Littlebridge / Andover Vision Document
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LITTLEBRIDGE / ANDOVER VISION DOCUMENT Submission to Test Valley Borough Council September 2018 CONTENTS Page 1 / OUR VISION - Vision 3 - Site Location 4 - Development Partners 5 - Andover Vision 6 2 // DELIVERY - Health and Well-being 8 - Education 9 - Housing 10 - Economic 11 3 /// PLANNING CONTEXT 13 - 18 4 //// PLACE MAKING - The Site 21 - The Masterplan 22 - 23 - Creating a Garden Suburb 24 - Landscape Led 25 - Connections 26 - Diverse Community 27 - Wider Community 28 - 29 5 ///// SUSTAINABILITY 31 6 ////// COMMUNITY LED TRUST 33 7 /////// ACHIEVING THE VISION 35 1 / OUR VISION TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE AND VIBRANT GARDEN SUBURB, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF ANDOVER AND ITS HINTERNLAND, IS CONNECTED WITH COMMUNITIES IN ANDOVER AND THE ANNA VALLEY, AND WHICH PLACES THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND WELL BEING AT ITS HEART. LITTLEBRIDGE - ANDOVER 3 Vision Document 1 / OUR VISION / SITE LOCATION Local and Regional Context The historic market town of Andover is situated on Andover is the main town with Test Valley, significantly the River Anton, 18.5 miles west of Basingstoke, 18.5 larger than other settlements and with a commensurate miles north-west of Winchester and 25 miles north of level of services and facilities. Consequently, Andover Southampton. Andover is situated on a low plateau exhibits a particular degree of self containment. formed by the river valley, with existing housing and employment areas extending out from the town centre across the valley floor. To the south of the town the A303 trunk road, which forms an important route from London to the southwest of England, beyond which lies a prominent ridge line comprising Bury Hill, Bere Hill and Tinkers Hill. To the north of the town the land rises towards Enham Alamein and North Wessex AONB, and to the west towards Weyhill and Monxton. Littlebridge is located approximately 2.5 miles from Andover town centre, on the south western edge of the town. The A303 forms the site’s north-eastern boundary. The southern boundary of the site follows the course of the Pillhill Brook and Cattle Lane, a wooded valley between the site and settlements along the Anna Valley, namely Abbotts Ann and Little Ann and further east to Anna Valley and Upper Clatford. The West of England Main Rail Line, borders the northern boundary of the site, beyond which lies Government Offices, MOD land (Army Headquarters including Officers Mess and residential quarters) and Andover Business Park. Belts of mature trees and hedgerows strongly define this edge. To the west the site is bounded by Cattle Lane and existing watercress beds adjacent to the Pillhill Brook. Cattle Lane proceeds north to join Andover Road. Also to the west, Farm Road and Red Post Lane provide existing access into and across the site. LITTLEBRIDGE - ANDOVER 4 Vision Document 1 / OUR VISION / DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS Andover College, Ilchester Estate and Hallam Land Management Andover College Hallam Land Management Andover College focuses on developing its student’s Furthermore, dedicated facilities within Littlebridge Hallam Land Management Limited (HLM) is the skills across a broad academic curriculum including combined with capital released from development of the strategic land and planning promotion arm of the Henry A Level, BTEC and City and Guilds professional Littlebridge site would free-up space within the College Boot Group of Companies. qualifications. The College facilities in the centre of main campus in Andover to allow for further post 16 Andover include a successful Sixth Form Academy expansion of the full range of curriculum choices in line HLM has been acquiring and promoting strategic land for the pursuit of academic programs; together with with the considerable increases in student enrolments since 1990. HLM have a strong track record in resolving a range of well-appointed professional facilities to which the College has seen since 2007. planning and technical problems in order to secure support a diverse range of programmes leading to planning permissions and to release land for a variety qualifications in IT and business, health and social care, Moreover the college will explore the potential to of developments. motor-vehicle, hair and beauty, creative and performing sponsor a new primary school within Littlebridge, arts and construction. ensuring that any new school benefits from placement students and an exchange of expertise. “Andover College aims to be at the forefront of the market place with an outstanding reputation for clarity, Improved public transport connections would link the innovation, impact and quality of service. To provide campus at Littlebridge to existing employment areas an outstanding, enjoyable and successful learner within Andover, and the town centre. These links will experience. To foster a culture that develops and improve the on-going unity between business and supports staff to be outstanding in all they do, and to education within the town. Both existing and new be the market leader in providing high-quality beneficial residents alike will have greater access to a range of training and skills development that improves business educational facilities, and this will improve Andover in performance.” terms of educational excellence and opportunity, as well as creating more jobs. Development at Littlebridge would allow the college to continue to develop its successful program of expansion The Ilchester Estate and investment and help to put education for all at the Ilchester Estates owns and manages a significant heart of proposals for both Littlebridge and Andover property portfolio in the south-east of England, as a whole. The creation of a purpose built campus comprising a mix of agricultural land, forestry, residential community learning hub within Littlebridge, which offers property to let, commercial properties and high quality, the opportunity for young people would provide much 5 Star and Gold Award, rural holiday cottages. needed facilities for the College to continue to expand its programme for Schools to prepare young people for progression from 16 years old onwards across Andover and Test Valley area. LITTLEBRIDGE - ANDOVER 5 Vision Document 1 / OUR VISION / ANDOVER VISION A partnership of residents, community groups, businesses and public bodies Being part of a connected community Access to great health Andover Vision sets out an ambition for Andover and • “Andover will be a town where people are able to • “Deliver state-of-the-art facilities in Andover in order its future over the next 20 years (2017-2037). The get involved, through a wide range of volunteering to promote active healthy lifestyles. document sets out five themes for Andover Vision, as opportunities and community groups. • Promote and encourage activities that Andovarians follows; • Andover will be well served with a range of of all ages and abilities can take part in and have fun community facilities that enable all of its residents to whilst being healthy. 1. “Being part of a connected community. get involved and engage with their wider community. • Work with young people and their families to 2. Having a great green environment. • Andover will be accessible and easy to get around encourage healthy habits which will become part 3. Being part of a thriving town centre. with a connected range of walking and cycling of everyday life.” 4. Supporting business, jobs and skills in the town. routes.” 5. Access to great health.” Littlebridge has the potential to create a sustainable Having a great green environment garden suburb for Andover. In doing so Littlebridge can Andover Vision notes the key drivers for change within • “Improve recreation facilities and acquire new green deliver a range of interconnected community facilities Andover being; spaces and parkland as Andover grows. and open spaces, promoting the health and well • Cultivate community interest in Andover’s diverse being of its residents. It has the potential to develop • “1050 new homes by 2024. wildlife and biodiversity in order to help protect it. stronger links between local business and educational • 22% of the population are 0-17 years old (above the • Encourage and grow community-led projects where establishments and will help develop a strong brand national average). people and groups play an active role in nurturing for Andover. • An estimated population increase of 5392 bringing and promoting green spaces and parkland. the population to 511,117 by 2022. • Let’s all play our part in making the established and • Higher proportion of people are in full time new communities in the town greener and more employment compared to the UK national average” beautiful places.” The following ‘big ideas’ drawn out from Andover Being part of a thriving town centre Vision’s key themes are relevant to development • “Create and promote a strong brand for Andover as opportunities at Littlebridge; a place to visit and spend time.” Supporting business, jobs and skills in the town • “Strengthen links between businesses in the town and schools in order to inspire young people for the future.” LITTLEBRIDGE - ANDOVER 6 Vision Document 2 // DELIVERY 2 // DELIVERY // HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Creating a legacy of health and well-being within the development There is a symbiotic relationship between human health, town planning and the quality of the built environment. Place making therefore has an important role to play in creating vibrant new neighbourhoods and a strong sense of local identity. This is essential if a strong, engaging, and adaptable local community is to become a reality and ensure that the proposed masterplan for Littlebridge is ultimately sustainable. Proposals for Littlebridge will be developed to ensure that national and local government policy, relating to health and well-being (“Health in all Policies” published by Public Health England, 2016), will be fully incorporated into the masterplan. This will ensure that public physical and mental health sits at the heart of the design process. This in turn will seek to promote easy access to green infrastructure, opportunities for recreation and relaxation, connectivity to public rights of way, etc.