Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh have warned that plans for one of the government’s proposed new towns could threaten the “best surviving 18th century garden” in Britain.
The broadcasters joined Lord Smith of Finsbury, Sarah Raven, the gardener, Tom Stuart-Smith, the garden designer, AN Wilson, the writer, and Charles Saumarez Smith, the historian, in raising concerns about proposals for a 9,000-home development at Heyford Park, Oxfordshire.
In a letter to The Times, the signatories said the project would be visible from “important vantage points” within the historic gardens of Rousham House, which was designed in the early 18th century by William Kent, the architect and landscape designer whose work transformed the English garden.
Plans to upgrade Heyford railway station would bring “inevitable traffic” and have a “disastrous impact” on the surrounding area, including a grade II listed medieval bridge providing access to the station, they said.
“The planning application fails to address this threat in any meaningful way,” they added. “At the scale proposed, the development risks causing significant and irreparable damage to one of the greatest gardens in the world.”
The group urged Cherwell district council, Historic England and the government to place “robust constraints” on the development to protect the setting of the historic estate.
Rousham gardens is one of the few places that has remained largely unaltered and has stayed in the Cottrell-Dormer family since it was built. Its views and vistas were said to be integral to Kent’s original vision and a conservation area was established in 1991 to protect the grade I listed house, gardens and surrounding landscape.
Rousham gardens have stayed true to the authentic to its 18th century design
ALAMY
Don previously said Rousham was “one of the truly great gardens of the world”.
Dorchester Living has proposed building up to 9,000 homes at the former US Air Force base. The project has been billed as a “self-sufficient, sustainable” settlement and forms part of the government’s plans for 12 new towns.
The development, which would begin work next year if approved by Cherwell district council, includes 900 assisted living units, 180 homes for key workers, schools, community facilities and green infrastructure.
Stuart-Smith, who has won three “best in show” awards at the Chelsea Flower Show, said: “As soon as you increase the amount of traffic then the whole status of the bridge, which Kent saw as an eye- catcher in the landscape, is put at peril and you have to have a relief bridge which would be a terrible thing to do in that landscape.
“If the station becomes a regional connector, it has to have a much bigger car park, the platforms would have to be much longer. Since it has Heyford village on one side there’s only one way it can grow and that’s into the landscape.”
The base, which was used by the US Air Force during the Cold War, could hold 9,000 homes
PROCTOR & MATTHEWS
He added that the government was “rightly intent on trying to get to grips with the housing system”.
“We accept that, but it is a question of balance and this is just one of the crown jewels and if we start damaging things like this then we’ve done ourselves and future generations a great disservice,” he said.
Rousham House’s walled garden
ALAMY
Paul Silver, chief executive of Dorchester Living, told The Daily Telegraph: “Rousham lies within a designated conservation area and a carefully protected landscape. A comprehensive landscape and visual assessment has been undertaken as part of the planning application.
“The proposed development site is located approximately 2km to the northeast of Rousham Park. The submitted heritage, townscape and visual impact assessment demonstrates that the development will not be visible from the northeast part of the registered park and garden, where the majority of listed garden structures are situated.”
A spokesman for Cherwell district council said: “Heyford Park has been suggested as the potential location of a new town in the recommendations of the government’s taskforce report, but no decision has been taken on this by the government.
“A separate application for planning permission has been made by Dorchester Living for some 9,000 homes at Heyford Park. Consideration of the application and the potential impacts of the proposed development, including whether or not there would be any adverse effects on Rousham House, is ongoing. The conclusions will be reported to the council’s planning committee in due course.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Our landmark new towns will restore the dream of home ownership for families across the country, and this will not come at the expense of the environment.
“We will be working closely with local leaders to understand the impacts of potential new town locations, including Heyford Park, and no final decisions have been made.”
Comments are closed.