17 Obelisk Way,
Camberley
Design and Access Statement
PWA-11001-B_DAS_04/05/2016
The Design Team
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The Design Team
Client - Hunot Property
Architect - Piper Whitlock Architecture
Planning Consultant – J&K Property Consultants
1. Introduction4
2. Site Context 6
3. The Existing Building
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4. Design Principles and Concepts
12
5. Planning Policy13
6. Consultation14
7. Layout16
8. Scale
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9. Use / Amount30
10.Appearance31
11.Landscaping32
12.Sustainability32
The Design Team
Contents
13.Conclusion33
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Introduction
1. Introduction
This Design and Access Statement has been prepared by Piper Whitlock Architecture on behalf of Hunot Property in support of a planning application
for the re-development of the existing Camberley Working Men’s Club located on Obelisk Way in Camberley town centre. Hunot Property’s aspiration
is to obtain an outline planning consent for a new build mixed use development with retail / commercial / A Use Class space on the ground floor and
residential accommodation above over 3 further floors.
This Design and Access Statement has been produced in line with Article 8 of the Development Management Procedure Order, CABE Guidance
and Government Guidance on information requirements and validation. This Design and Access Statement demonstrates how the design team has
understood the site constraints and site context in order to design a scheme that is appropriate and feasible.
In terms of equality the design team has considered the people likely to be directly or indirectly affected by the proposals. The redevelopment
proposals are such that the rights and enjoyment of all people that use or come into contact with the site are not diminished. As a result it is the
design team’s view that there is no equality issue posed as a result of the development.
Existing Working Men’s Club
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Introduction
Ariel plan of the site
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Site Context
2. Site Context
The site is located at the northern end of Camberley town centre on Obelisk Way. Obelisk Way runs east to west connecting Park Street to High
Street; the street is broken into four distinct parts. The 1st part at the western end is pedestrianised and connects with Park Street. It is paved and
landscaped in the same style. With the exception of the Square Public House the buildings are typically 2/3 stories and they have little architectural
merit.
The 2nd part is where the street becomes enclosed by The Mall Shopping Centre where the character of the street significantly changes and is
covered by a glazed roof, the finishes of the floor and walls are of an internal nature and quality.
View from Park Street looking west along Obelisk Way
Location Plan
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View from High Street looking east along Obelisk Way
The 4th part to the eastern end of Obelisk Way links to High Street. This section is a two way street providing vehicular accesses to the rear service
yards and car parking behind the buildings either side of the street. The buildings to the east of the shopping centre are of poor quality in terms
of design and condition, as a consequence they are underutilised. The exception is the Halifax Bank building however it faces the High Street and
Obelisk Way does not benefit from any active frontage from this building.
Site Context
The 3rd part to the east of the shopping centre entrance and around the subject site is another external pedestrianised part of the street. This third
part is noticeably more run down and the quality of the hard landscaping is of a poorer quality to the Park Street side. An urban tree is central to the
street in a raised brick planter and there are two back to back benches to the edge of the planter. The existing building is set back from the other
buildings along Obelisk Way by 1.5m to its projecting bays and 2.5m to the main facade.
Diagram showing different parts of Obelisk Way
Existing Building viewed from Obelisk Way
The Mall Shopping Centre entrance
Building opposite the subject site
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Site Context
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The town centre has recently been the subject of two Masterplan studies the first ‘Camberley Town Centre Masterplan and Public Realm Strategy
Supplementary Planning Document’ was released in draft for consultation in December 2014 and was undertaken by Allies and Morrison Urban
Practitioners. The second is ‘Camberley Town Centre Vision’ commissioned by the Mall owner and undertaken by Chapman Taylor. Both studies
allude to the same principles with a vision to improve the public realm of the town centre and in particular reference to the application site both
documents propose opening up Obelisk Way and moving the shopping centre entrance to Prince of Wales Walk. This will improve the ‘out of
shopping centre hour’s’ connectivity by reconnecting the High Street with Park Street. This will lead to the removal of the dead end situations that
exist at present which have a negative impact on the public realm, particularly around the application site.
Whilst these Masterplan studies are an aspiration the proposals that form part of this application have been considered in relation to both the
current urban realm and the aspiration for the future re-development of the town centre particularly in relation to opening up Obelisk Way.
5-15 Obelisk Way, buildings adjacent to existing building
Car park opposite subject site
Side of furniture shop opposite subject site
View towards rear car park (service yard for Camberley WMC)
Halifax Bank building
Furniture shop on opposite side of Obelisk Way
The Camberley Working Men’s Club opened in 1902, the building was destroyed by fire and replaced with a reproduction in the 1950’S. Accordingly it
has a modest frontage with Edwardian influences with simple detailing. The 1st floor arched windows are expressed with brick arches and key stones
whilst the ground floor fenestration is simpler with flat arches over the windows and a stepped brick surround to the main entrance. The front façade
is defined by two peered stop ends with a parapet to the roof. The main roof is a simple gable covered with plain clay tiles. The building in its current
state offers very little active frontage and the windows are obscured by blinds and curtains restricting views in or out of the building.
The rear of the building offers little in respect of architectural interest and has a typical back of house appearance with random windows, stepped
juxtapositioned roofs and build outs.
It is not an exemplary architectural design of the time and as such is not listed or protected and does not sit in a Conservation Area.
The Existing Building
3. The Existing Building
Front of the existing building
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The Existing Building
Purpose built as a club, the building is in a poor state of repair and it is too large for the current club tenants, whom with diminished membership and
finances are unable to maintain it. In its current state, the building is likely to fall to the same fate as other redundant and semi-vacant buildings in
Obelisk Way. The building in its current form has been available to let for over 4 years with no serious enquiry apart from interest from 99p Stores.
However their requirement was for such a substantial reconfiguration that the proposal was not a viable proposition as the building in its current
configuration is not fit for a modern retailer.
Currently the building accommodates a D2 use that does not provide active frontage and the building is mostly used in the evenings, when the
remainder of the street is closed. The majority of activity in the building is focused on the ground floor with only intermittent use of the upper floors.
Function room with dated interior
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Kitchen
Back of existing building facing service yard
The Existing Building
Existing building ground floor plan
Existing building first floor plan
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Design Principles
4. Design Principles and Concepts
The proposal is adjacent to the town’s main shopping centre and Obelisk Way forms part of the primary retail frontage. The plan is to re-develop the
site with a new building containing Commercial / Retail / A Use Class space on the ground floor and 3 stories of residential accommodation above.
A new building will be designed to suit the needs of a modern retailer / user on the ground floor, something which the current building on the site is
unable to adapt practically. New Commercial / Retail / A Use Class on the ground floor will provide the opportunity for active frontage and activity
along Obelisk Way and the residential units above will provide natural surveillance and ownership of both Obelisk Way and the service yard behind.
Concept Plan
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There are a number of planning policy documents that are relevant to any development proposal. These include:
•
the Core Strategy adopted in February 2012
•
the Camberley Town Centre Area Action Plan adopted in July 2014 and
•
the Town Centre Masterplan adopted in April 2005
A full consideration of the planning policy issues raised by the application is provided in J & K Property Consultants.
Planning Policy
5. Planning Policy
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Consultation
6. Consultation
A pre-planning submission showing initial scheme proposals was made to the local planning authority and a response from Michelle Fielder was
received in December 2014.
The advice received from the planning authority included:
•
Contrary to the masterplan studies ‘Camberley Town Centre Masterplan and Public Realm Strategy Supplementary Planning Document’ and
‘Camberley Town Centre Vision’ treat the public realm in front of the building as a ‘square’.
•
Consider the retention of the existing façade
•
a reduction in the number of stories from the five stories proposed to a scheme that should not exceed the current ridge height of 11 m,
•
the reintroduction of the existing building line providing a setback to Obelisk Square to provide an enhanced public space,
•
the provision of amenity space maximising the southerly aspect to potential residential units,
•
improvement to the visual appearance of the service yard;
•
provide a grand building fronting onto Obelisk Square; and
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the provision of enhanced public realm improvements to Obelisk Square.
The design team have considered the comments and addressed them where possible and appropriate in the submitted designs. The key elements
the design team have changed following the pre-application are:
•
The proposed building line has been set back to emulate the existing building line.
•
The building has been reduced in height from 5 to 4 storeys, in line with the original advice in 2012 and the ‘Camberley Town Centre
Masterplan and Public Realm Strategy Supplementary Planning Document’ 2014.
•
The proposed upper floors have been progressively set back to significantly reduce the building’s impact from Obelisk Way.
•
The residential amenity space on the 1st floor has been extended to the back of the building, allowing more natural surveillance in the rear
service yard.
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Additionally, the applicant has undertaken community consultation in the form of a public meeting held on 15 December 2014. The drawings that
formed part of the pre-application submission to the Council in December 2014 were presented to that meeting. The key conclusions that were
reached were:
•
The Camberley working men’s club no longer require the scale of accommodation provided by the existing building;
•
There was a need for enhanced retail provision to inject activity as part of the High Street;
•
There is a tension between a desire to maintain the town’s historic fabric whilst accommodating the needs of modern retailers;
•
The working man’s club is not a highly valued historic asset;
•
Residential uses have the ability to increase activity throughout the day and evening.
Consultation
A further pre-application meeting has held with the local authority on 3rd March 2016 where the design parameters were broadly accepted. Other
technical issues were discussed including car parking provision where the Council confirmed that there would be no on site requirement for the
proposed retail space or the residential units and a permit mechanism should be agreed with the council. The other technical points are covered in
the Planning Statement that form part of the application documents this application.
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Layout
7. Layout
The ground floor footprint of the building is proposed to be set back from the adjacent buildings by 1.75m, which respects the existing building line,
in order to maintain the public space. The proposed building and urban space in front will act as a midway focal point along Obelisk Way in both the
current urban condition and in the Council’s desired condition when the street is permanently opened up, with the removal of the glass enclosure of
the Mall Shopping Centre.
Commercial / Retail / A Use Class space is located on the ground floor and extends front to back, this proposals will improve the retail offer of this
area of the town centre by setting the parameters for a well-proportioned retail unit to be brought forward with open shop frontage suitable for
modern retailers. The customer access will be from Obelisk Way whilst delivery and service access are completely separated to the rear served by the
current yard. The proposed ground level residential entrance lobby is located adjacent to No.15 Obelisk Way and is accessed from the pedestrianised
Obelisk Way to the front. A rear access from the service yard will facilitate refuse collection. Cycles can be brought into the secure storage area
from either the front or the rear of the building. This will mean Obelisk Way is kept free of unwanted activities that may detract from the pedestrian
friendly environment, both in its current state and in the future if the redevelopment of the London Road Block is brought forward.
The upper three floors are proposed to contain residential accommodation which faces Obelisk Way to the front and the service yard to the rear,
circulation space is positioned centrally within the building.
The building is progressively set back from Obelisk Way to negate any over shading or shadowing of the public realm in front. The first floor building
line is set as per the ground floor however a centrally located inset terrace area gives depth and interest to the elevation and allows activity and
natural surveillance into the public space in front of the building.
The 2nd floor is set back by 4m with a terraced area in front further proving surveillance to the street. The 3rd floor is set back by a further 2.75m on
order to diminish the scale of the building and reducing its mass from Obelisk Way. The setting back of the residential accommodation will mean
there are no overlooking issues associated with the residential building opposite Obelisk Way as the closest part of the building on the 1st floor is
over 15m away with the second floor over 19m from the building opposite.
The residential accommodation to the rear is set back from the ground floor and aligns with No.11-15 Obelisk Way adjacent. This allows for significant
amenity space to be allocated to the rear south facing 1st floor residential units. The 2nd and 3rd floor rear facing units will benefit from balconies
extending across the entire façade.
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