This document has been produced as input into the
Winchester City Council (WCC) Blueprint project. The Blueprint project came
about as the result of the Coalition Government's desire to remove the housing
targets established in the previous Government's South East Plan and to inject
'localism' into the forward planning process,
Unfortunately in establishing the project WCC has
given little guidance other than to say that the project is more than
re-assessing housing development and is essentially a bottom-up process
starting with a blank sheet of paper to cover all aspects of the town's needs
over the next 20 years. The project was launched with Parish Councils on 16
September, and formally on 4 October, with an input deadline of 10 December
2010. This time scale is very challenging but Alresford is fortunate in that it
can call upon a number of documents produced in the recent past to consolidate
one project document for input into the Blueprint process.
In producing this consolidated document the recent
changes in Government policy have to be taken into account particularly with regard
to the removal of housing targets. Whilst the targets may be removed the
housing need has not and in producing a blueprint for housing in Alresford we
have to be Realistic, Reasonable and Responsible recognising that there is a
need from current residents of Alresford for suitable additional accommodation
in the town.
In the timescale given for the completion of this
exercise it was felt that to do a complete bottom-up plan obtaining input from
a full consultation process was impractical. A review of previous reports shows
them to be very comprehensive and discussions with local people have shown that
their needs and issues are expressed in these documents. It is for this reason
that these documents are re-issued with this report and they should be read in
conjunction with this report as prime input documents in the process.
We have, therefore, concentrated on what has
changed since the preparation of these documents and this, in the main, relates
to housing development. Where possible we have identified, in existing reports,
where issues, needs or desires have been satisfied and no longer need
attention. One area omitted from earlier reports was the needs and requirements
of the local villages around the town and we have attempted to address this by incorporating
these but we have specifically excluded those items in which the town is not
involved, e.g. village speed limits.
In complying Summaries and Actions we have
identified short term and long-term goals.
Two meetings were held in October: one with
adjoining Parish Council representatives and one with representatives of
organisations in the town seeking their input to the project by 30 November
2010. This input together with existing 'plan' documents and other input
received have been collated into one consolidated document for submission to
WCC in draft during December. At the same time the document is being made
available to the public for comment. Any input received in December will be
taken into account and incorporated into the final document, which will be
submitted to New Alresford Town Council for ratification before being submitted
to WCC in early January.
This document is a consolidation of the following
documents (copies attached), which should be considered as part of this report
and used as input to the Blueprint process:
Account has also been taken of the Alresford Action
Plan, the ATP GiveUs5 Survey and input received from individuals, organisations
and adjoining Parish Councils.
Alresford is a town with a relatively stable and
prosperous population weighted towards the over-60s but with a reasonable
percentage of younger people. It has good local shops, schools, services and
facilities although those facilities are beginning to show signs of stress. It
is set in a highly attractive rural environment, on the edge of the South Downs
National Park, with the Conservation Area at its centre. It is of paramount
importance that the unique nature of the town centre is maintained with
particular regard to signage and street furniture. The redevelopment of the
highway/parking and pavements, on the south side of West Street between Station
Road and Jacklyns Lane is critical to pedestrian safety, disabled access and
sensible parking practice.
The need for affordable housing has long been
identified in Alresford and the report recommends more exception sites as well
as supporting the development of the existing site on the town boundary. A need
is also emerging for the provision of two bedroom, two bathroom properties with
small gardens close to the town centre for those people wishing to downsize
from larger properties to the south of the railway line, but still remain in
the town. Continued back garden development on the south side of town does not
address this need and it is recommended that any development of this nature
should be considered more comprehensively to avoid unsatisfactory piecemeal
development similar to that on the north side of Grange Road,
The statistics show that Alresford is better placed
than the surrounding villages in the provision of affordable housing against
needs but there is continual pressure and expectation that the town will meet
the needs of the rural community in the provision of affordable housing.
Because of transport limitations this may be reasonable for the over 65s but it
is certainly not the case for younger people and the villages need to do more
in identifying exception sites to meet the needs of their communities.
Over the last two years there as been more
enthusiasm expressed for the re-development of the commercial sites to the west
of The Dean to provide small housing units; both affordable and market housing.
Being on a slope the site is not ideal for commercial premises and these
operations bring unacceptable volumes of commercial traffic into the town
centre.
There is widespread agreement that there should be
no development on greenfield sites outside the settlement boundary. This
particularly applies to the land to the east of Sun Lane but there is growing
acceptance that this could be a site on which the existing Alresford schools
could be re-located thus freeing land for housing within the overall settlement
boundary albeit not currently designated for development. Any development on
these sites would need to be done sympathetically particularly the Perins site
where it abuts The Avenue conservation area,
New Alresford covers an area of 672 acres, just
over a square mile, and there is continual pressure on our open space and sport
facilities. The town is some 7½ acres (3.0 hectares) short of the recommended
level of open space and it is proposed to designate the land to the west of
Arlebury Park Recreation ground for recreational use. The exact area is that which the Town Council is considering for
Compulsory Purchase.
The recent SHLAA exercise has identified areas of
land that are currently available for development. With a few exceptions these
areas of land are unsuitable for development and would be better used to
enhance the recreational facilities in the town.
Alresford is more economically viable than most
people believe with over 50% of the working population of the town employed in
the town. However, there are still a large number of people commuting into the
town who do not necessarily add significant value to the economy. In most cases
these individuals satisfy the need for lower paid workers but the businesses
that employ them do not necessarily improve the local economy. This can be argued for current business in a
large part of The Dean and it may be considered that providing the right type
of residential accommodation close to the town centre would improve the economic
viability of the local retail community who face a continual battle with
out-of-town stores.
The Prospect Road Business/Industrial Park is a
necessary element of business in the town and ways need to be looked at to
improve this area.
Public transport does not improve and whilst there
is a reasonable daytime service between Alton and Winchester this becomes
non-existent after normal working hours. There is limited service to the
villages and those to the north of the town are very poorly served as are the
town's connection to Basingstoke which could become even more critical should
Winchester and Basingstoke hospitals merge.
Increasing numbers of heavy lorry movements through
the town are damaging property, including listed buildings, and putting
pedestrian at significant risk. There is increasing support for giving
pedestrians priority and shared space in the town centre, evidenced by the
enthusiasm for the 'Putting Pedestrians First' campaign, especially as there is
an effective by-pass but there is a need to ensure that the unique nature of
the conservation area is maintained and that it is not undertaken on a
piecemeal basis.
Other priorities identified are the provision of
facilities for young people, improved medical centre, cycle paths and general
cleanliness of the town centre and open spaces.
Discussions in the past have suggested Alresford as a key hub "to
develop and serve their existing and surrounding communities." This is not
an unreasonable objective but it needs to be undertaken in such a way that the
residents of the surrounding area and WCC/HCC pay a realistic amount to the
provision of these services. It cannot be expected that the residents of the
hub pay for the services used, in part, by non-residents. This concept requires
development in respect of all facilities provided by the hub and has not been
taken into account in preparing this report.
This section of the submission should be read in
conjunction with the Town Council's response to the Local Development
Framework, which is still valid and is attached at Appendix 6.
Alresford is one of the smallest, if not the
smallest parish in Hampshire, and at 672 acres is barely a square mile in size.
For its size it is one of the most densely populated areas of the County and has
very little un-developed green open space. At the present time it falls short
of the statutory requirement for open spaces by some 7.5 acres (3.0 hectares).
What limited green space there is within the parish boundary does afford the
illusion to local residents that there is more open space available to them.
This illusion will, of course, be shattered if extensive development is allowed
on these 'green lungs' of Alresford.
The town is surrounded by a dozen or so small
villages, which see themselves as much a part of the town as the residents and
whilst they add to the economic sustainability of the town they also add to its
problems in terms of parking and traffic.
Growth in the surrounding countryside is strictly
controlled and whilst development within the town's boundaries might be seen as
desirable house building on the town boundaries adds to the parking and traffic
problems.
There is a distinct lack of housing in the town for
many older single people and couples that wish to downsize but still live in
the town. Development on the outskirts will exacerbate this problem, as it will
inevitably be three or four bedroom houses. Even if smaller housing units were
made available it does not satisfy the desire to be nearer shops and services
in the town centre.
The provision of smaller two bedroom/two bathroom
housing units with small gardens or courtyards in the town centre would ease
this problem and free up larger accommodation elsewhere. Recent developments in
the town centre fulfil this need and are quickly sold even in these uncertain
times, e.g. Hankins Yard, Burgage Mews. Recent developments where one-bedroom
units have been included are extremely difficult to sell and should be avoided
except, possibly, right in the centre of the town.
.
The provision of housing within walking distance of
the town centre reduces the need for parking and reduces traffic congestion
whereas the development of 'out of town' housing estates adds to the problem
A small percentage of the population believe there
should be no further development in Alresford but this fails to recognise the
housing need of people currently living in the town or who have close relatives
in the town. Others
share the view of the Alresford Society that steady development is needed to
retain the character of the town and its future as a 'real' market town. The
continuing reduction in the size of households and the continuing increase in
our age profile, mean that without more housing Alresford will shrivel and
cease to be economically sustainable. Further, we think that an increase in the
size of the town, year on year, is essential to retain our splendid array of
independent suppliers of goods and services, which is a determining factor in
the make-up of the town's character.
As mentioned above suitable much needed housing in
the town centre will release family homes in the southern part of the town,
which should avoid the large-scale development on greenfield sites. A number of these sites have been identified
within the 2010 SHLAA process but the majority are unsuitable and undesirable
and the town is very protective of those outside of the settlement
boundary. Most of these sites have been
designated as sites of special beauty in terms of views for walkers and by
previous inspectors when inspecting the building potential of the land.
Looking at them in detail:
With the exception of the
land to the south of this area which has been designated as an exception site
for some 40 houses this area is not suitable for housing development being on
the flood plain of the River Itchen.
Parts of this land are
designated as SSSIs but some 10 acres will be the subject of a Compulsory
Purchase Order (CPO) by New Alresford Town Council for the provision of two
rugby pitches and general recreational use and we would like to see the area
indicated on Map 1 designated for recreational use. It is proposed to
limit that designation to the area of land that will be subject to the CPO
application.
This area is part of the
flood plain of the River Itchen and is an important wildlife area particularly
for migrating birds. Whilst it is not freely accessible to the public it does
form an open space area that gives the 'feel' of being available and it is
appreciated by both residents and visitors in the protection it gives to
wildlife and their ability to view it.
Any development at the
edge of the town will increase the town's traffic and parking problems and
there does not appear to be any practical solutions to address these issues.
This type of development is unlikely to add to the economic viability of the
town as these new residents, unable to park will drive to Winchester or
Basingstoke
Development of this land
would probably provide housing of a type that is not necessarily needed in the
town and will inevitably generate additional traffic and the need for more
parking in the town centre as well as overloading Sun Lane which is impossible
to upgrade particularly at the northern end.
Whilst the residents wish
to see this rural view protected it is potentially the area for the re-location
of Perins School. A sports college, such as Perins does by its very nature have
a substantial area of playing fields surrounding it and provided that any
development of the school is undertaken in sympathy with the environment this would
retain this open aspect of the town.
The re-location of the
school to this site would also provide an effective barrier to the spread of
housing development towards Bishop Sutton something found to be very
undesirable. Should this re-location
take place it would be essential to provide vehicular access from the A31
(Alresford By-pass) via the existing underpass, which exists to the south of
this area. It might be possible to provide some commercial premises at the
southern end again with access from the A31.
With suitable
development, recognising this area might be at risk from flooding; this area
could be used without significant impact on nearby areas. We would like to see
this area designated as an 'Exception site'. (See
Map 3)
This area is already
designated as an Exception Site and we would not wish to see any change here.
It was designated as a reserve site by WCC but we would like it to revert to an
exception site.
This site is within the
settlement boundary and was one of the areas included in our LDF response as
being suitable for development.
This site is a mixture of
mid-20th Century buildings, which do not sit comfortably within the
environment close to the town centre. Being within the Conservation Area this
site would benefit from sympathetic re-development.
There are other areas of land with potential for development
in the town that are not included in the SHLAA as this process limits
identification and inclusion to land that the landowner has identified
and that is ready for immediate development. There are a number of potential
sites in Alresford many of which were identified in our LDF submission
and we would highlight two here.
Being a brownfield site
The Dean commercial area has not been considered in the SHLAA but there is
growing enthusiasm for this site to be re-developed for housing and possibly a
new medical centre. Being close to the town centre the site would be ideal for
the provision of housing units suitable for people wishing to downsize from
larger houses in the southern part of the town.
Current usage on the site
creates significant HGV traffic in the town centre and the limited numbers of
people employed there, few of whom are local, add little to the economic
prosperity of the town. Re-development should prove to be of more economic
benefit as residents will be within walking distance of the town centre and will
be more inclined to use in town facilities rather than out of town shops.
This area of land at the western end of the school playing field was originally identified by HCC for key-worker housing. Since this time the school has acquired Trust status and whilst they do not currently wish to dispose of this land they recognise its development potential. We believe this site should be designated as an exception site, which the School Trustees have no objection to. (See Map 2)
Under the original South East Plan and the Core
Strategy for the Local Development framework it was envisaged that around 500
houses should be planned for Alresford over the plan period 2006 - 26. From
2006 to date some 145 units have been built and planning permission exists for
a further 50 bringing the total to 195, approximately 20 units per year.
Assuming this trend continues this will result in a further 300 houses in the
period to 2026 giving a total figure for the 2006 -26 period of 495 very
similar to the numbers originally contained in the South-East plan. Development
of the schools sites could significantly increase this number but any such
development should recognise the requirement for open space land, which will
increase as a result of new housing build. This could be critical should the
CPO on the land adjacent to Arlebury Park not succeed.
Also, as stated in our LDF response no development
should be allowed without considering the potential of developing a wider area
including adjacent sites. There is a need to ensure that development is not
undertaken on a piecemeal basis that prevents an overall development plan being
implemented that provides for infrastructure improvements prior to development.
There needs to be a proper mix of types of housing
and density although this need not necessarily apply to all sites. For example
it would be expected that the housing density would be high in the centre of
the town and lower at the edge. There is a view that in providing affordable
housing within these developments there should be no distinction between the
different types of accommodation. The
key to any housing development is not destroying the character of the town. It
should have local average land density, match their surroundings, fitting in and
enhancing their local character area. The adopted Design Statement should be
taken into account, in particular with regard to the character of areas, the
energy efficiency of properties, and the favourite views of residents. We
accept the need for the Design Statement to be modified to include average
housing densities in areas. All developments need to
be properly phased over the planning period and only approved subject to the
necessary infrastructure work (see below) having been completed.
It might be appropriate to identify exception sites in the surrounding villages rather than have an expectation that Alresford should provide affordable housing for the rural community. The reality is that the villages have far more available land than Alresford, land values are less, and there is as much, if not more need there, than in the town. Accommodating 4 - 5 affordable houses in each village should be a lot easier than providing 30 - 40 affordable houses in Alresford. Villages should consider if their communities will continue to be sustainable without them accepting a degree of development of both open market and social housing.
As stated above Alresford is one of the smallest
and at 672 acres is barely a square mile in size. For its size it is one of the
most densely populated areas of the County and has very little un-developed
green open space. At the present time it falls short of the statutory
requirement for open spaces by some 3.0 hectares (7.5 acres). What limited
green space there is within the parish boundary does afford the illusion to
local residents that there is more open space available to them. Further
housing development, albeit, limited will possible increase this shortfall and
greenfield development will remove the illusion.
The Town Council is currently trying to acquire
some 4 hectares (10 acres) of land to (see Map 1) the west of Arlebury Park under a Compulsory
Purchase Order (CPO). If this land is
acquired approximately 1.5 hectares will be used to provide two rugby pitches
with that remaining being used for general recreational activities. This area
of land, currently under consideration for a CPO should be designated now for
Recreational use.
In the event of Perins school re-locating to the
east of Sun Lane and possibly also the primary schools currently at Sun Hill,
any re-development of that land should be undertaken to ensure that a
sufficient area of the sites is given over as public open space.
Whilst, not strictly speaking, an open space issue
the existing burial ground in St. Johns Church will be full in less than five
years. It may be that the pressure on the limited land in Alresford will mean
that this cannot be accommodated and that we will have to rely on the
facilities provided by the District. However, if the Perins school re-location
goes ahead it may be that some land may be available there.
A lot of sports are catered for in Alresford but
despite our best efforts the provision of Rugby pitches continues to elude us.
As mentioned above we wish to see the land to the west of Arlebury Park
designated for recreational purposes including two rugby pitches and the Town
Council continue to strive for the acquisition of this site either by
negotiation or compulsory purchase.
Whilst there is an increasing number of cycle
routes around the town there is no provision within the town for routes into
the town centre. A cycle route should be provided on the south side of The
Avenue from Jacklyns Lane to join with National Cycle route 23 at the
Tichborne/Itchen Stoke crossroads. The footpath from the eastern end of East
Street to Bishop's Sutton should be upgraded and changed into a combined
pedestrian and cycle route. Further investigation needs to be undertaken to see
if further cycle routes can be provided through the southern part of the town.
A swimming pool has been on the town's wish list
for a number of years now but the reality is, situated as we are between
Winchester, Alton and Basingstoke the catchment area for such a facility is
unlikely to make it financially viable. In the event that we are able to
re-locate the Perins Sports College to the east of Sun Lane this may well be an
option that can be considered for the new schools' campus.
Public transport links to Alresford continue to
decline even on the 'primary' routes from Winchester to Alton and Winchester to
Petersfield, both serving the town. Whilst there is an adequate service during
the day it becomes virtually non-existent after early evening making it
impossible for residents of Alresford to contemplate any employment or social
activity outside of the town in the evening if they are relying on public
transport.
The villages along the Itchen Valley have a
reasonable daytime service, as do Cheriton, Bramdean, Bishop's Sutton, Ropley
and Old Alresford although some of these services cease late afternoon.
There is a clear need and a clear benefit from
improving these services particularly in the evening to allow people access to
the town from the villages and to Alton and Winchester from the town. There is
also a need for direct bus links to Winchester railway station and Winchester
hospital.
Lack of adequate public transport in the villages
also puts more pressure on the town to accommodate elderly rural residents when
they are no longer able to drive.
The lack of adequate bus services in the town and
villages puts increasing pressure on voluntary transport services. In Alresford
this gap is substantially filled by the service provided by the New Alresford
Town Trust Mini-bus, together with its 30 volunteer drivers, and it is essential
that this continues to receive all tiers of Local Authority funding in the
future. These voluntary services were
significantly disadvantaged with the removal of the 'transport token scheme' as
were those people not served by bus services in the rural areas. Re-instatement
of this scheme or something similar would greatly assist these people and those
community groups trying to provide transport facilities in rural areas.
Despite having a bypass Alresford continues to be
threatened by large volumes of heavy lorry movements through the town. These
are now well in excess of 100 per day and most stem from the Salad packing
plant to the north of the town. As well as causing physical external damage to
buildings on a regular basis there is concern that there is environmental
damage occurring that cannot necessarily be seen. These lorry movements also
put pedestrians at risk as well as other road users particularly at the bottom
of Broad Street and over the Soke Bridge.
The lack of proper public transport services
increases the volume of cars in the town and results in parking still remaining
a problem and is one of the things most commented upon by the surrounding
villages. The recent construction of some 50 spaces in Perins School has eased
the problem but the lack of parking enforcement still means that long-term
parkers, be they residents, employers or employees, still take precious spaces
better used by visitors and shoppers. It is realised that enforcement without
ticketing is more difficult and it has been suggested that all town centre on
street parking be reduced to one hour to help this.
There are continued requests for more disabled
spaces in the town centre. Due to there size disabled spaces do significantly
reduce the number of generally available spaces and as disabled drivers are
able to park on yellow lines, as well as general spaces, for up to three hours,
it is felt that there are sufficient areas in the town that can be used by
disabled drivers, e.g. the Broad Street service road, not to warrant further
facilities.
Alresford has the reputation of being an elegant
market town that has managed to accommodate the needs of modern living whilst
retaining its heritage. However, recent developments in the town and increasing
traffic problems, particularly in West Street have highlighted the necessity
for improvements.
The provision of a new Co-op and the housing
development behind it were one of the best things to happen to Alresford in the
past 25 years removing an eyesore that blighted that end of the town. However,
the lack of attention to detail by WCC and HCC has left an unacceptable
conflict between vehicles and pedestrians at the front of the development. Also
with the provision of a new public car park at Perins School, the ageing
population and the increasing use of mobility buggies the footpaths on the
south side or West Street are less than adequate.
The Alresford Society and the Town Council have put
together an ambitious project for the improvement of the south side of West
Street, to increase pedestrian accessibility and safety and to enhance the
rather rundown and shabby setting for the fine row of houses and shops. This plan is currently stalled while the new
pattern of local government spending takes shape, but fits extremely well with
the new emphasis on localism and the 'bottom-up' approach to development. The scheme has been designed, surveyed,
measured and costed by the Society, and the very full consultation carried out
has produced an enthusiastic response.
We have been encouraged by the support and practical help received from
all three tiers of local government, but so far there has been no commitment to
financial support. It has to be hoped
that WCC and HCC will stand by their recent commitment to ensure that the
appropriate Section 106 Highways levies will be implemented on housing
development that does not have a specific highway need associated with the
development.
The scheme also fits very well into the Town
Council's plans for other improvements in this part of town which include the
provision of the following:
Lack of proper public transport means that cars are
essential for people in the hinterland and people who have to commute yet the
roads to the villages are crumbling and require effective maintenance and
reconstruction. This also applies to the roads to industrial areas along
essentially residential roads which are not fit for purpose. Lack of proper
road maintenance in and around the villages is starting to become serious and
looks to get worse in the near future with the recent reduction in Government
funding. Whist this does not have a direct impact on Alresford in general what
is good for the villages is good for the town and we, therefore, highlight this
as an area of concern.
There are three areas in the town, which are
subject to unacceptable flooding at times of heavy rain. Initially it was
thought that this was caused by the lack of gully cleaning but this has proved
not to be the case. The areas involved are:
With the possibility of further housing development in Spring Gardens and behind The Cricketers there is increasing support for the provision of a mini-roundabout at The Cricketers Junction when the flooding issue should be addressed. (See also Town Centre improvements above) possibly by an under road catchment.
Broadband speeds in the town are adequate at the
present time, with 80%+ of households connected, but this may not continue if
media based high band width applications continue to grow and this could impact
the ability of business to work effectively. We understand broadband service is
poor in a number of places outside the town but this will, no doubt, be
addressed in input from the parish councils.
Mobile phone coverage can be poor on certain
networks and in some parts of the town although we have not seen that this is a
major inhibitor to business. Again outside of the town network coverage is at
best patchy.
Whilst the provision of fresh water for new housing
development might be debateable across the whole District, if not the whole
Region, the supply of water for the modest developments proposed in Alresford
does not appear to be a problem especially as we are close to the source of the
water supply for a significant part of the District.
More of an issue is the treatment of sewage and
wastewater in the northern part of the town, which is reliant on a pumping
station at the bottom of The Dean. There is no evidence that would suggest any
investigation as to its capacity has been undertaken, certainly not recently,
and it is probably the weakest link in the wastewater treatment process. It
does not appear to have been addressed in the recent infrastructure report and
because of the nature of the development in this part of the town any overload
will be difficult to attribute. We think it unrealistic, as suggested in the
Infrastructure report, to fund improvements to the existing system from
developers, as the system will eventually reach overload as a result of a
number of small to medium developments from which no contribution will have
been taken unless the strategy for this funding is reviewed.
It is clearly the responsibility of the commercial
utility companies to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place and
to ensure they receive adequate recompense from the developers to provide these
facilities but we do not believe that this finance should be levied through the
planning process. Government and Local Authorities should use existing
statutory powers to ensure that the utility companies meet their obligations in
this respect. The potential for overload of the system is increased by the
current practice of directing surface water drainage to the public sewer and we
believe this policy should be reviewed particularly when considering
developments above five to six houses where it should be practicable to provide
alternative drainage.
The River Itchen is one of the most important
features of our locality flowing on the edge of Alresford, through many of the
surrounding Parishes and fed by waters from the rest. It is absolutely paramount
that this asset is maintained in pristine condition and no thought of
discharges of any kind be entertained certainly above Winchester.
The river and the trails around it are of
significant recreational benefit and everything must be done to maintain and
protect them. Whilst there is a minimum level of footpath maintenance
undertaken by the County Council it must be expected that investment must be
made locally to maintain these areas properly.
Virtually everything we do has an impact on Climate
Change and Bio-diversity and this needs to be considered in the planning
process. The position is clearly laid out in the submission by the Alresford
Greening Campaign and the Alresford Wildlife Group in Appendix
7.
There is increasing concern about the volume of
litter and general cleanliness of the town. As well as undertaking litter
clearance in the recreational areas of the town the town council augments the
service provided by the City Council, other than in the town centre, by
undertaking regular clearance of the footpaths in the town, but not those
adjacent to the public highway. Investment will continue to be needed for these
activities in the future.
Most children are at the school of their first
choice. There are often worries
expressed as to whether the schools will have enough places, but they normally
do have. The schools forward plan for
five to ten years so there should be no problem. Parents encourage their
children to go to university and also for technical skills training if this is
suitable. Technical skills training in
automotive skills is obtained at Sparsholt.
Other skills and administrative skills training are obtainable from
Southampton and Alton. There is no
direct bus service to Winchester railway station and no bus service at a
suitable time for young people to return from evening classes.
Schools in the area use the Internet for homework,
however some villages have poor access to the Internet.
Those children who train for technical skills are
interested in living in or near Alresford.
Some parents report some of their children go to Eastleigh and Bishops
Waltham where properties are cheaper for their first home. They say if their children can afford to
come back later they would be interested in Alresford when they have a family. Others have reported their children found
Alresford too quiet and do not want to return yet.
Sunhill Primary School is set within an open site
at the top of Sunhill on its' western side.
It has single storey buildings and has had temporary structures and is
1950-60's in design.
Perins School is the secondary school that serves
the town. It has a variety of buildings, the newer ones again 1960's in
design and is a 'community school'. Both schools could do with
significant refurbishment but there has been talk of the school moving to a
site close to Sunhill Primary School in the long term when the following need
to be borne in mind.
Both the view across the school playing fields, and
the view across Sunhill Lane to the town were sited as favourite views in the
recently adopted Design Statement.
Therefore any such project should, wherever possible, protect these
views.
Parents have not been consulted, however, it was
not a popular idea with residents in the Sun Lane area. It would involve
building outside the town's settlement boundary. Sun Lane is very busy and any
development here would need to be accessed from a new junction with the A31 and
there would have to be links with the safe routes to school scheme.
Should the school be re-developed the resultant
brownfield site should be considered for housing.
There is a shortage of pre-school places in the town to provide a much needed community facility for both the town and the surrounding villages. Whilst there is a 5 - 10 year horizon in which to plan for Primary and Secondary schools the need for pre-school facilities can occur in a much shorter time frame. This has been clearly demonstrated by the increase in the birth rate this autumn following the bad weather in January 2010 and we need to ensure there is spare capacity in the system.
In
the recent Market Town Health Check the vision for the future of Alresford was
expressed as follows:
Alresford should work to retain its reputation as
one of the most attractive and pleasant market towns in the country, and its
local reputation as the most polite market town community in Hampshire. This is
essential to the maintenance and sustainability of the local tourism industry.
A high quality retail and commercial sector should
be encouraged, integrated with managed town events and activities, thus
providing Alresford with a vibrant and continuously evolving town centre to
which visitors will want to return.
People find the town an extremely pleasant place in
which to live. In combination with the town's high quality shops, local
services, educational provision and employment opportunities. This will
facilitate the vision of making Alresford a thriving place in which to live.
The outcome
envisioned is a town centre, supported by a modern commercial environment,
which sustains advanced, conventional and traditional businesses and
facilitates both business initiation and long-term growth.
At
the moment there is a sustainable economy in Alresford but commerce and
business do little to improve and maintain this and continually look to the
residents of Alresford to support them and their businesses. They could
do more to support the town especially in the achievement of the above vision
and we would like to see more pro-active involvement from the commercial sector
hopefully led by the Chamber of Commerce.
The statistics suggest that about 70% of the
working population of Alresford work comparatively locally with 38% working in
the town itself and a further 30% employed in Winchester or Alton. Whilst a
further 8% work in Basingstoke we do not consider this to be local as there are
no public transport links directly from Alresford. Of all the jobs in Alresford
53% are filled by residents of the town.
The light Industrial unit in The Dean, whilst
employing a significant number, glean their employees from Southampton and the
other major employers, watercress and salad, on the outskirts of the town, also
bring their employees from outside the area. The other major employer in the
town is Perins School and they have very few local employees.
There has been some pressure to provide additional
office accommodation but there is little evidence to justify the need, as there
have been empty units in the town for some time. It would be nice to think that
this type of accommodation would attract employers who would provide suitable
jobs for residents of the town. It has
also been suggested that there is a need for home/work units and workshops for
small manufacturing units but there is little actual evidence to suggest that
purpose built units should be developed.
The light industrial units in Prospect Road provide
much needed services particularly in the automotive and home improvement areas
as well as local employment. In general the area is under utilised and showing
its age but any re-development would probably push rent and business rates up
with a consequent loss of these local services. It is also the location of the
local re-cycling and household waste area.
Access is also poor, being through residential areas, unsuitable for
large vehicles.
There is a possibility that commercial premises
could be established at the southern end of the Sun Lane site provided suitable
access from the A31 is provided.
The ageing population in the town and the villages
throws a heavy demand on voluntary services, which struggle to survive in the
current economic environment. There will be a continuing need for the Town
Council to provide financial assistance for some of these key services but
there is also a need for local parish councils to provide funding for those
services provided by volunteers that benefit their communities. This has not
always been forthcoming in the past.
Community
Halls church Halls etc
Alresford is well served having a Community
Centre/Town Hall, Methodist, Catholic and Protestant Church Halls, the
Alresford Recreation Centre and the large hall at Perins. There have been
calls, in recent years, for another large Community Hall but in general it is
thought that this is, in reality, not needed, as there is a mistaken believe
that the large hall at the Alresford Recreation Centre is not for public use,
which is not the case.
The
Library
Is well used both as a library and an information
centre.
Recreational
clubs
There is a wide range of recreational clubs - for
example, Badminton Club, Art Society, Rugby Club, Football Club, Cricket Club,
and The Community Centre who hold a cinema and other events, and two Church
Choirs.
Medical
The existing medical
facilities fulfil the current need but this could change with an increasing
population and the devolvement of services to local surgeries. This could
result in the need to expand and potentially to move to a new site. Should this
occur we believe that The Dean should be considered as part of the
re-development there.
Elderly people are now
electing to have care at home, rather than be institutionalised in a home,
until there is no alternative. This is
better for the individual but poses problems in other ways and it has been
suggested that there may be a need for a further care home in the Alresford
vicinity.
Transport to hospitals
causes problems for the elderly and other members of the public, and further
problems are envisaged with the proposed changes to the Health District
(linking Basingstoke to Winchester and Andover). Transport to hospitals is therefore often the responsibility of
volunteers.
The Town Council welcomes the opportunity to submit
this input to WCC and would ask that it be taken into consideration when
considering anything that affects the town and its immediate environment.
We realise that in the current environment the Town
Council may have to consider providing more services for the benefit of the
community but this should not be seen, by WCC and HCC, as way of passing
responsibility as they attempt to reduce their expenditure. Any services
provided by the Town Council will have to be funded and will inevitably result
in an increase in Council Tax. Without the benefit of the economies of scale
enjoyed by the larger Local Authorities this could well result in a
disproportionate increase to the taxpayer. Similarly any further responsibility
placed upon the town as a 'key hub' will need to be funded by the District and
/or County as a whole and not just by the town
The above input reflects the views of residents
obtained in recent years brought up to date in the light of current events. It
also reflects, where appropriate, the views expressed by the rural community
following the input received from Parish Councils.
The input has been reviewed and agreed by New
Alresford Town Council and they have taking all views into account. However,
whilst all views have been considered they may not necessarily be reflected in
the document as the Town Council has to take an overall position, which in
their opinion benefits the town and its residents as a whole.
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Maps |
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Designation
of Recreation Area adjoining Arlebury Park |
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Designation
of Exception Site - Bridge Road |
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Reference Documents |
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The 2007 and 2008
reports on the Local Development Framework(LDF) |
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Input from other organisation |
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8 |
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9 |
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10 |
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11 |
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12 |
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