Village Design Statement

On Saturday 28th of June, the Dore Village Society is organising a Design Day Workshop in the Church Hall, Townhead Road. This will provide an interesting and hopefully fun opportunity to join in the process of preparing ‘The Village Design Statement’.

The aim will be to focus on the essential character of Dore, by looking more carefully at different parts of the village and describing their special features and character.

This information will then make a valuable contribution to providing guidance to developers and planners when designing or deciding on future new developments.

In order to get as many people as possible involved, the day has been organised in such a way that you may come for the whole day, or just the morning or afternoon.

Be sure to make this a date in your diary.

Outline Village Design Day programme:

9.30am Meet at the Church Hall – coffee & tea provided.

10am Brainstorming session on the village character.

11am Small teams make photographic surveys of areas of the village.

1 pm Relax with your packed lunch in the Church Hall – tea or coffee.

2 pm Discussion within team’s of their findings.

2.30pm Collate and present conclusions for other teams to see.

3.30pm Finish

Everyone in the village can contribute to the Village Design Statement by providing their views on the special character of Dore and their neighbourhood. Enclosed with this copy of ‘Dore to Door’ is a short questionnaire. If you value your local environment, please complete this and return it by hand or post to the addresses provided.

It would also aid arrangements for the Village Design Day on the 28th June if you would indicate your willingness to come to the workshop at some time during the day by calling 262 1127.

David Crosby

Ashfurlong Road Traffic

One of the conditions attached to the initial granting of planning permission for development on the site of ‘Blue Ridge’, was that a one-way system be introduced on part of Ashfurlong Road i.e. between the junction with Dore Road and Cavendish Avenue.

Currently traffic moves with some caution on this stretch of road, in anticipation that it might meet vehicles coming in the other direction. The Dore Village Society feels that removal of this disincentive to speed would undoubtedly put pedestrians at an increased risk given the absence of a footpath.

We therefore wrote to the Council in January stressing our view that there should be proper consultation with local residents and the society, outside the planning process, before any decision was reached. We believe issues of safety and the preservation of the very nature of our last historic lane in the area, should be worthy of more than a sideline to a housing development.

Sadly this request was ignored and notice of a proposed traffic order posted on the roadside in April. We have subsequently written again asking for this to be withdrawn pending proper public consultation (many people will be unaware of the proposed traffic order) and evidence as to what alternatives or modifications to the road have been considered.

Planning matters

Got the blues. There has recently been a new application for the 'Blue Ridge' site. This time the developer has applied for consent for proposals that are a variation on the plans that recently received Planning Consent for development with five flats and ten detached houses. This time there is a proposal to vary the approved development by providing six flats and nine houses. The changes would be achieved, firstly by providing two flats in the space occupied by one flat on the second floor of the approved block of flats. There would be no change in the envelope or mass of this building, the flats would just be smaller.

Secondly the number of houses on the site is proposed to be reduced by removing one house, adjusting the boundaries on the plots and building a larger house on the resultant larger plot. Thirdly, the developer proposes to build conservatories attached to some of the houses.

As reported in the Spring issue of Dore to Door one condition that was placed on the recent Consent was the intention to make Ashfurlong Road into a ‘one way street’ between Dore Road and Cavendish Avenue. Maybe the planners will have second thoughts when they deal with this new application (see the comments elsewhere in this issue).

Feeling full. A Planning Application has been made by the owners of the former vicarage, 234 Abbeydale Road South, for the demolition of the existing building and the erection of 30 two bedroom flats. The property is nearly opposite the bottom of Twentywell Lane.

Apart from being four and partly five storeys in height, the development is on a site which is only 0.23 hectares (0.57 acres in real money) in size. Normal development expectations are for about 30 units to the hectare, and thus the application here is for a density four times as great. Are there no limits to an applicant's aspirations?

The Society has objected on the grounds of over development of the site in respect of the number of flats, the height of the buildings, and the consequent excess of traffic generated at the already difficult junction of Abbeydale Road South and Twentywell Lane.

Sounds bad. The developers of the new King Ecgbert School have applied for an amendment to one of the conditions on the recent Planning Consent. The existing condition prevented any activity within the property that causes a noise outside the buildings. The particular concern, and the reason for the condition, is the nuisance that would be caused to neighbours. There is already a history of concerns in the locality about excessive noise from discos at the present school buildings. The application is for the condition to be waived on occasions when permitted by the Planning Authority.

Feeling better. You may recall our concerns, expressed in this column in the Spring Issue, about the planning application to build a bungalow in the back garden of 122 Busheywood Road. We objected strongly as the plot (fronting Gilleyfield Avenue) was far too small for an additional property. We were pleased that the application was recently refused by the Council on the grounds of over development of the site.

David Heslop

Go to Dore to Door Past Issues