Botley Mill, Botley

Working on behalf of Botley Mills, a craft and business centre within the picturesque Hampshire village, Paul Basham Associates assisted with the expansion of the existing car park to provide an additional 36 spaces including the provision of a new foot bridge over the River Hamble to provide desire line access.

Paul Basham Associates worked with Studio Four Architects and the Bryan Jezeph Consultancy from the project’s inception to assist with highways support for the expansion of the existing car park to provide an additional 36 spaces. The entire site contains 40 separate commercial units which are rented by various local companies. Extra parking was need to relieve current parking pressures on the site and the locale, reducing the risk and frustration of reversing off site and double parking.

In the first instance, Paul Basham Associates undertook a site visit and conducted two separate parking surveys to ascertain the existing parking situation comparing the number of parked bays in use and the number of cars parking informally on the site to identify car park operational capacity. The results of the parking survey were presented in the Transport Statement along with an assessment of the existing conditions on site, identification of the proposed development and an assessment of the impact on the local road network. A 7-day ATC survey was also conducted along the site frontage of Botley Road to assess vehicle speeds and volumes which fed in to the traffic impact assessment.

With the application straddling two local authorities, and mindful of the Listed Building and Conservation area setting, Paul Basham Associates were pleased to hear stakeholders and consultees supported the proposals, with the site receiving planning permission. The successful outcome will relieve the current parking congestion, and support the various businesses in the Mill to the benefit of Botley Village.