Streetscape Manual (SPD 3)

The Streetscape Manual SPD was first adopted by the Council in February 2014 following a 6 week period of public consultation that took place in July and August 2013. The Manual is intended to be a ‘living document’ that will be reviewed annually and updated where necessary and appropriate. Following a recent review of the Manual it has been deemed necessary to update it to ensure those products and details included reflect the current situation in the City.

The 2015 revised Manual therefore includes updates in the following areas:

• street Lighting - to reflect a programme of LED street light replacement in the City
• bollards - to provide further detail on product specifications, and to include reference to rebound bollards;
• tree Protection and Planters - to include updated references to tree pits and planters installed;
• planning Policy - to update references to relevant policies within the Local Planning Framework.

What is the Streetscape Manual?

The Streetscape Manual has been produced by Southend City Council to ensure a coordinated, high quality streetscape is sustainably achieved within the City. It will be used to ensure that all streetscape projects within the City, both large and small, create balanced streets with minimal visual clutter, employing good quality and durable materials that are sustainably source. The Manual also recognises the importance of conserving and enhancing the appearance of the City’s historic streets, particularly those within the City’s 14 conservation areas, which by their nature tend to have a higher retention and protection of original detailing, and provides further guidance on achieving this.

As well as providing an overview of the Southend context, the Manual is set out in two main parts, as follows:

Part A: Design Strategy

This section of the Manual sets out the ‘Why?’ And the ‘Where?’, establishing the Council’s five key objectives for the design of the City’s streets and public spaces; why this approach has been established; and identifying where the general and key character areas are in the City.

Part B: Design Detail

This section of the Manual sets out the ‘What?’ and the ‘How?’, providing a technical guide for the provision of street furniture and surfacing materials across the City, what products should be specified and, where appropriate, how these should be installed. It is divided into two sections:

Section 1: Surfacing and Signage

• footways
• carriageways
• cycleways
• signage and Wayfinding

Section 2: Street Furniture

• bus Stops and Shelters
• bollards and Guardrail
• cycle Parking
• lighting and Banners
• seating
• bins
• tree Protection and Planting

A fully illustrated version of the Streetscape Manual SPD is available to be downloaded.