Design Approach
The overall aim of the proposals will be to deliver a sustainable and integrated development that provides safe and convenient access to local facilities and services. This will create a vibrant, attractive and safe community, which uses land and natural resources in an efficient way. A summary of the key design strategy is provided below:
The built form will take a contemporary regard to the prevailing traditional vernacular and its arrangement. A spacious layout of detached semi-detached and terraced houses with gardens alongside apartments is proposed.
A well-connected and attractive street pattern, providing convenient and direct routes for pedestrian and cyclists. The street network will feature street tree planting, and where possible hedgerow and shrub planting, to soften the built development.
The masterplan has been developed with a landscape emphasis throughout, with an aim to visually blend the development into its wider setting. A variety of attractive and useable open spaces will be provided for the enjoyment of the residents and visitors alike and allowing for ecological enhancements.
The provision of a mixed-use village centre is intended to form an integral part of the masterplan, set within a landmark building providing community uses for both the new community and existing residents of Thakeham Parish.
Overall, a sustainable, safe, attractive place will be created, with buildings and landscape defining streets and public spaces.
Masterplan
The design rationale for the creation of the Masterplan stems from a thorough understanding of the site and its context, with a particular emphasis on respecting the site’s landscape characteristics and the built character of Thakeham and Abingworth.
The masterplan for the scheme evolved following pre-application meetings with Horsham District Council and feedback from the public consultation. The final version of the masterplan completed the evolution journey and showed development contained to the parcel east of the PRoW. The extent of development was also reduced and the site boundary amended to align with landscaping improvements along the PRoW and the north eastern field parcel.
The central theme of this final masterplan, is to create a community housed within good quality homes within an attractive landscape setting. The masterplan aims to create a wide mix of living opportunities, supported by a comprehensive walking, cycling and public transport network, which operates in an attractive and safe environment. The scheme will have an established local identity and strong sense of place.
Overall, it is intended that the masterplan will:
Create 247 new homes in a high-quality landscaped setting, 35% of which will be affordable
Integrate fully with the surrounding communities, providing links to existing schools, employment, community uses, shops, public open space and the wider network of walking routes
Provide a mix of house types and tenures to create a balanced community
Deliver circa 300 new trees across the neighbourhood within streets, public open spaces, along the public rights of way and boundaries. In addition to the 300 newly planted trees, 30 fruit bearing orchard tress will be planted within circa 2,200 sqm of orchard parkland.
The planting of new species, through new public open spaces, reinstated historic hedgerows and belts of native planting. Additionally, rain gardens, swathes of meadow and orchard planting of local provenance will also add to enhancing the biodiversity of the proposed landscape.
Produce a well-connected street pattern, providing convenient and direct routes for pedestrian and cyclists
Create green links connecting habitats and opening access across the site to the countryside beyond, provide a high quality public open space for new residents to enjoy, including a space for equipped play and informal children’s play, older play provision and spaces for girls.
Utilise a sustainable transport system to ensure that people can get to and from Abingworth and Thakeham by a range of transport options. Walking and cycling links, provide sustainable connections to bus links
Introduce traffic calming as part of a high-quality street design, focusing ease of movement on non-motorised transport.
More information on the landscaping aspects of the proposals can be seen in the ‘Open Space and Landscaping’ section or please click here.
More information on the Village Centre element of the plans which will include community uses can be found later in the ‘Other Application Updates’ section or please click here.
It is considered that the masterplan allows for the provision of a balanced and sustainable community through the development of sustainable buildings, the use of sustainable transport and the accessibility of public open space within