Henfield Parish Design Statement Supplementary Planning Document – December 2008 Parish ´Features N St.Peter’s P South View Terrace Flood Plain Key – Parish boundary Village envelope Commons Low Sandstone ridge Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey map with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown Copyright 2008. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Henfield Parish Design Statement Contents 1 INTRODUCTION Page 4 1a What is a Design Statement? 1b Relationship to Horsham District Council’s Local Development Framework 2 THE VILLAGE/PARISH CONTEXT Page 4 2a Geographic and historic background 2b The Parish today 3 CHARACTER OF THE LANDSCAPE SETTING Page 5 3a Character of surrounding countryside – landscape Biodiversity 3b Relationship between countryside and village edges 3c Buildings in the landscape 4 THE CHARACTER OF HENFIELD Page 7 Developed pattern of Henfield A Conservation area and historic core B The London Road estates C Fabians Way/Staples Barn D Upper Station Road E Station area F Broomfield G Barrow Hill H Furners 5 BUILDING MATERIALS Page 13 6 TREES, SHRUBS, HEDGEROWS & PONDS Page 13 7 STREET FURNITURE Page 14 8 FOOTPATH SYSTEM Page 16 9 PRINCIPLES & GUIDELINES Page 16 10 APPENDICES Page 18 Acknowledgements References Cover pictures: St. Peter’s Church and High Street. Page 3 1 INTRODUCTION An SPD has statutory status St. Peter’s church has been but is only used to supple- documented from 770AD, but 1a What is a Design ment Development Plan there is little evidence of a Documents (DPD) such as the major settlement until several Statement? Core Strategy and centuries later. By the 16th The concept dates back to Development Control Policies century it was evidently a 1996 from a document providing further detail on significant Wealden village. “Village Design” published by policies and proposals that There seem to have been the then Countryside the DPDs do not have the originally 3 distinct parts to Commission. scope for. the village; a loose collection This Statement is not about of dwellings around the whether development should 2 THE church; development along take place; that is a job for the eastern side of the Horsham District Council’s VILLAGE/PARISH London – Brighton road; local development frame- CONTEXT scattered development at Nep work. It is about how any Town. The early 1800s saw planned development should 2a Geographic and historic more rapid growth, enhanced by the coming of the railway be carried out so that it is in background in 1861, particularly to the harmony with its setting and Although categorized as a makes a positive contribution west of the village forming a ‘Market Town’, Henfield square of approximately half to the local environment. It remains commonly under- provides a context for new a mile across. Development stood as a ‘village’, albeit a development based upon continued throughout the substantial one, and hereafter local character or sense of 20th century so that virtually will be referred to as such in place. It is also designed to the whole square has now this Statement. The village lies help manage change at what- been built upon. on a sandstone ridge in the ever scale it occurs. The village boundary has also Sussex Low Weald, sometimes been extended with suburban known as the Vale of Sussex, 1b Relationship to development at Wantley, 4km. north of the South Furners Mead, Hollands Road Horsham District Downs scarp and some 6.5km. Council’s Local and more recently the south of the High Weald. Its Parsonage Road and Deer Development name is thought to be derived Park developments. The Framework. from ‘Hamfeld’ meaning ‘high village has a present The Statement has been open land’ or possibly ‘open population of about 5,400. adopted by Horsham District land characterized by rocks’. Council as a Supplementary The River Adur flows around The wider Henfield parish Planning Document (SPD) the north and west sides of covers an area of some 1733 and sits within the Council's the village and into the sea at hectares (4282 acres or about Local Development Shoreham; it is tidal up to 8 sq. miles). It stretches from Framework as another Local Henfield. the borders of Shermanbury Development Document. in the North to Small Dole in South Downs from Nep Town. the south. The parish bound- ary to the west follows the line of the River Adur and includes a significant area of flood plain between the river and the route of the original Shoreham to Horsham railway line, now the North/South Downs Link pathway. The parish includes the northern part of the village of Small Dole, embraces scattered development around Oreham Common and then to the east the border runs between the Views westwards from Mill End, Nep Town. village and Woodmancote. future. Henfield is gently undulating 2b The Parish today 3 CHARACTER OF except for the flat floodplain The village, contained with THE LANDSCAPE to the southwest. This land- areas of grade 1/2 agricultural scape is a mosaic of large and land, developed over the SETTING small fields in a mixture of centuries as a market garden arable and pastoral land, village as well as a watering 3a Character of woods, copses, hedgerows place on the main surrounding country- and hedgerow trees and a London/Horsham – Brighton side – landscape scattering of ponds. There are road. Today its function is bio-diversity three historic Commons partly as a dormitory residen- The sandstone ridge on which within the parish, ancient tial area for larger centres Henfield lies comprises two open land and a network of both north and south, with a different kinds of sandstone footpaths. significant retirement commu- beds running east-west. The The Parish has rich flora and nity. However, farming in highest part of the village is fauna typical of the low particular remains important Nep Town at 38.8m. (127ft.) weald. The growth of organic within the parish. Henfield is where it steeply slopes to the and non-intensive farming relatively self-contained and Henfield Levels floodplain or has led to the maintenance of self-sufficient economically ‘brooks’. The height is less hedgerows and woodland, with a good range of shops obvious to the East where the and a number of small indus- lower greensand beds and providing habitat for wildlife trial and commercial premises, gault clay stretch towards including the return of the offering a variety of employ- Blackstone, Hurstpierpoint otter to the Adur Valley. Deer, ment opportunities. It also and beyond. badgers, foxes and many has sports facilities which small mammals are abundant include a cricket club dating The countryside surrounding and the area provides suitable back to 1721, football, bowls and a modern leisure centre. Social facilities include a large versatile village hall complex with museum, a youth club and many clubs and societies offering a wide variety of activities for all ages. Some further limited housing development is programmed on the northern edge as an extension to Deer Park. Nevertheless, it is hoped that the present character and size of Henfield will be main- tained for the foreseeable St. Peter’s Church tower is the principal landmark of Henfield. Page 5 habitat for many rare and and there from the extensive High Weald can be seen to protected species such as the footpath network, whilst the the north as well as longer crested newt, water vole, edge of housing at Deer Park distant views of Black Down water shrew and adder, as is just visible approaching beyond Petworth. All these well as bats, slow worms and from the north. However, the views are an important stag beetles. main feature from the Downs feature of the village and and countryside to the south should be protected. The integration of the village and west that helps pinpoint community with the sur- Henfield is the aptly-named 3c Buildings in the rounding countryside has South View Terrace, a row of landscape been managed very success- light-painted Victorian houses Many of the buildings in the fully in the past and the on the crest of the ridge in surrounding countryside are varied and rich wildlife is Nep Town. Larger Victorian farmhouses. Often these are valued by all who live and houses in Broomfield Road half-timbered in construction visit the area. It is considered and Croft Lane can also be dating back to the 1300 and a high priority that this glimpsed from the banks of 1400s and are listed. balance should remain and be the Adur. Sometimes their settings are protected. marred by modern, undistin- Outward views from within guished steel-framed 3b Relationship Henfield give a fine agricultural buildings, between countryside panoramic backdrop of the although trees and high and village edges South Downs, stretching for hedgerows screen some of Despite its rapid growth in miles in both directions. These the farms. There are also recent years, Henfield has are best seen from along the pockets of houses and bunga- remained virtually invisible edge of the ridge which lows here and there. To the from both the South Downs clearly forms the south side of north, the tall spire of the and the lower countryside the settlement. From Nep monastery church between around. This is due to a com- Town and Broomfield Road, Shermanbury and Cowfold bination of tall tree cover and before the ridge falls away, catches the eye. the low height of buildings there are views to the south generally - there is little or west of the Iron Age hill set- The main areas of building nothing above 3 storeys. A tlement of Chanctonbury Ring outside Henfield village are few glimpses of St.