Public Consultation

The Site

The site is located at the south of the large village of Southwater in Horsham District; a settlement benefitting from a good range of services and facilities second only to Horsham.

The close location of the site to Southwater’s many facilities mean the site is in a highly sustainable location and is one of the key reasons Miller Homes has chosen to bring this site forward for residential development.

The site is currently predominantly plantation woodland split into two roughly equal parts separated by a belt of non-plantation trees and small ground depressions. The site is well contained at its edges by mature woodland, screening views of the site from the surrounding area.

The site also adjoins existing residential development, known as Mulberry Gardens, also developed successfully by Miller Homes, and will adjoin the amended settlement boundary of Southwater, as proposed in the emerging Horsham District Local Plan.

Location of site relative to the facilities of Southwater

The Need for New Homes

As is the case across the south of England, the district of Horsham is facing difficult housing challenges, with local people unable to find the homes that are right for them. The disparity between house prices and earnings is higher than the national average and the average for the County, with house prices being on average over 12 times earnings and trending upwards. 

The delivery of new homes can help relieve the effects of the housing crisis by increasing supply, providing greater choice and competition in the market and providing much needed affordable housing. The site represents an ideal opportunity to assist in addressing the housing crisis in a sustainable location without developing on more sensitive countryside land.

The Proposals

The proposed development is for up to 84 new homes provided as a mix of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom houses and 35% affordable homes, to help meet the housing needs of Southwater and the wider district.

At this stage the application is likely to be submitted in ‘outline’ to establish the framework for the residential development of the site. If the outline application is approved then a further ‘Reserved Matters’ application will consider the finer detail of layout, design and landscaping. 

The new homes will be supported by appropriate infrastructure provision, including public open space, a new Local Area of Play (LAP), sustainable drainage infrastructure and an area dedicated to ecological enhancement located just south of the site. Miller Homes will also likely be required to make financial contributions towards local infrastructure, for example via the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).   

The vast majority of existing boundary trees will be retained and enhanced to help screen the development and to ensure it blends appropriately into its verdant surrounds. 

Illustration of the style of homes likely to be delivered
Illustrative masterplan indicating how the proposals could be laid out. The properties to the north are the existing Mulberry Gardens development

Key Benefits of our proposals

  • Provision of additional housing, including affordable homes, to increase the availability and choice of homes for local people, and to help address the Council’s identified housing shortfall;
  • Development of a sustainably located site which will benefit from the existing facilities and services of Southwater;
  • Provision of public open spaces and play equipment which is accessible to new and existing residents;
  • Retention and enhancement of existing boundary trees and vegetation to screen the development and to maintain and enhance wildlife and biodiversity corridors;
  • The ancient woodland located to the west of the site provides excellent opportunities to live in proximity to nature, and will be safeguarded and protected though proposed construction buffers
  • Connections through the site to adjacent public footpath;
  • Creation of jobs during the construction of the scheme;
  • Financial contributions through CIL / planning obligations to help fund local infrastructure projects;
  • Delivery of a significant biodiversity net gain of at least 10% in the locality, to enhance the local environment and to provide diverse habitats that will create thriving ecological networks both within the site and beyond;
  • To ensure highly efficient and sustainable new homes, the proposals will incorporate a ‘Fabric First’ approach to design which meets the latest building regulations
  • Use of water reduction techniques to minimise water wastage and abstraction of water onsite using boreholes to achieve water neutrality at a site level to meet local requirements.
  • Positively integrating SuDS and rain gardens into the hard and soft landscaping

Considerations

Design and Landscape

The design of the of the homes has been influenced by the neighbouring Mulberry Field’s development. The masterplan will accommodate a range of architectural styles using a material palette similar to Mulberry Field’s to respect the existing built form and character of the area.  

The site includes retained wooded boundaries on all sides, enhanced through new tree and landscape planting and areas of public open space.

The masterplan will draw on existing natural features including the two ponds located within the site to develop outdoor spaces which residents can enjoy.

Access and Highways

The development is forecast to deliver relatively low levels of new traffic, and it is not anticipated this will lead to capacity issues on local junctions and roads. 

The movement network in the Centenary Road area offers a well-defined and logical vehicular connection into the site at the western end of the northern boundary.

There are also opportunities to create pedestrian connection through the site, connecting existing routes within the Mulberry Gardens area and the footpath to the south of the site, and leading into the wider countryside to the west.

The proposals will comply with the latest WSCC Parking.

Biodiversity and Ecology

The existing site is predominantly plantation woodland which the landowner has a license to fell. Nonetheless, Miller Homes are committed to providing ecological enhancements including the implementation of sustainable 15 metre buffers to the Ancient Woodland towards the west of the site, and the site design also retains, wherever possible, existing important features, including non-plantation woodland whilst protecting existing species on site. 

The proposals also deliver the provision of a 10% net gain in biodiversity through new planting of woodland to the south of the site.

The southern and eastern boundaries have been identified as having value as bat foraging corridor as well as ecology corridors for dormice movement. These corridors will be protected through development buffers.

About Miller Homes

Miller Homes is one of the nation’s most respected homebuilders having built over 100,000 homes since we were established in 1934. We operate across nine regions from Scotland down to Central Southern England delivering to all sectors of the market, from apartments, and family homes to affordable housing and regeneration schemes.  We have an HBF 5 star rating for Customer Satisfaction.

Next Steps and Feedback

Please take the time to provide your feedback to our consultation by answering the questions below. Feedback will be accepted up until midnight on Sunday 1st December. Your feedback will be carefully considered and help us develop our proposals ahead of the submission of a formal outline application to Horsham District Council.

You can get in touch with the project team by completing the form below.

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If you are unable to complete the form above, please use one of the methods below to contact the project team.

  • Calling our community information line: 0800 652 9460 (Monday to Friday – 9.00am to 5.30pm)
  • Emailing us with your comments, questions or feedback: millerhomes-southwater@havingyoursay.co.uk
  • Writing to us at FREEPOST SHAPE TOMORROW