Planning Appraisal Group - TrustNews Sep 06
It has been a busy few months for members of the Trust council and viewing panels, with presentations of several schemes and many evening discussions about the two schemes proposed for the redevelopment of the Friarsgate / Silver Hill site.
The Hampshire County Council made two of the presentations. Given that it is impossible to tear the building down and start again, we agreed with the County’s preferred option that re-modelling Ashburton Court would be preferable to just repairing it, because this would allow the transformation of an out-of-date building into a sustainable structure that would be better equipped to deal with future environmental problems. While welcoming the top floor removals and internal court-yards, we felt that a more imaginative approach to the external elevations than that proposed was needed, particularly at roof level and at the northern end of the building; we also wondered whether brick was the best material because it would be unable to erase the heavy character of the original ’60s building. We were considerably less enthusiastic about the schemes for the Greenacres & Winton House sites. The structures replacing Winton House were ‘bog-standard’ developments and the buildings at Greenacres would be most uncharacteristic of the neighbourhood, with a 3-storey ‘landmark’ building sited at the crest of the hill on this important route into the city. The schemes shown later at the public exhibition were little better, as apparently the developer is convinced that people in Winchester will only buy houses with a traditional style. The Trust very much regrets that an influential landowner such as the HCC has not insisted on a higher standard of design for these developments. We now await the application with no great pleasure.
We also had a presentation of the alterations proposed for 57 High Street, the ex-Hampshire Chronicle offices and print works. The ground floor is to become a restaurant, Zizzi, which is part of the ASK group, with an upper floor of offices in the print works behind the listed High Street building. Another presentation was of the development at Orchard House, Sarum Road, which is to be demolished and replaced by a block of six 1-bed and four 2-bed flats. Applications for both these schemes are now with the planners, and will be commented on by the Trust’s viewing panels.
Over the past couple of years the Trust has had many presentations from the developers of the two schemes proposed for the Friarsgate/Silver Hill site, both of which have applications wending their ways through the system. The presentations gave the members an overall idea of the two schemes, but the time has now come for in-depth consideration of the nitty-gritty details that are involved. The Trust is therefore extremely grateful to both London & Henley and Thornfield Properties for letting us have copies of their Design Statements, supporting plans and drawings so that we could study and discuss them in more depth than would otherwise be possible. This exercise has been done at con-siderable cost to the evening leisure time of partaking members, who have spent well over 12 hours on the two schemes, and have my heartfelt thanks – and no doubt yours also! The assessment of such huge schemes by our overburdened planning officers presents a major problem, and with no in-house design team it becomes imperative that independent planning panels should contribute well considered opinions.
The London & Henley application for their development on the site of the Friarsgate Building, Middle Brook Street, was the first to be considered and our comments have been made to the Planning Office. This scheme relates to one part of the area proposed for redevelopment, the block currently housing the multi-storey car park, Iceland, the old Post Office sorting office, King’s Walk and the shops along Middle Brook Street. The Thornfield Properties application, which covers this block and all the land between Friarsgate and the buildings on the High Street, and to the waterway at the eastern end, was made a month later, and the Trust is still formulating its response. It is, however, clear that a major problem facing all developers is trying to provide buildings that echo the grain of the city and its haphazard development over the years, while also building structures that fulfil today’s requirements for bulk deliveries, car parking, and high-density residential accommodation. This problem seems to have been exacerbated by the City’s requirements for car parking spaces and residential units, which are now greater than was proposed in the original planning brief for the area. This has resulted in Block A (the building common to both schemes) being tall and having shopfronts that relate to the height of the building and its internal working rather than to the pedestrian, and Tanner Street having no better environment than at present because of the large gaping entrances to service areas and car parks.
An application to demolish The Day House, Sleepers Hill, spurred the Trust into providing evidence for its listing. It is an Arts & Crafts house of some character, and saving it is considered worth while by the Conservation Officer concerned.
Good news on the appeal front: the appeal relating to 1 & 3 Westley Close has been withdrawn, and the proposed demolition of 36 Quarry Road has been dismissed. Our objections to developments on two corner sites have had mixed results: the 2-storey dwelling attached to 43 Cromwell Road has been refused, while the 3-bedroom semi-detached dwelling at 1 St Stephen’s Road has been permitted. Win some, lose some!