Area 8 - Predominantly Housing but also some industrial along Penns Road. Area between the Dark Hollow footpath and the railway including Tilmore Road, Kimbers, Highfield Road and Penns Road.

 

 

 

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Area contact - Tony Shaw, to email CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Character Analysis
1. Location in Town

Area 8 is north of the town centre and is bounded on the south-east by the railway, with the southern apex at the station level crossing. A short section runs north-westwards along the north side of Station Road before the boundary turns northwards along Garage Lane (Boundary Lane), continuing along the Hangers’ Way long-distance footpath and adjoining Area 9 until it reaches Tilmore Road, where it turns south-eastwards along the edge of Five Acre Farm and Woods Meadow to rejoin the railway line where it passes over Tilmore Brook.

 

Apart from Penns Road, which has direct access from Station Road just west of the station level crossing, the only through road access to the area is Tilmore Road which enters over the railway bridge on the south side and runs north through the middle of the area before entering Area 4. Well-used footpaths form the western boundary and also link Highfield Road and Kimbers to Garage Lane.

 

There is a very important “green finger” on the north-eastern boundary which provides a link between the town and surrounding countryside, and a well-used area of allotments north of Kimbers.

 
2. Vistas/Views

Apart from the section immediately north of Station Road the whole area consists of a sandstone hill which rises quite steeply to the highest point near the Tilmore Road/Highfield Road/Kimbers junction. This affords magnificent views in all directions, particularly across the town to the south (with the South Downs beyond), south-westwards to Butser Hill and west and north to the tree-covered hangers. Glimpses of these views can be seen from many lower points through the trees and between buildings.

 
3. Landscaping

Penns Road, built 1870/80, is densely developed with no (or very small) front gardens. The east side of Tilmore Road and Highfield Road is mainly local authority housing with medium- sized front gardens, mostly with front hedges but few trees of any size - some of these gardens are badly neglected.

The large houses in the northern section of Tilmore Road are mainly well-hidden from the road in mature gardens with large trees. Kimbers, built in the 1970s on a very hilly site, is well landscaped, with some wide green verges and spaces maintained by the Diatrict Council.

 
4. Building Characteristics

Building can be classified into five main characteristics. Although the railway was opened in 1859, the Ordnance Survey map of 1879 shows the row of 7 cottages immediately north of the railway bridge (then known as Tilmore Terrace) as the only buildings in the area.

The most densely developed area is the 42 two-floor pairs and blocks of four in Penns Road and the 11 on the east side of Tilmore Road just north of the railway bridge. The 80 two-storey local authority houses in Tilmore Road and Highfield Road, which are mainly semi-detached with a few blocks of four, are fairly well spaced, with front and rear gardens. The 36 4-bedroom two-storey detached houses in Kimbers are well laid out in an irregular pattern, most with quite large front gardens but with a wide range of rear garden sizes. The few individual houses in the northern sector of Tilmore Road and elsewhere are mainly two-storey in large and mature gardens, and there are only a couple of bungalows.

The only non-residential premises are some small factory units between the railway and Penns Road and a large modern garage showrooms (all two-storey) at the junction of Station Road and Garage Lane

 
5. Building Materials
Predominately red brick of various shades. The local authority houses in Tilmore Road and the top part of Highfield Road are mainly rendered, although some have a red brick ground floor. The 14 pairs at the bottom of Highfield Road are constructed of concrete (cast in situ?) with a white or pale cream finish. The Kimbers houses are of three types, mainly in red brick but some have a white plastic (mock weather-boarded) façade on the first floor.
6. Roofs

Apart from the older terraces at the bottom of Tilmore Road, which have grey slate roofs, nearly all roofs have red tiles. Some of the Kimbers houses have large grey/red roof tiles; the rest have red roof tiles with hipped ends.
7. Special Features & Landmarks

From the highest point just north of the Tilmore Road/Kimbers/Highfield Road junction (about 85m) the land drops away in all directions, with the Tilmore Brook running parallel and a little north of the northern boundary in Area 4. Three town churches can be seen from just above the railway bridge, and the extensive views towards the South Downs and the hangers have already been mentioned. The northward extension of Garage Lane (locally known as Boundary Lane) along the western edge of the area is a sheltered footpath which joins up with four other footpaths near the north-west corner of the area, and there is a fairly overgrown path running parallel with the north-east boundary adjacent to the important “green finger” of Five Acre Farm and Woods Meadow. Although mature oak trees which formed the eastern side of Garage Lane have given way to the opening up of rear access to some Penns Road houses to give car parking spaces, a number of mature oaks remain on the west and north sides of the allotments and in individual Kimbers gardens. The allotments have fine views and form a useful open area.

 
8. Sustainability

The only signs of low energy measures and fixtures are solar panels on a few Kimbers’ roofs. In view of the high and open position, a serious move towards sustainability might include rows of solar panels at ground level on part of the allotments. Although likely to be rejected by local residents, a small wind turbine might also be sighted there; both these measure might be less unsightly and more efficient than having solar panels and little turbines on every house.
9. Short summary description of area

A fringe area on a hilly site. Mainly residential apart from the industrial premises on the north side of Station Road, with the density of development decreasing with the newer properties further north. The early 20th century Penns Road, the mid-century local authority housing and the late 20th century Kimbers surrounded with mature trees, provide a rural break.form three distinct communities which all seem to co-exist happily together. The allotments, the established detached houses in mature gardens and the “green finger” on the boundary with Area 4, all surrounded with mature trees, provide a rural break.
10. Main issues and recommendations

The local Housing Association had wished to redevelop the Highfield Road area and demolish the outdated concrete REEMA houses, but as many were in private ownership and the owners objected, the scheme has been abandoned, at least temporarily. A well-designed redevelopment of this area, with possibly a new road layout, could be an advantage. Apart from some small scale redevelopments of one or two older properties in Station Road, there is little scope for backland development and road access would be difficult. The local-authority owned allotments are well used and any building on the site would very prominent and visible from many parts of the town and surrounding countryside. The “green finger” of countryside at the northern boundary with Area 4 deserves strong protection to avoid the urban area joining up with housing in Area 4.

 

 

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