Freshford Village Memorial Hall Redevelopment Feasibility Study Final Issue - 20th June 2013 28 Morfrod Street +44(0)1225 461919 Bath www.hewittstudios.co.uk Project ref Date BA1 2RT [email protected] HS147/F70 June 2013 FVMH Feasibility Study Contents Introduction 2 Page Page 2 INTRODUCTION This feasibility study has been prepared by Hewitt Studios LLP for the Trustees of Freshford Village Memorial Hall. 3 PROGRAMME It sets out to establish a preferred option for the sustainable 4 CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES redevelopment of the Freshford Village Memorial Hall, evaluating the 5 Transport refurbishment and extension of the existing buildings, as well as the 5 Tourism provision of new, purpose-designed accommodation. 6 Sustainability 7 Neighbourhood Plan The trustees stated vision is to modernise, enhance and extend the 8 Funding Village Memorial Hall facility, to provide (with the Galleries shop) a 9 Management welcoming and attractive multipurpose focus for local community 10 Communication activity, complementing its outstanding rural setting. 11 SITE ANALYSIS To this we have added the requirements to devise: 12 Location and Catchment 13 Planning Boundaries • A complimentary and sustainable set of uses, underwriting a 14 Topography realistic long term business plan. 15 Regional Transport Links 16 Pedestrian Travel Times • An eco-friendly approach, minimising impact on the immediate 17 Environmental Pressures and wider environments, through consideration of materials, 18 Views transport, energy, etc. 19 CASE STUDIES • A deliverable planning strategy - this project requires an ‘exceptional’ planning case and therefore an ‘exceptional’ design 26 BRIEF solution. ref Project HS147/F70 27 Vision 28 Brief Summary • A pragmatic phasing strategy - one that minimises the impacts on the ongoing operation of the hall. 29 DESIGN OPTIONS • A low-maintenance and low-running cost building solution. 39 PREFERRED OPTION +44(0)1225 461919 +44(0)1225 www.hewittstudios.co.uk [email protected] We all agree that Freshford is a special place, and as a result it 49 WAY FORWARD requires a special solution. 52 APPENDIX The chosen option will provide a uniquely accessible, flexible and (in 53 BREEAM Requirements every sense of the word) sustainable space that makes the most of 54 Outline Cost Plan its wonderful surroundings - offering an exceptional experience to all Street Morfrod 28 Bath 2RT BA1 58 Detailed user requirements (updated) its users. FVMH Feasibility Study Programme 3 Page Page Week commencing 2nd April Establish communication protocols (single point of contact). Briefing / Information handover. Review of constraints. 18th April Public Consultation event 1: ‘DISCOVERY’ Orientation, generating insights and identifying needs and priorities INVITED SESSION - Existing FVMH users invited. Week commencing 22nd April Meetings with interested parties (Parish Councillors, Doctor, BathNES, etc.) Preparation of Options Studies 10th May Submission of Preliminary Option Studies 16th May Public Consultation event 2: ‘SYNTHESIS’ Exploring options, building consensus OPEN SESSION - All local residents invited. 21st May ref Project HS147/F70 Freshford Trustees: Preferred option selection (HS to attend) Week commencing 28th May Preparation of Final Report Week commencing 10th June +44(0)1225 461919 +44(0)1225 www.hewittstudios.co.uk [email protected] Public Consultation event 3: ‘COMMUNICATION’ Presentation of the final plans OPEN SESSION - All local residents invited. Week commencing 17th June Submission of Final Report (including ongoing strategy). Street Morfrod 28 Bath 2RT BA1 Constraints and Opportunities and Constraints Study Feasibility FVMH 28 Morfrod Street +44(0)1225 461919 Bath www.hewittstudios.co.uk Project ref BA1 2RT [email protected] HS147/F70 Page 4 FVMH Feasibility Study Constraints and Opportunities 5 Page Page Transport Tourism Freshford’s idyllic rural location means that transport presents some The Neighbourhood Plan is already seeking to promote sustainable We need to look at whether external use of the Hall (particularly by challenges to our project. transport in the area, including train usage. Freshford station is a tourists) can be encouraged. It has the potential to fill the existing unique asset for a community of this size and usage is apparently summer bookings void. The Hall’s income will need to increase to underwrite the new increasing year on year - we must capitalise on this. business case - this could mean drawing people from a wider area, Freshford currently benefits from a steady tourist footfall, courtesy thereby compounding transport issues. There are also potentially strong links to the canal, cycle routes and of Hotels, B&Bs and the various nearby cycle and walking routes hiking trails which suggest that pedestrian and cycle usage could (e.g. MacMillan Way and Limestone Link). Car parking will be contentious and, ultimately, limited parking be further encouraged. availability may limit the expansion potential of the Hall. The Heart of Wessex Community Rail Partnership (Catherine Philips The more sustainable the transport strategy, the more attractive the - http://www.heartofwessex.org.uk/index.html ) promotes tourist Users of the Hall from within the wider region often need to drive, as proposals will be in planning and funding terms. use of the rail line and organise 2-3 trips a year which bring people do many pre-school parents. Parents delivering older kids to primary to Freshford. school often use the Hall car park, as it offers the only ‘safe’ drop- As part of the consultation we asked people how far, and by what off option in the village. In addition, the galleries shop generates means, they would be prepared to travel to use the Hall. Freshford also has good links to Horse Racing via the railway significant extra parking demand, as well as large delivery lorries - (Chepstow, Cheltenham, Bath, etc). Trainer Neil Mulholland is based this all supports the supposition that the Hall car park is increasingly in Winsley and offers a specialist tourist destination. being used as the village transport ‘hub’. Tourism usage could potentially increase as a result of the possible When the car park is really busy (i.e. during village jumble sales), river bridge, mooted as part of Neighbourhood Plan - some villagers people park all along the road, sometimes causing buses / trucks don’t want it, as they are worried that it will bring ‘too many’ tourists. to get stuck. Large events create congestion throughout the village However, their cash could help subsidise facilities for locals. - the village road infrastructure simply cannot cope with this large volume of traffic. We think that ‘Lodge’ or ‘Bunkhouse’-type accommodation could ref Project HS147/F70 prove both popular and lucrative. The Hall has been used for The site capacity could be dictated by car parking in planning terms many years for Brownie weekends, and more recently as a staging - success lies in maximising frequency / intensity of use via other, point for canoeing and cycling groups. Improvements to the more sustainable means. There is not space to provide significant arrangements, such as the addition of some lockers and bunks, and additional car parking in any case and the narrow country lanes access to showers, would be attractive to these groups, and could could not cope with the increased traffic. prove popular and lucrative for other organisations requiring only 461919 +44(0)1225 www.hewittstudios.co.uk [email protected] basic facilities not available elsewhere in the locality. The Galleries As part of the development strategy, we need to look at more shop could support and benefit from this offer - provide breakfast sustainable transport options. There is not space to provide hampers, lunch boxes, etc. significant additional car parking and the narrow country lanes could not cope with the increased traffic anyway. 28 Morfrod Street Morfrod 28 Bath 2RT BA1 FVMH Feasibility Study Constraints and Opportunities 6 Page Page Sustainability This is a fundamental issue - the Hall’s business plan will be more We would use indigenous natural materials wherever possible. sustainable if their premises are more sustainable (e.g. a more These could include local timber for cladding / decking, local stone energy efficient building, with local materials, on-site renewable for walls / paving, rammed earth to act as thermal store, local straw energy generation, rainwater harvesting, etc. equals less money for insulation and local plants for a bio-diverse green roof. They could wasted on transport, electricity, gas, water, maintenance, etc.) also be installed by local crafts-people / companies where possible, thereby helping to support the local economy. We would refer to the We suggest the following strategy to arrive at a sustainable, low- BRE Green Guide to Specification to evaluate the environmental impact design: credentials of all materials used. 1. Reduction of energy-use through an efficient building form and construction method able to achieve high levels of energy Waste could be minimised through careful design, construction efficiency. and controlled patterns of usage. Modular off-site manufacture of 2. Use of renewable energy sources present on or near the the structural frame and re-use of the existing building elements (in building. order to reduce ground excavation), are ways in which construction 3. Use of locally produced construction materials and materials waste impact could be reduced. Any material that is