We were appointed by Horncastle Town Council and neighbourhood plan group to prepare an Urban Structure Study 

Horncastle located in Lincolnshire, is a market town with a rich and diverse history dating back to the Roman times. In preparing their neighbourhood plan, the community sought to answer the question of ‘how new development could support and enhance the existing town?’  

An Urban Structure Study (USS) was commissioned, which drew upon: the results of previous townscape studies; consultation exercises; research into the structure of successful places; and analysing character, strengths and weaknesses of different sectors within urban Horncastle. This led to the establishment of some broad principles relating to layout, accessibility, privacy and green space and helped to evolve design-led planning policies. 

This study was an important piece of evidence that justified design policies within the neighbourhood plan. The appointed Examiner concluded:

“The USS is a valuable piece of analysis and its application through a neighbourhood plan is imaginative and constructive way of seeking to ensure new development avoids some errors of the past”.