Horsham flats compared to ‘prison block’ on restaurant site refused

The application for two linked three/four-storey blocks at the site in North Parade was rejected at a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday (December 1).

Smith & Western is moving to a town centre location and, while most recognised the need to develop its old site, there were concerns that the design on the table was simply not good enough.

Christine Costin (Lib Dem, Trafalgar) said the design lacked in character, adding: “I’m left with the feeling that current residents are going to be really quite inconvenienced by this and it isn’t going to shine a light as people come into Horsham.”

Christian Mitchell (Con, Holbrook West) agreed, saying it looked ‘extremely stark’ in places.

Describing the plans as looking like ‘a prison block or a university hall of residence or a borstal’, Mr Mitchell said he was worried that allowing such a building would set a precedent for future developments.

He added: “It’s too tall, it’s too big, it’s too overbearing. It doesn’t fit into the scene.

“It’s too important a corner to rush this through. Horsham and the town centre need better and deserve better.”

Owner Troy Cox pointed out that the area had changed ‘hugely’ since Smith & Western set up shop on the site 25 years ago, with a number of private homes making way for flats.

He told the meeting that various ‘offers’ for the site had been made from pubs, restaurants and takeaways with one company interested in turning the site into a drive-through.

As well as the design of the flats, there were concerns about the number of parking spaces planned – 28 in total with four of those being allocated off of West Parade.

Ben Peterson, representing Horsham Trafalgar Neighbourhood Council, said this would add to the ‘already very challenging’ parking stresses faced by the area.

Calling the design ‘a box’ and comparing it to buildings found on the South Bank of the Thames, Mr Peterson added: “This building is just too big for the location it’s planned to be built in.”

Most of the committee agreed and the application was refused on the grounds that the scale, design and form of the building would be out of character with the area.