Proposals for a new civic quarter for the Hampshire town of Farnborough have been unanimously backed by Rushmoor Borough Council.
The masterplan by LDA Design for Rushmoor Development Partnership, an equal partnership between leading housebuilder The Hill Group and the Council, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the heart of Farnborough. It will act as a catalyst for wider regeneration.
A large central park sits at the heart of the Quarter, anchored by a new leisure centre and civic hub served by good public transport. The park connects to a network of other green spaces, located to maximise tree retention and urban cooling. The south-facing leisure centre will have views overlooking a new destination play space. There will also be an enhanced skate park.
New cycle and pedestrian routes, as well as safe crossings, will re-connect the town centre with its hinterland, drawing footfall to the centre.
The plan provides 960 mixed-tenure homes, a new library, community space, a hotel, ground floor retail and commercial spaces, two mobility hubs with e-scooter and cycle hire, and just under two hectares of high-quality green open space.
Public art, flexible outdoor event spaces, and a new multi-media centre will put creativity centre stage, ensuring the centre of Farnborough is a livelier, more desirable, and more sustainable place to live.
Mark Williams, a director at LDA Design and lead for development and regeneration, said: “The masterplan has been designed to encourage social interaction, creating attractive and welcoming spaces and safer connections, which overcome severance caused by major roads, as well as integrating healthy active travel routes. It will deliver wide-reaching benefits for the people of Farnborough.”
A sustainable approach to development will prioritise people and planet with enhanced biodiversity a goal and measure of success. Air source heat pumps will provide the new homes with hot water and heating, whilst photovoltaic panels on homes will reduce energy costs.
There will also be significant improvements to the road infrastructure throughout the town centre, with ‘safe at grade’ routes and including the removal of the current gyratory and the installation of a T-junction.
