Goldcrest Custom Homes is working on a proposal for the redevelopment and conversion of the former Fenwick Hospital site. This exhibition provides information about the emerging proposals and seeks your feedback. Questions and feedback are fully encouraged.
The site is located on the southern side of Pikes Hill within the village of Lyndhurst and comprises of the former Fenwick Hospital site that was previously used as a health and wellbeing centre by the charity Social Care in Action (SCiA). Prior to this the site operated as an NHS hospital until 2005 being declared surplus to NHS requirements in December 2022.
Lyndhurst is identified as having the widest range of services and facilities of all the settlements within the New Forest National Park, as such being a sustainable location for housing growth.
A number of planning applications have been submitted in the past dating back to 1974 seeking permission to develop the site to support the former hospital’s development.
Policy SP4 of the New Forest National Park Local Plan sets out the spatial strategy and identifies a number of villages. It states the principle of development within the ‘Defined Villages’ settlement boundaries will be supported, provided that it complies with the other relevant policies and is of a scale and nature appropriate to the character and function of the settlement.
The site is located in the defined settlement boundary and built-up area of the village within one of a number of ‘Defined Villages’ that are “the focus for appropriate new community facilities, employment, retail and housing development to meet local needs”. The site, therefore, is clearly recognised as being in a sustainable location for new residential development.
The proposed development would make a meaningful contribution towards meeting the housing requirement for the New Forest National Park Local Plan area while the proportion of development would be wholly consistent with the scale and function of Lyndhurst and opportunities arising to provide a wide choice of high-quality homes.
The proposed development represents an opportunity to reinstate an underutilised brownfield site, including buildings which are vacant. In line with paragraph 129 of the NPPF, the proposed development would constitute an effective use of brownfield land taking place at an appropriate density and making ‘optimal use’ of the site.
Policy DP2 and DP18 as well as the New Forest National Park Design Guide requires that proposals must demonstrate high quality design and construction which enhances local character and distinctiveness.
Policy SP21 outlines new dwellings permitted in the National Park will have a maximum total internal habitable floor area of 100 sqm.
The proposed design and layout of the dwellings have been carefully devised in a manner to respect the local context and the siting of buildings and spaces have been influenced by the site-specific features, opportunities and constraints, notably in relation to topography, access requirements and residential amenity.
The overarching vision is to introduce a bespoke, high-quality development with high sustainability credentials. The buildings would be constructed over two storeys meaning there would be little change in terms of the scale and massing of development compared to the existing buildings at the site and its surrounding context.
With the Design Guide being the main point of reference the built-form would be more traditional in appearance reflecting the materiality found throughout the surrounding locality.
All of the proposed dwellings will be set within generously sized curtilages with private external amenity spaces for future occupiers and will be of two storeys and be a maximum of 100 sqm, while all units have been designed to meet national described space standards providing good amenity for future occupiers.
In formulating the initial design we have been mindful of:
Your feedback will influence the form and content of any planning application. The final design will also be influenced by the findings of technical assessments. A project team has been appointed to take these forward.
The diagram below illustrates these opportunities and constraints.
The proposed development creates an opportunity to provide a bespoke, high-quality, sustainable and inclusive residential development that appropriately regenerates an underutilised brownfield site.
The design and layout has been carefully devised in a manner to respect the local context and the siting of buildings and spaces have been influenced by the site-specific features, opportunities and constraints.
A very high-quality standard of design is envisaged with each dwelling having access to a generous sized curtilage with car parking designed to reflect the character of Pikes Hill.
Some of the key features of the proposals are:
As a result of the background work done by the applicant, the following draft proposals were created by their architects and technical team.
We are especially keen to hear your views on these designs, having considered the site’s history and context and the Council’s policies and documents which the applicant has considered.
We are confident that we can produce a scheme which fits comfortably within the local environment providing high quality design and specification. The proposals are at the formative stage and we are interested to your understand your views and concerns on the emerging proposals. Opportunity will be given to make further comments on the emerging proposals at both the pre-application stage and post submission stage.
Should you have any comments, please contact us.
We will consider all of the feedback received to see if our proposals can be improved or otherwise address issues through the form and content of the planning application.
For more information about this project please contact:
Chapman Lily Planning Limited
Tel: 01929 553818