Rainbow House, Water Lane, Watford, WD17

Redevelopment of Rainbow House

Watford residents will probably know Rainbow House as the offices of JJ McGinley, located on the southeastern edge of the town centre where Water Lane meets Exchange Road. The land it occupies has an exciting future ahead of it as the site of convenient, modern and affordable homes for local people, including the town's first time buyers.

Proposed Scheme - vital statistics

• A total of 100 homes
• 60 homes will be subsidised to make them affordable for local people.
• Residents have a choice of one bedroom and two bedroom apartments, plus just one studio apartment.
• Most homes are found in the first eight storeys, with a slim tower above rising to sixteen storeys.
• 40 car parking spaces are provided, including three for visitors.

Housing Watford's young adults and its workers

Many of the people who live and work in Watford struggle to afford a home in the area regardless of their ages. The answer for too many is to move away to areas where the cost of living is more manageable, leaving some of Watford's employers without the workforce they need.

We have to meet this demand using the limited development land available - in areas with the transport, shops and leisure facilities to support an increase in the number of residents and where tall buildings can blend in with well-established architecture.

Watford has high demand for homes from first time buyers and other local people. It also has land in the town centre that can comfortably support the new homes they need.

A landmark for Watford

We all use local landmarks to navigate around a townscape. Seeing a familiar church steeple, public house, bridge or tall tree come into view means we are close to home. Following a landmark above the rooftops leads us where we want to go.

We believe this site in Watford is ideal for a prominent landmark:

• It is not in a conservation area.
• There are no neighbouring listed buildings.
• Initial analysis shows that no existing views are obstructed.
• It adds interest in an area dominated by bulky and featureless buildings.
• Its town centre location has the amenities and transport for the people it accommodates.

A tall residential building in Watford town centre would do more than simply point the way to the station, or mark the southern entry point to the town centre. It makes a clear statement about the town's commitment to accommodating its people and about the vitality of the town centre, alive with activity for most of the day's 24 hours.

A home to feel proud of

A home ought to form more than a landmark or a means of meeting housing targets. Fundamentally, it needs to be a place where people want to live.

We believe that the residents of this building will love it: its convenient position, its large windows, its many balconies and terraces and - most of all - its dramatic central atrium.

Respecting existing households

Good design preserves - and even enhances - the standard of living of those people already settled in the neighbourhood.

Our award winning architects, Goddard Manton, are experts in designing tall residential buildings. In this case they have used the shape of a building, the way it faces and its surroundings to protect the existing environment:

• Creating a slender profile against the sky.
• Casting a narrow and fast-moving shadow.
• Using a location to the north of existing homes, mainly out of the path of the sun.
• Watching over public spaces to make them safer.
• Turning away from private spaces.
• Making use of natural screens provided by tall trees.

Competition for road space and parking space will be limited from a development designed and located for people without cars.

We are working with specialist consultants to assess the impact of the proposed building. Their early reports have already confirmed the architects' own calculations. The planning application will include expert analysis of such matters as:

• The shadow cast.
• The impact on existing views and on Watford's skyline.
• The air quality and noise levels at that location.
• The adequacy of existing transport systems.
• Energy and sustainability

Network and Watford - a long-term relationship

Network has long-term plans for Watford. As future manager of the homes it builds, Network has no interest in compromising on quality or alienating the neighbourhoods where it works. The group would like to be welcomed back time and again by the borough council and the local community as a trusted housing provider.

Consulting local people

In January 2008 we invited over 4,000 local residents to an exhibition of our draft plans for the site, where they could meet Network's development team and the architects of the proposals before giving their views. All residents and businesses within a half mile radius were invited to attend.

We are keen to hear from anyone with an interest in these proposals. People who live or work in the borough of Watford obviously have a strong interest. We are also keen to hear from people who, for example, have close family ties in Watford, who regularly use the town's amenities or who are looking for a home in the borough.

Please use our standard questionnaire to give us your views. Before you do this, please ask yourselves:

• Have we maximised the public benefit from this small piece of land?
• Will we meet housing needs in Watford?
• Have we created convenient homes where most people can live without reliance on private cars?
• Will we create a place where people will want to live?
• Have we achieved the level of quality that you expect to see in Watford?

The return address is at the end of the questionnaire.

What happens next?

Once local people have given us their views, the next stage is for us to review our draft proposals and prepare a planning application for Watford Council. The application includes a report on the views of the local community and what we have done to take account of them.

Contacts for further information

If you would like further information about the proposals or about the consultation process, then please contact the team we have appointed to ensure a thorough community consultation:

TTA Group
Phil Kennedy: 020 7886 0275 or pkennedy@ttagroup.co.uk
Tim Reid: 020 7886 0328 or
treid@ttagroup.co.uk

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