A commitment to building an environmentally sustainable town has already led to measures that will improve the health of residents, such as dedicated walking and cycling routes. Through the Healthy New Towns programme we are reviewing plans to further enhance the built environment to make it easier to live healthy, active and independent lives. The programme has identified a number of key projects.
These include:
- Making it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle around town
7km of new walking and cycling paths, known as the Green Loop, will connect the new and existing communities of Whitehill & Bordon and make it easy to walk and cycle around town.
These paths also provide high quality links between residential areas, the new town centre, new secondary school and leisure centre. It also links the two Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANG’s), Hogmoor and Bordon Inclosures.
A major component to the design of the built environment is wayfinding. A new wayfinding strategy for the whole town has been developed, to make it easy to navigate around the town without complex signage. For more information on the Green Loop and Wayfinding project click here.
- Active spaces
Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company held three stakeholder workshops in partnership with East Hampshire District Council to understand how Hogmoor Inclosure could be enhanced to be accessible to people with mental health problems and physical disabilities and encourage local residents, particularly families, to be more active.
A number of new features were included in the plans for Hogmoor Inclosure:
- Refuges will be provided across the site to provide a safe space for people who may feel anxious, lost or need to rest.
- Games, puzzles and activities have been provided at suitable locations to stimulate engagement with the natural environment.
- Water features will stimulate relaxation and wellbeing.
- A communal growing area will encourage people to work together to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
A fantastic natural play area opened on Hogmoor Inclosure in June 2017. A fatastic new café, plus educational room (the Beehive) with community facilities is now open.