Storrington & Sullington Parish Design Statement
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STORRINGTON & SULLINGTON PARISH DESIGN STATEMENT 1 Storrington & Sullington Parish Boundary 2 Storrington & Sullington Parish Design Statement Contents 1. INTRODUCTION Page 4 1.1 What is a Design Statement 1.2 What is its Relationship to HDC’s Local Development Framework 2. THE VILLAGE CONTEXT/CHARACTER OF THE VILLAGE Pages 4 - 17 2.1 Geographic and Historic Background 2.2 The Parish Today 2.3 Council Offices 2.4 Surrounding Countryside and Landscape 2.5 Historic Character 2.6 Buildings/Materials – e.g. designs, walls, roofs, chimneys, doors and windows 3. SPECIFIC AREAS OF PROTECTION Pages 18 - 23 3.1 Conservation Area/Site of Special Scientific Interest 3.2 A.O.N.B./South Downs National Park 3.3 Listed Buildings 4. TREES, HEDGEROWS AND PONDS Page 24 - 25 5. STREET FURNITURE Page 26 5.1 Paving, Flower Planters, Streetlights, Bus Shelters 6. FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS Page 27 7. PLANNING Pages 28 - 30 7.1 Lessons to be learned 7.2 Principles and Guidelines for the Future 8. APPENDICES Page 30 8.1 Acknowledgements 3 1. INTRODUCTION we value about our buildings, street scenes and open spaces. 1.1 What is a Design Statement? Since the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the advent of Local A Design Statement is information Development Frameworks, Design based on local knowledge, which describes Statements are now fully recognised as the qualities that residents value in their important tools for providing the detail to village and its surroundings. the Council’s overarching design policies. They can now be adopted as A Village Design Statement sets out Supplementary Planning Documents clear and simple guidance for the design of (SPD) and have more statutory weight in all development within the village, based the planning system. on its character, and is produced incorporating the village community’s This Design Statement, adopted by knowledge. Horsham District Council as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), Whilst the document cannot stop will supplement Development Plan any change from happening, it can Documents (DPD) such as the Core influence how any new building will fit into Strategy and Development Control Policies the village. Village Design Statements are providing further detail on policies and intended to influence the operation of the proposals that the DPD’s do not have the statutory planning system, so that new scope for. As it is a statutory document it development is in harmony with its setting is subject to the Planning Regulations and makes a positive contribution to the which require, amongst other things, an immediate environment. adequate period of public consultation and a formal agreement by Council Members The Design Statement should be for adoption. used to guide developers, planners and architects on the unique design qualities of 2. THE VILLAGE CONTEXT/ the parish when submitting planning CHARACTER OF THE VILLAGE applications for new development or extensions to existing buildings. It will help 2.1 Geographical and Historic District and Parish Councillors in judging Background these. However, the document is equally relevant to property owners in the parish A varied and vibrant community who are looking to alter their properties area has evolved on the northern slopes of under the Permitted Development Rights, the South Downs. but would like some guidance on the most sympathetic design of these alterations to The area embraces two parishes help maintain the special character of the dating from Norman times which are now parish. in effect semi-detached without a clear demarcation or identity apart from their 1.2 What is its Relationship to HDC’s Parish Churches. Local Development Framework? Most retail and service activity is Our Design Statement provides a centred in Storrington whereas Sullington guide to the character of the village and has one shop, no pub, two garages and explains what makes our buildings and two factory estates currently operating well surroundings distinctive. It also suggests below capacity, together with three sand how the planning and design of future pits. changes can respect and enhance what 4 A wealth of local history has been School hours were different in published and is available for reference at summer and winter and at harvest time the Storrington & District Museum housed some or all children were allowed time off in The Old School, School Lane, to assist. There is some evidence that the Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 4LL. school building was opposite the church in Contact details: Tel: 01903 740188, Church Street, which was certainly the site www.storringtonmuseum.org. The of a school in the middle of the 19th population of the area remained fairly static century, known as the Storrington National for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, but Boys’ School. In 1868 what we now know expanded greatly after 1960 exacerbating as “The Old School” (below) was built on the transport issues of the A283 and land opposite the church, known as Bell B2149 roads. Acre. The school by this time had 50 pupils and 3 rooms, the “Boys’ Department”, the The attractive area totals 2,082.8 “Girls’ Department” and the “Infants”. This hectares with a variety of soils - clay, sand school was enlarged in 1873 and at some and chalk and long established mineral later date became known as “Storrington workings. Parts of the area are within or Board School”. The County Council then adjacent to an AONB, whilst there is also a took over the school for the purposes of National Trust Warren, Sandgate Country education between 9.45 a.m. and 4 p.m. Park, a proposed Country Park and the for the nominal rent of one shilling per South Downs National Park is in a state of year. By 1901 there were 160 pupils, rising formation - soon to be resolved. to 200 after the First World War when an army hut served as an extra classroom. Storrington, until 1978 acted as the Headquarters of West Chanctonbury RDC and is very much a major unit within the Horsham District Council, whilst its Leisure Centre and many organisations and clubs serve a wide catchment area. The pattern of building is very wide with several large older properties whose original owners tended to shape and be leaders in the villages and now a rise of properties which might be termed “rural suburban” covering high and low rate bands. It was in 1932 that Mr Waller became headmaster, opening a school nd 2.2 The Parish Today canteen in the village hall during the 2 World War. At this time the school had no Schools in Storrington. The earliest hot water and no light, so the school day record of schooling in Storrington seems to ended when it got dark! The toilets at this date back to 1763 when money was left by time consisted of buckets which froze in Mrs Jane Downer to five trustees to teach the winter. 20 poor children reading, writing and arithmetic, and the Catechism. This sum During Mr Waller’s time a new Secondary was augmented by John and Mary Hooper School was built in Thakeham and named as an increase in the salary of the after Mr Rydon of Greatham Manor, who schoolmaster on condition that he taught was the first Chairman of the Governors. In another 10 children. 1939 the senior children from Storrington and the neighbouring villages were transferred to Rydon. 5 Clubs and Charities. Storrington has a wide range of clubs and activities to suit all ages and interests. These range from the artistic e.g. flower club, camera club, woodturning to the more energetic – football, squash, bowls, keep fit etc. These are in addition to the larger organisations, all of whom welcome new members and play their part in making Storrington and Sullington the diverse community it is today. A Leisure Centre was built on the Recreation Ground in 1989 and now 1964 saw the opening of the new houses many activities for young and old school, now Storrington First School, alike including a gymnasium. (pictured above) in Spierbridge Road but as this was not yet completed the Old School Storrington is lucky enough to be continued in use for a further four to five home to two long established clubs with years. This new school was a far cry from places in history. The Cricket Club (below) is the old one, even boasting a swimming one of the few cricket clubs in the country pool – quite different from the life of frozen whose playing spans four centuries. buckets used as toilets! Storrington began playing cricket during the late 18th century on the common to the Schools in Sullington. Sullington west of the village, adjacent to the pond Church of England School opened in the alongside the Pulborough Road. 1860s when Mr George Carew-Gibson Nowadays the club continues to play started it for the children of estate workers, various league and friendly matches at the workhouse inmates, Barns Farm, High Storrington Recreation Ground, where its Titton and Chantry. It consisted of one clubhouse is situated. room with a fireplace and no running water. Drinking water was carried from the big house in pails. There was one teacher with an assistant and Canon Palmer came in to teach arithmetic. Numbers of pupils varied between 40 and 45 – all in one room! This school closed in about 1917 when the children transferred to the village school in Storrington. Rydon School (below) now serves as one of the very few middle schools in the country, pupils moving from there to the secondary school in Steyning. The Southdown Gliding Club founded in 1930 is one of the oldest gliding clubs in the UK. They recently purchased their site thus guaranteeing its protection against future housing development.