Area 21 - Cranford Road, Grange Road, Borough Grove, The Petersfield School and Tesco.

 

 

 

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Area contact - David Jeffery, to email CLICK HERE

 

 

Character Analysis
1. Location in Town

This area lies to the south of the town, and is bordered by the B2070 to the east, and the London-Portsmouth railway line to the west. It encompasses the site of The Petersfield School to the north (town) side and contains the whole of the postwar estate of Cranford Road, Borough Grove and Grange Road to the south, completed in 1952.  This area is currently being developed by Drum Housing (completion in Spring 2009).  The B2070 (The Causeway) is the old A3 road, which represents the main southern entry to and exit from the town. The estate lies approximately 10 minutes’ walk from Petersfield station and 5 minutes from the centre of the town.

The current dispute over the sale of land from The Petersfield School to Tesco has not been resolved; if implemented, it will result in a greater area of commercial activity and a correspondingly smaller premises for the school. The latter, however, will gain from added sports facilities, thus enhancing the town's overall provision of such facilities for residents.  
2. Vistas/Views

1.     Within this whole semi-rural area, there are clear views of Butser Hill and the South Downs (to the south), and the Hangers (to the north-west), including the Shoulder-of-Mutton Hill in Steep, made famous by the poet Edward Thomas. The southern part of the area is characterised by the playing fields of the school and bordered by the Criddle Stream. Petersfield’s largest supermarket, Tesco, stands at the southernmost tip of the area alongside the stream.

3. Landscaping

Within the area, older trees have been retained, including several oaks in the Petersfield School grounds and alongside the stream running through Borough Grove, now situated in a developing new estate. The supermarket is well landscaped beside the stream; it is low-lying and partially hidden by trees from the Causeway. The stream will feature highly in the new Reema estate and be maintained by Drum Housing.

4. Building Characteristics

The Causeway consists of 1930s semi-detached houses, while the old REEMA (two-storey) postwar houses in Grange Road are currently being replaced by a variety of 2 ½ storey semi-detached houses. The new cluster of buildings alongside the stream which runs rough the middle of the estate are taller than their predecessors and so partly obscure the surrounding hills for some residents. There is a mix of building styles, with high gables, asymmetrical facades. To the rear of these houses, off-street parking places have been allocated to residents, all designated as “No Ball Games” areas. Within the predominantly “affordable’’ semi-detached houses on this estate, there are some bungalows and flats. Housing density in the new estate has been almost trebled (to 148 units, of which 91 are houses), as it has in the small development in Osier Road, where one bungalow has been replaced by 11 one-bedroom houses  and flats.    
5. Building Materials
For the most part, the housing now almost exclusively consists of red brick and tiled exteriors, with cream façades on the newest houses of the Drum Housing Association estate, which blend well with the surrounding architecture in Cranford Road. The Petersfield School consists of a main 1950s-style glass and brick building, with several additions over the past 50 years.
6. Roofs

The new houses in Grange Road frequently have high gables, allowing for dormer or Velux windows to be incorporated under the roof spaces. Red-tiled roofs match those of the older houses in this area. The roof line is constant (two-storey), except inthe newest housing, where it is 2 ½ storey and slightly higher.  

7. Special Features & Landmarks

Two streams cross this area, but are not as well exploited as they might be: beside the school, the Criddle Stream is fenced off for safety reasons; through the Borough Grove estate, the stream may be a hazard for children, but is a feature which could be developed to add to the beauty of the area. Finally, the southern end of this stream, linking the estate with Borough Road, will be maintained by Drum Housing. There is a new right of way from the Reema estate to the Tesco store, replacing the previous garage site, prone to vandalism.

The original effect of spaciousness within the REEMA estate (created by the distance between Grange Road and Borough Grove and the intervening landscaped stream) is continued in the central grassy reservation at the western end of Cranford Road.     
8. Sustainability
 

The recent housing developments have ensured greater sustainability of building materials, housing density, off-street parking facilities and house insulation. However, there are no examples of alternative energy sources. A cycle lane has replaced the old road beside the river in the new Reema estate.  The new houses on this estate have a high degree of insulation, whole-house ventilation and heat recovery systems. Certain houses also have solar thermal panels and photo-voltaics to generate free electricity. Four blocks of flats are fitted with PV panels to power communal energy needs, with excess electricity sold back to the grid for an annual profit.  

9. Short summary description of area

Area 21 is one of the principal areas allocated for affordable housing in Petersfield. Recent developments have also increased housing density considerably. The area also shows semi-rural characteristics – the streams, large number of mature trees, grassy areas and shrubs add to the distant rural perspective of the Downs. The proposals for the extension of the supermarket are a source of conflict, but any such development need not necessarily encroach on the general nature of the area, if sufficient thought is given to noise and light pollution along the main road (The Causeway).
10. Main issues and recommendations

 The essential elements of a homogenous area for housing association housing, with a good mix of flats, bungalows and semi-detached houses are in place and should be maintained. There is room for more, similar (increased density) development in the future, without jeopardising the semi-rural nature of the area.  Close attention should be paid to landscaping any new houses or shops, especially the planting of new trees and shrubs, in order to maintain the rural aspects.    

The wider debate over the extension of the Tesco site - and the ensuing effect on the town as a whole - is as yet unresoved. 

 

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