New Ash Green
Encyclopedia
New Ash Green is a village near the ancient village of Ash
, in the parish of Ash-cum-Ridley
, about 6 miles (10 km) south of Gravesend
in Kent
and 21 miles (34 km) south-east of London
. Building of the village began in 1967, with Span as the developer and Eric Lyons
of Cresskill, NJ as the designer. The architectural design of New Ash Green was extremely innovative for its time. The original concept was a prototype for a new way of living in the latter twentieth century. The first buildings were created to be airy, pleasant and modern. There was generous landscaping and cars were separated from pedestrians. The village is arranged in twenty four neighbourhoods.
The development soon ran into difficulties. Originally, the Greater London Council
was going to buy 450 of the properties for renting. This idea was dropped when the leadership of the GLC went into Conservative hands. This reduced the financial viability of the development and of the planned social mix of residents. Another problem in the early years was that some lenders were sceptical about the unconventional design of the properties and would not give mortgages.
Span, the original developer, sold the project to Bovis
in 1971 for £2.65 million. Bovis increased the size of the development, increasing density and giving less attention to design or provision of public space.
New Ash Green is now a quiet residential area. It has a rugby club, tennis club, football club, shops, children's parks, a primary school, a special needs school and many more public buildings. The village had its own internet forum, but this has now closed. A new New Ash Green Community website launched on 2 November 2010, offering a replacement for the NAG Active service with a great deal of improved functions.. This later closed and a new website created called NAGVAl. Here is the link www.nagval.com
New Ash Green has its own Social Committee, which is made up of local residents. The Social Committee is responsible for organising social events in the village. For example Fireworks Night, Village Day and the Children's Craft Day. The social committee is a non-profit organisation who are passionate about the village.
Although the design of the village is considered innovative and makes good use of space, the design has brought some problems. New Ash Green has over recent years had some problem with car-theft since parking bays are not located near houses. In addition the shopping centre has become run-down due to lack of landlord maintenance; plans are now being put forward to redesign it
Ash, Sevenoaks
Ash is a small village located in the Sevenoaks district in Kent. It shares the parish of Ash-cum-Ridley with the nearby village of Ridley. The London Golf Club is located in the village, which hosts the European Open on the PGA European Tour....
, in the parish of Ash-cum-Ridley
Ash-cum-Ridley
Ash-cum-Ridley is a civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 7,070. The parish includes:*Ash,*New Ash Green,*Hodsoll Street and*Ridley.-External links:***...
, about 6 miles (10 km) south of Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and 21 miles (34 km) south-east of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Building of the village began in 1967, with Span as the developer and Eric Lyons
Eric Lyons
Eric Lyons was a British designer and architect. He was famous for the development of forward-looking housing communities in England in the latter part of the 20th century. His partnership in Span Developments lead to the building of over 73 estates.From 1936 to 1937 he worked for Walter Gropius...
of Cresskill, NJ as the designer. The architectural design of New Ash Green was extremely innovative for its time. The original concept was a prototype for a new way of living in the latter twentieth century. The first buildings were created to be airy, pleasant and modern. There was generous landscaping and cars were separated from pedestrians. The village is arranged in twenty four neighbourhoods.
The development soon ran into difficulties. Originally, the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
was going to buy 450 of the properties for renting. This idea was dropped when the leadership of the GLC went into Conservative hands. This reduced the financial viability of the development and of the planned social mix of residents. Another problem in the early years was that some lenders were sceptical about the unconventional design of the properties and would not give mortgages.
Span, the original developer, sold the project to Bovis
Bovis
Bovis may refer to:* Bovis Homes Group, a national British housebuilding company* Bovis scale, a concept used by dowsers and adherents of geomancy* Bovis Lend Lease, an international construction management company and subsidiary of Lend Lease Corporation...
in 1971 for £2.65 million. Bovis increased the size of the development, increasing density and giving less attention to design or provision of public space.
New Ash Green is now a quiet residential area. It has a rugby club, tennis club, football club, shops, children's parks, a primary school, a special needs school and many more public buildings. The village had its own internet forum, but this has now closed. A new New Ash Green Community website launched on 2 November 2010, offering a replacement for the NAG Active service with a great deal of improved functions.. This later closed and a new website created called NAGVAl. Here is the link www.nagval.com
New Ash Green has its own Social Committee, which is made up of local residents. The Social Committee is responsible for organising social events in the village. For example Fireworks Night, Village Day and the Children's Craft Day. The social committee is a non-profit organisation who are passionate about the village.
Although the design of the village is considered innovative and makes good use of space, the design has brought some problems. New Ash Green has over recent years had some problem with car-theft since parking bays are not located near houses. In addition the shopping centre has become run-down due to lack of landlord maintenance; plans are now being put forward to redesign it