Heritage Statement Great House Barn, Rivington March 2021 Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. The Site 2 3. Heritage Assets 7 4. Significance of Heritage Assets 8 5. Impact Assessment 13 6. Summary and Conclusions 17 Appendix 1: Legislation and Policy 18 Our reference MATH3000 Mar 2021 1. Introduction 1.1 This Heritage Statement is prepared by Turley Heritage on behalf of Mr Matthew Salmon (the ‘Applicant’) in connection with a full planning application for the erection of two lightweight timber structures to provide covered outdoor seating (the ‘Proposed Development’) to the immediate south-west of Great House Barn, Rivington (‘the ‘Site’). 1.2 Great House Barn is grade II listed, and is located close to the grade II listed Great House Farmhouse and Cottage a short distance to the south east. The buildings are located within the Lever Park Registered Park and Garden (RPG). 1.3 In determining the full planning application, Chorley Council has a statutory duty under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the special interest and setting of listed buildings1. Case law has established that ‘considerable importance and weight’ should be given to this duty. 1.4 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) provides the Government’s national planning policy on the conservation of the historic environment. In respect of information requirements for applications, Paragraph 189 states the following: ‘In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’ importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance”2. 1.5 To comply with these requirements, Section 2 of this Statement identifies the Site and surrounding area and describes its history and development. Section 3 identifies heritage assets with potential to be affected by the Proposed Development and Section 4 provides an assessment of their significance and setting; proportionate to both the importance of the asset and the likely impacts. The assessment is undertaken on the basis of published information, archival research and a site visit. 1.6 Section 5 provides an assessment of the impact of the Proposed Development on the significance of the identified designated and non-designated heritage assets, in light of the statutory duty of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, national and local planning policy for the historic environment, and relevant Historic England guidance on ‘Managing Significance in Decision Taking in the Historic Environment’3 and ‘The Setting of Heritage Assets.4’ 1 S.66 (1) Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 2 MHCLG (2019) National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) - para. 189 3 Historic England (2015) Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 2, Managing Significance in Decision Taking in the Historic Environment 4 Historic England (2017) Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 3, The Setting of Heritage Assets (2nd edition) 1 2. The Site Location and Context 2.1 Great House Barn (Figure 2.1) is located to the south west side of Rivington Lane, in a rural area to the east of Rivington Pike. It is approximately 9.5km north west of Bolton and 5.5 km south east of Chorley. The barn is a former tithe barn and is currently in use as a tearoom and gift shop. To its immediate south-west is a hard-landscaped area in use for seating. 2.2 Great House Barn is centrally located in Lever Park. It is surrounded by a wooded and landscaped parkland and beyond the parkland to the east is open moorland and Winter Hill. To the west is Lower Rivington Reservoir. Figure 2.1: Aerial image of the Site 2.3 The east elevation of the barn is located adjacent to the pavement along Rivington Lane which travels through the Park from north to south. To the rear of the building is the Site (Figure 2.2), which comprises an area used for outdoor seating which was laid out in the late 20th century as part of the redevelopment of the barn for tourism use. It comprises a raised area hard-surfaced with traditional stone slabs which respond to the listed building. The area contains two large umbrellas and is enclosed by a low stone wall and planters. This area is accessed via steps and a ramped route. Beyond this to the south west is a hard surfaced car park and beyond is the ‘Go-Ape’ outdoor activity centre. A short distance to the south-east is the Great House Farmhouse and Cottage. 2 Figure 2.2: Great House Barn and the Site Historic Development 2.4 Great House Barn is thought to date originally to the 16th century and Great House Farmhouse and Cottage to the later 17th century. The map at Figure 2.3 dates to 1786 and the building is likely to be that annotated on the map as ‘Great Ho’. Figure 2.3: Yates 1786 Map 3 2.5 The 1894 map at Figure 2.4 shows the barn and adjacent farmhouse, both collectively identified as Great House Farm. At that time the barn had not been altered and was in its previous form with a projection to the south. An irregular building was located to the rear (south) of the barn adjacent to Great House Farm. Figure 2.4: 1894 Ordnance Survey Map 2.6 Lever Park was laid out during 1901-1911, and by 1911 the building was in use providing refreshments5. During the early 20th century, the barn was altered, with at least one bay removed and low ‘aisles’ added to either side (north and south) with a new roof extended to form a broad slope over the new aisles. In addition new exterior stone walls were constructed and porches added to the south sides (though documentary sources 6suggest a porch was added to the north, this is not visible in mapping). These changes are likely to have been associated with the change of the use of the building. 2.7 The new form of the building is visible on the map at Figure 2.5 which dates to 1929. The irregular building formerly to the south of the barn and visible on the 1894 map had been removed by this time, though a number of small structures/ buildings are visible to the front and rear of the farmhouse. The formal landscapes and avenues of trees associated with the designed parkland are legible on the 1929 map at Figure 2.5. 5 'Townships: Rivington', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1911), pp. 286-294. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol5/pp286-294 [accessed 4 March 2021]. 6 Townships: Rivington', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1911), pp. 286-294. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol5/pp286-294 [accessed 4 March 2021]. 4 Figure 2.5: 1929 Ordnance Survey Map 2.8 There was no visible change to the buildings by 1960 (Figure 2.6). In 1982, planning permission was granted for the car park to the rear of the barn as well as pedestrian areas and associated landscaping (LPA ref: 82/00483/FUL). This was implemented and later (in 2005) altered to improve disabled access (LPA ref: 05/01052/FUL). The roof of the building was repaired/ replaced following permission in 1994 (LPA ref: 94/00515/LBC). 2.9 By 2000 (Figure 2.7) the small structures/ buildings to the front and rear of the farmhouse had been removed. Figure 2.6: 1960 Ordnance Survey Map 5 Figure 2.7: 2000 Aerial of the Site 6 3. Heritage Assets 3.1 The NPPF (2019) defines a heritage asset as: “A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest.”7 Designated Heritage Assets 3.2 Designated heritage assets are those which possess a level of heritage interest that justifies designation and are then subject to particular procedures in planning decisions that involve them. Listed Buildings 3.3 Listed buildings are defined as designated heritage assets that hold architectural or historic interest. The principles of selection for listed buildings are published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and supported by Historic England’s Listing Selection Guides for each building type. 3.4 There are a number of listed buildings in the area surrounding the site that have potential to be affected by the Proposed Development as a result of development within their setting. These are: • Great House Barn (grade II) • Great House Farmhouse and Cottage (grade II) Registered Park and Garden 3.5 The main purpose of the Register is to identify designed landscapes of special historic interest. Whilst there is no additional statutory protection arising from inclusion on the register, it is a ‘material consideration’ in the planning process, meaning that planning authorities must consider the impact of any proposed development on the landscapes’ special character. In considering the potential special historic interest of a park or garden the principal overarching consideration is age and rarity. 3.6 To assist with consideration of potential special historic interest Historic England has produced a series of selection guides which set out in more detail the approaches to designating designed landscapes. 3.7 As aforementioned the site is located within the Lever Park RPG which is registered at grade II.