Area Two (5, 6 & 7)

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Phoebe Merrick

Area Setting and Landscape Settlement Pattern Open and other spaces Building Form & materials Streets and Street Furniture Trees/hedges Boundary Features Consultation Process

Streets and Street Furniture

No houses face onto the Halterworth part of Botley Road between Senlac Road and Halterworth Lane. In this area, Botley Road is a wide road with footpaths on both sides. Four pedestrian refuges have been constructed to keep traffic speeds down along the upper part of the road. Adjacent to Halterworth, there is one by The Vikings and another outside Montfort College. There is a lay-by near Grosvenor Place which provides parking for drivers who wish to use Mace Express shop opposite (in Whitenap). There is a bus stop outside Montfort College.

Halterworth Lane was formerly a country lane that now forms the eastern boundary of Halterworth. The houses are named, not numbered, which can cause difficulty. The footpath on the eastern side ceases to be made-up, north of One Tree Cottage. Beyond that there is a wide grass verge that has been encroached upon by the hedge in places making it too narrow to use safely, particularly near the corner at the junction with Jenner Way. The footpath on the western side of the lane is continuous but this is the opposite side of the road from the school.

Junction box with graffiti on verge

Many of the roads in Halterworth have grass verges between footpath and road, those in Meon Road being especially generous. They give a feeling of spaciousness and calm to the streets.

Halterworth is laced with a network of footpaths enabling people to circulate without using roads. On the steep north-western side, some of these take the form of steps. However there is an absence of street name signs linked to these footpaths, so that pedestrians have no way of knowing where they are.

A number of privately installed security lights are too bright and intrusive to neighbours. Some of the street lights are felt to be poorly positioned. In particular, there are insufficient lights on the path to the rear of Benedict Close and this deters people from using it.

Overhead cables in Halterworth Lane

There are overhead telephone cables and their attendant poles in several of the older streets including Halterworth Lane, and Halterworth Close which detract from the appearance of the area.

Design Recommendations

	Keep road name boards clean and clear
	Maintain the grass verges
	Erect street names boards for the benefit of pedestrians
	Review the provision of lights especially along the path behind Benedict Close
	Review the state of the eastern side of Halterworth Lane verge and footpath

Trees, Hedges and other Landscape Features

The major collection of trees is to be found in Tadburn Meadows which is old woodland, probably dating back to medieval times, when it was managed on behalf of Romsey Abbey. Tadburn Meadows now has the benefit of a group of volunteers who help in its management. The trees of Tadburn Meadows extend eastward along the stream side to the level crossing in Halterworth Lane. The Tadburn stream runs through the Meadows from east to west and is much visited and enjoyed by residents.

Trees in Montfort College

Above Tadburn Meadows lines of trees mark old field boundaries that existed before the area was built up. For example there are rows of trees on the slopes of the valley between Kennet Road and Seward Rise, and also below Halterworth Close and Mead Close.

North of Benedict Close, an old property boundary is marked by the line of trees running west almost from Halterworth Lane to the rear of Wessex Gardens where it meets another row of trees that runs north-south.

There is a public open space to the west of Benedict Close in which the former burial ground of the Montfort Fathers stood, although there are no longer any graves there. It is surrounded by a laurel hedge which was recently much reduced in height as a result of community action, which has made the adjacent footpath feel much safer. The little piece of stream near Montfort Hall acts as a magnet for small children to explore and investigate. The green by Avon Crescent and Anton Close has been planted with shrubs which need proper maintenance.

Trees in Halterworth Lane

There are a number of mature trees, mostly oak, along Botley Road, especially in the vicinity of Montfort College. Within the grounds of the college there is a fine collection of trees in the English parkland tradition, and to the rear there is a double row and a single row of lime trees. Some of the houses in Montfort Heights have been built between these rows of trees. In addition there are mature trees along Halterworth Lane, notably in the vicinity of the school. The school has a wildlife pond that enriches the learning experiences of its pupils.

Design Recommendations

	Trees should be preserved or replaced as far as possible and with suitable species
	Arrange a suitable maintenance programme for the shrubs on the green by Anton Close and Avon Crescent.

 

Boundary Features

Much of the built area has open plan gardens with grass or low-growing plants that preserve the openness of the estate. A few have been converted to provide car parking and some have been surrounded by hedges thereby changing the character of the area.

The older properties in Halterworth Lane mostly have hedged front gardens and these are quite large. Montfort College has a low wall with decorative railings above. There are railings between the car parking area adjacent to Wessex Gardens and Montfort Hall open space

Decorative railings, Montfort College

Fence types by footpath to Montfort Hall

One of the most conspicuous boundary features is to be found at the rear of the houses in Holyborne Road, where the visitor is faced with a row of fences and flat roofed garages. There is a robust wall alongside the footpath to the Co-op which is utilitarian rather than attractive.

A variety of solutions have been used to provide privacy in back gardens especially where these are adjacent to the highway. In some places, large wooden fences have been erected some of which are obtrusive in the street. Other solutions also exist, for example, there is a length of wall along Halterworth Lane north of Saxon Way which is not inappropriate

Design Recommendations

	Open plan front gardens should be maintained
	Fences and walls are often more attractive if screened with plants.

 

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