Bognor Regis Eco Quarter

Arun

Outline application for a mixed-use development including 2,500 new homes, business, education, retail, leisure and recreation uses, health andcommunity uses, and open space. Designed by Atkins.

Summary

Notwithstanding the policy and political considerations of extending Bognor Regis, we support the principle of building to the north of the town with a development that makes connections with the town centre. The proposed masterplan, however, is unresolved in a number of areas, including an unconvincing case for the relief road and an overly uniform urban block layout. It is also not apparent how the physical, social and economic assessment that begins the design and access statement has translated into an equally progressive masterplan that puts sustainability at the heart of the design. We regret to say that we cannot support the planning application in its current form. We suggest that before the planning application is considered any further, careful attention is given to the following points.

Bognor Regis relief road

We think a convincing case has yet to be made for the relief road to the west of the site. While discussions may have concluded with sound reasons for the route as proposed, it is not apparent why this solution is considered to be the best. It is not clear, for example, why a road to the west of the site is more effective than bringing traffic through the development. Traffic, if designed into a development sensitively, can add vitality to a place. By bringing the road into the development, it may also be possible for passing trade to help sustain the local neighbourhood centre proposed. We are concerned that the relief road as it is currently proposed, may take trade way from the centre, creating an uneconomic heart to the development.

We are also concerned that the relief road could be destructive to the landscape and create a hard and impermeable edge to the development. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that the road will be given a specific character, either as a street or an avenue. Furthermore, despite the pedestrian crossings proposed, we think it is unlikely that residents, especially children, will choose to cross this busy road to access the sports facilities and recreational spaces to the west.

Urban form

We think the overall layout of the development is overly uniform with little hierarchy in the blocks, routes and spaces which is likely to result in a generic sense of place and character. It is also not clear how the urban blocks will relate to the existing urban grain of the surrounding residential areas. We are not convinced, therefore, that the development will respect the scale and character of the existing urban areas, and whether the new settlement will evolve from the existing residential area or carry a distinct identity and urban grain of its own. While design codes and the more detailed stages of design can introduce character and distinctiveness, the skeleton of the masterplan must be robust to make this possible. Defining the shape and size of the urban blocks is the first step to defining character. It is important that the block sizes, together with the widths and lengths of streets and the position of the open spaces combine to form a hierarchy that helps to make the settlement legible and that can support the change in density and character across the site. How a gradation in urban form between the residential and mixed use areas is achieved also needs to be established before the more detailed design stage is pursued.

It is not clear from the information provided, how vehicle, pedestrian and cycle routes have been designed into the development. The emphasis on a new relief road suggests that accommodating the car has been a priority. The form and layout of the development should help to create a sustainable development that will offer a new way to live and work. Issues such as road design, vehicle access to plots and buildings, vehicle parking and public transport contribute to the character of the site. These issues, therefore, should be addressed at this early stage of design. Car parking is particularly difficult to accommodate within a development, especially as densities increase. Car parks should be designed to contribute positively to public amenity; parking courts that can reduce activity on streets and prevent beneficial overlooking from ground floor windows should be avoided.

Trees and landscape

Landscape is an important component of design that should not be devolved to the later stages of design. Given the flat nature of the existing site, any proposed trees and landscaping will be clearly visible across the site. The masterplan, therefore, needs to be underpinned by a robust landscape strategy that sets out how structural landscaping will help to define the character of the development. This should also communicate a clear idea for how trees will help to reinforce people’s understanding of the place and humanise the built environment.

Uses

We are surprised that a zoned approach to uses, locating the majority of the employment to the north of the site and the sports and recreational facilities to the west of the site, is being proposed. It seems that locating the recreational facilities to the west of the development has been done for cosmetic reasons (ie to screen the development from long distance views) rather than because it is considered a good location for these facilities. Successful communities require a full range of local services and facilities that are conveniently sited and connected to residential areas. We recommend that a more sustainable approach is taken, that combines the primary activities of living and working, which in turn could support a range of secondary uses (eg leisure and community based uses) as well as help to make a place.

We think locating the mixed use centre at a road intersection could be successful. We are concerned, however, that this centre is a long way from the existing residents. This limits the opportunities for shared facilities and has every potential, to create an inward looking development that repeats the problems already seen at Aldwick.

Sustainability

By virtue of the scale of the development and the timescales involved, there is an opportunity for this project to become an exemplar sustainable housing development. We are disappointed that despite being labelled an ‘eco-quarter’, sustainability does not appear to have had a strong influence on the design of the development. A comprehensive assessment of the physical, social and economic context is represented in the design and access statement, however, we are not convinced that this has translated into an equally progressive masterplan. Factors such as density appear to have had a much greater influence on the design.

Phasing and implementation

It is particularly pertinent in the current economic climate that the phasing strategy is realistic and that at each stage, residents have a coherent community to live on and are therefore connected to services and facilities, with easy access back into the town centre. The masterplan also needs to be flexible to accommodate changes in growth over time; we recommend therefore that the masterplan is supported by a robust implementation strategy. This should set out how relevant aspects of the application will be adhered to at the appropriate stage and what controls will be put in place to guide the design of individual blocks when other design teams become involved.