Hillington Square

Welcome

Welcome to our exhibition to showcase Freebridge Community Housing’s emerging plans for the next phases of the Hillington Square redevelopment.

The regeneration of the estate has been ongoing since 2012 and to date has delivered 190 apartments in four refurbished blocks. We now want to complete the award-winning project started with Hemmingway Design.

Once you’ve had a chance to review the emerging proposals, please fill out a feedback form and have your say. Representatives from the project team are available to answer any questions you may have.

Freebridge Community Housing Freebridge Community Housing was founded in 2006 and is the largest provider of affordable housing in West Norfolk. Freebridge owns and maintains around 6,800 homes across King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and employs well over 200 people.

Our goal is to provide quality homes and excellent services for current and future generations so that the people and communities of West Norfolk can thrive.

We are achieving this in several ways, including by providing homes to meet local needs. Today we have around 6,800 homes in our ownership, and we are developing more affordable properties. We are also improving our existing homes – we want to create homes, communities, and local spaces of which we can all be proud.

As well as building new affordable housing, we also regenerate our existing housing stock and have already transformed the first phase of Hillington Square in King’s Lynn to create a vibrant community which has won numerous national awards.

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to providing an excellent service and offering additional support as needed. We are focused on meeting the needs of our customers, listening to them, and shaping services to reflect what people want.

We also strive to make an impact by spending time getting out into our communities and lending a hand, where we can. We work closely with our partners, looking for ways to deliver services, support and facilities that our communities need.

But of course, we couldn’t do any of this without our dedicated team of colleagues who every day work to make a difference for our customers and our communities.

Our vision

70 new homes and 26 refurbished homes

Environmentally friendly homes

A range of community spaces

A safer and more secure estate

High-quality landscaping and public realm based on the idea of ‘Healthy Streets”

A mixture of one-, two- and three- bed homes

Sensitive design, respecting local heritage

Improved car and cycle parking, including electric vehicle charging points

Site story Hillington Square is a 1960s housing development located to the south of King’s Lynn centre.

These proposals seek to develop the blocks known as Chestnut, Aitken, and Norris House, as well as the Providence Street Community Centre.

The proposed application site is part of the Hillington Square Estate. Hillington Square is located on the southern edge of King’s Lynn town centre and bounded to the north

by Stonegate Street, to the east by London Road and Providence Street (that also extends into the site), and to the south by Valingers Road and All Saints’ Street. All the streets surrounding the site are predominantly residential.

Hillington Square built comprising 320 flats in five-storey blocks

1967-71

2006

2010

Housing stock transferred from the Council to Freebridge Community Housing

Freebridge Community Housing appoints Hemingway Design and Mae architects to regenerate the blocks

Planning approval for the regeneration of Hillington Square to be undertaken in phases

Demolition work begins

2012

2014

2017

2021

Phases one to four of Hillington Square complete

Freebridge appoints a new design team to finish the regeneration of Hillington Square

The proposals The emerging proposals seek to redevelop the existing blocks Chestnut, Aitken and Norris House as well as the Providence Street Community Centre. We are proposing four new residential blocks which will provide 70 flats of one, two, and three bedrooms. Below many of these homes there will be space for a range of community facilities. We will be communicating with the providers of services at the current Providence Street Community Centre to seek their requirements and help shape the use of these spaces.

The new development will provide a new public square around All Saints’ Church. We will also provide a series of new routes through the site, which are based around the idea of ‘healthy streets’ – streets which prioritise walking and cycling and community integration.

The new proposals will now resurface the existing car parking area off Valingers Road as well as delivering additional on-street parking spaces for public use as part of the site’s redevelopment. The emerging scheme design will also ensure that there will be no throughroutes for vehicles between the existing access points into the site off Valingers Road and Providence Street.

You said, we did Responding to feedback on our previous proposals we received from the local community, stakeholders and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council we have responded in the following ways: • • • •

Moving the proposed new blocks further away from All Saints’ Church to respect this invaluable heritage asset Reducing the massing of the blocks nearest the Church from five storeys to three and four storeys.

Retaining and refurbishing the blocks nearest to Bridge Street and All Saints’ Street.

Providing more parking for residents and visitors.

Previously submitted proposals

Updated proposals

Site plan

High-quality affordable homes We will provide 70 new flats and three terraced houses with private gardens. All the homes being provided will be affordable to meet a need within the existing community.

The dwellings will enjoy plentiful natural light, meet nationally described space standards, and have excellent air quality and minimal noise pollution.

We will adhere to the highest standards for energy efficiency and insulation to reduce the carbon footprint of the scheme, as well as reducing running costs for occupants. All the homes proposed will be constructed to last, using sustainable, locally sourced materials. Local labour will also be used where possible, and the scheme will provide jobs, wages and training to local people.

Landscaping The proposed landscaping is centred around the Church of All Saints and its surrounding grounds, and the linear walkway between Millfleet and Friars Street.

Improvements to the path network within the site would allow clear and safe access through the site and to surrounding streets maximising desire lines and views through the site. The concept also aims to relink the site into the fabric of the surrounding streets and parks creating strong visual linkage to the Church from the Walks and London Road/Providence Street and equally ensuring that key historical landmarks are visible from within the site looking out.

KEY: Site Boundary Ownership Boundary Listed Buildings Scheduled Monuments Rivers Millleet

St negate

Registered Parks and Gardens ( The Walks, grade II)

Sto

Open Space

GREYFRIARS HOUSE

TOMPSON HOUSE

t

M

ee l F ill

VALENTINE HOUSE

t

l st

a

Bo

C et

M

e illl

Colby Ct

ad Ro

Gurney Rd Bridge St

Green Spaces Visual Opportunity

on nd Lo

Hillington Square

COLBY HOUSE

Gaywood River

Proposed Linear Park Proposed Green Boulevard Proposed Shared Surfacing

GREENLAND HOUSE

Providence St

All Sain t’s

St

Proposed Cafe Building

CHURCH OF ALL SAINT’S

VICARAGE HOUSE

LADYSMITH HOUSE

FARROW HOUSE

Proposed Buildings

Proposed Parking

Fria r

s St

River Great Ouse

Key Building Facades - Proposed SL ynn

Pla in

Valingers Rd

Healthy streets Our public realm proposals will follow the idea of healthy streets, which gives priority to pedestrians and cyclists, and includes significant landscaping intended to mitigate pollution and encourage mental well-being. New avenues of street trees are proposed along the linear walkway with surface improvements and new seating creating a new central park within the site from which all residential areas within the site can be accessed.

Existing view of the Central Avenue

The church, surrounding historical buildings and new buildings would also act as key focal point creating architectural interest and orientation through the site. New development to the east would also create distinctive space and small pocket parks for residents to enjoy along with a series of south facing gardens.

Proposed view of the Central Avenue

Sustainability We will deliver a development which is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, with cycle parking and electric vehicle charging points to encourage sustainable travel. As part of our sustainable energy strategy, heat pumps will be included on top of buildings. We will provide diverse new habitats to encourage biodiversity, including living roofs. In order to encourage a healthy community, we are proposing a range of outdoor facilities, play spaces, and a range of spaces for community events.

Thank you Thank you for taking the time to review our proposals for high-quality, affordable homes for King’s Lynn.

We would like to hear the thoughts of the community ahead of submitting a planning application to King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. We would be grateful if you could complete a feedback form. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.futureofhillingtonsquare.co.uk to leave your feedback.

If you would like to get in touch with the project team, you can email sgregory@conciliocomms.com or call 0800 994 9322.