WBDP036-2011 Appendix 2 Standing Conference Workshop Notes Whitehill Bordon Standing Conference 1 December 2011: Workshop Report A. Quebec Barracks draft Development Principles Summary The workshop was attended by 15 local stakeholders including representatives from parish, town, district and county councils, Specialist Groups, the garrison and the Ministry of Defence, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (MoD DIO). The group was given a summary of the high level objectives, the local views and scheme features identified at the previous Standing Conference workshop in September, and how these had been translated into draft development principles. The principles cover the site requirements and a range of site features that would contribute to the Eco-town vision and targets. A discussion then focused on the priority features the group felt should be considered in the site development. Design approaches were also highlighted. A summary of these are given below. Priority Features Two new priorities were strongly proposed by the group:
The subway under the A325 should be retained as either an underpass or the future developer could propose suitable, creative alternative uses.
The site is within a large housing area with few local opportunities for people to meet and socialise. A community facility, such as cafĂŠ or social club, is needed as central place for people to meet and to build community spirit. This could be accommodated within a business centre building.
A number of proposed site requirements and features in the draft Development Principles were supported:
The provision of some form of employment space which could also contain space for business training (and a cafĂŠ - see point above).
Broadband provision should be next generation super-fast broadband.
The green corridor should be clearly defined as the strip between the boundary with the A325 Camp Road and the inner service road.
Play space needs to be provided on site.
Footpaths and links to neighbouring facilities and communities are important and could link to the nearby green spaces. K:\Corporate Shared Folders\Whitehill Bordon\011 Meetings\Delivery Board Partners: EAST HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL, WHITEHILL TOWN COUNCIL, WHITEHILL TOWN PARTNERSHIP, MINISTRY of DEFENCE, HOMES & COMMUNITIES AGENCY - 51 -
Design Approaches As well as site requirements and features the discussion also touched on the design of the development. It was noted that this level of detail would be developed in future work including linking to the Neighbourhood Quality Charter and a possible workshop. The building design on the development needs to be visually pleasant and creative. Other design points to be considered included the mix of housing tenure and size and the treatment of the site access and junction with the A325. Additional Points It was felt that the name Quebec should be retained as it is an important link to the town’s history with the MoD. The possible need for a medical centre was raised and could be a potential use on the site. Allotments have been proposed as a feature for the new development however whether these would be permissible needs to be checked against the site’s contamination report. Conclusions The group stressed that this first site is crucial in making a statement about the town’s future and will need to be desirable and attractive to encourage people to move here. This will mean ensuring the right features are provided on the development. It will not be possible to accommodate every use and feature on this site and it should not be used to redress all the imbalances and meet all the needs which should fall to the wider Eco-town, therefore it needs to be seen in the context of a demonstrator site. In the workshop the group did identify and agree two priorities; the retention of the subway under the A325 and the need to provide a café / social meeting place on site. Many of the additional points and design approaches which the group discussed will be subject to further detailed work as the plans for the scheme are developed and refined.
Recommendations As a result of the workshop it is recommended that:
The draft development brief is amended to include: o The retention of the subway under the A325. o A café / social club as a community facility on the site possibly as part of a business centre.
A design workshop is organised to link the site to the Neighbourhood Quality Charter.
The name Quebec is retained in the name of the new development. K:\Corporate Shared Folders\Whitehill Bordon\011 Meetings\Delivery Board Partners: EAST HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL, WHITEHILL TOWN COUNCIL, WHITEHILL TOWN PARTNERSHIP, MINISTRY of DEFENCE, HOMES & COMMUNITIES AGENCY - 52 -