NM13: Barton on Sea
Policy NM13: Barton on Sea
In line with the role for new development at Barton-on-Sea as set out in Policy NM1, development proposals will be supported, provided they have demonstrated regard to the New Milton Design Guidance and Codes as they relate to Barton-on-Sea design characteristics as follows:
Barton Seafront
- Openness of frontage, spaciousness, views and skyline
- Consistent building lines
- Consistent boundary heights
- Consistent eaves and ridge heights
- Consistent forms of building mass, height and the building line
- Deep fronted garden margin
- Wide green verge, uninterrupted by cars
- Variety of architecture
- Open grassed cliff-top plateau and grass verge
- Shoreline scrub and characteristic wind pruned trees
- Deep garden margin
- Occasional landmark trees
Barton Gardens
- Consistent set back creating a margin of garden to almost every street;
- Well stocked and maintained front gardens
- Low frontage enclosure
- Mown grass road verges
- Occasional pine trees
- Consistency of street rhythms, building lines, gaps between buildings, eaves heights and roof forms in bungalow area – predominantly uninterrupted hipped simple roofs and simple building forms
- Peaceful green internal spaces to the blocks
- Consistent urban grain of separate units of similar footprint laid out in a clear perimeter; block structure
Underlying retained lanes- Occasional special buildings
- Lane edges of trees, occasional field hedge remnants, banks and informal verges
- Avenues
- Garden ‘islands’ where strips of trees and larger shrubs and hedges are created especially in longer garden areas
- Deep margins of front garden space
- Mown grass road verges
- Occasional pine trees
Becton Bunny
All development proposals in proximity to Long Meadow should seek opportunities to enhance Becton Bunny and wherever possible provide additional flood capacity and habitat improvements.
Supporting text
This policy defines the essential characteristics of the character areas that together form Barton-on-Sea, which is distinctive from New Milton to its immediate north.
Its purpose is to ensure that developers acknowledge and understand these characteristics in determining their design proposals. It does not require a slavish adherence to every single characteristic in every design proposal, but it does require developers to explain why they have chosen not to follow a characteristic.
Views of the sea and to the Isle of Wight, and the wide open cliff-top green space in front of a varied line of residential buildings characterise this area. Wide road carriageway, verges and deep front gardens add to the sense of space which is dominated by the open green cliff-top plateau. The grassed plateau is public open space and mostly of benefit for walking, sitting and peaceful enjoyment although more active uses such as kite flying and hang-gliding link to typical use of the beach.
There is a central focus on the sea front with café/ shop. Historically, development on the coast at Barton started in Victorian times with visitors being attracted to the coast to stay at Barton Court Hotel and by Edwardian times also enjoying the golf course. By 1909, Marine Drive was laid out and the land along it divided into a number of wide plots to accommodate speculative development of further holiday accommodation. There is only one obvious architectural remnant of the Victorian hotel being the wall and gate pier. However, the layout of roads and division of plots (as is so often the case) still determines much of the character of this area. Further subdivision of plots brought not only flatted accommodation but some larger houses during the interwar period.
Barton Gardens does not have the strong underlying landscape that the Becton Bunny Valley area has to set its distinctiveness. Flat plain laid out as a loose grid network is sometimes difficult to orientate oneself. Much of the area is characterised by hip roofed bungalows, wide streets with verges and front gardens for every passer-by to admire across low walls or fences. However, bungalows are by no means the whole story – there are areas of large houses, purpose built flats, various chalet dwellings and even terraced streets and more rural cottages. For large areas, the consistency of bungalow forms is important.