As construction work on the Orchard Farm affordable homes development finally gets under way, consideration needs to be given on what to call the new access road.
The housing association English Rural has permission to build nine homes on land between the A283 Petworth Road and Wormley Lane. The existing Orchard Farm building has been retained and sold together with some paddock land. Seven affordable properties and two open-market bungalows are to be built on the remainder.
The pandemic and rising costs delayed the development but work has now started and English Rural has to apply for a name for the new access road that will lead from the A283 into the development.
It has proposed calling it Tillson Gardens, as a tribute to a former chair of English Rural who died after a short illness 2020. Mark Tillson was a highly-respected member of the housing association and a keen supporter of the Orchard Farm development.
An alternative to this could be Orchard Gardens or something similar.
Hambledon Parish Council has told English Rural that local people should be informed of the proposal before any decision is made and has reminded English Rural of the Waverley Borough Council’s Street naming policy. It is Waverley – which gives approval to new street names – that will make the final decision.
The borough’s guidelines require developers to put forward three names for consideration and that these should reflect the historical significance of the site. “Developers are advised to contact parish or town councils who are ideally placed to advise on matters of local significance and historical links”.
It further states: “The use of a name which relates to people, either living or deceased should be avoided if possible. Only in very exceptional circumstances would such a suggestion be given consideration.”
Stewart Payne, chairman of Hambledon Parish Council, said: “We fully appreciate that Mr Tillson was a highly-regarded member of English Rural. But we think it is important that official policy guidelines should be followed and that our villagers have a say in the final choice. Residents may feel that the name should have local relevance”
The word Farm cannot be considered as the original farmhouse building remains with that name, but Orchard followed by Lane, Close, Grove, Way, Gardens etc can be considered.
If you have any thoughts, please contact our clerk Catherine Russell as soon as possible on [email protected]
I support Stewart Payne’s opinion.
A name associated with Orchard Farm or Hambledon seems appropriate and consistent with “naming guidelines”.
I agree with the council that Orchard Farm still exists, it is just the old outbuildings that are being built upon. Therefore anything associated with ‘farm’ will result in Orchard Farm deliveries going to the affordable houses and they won’t appreciate some of those… I also think close, gardens, etc. sound more like a town/city complex, see Orchard Gardens in Elephant and Castle for a lovely example of tower blocks without an inch of garden! The new proposed road actually narrows along its route, as per a lane, and therefore I suggest appropriate to call it a lane. Tillson Lane… Read more »
Not Park, please! As everyone in the village will continue to call it Orchard Farm can we go with Orchard something? Lane, Gardens etc. There are lots of things they could name after Mr Tillson.
We should tell that white car driver that ‘you can’t park there mate’ as you’re blocking the lane, Orchard Lane… sounds good.
Could we not be a bit more imaginative, how about something from the local area, Badger Bottom, Fox Run Lane, Deer Nibblers Close, Moldy Barn Avenue, Wet Patch Road, Mossy End. Why don’t we embrace the ‘classic way village byways were named’…. Sorry for any offence
Supporting Stewart’s premise, derived from official guidelines, that the name should have “local relevance” and Gavin’s enthusiasm to embrace the “classic way to name a village byway”, it seems sensible to embrace the “orchard” theme since we know this piece of land was once part of an orchard farm, possibly historically (needs a history buff to confirm) an orchard of the larger country estate of Tigbourne. So, my suggestion, applying a little imagination & creativity, is “Orchard Blossom Lane” and to make it true to its name perhaps plant a few blossoming trees along its route, flowering cherry trees and… Read more »
Well for inspirational purposes… when Wormley Lane was Union Road, long before the farmhouse or stables had been built, the field was called Nursery Gardens and used as a nursery. One of the main produce was mushrooms, the old mushroom house and steam boiler still exist, although the three large part brick, part greenhouse buildings above the mushroom house were subsequently knocked down. This was in 1946 and I’m told prior to this was used by the army to store vehicles for World War II.
My preference is for Orchard Close or Place, as it better describes a small development. This is a cul-de-sac. To give it the term Road, Street, Way or Lane, implies that it is a thoroughfare, which it is not!
If we are going along the ‘orchard, apple’ line could I suggest ‘Scrumping Close’, ‘Crumble Avenue’, ‘Cider Lane’,
Working on Paul’s historical “mushroom” theme, how about ‘Fairy Circle’ or ‘Pixie Ring Close’,
Oh Deborah, you either have a dark humour or are very innocent but either way that made me laugh out loud!
I fear both suggestions can have other meanings… I guess we could line the roads with pink rhododendrons and sprinkle glitter on them… or perhaps best stick with the apple trees and Orchard Lane or equivalent.
Badger Close ? !
I like the thoughts behind naming the road after its historical usage. ‘Orchard Blossom Lane’ was a lovely suggestion although it doesn’t seem to achieve the desired nod to historical usage as there is no history of there ever being apple trees anywhere on the farm, and Orchard Farm still exists. However, it’s a nice name so perhaps should be one of the three suggestions… There was also comment that the access road was not actually a road as not a thoroughfare. However, the lane does link Petworth Road and Wormley Lane by foot at least compared to a lot… Read more »
Or something like “The Old Stables” ? That’s what I have always known the site as.
Yes, that also seems to meet most of the naming requirements and describes the more recent usage. Also sounds nice.