WORTHING GASWORKS Public Consultation 26th November 2020 PRESENTATION STRUCTURE

ABOUT US

SITE CONTEXT

CONSTRAINTS & OPPORTUNITIES

DESIGN CONCEPT

NEXT STEPS

Q & A

WORTHING GASWORKS INTRODUCTIONS

St William is a Joint Venture formed between National Grid and the Berkeley Group. It was formed to unlock some of the most technically complex regeneration sites at the heart of the communities across London and the South of England, delivering essential new homes and jobs, and creating places of exceptional quality.

Our goal is to reconnect these sites with the local community and transform them into places where people want to live, work and spend time.

To achieve this, St William adopt a landscape-led approach which can be summarised as 'first life, then spaces, then buildings', restoring these contaminated sites into beautiful new places that have a significant long term Prince of Wales Drive, Nine Elms (St William Homes) The Cottonworks, Highbury (St William Homes) contribution on the environmental, social and economic fabric of the community.

Courtyard Gardens, Oxted (St William Homes) Clarendon, Wood Green (St William Homes) CONTEXT THE SITE & SURROUNDINGS

WORTHING GASWORKS SITE LOCATION

The site is located at the edge of Worthing town centre Worthing FC To & London Victoria and is well placed within a short walk to a number of local (Southern Trains) Bowling Club amenities. 1 2 0 0 Worthing Station m

• 7 minutes walk to the seafront ( 1 5 m Skatepark 8 i To Southampton (Southern Trains) 0 n • Within 10 minutes walk to the town centre 0 s m )

( 1 0 Worthing Gasworks m • 12 minutes to Worthing 4 0 i 0 n m s )

Worthing Hospital ( • 14 minutes walk to Worthing station, with services 5 Victoria Park m i to London Victoria (88 minutes) and Brighton n s (23 minutes) ) Town Hall Museum & Surrounding open spaces include: Art Gallery Beach House Park • 2 minutes walk to Beach House Park Christ Church Splashpoint • 5 minutes to Skatepark KEY

• 6 minutes walk to Steyne Gardens Site Boundary

• 15 minutes to Victoria Park Town Centre Boundary Steyne Gardens

The site is also conveniently located for the bus routes Railway Line network in Worthing. Distance from Site

Public Open Space Worthing Lido Worthing Pier N Destinations

Identified Areas of Change

Town centre, A259 Brighton Road Open green space, Beach House Park Seafront, Worthing Pier SURROUNDING CONTEXT

The urban form of the immediate neighbourhood is varied.

To the west is Waitrose supermarket and to the north east is . These are large sites with expansive car parking.

In contrast, the two adjacent streets, Lyndhurst Road and Park Road, have a traditional character. They are relatively narrow with an attractive mix of terraced houses.

To the south west of the site is Warwick Gardens Conservation Area which is a group of tree lined streets with large red brick Edwardian houses.

Lyndhurst Road Worthing Hospital

N

LYNDHURST ROAD

THE SITE Park Road Waitrose carpark to Union Place

PARK ROAD

WARWICK GARDENS

CHARLECOTE ROAD

Site location plan Warwick Gardens Charlecote Road SITE CONTEXT

Worthing Gasworks occupies 2.8 acres at the north east of Worthing N town centre. It adjoins the Waitrose supermarket and car park to the west, residential areas to the north and south, and the hospital to the north east. It was used for gas production until 1931 and for gas storage until 2009. In 2018 the redundant gasholder was demolished.

The site is identified within both the Worthing Core Strategy (2011) and the emerging Worthing Local Plan (which when adopted will replace the Core Strategy) as an ‘Area of Change’ (British Gas Site – Lyndhurst Road). Areas of Change are considered to be crucial to delivering the strategic objectives and vision of the Core Strategy and emerging Local Plan. LYNDHURST ROAD

The site presents an opportunity for the delivery of high quality homes and to reconnect it with its surroundings. The gasholders N

were recognisable landmark features in Worthing and this wayfinding A259 legacy can be maintainedLYNDHURST with the ROAD new development marking an THE SITE entrance into the town centre. THE SITE PARK ROAD

C:\Users\User\Orion Heritage Ltd\Graphics - General\Project Graphics\PN Graphics\PN2701-2800\PN2774 - Worthing Gasworks\GIS\Figure 7.mxd LW / 22.10.20

NPARK ROAD

HIGH ST

Aerial view

103000

1848 1898 1952 Eastern view of the gasholder behind Park Road Demolition of the gasholder

1834 1868 1882 1931 1934 1988 2009 2018 Production of gas Gasworks enlarged with Gas manufacture New gasholder Demolition of the two Spiral-guided gasometer Gasholder demolition commences two smaller gasholders ceases built for gas storage smaller gasholders decommissioned commences 515000

Title: Figure 7: 1848 Broadwater Tithe Map Scale at A4: 1:2,500 Address: 0 80m Worthing Gasworks

© Historic England (2020). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right (2020). © Ordnance Survey maps reproduced with the sanction of the controller of HM Stationery Office. Licence No: 100056706. Data contained in this material was obtained on 20.10.20 View of the former gasholder from Lyndhurst Road (2009) PLANNING CONTEXT

Adopted Policy Worthing Core Strategy 2011 Government Standard Methodology

200 dwellings per annum 881 dwellings per annum Housing requirement within Worthing Core Strategy 2011 Identified need for 881 dwellings per annum in the Borough using the Government Standard Methodology. When measured again this, the Council can only demonstrate a 1.8 year housing land supply

Emerging Policy (Worthing Local Plan) Emerging Policy (Worthing Local Plan)

Indicative capacity for 85 homes Potential increase to 150 homes in Regulation 18 Worthing Local Plan in future Worthing Local Plan consultation documents (October 2018) consultation documents

New Development Parking Guidance Proposed Parking Provision

Approx. 1 space per flat in town centres Proposed 0.6 parking provision County Council Guidance on Parking at New due to highly sustainable site location Developments (September 2020) CONSTRAINTS & OPPORTUNITIES

WORTHING GASWORKS REDEVELOPING GASWORKS SITES

History of gas infrastructure

Most gasworks sites were originally constructed in the 19th century to produce gas (commonly referred to as town gas) as well as for gas storage. The manufacture of town gas required the burning of coal in coke ovens inside large buildings known as retort houses. Within the UK, this type of gas production went on until well after World War II.

By the late 1960’s/early 1970’s town gas was gradually replaced by natural gas and therefore the production function was no longer required and ceased on all gasworks sites. At that time, gas was still stored in the gasholders (also known as gasometers). However, recent changes in the way gas is stored has meant that the gasholders themselves are no longer required.

Dealing with the legacy of an industrial past Intermittent boreholes on site Ground samples collected Sites that have previously been used for industrial processes are likely to contain some level of contamination. Gasworks sites are no different, particularly if the site produced gas as well as stored it.

St William undertook an initial site investigation survey in September 2020 to determine the extent of contamination on the site. Normally contamination is limited to particular parts of the site referred to as ‘hotspots’ which will be identified from the site investigation.

These hotpsots will need to be treated through the remediation process. Options include extraction and removal from the site and/or extraction, treatment and reuse on the site. Part of the gasworks site has already been remediated prior to the construction of the Waitrose store.

St William will provide further information on its proposed remediation strategy for the site during its on-going engagement with the community.

Data collection for site investigation at Worthing Gasworks (2020)

Image suitable for Simon's text CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES KEY Site Boundary Adjacent Buildings Potential connections

Former Location of Historical Gasholder Approximately Opening up of an 200+ new homes inaccessible site Historical Gasholder base

Change in level Opportunity for Taller Buildings

Supermarket Views towards South Downs or the Sea Car Park Existing Site Entrance High Quality Remediation of Landscaping contaminated land Potential Additional Site Entrance Existing Gas Governor

Restricted Building Zones (Gas Easements)

Warwick Gardens Conservation Area

Increased Increased Steyne Gardens Conservation Area Biodiversity Connectivity Enhanced Streetscape

Potential Green Open Space

Narrow Footpath

Existing Palisade Boundary Fence Enhanced Local Jobs N Brick Boundary Wall Streetscape

Lyndhurst Road Waitrose supermarket car park Warwick Gardens Conservation Area Park Road DESIGN CONCEPT

WORTHING GASWORKS DESIGN EVOLUTION AND CONCEPT

Worthing Gasworks in the 1950s Juxtaposition of scale in Worthing DESIGN EVOLUTION AND CONCEPT

Evolution

The evolution of the design has been informed by pre- application discussions with Adur and Worthing Planning Officers and the Design South East Design Panel.

We have been encouraged to respond to the history of the site and the strong local distinctiveness of the Worthing townscape.

The Design Panel are generally supportive of the concept and the built form it has led to in this proposal. They have given advice about the further articulation, composition and materials of the buildings and the design of the The juxtaposition of three distinct building forms gave the gasworks its unique character. landscape, which together with feedback from this WORTHING GASWORKS consultation we will use to inform the next stages of CONCEPT DIAGRAM design.

Concept

The site, in common with most gasworks, has derived its character from the large-scale industrial functions which were necessarily close to the centre of population.

Since the 1830s the town has grown around the site, creating a distinctive juxtaposition of scale. None of The character can be re-established with an interpretation of these forms. the original buildings remain, but the most recent large gasholder, almost 40m high, will be part of the collective WORTHING GASWORKS memory for Worthing, and many people will remember CONCEPT DIAGRAM WORTHING GASWORKS the second or even third smaller, older gasholders. CONCEPT DIAGRAM There will have been one or more retort houses where the gas was produced. These buildings are usually large rectilinear brick buildings built close to the gasometers. WORTHING GASWORKS These would have been surrounded by smaller ancillary CONCEPT DIAGRAM buildings.

A recognition of the unique character and history of the site can be made by taking these three scales of building and redistributing them to create an effective spatial arrangement. The key formal device will be to make a modern building type which has the presence, singularity and symmetry of a gasholder, while also functioning well as a place to live. WORTHING GASWORKS CONCEPT DIAGRAM WORTHING GASWORKS CONCEPT DIAGRAM Worthing Gasworks in the 1950s Juxtaposition of scale in Worthing Juxtaposition of scale in Worthing Indicative massing model

Indicative massing model ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

Worthing has the broad architectural character common to many South Coast towns; ranging from Sussex vernacular in the historic centre to exuberant Art Deco buildings on the seafront.

An appealing aspect of its character comes from the simple Georgian buildings which have a distinctive poise amongst the other styles and scales.

Their yellow stock brickwork often has weathered to grey contrasting with white elements of windows and render.

The architectural design of the proposal will be derived from and be sympathetic to the best of the buildings in Worthing. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

Particularly distinctive in Worthing is the collage of materials and scale - often inseen seen in inthe the same same building building or orstreet. street.

The majority of walls are red or yellow stock brickwork, together with grey and brown bricks.

Flint is used extensively, even in modern buildings, sometimes exquisitely knapped.

Almost all buildings have white elements of some kind; windows or render. LANDSCAPE

N 1. 2.

4.

3. 1.

1. 4.

2.

5.

Controlled pedestrian footpath (St William Homes) Residents' courtyard at Holland Park Village

3. 4. 5.

Hard and soft landscaping at Clarendon, Haringey London (St William Homes) Pocket park at Hertford, London (St William Homes) Planting beds with edible planting NEXT STEPS

WORTHING GASWORKS PROJECT TIMELINE

Concept Pre- First First Second Second Planning Planning Estimated Anticipated Design application Design Public Design Public Application Committee Start on Site on site advice Review Panel Consultation Review Panel Consultation Submission Decision Completion Design Design Design Design Detailed Development Development Development Autumn 2020 October 2020 November 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 Summer/Autumn March 2022 January 2025 2021

WORTHING GASWORKS THANK YOU

Many thanks for joining us for this virtual public consultation. The presentation can be viewed online via:

www.worthinggasworks.co.uk

If you, or anyone you know, would like to speak to someone further about the scheme, please contact us on the below to arrange a telephone or video consultation:

Hugo Maudsley 07790 825325

Simon Lewis 07500 096213

We will hold a second public consultation in February 2021 to show you a more detailed proposal which will be developed in response to your feedback.

WORTHING GASWORKS Q & A

WORTHING GASWORKS