Crown Hill View

Crown Hill View, Ashford, Kent, Public Art Delivery Plan Commission

Redrow Homes Ltd has commissioned FrancisKnight Public Art Consultants to develop a comprehensive Public Art Delivery Plan for Crown Hill View. This plan will discharge Reserved Matters Condition 18, ensuring that within six months of the commencement of each phase, detailed plans for public art are submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority.

Crown Hill View is part of a suburban expansion set within an attractive and accessible landscape. The development will offer a mix of family housing and affordable homes, alongside significant areas of new public open space, recreational routes, and children’s play areas, benefitting both new and existing residents. Additionally, Crown Hill View will feature outstanding community facilities, including a new Bowling Club, land and funding for a new 2 PE Primary School, and a new local centre with a gym, offices, and retail spaces.

Nearby, the Conningbrook Lakes development and Conningbrook Lakes Country Park, just a short walk from Crown Hill View, already feature public artworks, such as willow sculptures by Julia Clarke and a Bird Hide by Tim Norris.

Artist, Martin Brockman, has been chosen to lead the project. Martin works in wood, clay and printmaking. Projects have included many site-specific carved wood pieces, Installations for the Festival Hall, Kew and the National Trust; community kiln and sculpture projects at the University of London and across Britain, as well as exhibitions of his woodcut prints.

Martin will assist in creating an overarching vision for the public art, working closely with FrancisKnight, the design team, and the client team. Research will be conducted to explore themes, historical connections, existing uses, and proposed landscaping themes, along with the new community envisioned for the site. Martin will review proposed locations for public art to ensure creative and commercial solutions are achieved.

A community engagement programme will accompany the development of any artworks, ensuring that the local community is involved in the process. The artist will scope artworks to the concept stage and develop associated budgets, bringing their vision to life.