New Conservation Area recommended to be added in Horsham

To be known as the Park Terrace Gardens Conservation Area, it would include Norfolk Road, Norfolk Terrace, Wellington Road, Chichester Terrace, Barttelot Road, Park Terrace, Park Street and East Street.

The recommendation was made during a meeting of the district council’s cabinet on Thursday (September 28) and will be decided by the full council on October 11.

John Milne, cabinet member for planning and infrastructure, said the council had a duty to review its list of Conservation Areas and had received requests from residents to add Park Terrace Gardens to that list.

He added: “We are of the view that the area around Norfolk Terrace is worthy of designation as a Conservation Area.

“This area contains particularly intact Victorian heritage and detailing.”

A public consultation was held between September and November 2022 regarding the proposed designation, with 60 comments received from 31 responders.

As a result, some changes were made to the boundary of the proposed Conservation Area.

Businesses fronting on to Park Street will not fall within the boundary.

Mr Milne said: “The businesses were understandably concerned that their ability to adapt to today’s challenging commercial environment would not be handicapped by the need to have regard to Conservation Area rules.”

Ruth Fletcher (Lib Dem, Denne) acknowledged that some people would be ‘seriously disappointed’ by the decision but said the situation could be looked at again in five years’ time, when views may have changed.

She added: “I’m personally really happy that we’ve come to what I consider to be a sensible and reasonable compromise.”

Mrs Fletcher and others applauded the efforts of local residents who gathered information and documented the history of the area to help officers prepare a case for the Conservation Area.