Section 5: Opportunities

Back to The Neighbourhood Plan

During the preparation of the Plan a number of opportunities for the positive enhancement of the area have emerged and these are listed below. They are not planning policies but ideas and schemes many of which will require the proactive involvement of Haslemere Town Council, Waverley Borough Council and/or Surrey County Council as well as local community organisations.

The purpose of recording them within the Plan is to encourage the community to continue to pursue these improvements. In many ways, they represent the most positive and tangible ways in which we can change the form and function of the area for the better in the next 20 years.

Housing, commerce and streetscape design

Opportunities

Additional information

Potential Partners

1. Wey Hill Fairground

The community consultation produced a strong vote (44%) in favour of creating a new community- focused development on the Wey Hill Fairground site while a smaller group (31%) favoured WBC’s proposal for a resurfaced, pay and display car park.

The site provides a unique opportunity for the development of a new public space within Haslemere, and it is a long-term goal of Haslemere Vision to develop this site for mixed residential, commercial and community use and parking.

WBC, as the landowner, should do nothing to the site that would prejudice its future redevelopment or build infrastructure on the site that it could not easily ‘write off’ should a development proposal come forward.

HTC have formed a working party to investigate options for the site.

WBC
Developers
HTC
Community organisations

2. Relocation of industrial uses north of the station

The industrial land north of the station is located in the geographical centre of the town. Given the shortage of good land suitable for housing close to the centre of town and the station, this site, if it became available, would be a prime location.

Tied to such a redevelopment would be the need to find an alternative location for at least as much employment land, preferably in a place that would not draw heavy goods vehicles into the centre of town. Given that these businesses receive most of their supplies by road, a location near the A3 seems the best alternative.

During redevelopment consideration could be given to including a safe cycle/pedestrian route between Wey Hill and Haslemere High Street and possible access to the station from the north side.

This site would be a good location for affordable housing which could be developed in conjunction with a community land trust to ensure the housing remains affordable in perpetuity.

Developers
Community Land Trusts

3.Haslemere Design Statement and public realm design guide

The Haslemere Design Statement was adopted in July 2012. Before the end of this Plan the statement should be reviewed and if necessary updated. In addition, a public realm design guide should be prepared covering public spaces, streetscape, street furniture/signage and lighting in order to create a more attractive and user-friendly street environment.

HTC
Haslemere Vision (HV)

4.Develop a central design brief

Given the various plans and opportunities for the area between Wey Hill and the High Street, the 3 strategic housing sites, the Fairground, the station, the industrial area north of the station and the potential new pedestrian route, it might be valuable to undertake the creation of an integrated design brief for the entire area to guide developments as they occur for the benefit of the whole.

HTC
HV
WBC

5.Development plan for Hindhead and Beacon Hill

Given the pressures on the Beacon Hill shopping area caused by the redevelopment of retail premises into residential property and the developments potentially taking place on sites identified there, a development plan for Hindhead and Beacon Hill should be written and consideration given to gathering evidence to support the designation of Tilford Road and London Road Hindhead as a local centre.

HTC
HV

6. Long-term housing needs

The Plan lasts to 2032, however the town will have housing/employment needs beyond that date. While Waverley’s Local Plan will demonstrate that the target housing numbers can be achieved via a combination of existing planning permissions, key site developments and windfall this may not be the case beyond 2031. Therefore, it would be prudent for the community to consider site(s) outside the settlement boundaries that in the long term offer the best location(s) for new development preserving the environment and ecology of the area and affording an opportunity for sustainable development. The community should conduct further investigation and consultation on future development sites well ahead of the end of the current Plan.

WBC
HTC
HV
Community Land Trusts

7. Haslemere publicity office

A publicity office should be set up to incorporate the work of Visit Haslemere in promoting the town to visitors and tourists and add to its remit attracting businesses and employers to the area.

Visit Haslemere
The Museum
Community Rail Partnership

8. Develop site specific design briefs

Once sites are allocated in the Waverley Local Plan Part 2, site specific design briefs should be developed for the larger sites. Consultation results and other work carried out while preparing this Neighbourhood Plan can be utilised.

Developers
HV
HTC

Traffic, parking & non-car transport

Opportunities

Additional information

Potential Partners

9. Traffic congestion at Tesco / Lion Lane junction

Current status: traffic lights re-phased Dec 2015 to improve flow.

If congestion increases further options include:

  • removal of 4 on-street parking spaces on the south side of Wey Hill just before the traffic lights
  • re-positioning of pedestrian crossing area between Haslewey and Lion Green 

SCC
HTC

10. Critchmere Hill junction

Investigate ways of improving the junction of Critchmere Hill and Hindhead Road (A287) by measures such as:

  • widening to remove the single-track section at the top of the hill or
  • Introduction of a one-way system or
  • Installation of traffic lights

SCC
HTC

11. Reduction of traffic in central Haslemere

Measures should be encouraged to reduce through traffic in Haslemere by diverting it around the town via the A3/A287.

  • signage to move traffic down the A287 (Sturt Road) to the junction with the A286 (Midhurst Road) at Coomers then on into Haslemere via Shepherd’s Hill and vice versa (being mindful of the height restrictions under the railway bridges)
  • ways to improve traffic flows along Sturt Road without increasing road speeds
  • installation of a roundabout or improved junction where the A287 meets the A286

SCC

12. Improving shopping areas

While traffic volumes are not large compared to some other parts of the borough and county, Haslemere’s topography restricts the town which has several narrow streets and few alternative routes concentrating most of the traffic along the central corridor: High Street, Lower Street, Wey Hill and Hindhead Road. This project would review:

  • the road layout along these routes considering ways in which safety for all road users can be enhanced, e.g. ‘Poyntonisation’, 20 mile per hour zones
  • the layout and availability of on-street parking in Wey Hill and West Street to improve traffic flow, without encouraging increased traffic speeds
  • Areas suitable for new parking provision
  • changes to any other sites indicated by the traffic accident statistics where improvements are required
  • the possibility of widening parking bays for lorries to unload in Wey Hill and/ or imposing unloading curfews as possible ways to ease congestion in Wey Hill/ West Street

SCC
HTC
Chamber of Trade

13. Parking management

Haslemere Town Council will continue in its work to influence parking policy to support the vitality of our town centre by encouraging WBC to:

  • introduce up-to-date methods of payment at all parking locations
  • review the management and pricing regime of all car parks, to promote their use by residents, shoppers, commuters and visitors
  • reduce parking fees on certain occasions in order to promote shopping and events in the town

Consideration may also be given to investigating the practicality and opportunity provided under the Localism Act for HTC to apply to take over the management of public parking in Haslemere.

WBC
HTC

14. Cycle / pedestrian pavement share

On the Hindhead Road over the length of the road currently designated for 40mph, investigate a pilot for, and the potential roll out of, a combined pavement and cycleway by the improvement and widening of the existing pavement/ footpath.

By the clearance of vegetation encroaching onto the existing path and resurfacing and widening the route, so that it complies with suitable design standards, a combined route could be provided, which will both improve the environment for pedestrians and provide a safe route for cyclists.

SCC

 

15. Route improvement

Improvements to widths, surfaces, drainage, lighting and at road crossings.

In order to make pedestrian and cycle routes more attractive to users and potential users, these routes need to be improved so they meet (or where appropriate exceed) current design standards regarding width, surface, lighting, drainage, provision of drop kerbs, tactile strips, road crossings, and safety barriers. This includes installation of missing sections of pavement such as that on the Petworth Road approaching the junction with Haste Hill and the section at the end of Critchmere Lane where it joins the Liphook Road.

Arrangements must be made for the routes to be properly maintained and this includes: clearance of vegetation, integrity of the surface (especially sections of pavement after service utilities have been working) and drainage (including the adequate provision and maintenance of adjacent road gullies, so pedestrians are protected from water thrown up by cars).

WBC
SCC
Developers

16. Negotiations to increase hours of operation and facilities for existing bus services

The town has a good network of bus routes, all of which feed the station as well as the town. However, they lack relevance as they only operate during the day (e.g. return service to Fernhurst finishes at 6.43pm, before the majority of London commuters can get there) and are not well promoted. To be relevant to commuters and to encourage increased patronage throughout the town, they need to run over longer hours and be better promoted with wider advertising of times, services and ticket availability. The aim is also to increase relevance to other station users, including those seeking to use Haslemere station as a gateway to the SDNP and the surrounding countryside. Schemes under negotiation include:

  1. “count down” displays at bus stops
  2. improved timetable display
  3. combination train/bus tickets

SCC
Stagecoach
Community Rail Partnership (CRP)

17. Taxi/car share

Taxi/car share pilot scheme to be developed.

SCC
South Western Trains (SWT)

Biodiversity

Opportunities

Additional information

Potential Partners

18. Identify and designate wildlife corridors and stepping stones

To protect wildlife and inform future planning policy by designating wildlife corridors and stepping stones in the Plan area. Key steps are:

  1. identify the protected nature reserves in and around the Plan area (e.g. SPA, SSSI, SNCI etc.)
  2. Identify the common habitat from formal designations (e.g. deciduous woodland)
  3. Identify the stepping stones (e.g. ancient woodland)
  4. identify the important wildlife corridors

HV
SWT

 

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