Not in London, but within Zone 6, Watford is growing. This proximity to London, together with improved connectivity through new infrastructure and a healthy employment market means that the pressure for growth is increasing. The question is how to accommodate it within relatively constrained boundaries?
The council is responding by increasing densities in the town centre and bring forward major new projects like the Watford Health Campus.
Design South East were asked to provide advice on the Health Campus through design review, workshops and one-to-one meetings with officers.
Asked to advise on how to manage tall buildings applications, we responded by advising the council on the development of a Tall Buildings Policy. Our approach was to facilitate dialogue to establish the objectives and principles of the policy and then to provide advise and guidance that enables the officers to develop the policy themselves and to then use it to define clear expectations for applicants from the outset and as a tool for negotiation.