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Scores of Hurst residents will be on the roads, footpaths and bridleways of Hurst
during February taking photographs and making notes of all they see
that evokes the character of the village and parish of Hurst.
This is the first public stage of the creation of the Parish, or Village, Design Statement
which is being organised by St. Nicholas Hurst Parish Council
with the support of Hurst Village Society.
The Parish Design Statement, when completed, will be recognised by
Wokingham District Council
as an important planning document
to be consulted and used as guidance when considering new development in the parish.
Howard Larkin who is leading the Design Statement Working Group
is careful to point out that "Parish" and "Village" are one and the same
for the purposes of this work.
"The final document will be a comprehensive statement of the village or parish character,"
explained Howard Larkin.
"It will include the siting, scale, mass of buildings and the context
in which they are set. Of course we will cover the landscape of Hurst,
the ponds, fields, trees and open spaces between the areas of settlement."
The survey timetable
Around 40 volunteers will be taking to the highways and byways of the parish
to cover the three electoral wards of the village
- Village, Ashridge and Davis Street -
to complete the survey during February,
and return their photographs and notes to the Working Group on 5 March.
During April the Working Group will publish a first draft of the Design Statement
and invite residents of Hurst and Wokingham District Council planning officers
to make comments and suggestions. This feedback will be considered for inclusion
in the second draft, which will also be available for public consultation.
By September the Working Group intends to have completed the consultation.
They will involve the District Council planners during this stage to ensure
that the final draft will meet planning laws and is likely to receive recognition
by the planning authority.
The Parish Design Statement should be published in December this year
so that it can be implemented as quickly as possible.
Why we need a Parish Design Statement
Wokingham District Council is under great pressure from central Government
to find suitable land for 7,750 new homes to be built before 2006.
This is a daunting target and comes about because of the
DETR refusal
to allow most of these homes to be built on sites south of the M4
in the parishes of Shinfield, Swallowfield and Grazeley as WDC had originally intended.
This means that villages and towns in WDC are now under pressure to accommodate
as many of the 7,000+ homes as possible.
Hurst has had considerable new development in the past 10 years,
mostly within the Settlement i.e. within the centre of the village.
The parish of Hurst is made up small hamlets and settlements
that together comprise the largest parish (in acreage) in the District.
Undoubtedly, developers will be looking at ways in which they can in-fill
and join up the hamlets and settlements.
With the Parish Design Statement to hand,
giving authoritative and knowledgeable guidance about the local character,
diversity and environment, Wokingham District Council can ensure
that new developments are designed and constructed in a way that is sympathetic
with the local character and environment.
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Unique character of Hurst
Most people who live in Hurst choose to do so because
they value the unique character of the village - or parish -
with its trees and open fields between settlements of houses.
The diversity of Hurst,
from Whistley Green in the north to Forest Road in the south,
the River Loddon at the western boundary and Straight Mile on the east
takes in a variety of landscapes, building styles, and features.
Inevitably there will be some changes to Hurst during the coming years.
New homes will be built, farmers will want to erect new buildings,
people will want to extend and alter their homes.
Whatever the scale and type of new development,
the Parish Council believes that two important principles apply.
These are: new buildings should follow in the traditions of their setting,
reflecting the important characteristics that make each locality special
and different from other places; standard designs,
which could belong in any suburb or industrial estate are not appropriate
in the countryside.
How the survey is being done
Teams of people have been organised to survey the parish;
each team has been given one of the electoral wards.
The survey will include:
an exploration of the values that we ascribe to different parts
of the village buildings and spaces;
and a description of the things we see around the parish
which are important in creating its individual character.
Some people will be looking at the village as though they are seeing it for the first time.
They have been asked to design a route for a visitor
so that they get a clear and honest impression of what Hurst is like.
Others will use their local knowledge to photograph and note examples
of the diversity and character of the parish.
Landmarks such as trees, the Church, particular hedges, buildings, a wall,
decorative sign or even topiary will be recorded.
The Parish Council has funded the survey, and provided the volunteers with film and maps.
Photographs taken during February may not necessarily appear in the final document,
as the Working Group intends to commission a photographer
to take pictures for publication.
Once completed, the survey photographs will be collated
under the headings of Landscape, Settlement Pattern and Spaces, and Buildings.
Notes of people's views and feelings about the character of Hurst
which help to describe the photographs will contribute to the statement.
These will be brought together at the next meeting on Monday 5 March.
Hurst is not alone in creating a Parish Design Statement.
Wargrave produced one a few years ago which the parish council
says has been helpful in ensuring that new development
is in tune with the character of the village.
Design Statements are used as planning guidance in environmentally sensitive areas
such as the Cotswolds, Cambridgeshire, and the Peak District.
In the past 30 years Hurst has had village statements,
but they did not have the recognition or authority that the Parish Design Statement will.
If you would like to take part in the survey,
or contribute in any other way to the Parish Design Statement
please contact one of the organisers:
Howard Larkin 0118 934 xxxx, or howard@larkinassoc.freeserve.co.uk,
or to
John Lemon 0118 934 xxxx or john@lemons.force9.co.uk.
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