A tower, between 8 and 13 storeys high, may replace Anston House. It is being claimed as a focal point for the gateway to the city, but the Pylons on the city boundary on the A23 are already the gateway to the City, we do not need another.
Gateways and icons are dangerous words as they usually mean that the architect showing off.
It would be the centre piece of a mixed-use site with 0ffice use, affordable housing and even some shops, (a foolish idea as these would not be viable and there are a number of shops in nearby Beaconsfield Road). It could also include live/work units (which would soon turn into live units), small workshops, studios, mini-office spaces which might be more likely to attract users.
The site, which has been derelict for 20 years, is now owned by a specialist private bank Investec, who intend to employ Urban Splash as part of a team to transform the site (this makes us nervous). Plans for the site are expected to be unveiled next year, with a planning application to be submitted shortly afterwards.
This was previously the site of a line of grand Victorian villas which stretched from the Rose Garden at the south end of Preston Park all the way to Patcham. They provided a wonderful foil to the Park.
