Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I've mentioned it in other threads regarding Broadway, which I've admitted looks better than I thought it would now it's nearing completion, but what about the horrid blue and white facade?

There has been some attempt to use stone and other interesting materials, in both the new buildings and the refurbishment of Broadway, but it is totally dominated by the blue and white plastic facade of the Council building over the shops, lots of which are broken. Some modernist 60's building is worth preserving, this is certainly not.

For a relatively small amount of money these could be replaced with stone cladding, or even plastic in a more natural colour.

Why spoil the ship for a ha'ppeth of tar?

Council offices
 

Couldn't agree more it has always looked grotty and out of place, a lick of paint wouldn't do amiss although some tasteful cladding would be better

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Already the look is marred by the scourge of modern life......Chewing gum......and why did they stop at the betting shop.....didn't they have enough cash to carry on? And at the town hall end the renovations stop abruptly and are finished off by a strip of nasty tarmac. Personally I think we have been short changed.....I can't see value for money in this renovation.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I honestly think they read on here the reaction to the tarmac and decided to top it with the red gritty stuff. According to Peter Britcliffe, pictured arms spread wide in the middle of the refurbishment recently, it won't be finished until the Spring so hopefully the rest of the tarmac will vanish as well.

Since it was only supposed to take twelve weeks when it was started back in August, I wonder if the budget has over run the £360,000 as well?

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I understand that the cost of the refurbishment of Broadway was in excess of £300,000 cant quite see that it was good value for money but then again Im not a builder. I'm not sure how the tarmac enhances the area although the previous surface was a bit of a safety hazzard particularly when wet.
Who remembers the old days with the chaos at the pelican crossing on Broadway when people 15 abreast were all funnelled by the railings to the crossing outside M&S to meet the hoards coming in the opposite direction
It was like watching American Football

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Ok, here we go.

When I drove past the top of Broadway this afternoon me though to myself, “by hell that looks nice” What are they on about?

Then on walking back from parking to car I had chance to have a closer look. What a disappointment. The visual impact is good at first sight, but it’s in the detail that we’ve been let down again. The Big planters are out of place and don’t melt into the overall theme. I like the Stainless Steel effect of the bollards and the lamp poles. The seating isn’t that bad either. The trees will (if they survive) look fantastic next spring and the little pink river is for the most part quite acceptable. But the detail? Good god, the edging between the flags and pink river looks like it was done by a blind, one legged lesbian, (the word lesbian was used purely for effect). At the extreme end “Town Hall side” they have just filled in the gaps with Black Tarmac which looks cheap, and the same effect is used in front of the town Hall’s extension to which you allude. It is time the Blue and White went, but remember it’s been a land mark for over 30 years. But again the people of Accrington have let themselves down with the rubbish just thrown about anywhere. Where are the Bins and were are wardens to enforce the bi laws. (The “bi” word was use purely for effect yet again.) Over all an improvement, but so much more could have been achieved…………

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

The seats in Marble.....designed to give you piles.......I am not surprised at the lack of 'finish'......just disappointed that so much has been spent to very little effect. The terracotta grit pathway is not going to give up the chewy very easily. Not much in the way of practical and functional design.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

They were good days to shop in Accy now its approaching desolation.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I happened to be wandering along Broadway just the other day and noticed that trees have now been planted. How nice, how colourful and just the thing to soften and break up the ugly monotony of the buildings which line the street.

On stepping closer to inspect, I was more than a little dismayed to realise that the trees were Oak.

Ok, I can appreciate the moronic associations which informed the choice, but I cannot help feeling that a tragic mistake has been made here.

Consider the facts:

The average oak tree has a lifespan of up to 200years (depending on environmental conditions).

It generally prefers to spread it's branches and can do so for a distance of up to forty feet from its trunk, in all directions. It's root-run is similarly prodigious, and, as its roots grow and develop they tend to thicken, often quite dramatically, lifting pavement, walls, foundations and anything else in their way.

A mature oak can be expected to grow to be over 100 feet tall and it's trunk can be as much as ten feet thick!

A mature oak will take upwards of fifty gallons of water out of the ground per day, causing localised subsidence as the subsoil dries out.

The trees planted on Broadway while still maintaining the juvenile habit of retaining their leaves through the winter are, nevertheless, about fifteen years old. Replanting will knock back their development by a year or so, but by the time the trees are old enough to celebrate their twentieth birthday they will start to produce acorns, by the bucketfull! A single mature tree can produce 2500 per year. Very nice, but what do you do with them? Unless we have a sudden invasion of squirrels or the council intend to start grazing pigs on Broadway they will become a hazard to life and limb. One only has to look at the mess the horsechestnuts in front of the Market Hall create every autumn to realise the truth of that statement.

Oak trees are planted primarily to provide shade and with an eighty foot leaf spread they are really good at doing that.

So, we can look forward to a Broadway perpetually cast in stygian gloom, where the buildings are subsiding and the pavement lifting, and a very interesting shopping experience each autumn as irate shopkeepers battle to prevent herds of pigs and squirrels running amok in their stores. That is, of course, if the vandals don't get to them first!

Well done HBC! It's nice to see that so much thought is put into planning our resurgent town centre.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I noticed they were oak too, but they looked so weary I wasn't 100% sure.

Never mind, by the time they are covering the all area in shade we'll be long gone.

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10 - 15 from now the council will proberly pull them down.

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Oh well by the time the roots come through it will give HBC another reason to resurface with another colour!!!!

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Broadway looks great but your right about the building . Iasked what was being done about it . Apparently it is not owned by the Council but Britcliffes on their case. What about the guy who has been saked for singing IRA songs at a Christmas Party. Who is he? Anybody know

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Yea i remember that well. Used to sit on the flowerbed walls eating a pastie and watching the cars trying desperately to knock somebody over who even dared to cross the road.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I'm really happy to read in this week's Observer that apparently Peter Britcliffe wants the blue and white facade on Broadway changed, and is on the case.

I'm not a Conservative, but would be very happy to offer my thanks if he manages to sqeeze and remove this awful pimple on the face of Accrington.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Make your mind up Gary. One minute your pro Gayle next minute Peter is your main man.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I think this is the huge flaw with British politics from local level through to national level - no one is prepared to credit another person if they're on the 'other side'. If Britcliffe managed to sort out the blue and white facade on the old building I'd be as happy as Garinda would be. I'm not going to start campaigning to keep it, of course, it's ugly and needs sorting out.

We have to be prepared to give credit where credit is due. Of course, they've had quite a few years in which to do this highly visible vote winner so one has to question their motives for doing it in the last few months before an election! But hey, if it gets done now that's one less eyesore for the Labour party to sort out when they get in!

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Like Gayle said, credit where it's due. Party politics aside, I'm happy when anybody gets things done, regardless of political persuasion. Though I am more likely to join a nunnery than ever vote Conservative.

First the tarmac on Broadway was changed and now this, all things we've brought to light on here. Spooky or what?;)

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Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I would agree that party politics should be put aside in respect of local interest issues. More than anything I would be more concerned as to how the re cladding of this building is conducted; a coat of paint or a re clad in the same vain would be a disaster in my opinion.

What’s need is a sympathetic approach that takes in to account the historical and architectural significance of the Town Hall and the 1960s early 80s carbuncles that make up Broadway. The result of the recent work undertaken on Broadway does not actually instil confidence in the vision of the planning department. Perhaps we could influence the outcome of this project by have a constructive discussion on what we would like to see happen to this abysmal carbuncle which incidentally most of us grew up with.

I personally would like to see a sympathetic rendering of the outer casing or a decent stone facing in keeping with the Town Hall itself. Some consideration should also be given to the adjoining buildings and how they impact on the project as well as the tarmac area in front of the monstrosity.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Will agree with that doug, the type of construction does not lend itself to many variations. The heat loss from that building must be tremendous, curtain walling is the name, with very little behind the panels.

Did A-B not do a photographic "makeover" of that building, think he posted it in another thread.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I'm sure there are many creative ways in which buildings could be improved with a little bit of cosmetic surgery. What about that tower thing in Blackburn that was covered in horrid white tiles for years and got a revamp a few years ago.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

What about painting it red and white with the message 'Accrington supports Stanley' emblazoned on it (just an idea)

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

How about something a little more tasteful like local stone cladding with four or five large Glass Engraved diorama One of which could be of the Accrington Stanley Crest with the silvered edged Motto “On Stanley On”.

The others could represent Cotton, Coal, the Canal and a Memorial to the lasting Memory of the Accrington Pals…………

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

It is only breeze block behind the plastic blue panels, some of which are broken, and some of which breeze blocks have been painted the same blue.

The cheapest solution would be to remove all the panels and paint the breeze blocks a sandstone colour. This wouldn't cost very much at all, and would stop your eye beind drawn up to it.

Stone cladding would be preferable but more costly.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Any designs up there would have the oppposite effect of trying to blend in this 60's carbuncle, and still draw your eye upwards. It needs camouflaging.

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Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

I didn’t mean massive sections of glass replacing the blue and white, I meant four or five panels between the Town hall and the shops.

I had a good look this afternoon and I must admit that I think they would be better off bringing the thing down and starting again. There’s not a lot that’s really going to work without massive expenditure.

I good clean with a pressure hose would go along way to resolving some of the building image problems, but that would only be short term and cosmetic.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Without going to the massive expense of demolition, a lick of sand coloured paint on the breeze blocks underneath the panels would suffice.

Cosmetic yes, but cheap and effective.

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Are you saying that the rest of Broadway is cheap and effective?
Can you imagine what it would look like if they did it in the same colour as the planters….yuk? It’ll be going from bad to worse, like a great wall of desiccated puke….:p

I think that an outer coating of render would resolve the issue for a few years but it would have to be good to hide some of the sins of that building. :)

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Here it is...

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/s...light=broadway

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

Great pic A-b.

Although I've read most of your body of work, this was the week before I joined, and I somehow missed it.

Great minds, fools differ etc.;)

Re: Blue 'n' white Broadway.
 

hey, nobody's perfect.

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First time I have seen them and its a pity the money they pay for consultants dosnt come up wtith something like the pic.

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That's a cracking photoshop Acrylic.

HBC should take note.

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Good job I copyrighted the design.

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I just wish I had the nerve to plant some nice dead trees in my garden! lol