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2001 survey results

6. THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Silsden is a predominantly residential town, but in spite of its significant expansion, people living in Silsden think of it as having a rural character. The buildings we see today tell most of the story of the towns history, but not all. There are a number of older traditional 18th and 19th century farm buildings, typically on the outskirts of the developed area, but also fairly close to the centre of town. The industrial revolution and the development of the textile industry meant the building of quite a large number of mill buildings. These distinctive and robust stone buildings and ‘north light’ sheds are a strong feature of this part of the country. Remaining buildings of this type can be seen along the north side of the canal as well and more centrally at Nicholson Place and North Street. There are also a number of smaller 18th and 19th century buildings, which served a variety of industrial purposes in the past. Some of these buildings are still used commercially.

The traditional stone terraced housing, which was developed in conjunction with the industrial buildings, is an important feature of Silsden’s built environment. Whilst we may regard this as somehow unremarkable, it is the dominant historical building type and the one that most characterises the core area of Silsden. Viewed from a distance the natural slate roofs of these terraces form a distinct and intact testament to this phase of the community’s history.

Alongside the industrial development, and increase in population, came the need for religious, social and commercial buildings. Not all the town’s churches have survived, but St James Church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, and the Methodist Chapel are typical and significant religious buildings. Together they occupy a substantial and closely bounded central position. The Town Hall, the two schools, and the park are significant elements of the town structure.

The two storey traditional gritstone buildings along the lengths of Kirkgate and Briggate form the commercial core of the town. These buildings have proved very versatile in being adapted to different uses over the years as commercial trends have changed, and no doubt they will continue to do so. There is evidence of the past importance of the co-operative movement in some of these buildings. Most of the main street’s commercial buildings now house fairly specialised services, but taken collectively they do provide a civic presence and central character to the town. The buildings themselves are protected to a degree by the existence of the conservation area, but there is a fundamental issue that affects their viability and collective aesthetic value. This is the status of Kirkgate as highway route and the ever-increasing amount of traffic. The presence of the beck in the town centre is a very positive feature. Much more could be made of this, and the environment of this central area could be dramatically improved if it were not for the dominance of the road traffic. A significant 72% of people responding to the Silsden survey considered that road traffic should be reduced in the interests of enhancing the local environment. In considering the type of new road that might be built around Silsden, people expressed a preference for a by pass, as opposed to an access road by a factor of 3 to 1. The commonly held view is that a weight restriction should be imposed on vehicles within the town centre and that other traffic calming measures should be implemented.

Changing practices have meant that the focus for the industrial development is now on the south side of the canal. These building types are of course driven by function, and their appearance is the same as many other such buildings throughout the country. Whilst some measures have been taken to moderate their appearance by the use of certain materials, inevitably their appearance can only be truly affected by substantial tree planting schemes. 99% of people endorse this view.

During the past twenty years some of the older mill sites in the town have been redeveloped as housing. The development of the old Aire Valley shed site off New Street has removed a large single commercial use and inserted more high-density housing, without any significant green or open space. It seems obvious, but probably worth stating, that this represents a shift in the balance of the uses and scale within the built environment. The redevelopment of the canal side with mews style housing has proved popular with some people, but is quite anachronistic in terms of its styling. This process has intensified the residential character of the town.

Naturally the central area has the most interesting buildings and features. But in terms of the area occupied, and the sheer number of buildings, the town is in fact dominated by post war housing developments. This housing has been developed on a field-by-field basis over the latter half of the 20th century to the east, north and west of the centre. The appearance of the various estates reflects the stylistic norms of their time and the then current building practices. The house types vary in size and quality and are of course very similar to contemporary housing developments throughout the country. Such development is by nature sporadic and driven by current market demands. There has been a degree of planning control over the materials used in construction, and generally speaking there has been a greater awareness of appropriate design in more recent years. However the overall effect of this development has been to produce a bland built environment, with little consideration to the overall planning of the town, and virtually no provision for green or open space. The UDP seems likely to continue this pattern.

The Silsden survey revealed a consistency in the way local people perceive their town. The largest group of respondents were people who were born here, and the largest number of people’s previous home was also in Silsden. The large majority (57%) of people commenting said that there has been too much new housing in Silsden during the past 10 years. 82% of people thought that the town could not accommodate any more new housing, and that it would ‘spoil the environment’. However if more housing were to be built, residents have clearly expressed a preference for traditionally styled buildings, whatever their scale. People also expressed a clear preference for a mixture of housing densities. Any loss of green areas would be totally unacceptable.

In summary the town has some interesting and valuable buildings and features. These are mostly in the older central part of the town. There are obvious opportunities to build on the existing features and to enhance the character and amenity of the central area. The dominant feature of the town is its residential development in various forms.

South View Terrace

Pear Tree Cottage

Catholic Church

Town Hall

Aireview Primary School

Hothfield Street Junior School

The old Co-op building from the canal

New flats in former Cranes Mill

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2001 survey results