Welcome Thank you for coming along today to view our plans for Phase 2 of The Furlong Shopping Centre. We are undertaking a consultation programme that will run up to and beyond submission of the planning application later this summer. We look forward to developing the proposals further and thank you for sharing your views so that we can better understand local aspirations and feed this into our plans. Our vision Our plans will create a vibrant mixed use scheme, building on the success of The Furlong Shopping Centre and enhancing Ringwood s retail offer. The benefits of the proposals include: New shops, restaurants, offices, leisure facilities, public spaces and homes A pedestrian link to integrate the Market Place with The Furlong Shopping Centre Over 100 jobs Restoration of the Old Town Hall Good quality urban and architectural design in keeping with the character of Ringwood. About us The Furlong The Furlong was built in 1989, and has recently been substantially upgraded. It contains a large Waitrose supermarket, 24 other shops and cafés including AGA, Boston Tea Party, Caffé Nero, Crew Clothing Co, East, Fat Face, Hobbs and Phase Eight. Development Securities PLC Development Securities, the developer, is a property company with a diversified portfolio of projects that are predominantly focussed on regeneration in Greater London and the South East.
Background and heritage Following a previous approved application for the site in 2008 and extensive consultation with the local authority and other interested parties we have revised our plans for The Furlong Phase 2 and are now presenting this new scheme to the Ringwood community for consultation. Our plans will enable the restoration of one of Ringwood s landmark heritage buildings as well as provide a new link to help integrate the successful Furlong Shopping Centre with the High Street. The Furlong is owned by Development Securities. Their agents are working with a number of retailers and leisure providers in order to secure a vibrant mix of occupiers. Artist s impression of the rear of the restored Old Town Hall The Old Town Hall restoration The Old Town Hall is a landmark building in Ringwood. It has not been used for a number of years but has previously operated as both a nightclub and cinema. It will be restored and put back into use as part of the The Furlong Phase 2 development. The historic façade of this important building will once again reflect the heritage and character of the surrounding buildings on the Market Place. Image of the Old Town Hall today
The site Proposed site layout at ground floor level The Furlong Phase 2 would occupy a collection underutilised land to the rear of the White Hart and the Old Town Hall, south of The Furlong Shopping Centre. The site can also be accessed from The Furlong road and has a small frontage on Meeting House Lane. The Council have recognised that the existing site does not make a positive contribution to the location. At present the north and south access points are not directly aligned, this will be resolved by the introduction of a new square at the mid point of the route. In townscape terms this works by allowing for focal points in each direction. The plans are to convert the site into a vibrant mixed use development focused on new courtyard style public space with 1400 sq.m of retail space linked to the Market Place and town centre car parks. A31 The Furlong Star Lane Market Place Meeting House Lane Aerial view of the site
Design concepts The project team and technical consultants have held the following design concepts at the heart of their vision for The Furlong Phase 2: potential for a new link between the Furlong Shopping Centre and Market Place retention and enhancement of the Old Town Hall (including the restoration of the Market Place façade) enhancement of the street frontage to Meeting House Lane, The Furlong and the creation of new civic space new buildings reinforce the character and heritage of the market town. Artist s sketch of proposed streetscape looking west from The Furlong road The new townscape is based on a mix of uses with the primary functions being retail and residential. The plans are for the new retail to be at ground level with apartments on the upper floor levels. The scale is domestic and almost archaic in character reflected in changes in material, scale, plan, roofline and windows. Our plans are to restore the Market Place facade of the Old Town Hall using information from historic records. This would have value for the building itself, the Market Place and the setting of the adjoining grade II listed building the White Hart pub. We have also examined the historical precedent of nearby buildings and routes such as Star Lane to ensure we reflect the local characteristics and style unique to Ringwood. One side of the proposed new square will be formed by the new extension to the Old Town Hall at the rear. This north façade reflects the three bay composition of the Market Place frontage. The surface materials for the new street match those of the square, the intention is to link the set of new spaces using a similar palette, together with carefully chosen signage and light fittings.
Transport and highways Our transport consultants are liaising with Hampshire County Council to agree the transport and highways issues that could affect the design of the scheme. We understand that traffic is a key concern for the local community, and we are keen to ensure that the proposed development would be accessible by all modes of travel and will not adversely affect existing transport infrastructure. Pedestrians would be able to meander through the new public square. The development would provide an attractive route between the car parks and Market Place. Bus stops are conveniently located on Meeting House Lane, which is the hub for all Ringwood s bus services and within a short walking distance of the proposed shops. Car parking is readily available in the existing car parks for both staff and visitors. There are 950 parking spaces in the vicinity of the proposed shops. We will be discussing how best to manage the car parking with New Forest District Council. Our transport consultants believe the development should help retain Ringwood residents in the town for their shopping rather than travelling to places such as Southampton, Poole or Bournemouth. WAITROSE THE FURLONG SHOPPING CENTRE THE FURLONG 5-11 STAR LANE Refer to drawing 276-A-P-00 BLOCK 3 STAR LANE BLOCK 5 BLOCK 6 MARKET PLACE THE WHITE HART OLD TOWN HALL MEETING HOUSE LANE Proposed transport plan
What do you think? Motorworld The White Hart The Furlong Jaeger Boston Tea Party Artist s sketch of proposed development Thank you for your time today, we welcome your feedback on our plans for The Furlong Phase 2. Please provide your comments via the feedback forms provided here today or online at. After reviewing your feedback we will finalise the plans accordingly before we submit our application to the New Forest District Council later this summer. If successful, we aim to start work on site in spring 2016 with the scheme being completed by summer 2017. We will continue to update the community throughout the process. Thank you in advance for sharing your views which are an invaluable part of the planning process. Artist s sketch of proposed link looking south from The Furlong Shopping Centre