|
Hurst is a huge parish covering around 3,500 acres of land bordered
in the north by the railway line at Twyford to the A329(M)
and Coppid Beech roundabout in the south,
and from the River Loddon in the west
to the Straight Mile and edge of Binfield in the east.
Inevitably there have been changes during the past centuries affecting this area,
for instance the creation of the current St Nicholas Hurst parish
when Broadhinton and Whistley Green joined in the 1890s.
Houses have been built, houses have been destroyed,
buildings erected for one purpose now have another, roads have been widened,
and field boundaries modified.
Hurst has grown and changed and it will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
What was once a fairly self-contained, predominantly agricultural community,
its people working within the village area, with its own shops, services and tradesmen,
is a thing of the past.
Now, agriculture needs a tiny fraction of the manpower it once did,
and Hurst is a mixed community mostly looking beyond its boundaries to earn a crust,
obtain its goods and services (but thank Heaven for the Village Shops!),
and make its entertainment.
What is going to happen in Hurst during this century?
The Parish Council in conjunction with the Village Society has decided to produce
a Parish Design Statement that sets out the desires of the residents of the parish
in respect of the continuing development throughout Hurst.
The Parish Design Statement would be incorporated into local planning
and used to assess future development proposals along with the statutory Local Plans.
For all of us, there are things about Hurst that we like a lot,
that help to make it what it is, that perhaps provide some continuity
or consistency in the street scene;
these are things that we should try to conserve,
just as there are other aspects that need improvement.
As the world changes, and pressures for development in our area increase,
we have a chance to say what is important.
|
 |
A Planning and Design Working Group with members from all over the parish
has been set up to produce the Parish Design Statement which will capture these issues.
To carry any weight the Planning and Design Statement must be the result
of the widest possible consultation throughout the Parish.
Public consultation is vital
During November the Working Group held open forum meetings in the Village,
Davis Street and Ashridge Wards. Nearly 60 people attended and talked
to the Working Group members, and 16 written responses received so far.
If you were not able to attend one of the meetings and would like to contribute ideas,
please contact
Howard Larkin at Quest Cottage, Hinton Road (0118 934 xxxx, or email),
or
John Lemon at The Old Pound, Whistley Green (0118 934 xxxx or email).
Completed response forms can be sent to Howard or John.
Many people expressed concern at the effect of further development
on the already stretched infrastructure of services here,
as well as the growth and speed of traffic, not just along the main roads,
but also through the country lane "rat runs".
There were many ideas on how to keep the best of what we have,
and how to add to it so that Hurst continues to be a good place to live.
How can you get involved?
What are the next steps?
The Working Group needs help from residents to carry out a survey
to identify and collect evidence of the important aspects and character
of the Parish will be carried out in late January and February.
Small groups of people will walk all areas of the Parish,
identifying both what is good and what isn't, taking photographs as evidence.
From this the Group will begin to develop design principles based on the existing character.
If you would like to be part of these groups, please contact
Howard
or
John.
The Working Group will also be talking to other interested parties in the Parish,
as well as to the utility companies,
to try to get a comprehensive picture of St Nicholas Hurst,
and what it needs to do to meet the needs of all its people into the 21st Century.
|
