Amport Village Design Statement Frame

<font size="1"><a href="vds_draft4.htm#vds0" target="vds_draft4"><b>Introduction</b></a>    <a href="vds_draft4.htm#vds1" target="vds_draft4"><b>Landscape</b></a>   <a href="vds_draft4.htm#vds2" target="vds_draft4"><b>Settlement</b></a>   <a href="vds_draft4.htm#vds3" target="vds_draft4"><b>Buildings & Materials</b></a>   <a href="vds_draft4.htm#vds4" target="vds_draft4"><b>Transport</b></a>   <a href="vds_draft4.htm#vds5" target="vds_draft4"><b>Amenities<br> </b></a><a href="vds_draft4_feedback.htm" target="_blank"><b>Comments</b></a>   <b><a href="vds_draft4_recom.htm" target="vds_draft4">Recommendations</a></b></font> <p>   <h2 align="center"><font color="#000099">Amport Village Design Statement (Draft - March 2005)</font></h2> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The purpose of this Village Design Statement is to:</font></p> </font><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Describe the distinctive character of the village as it is today.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Provide guidance to planners, public authorities, builders, architects and local community groups.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Assist residents of the village to manage the changes which will arise in the years ahead.</font></font></td></tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p><font size="2">The VDS was compiled over an 18 month period involving a questionnaire delivered to every house in the village, numerous open meetings and the subsequent establishment of groups to look into the various specialist areas.</font></p> <h2 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099"><font size="2"><a name="vds0" target="_self"></a></font>Introduction</font></h2> <h3><font color="#000099">Amport  Parish</font></h3> <p><font size="2">Amport is a scattered parish with an irregular boundary. The important consequence of such an irregular boundary is the many differing styles of development, buildings and industry that exist in the parish. It must not be forgotten that whilst almost all the key social features of the parish lie south of the A303, some 37% of the population live to the north of this major trunk road.</font></p> <p><font size="2">The Village Design Statement has been structured along 5 themes: Landscape, Settlement, Buildings & Materials, Transport and Amenities. Each section has a commentary, followed by a set of recommendations.</font></p> <p><font size="2">(Parish administration and social cohesion would be much easier if the boundaries were simplified by following the lines of the Church parish boundaries (i.e. the western parts to Cholderton, Middlecot to Quarley and the estates of Fairways and Michaelmas Drove to Weyhill). An attempt at such a rationalisation occurred in 2001.)</font></p> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The principal features of the Parish are:</font></p> <h4 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Landscape & wildlife</font></h4> </font><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Relatively flat landscape, comprising arable fields broken by blocks & belts of woodland.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Isolated rural character and generally unsettled landscape.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The Pillhill Brook.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The village green.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">A well-used footpath network of some 12 miles.</font></font></td></tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h4 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Buildings & amenities</font></h4> </font><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Church of England Primary School.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Amport Church.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Two Public Houses: The Amport Inn, and The White Horse in East Cholderton.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The Hawk Conservancy.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">A military establishment at Amport House (the Service Chaplains Training Centre).</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">A riding school.</font></font></td></tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">These are discussed in more detail on the following pages.</font></p> <h2 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099"><font size="2"><a name="vds1" target="_self"></a></font>1. Landscape</font></h2> <h3 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099">General Description</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The bulk of the parish is in a rural area of largely unspoilt arable farmland and is mostly within the Conservation area. The Amport, Monxton and East Cholderton Conservation Areas designated by local planning authorities are identified in the <i>Test Valley Borough Local Plan Review Revised Deposit Draft 2004</i>. These Conservation Areas ("areas of special architectural or historical interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance") are of great importance to residents of Amport and in preparing this VDS this has been in the forefront of our thinking. To quote from the <i>important open areas & landscape features (set 06)</i> section of the Deposit Draft 2004 "The landscape setting of many settlements contribute significantly to their character, and should be protected from harmful development." The old villages of Amport, Sarson and East Cholderton are clustered in the valley of the Pillhill Brook with the banks given over mostly to water-meadow and ancient woodland. Amport Green, in the centre of the village, is a focal point. In the far south-west of the parish, housing is sparse and residents tend to gravitate more towards their nearby village settlements of Quarley and Cholderton.</font></p> <p><font size="2">On the higher ground throughout the parish are a number of active farms conducting mainly arable cultivation with some grazing land, amidst a fair amount of mixed woodland – rough woods, plantations and coppiced areas. Small clusters of dwellings are scattered across the area, including several where former farm buildings and the former sanatorium at The Limes have been converted to housing. There are also a number of stables for riding, breeding, convalescent and livery horses.</font></p> <p><font size="2">The area north of the A303 is mostly residential with a small industrial site. Many of the roads through the parish are only one lane wide and very few have pavement. Most houses have their own garages or parking areas resulting in very little on road parking. There is an extensive network of much-used footpaths and some bridleways.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Landscape Features</font></h3> <u> <p><font size="2">The Green.</font></u><font size="2"> The most important social and recreational area in Amport village. (See under ‘<a href="#vds5" target="_self">Amenities</a>’)</font></p> <u> <p><font size="2">The Pilhill Brook.</font></u><font size="2"> The Brook is central to and in the centre of the village. It supports a wide variety of bird and plant life. Lack of winter rainfall and the reluctance of water companies to impose restrictions during summer months could mean that the Brook is dry during the summer on an annual basis, with consequent devastating implications for wildlife.</font></p> <u> <p><font size="2">The skylines.</font></u><font size="2"> Unbroken apart from isolated trees and woodland belts, the skylines enhance the appearance of the high ground surrounding the villages. The woodland and open fields attract deer, hares and rabbits and the hedgerows and verges also contain many smaller mammals. The presence of the Hawk Conservancy means that the skies above the village have an unusually high proportion of raptors. These birds are a regular and unusual feature of the valley and the surrounding undeveloped farmland.</font></p> <u> <p><font size="2">Street lighting.</font></u><font size="2"> The absence of street lighting in the populated areas of the parish (apart from Michaelmas Drove and Fairways) is greatly valued by residents who are able to view the night sky without excessive light pollution.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Matters of Concern.</font></h3> <p><font size="2">Changes to the landscape are inevitable, but within the consultation process there are four areas in particular which caused concern in survey responses.</font></p> </font><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">The development of the old Andover airfield. While outside the parish boundary, this development could have a major negative impact on the landscape character as described above.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">The impact of any significant development in the area North of the A303 including the old military depot and the Weyhill industrial estate.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">The defunct watercress beds on the Pillhill Brook. Development of a fishing lake started in 1999 is not yet complete. Similarly the change in character of the landscape of the water-meadow in Sarson.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">Concern was recorded about the changes already made to the landscape on the Monxton Nurseries site, and about the future development of this site given its close proximity to the Conservation Area.</font></font></td></tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Other issues respondents considered to be important include:</font></p> </font><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">Control of tree planting and hedging in residential areas, particularly of Leylandi.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">Maintenance of verges, footpaths and hedges.</font></font></td></tr> <tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/capsules/capbul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><font face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="2">The negative visual impact of satellite dishes.</font></font></td></tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h3><font color="#000099">1.1 Landscape Recommendations</font></h3> </font><table border="1" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" width="100%" bordercolordark="#000099" bordercolorlight="#3366CC"> <tr> <td><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <ol type="A"> <li><font size="2">The Green and the adjacent Strouds’ Field Nature Reserve must be retained as an open area. Any development in close proximity should be sympathetic to the present character.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Every step should be taken where possible to ensure that the Pilhill Brook does not run dry.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Future development should wherever possible avoid disruption to the skylines.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Any new building in the floodplain of the Pillhill Brook should be avoided.</font></li> <li><font size="2">The footpath network must be maintained and verges kept to a reasonable height.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Hedgerows should be maintained and enhanced.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Open spaces including garden areas that have the potential to encourage a variety of wildlife should where practicable be positively managed to provide appropriate habitats.</font></li> <li><font size="2">The Pillhill Brook riverbanks should be appropriately managed to provide an environment conducive to wildlife. Attempts to "suburbanize" the riverbanks should be avoided.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Any development should respect the open rolling landscape, and aim to maintain & preserve the views from all surrounding vantage points. In an area of minimal settlement, development should be low-rise in order to minimise the impact upon the landscape structure. (TV Community Landscape Project: Landscape Character Assessment: Draft Summary for consultation October 2003.)</font></li> </ol> </font></td> </tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h2 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099"><font size="2"><a name="vds2" target="_self"></a></font>2. Settlement</font></h2> <p ALIGN="left"><font size="2">The Parish’s settlement patterns remain largely unchanged from those of the early 20<sup>th</sup> century. They focus on the roadways between the long-established settlements at Sarson, Amport and Cholderton. Settlement is generally low-lying rather than prominent.</font></p> <p><font size="2">At the time of the Norman Conquest the parish was made up of seven Saxon settlements. William the Conqueror gave Anne, the largest of these, to Hugh de Port. In the course of time the name Anne changed to Anne de Porte, Annaporta, Anneporte and finally, Amport. Being the largest, it gave its name to the village. Of the other six Domesday manors, three small manors joined to form the manor of East Cholderton; two others, Anne Savage and Soresden combined to form Sarson. The sixth was that of Appleshaw. These four manors established in Norman times gave rise to the four present day settlements of Amport, East Cholderton, Sarson and Appleshaw. Appleshaw was created a separate parish in 1866.</font></p> <p><font size="2">From whatever direction you enter Amport the striking feature is the wide diversity of the buildings in the village. The principal areas are:</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Sarson</font></h3> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The development is along the Pillhill Brook and is largely brick and flint. The recent (1997) conversion of Sarson Barns is an excellent example of good development. Some of the older, cob walled and straw thatched cottages are set well back from the road on slightly higher ground.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Sarson Lane</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The older cottages are centred on the south end of the lane. Further to the north is Sarson Close, comprising 30 one or two storey red brick houses built by the Local Authority after the Second World War. These houses are now mainly in private ownership. They are characterised by shared features, materials, angles and pitches and sit on generous plots.</font></p> <p><font size="2">The lane is then bordered by open farmland on both sides for several hundred yards before reaching the top of Sarson Lane. Industrial units lie largely screened from the surrounding paths and roads by shrubs and trees. Beyond the <b>Hawk Conservancy</b> lies a group of homes known as <b>The Limes</b> - previously red-brick buildings built during the Second World War and intended as an isolation hospital, but never used as such.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">The North of the Parish</font></h3> <p><font size="2">On the north side of the A303 trunk road from London to the West Country lies part of the Parish of Amport. The buildings here are early 20<sup>th</sup> century; two storey red-brick, many with grey slate roofs.</font></p> <p><font size="2">During the 1960s a need for more housing in the countryside was recognised and to this end <b>Fairways</b> (52 houses and flats) was built, as local authority housing. In the 1980’s, following the sale of local authority property into private ownership, came a need for affordable housing for people with young families and thus <b>Michaelmas Drove</b> (24 houses) was built, which is partly owned by a housing association and partly by the occupiers. This area is characterised by low boundaries between plots.</font></p> <p><font size="2">In addition to these post WW2 developments there are two park home sites, at Elmstead Park (39 units) in East Cholderton and Mullenscote Park (21 units) in the North of the Parish. These two sites house roughly 100 people, or almost 10% of the population of the Parish, in what can be described as affordable housing.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Amport</font></h3> <p><font size="2">For many hundreds of years, development took place along the Pillhill Brook and around The Green. Between the river and the road is a small mixed wooded copse and opposite, two-storey houses and bungalows of mid 20<sup>th</sup> century design, some with quarry-tiled roofs and some with grey slates. Most of these more recent properties are set back from the road and tend not to dominate the plot on which they sit.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Heading north toward East Cholderton, the lane is bordered by farmland and water-meadow before reaching <b>Waterloo Cottage</b>. There is then a further ‘gap’ in settlement, before reaching the first properties at the margin of East Cholderton.</font></p> <b> <p><font size="2">The School</font></b><font size="2">. Behind the red brick Victorian school building, built in 1815 by Sophia Sheppard, lies a row of <b>almshouses</b>, also built by her and administered now by the Sheppard Trust. In her will, Sophia Sheppard stipulated that these houses should be let to ‘poor widows without independent means’, but this stipulation has lapsed over the years.</font></p> <b> <p><font size="2">Furzedown Lane: </font></b><font size="2">The lane runs behind the north side of Amport House. It has been developed since the sale of Amport House soon after World War 1. It consists of large houses, all with sizeable gardens. A recent build of a house at the south end of the lane in brick and flint is a welcome and sympathetic development.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">2.1 Settlement Recommendations:</font></h3> </font><table border="1" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" width="100%" bordercolordark="#000099" bordercolorlight="#3366CC"> <tr> <td><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <ol type="A"> <li><font size="2">All new development should respect the local characteristics (and historic pattern) of the settlements identified – generally low-lying and in proximity to the road network and watercourses.</font></li> <li><font size="2">The existing open spaces between settlements should be kept.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Typically, cottages or terraces fill plots; while larger-scale houses retain more space around them. This pattern should be respected by any new development.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Buildings on infill plots should be designed to complement the settlement character of the immediate area.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Barns associated with houses are traditional features and should wherever possible be retained.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Television aerials and satellite dishes should be sited unobtrusively.</font></li> <li><font size="2">New boundaries should be in keeping with the character of those already found in close proximity. Across much of the parish there is generally mixed hedging, kept to a height of approx. 1.5m. In Furzedown Lane (Amport) boundary screening is more substantial and reaches to a greater height.</font></li> <li><font size="2">New development should seek imaginative ways of incorporating the need for car parking (e.g. Fairways has suffered due to the long-term rise in car ownership) without that car parking dominating the appearance of such a development and/or its use by other users notably pedestrians and cyclists.</font></li> </ol> </font></td> </tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h2 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099"><font size="2"><a name="vds3" target="_self"></a></font>3. Buildings & Materials</font></h2> <h3><font color="#000099">General description</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The three former settlements of Amport, East Cholderton and Sarson that make Amport Parish today contain an eclectic mix of architectural style dating from the 16<sup>th</sup> century up to today. The historically indigenous building materials in the Parish are chalk cob and flint and hand made brick walls, thatched or slate covered roofs. The use of these materials in the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> century dwellings contributes to the visual quality of the Parish. Windows in these cottage dwellings are generally Hampshire casement windows. The result is both aesthetic and practical. Many of the dwellings have been sympathetically extended with the result that conservation aims and objectives have usually been met.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Changes in the economics of farming have meant that some farm buildings have become available for conversion into dwellings. Two notable examples in the Parish are Fox Farm and Sarson’s Barns where the use of flint and brick with slate or clay tile roofs together with sympathetic landscaping has contributed to developments that fit in well.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Distinctive Buildings:</font></h3> <b> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">St Mary’s Church</font></b><font size="2"> built between 1320 and 1330 with flint walls, stone quoins and a central tower. Much of the original construction still stands today although there were substantial alterations in 1866. The entrance on the south side was blocked off and a new north facing entrance constructed. It has been extended and altered several times and was re-roofed in 1988.</font></p> <b> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">Amport Church of England Primary School</font></b><font size="2"> built in 1815. The school was extended in 1898 and again in 1999 with a new red brick replacement of a temporary classroom. This new building has many desirable features that should be borne in mind for other potential development – low-lying, use of traditional materials, and it ‘mirrors’ the facing building.</font></p> <b> <p><font size="2">Amport House</font></b><font size="2"> was built in 1857 to a design by the eminent architect William Burn. It has a Victorian grey brick façade under a grey slate roof (replacing two previous houses on the same site). Of significance are the gardens. Sir Edwin Lutyens designed these with their lime walks and terraces, while the planting scheme was drawn up by Miss Gertrude Jekyll. (see also Amenities) <b>Amport Mews</b> is a courtyard of homes that were originally the stables for Amport House, now private housing, but retaining the key features and character that clearly identify them with their heritage.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Sarson</font></h3> <p><font size="2">Along the north side of the Amport road are several cob walled and straw thatched cottages dating from the 16<sup>th</sup> century still in good repair, a few owned by the Testway Housing Authority. Infilling between the cottages is mainly 19<sup>th</sup> and 20<sup>th</sup> century houses.</font></p> <b> <p><font size="2">Flagons</font></b><font size="2"> is a unique property, yet due to the nature of the boundary planting there is minimal visual impact on the line of more traditional housing along the road.</font></p> <p><font size="2">The grey slate roofs of many of the houses in Amport have continued to be a feature of newly constructed homes, including <b>Sarson Mill</b>, rebuilt in 2003.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Sarson Lane includes the 15<sup>th</sup> century <b>Sarson Corner Cottage</b> and several brick and flint cottages with Hampshire thatched roofs. The red brick <b>Methodist Chapel</b> built in the late part of the 19<sup>th</sup> century was converted to a private dwelling in the late 1990s. <b>The Eights</b> is a row of white cob walled terraced cottages built in the early 19<sup>th</sup> century, reputedly by prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars.</font></p> <p><font size="2">On the north side of the A303 the buildings on the two estates – Fairways and Michaelmas Drove – are early 20<sup>th</sup> century two storey red brick, many with grey slate roofs.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Amport</font></h3> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">To the north of the Pillhill Brook, approaching the village green, is Bridge Cottage, reputedly the oldest in Amport. Constructed of timber and chalk, it is opposite Broadwater, which is also thatched, with timber frame brick and flint construction.</font></p> <p><font size="2">To the south of the Green are Hampshire thatched, cob walled cottages and <b>Home Farm</b>, a square fronted white-washed Georgian house under slate tile. It sits in extensive grounds which include a paddock and a large timber barn standing on staddle stones, alongside a similar barn with cob walls and a thatched roof.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">East Cholderton</font></h3> <p><font size="2">Approaching from Amport, the first building is Waterloo Cottage standing adjacent to the recently renovated Waterloo Bridge, which spans the Pillhill Brook. Haydown Farm has several traditional corrugated farm storage barns and a farmhouse built at the end of the 20<sup>th</sup> century. Manor Farm has a traditional brick and flint farmhouse.</font></p> <p><font size="2">At Monks Cottage, an unmade lane leads to several 20<sup>th</sup> century bungalows sited in substantial plots.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Further along the village at Old Farm Cottage, a lane leads to a park of mobile and semi-mobile homes known as <b>Elmstead Park</b>. The northern boundary is close to the 16<sup>th</sup> century White Horse Inn, which sits in the shadow of the A303 flyover.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">3.1 Buildings & Materials Recommendations:</font></h3> </font><table border="1" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" width="100%" bordercolordark="#000099" bordercolorlight="#3366CC"> <tr> <td><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h4><font color="#000099">Design</font></h4> <ol type="A"> <li><font size="2">Contemporary architect-designed houses which draw on local materials and styles are to be welcomed.</font></li> <li><font size="2">New houses & other structures should wherever possible be built on a scale sympathetic to and reflecting that of surrounding properties.</font></li> <li><font size="2">It would assist parishioners if developers were to provide perspective drawings or artists’ impressions showing how new developments, extensions and conversions would appear in relation to the overall surroundings and adjacent properties.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Additions to existing houses, such as extensions, garages and conservatories, should be compatible with and respect the architectural style of the original building and those in close proximity (e.g. attempt to reflect similar roof pitch where similar additions have been made on similar properties).</font></li> <li><font size="2">It is desirable that roof extensions should be in the same material as the existing roof. Flat roof extensions should be avoided as they are not typical of the housing stock within the parish.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Inappropriate detailing not found traditionally in the village should be avoided.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Chimneys are traditionally in red brick, either external on the end of the house, or internal.</font></li> <li><font size="2">New porches should be simple tiled, slate or thatched open porches to suit the style of the house.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Vernacular styles should not be combined in one building.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Security lighting should be low power, and the light restricted to the premises.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Garages should be positioned to the side or rear of buildings, and large expanses of hardstanding in striking colours/materials should be avoided.</font></li> </ol> <h4><font color="#000099">Materials</font></h4> <ol start="12" type="A"> <li><font size="2">Extensions and alterations should complement the existing building using materials<b> </b>which harmonise with those originally used.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Each area has its range of listed traditional materials; these are appropriate to new buildings and extensions.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Rendering should preferably be in white to match traditional chalk/lime-washed finishes.</font></li> <li><font size="2">The Hampshire style of thatching has integrated ridges flush with the rest of the roof. TVBC policy is to support combed wheat-straw thatch used in the long-straw fashion traditional in Hampshire. Norfolk reed should not normally be used.</font></li> </ol> <h4><font color="#000099">Windows</font></h4> <ol start="16" type="A"> <li><font size="2"><i>Eyebrow</i> rooflines frame windows in thatched properties.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Roof-lights are to be avoided in existing buildings and should never be used in thatch where they are visible.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Dormers are not traditional in older houses, and where they do occur they are small. They should be used only to provide light, not living accommodation.</font></li> </ol> </font></td> </tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h2 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099"><font size="2"><a name="vds4" target="_self"></a></font>4. Transport</font></h2> <blockquote> </blockquote> <h3><font color="#000099">Infrastructure and Services</font></h3> <h4><font color="#000099">Introduction</font></h4> <p><font size="2">The Parish contains a number of minor roads around and to the south of Amport village, with a "panhandle" to the west following the minor road from Quarley to Cholderton. It has been a well-travelled area for thousands of years, with a Roman road, the Portway, running east-west across the parish south of Amport.<b> </b>It is also crossed by the A303 trunk road and the main railway line from Exeter via Salisbury and Andover to London. A branch line from Andover to Ludgershall crosses the northern corner, but is only used occasionally.</font></p> <h4><font color="#000099">Public Footpaths</font></h4> <p><font size="2">Amport parish is well served by public footpaths, many still following the old direct routes taken by farm workers and local people, as they travelled between villages. The routes of some of these paths have been altered in recent years as land use has changed and regulations concerning the registration of footpaths has become more strictly enforced. However, two new paths were added for the Queen’s Jubilee in 2002, both joining Wiremead Lane to Sarson Lane.</font></p> <b> <h3><font color="#000099">Public Transport</font></h3> </b> <h4><font color="#000099">Bus</font></h4> <p><font size="2">Amport village is served by a bus service from Andover at approximately hourly intervals, which continues on alternate hours to Grateley or to Thruxton. There is also a service every half hour from Andover to Tidworth via Weyhill and Ludgershall through the NW corner of the parish. The provision of buses is good by rural standards, linking the majority of the residential areas of the parish with the local railway stations and shopping areas. (There are 5 bus shelters in Amport at strategic points around the village.)</font></p> <h4><font color="#000099">Train</font></h4> <p><font size="2">There is road access to Grateley and Andover railway stations which provide a regular service to London and the West Country.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Community Transport</font></h3> <p><font size="2">TVBC operate an active Community Transport Scheme. This comprises a number of groups with differing aims and objectives and is really intended for areas less well served by public transport than Amport parish.</font></p> <p><font size="2">The main types of transport provided are minibuses that can be hired at reasonable rates by recognised groups, dial-a-ride - serving areas without buses, and mopeds which are hired out to enable young people to get to places of work from rural locations.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Road Network</font></h3> <p><font size="2">With the exception of the road following the route of the Portway, the B3084 which cuts across the "panhandle" and its branch to Cholderton, nearly all the minor roads are single track, narrow and winding, and generally not suitable for heavy vehicles. The village of Amport and most of the outlying villages and hamlets are only accessible by roads of 5 metres width or less.</font></p> <p><font size="2">The A303 runs along part of the northern border of the parish and cuts across the NW corner. This road was upgraded in about 1990 and now follows a new route in some places. The old A303 is still useable from Thruxton to Weyhill and Andover, and makes a useful wide local road. However, the new dual carriageway tends to isolate the part of the parish to the north of it from the rest of the parish. This is exacerbated by the temporary closure of the gap in the A303 where it is crossed by Sarson Lane.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Road links to other parts of the country are extremely effective, with major roads radiating in several directions from Andover.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">Road Traffic</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The road system of the parish area is not ideally suited to modern transport. Some roads can take light traffic in two directions but many cannot. It is a predominantly farming area with not much industry and the Parish Council have discouraged the setting up of businesses requiring heavy transport. Nevertheless some heavy vehicles are required to enter the area and buses are the most regular users.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Some through traffic uses the minor roads but generally the quantity of traffic on these roads is light. The condition of some roads is not good and banks are only cut occasionally, which can reduce visibility of the road at bends. There are few passing places on single lane roads and drivers therefore have to drive onto the verges, which become muddy and rutted in winter.</font></p> <p><font size="2">During the times of delivery and collection of children from Amport School, the roads become more congested and parking around the School and The Green can cause difficulties for through traffic.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Future Traffic Patterns</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The largest single cause of traffic entering the parish is the 40,000 visitors a year to The Hawk Conservancy in Sarson Lane. A significant change in the local traffic pattern is anticipated as a result of the closure of the gap in the A303 at Sarson Lane. This crossing previously afforded direct access from the North (home to approximately two fifths of the population) to the South (the Green, School, Church & Inn). The gap closure has risked increasing the flow of traffic through Amport village and adjacent narrow lanes. Traffic that would previously have crossed the gap has to find alternative ways to the other side. It can turn back east at either of the next two junctions to the west, or at Hundred Acre Roundabout to the west, but there remains potential for considerably increased traffic along Wiremead and Sarson Lanes and through Amport village.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">4.1. Transport Recommendations:</font></h3> </font><table border="1" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" width="100%" bordercolordark="#000099" bordercolorlight="#3366CC"> <tr> <td><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <ol type="A"> <li><font size="2">Increased traffic from the A303 resulting from the closure of the gap and increasing industrial developments should be discouraged from using the narrow village roads and lanes.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Urgent consideration should be given to securing long term funding for a bridge crossing at the Sarson Lane/A303 junction.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Passing places should be provided, and maintained, on single lane roads.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Route sharing and delivery co-ordination by regular HGV traffic should be encouraged.</font></li> </ol> </font></td> </tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <h2 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099"><font size="2"><a name="vds5" target="_self"></a></font>5. Amenities</font></h2> <p ALIGN="left"><font size="2">The village amenities play an important part in encouraging active social participation within the community. Those described represent important and sensitive amenities for the village.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="left"><font color="#000099">The Green and Strouds’ Field</font></h3> <p><font size="2">At the heart of the village, situated between the Pillhill Brook and the School, is Amport Green. The Green is enjoyed by villagers of all ages. There is an area with play equipment for young children and The Green is regularly used by the School for many of its sporting activities, as well as by members of the community for impromptu soccer and cricket games. It is the site of the village fête, the hog roast and occasional wedding receptions, while it more regularly serves as a picturesque location for quiet contemplation.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Next to Amport Green, on the opposite side of the Pillhill Brook, is <b>Strouds’ Field</b> which was acquired by the Parish Council in 2001. Under the guidance of the Hampshire Wild Life Trust members of the parish are working to create a nature reserve.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Amport School</font></h3> <p><font size="2">Opposite The Green is <b>Amport School</b>, the Church of England (Aided) Primary School. A credit to its academic excellence, demand for places at the school far exceeds the 84 places available. It has state-of-the art computer facilities which are all linked and networked, and it is known for its strengths in music and sport.</font></p> <h3><font color="#000099">The Pubs</font></h3> <p><font size="2">Like many small villages, the pubs provide prime venues for members of the community to socialise. The namesake pub <b>The Amport Inn</b> is housed in the former home of the coachman to the Marquis of Winchester. It became an inn in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century and was modernised in the 1980s and again in 2002. The land opposite the inn, stretching down to the Pillhill Brook, is owned by the pub and is often used in the summer for village and charity events.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Villagers living in the East Cholderton area enjoy the benefit of <b>The White Horse Public House</b>. This thatched pub, which is steeped in history, represents another important amenity to parishioners.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Bed and Breakfast</font></h3> <p ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font size="2">The village’s proximity to Stonehenge, to Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals, and to Thruxton Racing Circuit makes it an ideal location to stay for a visit. Amport is well equipped with a number of attractive ‘Bed and Breakfasts’ to accommodate visitors to the area.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Amport Cricket Club</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The present ground is situated on the Grateley Road overlooking Amport House and gardens. The club has been in existence for over 100 years, playing at several different venues in the parish until the last move from the Keepers Hill ground in 1981. There are currently two teams competing in the Hampshire Cricket League on Saturdays, and friendly fixtures are played on Sundays. Despite the lack of electricity at the ground, the wooden clad pavilion is equipped with hot showers, tea-making facilities and a licensed bar area. The ground itself is kept in excellent condition entirely by self-help. An artificial playing strip and nets facility has recently been added – initially for use by the colts teams, but also used extensively be senior members.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Amport House</font></h3> <p><font size="2">The house was requisitioned by the Royal Air Force at the start of the Second World War and purchased for them in 1957 as RAF Maintenance Command. Amport House remains in MoD ownership and is the Joint Services Chaplains’ School. The beautiful and tranquil setting of the site with parkland to the south fit well with its current function.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">The Hawk Conservancy</font></h3> <p><font size="2">This award winning and internationally acclaimed conservancy for birds of prey is situated in the village. The park, as it is affectionately known by parishioners, offers them free access during the open season between February and October. It attracts visitors from all over the world to view its large collection of birds and its impressive flying displays. The Trust has continued to improve and develop the amenities and areas of nature conservation within its boundaries. A recent addition to the park has been a bird of prey hospital run and financed by a trust, which now has also taken on the day to day running of the conservancy itself. The preservation of the conservancy is of national as well as local importance.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Farming</font></h3> <p><font size="2">In past times Amport had a thriving farming community with many people being employed in agriculture. Now the majority of farmland is arable and there are no dairy herds in the parish, although there is a limited amount of sheep farming carried out. Some farms have resorted to leasing their land for horse grazing and stabling. However the extensive farmland throughout the parish defines the rural character of the village and should be preserved.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">St Mary’s Church</font></h3> <p><font size="2">No trace of the original church, which was probably built of timber and thatched, and dated from 1217, now exists. A new church was built between 1320 and 1330, constructed of flint with a square central tower, much of which still remains. In 1866 the Marquis of Winchester instigated major alterations and modernisation, with the thatch being replaced by tiles and the main entrance relocated to its present position on the north side of the nave. The church has 6 bells, two of which date from 1662, although there had been bells earlier than this.</font></p> <h3 ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><font color="#000099">Millway House Nursing & Residential Home</font></h3> <b><i> <p><font size="2">Detail text to be confirmed</font></p> </i></b> <h3><font color="#000099">5.1. Amenities Recommendations:</font></h3> </font><table border="1" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" width="100%" bordercolordark="#000099" bordercolorlight="#3366CC"> <tr> <td><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <ol type="A"> <li><font size="2">Any future development should respect these highly valued village amenities. Every effort should be made where possible to minimise any adverse impact upon the character of the featured spaces, character buildings and amenities.</font></li> <li><font size="2">Wherever possible, we should look to support those amenities which provide employment where their development respects and maintains the character of the parish.</font></li> </ol> </font></td> </tr> </table><font face="Arial, Helvetica"> <p><a href="vds_draft4_feedback.htm" target="_blank"><b>Please comment on the plan</b></a> </p> <p> <img src="http://amport.org.uk/tinc?key=rPSAVz4p&no=3"> </p>