NM7: Cultural and Community Hub and War Memorial Recreation Ground
Policy NM7: Cultural and Community Hub and War Memorial Recreation Ground
The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the provision of a Cultural & Community Hub, as shown on the Policies Maps (site 1), as a Town Centre redevelopment scheme.
Development proposals will be supported for the redevelopment of the current community and ancillary buildings to create a new multi-purpose cultural facility for the town and the improvement of the War Memorial Recreation Ground as the main town park.
The proposals must include the provision of a footpath link within the site to improve connectivity between Old Milton Road and Gore Road to Station Road and Whitefield Road.
This policy is proposed to remain unchanged from the current Neighbourhood Plan
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Supporting Text
To contribute to the Town Centre Vision this policy identifies the opportunity to secure a cultural /civic presence. The Town Centre is currently focused on Station Road which is a result of its historic pattern of development and the nature of more recent developments which have done little to redefine this structure or improve connectivity.
Although the Town Centre has a large green space its centre – the War Memorial Recreation Ground – it is hidden behind the ‘high street’ and does not have the public realm functions that might be expected of a space of this scale in this location. Two sites have the potential to change this and make a significant improvement to the Town Centre. The Memorial Hall building and a single storey garage building (with the bowling club relocated to a suitable site elsewhere in the town) offer an opportunity to redevelop the whole site to provide a Cultural & Community Hub that might include a theatre, library and council offices.
It will also be essential that an appropriate connection is made between Station Road, the hub and the recreation ground area if they are to play a full part in the life of the Town Centre. The connection should improve visibility between this area and Station Road, and will be a key element in delivering improvements in pedestrian connectivity across the town centre.
The War Memorial Recreation Ground space will play an important part in this plan if it is to form part of a new focus to the town. The redevelopment of the Memorial Centre site and its relationship to the Recreation Ground, along with the proposals for Old Milton Road will change the demands on this space, increasing the importance of its role in connecting the different parts of the regeneration area.