Design Concept
Land at Liddington Hall, Guildford
September 2014
on behalf of Guildford College of Further and Higher Education
Design Concept
01 Introduction 2 02 Siteassessments 6
03 Constraints&Opportunities 19 04 DevelopmentConcept 21
05 IllustrativeMasterplan 23
06 Conclusion 25
Contents
Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
35 Old Queen StreetLondonSW1H 9JA
Tel: 0207 222 8345Fax: 0207 222 0488
54 Hagley RoadEdgbastonBirmingham B16 8PE
Tel: 0121 456 7444
Wharf HouseWharf RoadGuildfordSurrey GU1 4RP
Tel: 01483 579098
5a Doolittle MillAmpthillBedfordshireMK45 2ND
Tel: 01908 787435
Land at Liddington Hall, Guildford
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
LONDON
GUILDFORD
WOKING
DORKING
FARNBOROUGH
FARNHAM
ALDERSHOTBASINGSTOKE
GOLDAMING
CRAWLEY
READINGWINDSOR
N
SITE
M3
A3
A31
A24
M25
M23
M4
A31
A3
M3
M4
M25
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Not to scale
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Scope and Content
ThisdocumenthasbeenproducedbyAlliancePlanningonbehalf ofGuildfordCollegeofFurther&HigherEducationinsupportoftheproposeddevelopmentoflandatLiddingtonHall,locatedtothenorthofAldershotRoad,Guildford.
The current proposal is for a strategic housing land release that will make asignificant contribution to meeting housing needs within the Borough andaffordablehousingneedsinparticular.
The Design Concept document sets out the initial analysis, constraints andopportunities of the site, and puts forward design and development conceptsbasedonstrongurbandesignprincipleswithavisiontoguidefuturedevelopment.Thecontentofthevisionwillcontinuetoevolveincloseconsultationwithlocalstakeholders.
Thedocumentalsosetsoutthecontextforthedevelopmentintermsofplanningpolicy. This will summarise the relationship of the site to existing settlementandGreenBeltpolicy,andthecontextintermsofhousingprovisioninthelocalarea.Whilst presenting an analysis of the existing site, identifying its physicalcharacteristics,includingitspositiveandnegativeattributes.
Anindicativemasterplan,whichillustrateshowresidentialdevelopmentcouldbeaccommodatedonthesite,formspartofthisdocument.
outlines the purpose and processes involved in developing the options for future development and informs the local vision.
introduction provides an evaluation of the local context, local character, locally sustainable densities, site boundaries and local planning policies.
assessment illustrates the key issues and options based on the local development framework, assessments and site analysis.
options presents a clear concept for the site that reinforces the local vision and outlines the future layout, amount, access and scale of the development.
masterplan
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Guildford College of Further & Higher Education Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Not to scale
No dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. Area measurements for indicative purposes only.
Wharf House, Wharf Road, Guildford www.alliance-plan.co.uk
Site location53065306-001-
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Land at Liddington HallGuildford College 1-9-14
land given to Parish Council for provision of public recreation area
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GUILDFORD
WOKING
ALDERSHOT
FARNBOROUGH
CAMBERLEY
M3
A3
M25
A323
A322
A331
A30
A324 A322
A31
A3A31
KEY :
The Site
Mainline Railway
Motorways
Other Important Roads
Other Railways
To Portsmouth
To Southampton
To London
LAND AT LIDDINGTON HALLSITE LOCATION
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1.2 The Site
Thesiteislocatedtothenorth-westofGuildfordTowncentre,betweenA3andFairlandsdevelopmentonthenorth-westernurban fringesand lieswithin theWorplesdonParishareaoftheGuildfordBoroughCouncil.ItisincludedintheDraftGuildfordLocalPlanasanallocationfor625unitsandtwotravellers’pitches.
Thesitemeasuresapproximately28.11hectares(69.46acres).ItliesentirelytothenorthofA323AldershotRoadwhichprovidesvehicularaccesstoLiddingtonHallviaLiddingtonHallDrive.LiddingtonHalliscentrallylocatedwithinthesiteareaandwasoriginallybuiltin1834,thelateGeorgianPeriod.A1960slinearestatedevelopment,runningnorth-south,ofsemi-detachedanddetachedhousesalongLiddingtonNewRoaddivides thesouthernpartintotwo,easternandwesternsections.AtrackrunsfromGravettsLane/KeenesLanebetweenthetwonorthernhalvesofthesitetoLiddingtonHallFarmhouseisboundedbyafenceonbothsidesandsectionsofhedgerow.ThesiteareaisboundedbytheGravettsLane,AldershotRoadandLiddingtonHallDriveinthewesternpartwhereastheeasternpartofthesiteismostlyisborderedbyprivateland,includingthegardensofresidentialproperties.
Originally, the landbelonged to SurreyCountyCouncilwho leased it as aworking farm.Onthe1April1993,thesitetransferredtoMerristWoodFurtherEducationCorporationwhen,followingtheenactmentoftheFurther&HigherEducationAct1992,SurreyCountyCouncil, along with the other local education authorities ceased to be responsible forfurthereducationcolleges(TitleNumber:SY657255).MerristWoodCollegeusesthelandforagriculturalpurposes.Thefieldshavehaddifferentlandusesrangingfrombeingusedforcrops,cattle,grasslandandhemp.InApril1997,thesitewaslettoacommercialfarmer,whocontinuedtofarmitcommerciallyuntilhistenancyexpiredin2000andwasnotrenewed.
Currently,thesiteisownedbyGuildfordCollegeandhasbeenproposedbytheGuildfordBorough Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) andMonitoring report(June2014)forsustainabledevelopmentofupto625housesandtwotravellers’pitchesaspartofCouncil’sstrategichousingpolicy.ItisnowincludedasanallocationassuchintheDraftGuildfordLocalPlan.
Inthecontextof theCollege’s largerMerristWood landholding (inexcessof100ha), thelandatLiddingtonHall is surplus to requirements,but the responsibility for securityandmaintenance remains. The land is therefore being promoted to generate much-neededcapitaltofundtheCollege’scurrenteducational,equestrian,horticulturalandagriculturallanduseactivitieselsewhere.
A full presentationof theplanningpolicy context relating to the site is presented in thePlanningStatementthataccompaniesthissubmission.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
Site area:28.11hectares/69.46acres
Not to scale
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
2.1 Existing Movement Framework
ThehistorictownofGuildfordanditsfringesarewellconnectedtothestrategictransportinfrastructure, including the A3 motorway, mainline and secondary rail networksconnectingtoCentralLondonandanumberofA-roadsthatlinkthetownacrossSurrey.TheA323isthemainarterialroadintoGuildfordfromthenorth-west.
TheWorplesdonAreahasdirectandeasyaccesstothesemajortransportlinks.AccessisavailabletomajortransportcorridorssuchastheM3,M25,theA322,theA323andmainlinerailstationsofWoking,FarnboroughandGuildford.
Thesiteislocatedapproximately2milesfromGuildfordTowncentre.Itliesapproximately10 miles from Junction 10 on M25 motorway, and 9 miles from Junction 3 on M3motorway.Tothelocalrailstationsitisapproximately3milesfromWorplesdonStationand5milesfromAshandWarnboroughrailwaystations.
ThesiteisedgedbytheA323alongAldershotRoadtoitssouthandcurrentlyconnectsvia footpaths links to thenorth and east towards theA322WorplesdonRoad,whichprovidesthenearestshoppingandlocalfacilitieswithin20minutes’walkingdistance.From here, there are increased connections to Guildford town centre. Opportunitiesexisttoencouragesignificantmodalshiftstomoresustainableformsoftransportsuchascyclingandbus.
2.0 Site Assessments
35 Old Queen St, London SW1H 9JA www.alliance-plan.co.uk
Strategic services & facilities plan46144614/003-
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No dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. All dimensions to be checked on site. Area measurements for indicative purposes only.
Strategic services and facilities plan
2km/25mins walking distance
1km /12mins walking distance
500m/6mins walking distance
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Guildford College of Further & Higher Education Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
Isochrone plan showing distances from Liddington Hall site towards local facilities and town centre services
No dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. Area measurements for indicative purposes only.
Wharf House, Wharf Road, Guildford www.alliance-plan.co.uk
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Land at Liddington HallGuildford College 1-9-14
land given to Parish Council for provision of public recreation area
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LAND AT LIDDINGTON HALLEXISTING LAND USE
ALDERSHOT ROAD A323
BROAD STREET
WO
RPLESDO
N RO
AD A322
800 meters
400 meters
800 meters
400 meters
Fairlands
The Site
Rydes HillLodge
Chitty’sCommonFrosbury
Farm
GravettsFarm
Liddington Lodge
Rydes HillSchool
Stoughton Recreation Ground
Local Shops
Stoughton Youth Centre
Fairlands Surgery andLocal shops
Rokers Golf Course
WorplesdonPrimarySchool
Guildford Stoughton Emmanuel
Pine BusinessPark
Tangley PlaceFarm
Liddington Hall
St.Joseph’s Primary School
St.Mary’s Catholic Church
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
2.2 Existing Land Use
The proposed site ismainly open land adjoining LiddingtonHall estate to the south.Theareastothenorthandeastarepredominantlyresidentialincharacter,withsomecommercialholdingstothewest.Thesiteisvisuallywell-containedfromthesurroundingareaduetoexisting,maturehedgesandvegetation.However,itisalsowell-connectedtolocalshops,Guildfordtowncentreandthesurroundingresidential,leisureandrecreationprovisionviapedestrianroutes,cycleroutes,andlocalpublictransport.
LocaltransportinfrastructureincludestheA323AldershotRoad,adjoiningthesouthernboundaryoftheproposedsite.ThisprovidesdirectconnectiontothecentreofGuildfordviaactivebusroutesandprovidesthemainvehicularaccesstothetowncentre,FairlandsestateandWorplesdonvillage.ThenearestbusstopscanbefoundonAldershotRoadandRydesHillRoad.
Railway Stations: ThereisaccesstomainlineandsecondaryrailnetworksconnectingtoCentralLondon,PortsmouthandSouthamptonviaGuildfordRailStationapproximately2milesfromtheproposedsite.AnumberofB-roadslinktheproposedsiteacrossSurreytoWoking,FarnboroughandAldershotrailwaystationsandarelocatedwithin5-10miles.
Schools:TheWorplesdonPrimarySchool,RydeshillPreparatorySchoolandStJoseph’sCatholic Primary School are located close to the 800m (approximate 10-15minutes)walkingradiioftheLiddingtonHallsite.
Shops and other facilities: The nearest cluster of local shops including a pharmacy,takeaway, petrol station, bakery and off-license can be found at Board Street andWorplesdonRoadtothesouth-eastandeastofthesite.TheWorplesdonRoadfacilitiesfalljustoutsidethe800m(10-15minutes)walkingradiifromthecentreoftheproposedsite.TothewestliesFairlandsestate,whichhasaparadeofeightshops,apostoffice,adoctor’ssurgery,primaryschool,recreationground,youthcentreandcommunitycentre.
Recreation:ThenearestgreenopenspaceisatChitty’sCommonwhichlieswithin400m(5-8minutes’)walkingdistanceofthesite.StoughtonRecreationGroundandYouthCentrearelocatedtothesoutheastwithin15-20minuteswalkingdistanceofthecentreoftheproposedsite.RokersGolfCourseiswithinasimilardistancetowardsthenorth-west. It is evident that the site iswell connected to existing and established local centres,providingarangeoffacilitiestosupportthecommunity,aswellasaccesstoadditionaltransportconnections.
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Local shops, church and Rydes Hill Preparatory School on Aldershot Road
Petrol Station and local shops along Worplesdon Road
Local Surgery at Fairlands estate
Worplesdon Primary School at Fairlands estate
Bus stop on Rydes Hill Road
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document
2.3 Townscape context
Guildfordhasa richandvariedtownscapewhichhasevolvedovercenturies.Thename Guildford comes from the Saxon word ‘gyldeforda’ meaning ‘golden ford’whichmayrefertothegoldensandintheriverbed.Thetownwasoriginallysettledby the Saxons, and by theMiddle Ages it had became a prosperousmarket andfarmingcommunitywiththegrowthofthewooltrade.MillingandfullingindustriesinfluencedthelandscapeandarchitecturewithintheRiverWeyvalleyandGuildfordisalso likely tohavehada role indistributingproduce fromthe locallyprevalentglass,ironandpotteryindustries.Thetownalsobecameaconvenientstopping-offpointontheroutebetweenLondonandPortsmouthwithanumberofcoachinginnsbeingbuiltalongtheHighStreet.
TheprincipalcauseofthegrowthinpopulationwasthearrivaloftheLondonandSouthWesternRailwayin1845.ThenewGuildfordline(built1885)madeitpossibletoliveinGuildfordandworkinLondonandsothepopulationofGuildfordstartedtoincreaserapidly.Thefirstlarge-scaleresidentialdevelopmentwasCharlotteville.Larger residentialpropertiessuchasPiccard’sRough,StCatherine’s, illustrate thelocalinfluenceoftheArts&CraftsschoolofarchitectureandtheinitialdevelopmentoftheSurreyVernacularstyle.
From 1960, Guildford continued to expand, mainly to the north along themainarterialroadrouteswithseveralpost1960sresidentialestatesofvariousstylesatParkBarn,RydesHill,Burpham,MerrowandBoxgrove.Mostfollowthegeneraldesignprinciples of housing established throughout thistime including apredominationofdetachedorsemi-detachedresidentialproperties,thecreationoffewnewlocallandmarksandover-dominanthighwayengineeringandcarparking.
TheGuildford LandscapeCharacterAssessment&Guidance study undertakenbyGuildfordBoroughCouncilandLandUseConsultantsin2007,identifies12differentTownscape Character Areas as part of present Guildford landscape. These areillustrated in the diagram alongside and demonstrate the rapid expansion of thetownfromtheoriginalcorewhichexistedatthetimeoftheOrdnanceSurvey1stEditionin1871.
TwoareasadjoiningtheLiddingtonHallsiteareidentifiedintheLandscapeCharacterAssessment.Thesearereferredtoas‘Inter-war/postwarsuburbs’and‘Post1960sresidentialestates’.Thecharacteroftheseareas,astheexistingbuiltcontextforthesite,isdescribedonthefollowingpage.
Liddington Hall Drive
Extract from Guildford Landscape Character Assessment & Guidance (2007). The diagram illustrates the expansion of the town in phases from the period of the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey (1871) to 2007.(Source: Guildford Borough Council)
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Sheepfold Road
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INTER-WAR/POST-WAR SUBURBS :
Themajorityoftheseareasabutandformtheurbanboundarywiththeurban/ruralfringeofGuildford.Theyhaveastrongvisualconnectionand influenceupontheseareasparticularlywherelocaltopographyallowsviewsintoorfromthesurroundingcountryside.
Street pattern is generally characterisedbywide streets of crescents, avenues andculdesacs.Oneofthemostnotable,andimportant,landscapeelementsisthefrontgardenwhichgives rise to the lushcharacterof thesesuburbs.Clippedhedgesaretypicalofthegardenboundariesandprovideaunifiedappearancealongthestreet.Thewidegrassverges,oftensupportingmaturetrees,arealsoanimportantfeatureofthesuburbs.
Keycharacteristics:• semi-detached properties and short red brick terraces are sometimes finished in
pebbledash or white render;• the buildings and streetscape are mostly constructed from mass produced materials;• wide grass verges with mature trees are important landscape elements;• front gardens and their boundaries (often clipped privet hedges) are an important
part of the street scene;• recreation grounds and parks provide public open space;• allotments and school playing grounds contribute to the leafy character of the
suburbs;• other landscape elements include small areas of woodland and native hedgerows
which contribute to the ‘rural’ character of the area and provide a link between town and country;
• views are framed along streets rather than across them, except where elevated• topography or where urban gaps allows longer distance views.TOWNSCAPE TYPE 8: Inter-war/Post-war Suburbs
Guildford Landscape Character AssessmentTownscape AssessmentConsultation Draft November 2006
TOWNSCAPE TYPE 8: Inter-war/Post-war Suburbs
Guildford Landscape Character AssessmentTownscape AssessmentConsultation Draft November 2006
POST 1960S RESIDENTIAL ESTATES:
ThistownscapetypehasbeencreatedinaperiodofsteadygrowthinresidentialaccommodationintheurbanareasofGuildfordandAshandTonghamfrom1960tothepresentday.Mostoftheareasinthistypeconsistofhousingestateswhichwerebuilt to infillbetweenolderareas for instanceof inter-war/post-warhousingorontheedgeoftheurbanarea.Mostestateswerebuiltallofapieceandshowthedesigninfluencesoftheirtime,forexampleFairlands.
Thestreetpatternischaracterisedbyanintricateandconfusinglayoutofshortstreets,crescentsandculdesacslinedbytwostoreydetachedhousesandshortterraces.Theearlierestateshavesubstantialfrontgardenswhileinlaterestatesbuildingstendhaveverynarrowgardens.Blocksofflatsaresituatedinclosesoffofmainarterialroutessurroundedbycommunalspace,parkingbaysandgarages.Thereisasimplehierarchyofroadsinthepost1960sEstateswithinteriorroadsformingamazelikemixofmarkedandunmarkedroadswithfrequentcul-de-sacsanddeadends.Theroadsarekerbedwithnarrowpavementsandsomehavegrassverges.
Keycharacteristics:• characterised by an intricate twisting pattern of short marked and unmarked roads and cul-de-sacs with major
arterial roads at the edges of the areas;• a mix of narrow and wide streets with pavements and sometimes narrow grass verges plus some segregated
pedestrian links and cut-throughs;• dense layout of detached houses, short terraces and blocks of flats as well as a few large scale commercial
buildings and 1-2 storey schools set in playing fields;• few landmark features contributing to a lack of orientation;• predominantly built of red brick, concrete, render and clay tile with some recent• buildings referring to historic and vernacular use of materials in their design;• garden treatments vary with some newer houses fronting directly onto the street while in other unbounded front
gardens are a feature;• other landscape elements include small areas of woodland which contribute to the enclosed, rural character of
some of the areas.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
TOWNSCAPE TYPE 8: Inter-war/Post-war Suburbs
Guildford Landscape Character AssessmentTownscape AssessmentConsultation Draft November 2006
TOWNSCAPE TYPE 9: Post 1960s Residential Estates
Guildford Landscape Character AssessmentTownscape AssessmentConsultation Draft November 2006
TOWNSCAPE TYPE 9: Post 1960s Residential Estates
Guildford Landscape Character AssessmentTownscape AssessmentConsultation Draft November 2006
Examples of inter-war/post-war suburbs Examples of post-1960s estates
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document
2.4 Landscape context
TheWorplesdonRural-UrbanFringeCharacterArea, as identified in theGuildford LandscapeCharacterAssessment&Guidance(2007),coverstherural-urbanfringenorth-westofGuildford,formingpartoftheLondonBasin. Itencompassesthedistinctivesandyheathsandcommonsandsmallfieldsextendingnorthandwestoftheurbanedge(JuniperClose)andincludesthesettlementsofWorplesdonandJacob’sWell,plustheagriculturalcollegeatMerristWood.ThegravelterracesoftheRiverWeyformtheeasternboundary.
TheWorplesdenSandyHeathsformadistinctlandscapetothenorth-westofGuildfordcomprisingamosaicofheathandwoodedcommonlandinterspersedwithareasofpastureandhorsegrazing,historicsettlement(Worplesden)andtheresidentialsuburbatJacob’sWell.Thelowlyingareaprovidesastrongcontrasttothechalklandscapestothesouthofthetown.ThecommonsaremostlydesignatedasSSSI (WhitmoorCommon)andcontainapatchworkofwoodland,scrubandmoreopenheathland.Originallyamoreextensiveopenheathlandlandscape,itwouldhavebeenmanagedbylocalcommonerswithgrazingrights.Declineingrazinghasresultedinamoremixedlandcovermosaicofscrub,heathandwoodland.Wherethecommonsadjointheurbanareatheyhaveanimportantfunctionincontainingtheurbanedgeandprovidingarapidphysicalandvisualtransitionbetweentownandcountry.
Thenorth-westernurbanedgeofGuildford isundistinguished,comprising inter-war/postwarsuburbsandmorerecentresidentialestateswithlow-risesuburbanhousing.Backgardensandfencesfromtheinterfacewithurbanareas.
Characterisedby its level, low-lyingtopography,thisareacannotgenerallybeperceivedfromwithintheurbanarea;likewisetheurbanedgeisrarelyvisiblefromwithinthearea.
Key Positive Landscape Attributes: ThekeypositivelandscapeattributeswithinWorplesdonRural–UrbanFringewhichshouldbeconservedandenhancedare:
• The commons with their habitat mosaic of heathland, woodland and scrub - biodiversity and historic interest, plus importance for recreation;
• Remnant historic landscape features including the Bronze Age barrow, plus more subtle features indicating the history of use and management of this area;
• The strong and distinctive landscape character on the edge of the town and strong contrast and abrupt transition between the compact densely developed urban area and an unsettled rural common land.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Liddington Hall siteExtract from Guildford Landscape Character Assessment & Guidance Final Report (January 2007)Volume 2: Rural-Urban Fringe Assessment
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No dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. Area measurements for indicative purposes only.
Wharf House, Wharf Road, Guildford www.alliance-plan.co.uk
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Land at Liddington HallGuildford College 1-9-14
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LAND AT LIDDINGTON HALLSITE CONTOURS - TOPOGRAPHY PLAN
72m
60m
55m
50m
50m
4
7m
45m
40m
2.5 Topography
Astheadjoiningdiagramillustrates,themajorityofthesiteonitswesternsideislargelylevel.ThegroundisthereforeconsistentinlevelwithadjoiningdevelopmentalongGravettsLane.
Theeasternhalfofthesiterisesfromapproximately45mAODto72mAOD.ThehighestpointofthesiteadjoinsRydesHillRoad,andtheeasternboundaryisformedbythereargardensofpropertiesalongRydesHillRoad,ClaytonDriveandRydesHillCrescent.Thesepropertiesthereforeformanexistingbuiltedgetothesitealongthishighergroundand,insomecases,formtheskylineinviewsfrombelow.
Despitethisexistingimpact,itwillneverthelessbeappropriatetoaccountfortherisinglevelsinrelationtothemasterplanningofthesiteandtoconsiderhowthedevelopmentmaybebetterabsorbed into its immediateandwidercontextby limiting theextentofdevelopmentonthehigherpartsofthesite.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
View of incline looking east View of incline looking west
Illustration of site topography (based on Ordnance Survey contours)
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document
2.6 Ecology
Awalkoversurveycompletedon20thAugust2014showedthesitetobedominatedbypoor semi-improved grasslandmanaged for hayborderedbydefunct and intact nativehedgerowsofvaryingspecies-richness.
A concrete access track and residential road bisected the site from north to south,residentialestatesborderedthesitetothenorth,eastandsouthontheeasternhalfofthesiteandGravettsLaneborderedthesitetothenorthandAldershotRoadborderedthesitetothesouthonthewesternhalfofthesite.
The site supports a range of commonly-occurring plant species with areas dominatedbyspeciestypicalofmanagedgrasslandsitesthroughoutlowlandBritain.Thegrasslandhabitatstobeaffectedbytheproposal,althoughtypicalofneutral,poorsemi-improvedgrasslands,areconsideredtobeofnospecialecologicalimportanceinawidercontexti.e.county,regionalornationallevel.
Theparcelsofwoodlandonsiteareconsideredtobeofnospecialecologicalimportanceinawidercontext,butareofecologicalvalueatthesitelevel;andpossiblyofgreatervalueshouldnotablefaunabefoundtoutilisethewoodland.
Additional detailed surveys in relation to evidence of Great Crested Newts, Bats andBadgerswillneedtobeundertaken,butnoneofthesewillprecludeearlydelivery.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Phase 1 Survey Plan (John Wenman Ecological Consultancy)
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2.7 Access
ATransportFeasibilityAppraisalhasbeenpreparedbyMotiontoconsidertheeffectsofresidentialdevelopmentonthissite.ThekeypointsidentifiedwithintheAppraisalinclude:
• The site is accessible by public transport, walking and cycling and there area number of local amenities available in the surrounding village centres.Improvementstoexistingpedestrianfacilitiestolinkthesitetotheseamenitiesislikelytobeappropriate.
• Itisconsideredthatthesitebenefitsfromaccesstoregularbusservicesandthatthereareopportunitiestotraveltothesitebytrainaspartofalinkedbusorcycletrip.
• SuitableandappropriateaccesstothesitecanbeachievedfromAldershotRoadandGravettsLaneinaccordancewithcurrentbestpracticeguidelines.
TheAppraisalconcludesthatthesiteiswellconnectedtoexistingservices,facilitiesandcommunities.Suitableaccesscanbeprovidedontotheadjoininghighways,andtheimpactofthedevelopmentonthewidertransportnetworkcanbeaccommodated.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Illustrative access planGeneral arrangement, new access Aldershot Road (Motion)
Key:
Principal access
Secondary access
Footpath
Other routes with public access
Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
2-VieweastupinclinetowardsrearofRydesHillCrescent
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document
2.8 Site photographs
The images on the following pages illustrate the existing site, including some of its existing features and neighbouring development.
The location of these views is indicated on the key plan below.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
1-ViewsouthalongLiddingtonHallDrive.
4-Viewnorth-eastfrompublicfootpathtorearofSimeClose3-Viewnorthalongfootpath,towardsGravettsLanePhotokeyplan
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Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
5-ViewwestfromfootpathtowardsGravettsLane. 7-ViewwestalongGravettsLane.6-Viewwestfromfootpathintowesternhalfofsite.
10-ViewnorthfromAldershotRoadtowardsGravettsLane.8-ViewfromGravettsLaneeastwards 9-ViewnorthalongGravettsLane.
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document
2.9 Density Comparables
Alldevelopmentsitesrepresentanopportunitytopreserveorenhancethecharacterandidentityofaplace.Thedesignresponseforasuccessfuldevelopmentsitewillneedtodrawonelementsofthecontextappraisal.Formanysites,theappropriatedesignsolutionwillbeoneembeddedintheexisting‘sitecontext’,andwhichcomplementsandblendswiththeexistingcharacterandidentityofthelocality.
AspirationsforthecharacteranddensityoftheproposedsiteatLiddingtonaretobedrawnfromtheanalysisofitslocalcontext.Whetherfittingin,strengtheningorenhancingtheexistingorcreatinganewidentity,theanalysisofthelocalcontextisvital.Anapproachthatfitstheproposeddevelopmentneatlyintotheexistingcharacterofthearea,wherethetypologymayneedtobefollowedascloselyaspossibletostrengthentheidentityandqualityoftheareawillbedrawnfromthisanalysistoinfluencethesitedevelopmentatLiddingtonHall.Thereforeadensitycomparablestudyhasbeenundertaken tobetterunderstand the local context in termsof theexistingdensities, urban form,building scale andmassing,streettypologiesandbuildingmaterialsthatimparttheareaitsuniquecharacter.Thefollowing,adjoininglocalneighbourhoodshavebeenconsideredforthispurpose;
Fairlandsisathelargestnewsettlement(neighbourhood)ofWorplesdonbasedon‘gardensuburbs’pattern.ItisavillagewithacivilparishcouncilintheBoroughofGuildford,Surrey,England.Theneighbourhoodiscentred2.6miles(4.2km)north-westofGuildfordandisabout15minuteswalktotheproposedsiteatLiddingtonHall.Fairlandshasaparadeofeightshops,apostoffice,adoctor’ssurgery,primaryschool,recreationgroundandcommunitycentre.Thesmallsettlementdevelopedinthe1930sfromfarmsandheath/woodlandontheinsidebendoftheAldershotRoadbydevelopingafewroadsofsemi-detachedhousesandbungalows.Fairlands’mainbuildingperiodwasaround1960whenmanymoreroadswerebuilt.
Rydeshill has been identified as a ‘post 1960sresidential estate’ in the Landscape CharacterAssessment.It issituatedonthenorthwesternedge of Guildford urban area and abuts thesite acrossAldershot Roadopposite LiddingtonLodgeas the rural/urban fringeofGuildford tothewest.
Woodbridge Hill hasbeen identifiedas a ‘postwar’suburbinLandscapeCharacterAssessment.It is situated in the north eastern part ofGuildford and is reached by two main feederroadsofftheAldershotRoad-Northway(tothenorthoftheAldershotRoad)andSouthway(tothe southof theAldershotRoad). It abuts andformstheeasternboundarytotheproposedsiteatLiddingtonHall.
Materials Predominantly built of red brick, concrete, render and clay tile with some recent buildings referring to historic and vernacular use of materials in their design;
Fairlands, Worplesdon (1970)
Streets
Buildings Higher number of detached and semi-detached units; Height varies from 2, 2.5 to 3 storeys; Limited range of architectural styles, often repeated;
Urban Form Regular perimeter blocks with strong building lines; Formal layout pattern; Uniform setbacks and building line around the block;
Density 22 dwellings per ha across sample tissue. 30 dwellings per ha at its most dense;
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Twisting pattern of short roads and cul-de-sacs joining major arterial roads; mix of narrow & wide streets with pavements and verges; features unbounded front gardens with varying depths, depending on the housetypes;
Keytodensitycomparableareas
FAIRLANDS
RYDES HILL
WOODBRIDGE
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Materials Maintain a simple palette of materials which is predominantly brick or render with clay tile roofs and a few concrete blocks of flats;
Woodbridge Hill, Guildford (Post War)
Streets Generally characterised by crescents, avenues and cul de sacs; Enclosed corridor views down roads framed by boundary walls, hedges and fences are typical;
Buildings Higher number of semi-detached house and short terraces.; Height is generally 2 storeys; Some Large detached houses of fairly uniform scale with local variations;
Urban Form Small perimeter blocks with consistent building lines; Mix of informal cul de sacs and formal main street layouts; Lesser degree of setbacks from the streets and pavements;
Density 55 dwellings per ha across sample tissue. 70 dwellings per ha at its most dense;
Materials Building materials include brick, render, timber frame and occasionally stone with clay or slate roof tiles used to reflect a vernacular style.
Rydes Hill, Guildford (1960s)
Streets
Narrow winding roads (often private) are generally unmarked and with marked kerbs and footpaths; Street and garden trees and hedges of native species reflect the underlying rural character;
Buildings Mainly detached houses and semi-detached houses of fairly uniform scale, although with local variations, are set in wide fronted plots;
Urban Form Irregular perimeter blocks with less formal building lines; Informal layout pattern; Houses setback from the streets and pavements;
Density 35 dwellings per ha across sample tissue. 40 dwellings per ha at its most dense;
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
No dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. Area measurements for indicative purposes only.
Wharf House, Wharf Road, Guildford www.alliance-plan.co.uk
Constraints & opportunities53065306-004-
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Land at Liddington HallGuildford College 1-9-14
land given to Parish Council for provision of public recreation area
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LAND AT LIDDINGTON HALLCONSTRAINTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Chitty’sCommon
Liddington Hall
*KEY :
THE SITE BOUNDARY
MAIN VEHICULAR ROADS
PRESERVED LANDSCAPE FEATURES
POTENTIAL VEHICULAR ACCESS POINTS
EXISTING BACK GARDENS OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS
RETAINED LANDSCAPE BUFFERS/HEDGEROWS
POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP PEDESTRAIN/CYCLE ROUTES
POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ACTIVE FRONTAGES
PROPOSED MAIN ACCESS ROUTES
EXISTING WATERBODIES
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
KEY VIEWS
EXISTING LANDSCAPE
GRADE II LISTED BUILDING
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Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
KEY :
THE SITE BOUNDARY
MAIN VEHICULAR ROADS
ACCESS ROUTES
POTENTIAL PRESERVED LANDSCAPE FEATURE
PROPOSED VEHICULAR ACCESS POINTS
EXISTING BACK GARDENS ADJOINING SITE
PROPOSED ACCESS ROUTES
PROPOSED PEDESTRAIN/CYCLE ROUTES
POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ACTIVE FRONTAGES
EXISTING WATER BODIES
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
EXISTING LANDSCAPE FEATURES
KEY VIEWS
GRADE II LISTED BUILDING*
KEY :
THE SITE BOUNDARY
MAIN VEHICULAR ROADS
ACCESS ROUTES
POTENTIAL PRESERVED LANDSCAPE FEATURE
PROPOSED VEHICULAR ACCESS POINTS
EXISTING BACK GARDENS ADJOINING SITE
PROPOSED ACCESS ROUTES
PROPOSED PEDESTRAIN/CYCLE ROUTES
POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ACTIVE FRONTAGES
EXISTING WATER BODIES
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
EXISTING LANDSCAPE FEATURES
KEY VIEWS
GRADE II LISTED BUILDING*
Not to scale
3.0 Constraints and Opportunities 20
The assessments of the site and its physical characteristics should inform theemergingproposalsforpotentialdevelopment.Identifyingthephysical‘constraints’todevelopmentareparticularlyimportantindefiningthelayout,scale,contentandcharacterofafuturescheme.Thelevelofconstraintwhichexistingfeaturesimposewilldependontheirsignificance,buttheyshouldalwaysbeidentifiedintheearlystagesofaproposaltoensurethataschemeiswellinformed.
Adevelopmentsitecanalsogiverisetoanumberofpositiveopportunitiesindesignterms,utilising the site’s characteristics to informa suitableandbeneficialdesignresponse.Insomecases,thismayrelatetothepositionandorientationofexistingbuiltformadjoiningthesite,thepresenceofexistinglandscapeordrainagefeaturesorviewsacrossthesitetoparticularlandmarks.
In this instance, issues of landscape, topography and linkage are of particularimportancetothedesignprocess.Thepotentialforthesetobeintegratedwithinanappropriatedevelopmentlayoutishighlightedatthisstageandshouldbemaintainedthroughthedesignevolution.
Thehistoricfieldpatterns,evidentinexistinglandscapedboundaries,areoneoftheexisting‘structural’considerationsofthesite’scharacter.Theseareshownindicativelyinthediagramtotheright,andshouldhelptoinformthelocation,layoutandscaleofproposedbuiltform.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Illustrative landscape framework based on existing trees and hedgerows
Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
Guildford College of Further & Higher EducationNo dimensions are to be scaled from this drawing. Area measurements for indicative purposes only.
Wharf House, Wharf Road, Guildford www.alliance-plan.co.uk
Illustrative concept layout53065306-005-
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Land at Liddington HallGuildford College 1-9-14
land given to Parish Council for provision of public recreation area
drawn by :
checked by:
scale:
APCSnts
LAND AT LIDDINGTON HALLILLUSTRATIVE CONCEPT LAYOUT
Chitty’sCommon
Liddington Hall
KEY :
SITE BOUNDARY
MAIN ROUTES
ACCESS ROUTES
RETAINED
PROPOSED VEHICULAR ACCESS
KEY FRONTAGES
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTPARCEL
PEDESTRIANACCESS
PROPOSED NEW PUBLIC OPEN SPACE/COMMON
EXISTING WATERBODIES
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
EXISTING GREEN OPEN SPACE
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Not to scale
4.0 Development Concept 22
The development concept plan alongside provides an early indication of the locationand extent of built form, basedon the assessment of the site, and the constraints andopportunitiesarisingfrominitialanalysis.
Oneof thekeyparameters forguiding the locationofdevelopment is theavailabilityofvehicularaccess.Twolocationsareshown:theprimaryfromAldershotRoad,andtwofurthersecondaryaccessesfromGravettsLane.Theseaccesspointswouldservethemajorityofthedevelopmentlocatedonthewesternhalfofthesite.Theywouldalsoprovideforaccesstoamorelimitedextentofbuiltformontheeasternsideofthesite.ThislatterareamayprovidefrontageontoLiddingtonHallDrivesetbehindabufferofexistinglandscapingandadditionalopenspace.Theexistingopenareatotheeastofthesitewouldbemaintainedasopenspace,adjoiningexistingdevelopment,and forminga linkbetween theexistinglandscaping,woodlandandinformalfootpathroutes.
The development layout is based around the formationof traditional perimeter blocks,maximisingactivefrontagetothepublicrealmandformingtraditionalstreets.Appropriateedgetreatmentsandbufferswouldbeformedtoexistingsiteboundariesandfrontagestomaintainasenseofopennessaroundthesite,andthestreetsanddensitywouldreflectthelocalcontext.
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
Precedent examples of built form and open space
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Not to scale
5.0 Illustrative Masterplan 24
Theillustrativemasterplanbeginstoshow,inmoredetail,howthedevelopmentconceptcouldevolveintoanarrangementofdevelopmentblocks.Itshowshowalayoutcanrespondtothecontainmentprovidedbyexistingboundaryplanting,andhowdevelopmentcanbelaidoutintraditional‘perimeter’blockformtocreateaseriesofconnectedstreetsandspaces.
Theprinciplesofthemasterplandemonstratethemeansbywhichtheproposeddevelopmentcouldbeformedwithrespectfortheexistingcontext,bothintermsofconnectivityandtoensurethatbuiltformiscontainedwithinareaswhichwillminimisevisualimpactontheimmediateandwidercontext.
Theretentionofthelandalongtheeasternedgeofthesiteasopenspacewilllimittheextentofbuiltformonhigherground,butwillalsomaintainanexistingamenityforthecommunityinRydesHill.
AlongGravettsLane,carewouldbetakentomaintainexistingboundaryplantingtoretainthe‘rural’ character of this route. In addition, existing,mature planting and a significant bufferof open spacewould bemaintained along Aldershot Road to limit the visual impact of thedevelopment.Similarly,alongtheAldershotRoadfrontage,themaximumexistinglandscapingwouldberetainedtomaintainthecharacterofthisrouteontheapproachtothetown.
Withinthesite,thebuiltformwouldbesetwithinaframeworkofopenspaceandlandscaping,tocreateadevelopmentwhoseidentityderivesfromthesite’sexistingcharacteristics.Thedetaileddesign of the schemewould pay careful attention to the principles set out in theGuildfordBoroughResidentialDesignGuide(2004).
Guildford College of Further & Higher Education
Extract from Guildford Borough Residential Design Guide (2004).
Liddington Hall Design Concept Document
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College
6.0 Conclusion
Theillustrativemasterplandemonstratestheprinciplesunderpinningaresidentialdevelopmentofthissite.
By responding to existing physical characteristics and potential opportunities for access andimprovedconnectivity,thedevelopmentcanbeaccommodatedsuccessfullywithinitscontext.
Themasterplanillustratesthattheproposeddevelopmentcanbelocatedanddesignedsoastomaintainorenhancethesite’sexistingrelationshipswithadjoining landuse.This includestheprovisionofappropriaterelationshipswithadjoiningresidentialcommunities,andalsotheretention and enhancement of public open spacewhere it performs an important visual orlandscaperole;thisisparticularlyrelevantintheretentionofthehigherlandoneasternpartofthesitefreefrombuiltform,andalsointheformationofadeeplandscapedbufferalongbothAldershotRoadandGravettsLane.
Themasterplanalsoindicatesthepotentialtodeliveradevelopmentofupto625unitsbasedondensitiesofbetween30and35dwellingsperhectare.Theexactnumberofdeliverableunitswoulddependonfurtherdetailedworkandtheagreementofappropriatedensities,unittypesandsizesacrosstheschemeasawhole.
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Liddington Hall Concept Design Document Guildford College