The Petersfield Society Safeguarding the future of the Petersfield area Our exciting new publishing project In this issue: Come and take part! The new book p.1 In 2015 the Petersfield Society will be celebrating 70 years of Planning matters p.2 working to sustain Petersfield as a thriving market town. To mark the occasion the Society is proposing to publish an Local planning explained p.3 illustrated book that will be a celebration of the town, its people, its environment, and its social and recreational The Plump Duck p.4 activities. The Heath path p.4 Over the next few weeks we will be contacting as many Petersfield clubs, societies, groups, bodies and organisations From the Chairman p.5 that we can, to request an article and some interesting photos. The Committee in pictures We need help straight away with this task, which involves p.6 liaising with each group and following through to the final copy in the South Downs action p.7 autumn. The SDNPA Partnership book will be Management Plan p.7 organised along themes, such as Buriton pond restored p.8 'sports clubs' or 'schools'. News from the Alton Perhaps you Society p.8 have an interest Society’s 2014 programme in a particular p.9 area that you could follow up? 101 civic ideas p.10 In the longer News from the Midhurst term we will also Society p.11 need people with editorial, Joining the Society p.12 w r i t i n g , journalistic and Points of special photographic interest skills to help Help us with our book w i t h t h e p.1 publishing process. Can you see any ideas Design concept by Paul Martin to follow up? p.10 We also need your ideas for a title. It is provisionally called "A celebration of Attend the Society’s Petersfield - its people and activities". meetings p.9 If you would like to help with this ambitious new project or have ideas for the title please contact David Jeffery Winter 2013-14 ([email protected] or 01730 263889), as soon as you Newsletter can. Vol. 28, No. 2 Registered Charity No. 213404 Winter 2013-14 and it will be very interesting to follow how Planning matters and if it makes any difference to There is increasing pressure from amendments of the scheme proposed. developers to take advantage of the present Majestic Wines have already arrived next to planning uncertainties relating to the the station and Lidl is about to open. The allocation of local land for new housing. fight to temper excessive and intrusive The application for 76 dwellings off The signage would appear to have been partly Causeway has in this respect has successful for the time being. The Society progressed the furthest, with a full wrote in their letter of objection to very planning application submitted and being large elevated signs: “Intensive, poorly processed. designed, unsustainable, corporate Many see housing development between the advertisement signage is having a seriously Causeway and the Caravan Park as an detrimental effect upon the character of inevitable conclusion. The same view is town”. Fortunately, these were refused but adopted by the South Downs National Park large signs mounted on the building facade Design Review Panel, although they express were approved. The more modest low sign clear reservations over the design and along Station Road shown here and currently in place is quite sufficient. However this is probably not the end of the saga. The junction between College Street and Station Road is surrounded by many important buildings of historic significance, some of which are listed. layout put forward. Criticism is strong Both the imposing Old College opposite The about the almost standard suburban style Good Intent, and Bridge House on the large house layout with detached garages north side of Station Road (next to Merrits and lacking reference to Petersfield town Way) are about to be conveyed into new density and street patterns. ownership and alteration proposals are likely. It is important that buildings of this There is a suggestion that the proposed kind creating the character of Petersfield density can be increased to accommodate and its streetscape are retained as living town houses more familiar to central elements of town, so the Society follows Petersfield rather than an assemblage of developments and engages with new the developer’s standard house types stored owners if possible. We always seek to avoid in the company plan chest. The site situations as occurred with 22 High Street deserves carefully designed unique houses where a multitude of repeated and refused with much closer reference to characteristic planning applications tested the system. In buildings of Petersfield. A more linear and this case there is finally a compliance order purposeful and logical street pattern is to deal with implemented, but not recommended, lined by housing with approved, changes. integral garages releasing larger areas of the site for pedestrian movement and green I end with noting that an application for a open space. new building off 23 Pulens Lane has been refused, in line with the objection posted by However, there is no reference to the the Society. This was a back land sentiment expressed in the Petersfield Town development, intrusive to the open Design Statement for a slower and more countryside beyond, in an area of special organic growth around town. The full housing character. Vincent Edberg report can be viewed on the SDNPA website - 2 - Winter 2013-14 Local planning explained … Do you find all the recent press coverage and information circulated about the housing issues in Petersfield rather confusing? This article tries to explain why development could be allowed now without the Petersfield Neighborhood Plan (PNP) being completed, and why it is important to keep pressure on the Government to allow “prematurity” to be considered as a reason for refusal. The South Downs National Park (SDNP) and East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) have been preparing a new Local Plan to replace the one which terminated in 2011. This is called the Joint Core Strategy (JCS). At the public examination in Autumn 2012, the Inspector reported that he had “serious concerns” with regard to the JCS’s soundness, that there was an absence of an up-to-date Strategic Housing Market Assessment, and that it would not provide sufficient housing to meet “objectively assessed need”. He indicated that, although the Plan sought to meet affordable housing needs by 2026, it would not address needs that exist now. He therefore requested that more work be undertaken on identifying additional provision for housing in the District. In Autumn 2013, the Authorities put forward new ideas for a range of housing in the Petersfield area: for 400-700 additional homes by 2028. Meanwhile, developers argued strongly for at least 1000 houses in Petersfield, but the SDNP, the CPRE and ourselves reiterated the landscape constraints. We also said that it was for the PNP to allocate sites (in line with the Government policy on localism). The Causeway In December 2013, the Inspector published his proposed modifications to the JCS. He proposes a target of “a minimum” of 700 houses for Petersfield, to retain the old “reserve” sites (rather than deleting them), and to accept the deletion proposed by EHDC, that new development should make the best use of previously developed land within the existing built-up area. These proposals are now subject to consultation. (cont. on p11.) Well designed housing - views of the acclaimed development at Privett Green - 3 - Winter 2013-14 The Plump Duck - February 2014 The addition of a fixed canopy wrapping two sides of the Plump Duck Cafe at the Heath is proving a great success for this thriving business since the new owner Ian Baker took over last year. Beverages and light meals can now be served under shelter all year round, attracting more visitors to this lake-side venue. The rustic character of the timber frame structure finished with a cedar shingle roof blends in very well with its surroundings. The design was by local architect Vincent Edberg and constructed by Mr Baker and his father as a self build project. The new fixed canopy in action Update on the raised path on the Heath When the Millennium Path was constructed round the western, northern and eastern perimeter of the lake it was hailed as a great achievement. However, there was a seventy yard gap at the southeastern corner between the edge of the wooded area and the car park on Sussex Road. This area was liable to flooding from spring water and rain draining off the road. In winter and wet weather the area became a quagmire and most unpleasant to negotiate. Readers will remember the tremendous amount of work that went into constructing a raised path last summer to solve these problems. (See the Autumn 2013 issue of this Newsletter). Churcher’s students, Friends of the Heath members, with assistance from the Petersfield Society, achieved completion in a very short time. The path has now been open for a little over six months. It has so far survived both drought and storms without showing any signs of deterioration. This winter, proving to be as wet as promised, has been an especially testing time for both its design and construction - both of which have passed with flying colours. Left: a reminder of the hard work put in by Churcher’s students Right: a reminder of the beautiful sunny day in July 2013 when the path was opened - 4 - Winter 2013-14 Chairman’s report - Spring 2014 As I noted in my last report in Autumn’s Newsletter, this is a time of great change in the planning system, locally and at government level.