Building a brighter future for Townhill Park

We are committed to improving our estates and we are already investing in improvements in Townhill Park with the redevelopment of 222-252 Meggeson Avenue which has been demolished and building work on the new homes is due to start soon.

From July 2011 to January 2012 we worked with consultants and local residents to develop plans for the future of the whole of Townhill Park.

Several public consultation events have been held, where residents have contributed to the vision of the future of the area.

The master planning work at Townhill Park is completed and has produced a regeneration framework for the future improvement of the area.

Cabinet on 13 November and council on the 14 November approved the Townhill Park Regeneration Framework and the proposals for implementing Phase One.

Many residents were very concerned and about two possible road proposals in the Regeneration Framework. These were the proposed link road from Townhill Park to Cornwall Road at the junction with Litchfield Road and the proposed opening of Cutbush Lane to vehicular traffic.

At the four consultation meetings held during September 2012 residents were specifically asked to comment on the road proposals and give the council their views.

In making their decision, Cabinet took into account local sentiment and the decision was made that these road proposals will not be implemented.

Now that Phase 1 of Townhill Park redevelopment is approved work can start on the process of moving residents to other accommodation of their choice. This process will begin in the New Year when meetings will be arranged with tenants in order to fill in the necessary forms. Residents will be offered advice and assistance from the council in order to make it as smooth as possible.

Leaseholders and private tenants will be contacted by the council’s representatives to explain how the next steps will affect them.

The addresses included in Phase 1 are as follows:

• 34-64, 66-96, 98-118 Roundhill Close (evens only)
• 2-22 and 24-44 Paulet Close (evens only)
• 122-142 Meggeson Avenue (evens only)
• 2-60, 62-120 Meggeson Avenue (evens only)

By 2021, residents of Townhill Park will be proud to live in a successful suburban family neighbourhood and will have:

• A fantastic community heart accessible to all.
• A transformed park and wonderful local greens and play spaces.
• Successful local shops and community facilities.
• Meggeson Avenue a safe and attractive public space with improved crossings.
• Healthy and well designed socially rented and private homes that address a variety of needs with as many homes on the ground as possible.
• Better walking and cycling and public transport connections locally and to the rest of the city.
• Greater social and economic opportunity.

Central Park (modified)

The preferred Master Plan is largely based on the ‘Central Park’ option and includes:

• Creation of a new community heart, with a new village green in the centre of Meggeson Avenue, new local shopping facility and community focused café or pub.
• Traffic calming measures on Meggeson Avenue including re-alignment of the road around the Village Green.
• The redevelopment of all the blocks in the area and the provision of approx. 675 new homes. A range of open space improvements including improving Frog’s Copse and Hidden Pond, the creation of a new central Village Green.
• New local shops in a mixed use development in the centre of the estate in association with the Village Green, including a new café/pub, new shops and services.

Improved walking, cycling and transport links including:

• Improved access to amenities at Midanbury and improvements to pick up and drop off at the school and community centre and improvements to encourage walking and cycling.
• Car parking is recognised as a contentious issue and proposals aim to provide a range of parking improvements.
• The socio-economic framework will contain the strategy for improving access to employment and links to other city wide initiatives.

Work on building the first phase is unlikely to start before 2015/2016. This allows for time to decant and re-house tenants, procure a developer, consult with the local community and get planning permission.

Further study work is being carried out to strengthen the Master Plan proposals. These studies will be taking place during the course of this year.