Conservation Area Character Appraisal

Holyhead Central Appraisal Adopted 3 May 2005 Copyright Maps in this document are based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Licence No LA09001L For further information contact the Built Environment and Landscape Section Old photographs © Archive Service, Isle of Anglesey County Council Permission must be sought from the Council before reproducing any part of the document. Contents Executive summary Location plan Original boundary Boundary review and recommendations 1. Introduction 2. Conservation area 3. Community 4. Date designated 5. Reason designated 6. Location 7. Area covered 8. Setting 9. Historical background Population change Archaeology 10. Open spaces Trees 11. Townscape Views 12. The local economy 13. Physical fabric 14. Principal buildings 15. Positive and negative elements 16. Appendices Executive Summary This Conservation Area Character Statement will become a working Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) upon adoption. It supports Ynys Môn Local Plan 1996 (Policy 40) and the emerging Unitary Development Plan (Policy EN13) which states that the character and appearance of all designated Conservation areas will be protected from unsympathetic development. Enhancement of their character will be achieved by carrying out improvements and permitting suitably designed new development. This document will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. Circular 61/96 (paragraph 20) states that the quality of place should be the prime consideration in identifying, protecting and enhancing Conservation areas. This depends on more than individual buildings. It is recognised that the special character of a place may derive from many factors, including: the grouping of buildings; their scale and relationship with outdoor spaces; architectural detailing; and so on. Planning Policy Wales 2002 (paragraph 6.5.15) states that if any proposed development would conflict with the objective of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of a Conservation area, or its setting, there will be a strong presumption against the granting of planning permission. Summarised below are elements that contribute to the character and appearance of the Holyhead Central Conservation area requiring preservation or enhancement. History • Nearby excavations on Holyhead Mountain have unearthed Mesolithic Age tools and circular huts dating back 500 years Before Christ. The Roman Fort at the heart of the Conservation area is the finest upstanding Roman Monument in North Wales. • In the 6th century St Cybi founded a Celtic Monastery within the walls of the Fort. The name of the town is still Caergybi (the fort of Cybi). Today's church dates from the 13th century. • The town of Holyhead developed because of its strategic position as a maritime route to Ireland. • The Act of Union with Ireland in 1800 resulted in more frequent communication between London and Dublin. • By the end of the 19th century Holyhead was handling 450,000 passengers per annum. • Today Holyhead is still the most important passenger ferry terminal linking the United Kingdom with Ireland with annual movements exceeding 2.5 million. Setting • The subtle changes in angle of the orientation of the street within the core area of the town centre creates a series of enclosed and self contained, linked, linear urban spaces. • Narrow gateways and passages lead to the main town centre axis, linking to adjacent areas. The most notable passage is through St Cybi's churchyard. • Market Street and Stanley Street form the retail spine while to the west Cambria Street and Thomas Street are much more residential in character. The latter two consist of long terraces of two storey dwellings with a uniformity of detailing and scale. • There are some fine views deemed worthy of protection (See 11. TOWNSCAPE 'Views'). Architecture • Many of the buildings have the elegance and proportions of the Georgian period, with small panes and narrow glazing bars. • The rows were not developed into formal terraces. This was partly due to the lack of continuity in building and to the sloping ground. • Within the commercial area of the town centre the traditional palette of the pastel-coloured, smooth render has been largely retained maintaining the Irish influence on the character of the town. Boundary Review and Recommendations (See Appendix I & II) The character and quality of the streetscape of Holyhead town centre is formed by a combination of the built form and architectural details of the area and the urban spaces that the inter-relationship between the buildings creates. The potential impacts on, and threats to, the character of the Conservation area are therefore dependent on all buildings that have an influence on the urban spaces and streets within the boundaries of the Conservation area. The re-evaluation of the current boundary of the Conservation area has identified several locations where the boundary excludes buildings or groups of buildings that are integral to the quality and form of the setting of the Conservation area itself. It has also identified an area of new development that does not preserve or enhance the character of the area. These proposed additions and deletions to the Conservation area is described below. Stanley Terrace and what remains of Stanley Crescent form a continuous three- storey terrace of buildings providing a distinctive corner to the junction of Boston Street and Victoria Road. It is proposed that the boundary be redrawn so as to encompass the entire terrace as it provides an important transition point between the character of the town centre and the more open area of the harbour. It is recommended that the boundary be amended to include the above. The Empire Cinema provides important visual containment to the north end of Stanley Street and, due to the particular angle of the building and its corner setting, is very prominent within the streetscape. The adjacent open space that forms the car park (which includes two mature trees that contribute to the area) are also important to the setting. It is recommended that the boundary be amended to include the cinema and car park. The forward projecting Grade II listed Caernarfon Castle Public House is visually prominent and terminates views west up Summer Hill. Together with the adjacent properties it forms an important element in the visual quality of the street and has significant impact on the Conservation area directly to the south. It is recommended that the boundary be amended to include the above terrace. The historical, architectural and setting value of the old British School (1848) situated on the junction of Thomas Street and South Stack Road would deem it worthy of inclusion within the boundary. It is recommended that the boundary be amended to include the old school. It is also recommended that the boundary be amended so as to include the Brynhyfryd (1906) annex of Elim Pentecostal Church (Mount Pleasant 1883) and associated car parking area. The post Conservation area designation Wynford Rees Bungalows development on Edmund Street (adjacent to Hyfrydle Chapel) do not preserve or enhance the character of the area. It is recommended that the boundary be amended to omit this development. A re-evaluation of the boundary line that at present includes only No's 2, 6 and 8 Ucheldre Avenue would suggest that the boundary should be redrawn to omit these three properties. It is recommended that the boundary be amended to omit these properties. In order to preserve or enhance the special character of the Conservation area every effort should be made to ensure that future developments should have regard to the existing; materials, style, size, scale and building line so as to be sympathetic to their surroundings. The important views and few open spaces that exist should be preserved. 1. Introduction Conservation areas were created by the Civic Amenities Act of 1967 when it was decided that listing historic buildings individually was not enough to protect groups of buildings, which although not individually listed contributed to the character of the place as a whole, and their setting. It was also realised that the spaces between buildings, and trees, were also important elements and it was decided to protect whole areas to be called Conservation Areas. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 requires local authorities to designate as Conservation areas “Any area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. It is the character of areas, rather than individual buildings that the Act seeks to preserve or enhance. Conservation area designation should be seen as the prime means of recognising, protecting and enhancing the identity of places with special character. Quality of place should be the prime consideration in identifying Conservation areas although there can be no standard specification for Conservation areas. Designating a Conservation area does not prevent future change to buildings and their surroundings. It does mean, however, that the local planning authority when considering planning applications, including those which are outside a Conservation area but would affect its setting, must pay special regard to whether the proposed changes “preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation area”. The designation should enable the character of the area to be retained and controlled, ensuring that any new development is sympathetic to both the special architectural and historic interest of the area, but without affecting its function or prosperity. If a proposal involves the total or substantial demolition of a structure or a building within the Conservation area then “Conservation Area Consent” from the local authority will be required. Otherwise development in Conservation areas is dealt with through the normal planning application process. Subject to some exceptions trees are protected in Conservation areas and anyone proposing to cut down, top or lop a tree is required to give 6 weeks written notice to the local planning authority.

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