Kings Road Church Redesign
The latest designs for the proposed Kings Road Church redevelopment were presented to the public this summer.
Lead architect of the Berkhamsted development, David Kirkland, said he is confident the newly redesigned building – including its size and scale – will better reflect residents’ concerns, expressed when the plan was first announced in May, 2024.
After extensive public and planning consultations the plans are now in their third iteration. David Kirkland’s new design is significantly more sustainable and reduced in height, while still offering the same community benefits envisioned in the original concept.
‘We’ve listened closely to the community and the updated plans are not only more sustainable, less impactful and importantly lower in height, but also designed to stand the test of time, ensuring the building celebrates and complements the town’s character while preparing for the future,’ he said at a public preview of the latest designs on 5 July.
Kings Road Pastor Rob Gorst told Berkhamsted Living: ‘Our vision has always been to create a space that serves everyone, not just today, but for generations to come.
‘This building will be more than a beautiful church; it will be a resource for the whole community, with foundational values of care and connection, and a respect for the high standards of the town we all love.’
The group Neighbours Of The Proposed Kings Road Church Redevelopment was concerned about noise, inadequate parking provision and traffic management, as well as loss of light and privacy to neighbours.
They added that the building’s scale was out of proportion with the surrounding residential buildings in a designated conservation area, and that an historical building would be demolished.
The new building has been designed with low energy, economic and ecological features. It will feature green roofs, and windows facing Kings Road have been reduced to ‘ensure minimal lighting overspill and potential noise impacts’.
Following the latest consultation, The Chiltern Society highlighted concern over parking provision and concluded: ‘We accept the need for a more modest rebuilding or refurbish of the current building, but this is the wrong site for an arena of this size.’
The BCA Townscape Group maintained its objection ‘on the grounds of overdevelopment, height, bulk, visual domination (particularly on neighbours), impact on traffic flow, lack of parking provision, and inappropriate design for the building’s situation’.
As we went to press, the plans were still awaiting a decision from Dacorum Borough Council.
