Consultation runs from: 1 December 2025 9:00am - 30 January 2026 5:00pm
1.
proposals within the Mill Road area will be supported if they:
a. create a positive, balanced and attractive environment, to support the vitality and viability of the area for retail, leisure, cultural, faith and other associated town centre activities; and
b. protect and enhance the area’s historic and retail distinctiveness, including Mill Road’s characteristic range of smaller independent retailers and traders.
2. To strengthen the distinctiveness of Mill Road and ensure its long-term success and vibrancy, development proposals will deliver a series of coordinated streetscape and public realm improvements which:
a. emphasise ‘place making’ over vehicle movement, especially at junctions, using tighter geometry and radii, to reduce speeds and to reclaim public realm;
b. promote and coordinate the use of sustainable transport modes, integrating with any relevant proposals the
Partnership may have for the wider area;
c. create a series of public realm improvements based around junctions and crossings in the road network, which respond to key spaces and buildings;
d. create clear gateways/entry points into existing and new residential neighbourhoods;
e. create a more comfortable and simplified pedestrian environment by providing improved pavements and more direct crossings that respond to key desire lines; and
f. use an appropriate and durable palette of materials that is appropriate in a conservation area setting.
Supporting information
The Mill Road area policy is intended to maintain and enhance the distinctive and historic character of the area. It also sets out opportunities to improve the public realm along Mill Road which has its own character, formed by its diverse range of independent shops, rich historic environment and sense of being as a distinctive local community. Mill Road has two district centres, providing a range of shops and services either side of the railway bridge. Much of the policy area also falls within the Mill Road .
Mill Road is characterised by its large number of diverse and independent shops including many food stores specialising in ‘world’ foods which contribute to the area’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. There are also a wide range of restaurants, cafés and hot food takeaways, particularly west of the railway bridge, which add to its viability although these can also lead to amenity problems. There are also several antique and bric-a-brac shops and the market at Hope Street, which add to the rich diversity and uniqueness of the area. The policy seeks to safeguard the independent, cosmopolitan feel of Mill Road.
Surrounding the street are terraced residential streets, some of which have a high population of students or shared households. There is a strong sense of community in the Mill Road area with events such as the Winter Fair attracting large numbers of people each year.
The recent introduction of the Mill Road bridge bus gate in 2025 restricts vehicles except for buses, emergency services, taxis and blue badge holders' registered vehicles. The reduction in private vehicular movements across the bridge should encourage alternative sustainable forms of transport. However, Mill Road remains a busy route, and the narrow pavements are often cluttered with signs, ad hoc street furniture and parked bicycles, making it difficult to move along them, particularly with a pram or for those who need assistance with their movement. The policy seeks to encourage improvements to the public realm and ensure that any development proposals in the area contribute to them. It could, for example, be a specific landscape treatment at a junction to aid traffic calming and improve the environment.
Tell us what you think
We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the .
All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.