St Stephens Street, Norwich

A plan to ensure the continuing success and attractiveness of the retail and commercial core of Norwich

The St Stephens Area in Norwich is an important part of Norwich’s retail core and includes a Marks and Spencer and John Lewis store. It is also home to the city headquarter of AVIVA and to the city's bus station. Our plan, prepared for Norwich City Council, provides a framework for incremental but coherent change over the next 20 years. It promotes the provision of a better environment with a mix of uses and an extended restaurant and leisure offer.

It also promotes new connections, great public spaces and an improved public realm, and the reduction in traffic and provision of better pedestrian and public transport facilities.

In preparing the masterplan we had to overcome complex transport and movement issues and respond sensitively to the local heritage. Assisted by our property consultants we tested and refined proposals to improve financial viability during the options stage, considering the fragmented land ownership, leaseholder interests and the phasing of development. We also advised our client on the sequencing of capital projects and on potential funding sources.

The masterplan has helped to guide investment in the area including the refurbishment and extension of the Marks and Spencer store and remodelling of Westlegate Tower.

The project required close working with the client, the public / private sector steering group and council departments, and the plan was supported by two stakeholder workshops and a public exhibition. The project was also successfully reviewed by CABE and described by them as 'exemplar'. The outline masterplan was adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document in 2010.