0379 WELLS Bishops Barn Options Appraisal January 2014 B2 Vev B

WELLS Bishop’s Barn and Recreation Ground OPTIONS APPRAISAL benjamin + beauchamp architects the borough studios the borough wedmore BS28 4EB tel: 01934 713313 fax: 01934 713314 email: [email protected] Project No 0379 Rev B 22 January 2014 0379 WELLS Bishop’s Barn and Recreation Ground OPTIONS APPRAISAL REPORT November 2013 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3 LOCATION, HISTORY, DESCRIPTION AND CURRENT OWNERSHIP OF THE SITE 4 THE ‘IMPORTANCE’ OF THE BISHOP’S BARN AND THE RECREATION GROUND 5 CONSERVATION PHILOSOPHY 6 THE PROBLEMS AND WHY THE BISHOP’S BARN AND THE SITE IS AT RISK 7 THE PLANNING CONTEXT INCLUDING THE MENDIP PLAY STRATEGY 8 CONDITION OF THE BISHOP’S BARN AND RECREATION GROUND 9 OPTIONS FOR USE AND PRINCIPAL ALTERATIONS REQUIRED 10 MARKET ANALYSIS 11 THE PREFERRED SCHEME 12 PROJECT COSTS 13 VALUATIONS 14 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND VIABILITY 15 LONG TERM MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 16 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 17 APPENDICES A Bishop’s Barn: Condition Survey B Tree Report C Archaeological Assessment D Measured Site Survey E Public Consultation: Information Presented F Public Consultation: Feedback G Preferred Scheme H Outline Costings I Better Play Areas for Wells Questionnaire benjamin + beauchamp architects www.b2architects.com the borough studios, the borough, wedmore, BS28 4EB T: 01934 713313 F 01934 713314 email [email protected] 0379 WELLS Bishop’s Barn and Recreation Ground OPTIONS APPRAISAL REPORT November 2013 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. This Options Appraisal Report and associated public consultation exercise have been undertaken at the request of the Wells Recreation Ground Trust, instructed by the sole trustees, Mendip District Council, in partnership with the Somerset Building Preservation Trust. Additional financial support to carry out a topographical survey of the site was provided by Wells City Council. 1.2. The purpose of the study is to inform and guide the Wells Recreation Ground Trust’s considerations on the future use, care and governance of the Bishop’s Barn and the surrounding Recreation Ground. The report has been undertaken with objectives to: - Determine a viable future for the site that is sustainable. - Increase public use of, and access to, the site especially the Bishop’s Barn. - Deliver an improved range of facilities on the site that meet the Trusts objectives. - Improve the setting of the heritage asset. - Identify the proposed costs of delivering the preferred option and the - opportunities for funding the preferred option. - Fully engage with the local community, local interest and amenity groups and the City Council. 1.3. This report covers three principal areas of work: Appraisal of the existing site and context and comprising : - Archaeological appraisal of the Bishops Barn. - Condition Survey of the Bishops Barn. - Tree Report. - Measured Survey of the Site. Consultation on the current uses and potential future uses of the site: - Correspondence with local interest and amenity groups. - Suggestions of possible site improvements for discussion. - Public consultation and survey exercise. Costed recommendations how it might be managed in the future: - Costed schedule of suggested improvements to the Bishops Barn. - Costed schedule of suggested improvements to the Recreation Ground. - Recommendations on the future management and governance of the site. - Suggestions for potential funding opportunities. 1.4. The report concludes with a ‘roadmap’ that aims to set out the tasks required with an approximate timetable. This ‘roadmap’ has been prepared at the request of the Trustees. benjamin + beauchamp architects www.b2architects.com the borough studios, the borough, wedmore, BS28 4EB T: 01934 713313 F 01934 713314 email [email protected] 0379 WELLS Bishop’s Barn and Recreation Ground OPTIONS APPRAISAL REPORT November 2013 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1. The repair and alteration to the Bishop’s Barn, and associated overhaul and re- ordering of the Recreation Ground would provide a range of positive benefits for the people of Wells, the surrounding area, and visitors to the City. 2.2. The repair and re-enhanced use of the Bishop’s Barn and the Recreation Ground is an exciting opportunity to improve an important but undervalued building and site, and to enact a sustainable strategy to ensure its economic sustainability for the future. 2.3. The governance of the Trust should reflect the views of the citizens of Wells and the Trust’s set up must be appropriate to secure significant public funding. 2.4. The Barn must continue to be used whenever possible. Improvements in promoting the Barn’s availability can be made in the short term in advance of any refurbishment works which would be at least 18 months away if the HLF funding route is pursued. 2.5. The regular maintenance of the building and the Recreation Ground must continue but the Trust should consider tree cutting and other vegetation clearance (subject to the necessary consents) adjacent to the Palace Moat to open up the site from the moat. This will assist in publicly demonstrating the Trust’s intentions for improvements during the early stages of the project. 2.6. The Trustees must assess if they have the time or need additional complimentary skills to deliver this project. A part-time Project Manager will almost certainly be required to deliver the project. 2.7. The Trustees should meet with potential users, stakeholders and action groups. Establishing a good dialogue is essential to the project’s successful delivery. Further discussions should take place between the Trust and the Bishop’s Palace with whom the building is historically linked - The Bishop’s Palace have also secured and delivered a successful HLF project in recent years and they are a very important stakeholder and linking with the Palace is almost certainly the key to unlocking significant public funding. 2.8. A detailed brief for the Recreation Ground facilities should be prepared through further consultation with the people of Wells and a competition for a detailed landscape scheme should be launched. 2.9. Potential funding streams must be further researched and funding applications must be carefully prepared. Development work which includes detailed business planning and activity and visitor engagement planning should be anticipated. Applications should be Trust led with professional support. 2.10. Prepare a project programme with clear targets set for the whole site. 2.11. The long term VAT position must be researched. If registered as a charity for UK tax purposes, the charity may qualify for a number of tax exemptions. The tax position must be fully understood. 2.12. There is a groundswell of support for improvements to the site from ‘The Friends of the Barn and Recreation Ground’ and from ‘Better Play Areas for Wells’. The benjamin + beauchamp architects www.b2architects.com the borough studios, the borough, wedmore, BS28 4EB T: 01934 713313 F 01934 713314 email [email protected] 0379 WELLS Bishop’s Barn and Recreation Ground OPTIONS APPRAISAL REPORT November 2013 momentum which has built up through the recent public consultation and the renewed interest in the Barn must be maintained and built upon. 3. LOCATION, HISTORY, DESCRIPTION AND CURRENT OWNERSHIP OF THE SITE 3.1. The Bishop’s Barn and Recreation Ground are sited on the southern side of the historic centre of the city and to the west of the Bishops Palace moat. More specifically, the site lies between the eastern ends of South Street and Silver Street, Wells. The Bishop’s Barn stands on Silver Street, on the south-east side of the City, at ST 55090 45532. 3.2. The Bishop’s Barn is a fifteenth century stone building with large stepped buttresses, slate roofs with stone ridges and stone coped gables. The accommodation comprises a principle hall with transept porches to north and south. These porches were originally the cart entrances and there is evidence that there were partitions across the central space between the two porches subdividing the main space into separate areas for threshing and storage. Modern servery and lavatory facilities have been installed at the west end of the main space (west of the rubble stone cross wall) and there is stair providing access to a single first floor room above. 3.3. The building was a Great Barn (as opposed to tithe barn) and was part of the Bishop’s home farm. It was used for the threshing and storage of grain, while the land close by to the north (the current location of the bowling green) was a coneygore; a place where rabbits were kept to provide food. To the eastern end of the present Recreation Ground, adjacent to the Palace Moat were the Palace stables and brewery (long since demolished). 3.4. The reader is referred to Appendix C, for the archaeological appraisal of the barn and the surrounding land by Jerry Sampson Building Archaeology. 3.5. The Barn together with the adjoining Recreation Ground is owned by the Wells Recreation Ground Trust, a Charity set up to provide recreational facilities for the people of Wells and currently includes an equipped play area, a band stand, surrounding lawns, public conveniences (managed by the City Council), Wells Bowling Club, a sports pitch and many mature trees. 3.6. The Wells Recreation Ground was a gift by Bishop Hervey to the people of Wells to celebrate the silver jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The Charity was formed by two conveyances dated 10 November 1887 and a further conveyance dated 3 May 1897. The land which is now known as the Wells Recreation Ground including the Bishop’s Barn was conveyed to the Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of Wells. These three conveyances form the Charity’s governing documents. The details of these conveyances have been summarised in a document recently prepared by Mendip District Council.

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