NEWS RELEASES
Consultation on design statement for Horsham town
23 April 2008
FROM 25 April the public will have the opportunity to comment on the draft Design Statement for Horsham which will have a major influence on the nature and design of future developments in the town.
The Design Statement provides a guide to the character of the town and explains what makes our buildings and townscapes distinctive. It suggests how the planning and design of future changes, large and small, can respect and enhance what we value about our buildings, street scenes and open spaces.
It will help councillors, officials, developers and residents to know what is expected of new developments and, once approved by Horsham District Council, it will become part of the planning policy when planning applications are assessed.
The statement has been produced by a steering committee, including representatives of the three Neighbourhood Councils, North Horsham Parish Council, and the Horsham Society, supported and advised by officers from the District Council. It builds on the Neighbourhood Character Assessments prepared by the Neighbourhood Councils in 2005, augmented to include Holbrook and Roffey within North Horsham Parish, and comments received following a successful public exhibition in Swan Walk last Spring.
Copies are being sent to a number of organisations within the District and to individuals who have expressed an interest in keeping in touch with the work.
The Design Statement can be downloaded from the Horsham District Council website, and are available for viewing at the Library or Horsham District Council Offices at Park North.
Comments should be sent by post to Design Statement, Millennium Hall, Crawley Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4DT, by email to designstatement@horshamsociety.org or telephone 01403 272814.
The consultation period will end on 30 May.
Diane Sumpter, Chair of Forest Neighbourhood Council, said
"We cannot prevent change but it can be managed to ensure future developments, large and small, respect and enhance the streetscene and the overall environment.
"We have worked hard to identify what we believe is special about Horsham and how change can be successfully managed, but we now need the public to tell us if we have got it right."
Ends
Contact: John Steele on 01403 272814 or 07854 790220
Note to editors from Horsham District Council
The Design Statement will eventually be adopted by Horsham District Council as a Supplementary Planning Document forming part of the Council's Local Development Framework.