electrification of main railway line
from Crewe to liverpool.
Runcorn-Widnes Bridge officially opened by
H.R.H. PrincessAlexandra.
1964 Runcorn designated as a New Town and the
Runcorn Development Corporation appointed.
Runcorn
new
town
Master PLan

Prepared for the Runcorn Development Corporation by

Arthur Ling, BA, FRIBA, MTPI
of Arthur Ling and Associates
Department of Architecture and Civic Planning
University of Nottingham
With a foreword by the Chairman of the Corporation
Vere A. Arnold MC, TD. JP
Foreword
by Vere A Arnold, MC, TO, JP, Chairman of the Runcorn Development Corporation

The idea of building a new town is no longer the novelty that it was,
but Runcorn is faced with a rather different problem from most
preceding new towns.

Within the Designated Area we have an established well-knit

community having a distinct character of its own, and whilst making
an important contribution towards the relief of overcrowded
Merseyside, the plan for Runcorn has to pay great attention to the
integration of the existing population with the new population which
will be coming in.

The Draft Master Plan was produced by Professor Arthur Ling, BA,
FRI BA, MTPI, in collaboration with the staff of the Corporation. It was
presented to the public in January, 1966, and the great interest
shown by the present inhabitants of Runcorn was very gratifying.
Indeed, their interest was so great that it was necessary to hold two
public meetings to launch the Plan and approximately 7,500 people
visited the Exhibition during the ensuing fortnight. Since then, the
Corporation have been involved in further study of the Plan and, in
addition, have had the benefit of observations by other Authorities
and the public. In this way the final Plan has been evolved.

The Plan is intended to act as a guide for the growth of the Town, but
is sufficiently flexible to take into account continual study and
changing ideas as time goes on. In having a Plan prepared, the
Corporation has to consider not only any immediate requirements,
but also to endeavour to assess the needs of the community which
will be living in the Town in the 21 st century.
The Corporation is also convinced that if the Town is to be a success,
then it must be built in such a way that there can be a strong sense
of community, coupled with a lively environment and there should be
a planned balance between the use of public transport and the
private motor-car.

Consultations have taken place with Local Authorities and other

bodies. These have been useful to us and the co-operation of these
Authorities has been greatly appreciated. It is our sincere wish that
these consultations should continue in the future.
I believe that the Master Plan is a great achievement on the part of
Professor Ling in particular, and on the part of his staff and the
Corporation staff, who have been jointly concerned in its preparation.

I would like, as Chairman, to record my great appreciation of the

enthusiasm and loyalty with which the members and staff of the
Corporation have tackled all the problems in this important job, and
which has entailed an enormous amount of work and study.
I feel confident that a New Town will emerge which will be second to
none and one of which the citizens can be proud, and in which they
can live a full and happy life. The choice of Runcorn as the site for a
new town was a good one, because the topography of the area and
the natural advantages which it has j.n"terms of communications and
environment, will give the designers an opportunity to create
something which is of great interest and which should prove to be
stimulating and enjoyable to the people who live there.

Chapel Street, Runcorn 1966

 RUNCORN DEVElOPMENT CORPORATION

Chairman
Mr Vere A Arnold, MC, TO, JP

Deputy Chairman
Mr J K Batty, BA, JP

Members
Mr E J Battersby, FRICS
Councillor G J Ford, CC
Councillor C J Helsby
Councillor Miss M J Preece, BA, CC (retired 31 st October, 1966)
Mr H C Rigby, DFC, CC
Alderman W H Sefton
Councillor F R Sherliker, ARIC, MRSH

General Manager
Mr D F Banwell, Solicitor, LAMTPI

Chief Finance Officer

Mr K A Enderby, BSc(Econ.), FIMTA

Chief Engineer
Mr J Mercer, MSc(Eng.). MICE, MIMunE,
MTStructE, AMTPI

Chief Estates Officer

Mr J Gee, FAI

Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Consultant Chartered Surveyors

Mr M A P Smith, LLB Messrs Drivers, Jonas & Co.

Consultant Architect/Planner Social Development Officer

Professor Arthur Ling, BA, FRIBA, MTPI Miss M L Collins, BA

Chief Architect and Planning Officer Consultant Landscape Architect

Mr F Lloyd Roche, Dip. Arch, ARIBA Mr Geoffrey Smith, AILA
Arthur Ling and Associates
Runcorn New Town Master Plan Group
Arthur Ling, BA, FRIBA, MTPI
R S Johnston, ARIBA
R W Cresswell, BA, MTPI
C K Atkins, MSc, AMIE(Aust), AMlnst HE
FA Hughes, ARIBA
P Storrie, AMTPI
B S Maitland, BA (Cantab), Dip Arch
C A Dalton, Dip Arch
R Short, Dip Arch
I C H Frank, NDD
A H Bromley (Model Maker)
Susan E Close (Administration)
 CONTENTS

Foreword

Runcorn Development Corporation - Members and Chief Officers

Contents

List of Plans and Diagrams

Introduction

Sections

1 National and Regional Setting 1

2 The Site of the New Town 5
3 Structure of the New Town 18
4 Population 23
5 Industry and Employment 30
6 Social Facilities 39
7 Residential Communities and Housing 45
8 Communications 62
9 Shopping 75
10 The Town Centre 81
11 Urban Renewal and Rehabilitation 93
12 Physical Recreation and Open Space 98
13 Public Utilities 103
14 The Form and Character of the Town 105
15 Phasing 111

Summary of the Plan 114

Appendices
A Population and Household Structure - Supplementary Tables 119
B Existing employment in Runcorn Employment Exchange Area
and selected parts of the N.W. Region 121
C Survey of Voluntary Social and Sports Organisations
in the Existing Town 1966 122
D Determination of Walking Distance 124
E Communications - Predictions and Analysis 126
F Sports Provision 135
G Schedule of land Use in the Master Plan 135
H Principal Standards adopted in the Master Plan 136
 1 National and Regional Setting page 5.4 Proposed Industry and Employment. . . . . 34
1.1 Merseyside and West Lancashire Population 1 5.5 Area of Special Control- Moore Site. . . . . 36
1.2 North West Economic Planning Region 1 5.6 Diagrammatic Industrial Layout. . . . . . 37
1.3 Major Residential Developments since 1945 re-
lated to Merseyside 2 6 Social Facilities
1.4 Centres of Population adjoining the Designated 6.1 Existing Social Facilities. . . . . . . . . 38
Area-1961 Census Figures. 2 6.2 Alternative Primary School Distribution. . . . 40
1.5 Green Belts in the Region. 3 6.3 Alternative Siting for Secondary Schools. . . 40
1.6 The National Motorway System 3 6.4 Ultimate Education Provision. . . . . . . 42
1.7 Main Rail Lines related to Runcorn 3 6.5 Ultimate Health Service Provision. . . . . . 44
1.8 Regional Leisure Facilities. 4
7 Residential Communities and Housing
2 The Site of the New Town 7.1 Walking Survey-Time/Distance. . . . . . 45
2.1 Runcorn- Local Setting. . . . . . . . . 5 7.2 Walking Survey-Gradient/Distance. . . . . 46
2.2 Administrative Boundaries. . . . . . . . 6 7.3 Basic Linear Form of Residential Development. 46
2.3 Geology 8 7.4 Modified Linear Form. . . . . . . . . . 46
2.4 Topography and Landscape. . . . . . . . 9 7.5 Social and Commercial Facilities related to
2.5 SiteAnalysis 11 Population 47
2.6 Existing Land Use. . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.6 Population Related to Walking Distance. . . 48
2.7 Age and Condition of Buildings. . . . . . 15 7.7 Location of Social Facilities with Secondary
2.8 Obstacles to Development. . . . . . . . 15 School Campus at Local Centre. . . . . . 48
2.9 Wind Diagram- Percentage Frequencies of 7.8 Location of Social Facilities with Primary
Direction and Speed 1950-59-Speke . . . . 16 Schools at LocaICentre 48
2.10 Wind Diagram- Percentage Frequencies of 7.9 Subdivision of 8,000 population Community
Direction 1950-59 (November to February) into 2,000 population Neighbourhoods. . . . 49
Speke 16 7.10 Residential Densities within the Communities. 49
2.11 Atmospheric Pollution. . . . . . . . . . 17 7.11 Vehicle movement in Communities. . . . . 50
7.12 Neighbourhood Distributor Road System. . . 50
3 Structure of the New Town 7.13 Pedestrian Movements in Communities. . . . 50
3.1 Linear Community Structure-Alternatives . 19 7.14 Walking Routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.2 Diagram of Town Structure . 20 7.15 Garages and Parking attached to Dwellings. . 51
3.3 Theoretical Town Diagram . 20 7.16 Grouped Garages and Parking detached from
3.4 Diagrammatic Master Plan . 21 Dwellings 51
7.17 Detail of Layout with Garages attached to
4 Population Dwellings 52
4.1 Distribution of Existing Population and 7.18 Detail of Layout with Grouped Garages and
Numbers of Dwellings- Mid 1965 . . . . . . . . . 22 Pedestrian Access to Dwellings. . . . . . 52
4.2 Comparative Age and Household Structures. . 24 7.19 Grouped Parking and Garaging with Combined
4.3 Building Programme. . . . . . . . . . . 25 Pedestrian and Vehicular Access. . . . . . 52
4.4 New Population-Total and Expanding 7.20 Detail of Layout with Grouped Parking and
Households 27 Garaging with Combined Pedestrian and
4.5 Ultimate Distribution of New Population. . . 29 Vehicular Access to Dwellings. . . . . . . 53
7.21 Diagrammatic Community Structure. . . . . 54
5 Industry and Employment 7.22 Adaptation of the Community Structure. . . 55
5.1 Regional Location of Industry.. . 30 7.23 Relationship of the I ndividual to the Community 56
5.2 Number of Insured Workers in the. . 31 7.24 Diagrammatic Layout of Residential Group of
5.3 Region Existing Industry and Employment. 32 100-200 people . . . . . . . . . . . .57
 LIST OF PLANS AND DIAGRAMS

7.25 The Community and its structure of Residential 11.2 Outline Use Plan for the Renewal of the Existing
Groups 57 Centre 95
7.26 Range of Dwelling types showing numbers of 11.3 Suggested Areas for Urban Renewal and
Single and Double Bedrooms. . . . . . . 58 Rehabilitation 96
7.27 Spinal Interpretation of Community Layout. . 59
7.28 Spatial Interpretation of Community Layout. . 60 12 Physical Recreation and Open Space
7.29 Housing on the edge of the Park. . . . . . 60 12.1 Open Space and Landscape Proposals. . . . 99

8 Communications 13 Public Utilities

8.1 Principal Airports in the Region. . . . . . . 62 13.1 Proposed Main Services. . . . . . . . . 104
8.2 Principal Air Routes from Liverpool. . . . . 62
8.3 Growth in Air Services- Liverpool Airport. . . 62 14 The Form and Character of the_Town
8.4 Existing Rail and Shipping Facilities. . . . . 63 14.1 Three Dimensional Interpretation of the
8.5 Existing Bus Services. . . . . . . . . . 64 MasterPlan 106
8.6 Principal Existing Roads in the vicinity of
Runcorn 65 15 Phasing
8.7 Existing and Future Regional Road Pattern. . 65 15.1 Phasing of the New Town. . . . . 111
8.8 The Proposed Road System. . . . . . . . 67 15.2 Road Building Programme . . . . 112
8.9 Through Traffic. . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.10 Rapid Transit System on completely separate Appendix E
track 70 Communications-Predictions and Analysis
8.11 Rapid Transit Layout. Adopted System showing E.1 Traffic Zones and Distribution of Population
frequencies of service in minutes in each direction 70 and Definable Work Places. . . . . . . . 126
8.12 Rapid Transit Bus. . . . . . . . . . . . 72 E.2 Distribution of Predicted Population within
8.13 Speed and Stop spacing relationship for Buses. 72 10milesofRuncorn. . . . . . . . . . .126
8.14 TrafficAssignment.50%Motorisation . . . . 74 E.3 Predicted Traffic Flows. 50% Motorisation
8.15 Traffic Assignment. 85% Motorisation. . . . 74 a.m.peak 128
E.4 Predicted Traffic Flows. 85% Motorisation
9 Shopping a.m.peak 128
9.1 Hierarchy of Shopping Centres in the Region. 75 E.5 Speed and Stop spacing relationship for Buses. 129
9.2 Regional Shopping Centres serving Local Needs 76 E.6 Theoretical Layout for Rapid Transit Route
9.3 Existing Shopping Facilities. . . . . . . . 77 crossing a Feeder Road to Residential Areas. 130
9.4 Proposed Distribution of New Shopping Facilities79 E.7 Modal Split Diversion Curves (Washington
D.C.) for predicting the transit share of
10 The Town Centre journeys to work 131
10.1 Characteristics of the Site of the new E.8 Modal Split Diversion Curves (Washington
TownCentre 84 D.C.) for predicting the transit share of
10.2 External Influences on the Town Centre. . . 84 journeys other than to work or school. . . . . . 132
10.3 Diagrammatic Proposals. . . . . . . . . 86 E.9 Inflow, outflow and parking accumulation for
10.4 Diagrammatic Circulation. . . . . . . . . 90 Saturdays, with 10,000 shopping trips by
10.5 Town Centre Parking Requirements. . . . . 92 car to the Town Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
10.6 Phasing of Town Centre. . . . . . . . . 91
Master Plan folds out at end of book.

11 Urban Renewal and Rehabilitation
11.1 Land Use in the Existing Town Centre. . . .
Some of the illustrations in this Report are additional to those
required for the Master Plan by the Ministry of Housing and Local
93
Government and are included by way of explanation of the
principles of the Plan.
Introduction

Runcorn is being developed as a New Town of 90,000 population

to provide additional employment and new housing for people
from the North Merseyside area. Under the 'industrial selection
scheme' people from this area who obtain employment in the New
Town will be eligible for new houses in Runcorn. To allow for
contingencies and limited future expansion, the Master Plan has
been designed on the basis of an ultimate population of 100,000.
The design and construction of the New Town provides an
opportunity to advance the art and science of town planning for the
purpose of creating a new environment and a new community for
people moving into the town as well as for those already living
there.

The starting point for any new town project must be human needs
and the aim must be to foster the establishment of an integrated
community in which all sections of society are anxious to play their
part. New techniques in planning and building should enable these
needs and aims to be met more rapidly than has been possible in
the past and the challenge is to use these techniques to create a
lively urban environment which raises the quality of housing whilst
meeting economic necessities.
A major objective must be to achieve a unity and a balance
between
all the elements of the town; between population and employment,
between housing and social services, between urbanity and
landscape, between public and private transport and between
utility and amenity.

Runcorn is one of the first new towns to propose a planned

balance between public and private transport. This resulted from a
desire to make all parts of the town accessible from one another,
so that a genuine feeling would develop of belongingto atown with
a close-knitcommunity feeling, apart from the obvious desirability
of providing quick travel about the town. Consideration of the
possibility of developing the town
on the basis of a 'walking town' or as a fully 'motorised' town were
rejected because of the extensive nature of the area and the likely
sense of isolation for non-car owners respectively, thus leading to
the choice of this balance between public and private transport.
The New Town also offers an opportunity to avoid separate
solutions to inter-related problems by bringing together all the
contributors to the design of the town, so that a unity of form is
created.
In Runcorn there is a particular need to achieve unification
between old and new, to take advantage of the unique physical
and landscape features of the site, to meet the challenge
presented by the numerous obstacles to development and so to
programme the construction that at each stage the town gives a
satisfactory basis for the growth of a vigorous and contented
community. At the same time it is necessary to look r
forward to changing methods of industrial production leading to
greater automation, to new forms of housing and shopping
requiring greater adaptability in buildings, to changing needs of
the population with increasing demand for recreational and
cultural facilities and to new developments in means of transport
which calls for a measure of flexibility in the Plan. An endeavour
has been made to put forward proposals which will provide a
sound basis for solving these present and future problems.
In presenting this Master Plan for -Runcorn New Town, help and
advice is gratefully acknowledged from many sources; in particular
from the general public and representatives of organisations who
have expressed their views on the Draft Master Plan; from
Government Departments; from the Local Authorities and
organisations concerned with Runcorn and its future; the General
Manager and Staff of Crosville Motor Services Limited and from the
Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Members, as well as the General
Manager, Chief Officers and Staff of the Runcorn Development
Corporation.

A.L.

91.2 North West Economic Planning Region.
The North West in relation to the other eight
regions asdefined in 1965.
1
National
and
Regional
Setting
1.1 Runcorn is situated on the south bank of the
River Mersey in Cheshire at the point where the
river narrows to form the first natural site for a
bridge crossing. It forms virtually a part of the
Merseyside conurbation as only some 4 miles
separate the Designated Area from the edge of
the built-up area of Liverpool. The centre of the
New Town area is about 14 miles from the centre
of Liverpool, 9 miles from the centre of Warrington
and 16 miles from the centre of Chester. It is
within the North West Economic Planning
Region* (Figs. 1.1 and 1.2). The New Town will
inevitably have close social and economic
relationships with Liverpool and other nearby
urban centres and these will affect the scale of
social and shopping facilities to be provided in
Runcorn itself.
1.2 The past decade has seen a significant
upsurge in the prosperity of Merseyside, brought
about largely by the Government's policy to divert
many of the newer growth industries to this area.
As a result of this the area, and Liverpool in
particular, has gained considerably in status
relative to the rest of the country.
1.3 The designation of Runcorn as a New Town
forms part of a policy since the war for relieving
the housing and employment problems in the
Merseyside area. The interpretation of this policy
has advanced from the development of
peripheral sites on the edge of Liverpool to Town
Development schemes and more recently to the
designation of the new towns of Skelmersdale
and Runcorn. (Fig. 1.3). Further possibilities for
the movement of population in the N.W. Region
as a whole are being investigated at
WarringtonjRisley and LeylandjChorley. The
recommended Designated Area for Warrington
immediately adjoins the northeastern corner of
the Designated Area of Runcorn.
* "The North West - A Regional Study" - Department of
Economic Affairs - H.M.S.D. 1965.
1
 o New Towns (New Towns Acts 1946 and
1965) Skelmersdale and Runcorn
under construction. Warrington-Risley
and Leyland-Chorley
consideration.
under

o Expanded Towns (Town Development

Act 1952).

o Smaller scale housing schemes on the

periphery of Liverpool.

The Consultant's Report" suggests an increase in

population from the present 147,000, of which
120,000 are in the present Warrington County
Borough, to 202,000 by 1991 .

1.4 With the industrial selection scheme, the

people coming to the New Town from Liverpool
and North Merseyside will, in the first instance,
work in Runcorn but it is probable that the
competition from established industry on
Merseyside,

Iincluding the new motor works at Speke,

Halewood and Ellesmere Port, will eventually lead
to commuting to and from the New Town, and this
must be taken into account in the Master Plan.

1.5 The New Town itself is likely to bring

increasing demands for residential development
in the surrounding villages (Fig. 1.4), whilst the
future construction of the North Cheshire
motorway (M.56) will lead to further pressures for
industrial development on Frodsham Marshes. To
the east, it is desirable that the undeveloped area
of considerable landscape value should remain
betweenRuncorn and Warrington so that the two
towns maintain an industrial and community
identity within the greater Merseyside area and
retain adequate areas of recreation and amenity.
It is desirable that the green belt at present
included in the Cheshire County Council's
Development Plan

. "Expansion of Warrington" - The Austin

Smith/Salmon/ Lord Partnership- H.M.S.C. 1966.

2
should be augmented so that it extends
eastwards from Frodsham Marshes to the south-
eastern outskirts of Warrington. (Fig. 1.5).

1.6 Runcorn is well sited in relation to the regional

road system and other transport facilities. The
M.6 motorway lies a few miles to the east.
Eventually, the M.56 motorway connecting
Manchester with North Wales will link with the M.6
via a route crossing the south-east corner of the
Designated Area. The relationship of Runcorn to
the national motorway system is indicated in Fig.
1.6. The biggest regional traffic problem in
relation to Runcorn is the crossing of the River
Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal as the
RuncornjWidnes bridge is the only road crossing
between Liverpool and Warrington.

1.7 The New Town is on the recently electrified

Liverpool-Crewe-London rail line, being at the first
railway bridge crossing of the Mersey and is
served by many of the principal Liverpool-London
expresses, including the Pullman services, as
well as by local stopping trains (Fig. 1.7). In 1967,
there will also be a direct connection between
Runcorn and Birmingham and the West Midlands
by electric train. A limited number of trains
between Liverpool and Chester also stop at
Runcorn station. Liverpool Airport at Speke is
only some 5 miles from the RuncornjWidnes
Bridge. The Manchester

3
 Ship Canal passes along the northern and
western boundaries of the Designated Area and
serves the Runcorn Docks. Within and adjoining
the area are also the Bridgewater Canal, the
Weaver Navigation Canal and the Trent and
Mersey Canal.

1.8 Runcorn is within easy reach by car and

public transport of four National Parks;
Snowdonia, the Peak District, the Lake District
and the Yorkshire Dales. Outdoor leisure activities
are also catered for on the North Wales and
Lancashire coasts in addition to the Delamere
Forest and the nearby Cheshire countryside.
Locally, Frodsham Hill and Helsby Head are
popular scenic attractions. (Fig. 1.8).

4
2
The Site
of the
New Town

2.1 In 1964 an area of approximately 7,250 acres

having an existing total population of about
30,000, was designated as the site of the New
Town. It measures about 4t miles from east to
west and about 3 miles from north to south at the
widest points. The northern and western
boundaries are defined by the Manchester Ship
Canal and Weaver Navigation Canal, whilst the
remainder of the eastern and southern
boundaries are defined by railway lines. The site
of the New Town and its immediate surroundings
are shown in Fig. 2.1. The

5
6
1 2
Aerial view of Runcorn with the railway station in Panoramic view from Halton looking east with the
the foreground and road and rail crossings of the future town park in the middle distance and
River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. Norton water tower on the right.
(The Transporter Bridge on the right no longer
exists.)

7
site is partly in the Runcorn Urban District and
partly in the Runcorn Rural District. (Fig. 2.2).

Geology
2.2 The geological foundation of the site consists
of permo-triassic rocks with a partial overlay of
glacial drift. The distribution of the different types
of solid rock is largely determined by extensive
faulting which has resulted in a north-south
outcrop of keuper sandstone in the west and an
east-west arrangement of fragmented outcrops of
keuper sandstone and waterstones. North and
west of these outcrops are extensive deposits of
boulder clay and blown sand, with alluvium south
of the Mersey between Runcorn and Moore. Most
of the south-eastern part of the site consists of
keuper marl with some boulder clay and glacial
sands and gravels. The geological structure of
the site presents no major difficulties for the
construction of the town. (Fig. 2.3).

8
Topography and Landscape
2.3 There is a considerable variation in
topography with the land rising from sea level to
over 300 feet (Fig. 2.4). The principal high points
are Runcorn Hill, 262 feet; Halton Hill, 337 feet
and Windmill Hill, 231 feet. There is an almost
level plain in the north, corresponding to the
alluvium of the Mersey Valley. There are some old
quarries and sandpits within the site but all
mineral workings and quarrying have now
ceased.

2.4 In both landscape and land-use there is a

broad contrast between the built-up western part
of the site and the rural eastern part. The
undeveloped eastern part of the area, where most
of the New Town development will take place, is
characterised by a number of ridges running
roughly on a north-south line forming shallow
valleys between. (Fig. 2.5). At the northern and
north -eastern extremity the land falls sharply to the

9
flat plain bordering the Mersey and to the south it
slopes gradually to the Cheshire plain. Most of
the area consists of undulating farmland divided
by field patterns. There are some substantial
woodlands, notably at Windmill Hill, Murdishaw
Wood and east of Halton. The contours of the
land enable extensive views of the surrounding
area to be obtained. The existing built-up area of
the town is interspersed with several substantial open
spaces of varied use, principally Runcorn Hill, Runcorn
10
Heath, Stenhills, the Cemetery and the Town Hall
grounds. These do not, however, form a
continuous open space system.
Built-up Area
2.5 Within the town, industry is concentrated
around the northern, western and southern edges
beside the Manchester Ship Canal, River Weaver
and Bridgewater Canal. A major exception to this
is the I.C.I. Mond Division offices and laboratories
at Heath Road. There has been an outward
growth of residential areas from the present
centre of the town which is located in the north-
west part of the Designated Area. Until recently,
the principal industries were chemicals and
tanning. I.C.I. Limited, with works on the western
edge of the town, is now the principal employer
as there has been a marked decline in the
tanning industry in the town since the last war. A
start has already been made on the renewal of
the outworn centre of the town

11
with new shopping development together with a
residential redevelopment scheme on the
northern edge of the centre adjoining the
Manchester Ship Canal. Details of the existing
development in the Designated Area are given on
the land Use Map (Fig. 2.6) and the Age and
Condition of Buildings Map (Fig. 2.7).
12
2.6 The significant dates in the history of Runcorn
and its surrounding area are given at the
beginning of this Report. There are 61 buildings
within the Designated Area which are included in
the provisional lists of buildings of architectural
and historic interest. Three of these are ancient
monuments: Halton Castle; the Cross, Weston;
and Norton Priory.
Agriculture
2.7 The farm land beyond the built-up area
consists predominantly of large arable fields
producing cereal, root crops and grass in
rotation. The production of milk supported by
these crops provides the largest single source of
farm income. There are about 60 agricultural
holdings wholly or partly in the Designated Area.

13
14
Obstacles to Development
2.8 The development of the site is complicated
and influenced by many natural and man-made
features, including particularly the network of
railway lines and pipe lines (Fig. 2.8). The
Bridgewater Canal, which follows the contours,
defines the northern and eastern edges of the
higher ground. The Vyrnwy and Dee acquaducts,
chemical and oil pipelines and overhead
electricity transmission lines traverse the site. It
will be necess\Jry to re-route or to place
underground the overhead high tension
electricity lines in order to secure a reasonable
environment for the New Town.

Climate
2.9 The climate of the south-west Lancashirewest
Cheshire region is characterised by a relatively
mild wet winter. The spring and the beginning of
the summer are dry. The late summer and
autumn are often warm and damp. The proximity
of the North Wales mountain mass results in
lower rainfall and more extreme temperatures in
Cheshire. On a local scale, the topography of the
site, its proximity to the wide sweep of the Mersey
Estuary and the distribution of sand and clay
surfaces results in differences in temperatures,
rainfall and wind conditions within the site.
However, no detailed local records are available
to enable these to be defined.

Table 2.1 Mean Temperatures 1963/65

Bidston, Brackneli,
Cheshire Berkshire

Mean annual
temperature 9.2°C (48.5°F) 9.3°C (48.7°F)
Mean maximum
temperature 11.8°C (53.2°F) 13.1°C (55.5°F)
Mean minimum
temperature 6.6°C (44.0°F) 5.5°C (41.9°F)

15
 2.10 The figures in Table 2'1 compare the mean
temperatures for the three-year period 1963/65
recorded by the meteorological station at Bidston
in the Wirral area of Cheshire, where the climate
is comparable with Runcorn, with those recorded
at the Meteorological Office at Bracknell New
Town, where the climate is typical of the south of
England.

The annual rainfall in the Runcorn area is about

28.6 inches, which is more than at Bracknell
(28.23 inches), but less than for the north-west
generally, which ranges between 30 and 34
inches. This illustrates the effect of the North
Wales mountain mass.

2.11 The nearest place to Runcorn for which

detailed wind data is available is Liverpool Airport
at Speke. In the opinion of the Meteorological
Office, this data will apply generally to the
Runcorn area. The annual frequency of direction
of all winds over a fO-year period (1950-1959) is
indicated in the wind diagram (Fig. 2.9) showing
an overall prevailing wind from the north-west.
However, the prevailing wind during the four
months November to February, when
atmospheric polution is at its greatest, is from the
south-east. (Fig. 2.10). This is significant as the
winter prevailing wind is from the Cheshire
countryside, rather than from the industrial areas
to the north and west of Runcorn.

Atmospheric Pollution
2.12 Daily measurements of solid impurities and
sulphur dioxide are now being carried out by the
Runcorn Urban District Council at two stations
within the existing built-up area. One of these was
established in April, 1963, and the second in
January, 1965. Further stations will be established
within the New Town. The daily average readings
of these two stations indicate that at the existing
Town Centre, both the smoke and sulphur dioxide
content of 220 and 223 milligrammes/sq. metre
respectively are above the national average for
built-up areas of 200 milligrammes per sq. metre
for each per day. On the other hand the readings
at the Town Hall of 114 and 143 milligrammes/sq.
metre respectively, are considerably less than the
national averages. (Fig. 2.11).

16
17
3
Structure
of the
New Town
3.1The structure and form of the New Town has
been evolved after consideration of both human
and technical requirements in relation to the
physical characteristics of the site. The
topography has influenced the location of the
major new industrial areas on the edge of the
town, where the land is flatter, with the new
residential areas on the higher undulating land to
the east of the existing town. The new residential
areas are planned around a central park which
takes advantage of some of the best quality
landscape features of the site. A new Town Centre
is located at the centre of population gravity and
the geographical heart of the Designated Area.
Rapid Transit Route with typical pedestrian
underpass.
3.2 In order to cater for the increasing mobility
demanded in an urban area, early consideration
was given to the physical structure of the new
town necessary to give good accessibility to all
parts of the town. This could be achieved in three
ways: firstly, by a planned balance between the
use of the private car and public transport;
secondly, by planning for a high degree of use of
the private car; or thirdly, by designing a compact
town where it would be possible for everyone to
walk to the town centre and places of work. The
18
third possibility of designing the town on a
"walking basis" was rejected as impracticable.
The spread of the existing town, with its
population of some 27,000, and the need to
increase this to at least 90,000 would make
walking distances far too great. To design the
town dominantly for the motor car would require
the maximum expenditure on highways to cater
for peak-period traffic and a more extensive
provision of car parking spaces at the Town
Centre and in the industrial areas. In addition,
public transport operating on all-purpose roads
would be little used and therefore it would be
uneconomic to operate a frequent service. This
would cause a sense of social isolation for those
without the use of a car, such as children and old
people, and also members of the family to whom
the car is not available at a particular time.
3.3 A planned balance between the use of the
private car and public transport overcomes the
limitations of either a "walking" or a "motoring"
town and this forms the basis of the transport
proposals in this Master Plan. A linear
arrangement of the new residential communities,
on either side of a spinal public transport route,
has been evolved so that the majority of people
will be within five minutes walking distance, or
500 yards, of a route which is especially reserved
for buses. This distance is considered to be the
maximum which car owners are prepared to walk
to a public transport system. A linear form of
development has the advantage of a minimum
length public transport route serving a constant
density of population on either side. The
requirement of five minutes maximum walking
time to the public transport system coincides with
similar desirable maximum distances to the local
shopping and community facilities. Local centres
have therefore been planned along the public
transport route at approximately t mile intervals to
serve a series of communities, each having a
population of 8,000. Complementary to this
public transport system, a road network is
proposed for private motor cars and other
vehicles, consisting of an expressway road
outside
the residential communities, with distributor
roads to the residential areas.

3.4 Several forms of public transport system were

considered, including the tram and various types
of monorail, but the use of Iow-floor single-deck
buses operating on a special track was finally
chosen as providing the most efficient and
economic service available at present. Several
different layouts of the public transport route and
road network based on the linear concept were
compared before the final solution was selected
(Fig. 3.1). These are described below in order to
emphasise the reasons for the final choice.
1. The buses could operate on the residential
distributor roads linking the local centres, with an
expressway road on the outer edge of the
housing areas. If the distributor roads were
sufficiently direct, however, to make the bus
service economic and attractive, normal traffic
would also use these roads rather than the
expressway system for journeys within the town.
This would result in congestion within the
residential areas.
2. Loop roads leading from the expressway
system could carry bus services through the
communities. This would be relatively
uneconomic to operate and very unattractive to
passengers, because of the devious route and
extra mileage and time involved.
3. The buses could operate on an expressway
forming the spine of the residential areas. This
would disrupt and be detrimental to the
communities, particularly bearing in mind the
regional heavy-lorry traffic expected to use the
expressway. People would in this case be living
on either side of a main traffic artery.
4. "Buses-only" connections could link the
communities so that ordinary traffic would be
deflected to the expressway and the buses would
operate a "spinal" service within the residential
area. Although an improvement on the above,
this has the disadvantage of the buses
continuously alternating between different types
of road, some with normal traffic and others
without. This would still not give a fast and
uninterrupted service.
5. The adopted solution, which gives the most
favourable treatment for public transport, uses a
separate rapid transit track reserved for buses,
with an expressway for other motor traffic outside
the residential areas. This system has the
additional advantage that any form of public
transport could ultimately be used in the layout.

3.5 The application of the linear principle to the

topography of the Designated Area leads naturally
to the "figure-of-.eight" plan shown diagram

19
 matically in Fig. 3.2. The Town Centre is at the
intersection of the "figure-of-eight", the residential
areas are on either side of the public transport
route and the industrial areas are on the edges of
the town. An expressway system encircles the
town, serving inwards to the town centre and the
residential areas, and outwards to industry and
the regional road system. The form of town which
has emerged for Runcorn, could be developed
further as a theoretical concept with all the main
elements of the town, including industry, on either
side of the public transport route. This solution
would provide the most efficient relationship
between the residential areas, the town centre
and the places of work. (Fig. 3.3). However, the
topography of the Runcorn site and other
limitations, such as the requirements of industrial
location, have demanded a particular
interpretation of the theory.

3.6 The sub-division of the residential areas into

communities, neighbourhoods and residential
groups is based on the social requirements of the
population. The walking distance to local
community facilities including the bus picking-up
points has led to an optimum size for these
communities, based on the 500 yards (5 minutes)
walking distance. Together with the density of
development of 70 persons per acre net, this has
led in general to the adoption of individual
communities of 8,000 population, which
themselves are sub-divided into smaller
neighbourhoods of approximately 2,000 persons.
The neighbourhoods in turn consist of a series of
residential groups of 100-200 persons.

3.7 The town centre is sited south of Halton in the

best position to serve the whole town. Compared
with the development and expansion of the
existing town centre, this location will avoid the
concentration of traffic near the Runcorn-Widnes
Bridge, avoid unnecessary disturbance, and give
adequate space for all the requirements of a
modern town centre requiring multi-level
servicing and car parking facilities. However, at
the same time, an intensified programme of
urban renewal and rehabilitation is proposed for
the existing town centre which will become a
district centre serving the north-western part of
the New Town, with a more compact area of
shopping surrounded by a substantial new
housing redevelopment scheme.

3.8 An integrated open space system for the town

as a whole is proposed. The central town park,
which takes advantage of some of the tinest
landscape of the site, links the town centre with
the local centres, and slopes northwards towards
the Manchester Ship Canal. Within this park,
buildings for recreational and cultural activities
will be located. A landscaped parkway around
part of the

20
town contains the expressway and separates the
residential areas from industry. The aim has been
to provide greenways between all the various
parts of the open space system giving continuity
in landscape throughout the town and
incorporating as far as possible the existing trees,
woodlands and other natural features.
3.9 The main existing industry lies on the town's
western edge adjoining the Manchester Ship
Canal. New industrial areas for general and light
industry are located at Astmoor in the north and
at Dutton in the south-east. A new chemical plant
for I.C.I. is planned to the north-east with an open
space and an area of "special control" separating
it from the residential areas. Small-scale light
service industry is planned on the edges of the
residential areas or associated with the local
centres.
3.10 The Master Plan evolved is shown in outline
form in Fig. 3.4. The component parts of the Plan
are analysed in the following sections of this
Report.
21
22
4
Population

Existing Population Distribution

4.1 The total population within the Designated
Area of the New Town was approximately 30,000
in 1965 with 27,500 in the Runcorn Urban District
and about 2,200 in the part of the Runcorn Rural
District within the New Town.
The present population distribution within the
Area is illustrated in Fig. 4.1. Between 1951 and
1965 changes in this distribution have been
taking place. There has been an outward spread
of residential development from the older core of
the town with further development in the Runcorn
Rural District and particularly at Halton and
Moore. Between these two dates there has been
a total population increase of about 4,000 in the
Urban District area.

4.2 Within the Runcorn Urban District there are

three distinct areas extending outwards from the
existing centre whose age, physical environment
and population structure are markedly different.

1. In the Mersey and Bridgewater wards of the

town, the housing consists of 19th century
terraces. Most of the Urban District Council's slum
clearance programme has taken place in these
Wards. Between 1951 and 1961 the population of
Mersey ward declined by nearly 2,000 people
and in Bridgewater ward by over 1,200 people.
The average occupancy rates are below 3
persons per dwelling. There has been a
deterioration in the condition of property as well
as a decline in population but recent
redevelopment schemes of the Urban District
Council are reversing these trends and
contributing to a more satisfactory environment.
2. In the Victoria ward and parts of Halton and
Heath wards the population declined between
1951 and 1961, although not so rapidly as in the
inner wards. In 1961 occupancy rates were near
the average for the town as a whole although the
Halton Ward was an exception due to extensive
new housing developments. Since 1961 the
population of these areas has grown slowly as a
result of infilling development.

23
3. The newer areas of the town have grown
considerably since 1951. For example, by 1961
the population of Grange ward had increased by
over 4,000. The average occupancy rate in the
Runcorn U.D.C. area at the time of the 1961
Census was 3.09 persons per dwelling, while in
Grange ward it was nearly 3.5. Development in
Grange ward has been largely carried out by the
Local Authority, while in Heath ward, much of the
recent housing development has been by private
enterprise.

Population Structure
4.3 The present age and household structure of
the Runcorn Urban and Rural Districts compared
with equivalent figures of England and Wales and
the established New Towns is shown in Fig. 4.2.
While the existing Runcorn structure corresponds
closely to the national average, there is a marked
contrast with the New Town average.

4.4 The structure of the incoming population will

largely be determined by the method of industrial
selection. Experience has shown that this
normally produces a population dominated by
young skilled workers (in the 20-49 years age
group) and their families. In the earlier new towns
approximately half of their immigrant populations
were between the ages of 20 and 40 and over a
quarter below the age of 1 O. By comparison the
proportions of the teenagers and the over forties
were small. Such a population structure produces
an abnormally large school population in the first
10/15 years period followed by a similarly
abnormal demand for employment within the
town and then by a housing demand from
second generation families. These bulges in
demand are continued to some extent by the
second generation of families. The rate of
building is a major factor influencing the
population structure. Rapid building programmes
have the disadvantage of intensifying the effects
of an imbalanced structure and can place great
strain, initially, on the social provisions. If it were
possible to spread the period of development
over a period of say, 25-30 years, many of these
problems would not arise. This, however, would
largely defeat the objective of the New Town to
meet the urgent population pressures on
Merseyside and such a slow growth would not be
economically sound. The wave-like form of the
population age structure must therefore be
allowed for in planning the growth and nature of
the New Town.

Population Projections
4.6 An initial target suggested by the Ministry of
Housing and Local Government at the time of
designation was an expansion of population to
70,000 over a period of 1 2 years. Studies have
been made of the means by which this could be

24
achieved.
To assess the effects of the population growth in
the town, a series of projections to 70,000 were
produced based on 8, 10, and 15 year building
programmes as well as the Ministry's suggestion
of 12 years. The selection of the programme best
suited to the circumstances of Runcorn was
influenced by the following considerations:

1. The desirability of relieving the housing

problem of Merseyside as quickly as
possible.
2. The need to maintain a satisfactory
momentum of industrial growth.
3. The achievement of an early build-up of
population to enable the town centre to be
commenced and social facilities to be
provided at a reasonably early date on an
economic basis.
4. An assessment of potential building re
sources available.
5. The implications of a changing
population structure on the provision of
schools and other social facilities.

4.7 The 12-year programme (Fig. 4.3) was found

to be the fastest practical programme which
could be achieved without placing undue strain
on the provision of social facilities. The
assumption made in preparing the projections
derived from past experience and research were:

1. The estimate of the existing population was

based on the 1961 Census projected to 1966. At
this date the population is estimated to be 30,000.
2. The composite age/sex structure given in the
following table 4.1 was derived from data on the
immigrant families in Skelmersdale New Town
and the overspill schemes at Winsford and
Swindon. The average family size was assumed
to be 3.5 persons.

Table 4.1 The Assumed Age/Sex Structure

Age Group Male Female Total %
0-4 9.4 9.2 18.6
5-9 6.5 6.4 12.9
10-14 3.8 3.7 7.5
15-19 3.0 3.0 6.0
20-24 4.7 6.7 11.4
25-29 7.0 6.6 13.6
30-34 5.1 4.3 9.4
35-39 4.1 2.5 6.6
40-44 2.5 2.5 5.0
45-49 1.6 1.3 2.9
50-54 1.0 0.9 1.9
55-59 0.8 0.9 1.7
60-64 0.1 0.3 0.4
Over 65 0.6 1.5 2.1

25
3. In addition to the provision of dwellings for old
persons forming 2-3% of the normal new town
immigrant intake, an additional provision of 12t%
of new dwellings has been made from 1971
onwards. On this assumption, by 1977 15% of the
total stock of dwellings would be suitable for old
people. Subsequently the normal ageing of the
population would result in an increasing
proportion of these dwellings being occupied by
old persons.
4. During the first 12-year period 50% of the
estimated second generation marriages could be
accommodated and thereafter 100%.
5. Mortality rates 10% below the average for
England and Wales were assumed for the
immigrant population. The Age-Specific Fertility
rates for the N.W. Region were assumed
throughout. This is 105.7 live births per 1,000
women aged 15-44, compared with 89.4 for
England and Wales as a whole (1961 Census).
6. It was assumed that 5% of the immigrant
population would leave each year and be
replaced by further immigrant families. Emigrants
were assumed to have an older age structure
than immigrants and a household size of 3.7
persons.

4.8 Initially the projections only covered the

period 1966/86 but the projection based on the
12-year building programme was extended to
1996 when the population is estimated to reach
100,000. This projection (given in full in Appendix
A, Tables A 1 and A2) is summarised in theTable
below.

Table 4.2 Population Projection Summary, 1966-1996

1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Total population (including 30,000 47,800 72,500 80,300 85,700 92,400 100,000
existing town)

Total Households 9,800 14,800 21,900 24.700 26,300 28,200 30,000

Average household size3.1 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3

Figures relate to the beginning of each year.

Household Projections
4.9 For the housing programmes for the first and
subsequent residential areas, the projection has
been developed in greater detail to indicate the
composition of households likely to be found
among the incoming population and the range of
dwelling types required to accommodate them.
Accepting the assumptions upon which the
projection was based certain significant
conclusions have emerged from this study :

26
1. In 1971 66% of all households will be
expanding and hence will require housing which
can provide space for family growth.
2. In the long term, that is after 1981, expanding
households will decline in number but after an
interval of approximately 10 years a second
expansion wave may occur as a result of second
generation marriages. (Fig. 4.4).
3. A broad conclusion of the forecast is that the
greatest demand will be for family dwellings, with
over 50% being of the 3/4 person type. There will
also be a significant proportion (about 20%) of
larger families throughout the immigration period
requiring houses suitable for five or more
persons.

4.10 Housing a population composed of

expanding households can be effected in a
variety of ways. It is possible to build a range of
average size dwellings (say 3/4 bedrooms)
accepting initially underoccupation and some
over-crowding where large families are housed,
or alternatively, a wider range of dwellings could
be built with families moving from house to house
as their size and needs change. There is also the
possibility that constructionally flexible dwellings
might provide a solution, allowing alterations and
additions to be planned as and when required.
From the population projections, a housing
programme can be developed which relates
family requirements to dwelling size, the nature of
the family, expanding, static or contracting, *
determining the type of unit provided. Some
under-occupation will occur initially where
additional space in the home is provided for
expanding families, but this method has the virtue
of creating stability in a new community. The
problem still remains, however, of securing,
ultimately, a balanced household structure and if
gaps can be left in the layout and used
temporarily for other purposes, it will be possible
to provide additional accommodation for the
smaller households including older people at a
later date.

4.11 As a basis for the building programme, the

immigrant households were first classified by
type, Le. expanding, static or contracting. The
high proportion of expanding families and its
fluctuation is indicated in the following Table 4.3.

Table 4.3 Immigrant Population Households

Year (commencement) 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996

Total households 4,600 11,500 13,700 14,900 16,300 18,000

Expanding 3.060 6.720 7,300 6.400 6,300 7.750
Average household size 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4

27
4.12 The reliability of the translation of the
population projection into households by type
and size decreases the farther one goes into the
future and such translation has therefore been
curtailed at 1986. The proportion of household
types is given in Table 4.4.
Table 4.4 Classification of Households
Household Year (commencement)
The application of these assumptions to the
distribution of households by type and size over
the 20-year period 1966/86 has made it possible
to calculate the dwelling types required to house
the population (Appendix A, Table A.4). This has
enabled an accommodation schedule to be
developed up to 1971 (Table 4.6) as the basis for
the early building programme. This will be
modified in the light of information gained from
the actual inward flow of immigrant families.

type 1971 1976 1981 1986 Implementation

Expanding 66% 58% 53% 42% 4.15 Responsibility for building the houses will be
Static 28% 29% 34% 41% divided between the Development Corporation
Contracting 6% 13% 13% 17% and private enterprise. In addition to the major
building programme, it is expected that the
4.13 In matching families to dwellings the size Runcorn Urban District Council will continue to
and type of each household has been predicted meet the demand for housing in the existing town
using a method pioneered by Ruth Glass and F. as the population grows. It is desirable that the
G. Davidson * modified and developed for housing programmes of the Urban District
application to the population model constructed Council and the Development Corporation
for Runcorn. The resulting distribution of should be co-ordinated and discussions for this
households by size is shown in Table 4.5. purpose will be held.

Table 4.5 - Distribution of Households by Size Future Population Distribution

Persons per Households 4.16 Within the Designated Area most of the
Type of ( Percentages) existing residential areas, covering approximately
Household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+ 690 acres, will remain. It is estimated, however,
Expanding - 18 31 29 13 6 3 that due to roadworks and redevelopment
Stationary 630 19 20 12 7 6 approximately 5,200 people will be displaced by
Contracting 19 27 36 13 4 1 - the plan and will need to be re-housed. This
includes an area of about 50 acres in the existing
town centre which will be affected by urban
4.14 The information in Tables 4.4 and 4.5 has renewal proposals.
been further extended to give details of the 4.17 In the plan some 1,160 acres of land have
distribution of households by type and size for the been made available for new housing. This is
20 year period to 1986. (Fig. 4.5 and Appendix A, sufficient to house the additional population up to
Table A.3). The allocation of bed spaces to a total of 100,000. However, it is recognised that
dwellings and households has been based on the in translating statistics and standards into
following assumptions : threedimensional designs on varied sites the
maximum numbers will not always be achieved
1. Married couples share a double bedroom. 2. and to meet this loss a contingency has been
Other persons in the household occupy a single included. The following Table gives details of the
bedroom up to a maximum of two single residential areas in different categories and the
bedrooms in any house. populations housed, while Fig. 4.5 indicates the
3. Spare bedrooms are allocated as follows: ultimate distribution of population in the New
i. Expanding households without children: Town.
50% to have 1 spare bedroom.
Table 4.7 - Residential land Use
50% to have 2 spare bedrooms.
ii. Expanding households with 3 or 4 persons Acres Population
to have 1 spare bedroom. Existing residential
iii. 3 and 4 persons static and contracting to remain 694 24,800
households: Urban Renewal 50 3,850
30% to have 1 spare bedroom. New Housing 1,160 76.400
iv. Married couples in static and contracting 1,904 105,050
households without children: 20% to have 1
spare bedroom. Average net density of new housing 66 persons
per acre Average net density of all housing 55
persons per acre

28
29
 5
Industry
and
Employment

The Regional Employment Situation

5.1 Runcorn should become a particularly
attractive location for new industry because of the
suitability of sites, the availability of labour and its
excellent communications. In particular, the M.6
motorway and the new British Rail electrified
Liverpool-Crewe-London line provide extremely
good connections to all parts of the country.

5.2 Industries considering establishing

themselves in the North-West are offered
assistance by the Board of Trade and the
Lancashire and Merseyside Industrial
Development Association (LAMIDA). In the first
instance this consists of information on all
possible sites in the Region, including Runcorn.
The Designated Area of the New Town is within a
Development Area defined by the Board of Trade
under the Industrial Development Act, 1966 (Fig.
5.1). I ndustrialists developing at Runcorn will be
eligible for Board of Trade grants for buildings,
plant and machinery.

5.3 The recent growth in employment in the older

industrial areas of Britain, such as Merseyside,
has been much slower than for the nation as a
whole. Between 1953 and 1963 the number of
employees working in the North-West Region
increased by 1.8%, compared with 9.1 % for
Great Britain as a whole. At the same time there
was a sharp fall in the numbers employed in
certain old established industries such as coal
mining, ship building and textiles. In the nine
Ministry of Labour regions, only Scotland had a
lower percentage increase.

5.4 In the Runcorn Employment Exchange Area

the numbers employed between 1954 and 1959
decreased, particularly in the traditional leather
tanning industry, but since 1959 the situation has
changed and the numbers employed have
increased by 11 %, which is slightly more than the

30
national average, whereas in the Region as a
whole in the period 1953-1963 there was an
increase of less than 2%.

5.5 The older manufacturing industries on

Merseyside have provided little extra employment
since 1954 but an estimated 30,000 new jobs
have come from the establishment of new
industries,including the motor factories at
Halewood, Speke and Ellesmere Port. Again,
since 1959 there has been a contraction of
certain older industries. The distribution of
existing industries and employment on
Merseyside is shown in Figs. 5.1 & 5.2. Service
industries have tended to fluctuate with the
national economy, but employment in these has
been generally high, although lower than the
national average. Employment in these industries
now provides over 60% of the jobs on
Merseyside. However, unemployment in the
Merseyside area has continued at more than
twice the national average.

5.6 After the initial period when new workers will

be tied to Runcorn through the industrial
selection policy, the existing industries of the
region, especially the newly established ones, will
be competing with Runcorn for the skilled and
semi-skilled workers, who are scarce on
Merseyside despite relatively high
unemployment. Many factors will influence this,
including the type of industrial development and
type of available labour. The establishment of the
Ford Factory at Halewood has apparently had
little effect on the "casual" or unemployable
sections of the labour force, but has attracted
labour away from existing employers who have
had to look elsewhere and also to train unskilled
men. Industrial re-training is essential to the
success of measures to use labour to the full and
avoid unnecessary movements of the skilled
workers already satisfactorily employed.

5.7 The movement of workers in and out of

Runcorn will be facilitated by the electrified rail
service, the newly opened Widnes-Speke
dualcarriageway road (A.562) and the future M.56
motorway linking Runcorn with both Ellesmere
Port and Warrington. The opening of the A.562
has brought the Ford Motor Works at Halewood,
which already employs over 8,000 people, within
a 10-15 minute journey by car from the Runcornj
Widnes road bridge. Other nearby factories
connected with the motor industry include
Vauxhall Motors at Ellesmere Port and
StandardTriumph and Dunlop at Speke. There
are also LC.L plants, the Shell installations at
Stanlow, British Insulated Callenders Cables (B.LC.C.)
at Helsby, Fisons at Widnes and many other plants in
this large industrial concentration within commuting
distance of the New Town. In addition, if new

31
 industry is developed at Warrington/Risley this is
likely to attract some labour from Runcorn.

5.8 It must be emphasised that this "exchange" of

workers is not necessarily objectionable on a
longer-term basis. Runcorn, although conceived
as a new town to give employment mainly to
those who will live there, cannot be considered in
isolation from its regional context. In the early
stages the industries in the new town require
workers having housing accommodation in the
town and the regional requirement is for them to
come from the Merseyside overspill areas.
Eventually the controls, available for new town
development to ensure these conditions, will be
less easily enforced as the younger generation
seeks employment, not necessarily in
occupations' following their parents' choice. By
this time, however, it will not be necessary to be
so restrictive as the New

32
Town should have settled down industrially with
its regional neighbours. It has been assumed
that, after the initial growth period of the new
town, 27% of the working population will choose
of their own accord to commute out of the town,
to be balanced by a similar number travelling into
the town to work.
The Present Employment Pattern
in Runcorn
5.9 The location of existing industry within the
Designated Area is indicated in Fig. 5.3 and the
latest available employment figures within both
the Region and the Runcorn Employment
Exchange Area are given in the Tables in
Appendix B.
5.10 In common with other older industrial
regions, the North-West has a high proportion of
its labour force in manufacturing industry, 46%
compared with the average of 38% for the country
as a whole. In the Runcorn Exchange Area the
proportion is as high as 58%, but this is mainly
because of its domination by two major
industries; chemicals and electrical engineering.
Chemicals represent 64% of this total (although
this includes office and research staff), and
electrical engineering some 27%. Most of the
latter can be attributed to the B.LC.C. works at
Helsby, outside the New Town area. The only
other significant industries of
any size in the Runcorn Exchange Area are
concerned with leather and clothing, which
together make up 5.6%.
Compared with the national average, there is a
deficiency in the development of the other
manufacturing industries which could be
remedied by the establishment in the New Town
of component manufacture for the newer-growth
industries which have been established on
Merseyside.
5.11 Primary industry in the Runcorn Exchange
Area constitutes about 2% of the total
employment compared with 2t% in the North-
West and 5t% for Great Britain. Construction
represents 8% compared with 6% in the North-
West and 6.9% for Great Britain. Service industry
represents 32% of the total-substantially lower
than the 46% for the North-West and 49t% for
Great Britain. Although office employment
accounts for 16% of the total employment of the
North-West, as compared with 18t% nationally, in
terms of office rateable value, the North-West is
second only to London and the South_East
Region. However, Runcorn at present is below
the average for the North West and has only 41
offices of various sizes within the Urban District.
Of those employed in the Runcorn Exchange
Area, 70% are males, compared with
approximately 62.5% and 63% respectively for
the North-West and Great Britain as a
33
whole. Experience in other new towns indicates
that women with young children will not generally
seek work in the earlier years of their residence.

Future Employment Requirements

5.12 The employment rate (Le. the number of
employed persons relative to the total population)
is influenced by the age structure of the
population which, on the experience of other New
Towns, is likely to differ at various points in time
from the national average. However, on the
assumption that the total employment rate in
Runcorn will be similar to the present 44%
average for the NorthWest region as a whole, the
number of additional jobs which would need to
be provided for the additional population of
70,000 is about 31,000.
Having regard to the proportion of the working
population in the region which is employed in
manufacturing industry (46%) and the likelihood
that a significant part of the service industry
employment would also be appropriately located
on industrial estates, it was decided that these
should be of a size to accommodate about 60%
of the working population (i.e. about 19,000
workers). On the assumption that the projected
new I.C.I. development at Moore will employ
about 5,000 people, additional workplaces on
industrial estates are needed for about 14,000. At
an average gross density of 35 workers per acre,
about 400 acres of new industrial land will be
required in addition to the I. C.I. site.

Location of Industrial Sites

5.13 To meet these requirements, the relatively
flat land on the edges of the Designated Area has
been chosen for the major new industrial sites.
Proximity to road, railway and canal connections
have also been influencing factors. (Fig. 5.4). As
these sites are large, their design must be
carefully considered in relation to the overall form
of the town.
The location of the proposed industry is as
follows :
1. Astmoor Industrial Area
This area lies between the Manchester Ship
Canal and the Bridgewater Canal on the
north side of the town. A site of 25 acres at
its eastern end has been allocated for a
sewage treatment plant, leaving 169 acres
for industry which will accommodate 5,915
employees at a density of 35 per acre.
2. Dutton Industrial Area
This area, triangular in shape, is defined to
the north by the proposed M.56 (North
Cheshire Motorway) and on the other two
sides by the Crewe-Liverpool and Crewe-
Glasgow railway lines. Its 190 acres will
accommodate about 6,650 workers at a
density of 35 per acre.

34
3. I.C.I. Development
I.C.I. will develop a major chemical plant on
about 850 acres near Moore in the north-
east of the Designated Area. Most of the
land required is already in their ownership.
The area proposed for this purpose is again
triangular in shape with the Manchester
Ship Canal and the Crewe-Glasgow railway
line defining the northern and south-eastern
boundaries. The south-western boundary is
defined by a line approximately t mile north-
east of the Bridgewater Canal. The area
between this line and the Canal will form a
green belt between the I.C.I. development
and the nearby residential areas of the New
Town.

35
 In addition, an area of Special Control over
development is defined for approximately a
further * mile from the outer edge of this green
belt where only offices, stores and other buildings
of a non-chemical plant nature will be allowed;
industrial plant which might discharge noxious
effluent will be excluded. (Fig. 5.5). A similar
restriction will also be imposed at the north-east
corner of the site to protect Moore Village. This
new I.C.I. establishment will (according to the
firm's estimates) employ 5,000 workers but
during the course of its construction
approximately 1,000 constructional workers will
also be on the site.
In respect of an area of approximately 58 acres of
land around Wharford Farm, I.C.I. wish to have
the opportunity to make application for its
development for light industrial purposes and
although such development has not been
considered it has been agreed that no
development should take place on this land
except in respect of 10 acres which may be
required to provide a balancing pond for storm
water. Otherwise the area is saved as
undeveloped land so that its use is left open for
future consideration.

4. Other Industry
It is proposed that 124 acres of unused land
within the existing industrial areas of the town
should be developed for industrial purposes. In
or adjoining the new residential areas, 15 acres of
land have been reserved for light industry in
compact areas associated with each community,
sited at the local centres or on the link road from
the expressway. Together these will provide
employment for some 2,385 workers.

Table 5.1 New Industrial Development

Area Acreage No. of No. of

(gross) Workers Workers
per acre

A Astmoor 169 35 5,915

B Dutton 190 35 6,650
C Moore-I.C.I. (in-
eluding area of
special control) 850 6 5,000
D Extension in exist-
ing areas 124 15 1,860
E Light industry in
residential areas 15 35 525
TOTAL including I.C.I. 19,950
TOTAL excluding I.C.I. 14,950

Vehicular and Pedestrian Routes within the

Astmoor and Dutton Industrial areas
5.14 The two major general industrial areas,

36
Astmoor and Dutton, are designed as industrial
estates to which the rapid transit system and
main road network are extended in the form of
loops from the main communication systems of
the town. These loops will form the spines of the
estates. On the rapid transit system, stops will be
sited at * mile intervals. The individual factory
sites will be served by secondary roads and
pedestrian greenways. The principle of
pedestrian and vehicular segregation is adopted
wherever possible. (Fig. 5.6). Secondary service
roads, which branch off the main spine roads, will
cross the rapid transit track at traffic-signal
controlled points, giving priority to the buses.
These roads will allow visitors and executive staff
to use small private car parks and give access for
commercial vehicles to each factory. Cars using
the main car parks will not have to cross the rapid
transit route. Special Rapid Transit buses will
serve the I.C.I. area by leaving the reserved track
and then running on the normal distributor roads
within the site.

Car Parking
5.15 It is proposed that parking facilities should
be provided on the basis of one car space to
every three workers. This meets the requirements
of a 50: 50 "modal split" between private cars and.
public transport and economises in the limited
amount of land available for industrial
development. On the Astmoor site an area of
about 10 acres would thus be required for the
parking of cars at ground level. If in the future an
increased demand has to be met, multi -storey
car parks could be constructed providing spaces
for up to 1 car to every 2 workers. The car parks
will be sited between the rapid transit route and
the main spine road, adjacent to the rapid transit
stops, thus enabling public transport to compete
on equal walking-distance terms with the motor
car. It is proposed that car parking should be
provided on a centralised basis by the
Development Corporation, giving flexibility of use
and overall control of parking policy in relation to
the planning of the town as a whole.

Communal Facilities
5.16 If demand justifies, central canteen,
shopping, banking and social facilities will be
included in the Astmoor and Dutton industrial
areas.

Storage and Waste Disposal

5.17 It will be necessary to give special attention
to the storage of materials and the disposal of
waste in order to avoid an untidy appearance,
and screened storage enclosures will be
necessary.

Expansion
5.18 The factory units should as far as possible
be planned so that they are capable of
expansion.

37
38
6
Social
FaciIities
6.1 The provision of social facilities in the New
Town will be affected by the existence of an
established town with a population of about
30,000 persons. Even before designation, these
facilities were being expanded in the existing
town.

6.2 Social facilities have now been planned for an

ultimate population of 100,000 persons and
consequently the existing facilities and' the
proposals for the present built-up area have been
reviewed. Runcorn has the advantage of starting
with a range of social and recreational facilities
which are not usually available in the early stages
of the development of a new town. These existing
facilities are indicated in Fig. 6.1 .

Education
6.3 The school building p'rogrammes for the
existing town have been based on a population
expansion to 37,000 by 1971 envisaged in the
Cheshire County Development Plan and these
have been adapted to take into account the
requirements of the New Town Master Plan.
Some schools will need relocation. These are the
Church of England School in the present town
centre which will be affected by the urban
renewal programme, and the St. Edward's
Roman Catholic School which will be affected by
the proposed expressway. Two other schools
have playing fields partly affected by road
proposals.

6.4 Grammar school education for Runcorn is at

present provided outside the Designated Area at
Helsby. Ultimately the Helsby Grammar School
might serve only Helsby, Frodsham and other
parts of Cheshire and therefore land has been
reserved in the Plan to meet a possible later
demand for additional secondary school places
in Runcorn.
Roman Catholic children receive secondary
education at Widnes. There is increasing
pressure in Widnes for places in the Roman
Catholic School and the policy of Runcorn
children attending the Widnes school will have to
be reviewed as the New Town develops. The
proposed ultimate

39
 arrangement for Roman Catholic children in the
town is the provision of a school, sited centrally
near Halton Lodge, to serve both the existing and
new population. Part of this school must therefore
be developed in the early stages of the New
Town.

6.5 The primary schools are fundamental

elements of the community structure of the new
residential areas, which consists generally of
8,000 population communities, sub-divided into
2,000 population neighbourhoods each of which
demands a one form entry primary school or a
share in a two form entry primary school. Each
8,000 community will have a total of four forms of
entry into primary schools. The alternative
locations for primary schools in the communities
using either 2-form entry or 1 -form entry schools
are shown in Fig. 6.2. The Cheshire Education
Authority favours 2-form entry primary schools,
but consideration will also be given to the
adoption of 1 -form entry schools in communities
where a smaller catchment area is dictated by
local site or other conditions.
As the percentage of Roman Catholic children
cannot be determined precisely, this flexibility of
provision will also assist in siting a number of 1-
form entry Catholic schools where necessary.

6.6 The Education Authority's present policy for

secondary education requires a
secondary/technical school for each 8,000
population community, with a grammar/technical
school shared between two communities with a
total population of 16,000. A more flexible
arrangement has been adopted to enable two
secondary/technical and one grammar / technical
schools to be sited on a single campus serving
two communities. The possible alternative sites
are shown in Fig. 6.3. This allows for the
possibility of future development in the secondary
educational system. Four of these campuses will
be required for the ultimate town population, one
of which will be Roman Catholic, as previously
mentioned.

6.7 Sites for nursery schools have been planned

in association with the primary schools. These at
present have no priority in programming, but
should the abnormal demand for primary school
places require additional accommodation for
limited periods, it is suggested that it would be
preferable to build nursery schools for primary
education use, rather than resort to temporary
structures. In this way no building effort would be
wasted and one would avoid the difficulty of fitting
temporary structures into the environment of a
permanent New Town.

6.8 By siting the schools so that they are closely

integrated with the local centres and the rapid
transit system, it is intended that joint use could

40
made of playing fields and other school facilities,
for recreation outside school hours by children
and adults. Consultations with the Cheshire
Education Authority have confirmed that such
arrangements are possible, in respect of bona-
fide organisations, providing the saturation point
is not exceeded and there is adequate
supervision. This policy could substantially
increase the social and recreational facilities
available in the town.
6.9 A proposed College of Further Education is
located at the Town Centre. This College will
serve both Runcorn and the adjoining area of
Cheshire. The ultimate education provision for the
New Town as a whole is indicated in Fig. 6.4. The
allocation of and the boundaries of sites for
educational buildings will be considered in more
detail in collaboration with the Cheshire
Education Authority.
leisure Facilities
6.10 Runcorn has an existing cinema, seating 900
people, a Dance Hall which was formerly a
cinema, a library, with a reference section, and
branch libraries at Halton, Weston and Weston
Point. Numerous clubs and voluntary
organisations meet in the existing town. A
schedule of these organisations is given in
Appendix C. Expansion of these facilities to meet
the increased population will require
accommodation at the New Town Centre and at
the proposed local centres. Details of the physical
recreation facilities in the Plan are given in
Section 12.
6.11 Provision has been made in the Town Centre
for a cinema, a bowling alley, a dance hall and a
central library. In addition, sites for cultural
buildings, including a theatre, a concert hall, an
art gallery and a museum have been included.
Although these cultural entertainment activities
are difficult to phase in the development
programme because of the financial implications,
their inclusion is justified in a town of the size of
Runcorn, particularly if it is regarded, as it should
be, as a sub-regional centre.
Clubs and Voluntary Organisations
6.12 Many of the existing voluntary organisations
have expressed a lively interest in the New Town
proposals and it is expected that many will wish
to have their headquarters in the New Town
Centre. Social organisations are usually slow to
develop in new towns and the presence of so
many diverse activities already in existence
should prove beneficial.
There will be a requirement for social club
facilities at a more local level in the new
residential areas. Tenants' meeting rooms should
be provided to allow the incoming population to
have social
contact as soon as they arrive, and these should
be of a multi-purpose nature, but it is desirable
that youth activities should be separated from
those of adults.
Youth Centres
6.13 Youth centres will be located in the Local
Centres in conjunction with other social facilities
in accordance with the County Education
Committee's policy of providing a greater variety
of out-of-school activities, including art and
drama, than is found in the normal youth club.
The County Council have suggested that 4-6
youth centres will be required and discussions
will be held to see how these can best be
equivalently provided in relation to the local
centres.
Licensed Premises
6.14 There are a substantial number of public
houses in the existing town, the majority in the old
centre, which is over-provided by modern
standards. The number and disposition of the
new licensed premises will be decided in
consultation with the licensed premises
committee responsible for considering proposals
for the New Town; they will be required at the
town centre and at other points of special interest
or congregation as well as in each community.
The Master Plan indicates the provision of three
public houses to each community of 8,000. Sites
for licensed clubs and restaurants are also
provided in the Town Centre and in the Central
Park.
Health and Welfare Facilities
6.15 The existing small cottage hospital with 25
beds is inadequate even for the needs of the
present population. The Ministry of Health has
approved in principle the provision of a new
regional hospital in Runcorn requiring a site of
some 40 acres. Such a site has been reserved in
the Plan to the south of the Town Centre. The
Dutton Recovery Hospital in the south-east
corner of the Designated Area is due to be closed
on the completion of the new hospital at Chester.
Dutton Hospital, which is just outside the
Designated Area, is also due to close in the near
future and alternative accommodation is already
available.
6.16 Consultations with the Cheshire County
Council and the Regional Hospital Board have
led to the proposal for the establishment of a
polyclinic in addition to the hospital. It is
proposed to build this poly-clinic in the Town
Centre. This would combine the functions
normally associated with a hospital out-patients
department, with those of the Local Authority's
central clinic, including ante-natal, maternity
services and facilities for the mentally
handicapped. It would have X-ray, physiotherapy
and laboratory equipment, extend
41
ing facilities for hospital specialists who are
involved in Local Health Authority work. It will also
bring them into more continuous contact with
general practitioners, who might themselves be
involved in the work of the poly-clinic. Such a
poly-clinic will enable tests and short-term
treatment to be given, thus freeing valuable
hospital beds for serious cases.
6.17 In addition to the poly-clinic, local authority
clinics in association with group practices for
doctors and dentists are proposed. These will
serve approximately 16,000 persons, or two
communities, and there will be five such clinics in
the new residential areas. This follows the advice of
42
the National Health Service Executive Council,
the British Medical Association and the local
health authorities.
If there is a demand for more extensive facilities in
the future it would be possible to add these in the
communities of 8,000 where at present a clinic is
not proposed and it is desirable that spaces
should be left for unpredictable developments of
this kind.
6.18 Sites have also been allocated in the Plan
for:
1. A Junior Training Centre with residential
accommodation for children.
 2. An adult Training Centre, adjoining the
Astmoor industrial area.
3. An Adult Hostel for the sub-normal.
4. A centre for the physically handicapped
at the Town Centre.
6.19 Residential accommodation for older people
requiring supervision will be provided within the
residential areas, suitably sited for convenience
and interest adjoining the local centres.
6.20 The location of the health facilities, including
the relocation of existing facilities in the present
built-up area is shown in Fig. 6.5.
Religion
6.21 Of the 21 churches in the Designated Area,
12 are in the existing town centre of Runcorn.
Declining congregations or difficulties of
maintenance have caused some of these to be
closed. An inter-denominational committee for
the area has proposed 12 new churches and
these will be built at the local centres to serve the
new population. Provision is also made for an
inter-denominational church at the Town Centre.
Police
6.22 To meet the needs of the enlarged
population a new District Police Headquarters will
be required, sited in the Town Centre, Housing
43
accommodation within the town for an extra 26
police officers will be needed. A Magistrates
Court and Juvenile Court will also be developed
at the Town Centre.
Fire Service
6.23 The Cheshire Fire Brigade consider that an
extension of the existing fire station in Heath
Road will provide adequate cover for the needs of
the New Town.
Cemeteries
6.24 The existing main cemetery in Runcorn will
44
continue to be used for a number of years before
an additional site must be found. This is
provisionally located in the area of Lower
Eanleywood Farm bounded by the expressway,
the railway and the Bridgewater Canal. It
comprises 31 .5 acres. Until it is required the area
would be used for general I open space
purposes.
The Warrington Crematorium is at Walton, a short
distance to the east of the Designated Area, and
it is expected that this will be used to an
increasing extent.
7
Residential
Communities
and Housing

The Principles of Community Structure

7.1 The structure of the town is based on a
grouping of communities, each with a local
centre. Because of the extent of the town, local
centres are essential to cater for the everyday
social and shopping needs of the population
within a reasonable walking distance. The size of
the communities in terms of population and area
has been determined by the economic provision
of social facilities related to population and
acceptable walking distance to the local centres
and the picking-up points of the Rapid Transit
System, together with a residential density which
gives satisfactory housing standards.

Walking Distances
7.2 In proposing an efficient public transport
system as an alternative to the private car for a
large proportion of journeys within the town, it is
recognised that its attractiveness will largely
depend upon overall journey time. For this reason
the residential areas are planned so that the
maximum walking time from dwellings to the local
centres and rapid transit stops is 5 minutes.

7.3 To translate this time into a walking distance a

series of tests were made in Runcorn to measure
the walking performance of pedestrians over
routes of varying grade. (Appendix D). The
average distance covered in 5 minutes was 500
yards on all but the steepest gradients (Fig. 7.1).
the average walking speed being 3.4 m.p.h. This
corresponds with the speed quoted by the Road
Research Laboratory, "Research on Road Traffic",
H.M.S.a., 1965. A further graph indicated the
reduction of path length which will be required on
sloping routes if a 5-minute timing was to be
maintained. (Fig. 7.2). There will be relatively few
residential areas in Runcorn where such a
reduction on path lengths will be necessary. Walking

45
 speeds for old persons will be slower and this
should be recognised when locating old persons'
accommodation within the community. Similarly,
small children's walking speeds will extend the
walking time for mothers (8t minutes for 500 yds).
However, for the working population, the 500
yards distance represents an accurate
assessment of the distance covered in 5 minutes.

Location of Local Centres

7.4 Following the acceptance of a maximum
walking time of 5 minutes, the basic diagram (Fig.
7.3) indicating residential areas of 500 yards
depth on either side of the rapid transit route was
developed to form a series of communities with
local social and shopping centres situated at
approximately t mile intervals, with the stops on
the rapid transit system located at the centres.
(Fig. 7.4).

Shopping, Social Facilities and Population

7.5 Studies of the relationship of social and
commercial facilities to population (Fig. 7.5)
emphasised educational requirements,
particularly primary schools, as basic
determinants. The adoption of one and two-form
entry infant and junior schools as alternatives,
meant that the one-form entry schools served
each neighbourhood of 2,000

46
7.5 Social and Commercial Facilities related to
Population.

while the two-form entry school served two of

these. A secondary school campus requiring the
support of a population of 16.000 is not a
determinant of a community of walking distance
size. A residential community of 8.000 persons
gives the most satisfactory balance of local
requirements. leaving the larger-scale facilities
such as secondary schools and health clinics to
be related to two such communities.

Population, Walking Distance and Density

7.6 If a population of 8.000 is to be contained
within a walking distance of 500 yards (Le. within
an area of 162 acres) the density must be
approximately 50 persons per acre. Allowing 4
acres per 1,000 population for uses other than
housing (i.e. primary schools, roads, shops, etc.)
in accordance with the Ministry of Housing and
Local Government "Planning Bulletin No. 2," the
net housing density would be approximately 61.5
persons per acre. (Fig. 7.6).

7.7 These theoretical calculations have to be

adjusted for varying site conditions and layouts.
The community sizes would vary for the same
reasons although the margin of variation is
restrained by the necessity of ensuring, as far as
possible. that the communities are composed of

47
multiples of 2,000 population so as to provide an
economical basis for the provision of primary
schools.

Distribution of Social Facilities

7.8 The majority of the local social facilities,
including bus stops, have been placed at the
centres of the communities. This concentration
makes it possible to provide a single system of
pedestrian routes for differing journeys, e.g. to
school, shopping or bus stops, most of which are
within a maximum walking distance of 500 yards.
This has the advantage of bringing people in the
community together at a central point and
encourages their social identity. The location of
the schools at the local centres also facilitates the
dual use of school facilities wherever possible for
out-of-school educational, cultural and
recreational activities. There are two alternatives
for the siting of schools in relation to the local
centres. Firstly, in certain communities, a
secondary school campus can be closely related
to the centre and in this case four one-form entry
primary schools are located at the edges of the
community. (Fig. 7.7). Secondly, two-form entry
primary schools, sited close to the local centres,
are proposed for the 8,000 population
communities where there is no secondary school
campus. (Fig. 7.8). The clinics and group
practices are related to the 16,000 population of
two communities, as are the secondary schools.
It is desirable that the local centres should, as far
as possible, be designed as composite flexible
structures without rigid barriers between the
various components, so that commercial and
social activities intermingle and support each
other. They should be places where people can
have a cup of coffee and a chat as well as do their
shopping.

The Neighbourhoods within the Community

7.9 The distribution of social facilities results in
each community of 8,000 people being divided

48
into four neighbourhoods (Fig. 7.9), with the rapid
transit route and the school sites forming their
inner boundaries and the playing field and open
space amenities at their outer edge. To keep the
walking distances to a minimum for the maximum
number of people, the density of housing should
be higher near the local centre, although the
open space at the perimeter is also a desirable
amenity which might also justify a higher density.
Theoretically, a radial pedestrian movement can
be envisaged, but in practice the housing layout
usually produces indirect movements, which
means that some people within a 500 yardsradius
"as the crow flies" will have longer distances to
walk to the centre. So far as the rapid transit
buses are concerned, the introduction of
intermediate stopping points between the local
centres would help to overcome this deficiency.

Residential Densities
7.10 The application of the proposed densities to
all the new residential areas of the town results in
an overall net average density of 66 persons per
acre. If the existing residential areas are taken
into account the average net density is 55
persons per acre. Within these averages there is
considerable variation and, in general, the new
communities around the Town Park have an
average density approaching 70 persons per
acre. Within these Town Park communities there
will be higher densities of about 80 persons per
acre around the local centre and correspondingly
lower densities of about 50 persons per acre in
other areas. Adjoining substantial open spaces,
such as the Town Park, the amenities also justify
a higher density. (Fig. 7.10). Elsewhere, for
compositional reasons, there might be a similar
justification for taller or more buildings of a higher
density, and the Plan is sufficiently flexible to
accommodate such variations.
In order to achieve the ultimate population of
100,000 it has been assumed that not all the land
will be developable in the manner and at the
densities proposed and, as mentioned in Section
4, a 5% contingency has been included. If this
proves unnecessary the average net density of
the whole New Town will be 53 persons per acre
and of the new areas 61.5 persons per acre as
compared with the figures of 55 and 66
respectively indicated in Table 4.7

Communications within the Community

7.11 Priority of the vehicular routing in the
communities has been given to the rapid transit
system. The expressway on the outer edge is
designed to carry other vehicular traffic entering
or leaving the communities. Road conntlctions
between communities will therefore need to be
designed so as

49
to discourage major cross- town movements
which should be confined to the expressway.
Within the community, pedestrian movement is
given priority and facilitated by the use of grade
separation at the crossings of pedestrian routes
with the distributor roads serving the residential
area.

Internal Road Systems

7.12 The principal vehicular movements in the
community are shown in Fig. 7.11. The major
concentration of traffic occurs at the junctions of
the distributor roads with the expressway. Traffic
assignments have indicated the peak hour flows
at these points will be in the order of 900 p.c.u:s
for a typical 8,000 person community.

7.13 Traffic volume calculations show that a U-

shaped two-lane distributor road will be sufficient
to serve a community. The neighbourhood could
thus be served by a main spine distributor road
giving access to car parks or to some cul-desac
roads of a maximum length of 600 feet (Fig. 7.12).
This facilitates pedestrian access to the town park
and avoids such direct road connections
between the communities as would encourage
journeys around the town by the distributor
roads, rather than by the expressway.

Pedestrian System
7.14 The pedestrian movements expected to
result from the distribution of schools, shops,
open space and other social facilities, as well as
the rapid transit system, are shown in Fig. 7.13.
The main point of attraction is the local centre.
Outward pedestrian movements to the peripheral
open space will be of a more random nature, not
necessarily conforming to the main pathway
pattern. The nearby town park will draw people
through the community and this movement must
be allowed for in the detailed layout.

7.15 The pattern of routes proposed requires the

minimum number of grade-separated pedestrian
crossings of vehicular roads and is designed to
bring the maximum number of people within the
5 minutes walking distance of the local centre or
the intermediate bus stops (Fig. 7.14). It is
desirable that the major pedestrian routes
catering for the concentrated movements of
population within the community should be
protected from the weather. This protection could
take several forms, either as an integrated part of
the housing structure or as separate covered
ways.

7.16 The pedestrian paths will also be the most

useful routes for cyclists and it is proposed that
they should have a dividing line. indicated by
texture or colour of material, separating the
footpath from the cycle track.

50
Parking and Garaging
7.17 It has been assumed that the rapid transit
system and the ease of local pedestrian access to
social facilities will reduce the demand for the
second family car and for parking spaces. In the
residential areas an allowance of 1.5 spaces per
dwelling is proposed. This standard can,
however, be increased to two spaces per
dwelling, ifthe need arises, by the construction of
two-level garages on parts of the ground level car
parks. This will economise on land and secure a
more satisfactory environment. If cars are
garaged closer to their owner's dwellings, it is
necessary to take access roads to every dwelling
and these impose a rigidity of layout in the
residential areas, which is not conducive to a
reasonably free movement of pedestrians. (Fig.
7.15). Grouped garages and car parks detached
from the dwellings (Fig. 7.16) give greater
flexibility in the layout as they require fewer
access roads.

7.18 These two different arrangements of garages

and car parks have distinct environmental
characteristics. With garages and roads to each
dwelling (Fig. 7.17) the maximum convenience is
provided for private cars and service vehicles, but
the environment is largely dictated by the road
layout. With grouped garaging and parking (Fig.
7.18) this distortion can be avoided and a safer
and more private pedestrian environment
provided around the dwellings which need only
single access. There are, however, limitations for
areas developed in this way, due to the desirable
maximum service distance on foot of
approximately 150 feet.

7.19 Another system which offers some of the

advantages of both these arrangements allows
vehicles to travel at a very restricted speed on
combined pedestrian and vehicular paths, solely

51
 for the purpose of loading or unloading. Parking
or waiting would be strictly controlled. Cars are
parked or garaged on the edge of each
residential area from which residents walk a
maximum of 150 yards (Fig. 7.19) to their
dwellings. The advantage of this system is that
servicing and convenience to private motorists
can be maintained without detriment to the
pedestrian environment. (Fig. 7.20). It is
proposed that some of the residential
communities should be planned on the basis of
this combined vehicle/pedestrian system, but not
exclusively, as it is felt that many of those living
furthest from the local centres and bus stops
should be able to garage their cars near their
dwellings.

7.20 A landscape treatment of parking areas and

roads is necessary to achieve satisfactory
environmental standards. The distributor roads
should be landscaped as greenways through the
community, and the car parks should be
screened with planting.

52
53
54
Proposals
7.21 The principles discussed in this section of
the Report form the basis for the proposals for the
residential communities. (Fig. 7.21).
The topographical features of the Designated
Area, together with other physical restrictions.
have created residential sites of widely differing
character. This will lead to varied detailed
interpretations of the basic community structure
proposed. giving characterful identity to each
community without undermining the fundamental
design principles. The kind of modifications
necessary to adapt the structure to varying sites
are shown in Fig. 7.22.

7.22 Although most of the housing comes within

the community structure, some sites have been
proposed for residential development on account
of their high amenity value or their relation to the
town centre and the existing town. Considerable
variation can therefore be provided in the housing
areas giving interest and identity to the
townscape.

55
Social Aspects of Community Planning
7.23 The success orfailure of housing will depend This route is in itself an important extension of the
largely on the quality of the living conditions community space. From the local centres there is
provided. In a new town, housing represents a a further extension to the town centre using the
dominant land use and a large capital investment. rapid transit route or across the town park by
It is of great importance that it should be footpath or cycle track.
developed to give community compatibility and
family privacy. 7.26 The need for private open spaces is not
confined to dwellings at ground level. Flats or
Requirements of the Individual maisonettes should be provided with open space
7.24 People's needs have been taken as the in the form of a patio or balcony of sufficient size
starting point for the design of the residential for families sitting or eating out and for children to
areas. These can be divided into: play in safety. Dwellings also should not be
1. Household needs within the dwelling. wholly
2. Community needs as expressed in the
immediate environment of the dwelling,
the design of the neighbourhood, the
community and the structure of the town
as a whole.
The facilities and form of the individual dwelling
must achieve a balance between what is
economically possible to provide at the present
time with what is necessary to ensure that they do
not become obsolete as standards of living rise.

7.25 The layout of the immediate environment

must ensure both individual orfamily privacy and
a close social relationship with the
neighbourhood and community via the local
centre to the town as a whole. (Fig. 7.23). The
private garden or open space attached to the
dwelling forms an open air extension of the living
area. These should be linked with an adjoining
communal open space forming a local meeting
place for neighbours, and providing small
children's play spaces and general amenities.
Entry to or exit from this communal space should
be by one of the pedestrian routes leading to the
"corner shop" and the local centre.

56
inward looking and the kitchen, in particular,
should be planned to enable housewives to enjoy
a view and see their smaller children at play.
"Homes for Today and Tomorrow" - H.M.S.O.,
suggests a standard for children's play spaces of
20/25 sq. ft. per person. On this basis a 2,000
person neighbourhood would require 50,000 sq.
ft. of play space. The sub-division of this area
between the various age groups has not been
attempted but the most practical siting for school
children's play is within the open space system,
surrounding each neighbourhood, where
opportunities exist for the formation of a variety of
playgrounds and where the minimum
disturbance will be caused. The neighbourhood
size will ensure that no playgrou nd is more than
440 yards from any dwelling.

Residential Groups
7.27 The form of the residential areas has an
important influence on their social success.
Where the street dominates, the social contact
between families is often very limited, especially
where the use of the private car reduces the
amount of the pedestrian movement. On the
other hand, where homes are built around a cul-
de-sac, social contact increases. The courtyard
or square probably provide the easiest social
contact. (Fig. 7.24).Experience shows that the
groups of approximately 30-60 houses or 100-
200 persons would allow a reasonable choice of
contacts to be made. The proposed division of
the four neighbourhoods into residential groups
of this kind is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 7.25.

7.28 Each residential group should contain a

variety of household types and its environment
should be designed to give a sense of separate
identity which can be recognised by the
inhabitants.

Housing Requirements
7.29 The population projection for Runcorn for
the next 20 years, the period of the most rapid
build-up of population, has enabled an
assessment to be made of probable household
structure and growth. The expanding household
is clearly shown as predominant in this projection
and dispersal rather than concentration of such
households in the early expansion of the town is
clearly desirable. This is obviously a difficult
objective to achieve as it is more economic to
build for those who come first in compact areas.
The range of dwelling sizes and potential building
types to match a variety of households is
indicated in Fig. 7.26. If the range is kept wide,
incoming families will have more opportunities to
choose a dwelling to suit their needs with a
choice of location, for example, close to the local
centre and schools or

57

7.26 Range of Dwelling Types showing numbers
of single and double bedrooms.
at the perimeter near the open spaces. It will also
facilitate a desirable variety in the form of
community to meet different site conditions.
As mentioned previously, the household
composition of the immigrant population,
particularly in the early years, leads to a demand
for a greater percentage of larger dwellings than
will ultimately be required for a balanced
population structure. This can be corrected to
some extent by leaving areas of land free of
development so that other types of
accommodation can be built.
High-Rise Dwellings
7.30 It has been assumed that the economics of
building and the provision of lifts will generally
limit the majority of housing to not more than four
storeys with no dwelling entered above the
second floor. On certain sites, however, taller
buildings might be justified, for instance at the
town centre, where a higher density of
development will ensure that the maximum
number of people enjoy its social and
commercial facilities creating a lively
environment. More research is needed into the
Pedestrian square, Field's Court, Warwick.
58
proportion of households which can be housed
satisfactorily in off-ground dwellings, as well as
into ways of overcoming the present defects
inherent in this form of housing. Clearly, in
general terms the larger households should have
access to private garden space, while the smaller
households could be accommodated in
dwellings without such access.
System Building
7.31 The proposed 12-year programme, rising to
1,500 dwellings a year by 1970, will not be
possible without a substantial contribution from
system building. At present, many systems are
available, but few give the flexibility required for
the range of dwelling types envisaged, or are free
of proprietary restrictions which would inhibit a
reasonable element of competitive tendering on a
periodic basis. The most suitable systems are
those based on modular components.
7.32 Most, if not all, systems have some limiting
technical factors which restrict freedom of design;
for example, because of crane movements or
building sequences. Variations from a standard
design usually cost more and unless the system
is designed to cope with a reasonably wide range
of variations to the dwelling unit or building block,
it does not make town planning sense. System
building has not yet been studied
comprehensively to provide the components of a
total built environment. There is still a divorce
between the techniques for dwellings on the one
hand and those for fences, canopies, pavings,
garages, etc. The components have been
devised from the dwelling unit end of the design
scale; they need to be considered from the town
planning end of the scale as well.
Socio-Economic Aspects of Housing
7.33 Experience in the immediate post-war new
towns has shown that the demand for
owneroccupation increases as living standards
rise. Higher income groups moving to the town
also wish to purchase rather than rent houses
and to do this from the outset. An objective of the
Plan is to provide for this demand in such a way
that the privacy of various social groups is
ensured without stratifying the whole town on a
quasi-class basis. It is considered that this can be
achieved by providing this privacy on a
residential group basis rather than on a
neighbourhood or a community scale. A
contribution from Housing Associations and
private enterprise, particularly in respect of
dwellings for sale, will undoubtedly be necessary
to achieve a satisfactory rate of town building.
The extent of this contribution will be a matter for
further analysis. In addition, the Development
Corporation will be considering the provision of
dwellings for sale. Such private development
must be guided so that it is integrated into the
community structure, for it will be served by the
same social facilities as are provided for the
community as a whole.

Interpretation of Proposals
7.34 Various design interpretations of residential
communities are possible and two of these are
illustrated. The first (Fig. 7.27) has a building
accent on the spinal pedestrian routes with
covered ways integrated within the housing. This
would be particularly suitable where a decked
access approach to dwellings is adopted. The

59
second (Fig.7.28) has a spatial accent on the
form of the Plan, with residential groups on either
side of the main pedestrian routes. A stronger
form is also proposed at the edges of the
communities, especially those enclosing the town
park so that the open space is defined by the
building environment and not allowed to peter out 7.29 Housing on the edge of the Park.
in an ineffective small-scale way. Apart from the
visual aspect, it is sensible to allow the maximum Conclusion
number of people to enjoy the amenities of the 7.35 The general conclusions on the form of the
open space by providing flats or maisonettes in residential areas related to the whole town are
this situation. In park edge situations the private given in Section 14. The aim of the present
open spaces would face inwards to the section has been to examine the various parts of
community space. Fig. 7.29 indicates how these the community structure and to suggest a guide
principles might be put into practice. to its interpretation and development.

60
61
8
Com-
munications
Air Services
8.1 Liverpool, Manchester and Chester
(Hawarden) Airports provide Runcorn with
excellent passenger and freight services. (Fig.
8.1). Liverpool Airport at Speke is only eight miles
from the centre of the New Town and provides
scheduled passenger services giving direct
flights and connections to domestic, European
and international destinations. (Fig. 8.2). The
recently completed 7,500 ft. runway, together with
the proposed extensions to passenger and
freight buildings will accelerate the expansion of
services. (Fig. 8.3). Regular services to London
operate from Chester, while an extensive network
of domestic and international flights are available
from Manchester.

Docks and Waterways

8.2 Runcorn is served by the Manchester Ship
Canal and has two groups of docks for handling
vessels; the Runcorn Docks, owned by the
Manchester Ship Canal Co. Ltd., and the Weston
Point Docks owned by British Waterways. (Fig.
8.4). These are capable of handling vessels up to
2,400 tons, whilst deepwater facilities on the:Ship
Canal itself can accommodate vessels of 12,000
tons. During recent years both groups of docks
have

62
been expanded and modernised. Import and
export services are available to several
continental ports. The total goods handled have
increased from approximately 160,000 tons in
1961 to 545,000 tons in 1965. At the Runcorn
Docks 25 acres of land are available for further
expansion. The Weston Point Docks are linked
also to the Weaver Navigation Canal which gives
access to

63
the inland waterways of the country. Runcorn has
good access to the nearby Port of Liverpool
which provides comprehensive international and
coastal shipping facilities.
Two other canals, the Bridgewater Canal and the
Trent and Mersey Canal, pass through the
Designated Area. These are now used primarily
for pleasure craft and it is proposed that the
Bridgewater Canal, in particular, should be
developed for leisure purposes and made a
feature of the town park.
Railways
8.3 Four British Rail lines pass through or
alongside the Designated Area. (Fig. 8.4).
1. The electrified Liverpool-Crewe-London
line.
2. The Manchester-Chester-North Wales
line.
3. The Glasgow-Crewe-London line.
4. The spur connection between the Liver
pool-London line and the Manchester
North Wales line.
8.4 The existing two-platform Runcorn station,
which was recently re-constructed as part of the
London Midland Region electrification scheme,
serves the main London trains and also those
from Liverpool to Chester via Runcorn. This
station is the only stop for many expresses
between London and Liverpool, including the
Pullman services. Commencing in 1967 there will
also be through
64
electric services from Liverpool to Birmingham
and the West Midlands stopping at Runcorn. The
station also serves a frequent local service
between Liverpool and Crewe, and is an
important pickingup point for passengers
coming, particularly by car, from South
Lancashire, including Widnes and St. Helens, as
well as from Runcorn itself. Runcorn is, in fact,
already exceptionally well served by rail for a
town of its size. There are, however, no stopping
points on the Glasgow- London line and the
stations on the Manchester-North Wales line at
Norton and Sutton Weaver have been closed.
The Glasgow line may be electrified from Weaver
Junction northwards in the future. Consultations
have taken place and are continuing with the
British Railways Board on the possibility of
providing a new main station south-west of the
proposed town centre and of re-opening the
former I
Norton Station. It is doubtful whether there would
be sufficient passenger demand to justify the
latter, but a site for a new main station has been
reserved in the Plan.
8.5 Freight sidings are provided for the docks and
I.C.!. works on the western edge of the town and
new sidings will be necessary for the proposed
I.C.I. plant at Moore. The general freight
requirements of the town will be served from
Warrington for parcels and from Widnes for heavy
freight, while a new Liner Train terminal serving
the area has opened recently at Garston in south-
east Liverpool. (Fig. 8.4).
Existing Bus Services
8.6 The main destinations of the Regional bus
services include Liverpool, Widnes, Warrington,
Chester and Northwich as indicated in Fig. 8.5.
The majority of the regional bus services and the
local services, are provided by Crosville Motor
Services Limited, but the service to Widnes is
operated by Widnes Corporation and the
Northwich service by the North Western Road Car
Co. Ltd. These services operate at present from
the bus station in the existing town centre, but a
new regional bus station is proposed in the new
town centre.

Regional Roads
8.7 The Designated Area of the New Town is
traversed by three A-class roads, A.558, A.533
and A.557. These connect the A.56 trunk road
with Runcorn and the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge,
forming a major connection from the south to the
industrial areas on North Merseyside. The
Runcorn Spur road (A.533), which forms the
approach road to the Bridge, is a limited access
route passing through the existing town; after
linking with the A.56 it continues southwards to
Northwich. (Figs. 8.6 and 8.7).
8.8 The opening of the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge in
1961 not only attracted some of the regional
traffic away from the Mersey Tunnel at Liverpool
and the bridges at Warrington, but generated
additional traffic through Runcorn. This generated
traffic has increased at a rate in excess of the

65
national average and at the present time during
the peak hours the 33 ft. carriageway of the
bridge is loaded above its practical capacity of
2,200 p.c.u.'s.. In discussions with officers of the
Cheshire and Lancashire County Councils, it has
been agreed that an additional crossing of the
Mersey at Runcorn will be necessary to cope with
both the increased regional traffic and the more
local traffic generated by the New Town. A
second bridge, parallel to the existing one, has
been assumed for the purpose of the Master
Plan, to be the most appropriate solution. The
location and form of the second crossing,
however, falls outside the direct responsibility of
the Development Corporation and must be the
subject of agreement between the County
Councils and the Ministries concerned, but the
importance to the New Town of a timely solution
to this problem cannot be over-stressed.
8.9 The North Cheshire East-West Motorway
(M.56) from Manchester to North Wales will pass
through the south-eastern corner ofthe New Town
and link with the M.6 south-west of Warrington.
Two links between the M.56 and the town
expressway system are proposed, one in the
south-west at Clifton Road and the other in the
south-east.
Traffic and Transport in the Town
8.10 A major objective in planning the New Town
has been to achieve a unity and balance between
all the elements of the town and in particular
between private and public transport. The
problem is how to provide economically for the
socially satisfactory movement of people and
goods without the environment being dominated
by vehicles and communication ways. It is
necessary to look ahead to the time when the
national average saturation level of car ownership
predicted for the year 201 0 is reached. It has
been assumed that even with this level of car
ownership at least 15% of the journeys to work,
together with a significant proportion of the
shopping, social and school journeys will require
some form of public transport, as this proportion
of the population will be without the use of a car
at a particular time.
8.11 When public transport, such as the train, or
monorail, uses a fixed line means of conveyance,
the problem of congestion and hindrance to other
traffic is automatically eliminated. The tram, it is
true, was usually routed along existing roads, but
this form of transport originated when other traffic
was proportionately negligible. This other traffic,
however, became so dominant in its demand for
.Passenger Car Units as defined in "Roads in
Urban Areas"Ministry of Transport. H.M.S.D..
1966.
66
more road space, that it became a contributory
factor in the elimination of the tram in Britain. With
a network of separate tracks, they probably
would have survived. Later, for the same reasons,
even the trolley bus was superseded by the
motor bus, which had been developed to a
comparatively high standard and was able to
show economy in running costs. In this process
public transport became subject to all the
inefficiencies of out-of-date road layouts and the
mounting congestion created by the vastly
increased number of private cars. As a
consequence, the speed of bus journeys has
been reduced below that of the private car and in
the centres of many cities averages only about 8-
10 miles per hour.
8.12 In many post-war new towns and suburban
extensions, the tendency has been to design the
road layout for private vehicles and then to route
buses along the most appropriate roads. This has
led in some instances to a minimum use of public
transport which has made it uneconomic to
provide socially convenient services. It is
considered that the contribution of public
transport to a new town is of such importance that
it is essential to plan for it as an integral part of the
town structure and not to provide it as an
afterthought. The objective has therefore been set
in the Master Plan to achieve a balanced solution,
related to social needs, which provides for the
efficient and effective use of public transport as
well as providing for the private car.
8.13 The solution adopted provides the buses
with a separate track so that they are not subject
to the delays of traffic congestion and at the same
time provides other vehicles with a road system
which is free of the delays occasioned by buses
which stop and start at frequent intervals. With
such a system it is possible to plan on the
assumption that there is no discouragement to
the use of public transport on grounds of delay
and inefficient service. The maximum use of
private cars would require additional expenditure
on road works and car parks. If an efficient public
transport system could be provided, taking
people to their destinations in a much smaller
number of vehicles at less cost or even at the
same cost and without the necessity of providing
vast car parks, it would provide a new town with
the economic means of moving people to and
from their destinations. A public transport system
of some kind must be provided for the people
who are unable to use cars. Although they are
relatively few in number, there is still a need to
consider the provision of an efficient public
transport system. It is desirable that this system
should be of maximum efficiency so that the
maximum number of people will want to use it,
thereby helping to make it economic.
8.14 A conventional form of public transport, such
as buses using the normal roads, for the level of
car ownership ultimately envisaged, would result,
for a town of 100,000 population, in high fares, a
poor frequency of service or a public subsidy. To
provide an acceptable economic level of service
for the non-car owners and to make a significant
saving in parking provision, a "modal split"
between the use of private cars and public
transport of 50 :50 for work journeys has been
taken as an objective. This means that a
proportion of workers having the use of a car
must be attracted to public transport and to
achieve this, the service must be cheap, fast and
frequent, giving as near to a "door-to-door"
service as possible. A separate rapid transit track
has therefore been provided linking the
communities, the town centre and the industrial
areas, with walking distances kept to a minimum,
so as to keep door-to-destination journey times
by public transport favourably competitive with
those by private car. (Appendix E). The separate
track will enable the buses to
maintain higher average speeds than normal as
they will be free from delays caused by traffic
congestion. The directness of the routes will also
ensure that operating costs will be at a minimum.
In comparing journey costs, the parking charges
at the town centre and at the industrial estates as
well as the cost of petrol must be taken into
account. The level at which parking charges are
fixed will affect the cost of the journey by car.
They can be adjusted so that the journey by rapid
transit will be cheaper than the journey by car. For
example, it is estimated that with parking costs at
2/ - per day, the cost per person for an average
journey will be 1 /3 by car, with 1.5 persons per
car, compared with 8d by public transport. If there
is no parking charge, the cost swings more in
favour of the car journey, which emphasises the
need for a policy on parking charges consistent
with the objectives of the rapid transit system.
8.15 Assuming that a 50 :50 "modal split" is
attainable, and calculating the costs and journey
67
 times for the journey to work by both car and
public transport, it has been possible to check the
design against research carried out in the U.S.A.
The application of the Washington, D.C.
"diversion curves" * to the Runcorn data suggests
that 80% of the internal journeys to work may be
made by rapid transit. (Appendix E). However,
allowance must be made for the fact that
Washington D.C. is a much larger city than
Runcorn. The results do, however, suggest that a
"modal split" of 50 :50 for the journey to work is
achievable in Runcorn.

Roads and Rapid Transit Route

8.16 Several alternative communication networks
were examined in the early stages of the
development of the Master Plan. These studies
took into account topography, existing
development, the canals, agreed intersection
points with the proposed M.56 motorway, and the
necessity to provide good access to the Runcorn-
Widnes Bridge for both through traffic and the
additional local traffic created by the
development of the New Town.

The Expressway System

8.17 To deal with the anticipated road traffic
without detriment to the amenities of the town, an
expressway road is planned circumscribing the
town with inward access to the residential
communities and outward access to the industrial
areas and regional road system. The north-south
link of the expressway provides access to the
town centre and is a vital connection for internal
traffic movements, particularly to and from the
industrial areas. (Fig. 8.8). The ultimate through
traffic crossing the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge, after
making allowance for traffic diverted to th_
regional motorways, has been predicted at
22,600 p.c.u:s per day. This traffic must travel
through the town to the M.56 and beyond as
indicated in Fig. 8.9. As some 60% of this traffic
enters or leaves Runcorn from the south-west, it
can reach the bridge via the western section of
the expressway. Except for journey-to-work traffic
in peak hours this section of the expressway has
a relatively small amount of local traffic, so
through traffic will not be unduly detrimental to
the environment of the town.

* "A model for estimating travel mode usage"-

National Capital Transportation Agency-
Washington. D.C. 1962.

68
8.18 Based upon the 50:50 traffic assignment, the
expressway, which will have a design speed of 50
m.p.h., will consistofdual two-lane carriageways
with grade-separated junctions. (Fig. 8.8). The
projected traffic volumes on two of the
intersections do not warrant grade separation,
but for continuity of traffic flow it is recommended
that all intersections should be grade separated.
The expressway is 13.48 miles long, with 16
intersections.

Distributor Roads
8.19 The distributor road network (Fig. 8.8) is
based upon the community structure discussed
in Section 7. This structure is designed to keep
roadworks to a minimum and encourage the
movement of vehicles outwards to the
expressway, thus keeping the disturbance by
traffic within the communities to a minimum. The
expressway system is intended to provide for
town traffic and to give quick access to the
industrial areas. Although there are connections
between communities, these are indirect and for
journeys other than those to the immediately
adjacent communities, it will be quicker to use the
expressway. The total length of the new
distributor roads, in industrial and residential
areas will be some 23 miles of single twolane
carriageway and approximately 4 miles of dual
two-lane carriageway.

Rapid Transit System

8.20 The form of the rapid transit system adopted
in the Master Plan and the possible alternative
routings within the residential communities have
been discussed in Section 3 of this Report.
Basically, the adopted scheme takes the form of
a "figure of eight" network for buses, with spurs off
to the industrial areas at Astmoor, Dutton and
Moore. The track, used solely for buses, passes
through the centres of the 8,000 population
communities linking them with the town centre
and the industrial areas of the town. Originally it
was intended that the track should be entirely
separated from other traffic routes. (Fig. 8.10).
However, with spare capacity available on the
western section of the

1
The Murdishawand Dutton area. Playing fields
and open space sited between the Parkway and
the Residential Areas reducing traffic noise.

2
The Rapid Transit Route in a residential area.

3
Distributor road within a community showing
greenway and parking system.

69
 expressway, it is possible to serve the western
industrial areas efficiently by running the rapid
transit buses on the expressway, whilst in the
existing town both the three-lane Spur Road and
Clifton Road northwards from the I.C.I. offices at
the Heath will be used as part of the rapid transit
route. (Fig. 8.11).
Both these roads will be used by an insignificant
amount of local traffic after through traffic has
been diverted to the expressway, so the operation
of the rapid transit system will not be impeded. In
addition, the Iow density of the adjoining
residential areas means that the provision of a
separate track is difficult to justify economically in
relation to population served. Although the above
modifications have been made, this does not
preclude the possible completion of the "figure-
of-eight" system on a separate track, either for
bus operation or for some type of automated
transport system at a future date.

70
Choice of Rapid Transit System
8.21 In considering the type of Rapid Transit
System to be adopted, travel time, frequency and
cost have been the main criteria. The final choice
was between a monorail and specially designed
buses. The tram was also considered, but ruled
out on account of its inflexibility in relation to the
existing Runcorn where it is necessary, at least in
the early stages, to use existing roads.
Investigations of the possibility of the following
types of monorail or rapid transit system in
addition to buses have taken place:
1. Alweg Monorail (German)-Rapid Trans
port Development Co. Ltd., London.
2. Safege Monorail (French)-TaylorWood
row Construction Ltd., London.
3. Habegger Monorail (Swiss)-Habegger,
Thun, Switzerland.
4. Rapid Transit Expressway (U.S.)-Wes
tinghouse Electric International Co.,
USA.

8.22 Of these, only the full-scale Alweg system

has been operational as a public transport
service for a significant period of time. The others
are either still experimental or are in use at
int_rnational exhibitions and similar places. The
Safege suspended monorail system requires a
minimum economic loading of 4,000 passengers
per hour, which is about twice the number likely
on any route in Runcorn. The most feasible
monorail system appeared to be one with
coaches of twothirds scale. Such a system could
be developed economically, but each train would
need to be filled to its capacity of 200 passengers
during peak hours and a large proportion of the
commuters would have to change vehicles to
eliminate the introduction of expensive points or
switch gear. It was therefore considered that the

71
 characteristics of the Designated Area, together
with the relatively limited population and the
capital cost involved, precluded the operation of
a satisfactory monorail service. The development
of a 2/3rds scale monorail for urban use does,
however, seem to be viable for future larger new
towns.

8.23 In considering the bus, a conventional

system using normal roads was not considered
acceptable and, in fact, subsequent
investigations based upon a 50 :50 "modal split"
for both conventional and rapid transit systems
indicated that a total saving in Runcorn of some
£600,000 per annum, could be obtained by a
reduction in both operating costs and travel time
by the rapid transit system. Crosville Motor
Services Ltd., the principal bus operators in the
Runcorn area, have indicated that a conventional
system would require a fleet of some 88 buses,
which could operate at an average journey speed
of only 12 m.p.h. on multipurpose roads.

8.24 The rapid transit system to be adopted in

Runcorn, is based on the use of single-deck
buses, operating on their own track, except in
part of the western section of the town. This track
has a design speed of 40 m.p.h. The bus has
flexibility of movement as compared with the
monorail and can readily be used on multi-
purpose roads either in the existing town or in the
new parts of the town during the early stages
when the road network, including the reserved
track, will not be complete.

72
The reserved track will cross the distributor roads
at some 23 places. These crossings will either be
at-grade, controlled by traffic signals giving right
of way to the buses, or grade-separated where
the topography allows them to be constructed
economically and/or the traffic volumes demand
them. (Appendix E).
8.25 Crosville Motor Services Ltd., who will
operate the system, have estimated that,
assuming a 50 :50 "modal split" of internal
commuter traffic, the following figures will apply:
1. Number of buses required-basic service
12; peak service-60.
2. Frequency of routes-basic service-15
minutes.
3. Average speed-21.6 m.p.h.
These figures represent a considerable
improvement on those for a conventional bus
system.
8.26 The basic off-peak frequency of 15 minutes
on each service will provide a 7t minute or 5
minute frequency where there are two or three
services operating over a common section of the
route. (Fig. 8.11). These common sections will
pass through the new residential communities so
that some 63% of the population will have a 5-
minute off-peak service in each direction and a
further 23%, a 7t-minute service. These services
will be augmented at peak periods so that the
frequency of service will be considerably higher.
In addition to the basic services, supplementary
services operating partly on multi-purpose roads
will serve the older parts of the town which are
outside a convenient maximum walking distance.
8.27 The type of bus envisaged for the rapid
transit system is a Iow-floor single-deck type with
accommodation for up to 80-90 persons,
including standing passengers. (Fig. 8.12). The
vehicle will be approximately 8 ft. 9 in. high with a
rearmounted engine and transmission giving a
high rate of acceleration in the vicinity of 3.2
ft./sec.2 from 0-30 m.p.h. (Fig. 8.13). These buses
will demand a minimum height clearance
considerably less than the normal 16 ft. 6 in., and
this will show substantial savings in bridge
construction costs. It is assumed that the vehicles
will be one-man operated with automatic fare
collection. They will have multiple sets of doors to
give quick access and egress. They should also
provide forthe access and carriage of prams and
pushchairs. This could be facilitated by the
provision of automatically dropping ramps at the
entrances and exits of the buses. Further possible
developments of the vehicles include the
provision of doors on both sides permitting the
use of central island platforms at the picking-up
points.
Traffic Assignments
8.29 Several traffic assignments have been
undertaken by computer with progressive
improvements to both the network layout and the
input data. The final assignments have been
based on the morning peak-hour traffic. Although
the road system has been designed on the basis
of a 50 :50 "modal
73
split" for internal-to-internal journeys to work, an
85 :15 "modal split" between the use of the private
car and public transport has also been
undertaken to examine any possible degree of
overloading of the system under conditions of
"full motorisation".

8.30 The basic assumptions for the assignments

are set out in detail in Appendix E and include :
1. Working population-44% of total popu
lation.
2. Of this working population, 27% com
mutes out of Runcorn, but this is
balanced by a similar number coming
into the town.
3. These commuters have been distributed
in proportion to the populations of the
towns within a 1 O-mile radius of
Runcorn by means of a "gravity model".

8.31 For the 50 :50 assignment the following

"modal splits" have been adopted for the
peakhour work journeys.
Internal origin to internal destination 50 :50
Runcorn to Widnes and vice versa 50 :50
Other internal-to-external journeys and vice
versa 85:15

The 50: 50 "modal split" for the journeys to

Widnes assumes that the rapid transit service can
be extended to operate efficiently to Widnes, as
this is expected to be the major external
destination. Should this not prove to be the case,
the ultimate road network will still have sufficient
capacity to cater for car commuters at the 85%
level.
For the 85 :15 "modal split" assignment, all work
journeys have been assigned on the basis of 85%
by private car and 15% by public transport. Both
assignments lf1ave been based on the number of
definable work places. (See Appendix E). In
addition to these, it is estimated that there will be
some 4,050 work places within the town grouped
in small numbers which cannot be included in the
assignment. These will in general be closely
associated with residential areas, and therefore
are assumed to form the major part of the walking
and cycling journeys to work. Traffic was
assigned to the road network according to a
"Capacity Restraint" programme, each vehicle
being assigned to the path of shortest time
between origin and destination. The results of the
50 :50 and 85 :15 assignments to the road
network are illustrated in Figs. 8.14 and 8.15
respectively.
8.32 The 50 :50 assignment which forms the
basis of the design for the road and rapid transit
networks requires an expressway system of dual
two-lane carriageways with grade-separated
intersections. (Fig. 8.8). The 85 :15 "modal split',
assignment indicates that the proposed dual
twolane expressway has sufficient capacity to
take this degree of motorisation with a small
acceptable overload, but many of the
intersections and links to the distributor network
would be overloaded. It should be noted that the
traffic assignments have included school
journeys giving the maximum peak-hour
loadings. However, although school journeys
may at present overlap the morning peak-hour
traffic, it is considered essential that these
journeys should not be made until immediately
after the morning peak to allow for the efficient
and economic operation of the rapid transit
system.

74
9
Shopping

Table 9.1 Hierarchy of Shopping Centres in the

Regional Background Region.
9.1 The potential shopping hinterland, or sphere
of influence, of the New Town is constricted by Town Classification
the surrounding established centres at Liverpool, Liverpool I
Warrington, Chester and Northwich. The growth Manchester I
of population in the immediately adjoining areas Chester IIA
of rural Cheshire, which will form the greatest part Birkenhead IIA
of the hinterland, is likely to be relatively small. At Warrington IIB
first, the shops of Liverpool will probably exert a St. Helens IIB
strong pull on the immigrant population, with Crewe IIB
Warrington offering some attraction. The St. Helens III
expenditure attracted by these centres is likely to Northwich III
be mainly on durable goods, including clothing, Widnes III
for which special shopping trips are made. Sale III
Chester is likely also to offer itself as a place to go Runcorn IV
for a "day out", rather than specifically for Salford IV
shopping. These centres will at the same time Knutsford IV
attract a certain m_asure of incidental Speke IV
expenditure on food and other convenience Winsford IV
goods. The hierarchy of shopping centres around
Runcorn, indicated in Table 9.1 and Figs. 9.1 and Based on classification in "Regional Shopping
9.2, is based on the classification in "Regional Centres'"
Shopping Centres"" - a planning report on North-
West England.

9.2 As Runcorn grows in size it will increase its

own regional attraction, but for the foreseeable
future the New Town's shopping hinterland is
likely to be limited by its more powerful
neighbours, and therefore will be smaller than
that of a similar sized town in more favourable
circumstances. In 1961 the town retained, from
the balance of trade flowing into and out of the
town, the equivalent of very nearly 100% of the
expenditure of its residents on food and
convenience goods, but lost 35% of the
expenditure generated on durable goods. It is
considered that the establishment of the New
Town Centre should reduce the outflow of trade in
durable goods to about 25%. The town should
continue to retain 100% of its expenditure on
convenience goods. (Table 9.2).

. "Regional Shopping Centres" - University of

Manchester, Department of Town and Country
Planning, 1964.

75
Table 9.2 The Regional Shopping attraction of Runcorn, 1961
Regional Theoretical
Retail Runcorn Expenditure Turnover
Retail Category Expenditure 1961 by Runcorn's Runcorn % Retained
per head Population Population (£'000)
(£) (£'000)
(1) (2)* (3) (4) (5)* (6)
I Grocers 44.9 26,033 1,169 1,278 1 09.3} 100%
11 Other Food 31.9 831 731 88.0 convenience
III Sweets, News, Tobacco 15.5 404 382 94.6 goods
IV Clothing and Shoes 24.7 643 474 73.7} 65%
V Household goods 19.3 502 347 69.1 durable
VI Other non-food gOOdS} 27.6 719 422 58.7 goods
VII Dept. and variety Stores
Total 163.9 26,033 4,268 3,634 85.1
Based on Board of Trade Census of Distribution, 1961. * Adjusted for non-response to the Census.

Calculation of Retail and Service Trade Floor
Space
9.3 In making these calculations, it has been
assumed that the average expenditure per head
on retail goods by the inhabitants of Runcorn
does not significantly differ from the average
expenditure per head for the North West Region
as a whole. The average regional expenditure per
head for each category of retail trade at the time
of the 1961 Census of Distribution is shown in
column 2 of Table 9.2.
9.4 The shopping requirements of the New Town
have been calculated for:
1. The town as a whole.
2. The town centre.
3. The district centre.
4. The local centres in the communities.
5. The new-style corner shops, of the small
super-market type, in the neighbourhoods. It is
emphasised that the figures are subject to
periodic review in the light of experience. The
areas given in this Report refer to gross retail floor
space (unless otherwise specified) which
includes sales area, storage and ancillary areas,
such as
those taken up by staff facilities, and all values are
at 1961 price levels.
Total Shopping Needs of the Town
9.5 The calculations are based upon a new town
population of 100,000 in 1991, the farthest date
ahead to which it was felt present figures could
be projected. The total annual turnover for the
town atthattime is estimated to be between
£25,600,000 and £28,200,000 at an annual
growth rate of 2.0% or 2.5%. (Table 9.3). The
higher figure has been taken as a basis for
calculation. Turnover per square foot of gross
retail space is anticipated to be £47 for
convenience goods and £34 for durable goods. A
further assumption is made that the New Town
would retain 100% of trade in convenience goods
and 75% in durables. This reflects an increase in
the retention of durable goods sales of 10% over
the existing 65%. (Table 9.2). The loss of trade in
convenience goods to other shopping centres is
assumed to be balanced by the gain from other
towns.
9.6 On this basis the estimated gross retail floor
space required for the New Town is 313,000 sq. ft.

76
Table 9.3 Total Sales in Runcorn, 1966 -1991 (1961 Prices)
Year Turnover in Turnover in Total turnover
Convenience Durable goods in town
goods shops shops
(£'000) (£'000) (£'000)
2.0% 2.5% 2.0% 2.5% 2.0% 2.5%
Growth rate Growth rate Growth rate
1966 2,940 3,000 1,600 1,650 4,540 4,650
1967 3,190 3,290 1,770 1,820 4,960 5,110
1968 3,390 3,510 1,950 2,020 5,340 5,530
1969 3,840 3,990 2,210 2,300 6,050 6,290
1970 4,230 4,420 2,540 2,650 6,770 7,070
1971 4,970 5,210 2,960 3,110 7,930 8,320
1972 5,450 5,750 3,400 3,590 8,850 9,350
1973 6,140 6,510 3,840 4,070 9,980 10,580
1974 6,860 7,310 4,280 4,570 11,140 11,880
1975 7,270 7,780 5,450 5,840 12,720 13,620
1976 8,000 8,610 6,000 6,450 14,000 15,060
1981 9,350 10,310 7,600 8,380 16,950 18,700
1991 + 13,400 14,700 13,200 13,500 25,600 28,200

for service tracies, which is assumed to be

equivalent to approximately 20% ofthetotal retail
space (i.e. 143,000 sq. ft.), making a total of
856,000 sq. ft. These figures do not include a
retail market of about 10,000 sq. ft.

Allocation of Shopping Between the Town

Centre and the Remainder of the Town
9.7 To arrive at a reasonable distribution of the
total shopping area between the various parts of
the town, it was impossible to consider the town
as if it were wholly a new town. Since
approximately 27,000 of the total population of
100,000 will be in the existing built-up area, which
has its own shopping facilities, this fact must be
taken into account in the calculations. The
existing area is comparatively over provided with
shops, which is common in the case of older
urban areas. (Fig. 9.3). The proposal to carry out
an extensive scheme of urban renewal in and
around the present town centre allows a good
opportunity to concentrate the amount of
shopping around the core of comparatively
modern shops. The r1;)tio of ,the allocation of
gross retail floor space between the town centre
and the remainder of the town has been adopted
as a result of consideration of the proportions in
existing towns and the ways in which Runcorn
New Town may be expected to deviate from this.

9.8 An analysis of the provision in the centre of

existing towns, based on the 1961 Board of Trade
Census of Distribution shows that an average
ratio for towns with populations in the region of 1
00,000 is within the range 43: 57 to 56: 64 (town
centre: remainder of town) as regards turnover
(Table 9.4). In converting turnover to gross retail
floor space, an allowance is made for the fact
that, due to the

77
 higher proportion of durable goods shops, town sq. ft. of gross retail floor space in the town. A
centre establishments require more space for an reasonable concentration can be achieved down
equivalent turnover, on average, than shops in to 129,000 sq. ft. (including a possible
the remainder of a town. The range of floor area development site in the existing centre). Of this
thus obtained is approximately 45:55 to 60:40. 129,000 sq. ft., 66,000 sq. ft. is within the present
These figures apply to existing towns, which have town centre. The existence of this comparatively
developed in an unplanned manner. However, for large amount of shopping outside the new Town
a New Town, such as Runcorn, it is considered Centre makes the lower end of the range of floor
that a ratio of 60:40 or higher would be space allocation more appropriate above. Thus,
appropriate. an allocation of 60:40 over the whole town out of
a total ultimate calculated floor space provision of
9.9 The basic objective in Runcorn should be to 713,000 sq. ft. leaves 426,000 sq. ft. for the Town
achieve maximum convenience combined with Centre, and 287,000 sq. ft. for the remainder of
maximum choice for the residents of the town, the Town. Of this, 129,000 sq. ft. is already
which entails a predominant Town Centre. Further committed to the existing built-up area, leaving
factors make it reasonable to provide a 158,000 sq. ft. for the remainder of the
considerable element of convenience and food Designated Area, which is the equivalent of about
shopping within the Town Centre in addition to a 70:30 division between the centre and the
comparison and durable shopping. These are : remainder in this case. This lower proportion of
1. The comparatively high average net shopping in the new local centres and corner
density of 66 p.p.a. with higher densities shops, compared with the existing built-up area,
around the Town Centre. is justified because of the relative ease of travel to
2. The provision of dwellings for not less the Town Centre on the Rapid Transit System
than 10,000 people within walking from these new communities.
distance of the Town Centre.
3. The Rapid Transit System. Table 9.4C entral Area sales in towns of about
4. An expressway road system which, even 100,000 population. 1961.
without ,the Rapid Transit System, Sales in
brings _"e Town Centre within easier Central
reach of the resid6:"!ts of the New Town Area as (£'000)
% of total
than in any "natural growth" town of
sales
similar size.
Grocers and Provision
5. The growing tendency towards "one-
Dealers 22.4 - 39.2 726 - 1,505
stop shopping" in which much of the Other Food Retailers 29.6 - 36.2 842 -1,775
week's food is bought during one Confectioners, Tobacco-
weekend shopping visit to the Town nists, etc. 17.9 - 33.2 207 -
Centre. 472
Clothing and Footwear 70.2 - 85.0 874 - 3,074
9.10 For these reasons it would appear that the Household Goods 52.8 - 77.0 318 - 2,333
division of shopping floor space between the Other Non-Food Retailers 50.7 - 76.2 506 - 1,119
Town Centre and the rest of the town should be General Stores 70.8 - 76.7 252- 714
within the range 60:40 to 75:25. A survey of the Total retail sales 43.1 - 55.6 5.501 - 9,969
built-up area shows that there are some 200,000
Based on information from Census of
Distribution, 1961

Table 9.5 Ultimate Distribution of Retail (713.000 sq. ft.) and Service Trade (142.000 sq. ft.) Floor Space.
(All figures in gross sq. ft.)
New Communities
Rest of
Type Town District present Each Com- Total
Centre Centre U.D.C. munity in new
area (8,000 Communities
population)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
Town centre shops 426,000-
District centre shops 66,000
Local centre shops 63,000 {16,000}19400 158,000
Corner shops 3,400 '
Service trades 100,000 24,000 5,000 1,250 14,000
Total 526.000 90,000 68,000 (20,650)

78
9.11 The Plan proposes that the new population renewed. A realistic re-assessment can then be
will be grouped in communities of approximately made in the light of the effect of the rapid transit
8,000, each served by a local centre, together system in the existing areas and of the
with a new-type corner shop in each of the four establishment of multiple traders in the new
constituent neighbourhoods of 2,000. These centre.
communities would have an average total
allocation of 19,400 sq. ft. of retail floor space
(1/8th of 158,000 approx.), which might vary up or
down according to the distance from the Town
Centre.

9.12 The total shopping provision, outside the

town centre, will thus be 287,000 sq. ft., of which
158,000 sq. ft. will be in the new areas. So far as
the existing population is concerned, the
proposals for urban renewal include 66,000 sq. ft.
of retail space in the existing centre and 63,000
sq. ft. in the remaining areas, makil'1g a total of
129,000 sq. ft. The proposed distribution of retail
shopping and service trades are shown in Table
9.5 and Fig. 9.4.

9.13 It is emphasised that the theoretical ratios

between areas of shopping floor space at the
town centre and elsewhere in the town have been
developed to take account of an existing Covered local centre with flexible divisions
situation. They should be reviewed when the new between shop units - Vastra Frolunda. Goteborg,
centre is partially established and the district Sweden.
centre is being

79
80
 10
The
Town Centre
The Content of the Town Centre
10.1 Before considering where the town centre
should be it is necessary to define its content so
that alternative locations can be tested for their
site capacity.
The various building types proposed are grouped
in the following schedule in classes of
accommodation (Table 1 0.1 ). The figures referto
a total new town population of 100,000 and
should be regarded as provisional and subject to
adjustment.

Table 10.1 Schedule of Accommodation in the Town Centre. (Total at the end of each phase).
1 st Phase 2nd Phase 3rd Phase Ultimate
a) Immigrant population 16,600 26,500 46,500 -
b) Total population 47,800 57,950 80,300 100,000
Component sq. ft. sq ft. sq. f1. sq. ft.
1. Shopping Floor Space (gross retail) 1 42,500 187,000 326,000 426,000
2. Service Trades 9,000 15,000 30,000 34,000
3. Commercial Office Development 49,000 78,000 140,000 280,000
4. Specialised Offices:
Banks 4,000 8,000 10,000 15,000
Post Office/Sorting Office 2,000 16,000 21,000 21,000
Local/Central Government Offices 5,000 5,000 12,000 25,000
Court House, etc. - 16,000 16,000 16,000
. Police Station - - 17,000 17,000
Telephone Exchange 15,000 30,000 60,000 60,000
Central Clinic, etc. 22,000 32,000 32,000 32,000
5. Entertainment/Cultural Facilities:
Library - 22,000 44,000 44,000
Theatre (with Bar) - 6,000 6,000 6,000
Cinema (with Restaurant) - - 14,000 14,000
Restaurants - - 3,500 (1) 24,000 (5)
Public Houses 2,500 (1 ) 5.000 (2) 7,500 (3) 15,000 (6)
Hotels - - 20,000 (2) 40,000 (4)
Youth Centre - - 7,500 7,500
Assembly Hall/Concert Hall - - 12,000 12,000
Dance Hall - 6,000 13,800 13,800
Art Gallert/Museum, Exhibition Centre - - 6,000 6,000
Sports Building - 15,000 15,000 15,000
6. Churches: - - 30,000 30,000
7. Transport:
Car Spaces required for Town Centre 1,090 1,550 2,880 4,500
Garage/Car Showrooms - - 12,000 (1 ) 24,000 (2)
Bus Station - 15,000 35,000 35,000
8. Housing associated with Town Centre
(Population) 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000
9. Education:
Primary School (associated with housing) 6.75 acres 6.75 acres 6.75 acres 6.75 acres
College of Further Education 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000
The figures in this schedule refer to gross floor area of buildings .and not to total site area unless otherwise
stated, e.g.

81
Choice of Site
10.2 An examination of the Designated Area
indicates only two sites worthy of detailed
consideration as the location for the New Town
Centre-the existing town centre and a new site
immediately south of Halton Village. An analysis
of these two sites reveals their advantages and
disadvantages.
Existing Town Centre
10.3 The advantages of this site are:
1. It would avoid re-siting the commercial
centre away from its long-established
location. Existing trade would be an
attraction to the establishment of new
businesses.
2. The position of the site in relation to the
Manchester Ship Canal, the Mersey and
the new road bridge, affords an exciting
setting for a town centre.
82
3. The topography of the site provides an
opportunity for convenient multi-level
development on the deck principle.
4. Much of the existing property in the
area
is "ripe" for redevelopment.
5. It takes advantage of the existing railway
station.
10.4 The disadvantages of this site are:
1. It is restricted by the Manchester Ship
and Bridgewater Canals and the road and
railway viaducts. The available area within
these is too small to accommodate all the
desirable town centre facilities, including
associated social, educational, residential
and recreational facilities.
2. The site is badly located in relation to the
population of the new town. Being at one
 end of the Designated Area itnecessitates
maximum travelling distances for much of
the future population..
3. The site is badly located in relation to the
proposed rapid transit system. Being on
the extremity of the "figure of eight"
system, the centre could not be served
as well as if it were located at its central
intersection. More car parking would
therefore be required in a position where
it is difficult to provide it.
4. lack of space would make it necessary to
provide car parking in costly multi-storey
structures, and adequate road access to
these would be difficult to achieve.
5. The site is badly located in relation to the
primary road system, coinciding as it
does with another point of traffic
concentration, namely the
Runcorn/Widnes Bridge.
6. The site is inadequately served by the
proposed primary road system. The
barriers created by the canal and the
bridge approach roads would make it
extremely difficult and expensive to
provide adequate road access and the
necessary road works would
considerably reduce the area of land
available for town centre development.
7. Site values, demolition and disturbance
costs would result in expensive site costs.
8. The restricted area available would have
to be almost completely cleared of
existing development. This would include
recently re-developed shops, the design
and layout of which would be
inappropriate to the central area of a
town of 100,000 people. Even if these
sh()ps were not acquired, because of
their situation, economic and commercial
pressures would ine\(itably bring about
their redevelopment in a more efficient
form.
9. It would be difficult to phase the
development in relation to the availability
()f land and property. At least two-thirds
of the centre would need to be
constructed comprehensively on a
completely cleared site and most of the
existing traders would be involved in a
double move; first to temporary premises,
then to their final buildings. This is
assuming that the traders survived the
disruption and were capable of paying
the increased rents involved to meet site
and building costs.
The Halton Site
10.5 The second site, at Halton, was found to
have the following advantages:
1. The site is large enough to accommodate
the required development and allow for
future expansion should this prove necessary.
2. The lack of existing development on the
site means a saving in that the cost of
land, demolition of buildings, disturbance
of trade and people can be kept to a
minimum. 3. The freedom of the site from
existing de velopment allows for
flexibility in phasing.
4. The site is large enough to accommodate
the necessary large-scale roadworks
without compromising the function of the
other elements.
5. The town centre in this position would be
at the centre of the town and hence entail
the shortest journey for the majority of the
population.
6. The site is at the best possible location
on the rapid transit system, being at the
crossing of the "figure-of-eight".
7. There is no other major traffic generator
in the vicinity of the site, so that the
central area traffic would not conflict with
traffic associated with other parts of the
primary road system.
8. Halton Rock, being the dominant visible
feature within the Designated Area, would
both locate the centre and provide an
historical and architectural attraction for
residents and visitors.
10.6 The only disadvantages of the site at Halton
are that it entails a change in the status of the
existing centre by the removal of some of its
businesses to a new site which is away from the
existing railway station, and a change in the
shopping habits of the existing population. It may
also be said on a short-term basis that the
location of commercial development outside the
present boundary of the Urban District Council
would be disadvantageous for the authority, but
this is not a disadvantage from the point of view
of the New Town and it must inevitably be
regarded as a transitional situation for the U.D.C.
The extension of the boundary of the Urban
District to coincide with that of the New Town has
been proposed and seems likely to become a
reality.
10.7 In view therefore of the advantages, on
balance, to the New Town as a whole the site
south of Halton has been adopted for the New
Town Centre.
The Halton Site and its Setting
10.8 The site is dominated to the north by Halton
Rock which rises to 340 ft. above sea level and is
enclosed on the east and west by two ridges of
land, the shorter with a maximum height of 234 ft.
extending to the south as far as the Spur Road
and the longer with a maximum height of 243 ft.
83
extending to the south-west to Halton Lodge-a
group of farm buildings in a clump of trees. To the
south the site is unenclosed and affords splendid
views across the River Weaver to Frodsham Hill
and Helsby Head. The Liverpool-Crewe railway
line runs across the southern edge of the site.
(Fig. 10.1).

10.9 The site must also be seen in relation to

Halton village, the older parts of which have
historical and architectural interest. The village
will contribute to the attraction and character of
the centre, providing it with a sense of having
roots in the past as well as a dramatic visual
contrast. The Castle is at present closed to the
public because in places it is unsafe and is in
need of judicious restoration and conservation.
The view and a drink at the Castle Hotel is already
an attraction for locals and visitors and there is
the opportunity to enhance the amenities by a
carefully designed scheme. A square could be
created in front of the hotel and castle
incorporating an outlook tower and restaurant
which would enjoy commanding views over the
town, the estuary and the Cheshire countryside.
Such a proposal must be the subject of
consultation with those organisations which have
a particular interest in the historical and
architectural aspects of Halton. The central park
will lie to the east of the new town centre. The
expressway will cross the southern edge of the
site, while the north-south

84
1
Suggested new square with outlook tower in front
of the Castle Hotel.

2
Sketch plan of suggested development on Halton
Rock.

link will give access to the town centre from the

north, south and west. Between the proposed
southern expressway and the existing
LiverpoolCrewe-London railway line, a new
hospital is proposed. A new railway station on this
line giving connections also to the Chester line is
proposed as near as possible to the Town Centre
to serve the town as a whole. This proposal is still
under discussion with the British Railways Board.
Housing areas forming integral parts of the town
centre and providing for a substantial number of
people within walking distance will lie to east,
south and west. An analysis of these main
external influences on the town centre is shown in
Fig. 1 0.2.

The Proposed Centre

10.10 I n its location at the heart of the New Town,
with good communications by road and by rapid
transit and forming the central climax of the town
park, the Town Centre will be the natural meeting
place for the town's social and cultural life as well
as for shopping, offices and specialised
amenities such as a theatre, library, central sports
hall, etc. The complex and varied activities which
take place in the centre demand that the physical
relationship of the different parts should be
simple and easily understandable. Its elements
are:
1. Shopping area with related civic, admini
strative and cultural uses.
2. Service area.

85
86
 3. Car parking.
4. Access by road and rapid transit.
5. Access by pedestrians from the
surrounding residential areas.
The nature and size of these elements can be
estimated with reasonable accuracy in relation to
known requirements but changes in demand
resulting from social and economic
developments are difficult to predict. The aim has
been to provide a functional structure with a
sufficient number of open ends to allow changes
and additions to be made. Over-emphasis of this
consideration could, however, lead to piece-meal
development and to avoid this it is necessary to
take positive design decisions.
10.11 The diagrammatic arrangement of the
various uses in the Town Centre is as follows:
A shopping core with servicing underneath and
the rapid transit route on the edge of the
shopping area with as many bus stops as
necessary to permit easy and direct access for
people and appropriate flows of shoppers within
the shopping area. Peripheral car parks around
the core to enable people coming by car to be
within two minutes' walking distance of the shops.
The other uses form linear interpenetrating arms
extending outwards and inwards on each side of
the shopping area. The spaces which are
incorporated in these arms will contain residential
development or landscaped areas or will be left to
permit future expansion of the centre.
Each arm by reason of its type of accommoda
tion, its topography and its relationship to other
elements of the town plan, will have a distinctive
character.
North. The arm extending northwards to
Haltonand containing mainly office
accommodation and some civic buildings
rises up a fairly steep gradient to link with
the village and the Castle Rock where the
outlook tower and restaurant are
suggested.
East. The arm to the east links the Town Park
and the Town Centre. It contains the
Technical College, Indoor Sports Building,
the town church for all denominations and
possibly one of the two hotels. Being on
elevated ground this group of buildings
will have special architectural and
environmental significance.
West. The arm to the west lies within the main
residential area of the Town Centre and will
house the Poly-clinic, the Telephone
Exchange and possibly other office
buildings.
South. The arm to the south includes the
cultural buildings such as the library and
theatre. These are set in a formal park
landscape where provision is made for
cafes, exhibitions and other functions
associated with the cultural life of the
town. These ground level landscaped
areas on relatively flat land would contrast
with the predominantly hard surfaces of
the shopping area and emphasise the
valley character of the site. By keeping the
residential area of the south relatively Iow,
the magnificent views towards Frodsham
Hill and Helsby Head from the southern
edge of the shopping area will be
preserved and appreciated.
Formal landscaped area to the south of the
Town Centre.
The spaces between these arms are also
important since they will allow for future
expansion as well as acting as green lungs
between the built-up areas.
The proposals are shown in diagrammatic form in
Fig. 10.3.
10.12 It is desirable that as many people as
possible should live in and around the Centre,
and have easy access to it. This will ensure that
both early in the life of the town, when the central
commercial facilities are being established, and
later, when their prosperity has to be maintained,
there is maximum local support from people
living within walking distance. The plan provides
for approximately 1 0,000 people to be
accommodated in this way. Because of the
advantages of being able to enjoy these social
and commercial amenities without vehicular
journeys, a higher density of residential
development can be justified.
10.13 New forms of shopping enclosure in the
Centre are desirable to allow for future changes in
retail sales methods and areas required. Covered
concourses in certain instances would permit the
replacement of conventional shop fronts by
shutters and dividing "walls" could be less
permanently
87
88
constructed in some cases with movable metal
mesh partitions giving maximum flexibility of
letting, to suit the small specialised shops as well
as the departmental stores, without sacrifice of
security.
10.14 It is desirable, however, that there should
be contrast between covered and open areas
which might be in the form of differing sized
patios laid out as gardens of a special character
or as paved areas with special sculptural,
amusement or other features. Two-level shopping
could be introduced in moderation, but only at
points where changes in level are necessary and
are not artifically contrived for here they assist
peoples'
The shopping area with access from the Rapid
Transit stops.
transition from one level to the other. Provided
there is an equitable flow of pedestrians, shops
need not be grouped according to their size, type
or quality; they can be arranged to give variety
and contrast within the centre. The market place
could be arranged in an open space placed to
one side of the shops.
10.15 Although shopping can be a family affair,
not all members of the family are equally
enthusiastic or have the same interests, and to
make shopping pleasant for adults, as well as
children, there should be facilities for baby and
child minding and entertainment in the form of
nurserycreches. These would be most
appropriately sited either at the four rapid transit
stops or centrally. Men's shopping interests and
habits differ considerably from women's and it is
desirable that
their special requirements should be analysed
and provided for. In the evening it will be
desirable to provide attractions for all age groups
ranging from discotheques and dancing clubs to
pubs and bingo halls. Late night shopping
facilities will assist substantially in achieving the
objective of making the centre a lively place at
night.
Access
10.16 Easy access to the facilities of the town
centre for bus passengers, car users and
pedestrians is essential. For bus passengers, the
rapid transit route encompassing the shopping
area enables them to reach the shops as well as
the accommodation within the arms of other
uses. For people in cars, the two main
approaches are from the southern expressway
and from the northsouth link expressway. Conflict
between pedestrian and vehicular movements
are resolved by vertical separation with over or
underpasses taking advantage wherever
possible of the topography to avoid steep
gradients or sharp up and down ramp
movements. The main pedestrian routes from the
areas adjoining the centre enter the shopping
area along the arms of development.
Rapid Transit Buses
10.17 A basic principle of the Master Plan is that
people should be encouraged to use the rapid
transit buses for journeys to the centre either for
shopping or work.
The rapid transit route is given priority over other
forms of transport and is placed nearest the
shops, between the car park and the traffic - free
shopping area. In this position the route will give
the minimum disruption of the centre. To give the
most convenient access the bus stops are at the
same level as the main shopping area. At these
points there will be an opportunity to create lively
and attractive shopping entrances with a sense of
purpose and identity. As these will also be the
entry points to the arms of civic, cultural,
educational and administrative uses they
represent key points of access.
Private Motor Cars
10.18 The peak volumes of car traffic arriving at,
or leaving the central area, are dealt with by two
entry and exit points from the urban expressway.
These have been sited at almost diagonally
opposite corners of the circulatory road serving
the centre as a one-way system. The extent of
parking facilities has been based upon a modal
split of 50: 50 for journeys to work at the centre.
The rapid transit service of buses should also
prove effective in reducing the number of car
spaces to those required for a similar modal split
of 50:50 for shopping journeys and these have
been provided in ground level car parks. Should
there be a greater
89
90
 1
Sketch plan showing the 'arms of development',
each having a distinctive character related to its
use and topography.

2
Diagrammatic layout of the centre in relation to
the contours.

3
Diagrammatic layout adjusted to the contours.

demand these could be partly developed on a

multi-level basis to provide car spaces for an 85:
15 modal split for shopping journeys at peak
shopping times. (Fig. 10.5).

10.19 The car parks have in the first instance

been placed only at ground level in order to
achieve the greatest economy and flexibility at a
time when the shopping centre will be in the
process of establishment and will not therefore be
able to support expensive structures and when,
moreover, it is desirable that minimum or no
charges should be made for car parking initially in
order to encourage the maximum custom at the
opening stage.

10.20 Shops will be served by lifts or hoists from

the individual service areas below. These areas
will have enclosed service road access
connecting with the circulatory road. Service
traffic will thus be segregated from other traffic
and there will be separate entrances and exits
which can be easily controlled for security
purposes. This arrangement will keep the
unloading and refuse disposal operations
unexposed to public view, as well as enabling
those delivering goods to find their way to
particular parts of the service area without
becoming involved with other traffic. (Fig. 10.4).

91
10.21 In order to achieve the most economic
relationship between the different levels and the
patterns of movement in the centre, the shopping
area should be located at the lowest part of the
site with its southern edge approximately in line
with the existing spur road. In this position the
contours of the land enclose the shopping area
on three sides.

10.5 Town Centre Parking Requirements.

Diagram indicates parking demand with 50 :50
"modal
split" for workers and either 85 :15 or 50 :50
"modal split" for shoppers,

Phasing
10.22 To ensure the earliest commercial and
social success of the Town Centre the first section
must comprise a substantial proportion of the
whole and there should be sufficient population
living within walking distance to guarantee an
immediate shopping demand. On the basis of the
proposed housing programme, it will be possible
to arrange by 1971 that approximately 10,000
people will be living within easy reach of the
centre. The first phase of the town centre is
programmed for completion in the same year.
The second phase is planned for completion by
1975, while the third phase would be developed
by the end of the plan period. (Fig. 10.6).

The Town Centre and Halton from the town park.

92
11
Urban
Renewal
and
RehabiIitation
The Present Situation
11.1 With the New Town Centre sited south of
Halton, it is desirable to take positive measures to
ensure that the existing town centre is given a
new character as a district centre and that a
programme of renewal and rehabilitation is
undertaken. The existing centre has an out-of-
date road pattern as well as obsolete buildings.
Many of the houses have no bathrooms and the
older shops are unsuitable for modern retail
methods. Generally,the environment is
unsatisfactory and there is a marked lack of open
space (Fig. 11.1). Some parts require complete
redevelopment or rehabilitation to raise the
quality of the exterior environment as well as the
interior standard of individual buildings.

93
 11.2 Redevelopment has already been started by
the Runcorn Urban District Council and the worst
housing has been cleared. A market and bus
station have been built in addition to new houses
and shops. Church Street has been widened with
new shops on its north side and new business
premises have been built in High Street. The area
beneath the elevated Runcorn-Widnes Bridge
approach road has been cleared and used for car
parking and children's play space, whilst All
Saints' Churchyard has been imaginatively
landscaped, setting a good example for future
open space treatment. Urban renewal has thus
gained an impetus and it is desirable that this
should be maintained. These developments have
been carried out in accordance with the County
Council Development Plan. In the context of the
New Town Master Plan, increasing Runcorn's
population to 100,000, the urban renewal
programme for the existing centre needs to be
reorientated so that it forms an integral and
accelerated part of a comprehensive
development programme for the whole town.

Urban Renewal
11.3 The Master Plan changes the nature of
urban renewal in Runcorn, with the existing town
centre becoming a district centre. The emphasis
at present on rebuilding largely with commercial
premises will be changed to housing renewal and
rehabilitation. Sufficient allocation of resources
must be made to complete the commercial
rebuilding at present in hand, so as to secure a
compact district centre with pedestrian and
vehicular segregation. The plan for such an urban
renewal programme (Fig. 11.2) includes:
1. Comprehensive redevelopment for residentia_
purposes of derelict land and poor housing
closely adjoining the existing centre. The existing
population of approximately 3,240 would
increase to about 3,850 as indicated in table 11 .1
.

94
95
 Table 11.1Population - Urban Renewal Areas.
Exist- Demo- New
ing lition Housing
Ultimate
Persons 3,238 1,781 2,400 3,857
(80 p.p.a.)
Dwellings 1,116 516 750 1,350
(3.2 p.p.d.)
Households 1,105 505 750 1,350
(3.2 p.p.h.)

2. Larger areas of public open space,

including a park below and on either side
of the elevated Runcorn-Widnes Bridge
approach viaduct and the rehabilitation of
the Bridgewater Canal and Manchester
Ship Canal water fronts.
3. A reduction of the central shopping
provision to 66,000 sq. ft. gross retail
floor space, so that it is appropriate to a
district population of some 16,000.
4. A rationalised communications system
including:
i. The expressway and rapid transit system
passing along the southern edge of the
district centre.
ii. A main circulation road around the centre
forming a loop from the expressway.
iii. Service roads and local car parks off the
circulation road.
iv. A separate pedestrian system linking the
residential areas with shops, offices and
public open space and giving convenient
access to the rapid transit stops and car
parks.

Sketches of urban renewal in Weston Village

96
Rehabilitation
11.4 There are three main types of rehabilitation
required in Runcorn. (Fig. 11.3).
1. The rehabilitation of groups of "bye-law"
houses, situated around the existing
centre, by internal improvement, so that
they compare favourably with new
houses, and by external improvement so
that the environmental standard is raised.
2. The preservation, and in some cases,
renovation of individual or groups of
buildings of architectural or historical
interest a1 Weston, Halton and Norton
Villages, in addition to Runcorn itself, and
several farmhouses in the rural areas. The
type of rehabilitation suitable for the
groups of buildings in this category would
be similar to that carried out in various
towns by the Civic Trust.
3. The general improvement of the streets
and neglected open spaces in the
suburban areas, including new
tree'planting and paving; the provision of
play spaces and garages; the
improvement ot disused quarries and
spoil
heaps (e.g. at Runcorn Hill and Stenhills) ; and
the establishment of pedestrian and cycle ways
linking the major open spaces, schools and the
town centre.
Conclusion
11.5 It is essential that a programme of renewal
and rehabilitation should take place at the same
time as the development of the new areas of the
New Town. An integrated programme such as this
would ensure that both the existing town and the
new areas will become a single unified town. This
programme would incorporate the
redevelopment instigated by the Urban District
Council. The scheme for urban renewal shown in
this Report is intended to illustrate the general
principles, which it is thought are desirable. They
will form the basis of discussion between the
Runcorn Urban District Council and the
Development Corporation, and clearly the urban
renewal scheme decided upon must be
undertaken in close collaboration between the
two authorities. Further discussions will be
necessary to determine the best manner in which
this can be achieved.
97
 12
Physical
Recreation
and
Open Space
12.1 The facilities for outdoor recreation in the
existing town will remain largely unchanged in the
Plan (Appendix C). However, the present 9-hole
golf course requires certain boundary
modifications and part of Runcorn Heath will be
developed for additional playing fields for the
present built-up area. The existing population will,
of course, be able to enjoy the range of new
facilities for the town as a whole.

12.2 It is difficult to plan with precision for future

leisure requirements. Increased affluence,
mobility and education may bring unpredictable
changes. It can be assumed, however, that with
the shorter working hours likely in the future, the
demands for leisure facilities will rapidly increase
and it is necessary to allow sufficient open space
in the Plan to cater for this expansion. An
indication of recent developments in leisure
demands is given in Table 12.1.

Table 12.1 Typical increases in leisure Demand

Percentage increase
(1952-1962)
English bowls players 20
Value of sports equipment purchased 40
Book loans from public libraries 45
Visitors to National Gallery 45
Visitors to National Trust properties 50
Rugby Union clubs 70
Overnight camping in forest parks 130
Overseas visitors to Britain 167
Expenditure on cars and motor cycles 600
Sailing dinghies 1,200

Source: "Fourth Wave-Challenge of leisure."-A

Civic Trust Survey-Michael Dower-Architects
Journal, 20th January, 1965.

12.3 The proposals in the Plan for physical

recreation and open space in the New Town are
given in the following paragraphs of this section.

98
Sports Centre
12.4 A site for a sub-regional sports centre, has
been reserved in the Town Park, on the flat land
adjoining the Manchester Ship Canal. This will
include a stadium, athletics track, practice areas,
tennis courts, cricket and hockey pitches and
bowling rinks.

Playing Fields
12.5 The total playing field provision in the plan is
482 acres or 4.8 acres per 1,000 population. This
compares with the 5t acres per 1,000 suggested
by the National Playing Fields Association.
(Appendix F). However, in addition, there are the
large playing fields attached to the Secondary
Schools which have a potential use for out-
ofschool activities. The Town Park, the areas of
woodland and large areas of incidental open
space provide further recreational facilities,
making a very generous overall provision. The
allocation of particular types of sports facilities within the
playing field areas has been based upon recommen

99
 dations of the National Playing Fields
Association. (Appendix F). Children's play spaces
within the residential areas are dealt with in
Section 7 of this Report.

Water Sports and Recreation

12.6 The waterways in and around Runcorn
provide opportunities for boating and fishing. The
Bridgewater Canal is already used for pleasure
purposes and it is proposed that marinas should
be developed on the Canal in the Central Park
and near the existing town centre. At Preston
Brook it is suggested that the existing canal-side
buildings and wharves could be further
developed for the maintenance and servicing of
pleasure boats. The stepped locks leading from
the Bridgewater Canal to the Manchester Ship
Canal are now unused and the Ship Canal
Company is proposing to close them, but this
would not affect the pleasure facilities of the
canal. A rowing club at present uses the River
Weaver and this could meet an increased
demand.

Indoor Physical Recreation

12.7 An indoor physical recreation centre is
included in the Town Centre. This would include
swimming pools, a sports hall, squash courts and
other facilities.

Golf Courses
12.8 The existing 9-hole Golf Course will be
retained, but with certain modifications to its
boundary. In addition, a new 18-hole Golf Course
I will be needed in the future. In view of the
shortage I of suitable land within the
Designated Area, this
will probably have to be sited outside the Town in
the proposed Green Belt.

The Parks and other Open Spaces

12.9 All the open spaces including the playing
fields, the existing parks at Runcorn Hill and near
the Town Hall, the new Town Park, the parkways,
the woodlands and the greenways leading to the
local centres are linked in the Master Plan to form
a comprehensive open space system. (Fig. 12.1).

12.10 The combination of woodland and

undulating land in the eastern part of the Area
makes an attractive setting for the new residential
areas. Most of the woodlands will be retained in a
large park of 266 acres forming the main central
landscape feature of the New Town. This park,
extending from the town centre to the Manchester
Ship Canal, will serve the new residential
communities, the industrial areas and the town as
a whole. The rapid transit system and special car
parks will assist in achieving this objective.

12.11 The new residential communities will form

100
the physical edges of the park, which it is
suggested should be emphasised by somewhat
taller buildings, so that the maximum number of
people can enjoy the park's amenities and at the
same time a sense of urban enclosure is secured.
The park incorporates Norton Priory land a
section of the Bridgewater Canal, which will be
extended at one point to form a marina. Public
and school playing fields will be sited within and
adjoining the Park and it is intended that their
boundaries should be designed to give a visual
continuity of features in an informal landscape.
The existing landscape features in the park area
will be incorporated in a detailed landscape plan
and augmented by further planting. An artificial
lake is proposed, serving a dual purpose for
recreation and also as a storage reservoir for the
future I.C.I. Works at Moore. The park will be
traversed by combined footpaths and cycle ways
linking the communities, the industrial areas and
the Town Centre. These tracks will be divided into
two distinct halves, one for pedestrians and one
for cyclists. I n fine weather the housewife, or
anyone else for that matter, will be able to cycle
through the park to the industrial areas, the
secondary schools, the town centre or other
communities to visit friends. It should be
emphasised, however, that with an efficient public
transport system and some fairly steep gradients,
cycling may be less popular than in other towns.

12.12 The principal features of the park will be:

1. Large areas of open grassland and wood
land for picnics, walking, adventure play
for
children, ball games, kite flying, etc.
2. A large space for circuses, fairs,carnivals,
displays and open air exhibitions.
3. Other facilities could include a
bandstand, an aviary, boating lake, toy
boat sailing ponds, pitch and putt
courses, open air theatre, open air
swimming pool, gardens, bowling greens
and playgrounds with both play sculpture
and mechanical equipment.

Parkway
12.13 A parkway around the New Town provides
a landscape setting for the expressway road, and
forms a noise absorbent barrier between it and
the adjacent residential areas. In certain sections,
where practicable, it is desirable that the width of
the central reservation between carriageways
should vary to increase the landscape quality of
the road environment. In the new parts of the
town, the width of the parkway on either side will
vary from 200 ft. to 1 ,000 ft. and the wider and
flatter sections will be used to provide some of
the playing field and recreational requirements of
the town, particularly for the adjoining
communities. The more undulating sections of
the parkway will be planted to form an extension
of the wood

101
 land areas. Other elements which might be
included in the parkway are a turf nursery.
allotments and adventure playgrounds. Adequate
protection by planting and fencing will be
required for some of these recreational uses.
Woodlands
12.14 The existing woodlands in the Designated
Area form a valuable amenity asset and it is
recommended as a matter of urgency that Tree
Preservation Orders should be placed on
woodlands and trees within the Designated Area
where these are not within the ownership of the
Development Corporation. In addition to the
preservation and rehabilitation of existing
woodlands. it is proposed to plant new areas of
woodland. particularly on marginal land which
would be difficult to build
upon and has little value for agricultural or
parkland use. Incorporated as windbreaks. noise
baffles and visual and recreational features these
large areas of woodland could be inexpensive
and ultimately most impressive. For the new
planting on all but exposed sites. the timber
varieties of Poplar should prove satisfactory
where the soil is deep.
Where it is waterlogged, the Willow may be
suitable. The more wind-hardy Sycamore.
Norway Maple and Birch would be suitable for the
very exposed situations and poor soils. On sites
with the poorest soil and greatest exposure.
special varieties of Pine could be planted as a
nurse crop.
Open Space Provision
A summary of the open space in the Plan is
shown in Table 12.2.

Table 12.2 Total Provision of Open Space in the New Town

Existing Acres
Open Space Proposed Retained Total per 1.000
(acres) (acres) (acres) population
Town Park 266} 99 388 3.9
Other Parks 23
Playing fields 449 33 482 4.8
Woodland 320 244 564 5.6
Allotments 24 6 30 0.3
9-hole Golf Course 14 33 47 0.5
Other Open Space 471 78 549 5.5
All Open Spaces 1.553 507 2.060 20.6

102
13
Public
UtiIities
Water Supply
13.1 The Designated Area of the New Town lies
within the areas of two water authorities, the
Runcorn Water Board to the west and the
Warrington and District Water Board to the east.
Agreement has been reached in principle on the
supply of water to the New Town. It will be
distributed by a new ring main served by two
reservoirs, one in Runcorn and a new one to the
east of the New Town near Warrington. No
problems are anticipated in meeting the water
supply required for either housing or industry.
The I.C.I. plant at Moore will require a water
storage reservoir and it is intended that this
should be situated within the Central Park in the
form of a lake.

Gas, Electricity and G.P.O. Telephones

13.2 No difficulties are anticipated in gas and
electricity supplies or in G.P.O. Telephone
services. The line of the rapid transit track is
proposed as the main route of these services.
Gas and electricity for the area are supplied by
the North Western Gas Board and the Merseyside
and North Wales Electricity Board (MANWEB)
respectively.

Surface Water Drainage

13.3 Surface water outfalls for the drainage of the
New Town area will be provided to the
Manchester Ship Canal in the north and west; to
the Weaver Navigation Canal or River Weaver in
the south, and to the Keckwick Brook in the east.
No difficulties are anticipated in providing
satisfactory drainage outfalls except in the case of
Keckwick Brook which has a very small capacity
at present, being considerably lower than that
resulting from the increased run-off from the
future developed areas. Two balancing ponds will
have to be constructed at the eastern edge of the
New Town in order to reduce the maximum run-
off to Keckwick Brook. These have been sited
near Wharford Farm and to the west of Preston
Brook. Investigation of the ground condition is at
present being made in order to test these
proposals. These storage ponds and the I.C.I.
reservoir in the park would be set in the
landscape, informally, so as to provide an

103
amenity for the town for boating, fishing, and the
creation and preservation of natural life, etc.
Foul Drainage
13.5 The drainage of the existing Runcorn Urban
District Council area is mainly on the combined
system and discharges through two inverted
syphons under the Manchester Ship Canal into
the River Mersey. In the area of the Runcorn Rural
District there are a number of small existing
treatment works, which are inadequate to serve a
large increase in population. It is intended to
provide a completely new drainage system for the
New Town including a new sewage treatment
works sited in the north-eastern corner of the
Astmoor industrial area adjacent to the
Manchester Ship Canal. (Fig. 13.1). The new
drainage system will be on a separate system
and will drain most of the present undeveloped
area by gravity, with the
104
exception of the southern area near Clifton, which
will require pumping. Eventually, the drainage
system in the Urban District area will be improved
to eliminate the discharge of crude sewage into
the River Mersey. The Urban District Council have
indicated their intention to connect to the new
sewage treatment works. It is intended to provide
full treatment of sewage, with the effluent from the
works discharging into the Manchester Ship
Canal. Sludge will be removed out to sea using a
specially designed sludge-vessel, and
discussions are taking place with Widnes
Corporation on the possibility of a joint project
with Manchester and Salford Corporations.
Refuse Disposal
13.6 At the present time refuse disposal from the
Urban District and Rural District areas takes place
by means of controlled tipping. The capacity of
these tips is limited and investigations are being
made into alternative methods of disposal,
including the possibility of refuse incineration in
conjunction with district heating.
District Heating
13.7 A district heating system is under
consideration for the residential and other areas
of the town. From central boiler houses, hot water
would be conveyed in pipes to each building
where hot water cylinders and radiators would be
fitted. It has not been possible to adopt this
system in the areas already being developed
because of time limitations.
Control of Services
13.8 Except for the main trunk sewer, which
would be in the parkway adjoining the
expressway road, it is proposed that all service
pipes and conduits should be planned in a duct
following the rapid transit route. This will facilitate
renewals and repairs, and avoid unnecessary
complications in built-up areas. In considering
the method by which all services are destributed,
it is important that they should not destroy the
appearance of the town and it is proposed that all
electricity and telephone lines should be placed
underground. Television will be catered for by the
installation of a master aerial system. A pilot
scheme will be installed in the first housing area
at Halton Brook.
Existing Overhead H.T. Electricity Lines
13.9 The Central Electricity Generating Board (C.
E.G. B.) have agreed to re-route the 400 KV
supergrid line crossing the site from its present
route to a new alignment following the eastern
boundary of the Designated Area and the
proposed M.56, North Cheshire Motorway
(Fig.13.1). Other existing overhead HT lines will
be placed underground.
14
The Form and
Character of
the Town
14.1 The building of a new town presents a
unique opportunity to design a total environment.
The structure of a new town is determined in the
first instance by general planning principles and
standards as well as by land use allocations. Its
form and character, however, are determined by
the interpretation of these in three dimensions.
The physical elements which make up the
environment-buildings, roads, waterways,
landscape -must be brought together in a single
design so that what people see has qualities of
composition on a large as well as a small scale.
There is room, of course, for drama and contrast
as well as calm and continuity in such
composition. The final objective must be to give
visual pleasure and civic pride to those who live
in the town.
14.2 There are various aspects to consider: town
silhouette, landscape design, relationships of
buildings, both in plan and height, enclosures of
space, buildings within space, choice and control
of materials, etc. The purpose of putting forward
a three-dimensional design policy at this stage is
to encourage amongst all those who make a
partial contribution by way of a building or
detailed layout of a larger group an awareness
ofthe importance of their contribution to the whole
design. Inspiration is required in designing the
whole of the town as well as its components and
the three-dimensional guidance plan (Fig. 14.1) is
a reminder to all designers at all stages that the
total composition of the town is of vital
importance. It is so easy in the process of urgent
programming for the opportunity to create a total
design such as was seized, for instance, in the
case of Bath, to be lost in a series of piecemeal
contributions which, however satisfactory in their
individual expression, do not give the sense of
continuity which should differentiate a new town
from the erratic smaller scale site developments
or redevelopments in an existing town.
Existing Influences
14.3 It is important to recognise the contribution
of the past. The town and the nearby villages
The New Town and the Mersey Estuary from
the east.
already have roots in history which will be
valuable in bringing a sense of continuity in time
and a feeling of stability. These are advantages
which some other new towns do not have to the
same extent. The genius loci of many old places
within the Designated Area is something to be
cherished and affectionately woven into the fabric
of the new surroundings. These features are to be
found in the Castle an9 Priory, in the farmhouses
as well as in urban streets. The industrial areas
also make their contribution-fine works of
architecture and engineering such as the
Bridgewater House and Canal, the Manchester
Ship Canal, as well as the new bridge crossing
the Mersey, also give a sense of place to
Runcorn. In the Cheshire countryside there are
fine examples of rural vernacular architecture.
The materials used in these buildings and the
way they have stood up to the local conditions is
worthy of study. By way of illustration, the more
recent tradition in Cheshire of black and white
metal fencing which looks and functions well
could be emulated or developed.
Developed Form
14.4 In addition the form should be
complementary to and arise out of the
topography of the area. This has outward looking
as well as inward looking characteristics.
Outwardly, there are fine views of
105
106
107
the Mersey, the industrial landscape beyond and
the rural landscape of Cheshire with Frodsham
Hill and Helsby Head. These should be regarded
as important elements in the overall composition
and be framed by landscape and buildings. In
some cases it may be desirable to orientate the
buildings accordingly. Inwardly, Halton Castle
Rock dominates the site but the enormous
Fiddler's Ferry Power Station is such a strong
external competitor (the cooling toWers rise
above the Rock when seen from the south-east),
that it is desirable for the Rock to be given an
enhanced emphasis. To achieve this, it is
suggested that an exhibition and viewing tower
should be sited on the hilltop. The Outlook Tower
in Edinburgh and the central tower at Tapiola in
Finland are examples of similar features in an old
town and a new town respeCtively.
14.5 The Town Centre sits in the valley to the
south below the Rock and from here the great
sweep of residential communities embraces the
Town Park. These communities have been given
a strong building edge of 3-4 storeys in height to
emphasise the identity of interest between
communities as well as the form of the park itself.
The intention is to give the park an urban setting
which could be compared, but on a smaller scale
and in a different architectural idiom, with
Regents Park in London with its strong encircling
terraces. Groups of higher buildings are
proposed in certain places in relation to the
landscape to give minor climaxes in form
elsewhere in the town-for example on the high
ground to the west of Windmill Hill a group of
such buildings is suggested as a climax at the
point where the park narrows and the high ridge
ends. The centres of each of the communities will
also be emphasised by higher but not necessarily
tall buildings. From the Park and the parkway, the
curved sweep of housing will be particularly
apparent on the sides of the ridge from
Murdishaw to Windmill Hill where the steeper
contours particularly on the eastern side suggest
a flowing terraced type of development. The Town
Park flows more narrowly down the
108
valley between the enlarged Halton community
and the end of this ridge into the Norton Priory
area. The spacious views down this valley will be
terminated by the proposed Sports Stadium and
in the far distance across the Mersey the Fiddler's
Ferry Power Station.
14.6 In order to underline the individuality of
Halton Village with its Castle, the layout and
disposition of buildings of the enlarged
community should be in sympathy with the
contours and avoiding disruptive competition in
height with the Rock. Visually, this will mean that
the eye is led naturally from the lower edges of
the community towards the Castle and the Town
Centre.
14.7 The Secondary Schools are seen as
individually designed buildings peripherally set in
the landscape which has continuity with the Town
Park and where possible with an urban
relationship to the adjoining residential
development or Local Centre. The Primary
Schools, which are mainly located at the Local
Centres should be integrated in a composite
urban design, with their playgrounds and playing
fields forming part of the greenways which lead
from the Local Centres to the Town Park. In this
way there will be a continuity in the open space
system without hard divisions between those
areas used for adults and those used by children,
and the schools will not appear as isolated
buildings but contribute to the urban form of the
town.
Unity between old and new
14.8 Westwards from the Castle Rock and the
Town Centre, an arm of development runs along
the ridge towards Weston village and embraces
the old town. To do this successfully a spine of
buildings of 3 to 4 storeys is envisaged. To
terminate this movement a group of <higher
buildings in a landscape setting is proposed
alongside the Heath. To strengthen the unity
between the old and the new parts of the town,
additional buildings and planting are proposed
along the line of the spur road which culminates
District Centre at one end and the new Town
Centre at the other.

Landscape
14.9 The building form should be complemented
by large-scale landscaping and tree planting, in
some cases to give shelter as well as delight. The
parkway setting to the expressway is an
important continuous landscape feature of the
town which provides an environment for the
motorist as well as those who live in the adjoining
communities.

14.10 The views of the industrial areas from the

expressway are also important, particularly as
they will sometimes be seen from a higher level
and special care will be needed to ensure a
satisfactory roofscape and an enclosure of the
views by higher buildings, probably offices, at
certain key points. Despite their disadvantages as
neighbours to residential development, some of
the existing industrial plants have a dramatic
vitality, particularly when seen at night. The
construction of the new I.C.I. plant will provide the
opportunity of demonstrating that an industrial
landscape need not be sordid or ugly and could,
in fact, reach such a high standard of design that
its form would justify the embellishment of "Son et
Lumiere".

Consistency in design policy

14.11 It is necessary to stress the importance of a
policy as regards the achievement of a consistent
scale and character, as well as a disciplined use
of materials. Where rationalised building methods
are used it is essential that they should be worked
backwards from the large scale town planning
end of the design process as well as forwards
from the small scale building end involving the
structural component and the dwelling unit. In
this way a kit of parts can be produced capable of
giving the variations that are necessary on a
larger scale in order that enclosed spaces can be
bridged by buildings, corners turned, walls
placed in various relationships with dwellings,
and the dwellings themselves varied so that they

109
Materials
14.12 So far as materials to be used are
concerned, it is equally essential that they should
be restricted in number. To work with only two
materials is a restriction which even the most
brilliant architects rarely achieve, but three
materials should be regarded as the maximum for
the main mass of building-brick of one colour
range, wood treated or painted and concrete.
This does not rule out, of course, the individual
and carefully controlled use of synthetic materials
which are sympathetic in colour and texture and
against a quiet consistent background there is
room for the splash of colour or variety of detail,
particularly in the shopping centres.

110
15
Phasing
15.1 The building of the town is necessarily a
complex operation, and although a general
outline of the phasing of the different parts of the
town can be drawn, this requires detailed review
at each building stage. The suggested phasing of
development is indicated in Fig. 15.1. The
general principles of phasing which are
considered essential for the social and economic
success of the town are given in this section.

Residential Communities
15.2 At each stage in the development of the
town, the social, educational, recreational and
shopping requirements for the residential
communities should be complete in order to
establish a community basis from the outset.
Every attempt should be made to achieve a
balanced social and family structure within each
residential community and pressure for
accommodation should not be allowed to
jeopardise the planning environmental standards.

15.3 The first residential communities to be built

should be those near the Town Centre and further
communities to the east of the town centre would
be completed in a pincer movement, related to
the twelve-year programme. The residential areas
adjoining the Runcorn Spur Road should also be
built during this period. The first housing areas
are being built at Halton Brook and Halton Brow.

Industry
15.4 The industrial areas should be developed in
phase with the residential areas. The existing
roads permit an immediate start to the
development of the industrial areas. The phasing
of the expressway system will permit extensive
areas to be developed during the twelve-year
programme period. In the development of these
estates there will be considerable areas of land
left undeveloped for future expansion. It is
suggested that these should be grassed and
maintained by the lessor of the land. The first
industrial buildings are at present being
constructed at Astmoor. These will help to match
the employment demand with the housing
demand for the first housing area and provide a
minimum journey-to-work distance.

Town Centre
15.5 In order to establish an economically sound
shopping centre to serve the population needs,
the town centre should at least be partially
constructed at an early stage in the life of the
town.

111
 Table 10.1 in Section 10 gives the area of each
building use which it is estimated would be
required at the end of the three stages in the
development of the town.

Expressway Road System

15.6 Sections of the Expressway system should
be completed in advance of the industrial and
residential areas they serve and at each stage
earth works, tree planting and landscaping
should, as far as possible, be complete. The road
programme is given in Fig. 15.2.

Rapid Transit System

15.7 The rapid transit route to the east of the Town
Centre will be completed with each of the
residential communities. At the end of the
twelveyear programme it will be necessary to
complete the circuit in advance of the residential
development. As residential areas are developed,
temporary turning points at the ends of the routes
will be necessary. The route to the west of the
Town Centre is largely a combination of rapid
transit route and expressway and will, therefore,
be operational in the early stages as this section
of the expressway is completed.

Utility Services
15.8 No difficulty is foreseen in relation to the
provision of services. The main foul drainage
sewer will be completed during the early stages
of the town development. The Central Electricity
Generating Board have agreed to the re-routing
of the 400 kv line. This will take place the before
residential communities involved are built.

Open Space
15.9 The development of open space and
landscape will be phased concurrently with the
building development. In addition, however,
sections of the town park and other large open
space provisions should be undertaken early in
the programme. The development of special
interests generated by the people of the town
should be encouraged.

Urban Renewal and Rehabilitation

15.10 The redevelopment and rehabilitation
schemes within the existing town should be an
integral part of the building programme. This
should be undertaken during the early and
middle stages of the programme.

Allowing for the Unpredictable

15.11 It is clearly impossible to plan precisely for
a long period ahead or to anticipate the changes
in social or technological demands. For these
reasons it is necessary to leave some spaces at
key points in the layout so that the unexpected is
not excluded.

112
Summary
of the Plan

113
 Population
The population of the new town will rise to 70,000 by
1977, then to 90,000 by 1989, with a further possible
expansion to 100,000 by the end of the century.

Location and Size

Runcorn is located on the south bank of the Mersey about
14 miles from the centre of Liverpool. The site is well
served by air, rail, road and waterway communications.
The New Town is planned for an ultimate population of
90,000-100,000.

Site
The Designated Area of 7,250 acres measures 4t miles by
3 miles. The existing population of 30,000 is mainly in the
western half of the area. The undulating site is dominated
by Halton Village and the Castle Rock. Fine landscape
lies to the east.

Town Structure
The main new residential areas form a series of
communities of 8,000 population, surrounding a park and
linked by a rapid transit system of buses on a reserved
track. These buses pass through the local centres of the
communities and their route forms the spine of a 'figure of
eight' system with the new town centre at its intersection.
Supplementary loops serve the industrial areas on the
flatter land on the edge of the town.

Industry
The Plan provides for an increase of 19,000 jobs in
manufacturing industry; 14,000 in general industry, in two
principal industrial estates at Astmoor and Dutton, and
5,000 in an I.C.I. plant at Moore; sites attached to
communities are allocated for light and local service
industries.

Community Structure
The residential communities are planned so that
everyone is within 5 minutes walking distance of the local
social and shopping centres where rapid transit stops are
located. Each community comprises four
neighbourhoods of 2,000 people housed in a variety of
residential groups of thirty to sixty families.

Education
The secondary schools are grouped in campuses
associated with some of the local centres and linked to
the residential communities by the rapid transit system.
The primary schools will be either twoform entry schools
associated with the local centres or one-form entry
schools within the neighbourhoods.

Communications and Parking

The communications system aims to achieve a balance
between public and private transport. The rapid transit
system of sfjeciallowfloor single-deck buses operating on
the reserved track will provide a minimum 5-minute
service from the residential areas in each direction.
Priority over vehicles on the distributor roads within

114
communities will be ensured by phased traffic lights. An
expressway for other traffic will encircle the town serving
inwards to the communities and town centre and outwards to
the industrial areas and to the Runcorn/Widnes Bridge and
to two junctions on the proposed M.56 North Cheshire
Motorway. Ultimately an additional crossing of the Mersey
and the Manchester Ship Canal will be required at Runcorn.
The provision of car parking in the town centre and the
residential and industrial areas is based on a 50: 50 modal
split with the possibility of expansion by the erection of multi-
level parks. In the industrial and shopping areas the main car
parks would be centrally provided and controlled by the
Corporation.

Shopping and Offices

The plan provides for 426,000 sq. ft. of gross retail floor
space and 280,000 sq. ft. of offices in the town centre. 16,000
sq. ft. of shopping is provided in each local centre. New type
corner shops will be located in the four neighbourhoods of
each community. The existing town centre will become a
district centre.

Town Centre
The new town centre will be south of Halton. It will feature
open and covered pedestrian shopping areas and a full
range of central area commercial. cultural and entertainment
facilities. The rapid transit system will provide easy access
from all parts of the town. The centre will be linked to Halton
Village and the Castle Rock where an Outlook Tower is
suggested.

Urban Renewal
A comprehensive programme of urban renewal in existing
Runcorn will be an essential part of the development of the
New Town. The Plan aims to create a unity between old and
new.

Open Space
A park is located to the east of the town centre. This
encompasses the best existing landscape features of the
site. Greenways will link the communities to the Town Park
and provide a continuity of open space from the private
garden to the public park. Five acres of playing fields are
provided for each 1,000 population. A subregional sports
centre is proposed, including a marina adjoining the
Bridgewater Canal.

Form of the Town

Based on the existing topography and the proposed social
structure the town is envisaged as having an overall
composition which influences all developments and ensures
a consistent urban form in relation to the town silhouette, the
internal and external views, the landscape treatment, the
strong enclosure of spaces, including the town park, the
arrangement of buildings and the materials used.

Phasing
The 'figure of eight' arrangement of the town allows linear
growth to form a pincer movement with the first
developments in and around the town centre. Urban renewal
in existing Runcorn forms part of a three-phase combined
operation.

115
 Appendices

116
 Population
- and Household Structure - Supplementary Tables Appendix A

Table A.1 Incoming Population 1966-2001 (Projection)

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001
Total Population 16,600 40,100 46,500 50,500 55,500 61,200 67,200
Total Households 4,600 11,500 13,700 14,900 1 6,300 18,000 19,800
Average Household size 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4
Age-Sex Structures
Persons 0-4 years 2.940 5,070 5,270 5,600 6,790 7,900 8,330
5-9 " 2,320 6,200 5,470 5,250 5,600 6.770 7,900
10-14 " 1,450 4,260 6,230 5,150 4,920 5,210 6,370
" 15-19 " 1,020 2,700 4,370 6,150 5,090 4,840 5,130
Males 20-44 " 3,670 8,160 8,740 9,150 1 0,730 11,270 12,510
Females20-44 " 3,560 7,880 8,720 9,240 10,070 10,360 11,930
Males 45-64 " 660 1,840 2,740 3,770 4,880 5,370 5,090
Females45-59 " 570 1,670 2,180 3,060 4,190 5,010 4,050
Males 65+ " 90 640 800 940 1,140 1,450 1.930
Females 60+ " 320 1,680 1,980 2,190 2,690 3,020 3,960
Percentage Structures
Persons 0-4 years 17.8 12.6 11.3 11.1 12.2 12.9 12.4
5-9 " 14.0 15.5 11.8 10.4 10.1 11.1 11.8
10-14 " 8.7 10.6 13.4 10.2 8,9 8.5 9.5
" 15-19 " 6.1 6.7 9.4 12.2 9.2 7.9 7.6
Males 20-44 " 22.2 20.3 18.8 18.0 18.3 18.4 18.6
Females 20-44 " 21.4 19.8 18.7 18.3 18.1 16.9 17.7
Males 45-64 " 4.0 4.6 5.9 7.5 8.8 8.8 7.6
Females 45-59 " 3.4 4.2 4.7 6.1 7.5 8.2 6.0
Males 65+ " 0.5 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.0 2.4 2.9
Females 60+ " 1.9 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.9 4.9 5.9
All persons 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
This table does not include the population of the existing built-up area nor its natural increase.

Table A.2 Population of the Existing Built-up Area 1966-2001 (Projection)

1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001
Total Population 30,000 31,200 32,400 33,800 35,200 36,900 38,900 41,200
Total Households 9,800 10,200 10,400 11,000 11,400 11,900 12,300 12,800
AverageHouseholdsize 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.2
Age-Sex Structures
Persons 0-4 years 2,710 2,890 3,090 3,240 3,400 3,650 3,940 4,240
5-9 " 2,330 2,690 2,870 3,080 3,220 3,400 3,650 3,940
10-14 " 2,250 2,330 2,690 2,870 3,070 3,220 3,390 3,640
" 15-19 " 2,450 2,240 2,330 2,690 2,860 3,070 3,220 3,390
Males20-44 " 4,880 5,060 5,120 5,380 5,880 6,330 6,680 7,190
Females20-44 " 4,740 4,920 5,000 5,260 5,650 6,080 6,380 6,860
Males 45-64 " 3,590 3,640 3,640 3,540 3,440 3,400 3,600 3,810
Females 45-59 " 2,930 3,000 2,900 2,750 2,620 2,580 2,920 3,130
Males 65+ " 1,320 1,430 1,560 1,630 1,620 1,670 1,720 1,670
Females 60+ " 2,800 3,000 3,200 3,360 3,440 3,500 3,400 3,330
Percentage Structures
Persons 0-4 years 9.0 9.3 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.9 10.2 10.3
5-9 " 7.8 8.6 8.9 9.1 9.2 9.2 9.4 9.6
10-14 " 7.5 7.4 8.3 8.5 8.7 8.7 8.7 8.8
" 15-19 " 8.2 7.2 7.2 8.0 8.1 8.3 8.3 8.2
Males 20-44 " 16.3 16.2 15.8 15.9 16.7 17.2 17.2 17.5
Females 20-44 " 15.8 15.8 15.4 15.6 16.0 16.5 16.4 16.6
Males 45-64 " 11.9 11.7 11.2 10.5 9.8 9.2 9.2 9.2
Females45-59 " 9.8 9.6 9.0 8.1 7.4 7.0 7.5 7.6
Males 65+ " 4.4 4.6 4.8 4.8 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.1
Females 60+ " 9.3 9.6 9.9 9.9 9.8 9.5 8.7 8.1
All Persons 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

119
Table A.3 Distribution of Immigrant Population Households by Type and Size
Persons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1971
Expanding Households - 550 949 886 398 186 91
Stationary 75 375 238 251 151 85 75
Contracting 55 78 104 38 12 3 -
Total 4,600 130 1,003 1,291 1.175 561 274 166
1976
Expanding Households - 1,228 2,115 1,978 886 409 204
Stationary 193 980 621 654 391 228 193
Contracting 287 407 544 197 60 15 -
Total 11.494 480 2,615 3,280 2,829 1,337 652 397
1981
Expanding Households - 1,312 2,210 2,120 951 438 210
Stationary 276 1,388 878 925 554 323 276
Contracting 338 482 640 231 71 18 -
Total 13,700 614 3,182 3,778 3,276 1,576 779 495

1986
Expanding Households - 1,151 1.985 1,857 832 384 191
Stationary 351 1,760 1,113 1.172 703 410 351
Contracting 501 703 950 343 107 26 -
Total 14,900 852 3,614 4,048 3,372 1,642 820 542

Table A.4 Accommodation Requirements of Immigrant Households to 1986

Persons in Basic Accommodation Basic double Basic single Spare bed
Household without spare bed bed spaces bed spaces spaces based on
spaces assumptions
1971
1 1 single - 130
2 1 double 1,003 - 915
3 1 double 1 single 1,291 1,291 1,051
4 1 double 2 single 1,175 2,350 970
5 2 double 1 single 1,122 561
6 2 double 2 single 548 548
7 3 double 1 single 498 166

5,637 5,046 2,936

"
1976
1 1 single - 480
2 1 double 2,615 - 2,118
3 1 double 1 single 3,280 3,280 2.463
4 1 double 2 single 2,829 5,658 2,233
5 2 double 1 single 2,674 1,337
6 2 double 2 single 1,304 1,304
7 3 double 1 single 1,191 397

13,893 12.456 6,814

1981
1 1 single - 614
2 1 double 3,182 - 2,342
3 1 double 1 single 3.778 3,778 2,714
4 1 double 2 single 3,276 6,552 2.465
5 2 double 1 single 3,152 1,576
6 2 double 2 single 1,558 1,558
7 3 double 1 single 2,337 495

17,283 14,573 7,521

1986
1 1 single - 852
2 1 double 3,614 - 2,218
3 1 double 1 single 4,048 4,048 2,603
4 1 double 2 single 3,372 6,744 2,310
5 2 double 1 single 3,284 1,642
6 2 double 2 single 1,640 1,640
7 3 double 1 single 1,626 542

17,584 15.468 7,131

120

J
Existing employment in Runcorn Employment Exchange Area
and selected parts of the North West Region Appendix B

Table B.1 Existing Employment in Runcorn Employment Exchange Area (including Frodsham and Helsby)
Figures at June 1964 supplied by the Ministry of Labour
Males Females
Classification Over 15 Over 15 Total

I
11 Agriculture,
Mining and Quarrying
Forestry and FiShing} 339 24 363

III Food, Drink and Tobacco 56 128 184

IV Chemicals and Allied Industries 5,650 1.122 6,772
V Metal Manufacture 12 16 28
VI Engineering and Electrical Goods 1,748* 1,074 * 2,822 *
VII grouped with XVI
VIII Vehicles 1 12 13
IX Other Metal Goods 12 14 26
X Textiles - - -
XI Leather, Leather Goods and Fur l
XII Clothing and Footwear J 285 313 598
XIII Bricks, Pottery, Glass, Cement, etc. 4 - 4
XIV Timber, Furniture, etc. 31 33 64
XV Paper, Printing, and Publicity 14 34 48
VII Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering l
XVI Other Manufacturing Industry J 34 14 48

Total All Manufacturing Industry 7,847 2,760 10,607

XVII Construction 1,411 45 1,456

XVIII Gas, Electricity and Water 516 66 582
XIX Transport and Communication 1,193 58 1,251
XX Distributive Trades 428 699 1,127
XXI Insurance, Banking and Finance 68 43 111
XXII Professional and Scientific Services 304 964 1,268
XXIII Miscellaneous Services 249 612 861
XXIV Public administration and Defence 505 145 650

TOTAL 12,860 5.416 18,276

--- -. Includes British Insulated CallendersCables Ltd. (B.LC.C.) Factoryat Helsby outside the DesignatedArea

Table B02 Estimated Numbers of Employee!! in all

Industries and Services Employment
Exchange Area Males Females Total
Selected parts of NoW. Region
Source: Ministry of Labour Estimated Numbers Altrincham 21,348 12,602 33,950
of Employees,June 1964 * * Ashton-in-Makerfield 6,047 3,128 9,175
Bebington 16,270 9,514 25,784
Birkenhead 35,458 18,443 53,901
Chester 30,182 17,677 47,859
Earlstown 7,152 2,432 9,584
Ellesmere Port 24,115 5,781 29,896
Golborne 3,025 1,374 4,399
Hindley 5,940 2,838 8,778
Hoylake 3,331 2,858 6,189
Irlam 11,012 1,814 12,826
Leigh 16,505 10,904 27,409
Liverpool (including Bootle,
Crosby and Kirkby) 311,960 192,586 504,546
Middlewich 3,998 2,026 6,024
Neston 1,412 1,018 2,430
Northwich 14,574 6,532 21,106
Ormskirk 8,413 5,425 13,838
Prescot 14,529 10,087 24,616
Runcorn 12,860 5,416 18,276
St. Helens 41,514 18,912 60,426
Upholland 2,,798 1,428 4,226
Wallasey 11,452 10,092 21,544
Warrington 41,169 21,107 62,276
Widnes 16,200 6,910 23,110
.. This table does not include civil servants whose National Insurance Wigan 24,107 19,872 43,979
is paid without the use of cards and seamen on foreign-goingships Winsford 2,943 1,912 4,855
whose NationalInsurancecontributionsare paidin bulk.

121
Appendix C Survey of Voluntary Social and Sports Organisations
1. VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
C.1 A survey of voluntary organisations has been carried
out in the Runcorn Area. It reveals that there are 154 such
organisations within the Designated Area and a further 28
which meet just outside the Area, but attract membership
from within. The results ofthe survey are summarised below.
Women's Organisations
C.2 There are 48 groups for women in the Designed Area,
some of which are branches of national organisations. Five
of the organisations meet in the town centre. The majority
of these groups, 34 out of 48, are attached to Churches or
Chapels and use their premises. Where such premises are
not available, there is a major problem of finding suitable
accommodation at a Iow rent. The main activities of the
majority of the organisations are social and self-educative.
Three groups require nomination for membership, but most
groups welcome newcomers to increase their numbers,
subject to limitations in accommodation.
Mixed Adult Organisations
C.3 In the Designated Area there are 33 mixed adult
organisations; some are wholly or partly devotional groups,
identified with particular Churches or Chapels, others cater
for specialist activities.
The specialist groups comprise:
Drema 1
Tape Recording <' 1
United Nations Association 1
Political Groups 3
Football Club Supporters 1
Excluding the football club, which has a large number of
members who support it financially, the average total
membership of all other clubs is around 30. Church halls
provideaccommodation forthe majorityofthe organisations,
but a few meet in private houses. A small number of groups
are not able to increase their membership because of
restricted accommodation.
Men's Organisations
C.4 In the Designated Area there are 22 men's groups
which can be classified under the following heads:
(i) Church or Chapel Men's Societies-There are nine
of these which provide opportunity for informal
discussions and the organisation of voluntary main-
tenance work on the Church fabric and/or welfare
work. They all meet in Church halls.
(ii) Social Clubs (including Ex-Servicemen's and
political organisations)-Of the eight organisations
within this category six own their own premises, five
of which are licensed. The main aim of these
Associations is to provide social life but some also
deal with welfare provisions for members and
122
in the Existing Town 1966
families. Membership of these groups appears to be
on the increase.
(iii) Specialist groups which cater for particular interests,
e.g. Male Voice Choir, Silver Band and Model
Railway.
(iv) Professional and Business Men's Associations-
There are two of these groups each with a member-
ship of 35 which meet in the town centre. Member-
ship is by nomination and many of their activities are
directed towards service to the community.
Adult Uniformed Groups
C.S There are six such groups with a total membership of
706; comprising the Women's Royal Voluntary Service in
both the Urban and Rural Districts, the British Red Cross
Society, the Civil Defence Corps, the St. John's Ambulance
Brigade and the Territorial Army.
Youth Clubs
C.6 There are 26 youth clubs, most of them are attached to
Churches and arrange activities on certain evenings of the
week. Only one club mainly concerned with physical
recreation has a full-time trained leader whose salary is met
by a Cheshire County Council grant. Its premises are ade-
quate. Most other youth clubs offergames, e.g. table tennis,
billiards, etc. with informal dancing and record playing.
In the main the clubs are meeting places for young people
with very little organised activity.
Uniformed Youth Organisations
C.7 There are 18 uniformed youth clubs including the Boy
Scouts and Girl Guides, of which four are attached to
Churches. Fourteen of the organisations are for boys only,
three for girls and one is mixed.The total number of boys in
the uniformed groups is 513, the total number of girls 454.
About 75%ofthe boys groups have a shrinking membership
which is considered by the organisers as due to lack of new
leadership and the unsuitability of premises. Half of the
groups meet in Church premises and five have their own
premises. The majority of groups require a nominal sub-
scription from their members. There are frequent meetings,
in some cases two or three times a week forthe same group.
All meet during evenings throughout the week but only
three groups meet during the afternoons at weekends.
Clubs and Organisations for Retired People
C.S There are five clubs catering exclusively for the needs
of old people and a further two organisations who attract
mainly from the over 60 age range, but which are not
exclusively associations for the elderly. Six out of the seven
groups meet within the Urban Districtarea and the seventh
is at Halton. Four of the clubs meet in Church premises and
two in premises rented from the U.D.C.One association has
its own permanent accommodation. Complaints by club
 secretaries emphasise the lack of cooking facilities and poor
heating arrangements in the meeting places. The clubs
provide opportunities for old people to get together, some-
times to watch demonstrations or play cards, etc. with
refreshments provided. Arrangements are sometimes made
for members to have a week's holiday at a reduced cost. At
least one of the clubs is endeavouring to investigate old
people's needs in the area, e.g. how many need the
chiropody service and how many would benefit from 'meals
on wheels' service provided by the W.V.S. The accommoda-
tion provided by the U.D.C. at Belvedere is now available
for use and old persons, whether club members or not, will
be able to go there to meet people and have some refresh-
ment. Every afternoon during the week there are clubs
available for the elderly, but none are open at week-ends,
or during evenings.

2. OUTDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES

Table C.1 Existing Outdoor Sports Facilities 1966

No. of No. of Member-
Sport Clubs Pitches, ship Remarks
etc.
Cricket 13 9 1,270
Football 14 1,502
'-10
Rugby 1 J 84 Three teams established 1966.
Hookey 5 4 151
Tennis 1 10 30 Casual use is increasing on the Urban District
tennis courts.
Golf 1 9 holes 450 Membership closed.
Bowls 9 11 - Increasing participation. Many players are not
members of clubs.
Archery 1 1 12 Static membership.
Swimming 1 1 - Indoor Bath (90'x 30')
Sailing 1 - 30 Recently established on River Weaver.
Angling 1 - 350 On BridgewaterCanal.
Increasing club membership.
Rowlng 1 - 40 On Weaver Navigation Canal.
Increasing club membership.

3. INDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES

Table C.2 Existing Indoor Sports Facilities 1966

No. of No. of Member-
Sport Clubs Venues ship Remarks
Table Tennis 11 11 745 Membership static, due to lack of suitable halls.
Badminton 5 5 393 Unsuitable premises prevents expansion.
All clubs are over-subscribed.
Netball 4 3 69 lack of courts prevents expansion or league fix-
tures being arranged.
Billiards 7 7 1,086 Static membership.
Rifleand Pistol 6 2 ranges 167 Small number of ranges makes it difficultto assess
potential demand.
Archery 1 1 16 Restricted membership (industrial club).
Soccer (seven-a-side) 4 - 52 New league recently established.
Weight Lifting 1 1 72 Recently established as a competitive sport and
as a training aid.
Gymnastics 1 1 17 Just beginning in a Youth Club.
Judo 1 1 79 lack of accommodation prevents expansion.
Keep-Fit Classes 6 4 100 approx. lack of suitable accommodation at convenient
times.
Wrestling (Greco Roman) 1 1 29 Just commenced in one club.

123
Appendix D Determination of Walking Distance

D.1 A considerable variation in walking speeds can be Times were recorded at 100 yd. intervals, both ascending
measured depending on the age group and sex of pedest- and descending, and average times calculated for all points.
rians and the terrain over which measurement is made. The results of the survey on the steepest and flattest routes
Research carried out by the Road Research Laboratory and are set out in Table 04.
published in 1965' gives speeds for different groups
measured over level routes. (Table 01). Figures were also D.3 Sufficient data was gathered to show that little
given for the effect of gradients on walking speed. (Table difference in walking speeds occurs between level and
02), though these were related specifically to pedestrian sloping routes, on grades up to 1 in 20. There is a reduction
ramps. after this point, however, and the survey information was
used to indicate the reduction in route length which will be
necessary if a 5 minute journey is to be maintained. It is
recognised that inclusion of pedestrian groups other than
those measured (Table 03) would have reduced the
average walking speeds calculated, but when related to the
Table D.1 Walking Speeds on the level' working population from which the subjects were selected,
the test represents an accurate assessment.
Walking Speed
Men under 55 3.7 m.p.h. 5.4 ft. per sec.
Men over 55 3.4 5.0" "
Women under 50 3.1 4.5" "
Women over 50 2.9 4.3" "
Women with small
children 1.6 2.3" "
Children 6-10 2.5 3.7" "
Adolescents 4.0 5.9" "

The average walking speed was found to be about 3.4 m.p.h.

Table D.2 Walking Speeds on gradients' Table D.3 Runcorn Walking Tests - Details of
Participants
Gradient Walking Speed
Person Age Height Weight Sex
0% 4.4 ft./sec.
2% 4.4" " 1 23 5ft 1 ins 10.7 Male
4% 4.4" " 2 27 5 6 11.0 Male
6% 4.4 ,, 3 20 5 6 8.1 Female
8% 4.2" 4 28 5 8 11.1 Male
10% 3.9" " 5 21 6 0 12.0 Male
12% 3.1" " 6 36 5 8 12.0 Male
7 43 5 9 11.4 Male
8 47 5 6 13.0 Male

D.2 The principal walking routes in Runcorn are planned

on the basis of journeys of a maximum duration of 5
minutes. Though these routes will be as direct as possible
and be segregated from vehicular traffic, there will be few
completely level. To test whether any major divergence
occurs between the level walking speeds quoted, and per-
formances over the terrain at Runcorn, a limitedsurvey was
carried out over a series of routes approximating to actual
site conditions. Six routes were selected with gradients
varying from 1 in 11 to 1 in 192 and the performance of
eight participants measured. Statistics of the individual
participants were recorded to note any differences which
might occur due to age, weight, etc. and these are given
in Table 03.
. Research on Road Traffic-HMSO, 1965.

124

..
Table D.4 Runcorn Walking Tests - Recorded Times
NORTON LANE (Gradient 1 in 11.3)
Person Ascending Time Person Descending Time
, 100yds 200 300 400 100yds 200 300 400
1 1.04 2.11 3.18 4.26 1 1.00 2.01 3.01 4.01
2 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.02 2 0.58 1.54 2.52 3.51
3 1.15 2.30 3.45 5.00 3 1.10 2.10 3.10 4.25
4 1.04 2.10 3.16 4.20 4 1.00 1.51 2.53 3.47
5 0.55 1.50 2.50 3.45 5 0.52 1.43 2.35 3.25
6 1.03 2.08 3.13 4.17 6 0.58 1.55 2.50 3.50
7 0.59 2.06 3.12 4.17 7 0.55 1.50 2.45 3.38
8 1.12 2.30 3.50 5.07 8 1.03 2.07 3.09 4.12
Av. 1.04 2.11 3.17 4.24 Av. 1.00 1.56 2.54 3.54
Average speed 3.1 m.p.h. Average speed 3.5 m.p.h.

FESTIVALWAY (Gradient 1 in 192)

Person Ascending Time Person Descending Time
100yds 200 300 400 100yds 200 300 400

1 0.57 1.57 2.56 3.56 1 0.56 1.54 2.52 3.51

2 1.00 2.02 3.03 3.59 2 1.00 2.00 3.02 4.04
3 1.00 2.05 3.10 4.15 3 0.58 1.48 2.58 4.08
4 0.56 1.51 2.45 3.41 4 0.55 1.49 2.43 3.38
5 0.52 1.45 2.37 3.34 5 0.54 1.44 2.39 3.29
6 1.00 2.00 2.58 4.00 6 1.00 1.55 2.55 3.55
7 0.55 1.52 2.59 3.44 7 0.56 1.50 2.46 3.41
8 1.02 2.03 2.49 4.10 8 1.00 2.03 3.07 4.11
Av. 0.58 1.57 3.06 3.55 Av. 0.57 1.54 2.54 3.52

Average speed 3.45 m.p.h. Average speed 3.52 m.p.h.

Times indicated in minutes and seconds (e.g. 1.04 =1 minute 4 seconds).

125
Appendix E Communications-Predictions and Analysis

Traffic Predictions and Assignment

E.1 The efficiency of the traffic system of the New Town is
dependent at the planning stage upon the accuracy to
which journeys generated by the various activities in the
town and its surrounding areas, can be predicted. In the
Master Plan two major communication networks are pro-
posed; an all purpose expressway road system and a
separate rapid transit track for the majority of the town's
public transport. This dual transport system will provide a
choice of travel mode for the predicted journeys within the
town, and the resulting 'modal split' between the two
systems will affect the relative capacity of its components.
The dual system must cope with vehicular movements of
all kinds in and around the town serving the existing as well
as the new development. Whilst contributing to the overall
planning objectives it must be economically feasible to
construct and operate.

E.2 The traffic predictions relate to the town when it has

reached its planned population and a car ownership level
of 0.4 to 0.5 cars per head of population, thus totalling more
than one car per family.. A car ownership level of 0.45 cars
per head has been used when considering the parking
requirements in residential areas, but for the design of the
highway network it has been assumed that not all of these
cars will be used for peak hour journeys-to-work. It has
been assumed that a high pr()portion of these journeys will
be diverted to the rapid transit system and as a result the
cars will be available for use by non-working members of
the community for non-peak hour journeys.

E.3 From the above basic assumptions the communica- E.1 Traffic Zones and Distribution of Population
tions network proposed in the Master Plan has been (P) and Definable Work Places (WP).
developed by gradual refinements to the input data, with
detailed feasibility studies of numerous possible road align-
ments. In developing the final network several traffic
assignments were undertaken by computer, followed by
refinements to the network to obtain a satisfactory layout E.2 Distribution of Predicted Population within
10 miles of Runcorn.
with the optimum type and number of expressway inter-
sections.
,.
4tt
E.4 The traffic projections have been based on the 1961
Population Census for the existing population and the
Master Plan projections for the incoming population. The
Designated Area has been divided into traffic zones using
physical demarcation lines such as railway lines, open
spaces and boundaries between industrial and housing .
areas. The population of each residential area and the
number of work places in the major employment zones are
shown in Fig. E.1.The basic figures are as follows:
Population of the New Town 100,000 4
Working Population 44,000
Work places in major employment zones
(Referred to as definable work places) 39,950
Work places in residential zones 2,500
Workers without fixed work places 1,500
In preparing the origin and destination matrix for the traffic
assignments only the definable work places were used.
The work places in residential areas, although allocated to
. "Forecasts of Vehicle Ownership in Great Britain"-J. C. Tanner-
"Roads and Road Construction" Vols. 43, Nos. 515 and 516, 1965. ~

126
specific zones, were not used in the assignments because E.7 To derive the through traffic element for the assign-
the origins of such small employment groups were difficult ments, discussions were held with the Cheshire and
to predict and a substantial proportion of them were likely Lancashire County Councils to determine the impact of the
to be local. Nevertheless journeys to these work places have regional motorway proposals. The results of these dis-
been considered in the final plan. cussions were applied to a projection of the origin and
destination survey carried out on the Runcorn-Widnes
E.5 In other new towns estimates of the working popula- Bridge in June, 1962, and for the purposes of the Master
tion commuting to places outside have varied from 14% to Plan, the ultimate two-way cross-river traffic has been
45% according to the town's nearness to other centres of predicted at 22,600 p.c.u.'s per day. The peak-hour volume
employment. For Runcorn, it has been assumed that 30% of is 10% of this daily volume and the distribution from the
the definable work places will be occupied by workers Bridgehead is 15% to the south-east, 25% to the south and
commuting into the town and this will be balanced by a 60% to the south-west.
similar percentage of the town's working population com-
muting out. This 30% is equivalent to 27% of the total E.8 In addition to the through traffic and journeys-to-work
working population of the proposed New Town. The distri- discussed above, other journeys including those for delivery
bution ofthe workers entering the town and the work places and private business occur during the peak hour. These
available outside the New Town has been based upon the were predicted by reference, where appropriate, to data
predicted future populations within a 10 miles radius of from the 'Leicester Traffic Plan" scaled down to Runcorn
Runcorn. (Fig. E.2). conditions. The following assumptions for the Runcorn
assignments emerged:
E.6 Using the basic data shown in Fig. E.2, the following
'gravity model' was used to obtain 'attraction factors' for the Morning Peak-Hour home based journeys
various centres of population within 10 miles of Runcorn. Work journeys at 0.56 per household 1 6,050
k.P;.Pj Work journeys into the New Town
(27% of 16,050) 4,340
tjj=-
Firm's business 750
dn 2,400
ij Personal business and shopping
School journeys 10,600
Where tjj is the number of journeys between places i and j,
Parents taking children to school 800
k is a constant, usually independent of i and j and assumed
Other journeys 6,100
to be 1 in this exercise. Pi and Pj are the respective popula-
Total home based journeys assigned to
tions of i and j; djj is the direct distance between i and j;
the morning peak hour 41,040
n is a constant and has been assumed equal to 2.
J. C. Tanner, in Road Research Technical Paper No. 51,
E.9 The rapid transit system proposed for the New Town
has commented on the validity of this form of model, but
is not expected to deter car ownership to any significant
when considering the setting of the New Town and the
degree, but it should affect car usage. The magnitude of
assumptions already made, refinements were not considered this effect is difficult to assess and so two different 'modal
to ~e justified. The application of this 'gravity model' to the splits' between the use of private and public transport have
Runcorn data produced the following 'attraction factors'
been used for both the internal to internal work journeys
which have been used to apportion the journey-to-work
and the commuter journeys to and from Widnes, namely
commuter flows.
50 :50 and 85 :15. The 'modal split' for other peak hour
Table E.1 "Attraction Factors" for the various journeys varies according to the type and location of the
centres of population within a 10 mile radius of journey but for simplicity the two peak hour traffic assign-
Runcorn ments carried out are described as the 50% motorisation and
Attraction %of the 85% motorisation assignments. The 50 :50 assignment
Centre of Population Factor Total has been used for the design of the transport networks and
North of Runcorn the 85 :15 assignment used to assess the maximum possible
(across the River Mersey) Factor
13.9 overloading of the resulting networks.
Liverpool (Part) 277
Huyton 108 5.4
Prescot 17 0.9 E.10 For all but the journeys to work discussed in para.E.9
St. Helens 136 6.8 the following 'modal splits' (car: public transport) have
Widnes 825 41.5 been assumed for both the 50% and the 85% motorisation
Warrington (North) 151 7.6 assignments.
Haydock 14 0.7
Newton 28 1.4 WORK JOURNEYS
Total across the River Mersey 1,556 78.2 Internal to external journeys 85:15
South-west of Runcorn (other than to Widnes)
Frodsham 124 6.3 FIRM'S BUSINESS 100:0
Helsby 18 0.9 PERSONAL BUSINESS AND SHOPPING
Ellesmere Port 46 2.3
Total South-west of Runcorn 188 9.5 7% to centre are walking journeys
56% to other areas are walking journeys
South of Runcorn Remainder to all areas 70:30
Northwich 83 4.2
SCHOOL JOURNEYS and associated
South-east of Runcorn
parent trips.
Warrington (South) 161 8.1
Total within 10 mile radius 1,988 100.0% .'"Leicester Traffic
Leicester, 1964.
Plan'"-W. K. Smigielski, City Planning Officer,

127
 Primary85% walk or cycle The resulting 3,550 p.c.u.'s were distributed as follows to
Remainder 75:25 represent the town's commercial traffic:
Secondary-55% walk or cycle
Remainder 12.5 :87.5 Between industrial areas 31.5%
OTHER JOURNEYS Town centre to industrial areas 10.5%
41% walk or cycle Town centre to residential areas 21.0%
Remainder 85:15 Residential to residential zones 30.0%
New Town outwards 7.0%
E.11 For the journeys by car the following occupancy
rates in persons per car were assumed: E.13 After extracting the journeys made by rapid transit,
1.5 the remaining vehicular journeys were converted to p.c.u:s
Widnes commuter and internal work journeys
1.0 and an Origin-Destination table prepared based upon the
Firm's business journeys
1.5 following table.
Personal business and shopping
School journeys 2.5
Other journeys 1.5 Table E.2 Morning peak hour p.c.u:s assigned to
the major highway network
E.12 To ascertain the probable commercial traffic during 50% 85%
the morning peak, reference was again made to the Journey Purpose Motorisation Motorisation
Leicester Traffic Plan and this 1963 data expanded 1.66
times to assess the 1996 traffic then scaled down to allow Work (internal) 3,740 6,380
Commuter 6,140 7,030
for the population differential. Firm's business 750 750
Personal business and
shopping 590 590
School 330 330
Other 2,040 2,040
Commercial traffic' 2,500 2,500
Through traffic 2,260 2,260
Total 18,350 21,880
'Residential to residential trips excluded, as it has been assumed that
they will not be made on the major network.

E.14 In preparing the Origin-Destination table the above

journeys were distributed in the following way:

1. Work journeys distributed on a direct proportional

basis, Le.journeys from a given residential areawere dis-
tributed to a particular employment zone according to the
ratio of employment places in the zone to the total
definable work places for the town.
' , 2. Firm's business journeys-distributed proportionally
""' "'"
from the residential areas, 20% to the Town Centre and
the remainder apportioned to the industrial zones.
E.3 Predicted Traffic Flows. 50% Motorisation a.~. peak.
3. Personal business and shopping-distributed pro-
portionally from the residential areas, 20% to the Town
Centre, the remainder apportioned to the residential
zones.
4. School trips-75% distributed to the nearest appro-
priate school and the remainder distributed randomly to
other schools to represent a choice of school.

Before the detailed design stage ofthe expressway research

related to specific areas, such as the town centre, will be
continued by a study of arrival times and the number of
commuters entering each particular work zone. The results
of the study may lead to refinements to the above distribu-
tion details and the number of vehicles assigned to specific
zones.

E.16 The traffic was assigned to the network by I.B.M.

(United Kingdom) Ltd. using their Capacity Restraint pro-
gramme (Capre). This programme assigned traffic to the
shortest time route, allowing for delays at intersections,
", 'V/ J../
/ /' " "\ \ and several iterations were included in each assignment to
E.4 Predicted Traffic Flows. 85% Motorisation a.m. peak. introduce a realistic speed to each section of the network

128
relative to the traffic volume assigned. The two different
'modal split' assignments carried out on the Master Plan
network gave the flows shown in Figs. E.3 and E.4.
E.16 The resulting major-highway system for either 'modal
split' consists basically of a dual two-lane expressway with
grade separation at all intersections. The system has been
designed to cater for the 50 :50 assignment and should the
use of the car for the journey to work rise significantly above
this level, fairly extensive modifications would be required
at the intersections. The through routes of the expressway
could, however, absorb the 85% of journeys possible by
private car without excessive overloading of the system.
E.17 Evening peak-hour traffic flows will be assigned to
the network prior to its detailed design, and following the
study referred to in paragraph E.14 the intersections will be
designed to have a reserve capacity of 15%. This will allow
for traffic surges within the peak hours and allow for
variations in the peak hour which may occur due to shorter
working hours.
Rapid Transit
E.18 Origin and Destination tables have been produced
for the rapid transit system based upon the two 'modal
splits' discussed in paragraphs E.9 and E.10. For prelim-
inary investigations the journeys were assigned to the rapid
transit network on a shortest time basis irrespective of the
likely routing system of the buses. Further assignments will
be carried out when a routing system for all periods of the
day has been prepared in collaboration with the operators.
E.19 In developing the 'off-peak' vehicle frequencies,
discussed in Section 8 of this Report, it was necessary to
investigate the performance of existing buses and that of
buses at present under consideration for development by
the manufacturers. Existing buses were tested by Crosville
Motor Services Limited to determine operating character-
istics and'details of proposed buses were supplied by Bristol
Commercial Vehicles Limited. As a result of the information
provided, the following statistics were obtained.
Existing single-deck buses operating under service
that service characteristics can be improved by using high
capacity 'standee' single deck vehicles, operating under
near-ideal conditions on a reserved track. The acceleration
rateof a projectedtransitvehicleis 3.22ft/sec. 2 from 0-30
m.p.h., but its rate of deceleration, because of passenger
comfort,will not changefrom the existing5.0 ft/sec. 2
E.21 To assessthe influence of changing rates of accelera-
tion upon operating speeds, three curves have been devel-
oped relating acceleration to running speed and distance
between stops. (Fig. E.5). Using this graph, or similar ones
based upon vehicle characteristics, the average journey
speeds can be determined for given stop spacings and
these can be used to build up the bus schedules, etc.
required. For example, assuming stops at 1/3rd mile inter-
vals and a 10 sec. delay per stop, the following speeds can
be obtained from Fig. E.5, assuming a maximum operating
speed of 40 m.p.h.
2.0 2.5 3.0
Mean acceleration (Ft.jsec.2)
19.9 20.8 21.6
Overall journey speed (m.p.h.)
The acceleration rate of 3.0 ft/sec.2 from 0-40 m.p.h.
compareswith the 3.22 ft/sec. 2 from 0-30 m.p.h.for the
projected transit vehicle. The above figures, which pre-
suppose that the transit vehicles will halt at every stopping
point, have been used for the development of the Runcorn
rapid transit. Such conditions may occur off-peak, but
during peak hours it is likely that vehicles will become fully
loaded on the early sections of the route, and will then
continue to their respective destinations without stopping.
This will result in increased journey speeds.
3 ft, sec sec
2-5ft sec sec
2 ft/sec/sec
25
:c
l22'2
"'0
QJ
QJ
it 20
QJ
0>
ca
Q;

conditions: ~ 17 Y2 ~
Acceleration: 0-30 m.p.h. 23.0 secs.
meanrate 1.9 ft/sec. 2
0-40 m.p.h. 36.5 secs. 1'4 '3 '/2

meanrate 1.6 ft/sec. 2 Stop spacing (miles)

Deceleration: 30-0 m.p.h. 8.8 secs.
meanrate 5.0 ft/sec. 2 E.5 Speed and Stop spacing relationship for Buses.
40-0 m.p.h. 12.0 secs.
Relationship between average journey speed and stop spacing for various
meanrate 4.9 ft/sec. 2 rates of acceleration.
Determination of average journey speed on transit route
using conventional buses.
Buscharacteristics: acceleration 1.9 ft/sec. 2
mean 'full speed' 30 m.p.h. E.22 The rapid transit route crossesthe feeder roads in the
decleration 5.0 ft/sec. 2 residential areas and the assumptions are that the rapid
Route characteristics: Average delay per stop. 10 secs. transit buses may cross these roads at grade and have
1/3rd mile between stops. (Mean spacing of the stops priority over the vehicles on the feeder roads by installing
proposed in the Master Plan). traffic signals at each crossing point. To test the feasibility
Under these conditions the journey time between stops of this proposal the following theoretical calculations for a
would be 55.8 seconds and including a 10 sec. stop typical crossing was undertaken and shows that ample
the overall journey speed would be 18.0 m.p.h. capacity is available.

E.20 Both the manufacturers and operators have indicated E.23 From preliminary calculations of transit bus frequen-

129
cies the worst situation that could be expected is a volume be sufficient for the drivers' reaction time. At 40 m.p.h.,
of 60 buses an hour crossing over a feeder road in one of distance" A-B" would need to be 175 ft (3 x 58.5 ftl
the residential areas. A high degree of priority to the transit sec.). When condition (2) above applies, "B-C" is the
vehicles is desirable but on the other hand, because of their distance required to decelerate comfortably from 40
relatively high frequency, situations are bound to arise m.p.h. (5 ft/sec}), giving a distance of 345 feet.
where occasional transit vehicles have to stop.
E.26 To estimate the "green time" required for the transit
E.24 A detector/signal layout which appears to be tech-
buses three representative conditions have been examined.
nically feasible is shown in Fig. E.6. On the approach to the
feeder road along the transit route, the bus would pass over L Where the bus is given immediate right of way from
a detector at "A". The driver would then be faced with an "B" to clear the detector at "0".
advance signal at "B", which would normally display a red. Green time required Distance "B-0"=345+50=395
As soon as the bus crossed the detector at "A" the signal feet at 58.6 ft/sec.=6.75 seconds.
would change to indicate to the driver that his call had been
ii. Where the bus decelerates and then receives a
received. Two conditions would then obtain :-
green when it is between "B" and "C".
1. If the controller can give right of way to the bus by Assuming the bus is travelling at 20 m.p.h. and 150
the time it arrives at "C" the advance signal "B" feet from "C" when it receives a green. Time taken to
will change to green and the driver continues cover 150+50 feet (to clear "0") accelerating at 3.0
without reducing speed. ft/sec} from 20 m.p.h.=3.8 seconds.
2. If the controller cannot give right of way (Le. in-
iiL Where the bus is required to stop.
sufficient time to terminate a green phase on the
Distance "C-O" when accelerating at 3 ft/sec.' +2
feeder road), then the advance signal will change
secs. starting delay=6+2=8 seconds.
to amber and the driver will be forced to brake
The situation requiring the bus to stop, which is the
between "B" and "C".
most unlikely, gives the longest green time.

At "C" a normal signal would be installed and in condition

E.27 Assuming that for the 60 buses crossing a feeder
(1) above a green would be displayed as the bus arrives.
road in the peak hour, 30 have immediate right of way, 15
Under condition (2) the driver will have commenced to
are given right of way between "B" and "C" and 15 are
brake from point "B" and will then observe signal "C" as a
forced to stop. The following green time would be required
conventional installation.
by the buses.
In the majority of cases it is expected that right of way Mins.
will be given before the bus is forced to stop. 30 x 6.75 seconds = 3.38
At point "0", 50 feet from "C", will be another detector 15 x 3.80 seconds =,0.95
to check that the bus has cleared the feeder road. 15 x 8.00 seconds = 2.00
To drivers on the housing feeder road, the signal arrange-
ment will appear as a conventional system. Total Green Time required 6.33 minutes.

With 60 changes of phase within an hour at 6 seconds

inter green per phase the total lost time per hour is 6 minutes.
Total time required per hour by transit vehicles and phase
changes equals 12.33 minutes. Therefore the "green time"
available to the feeder road is 47.67 minutes per hour.

possible widening to E.28 The capacity of a single 12 ft discharge lane at traffic

2 discharge lanes signals is 1 ,900 p.c.u.'s per hour of green, so the theoretical
Rapid Transit route
22' carriageway capacity of one feeder road approach is 1,510 p.c.u.'s
,... ........................................
[1,900 x (47.67-:-60) J. A maximum flow of about 400
0 ~ ~ 175' lA P.c.u.'s has been predicted for a typical feeder road crossing
345'
at 50% motorisation, so this volume could easily be handled
by a layout similar to that in Fig. E.6. The approach will
probably be widened to two lanes to allow for the occa-
sional stalled vehicle, and give high discharge rates to
accommodate the short green times which will occur with
feeder road
priority being given to the bus. At crossing points where
24' carriageway
flows on the feeder road exceed the practical capacity for
signals grade separation will be introduced.
E.6 Theoretical layout for Rapid Transit Route
Crossing a Feeder Road to Residential Areas.
Examination of the 'Modal Split' Assumptions
E.25 The distances "A-B" and "B-C" have been derived E.29 Investigations to ascertain the probable "modal split"
as follows :- obtainable forthe various journey types by the incorporation
of a rapid transit bus system have been restricted by the lack
"A-B" must allow sufficient time for the drivers to of published data. Although research is being conducted by
interpret the signal at "B", and assuming the controller a number of British organisations, no known modal choice
response is instantaneous a value of 3 seconds would models are yet available based upon British conditions.

130
American experience has therefore been examined, and the CR1 CR2 CR3 CR4
basis for this analysis has been "A Model for Estimating
100

~
Travel Mode Usage"'. The analysis has been undertaken,

m
not to predict a "modal split" for Runcorn, as insufficient is
80 L1 -

60
known about the application of American models to British
conditions, but to give some indication of the affect of
introducing a rapid transit system and the possibility of
attaining the proposed 50: 50 "modal split".
EC1
40
20
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'" I
012345
,

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'..
"

IJ [=

~ ~ ~
'-I' "I-
'
1~g , .1-
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E.30 The Washington report uses a model for the choice
of travel mode between the private car and public transport
60 ml '
" U- ,
'
,
-Q~
,

' , ,
'

,,
'L-
,
based upon the following five basic determinant factors. i8 ' . ' '--
,

-[ , . , ,

EC2 '

,.
,.'
,.""

.'.
1. Travel Time Ratio-the relative total travel time 012345 012345 012345 012345
from door-to-door via public transport compared
10° ITT'
"

"' IT-

~ ~
with the total time by private car, Le.
80 I I '
"

+--+-
Travel Time Ratio (TTR)=
60 ,~ . ',"t-
Total trip time via Public Transport 40
tifi",' L-
, " "

, ,

Total trip time via private car 20 "

L
EC3 '
'

012345 012345 012345

2. Cost Ratio-the relative direct out-of-pocket ex-
~ 100
~
~ ~
-'IT
penses per person via public transport, compared .~ 80 i
.

with that by private car. (This includes running .:; 60 +. -

, i
costs and parking fees but excludes depreciation, Cs 40
I
etc.) Le. 3 20 ., "

EC4 ,
Cost Ratio (CR) =Cost by public transport 12 345 012345
Cost by private car

~~ ~
~ 1000 _~ 2345 0
For the diversion curves the following CR groups <'i5 80, -~ . 1 .

are used for the cost ratios. .<:= 60,," '1 , : ~i

CR, = 0-1 ~ 40, I' ' , " ' , ,--: ,

~ EC520012345
,

CR. = 1 -1.5
CRa=1.5-2.5
'l ,; , - 4,-
,

012345 012345
CR. >2.5
Time travel ratio

3. Travel Service Ratio-the relative excesstravel time E.7 Modal Split Diversion Curves (Washington
by public transport and private car (e.g. walking D.G.) for predicting the transit share of
and waiting time for P.T. and parking and walking journeys to work. *
time from the car), Le.
~ Service Ratio (L)=
excess time by public transport L = Service Ratio
excess time by private car CR = Cost Ratio
For the diversion curves the following L groups are EC = Economic Status
used for the service ratios.
L, = 0 -1.5
L.=1.5-3.5
L3= 3.5-5.5
L. >5.5

4. Economic Status of Trip Makers-a grouping based

upon the following total income per worker. Ex-
pressed in 1961 Washington dollars.
E.C.1. $10-$3100
E.C.2. $3100-$4700
E.C.3. $4700-$6200
E.C.4. $6200-$7500
E.C.5. $7500 and over.
Making adjustments for exchange rates and living
standards, the following groupings have been
adopted for the Runcorn Study based upon the
U.S. Information Publication "Wages and Prices in
the United States" (1962) which indicates that for
a general guide the value of an American income "Figs E.7 and E.8 are based upon graphs in "A Model for Estimating
Travel Mode Usage"-National Capital Transportation Agency-Wash-
may be compared at the rate of $5.50 to $6.00 pe ington, D.C., 1962.

131
 CR1 CR2 CR3 CR4 pound sterling or £500=$2,800to $3,000 and
100 £1,000=$5,000 to $6,000.
34 E.C.1. £0-£535
80 I

m
60 E.C.2. £535 - £855
40

EC1
20
4 5
Rl1!JtiM
012345 012345 012345
E.C.3. £855 - £1130
E.C.4. £1130- £1370
E.C.5. £1370 and over.

10 .--
5. Journey purpose.
80
60

EC220

10
40
~ -

.'..
012345
-"r-
."

T
E!J

012345
,
! L .
mtJ tttlli
012345
i. To work.
H. Non-work, non-school.
The diversion curves developed in the Washington
Report and reproduced in Figs. E.7and E.8are used
in the Runcorn assessment together with the fol-
lowing data.

~. IJJmm
80 I,..
60 E.31 Work Journeys:
40 . ... I-' .. Rapid Transit Private Car
20 '-"
,I...
EC3 Av. journey length 2.48 miles 3.4 miles
012345 012345 012345 012345 Av. journey speed

~mm
21.6 m.p.h. 25.7 m.p.h.
100 Av. journey time 7 minutes 8 minutes
rT
"

80 Walking to stop 3 minutes

60 mm, ' I Walk and unpark 2 minutes
40 I. .
"

Waiting time 2 minutes

.9. 20 I !J .
.

Park and walk 4 minutes

j:; EC4 11
'0 012345 012345 012345 012345 Walking from stop 2 minutes
Total journey time 14 minutes 14 minutes
' I
Out of pocket expenses 3d per mile 3d per mile
-55 80 11:112 -I ~ IllJ Parking cost/day (a) 2/-d
.!:: 60 1 i I

~ 20
40
' ,
.. . . -i~1 " (b) Free parking
~EC510°tit
!1)
.= " ~, ~ ..

Car occupancy 1.5

012345 0 012345 1. Travel time ratio 14 = 1
Time travel ratio 14
2. Cost ratio (a) = 2.48 x 3
(3.4 x 3+ 12) 0.67 = 0.54
Cost ratio (b) = 2.48x3
E.8 Modal Split Diversion Curves (Washington (3.4x3xO.67) = 1.09
D.C.) for predicting the transit share of 3. Service ratio 7 = 1.17
journeys other than to work or school. *
6
...
4. Economic Status:
=
L Service Ratio In Runcorn the present average earnings per worker
CR Cost Ratio = is approximately 10/- per hour on £1,040 per annum.
Taking into consideration possible incomes and
EC = Economic Status related purchasing powers for the future an average
income ofover£1 ,370 has been used forthis exercise.
Economic Status-E.C.5 over £1,370.
Estimated Modal Split for Work Journey-
Rapid Transit.
i. 2/- per day parking fee
Travel time ratio 1 = TTR
Cost ratio 0.54 = CR,
Service ratio 1.17 = L,
Economic Status E.C.5.
Indicating from the diversion curves in Fig. E.7 an
estimated share of the work journeys by rapid transit
bus of 80%.
ii. Freeparking
Travel time ratio 1= TTR
Cost ratio 1.09 = CR.
Service ratio 1.17 = L,
Economic Status E.C.5.
"Figs E.7 and E 8 ara based upon graphs in HA Model for Estimating Indicating an estimated share of the work journeys
Travel Mode UsageH-National Capital Transportation Agency-Wash-
ington, D.C.,1962. by rapid transit busof 72%.

132
 E.32 Shopping Journeys: interpretation of the term "retail floor area". The U.S. retail
Rapid Transit Private car areas could well include some of our service trade areas.
Av. journey length 1.31 miles 1.80 miles
Av. journey time 4 minutes 4 minutes Assuming 428,000 squarefeet of retail floor area and
Walking time to stop 3 minutes 107,000 square feet of service trade floor area, a parking
Waiting time 5 minutes ratio of 2 to 1 and a floor space of 250 square feet per car,
Walk and unpark car 2 minutes then the provision is :
Walking time from stop 2 minutes (A) 428,000x 2 = 3340 spaces-retail floor area.
Park and walk from car 4 minutes 250
Total journey time 14 minutes 1 0 minutes
(B) 107,000x 2 =855 spaces-service trades floor
Out of pocket expenses say 6d running costs 6d 250 area.
parking cost 1/6d
A+tB=3767=Say 3750 spaces for shopper parkers
car occupancy 1.5
only.
1. Travel Time Ratio = 14 = 1.4
10 E.35
2. Cost Ratio 6 = 0.38 Method 2: Assuming that a Saturday is the peak shopping
24 x 0.67 day it is possible to develop a parking accumulation given
3. ServiceRatio = 10 = 1.67 (see above for times). parking duration, arrival times and the number of shopping
6 trips. The parking duration has been prepared from a modi-
fication of table ii-23 of "Parking". An extract from the
4. Economic status-E.C.5.
table for two population groups is given below:
Estimated modal split for shopping journey.
Travel time ratio 1.4 = TTR
Cost ratio 0.38 = CR, Table E.3 Cumulative percentage of shoppers'
parking demand
Service ratio 1.67 = L2
Economic status E.C.5.
Indicating from the diversion curves in Fig. E.8 an Stay of less than

estimated share of the shopping journeys by rapid Population 15 30 1 2 3 Over

transit bus of 50%. mins. mins. hr. hrs. hrs. 3 hrs.

E.33 Itis not suggested that these "modal splits" are direct- 50,000-100,000 37 59 79 92 96 4
100,000-250,000 30 51 72 87 93 7
ly comparable with Runcorn. The results, however, suggest
that the 50: 50 Modal Split is achievable for the journey- 33 55 75
"Average" 90 95 5
to-work and although the plan assumes an 85 :15 split for
Saturday shopping journeys to the centre, a higher propor- The"Average" can be described as roughly representativeof a town
tion than 15% might well shop by rapid transit. The diversion with 100,000 population.
curves also provide a useful guide to the best means of con-
trolling the "modal split". It should also be noted that the
predictions arrived at by using the diversion curves apply Table E.4 Distribution of Average Shopper Parking
'I'only to that part of the population who actually have a Time (from Table E.3)
choice. For example, people who require a car for business
do not have a choice as they must use a car, while people Under 15-30 30 mins. 1 hr.- 2 hrs- Over
Duration 15 mins. mins. -1 hr. 2 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs.
without access to a car must of necessity use public trans-
port.
Percentage
of Shoppers 33 22 20 15 5 5
Town Centre Parking Requirements
E.34
Method 1: A ratio of parking space to retail floor area of The times of stay given are for towns with all types of
2: 1 when 60% of shoppers travel by means other than parking facility, including kerbside. With the parking system
by car is given in "Parking".' Where there is dependence proposed for the town centre it is fairly certain that the
upon the car shopper the ratio should be 3 : 1. number of cars parked for less than 30 minutes on a Satur-
Bendtsen**quotes the percentage of existing U.S. sub- day will be very small. For this reason the table has been
urban shopping centres with given ratio ranges. The largest regrouped and the short stay eliminated to arriveat a realistic
group, 37.9%, is within the range from 2 : 1- 2.8 : 1. apportionment of parking under 3 hours.
These space ratios are based on parking provided generally
at ground level, and probably include for shop workers.
In the town centre parking will be in multi-storey parks, Table E.5 Distribution of Shopper Parking Time for
journey distances are likely to be shorter and greater usage Runcorn (Saturdays)
of public transport is envisaged. For this reason the lower
ratio of 2 : 1 was chosen. Difficulties also arise in the 30 mins. 1 hr. 2 hrs. Over
to 1 hr. to 2 hrs. to 3 hrs. 3 hrs.
...
"Parking"-Burrage and Morgen-Eno Foundation.
"Town and Traffic in the Motor Age"-P. H.Bendtsen-Danish Tech- 40% 45% 10% 5%
nical Press.

133
 Arrival times have been obtained from a survey carried
out in Stevenage* on Saturday, 29th May, 1965, where a
record was taken of shopper parkers arriving within half-
hour periods. (Table E.6).
Tables E.5 and E.6 have been combined to produce the
graph: Inflow, outflow and parking accumulation for a
Saturday with 10,000 shopping journeys by car. The value
of 10,000 journeys has been chosen for ease in preparation
and use of the graph (Fig. E.9), actual values being calcu-
lated by factoring.
In practice, design should allow for this figure, with staged
provision rising to meet demands. If more shoppers travel
by transit, then fewer spaces will be required. No account
has been taken of shoppers from outside the New Town
Area, as there will be relatively little regional attraction to
the town centre. The calculations have assumed a high use
ofthe private car on the groundsthatthe shopping journey is
a leisure activity where people will expect to use their car.
These spaces should also cater for miscellaneous trips
which are either complementary to the shopping journey,
such as a visit to a restaurant, or unlikely to coincide with
the shopping peak such as a journey for evening enter-
tainment.

3000
Employees' Parking Space
E.37 The suggested employment in the Town Centre is
2500
for 2,000 shop workers and 3,000 office workers. Weekday
parking provision will be no problem as the shopping
2000
demand will be Iow enough to cater for 85% motorisation
ofthe work journeys, which will tend to reduce the use of
1500 transitforworkjourneys.lfSaturday isthe peakshopping day,
and the arrival patterns are as developed in the graph, then
~1000 assuming that the Saturday office working continues to dec-
~ rease there is sufficient margin in the morning peak to
:I:
~500 cater for the expected ultimate office worker element. This
leaves shop workers on a Saturday afternoon where any
space provided must be over and above theshopperparking
gem 10 11 12 1pm 2 3 4 5 6 provision.
TIME If the view is taken that essential workers should have
E.9 Inflow, outflow and parking accumulation for space, then say a 10% provision must be made, Le. 200
Saturdays, with 10,000 shopping trips by carto spaces. Alternatively, the spaces required for the two levels
the Town Centre.
of car usage are either:

1. 50%x 2000 x 1.5 persons per car = 670 spaces or

E.36 The number of shopping journeys has been calculated
as follows:-
Assumptions from a small sample are that 90% of house-
holds make a family shopping journey on Saturday, and
two-thirds of these travel to the Town Centre. This gives
an overall 60% of family journeys to the Central Area.
(Recent information from a Stevenage Survey gave 54%of
Saturday family shopping journeys to the Town Centre.)
Number of Shopping Journeys-60% of 28,600 house-
holds = 17,150 journeys.
Number of journeys by car at 85% car usage = 17,150x
85% = 14,560 journeys.
Referring to Fig. E.9, the peak parking accumulation,
between 3.30 and 4.00 p.m., is 2,850 parked vehicles for
10,000 journeys.
Factoring: 2,850 x 14,560 = 4,150 spaces required.
10,000
2. 85%x 2000 x 1.5 persons per car = 1130 spaces.
The choice seems to lie between provision for essential
workers, and the design car usage of 50%. In either case
parking will have to be regulated, presumably by a pricing
policy, and experience gained during the development of
the Town Centre will enable the methods to be determined.
E.38 The above two methods of predicting the parking
requirements of shoppers gave 3,750 and 4,150 spaces
respectively. To this can be added parking space for Satur-
day afternoon shop workers of, say, 670 spaces for 50%
motorisation. Therefore, the range of provision should lie
between 4,420 and 4,820 spaces. For preparing the town
centre proposals a figure of 4,500 parking spaces has been
used.
"'Survey of Shopper Parking"-Stevenage Development Corporation-
Unpublished.

Table E.6 Distribution of Saturday Shopping Arrival Times - (Stevenage, 29th May, 1965)

Time AM. 9.00 9.30 10.00 10.30 11,00 11.30 12.00

Percentage of arrivals 2.46 5.05 8.07 8.20 7.01 5.38 5.56

Time P.M. 12.30 1.00 1.30 2.00 2.30 3.00 3.30 4.00 4.30 5.00
Percentage of arrivals 3.67 4.67 4.56 8.55 8.58 8.40 8.74 4.94 3.52 2.58

134
 Sports Provision Appendix F

Table F.1 Sports provision for 100,000 population. (Based on current suggested standards of the
National Playing Fields Association with a total playing field area of 6 acres per thousand population"
Football 33-40 pitches Proportion of rugger to soccer to be
determined by local requirements.
Hockey 5-8 pitches Men and women.
Cricket 14-20 tables (90' x 90') At least half the number should be
accommodated between winter
games pitches.
Lacrosse 1 pitch
Tennis 35-50 hard courts A number of courts can be marked
out for netball during winter months.
Bowls 14-20 greens
Pitch and Putt 2 courses
Hard porous areas for training 5 pitches Each at least hockey pitch size and
and general play floodlit.
Athletics training area or one full length
running track
General recreational areas t acre per 1,000 of population.
Children's playgrounds. t acre per 1,000 of population.

'Includes ~ acre per thousand population for Children's Playgrounds.

Schedule of land Use in the Master Plan Appendix G

Table G.1
land Use (Area in Acres) Proposed Existing Existing Existing Total
Retained Renewed Rehabil-
itated
Residential 1,160 694 51 76 1,981
Industry 1.418 541 - 22 1,981
Education 416 16 - - 432
Central Area 57 - - - 57
Local Centres 19 5 8 - 32
Playing Fields 449 33 - - 482
Incidental Open Space 471 78 - - 549
Town Park 266 - - 266
Other Parks 23 99 - - 122
Woodland 320 244 - - 564
Golf Course 14 33 - - 47
Allotments 24 6 - - 30
Hospitals 63 13 - - 76
Water Works/Reservoir - 7 - - 7
Sewage Disposal 23 - - - 23
Reserved Land - 58 - - 58
Totals 4,723 1,827 59 98 6,707

135
Appendix H Principal Standards adopted in the Master Plan

Town Population 70,000 (by 1977)

90,000 (by 1989)
with planned ultimate 100,000

Industry 35 persons/acre (gross) for

general industrial estates.

Schools, Primary 4 forms of entry in total for

Secondary
Subject to the policy of the
Local Education Authority
8,000 population.
2 Secondary Technical Sch-
ools for 16,000 population.
1 GrammarTechnical
School for 16,000 population
(Le. 3 schools each with
4 forms of entry on single
campus for 16,000 popula-
tion).

Playing Fields 5 acres/1 ,000 population.

Children's Playgrounds 0.5 acre/1,OOOpopulation.

Traffic Design Speeds

Expressway 50 m.p.h.
Rapid Transit Route 40 m.p.h.

Average Population Density

New Housing 66 persons/acre net
All Housing 55 persons/acre net
Community size 8,000 persons
Neighbourhood size 2,000 persons
Residential Group size 100-200 persons

Car Parking
Industrial areas 1Car Spaceto 3 workers with
possible expansion to 1 to 2.
Residential areas 1.5 car spaces or garages
per dwelling with possible
expansion to 2 spaces using
multi-storey car parks.
Town Centre 3,110 car spaces with overall
50 :50 "modal split" with
possible increase to 4,500
car spaces with 85 :15
"modal split" for shoppers
and 50 :50 for workers.

Shopping
Town Centre 426,000 sq. ft. gross
District Centre 66,000 sq. ft. gross
Local Centres
(8,000 community) 16,000 sq. ft. gross (each)
Corner Shops
(2,000 housing group) 850 sq. ft. gross (each)

136

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