The Local Centre
The proposed development contains a range of land uses including a local centre of 0.16 ha (0.395 acres). This mixed-use village centre forms an integral part of the plans, providing community uses for both the new community and existing residents of Abingworth and Thakeham.
The local centre is designed as a landmark building at the site entrance, looking out towards the entrance green spaces on two sides. Its design incorporates traditionally proportioned shopfronts on the ground floor, and a roofscape silhouette inspired by the existing mushroom farm buildings.
The uses within the local centre will include the following:
Flexible Class E uses which could include a shop or other retail space
Community uses
At Bellway, we welcome residents comments on what they would like to see includes in the Local Centre, please select the Contact Us tab, or click here.
Car and cycle parking will be provided within the local centre at a policy compliant level, including the provision of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging.
Building heights in the local centre are up to three storeys, allowing residential accommodation to be provided above lower floor commercial uses. The density in the local centre will be up to 50 dph, which yields circa 53 dwellings.
Access & Movement
The site is accessed from Storrington Road. Open space lines the junction, providing clear visibility both from and into the site. An emergency access is located just south of the primary access, terminating with a 3.7m shared path and removable bollards to prevent other vehicles from accessing.
A key objective is to minimise the impact of traffic generated by the new neighbourhood on the local highway network and to enable the maximum sustainability of the site, particularly through designing for access by multiple modes of travel.
The masterplan proposes the creation of transport links, both within the site and to the surrounding network, for pedestrians, cyclists and the private car. The street network takes cues from the built form of the Mushroom Farm whilst also seeking to create routes that allow for maximum permeability and create a legible place. Not all routes will be accessible by car, creating a filtered permeability effect, making it easiest to walk or cycle through the site. Frequent junctions, raised tables, bends in the road and focal points act as natural points for traffic calming. The emphasis is on sustainable transport within the immediate vicinity of Abingworth, Thakeham and West Chiltington Common, with walking and cycling a priority.
Walking & Cycling
The aspiration for the site is to ensure pedestrian and cycle movement is convenient, safe and pleasant. The northern natural park, green verges, swales and street trees will provide a green aspect to all walking and cycling routes through the site. The site is designed with filtered permeability enabling people to walk or cycle between blocks where cars cannot drive. Greenery is introduced as much as possible to make the environment attractive to pedestrians, both in terms of aesthetic interest and also for future climate change where the trees can provide shelter from harsh winds and warmer direct sunshine.
A cycle/pedestrian path is provided alongside The Avenue, providing a key direct route from Abingworth/Storrington Road through to the PRoW on the site's western edge. This will provide a direct route to access local facilities at Thakeham and Abingworth. The cycle route will be on a shared pavement with a width of 3 m and will be continued along secondary streets, reaching the extremities of the site and leading to potential future connections with West Chiltington.
Raised tables will give pedestrians and cyclists priority when crossing junctions and shared surfaces in the minor streets and private drives will also signal pedestrian priority. All streets will be traffic calmed to 20 mph so ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in all parts of the site. The aspirations that children will be safe playing in the private drives and shared streets, and also the minor accesses where the traffic levels are low, making the development feel welcoming and inclusive. Walking routes will also be provided through the green spaces and will connect into the existing footpath network at Thakeham and Abingworth.
Parking
Car parking will be provided for residents and visitors. Road infrastructure will not be allowed to dominate the site and, in keeping with this, parking will also not dominate the street scene. A number of parking solutions will be used in a way which works best for each location, including on-street, driveways and parking courts. In all locations, the aim is for the parking to be convenient to the dwellings which it serves an dto limit opportunities for car-related crimes. This is particularly key in the design of parking courts where the cars may not be immediately visible from the homes.
Residential parking will be accommodated in a mixture of visitor spaces, allocated resident spaces, garages and spaces within the curtilages of dwellings. The development is provided with sufficient car parking broadly in line with adopted WSCC parking standards and guidance.
Density
Buildings sit comfortably in the landscape and their design allows for adaptability over time. The density varies across the site, with the higher densities located at the entrance close to the local centre, around the primary route and to the south in closer proximity to the existing built edge. Whilst density does vary across the scheme, the form of houses and material choices will illustrate that the forms and wholly within the character of the immediate area. The scheme, for 247 new homes across the 13.45 ha provides a gross density of approximately 28.1 dph. This accounts fora range of uses, open space, SuDS and a variety of densities across the developable area of the scheme.
Height
The heights of the proposed development have been carefully considered to respond sensitively to the surrounding building heights of the local area, and most of the proposed dwellings will be predominantly 2 storeys, with 2.5 storeys along The Avenue and secondary streets.
A small area of 3 storey buildings are located in the local centre at the site's entrance, facing onto the proposed community plaza close to the junction with the main spine road and Storrington Road, aiding legibility.
More information on the design, styles, drainage and sustainability of the proposed development can be seen in the Design and Access Statement which can be downloaded by clicking here