OVERTON DS 2/2/02 12:47 PM Page 1 OvertonOverton Village Design Statement A.D. 2002 OVERTON DS 2/2/02 12:47 PM Page 2 CONTENTS 3 Introduction What the VDS is – aims and objectives 4 The Village Context Geographical and historical aspects Community aspects Overton Mill Affordable housing Community guidelines Business and employment Entering the village from Basingstoke down Overton Hill Business guidelines 8 Landscape and Environment The visual character of the surrounding landscape Areas of special designation Landscape and environment design guidelines 14 Settlement and Transport Patterns Village settlement patterns Transport patterns and character of streets and routes through the village Winchester Street Settlement and transport guidelines 17 Open Spaces within the Village Character and pattern of open spaces within the village Recreational facilities The Test Valley. Access to the River Test Open spaces guidelines 20 The Built Environment Areas of distinctive building types Sizes, styles and types of buildings Sustainability and environmental issues Built Environment guidelines Town Mill, converted and extended to provide retirement flats 24 Other Features Walls and plot boundaries, trees, street furniture, rights of way, light pollution, ‘green tunnels’, overhead lines, shop fronts. Guidelines 27 What the children say 28 References and acknowledgements Cover picture: flying north over our village in 2001 Leaving the village by the B 3400 at Southington Unediited comments lliifted from the questiionnaiires...... “The ffeelliing tthatt Overtton has – tthe reall villllage communitty..” 2 OVERTON DS 2/2/02 12:47 PM Page 3 INTRODUCTION What is the Village Design Statement? Overton’s Village Design Statement is a document which aims to record the characteristics, natural and man made, which are seen by the local community Guidelines relate to large and small, old as contributing to the area’s and new distinctiveness. Above: In order to be effective, a Village Design ‘Hazel Combe’ under Statement must be produced by local construction residents and reflect local opinion. Below: It records, in text and pictures, the key rear extension to features which local people regard as ‘Finders Keep’ – one important and suggests ways in which of Overton’s oldest these can be maintained and enhanced. homes The VDS cannot prevent change, but it can be used to manage it, and aims to be relevant to both small scale and larger scale development. Both the natural environment and the built environment are included, as well as the historical, community and business Following on from the workshops and It will be of value to: aspects of our village’s life. questionnaire, five groups worked on the key areas of the Design Statement ■ Local residents in providing It also provides guidelines which will (Landscape and Environment, assist residents, the Parish Council, guidance to ensure that Settlement and Transport Patterns, Open alterations and extensions are in Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Spaces and Buildings) to produce a draft and potential developers to maintain or sympathy with the character of document. After further consultation, enhance the distinctive nature of the village including a public display and discussions Overton and its associated settlements. with the Parish Council, the VDS was ■ The Parish Council and submitted to Basingstoke and Deane This document was formally adopted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Borough Council for adoption as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Council in considering planning Supplementary Planning Guidance. in February, 2002. applications How was the Village How will the Village ■ Developers, architects and Design Statement designers by ensuring that their Design Statement proposals are in keeping with produced? influence development? village expectations ■ An initial public consultation meeting The VDS is not intended to directly Farmers and landowners in was held to discuss the idea of producing influence whether development should maintaining and improving the a Village Design Statement and this was take place in the village – that is the role landscape, rights of way, and followed by two VDS workshops. Each of of the Local Plan – but it will play a vital wildlife habitats these events was very well attended and part in endeavouring to ensure that any all comments were recorded. A future development which does take We hope it will also provide an questionnaire was distributed to every place is appropriate to Overton and attractive and informative record household in the Parish and the results reflects the wishes of the local of the village as it enters the carefully collated. community. 21st century! (Overtton’’s)...... “communitty spiritt and groups – eg tthe publliic consullttattion behind tthis questtionnaire” 3 OVERTON DS 2/2/02 12:50 PM Page 4 THE VILLAGE CONTEXT Overton High Street about 100 years ago The same view of the distinctive cream or whitewashed houses in 2001, with Overton Hill visible in the background The signpost at the junction of Winchester Street and the High Street places Overton Overton Sheep neatly in its geographical context Fair in 1905. Many older villagers clearly Location and Population recall the annual The village of Overton is built along the valley of July sheep fair the River Test, a few miles from its source, and Reproduced by permission is surrounded by rising land so that a traveller, of the Rural History from any direction, comes upon the village with Centre, University of little forewarning. Most of the village is spread Reading to the south of the river with the church on a slight rise to the north. It has a population recently risen to 3,800 and is still growing. The county town of Winchester lies 13 miles to Winchester Street the south, and the intersection of Winchester during The Street and the B3400 Basingstoke to Andover Millennium road forms the historic focus of the village. ‘Sheep Fair’ in The civil parish includes the smaller settlements 2000 of Northington, Southington, Quidhampton, Polhampton, Ashe and South Litchfield together with a number of isolated cottages and farms. “Itts own sttrong charactter...... tthe ffamillies who have llived here ffor generattions have hellped tto fform itts charactter..” 4 OVERTON DS 2/2/02 12:50 PM Page 5 Historic Village and home, pharmacy, library, post provide for the widest possible office and veterinary practice range of organised sport and Development Community as well as a good selection of recreation in the village and The first mention of Aspects shops. maintains Town Meadow, Overton is in 909 when Bridge Street sports ground, The village has two churches, King Edward the Elder Overton is fortunate in Berrydown sports ground and granted the estate of possessing a range of a wide range of clubs and Overton Primary School ‘Uferanton’, to community facilities which are societies, including the playing field. Frithestan Bishop of the envy of many other Overton Memorial Institute, Winchester. The manor villages. and four pubs. There is a well used was held by the Bishop community centre and two at the time of the There is a thriving primary Overton Recreation Centre, public halls with plans to Domesday survey and school and playgroup, set up in 1966 as a community develop a new village hall on remained in the doctors’ surgery, nursing based initiative, aims to Overton Hill. Church’s possession until the 19th century. In Saxon times the village was probably concentrated to the north of the river, where the church and Court Overton Community Centre, Farm still stand. Once formerly the Village School the Bishop’s palace, and now used by the library, where his Steward held manorial courts, the playgroup, lunch club and the house was rebuilt Parish Council amongst around 1500 for the others yeoman farmer who took on the tenancy. In the 13th century Bishop de Lucy founded two ‘new towns’, Alresford and Overton, at about the same time. Both were sited on a river, and both were laid out on a grid system Overton Dramatic Society’s with a wide market Millennium celebration street and back lanes which remain to this day. The broad expanse of Winchester St. still echoes its original function as a sheep market, first set up by charter in 1246. A letter written after the Black Death (1348-9) tells us that the outlying settlements from Ashe Overton Primary School to Northington “were children who completed the depopulated... and junior Village Design reduced to penury”. Statement questionnaire The survivors probably moved to the newer areas of Overton on the south side of the river. (Importtantt tto mainttain)...... “llocall shopping ffacillitties and llocall organisattions,, partticullarlly ORC..” 5 OVERTON DS 2/2/02 12:50 PM Page 6 THE VILLAGE CONTEXT Overton Paper Mill For over 200 years Portals Paper Mill, now owned by De La Rue plc, has had a major impact on many aspects of village life which have given the village its distinctive character as an industrial community. Overton Mill has for many years produced banknote paper used by the Bank of England and other banknote printers around the world. The Mill relies on water drawn from aquifers deep below the catchment of the Affordable Phases 1 and 2 of the River Test and returns the water, after use, Foxdown Estate treatment and cleansing, into the river at Housing (above) developed in Quidhampton. 1994 Overton’s location Overton Mill has provided employment for within the affluent Questionnaire results generations of local people and this has south east of England, (below) showing the encouraged many families to remain within with its diverse desirability of low cost the area providing a remarkable degree of employment prospects, ‘affordable’ housing social cohesion and community spirit. good road and rail links and rural surroundings, Although security paper making is now a has led to a rapid Q10 Should there be a greater provision of highly mechanised industry, the Mill increase in the price of ‘affordable’ housing above the current remains the major employer of local people houses.