Stoke Newington Conservation Area Appraisal
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CONSERVATION AREAS REVIEW The Conservation and Design Team Planning Service London Borough of Hackney September 2006 2 Front cover (left to right, from top): 1 Clapton Square Conservation Area 2 Clapton Common Conservation Area 3 De Beauvoir Conservation Area 4 Clapton Pond Conservation Area 5 Clissold Park Conservation Area 6 Albion Square Conservation Area 7 Victoria Park Conservation Area 8 Hoxton Street Conservation Area 9 Stoke Newington Conservation Area 10 Queensbridge Road Conservation Area 11 Fremont and Warneford Conservation Area 12 Stoke Newington Reservoirs, Filter Beds and New River Conservation Area 13 Sun Street Conservation Area 14 Underwood Street Conservation Area 15 South Shoreditch Conservation Area 16 Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area 17 Broadway Market Conservation Area 18 Town Hall Square Conservation Area 19 Graham Road and Mapledene Conservation Area 20 Kingsland Conservation Area 21 Mare Street Conservation Area 22 Lordship Park Conservation Area 23 Newington Green (North) Conservation Area 24 Dalston Lane (West) Conservation Area 25 Lea Bridge Conservation Area All images are copyright of Hackney Archives / LBH, unless otherwise stated London Borough of Hackney, LA08638X (2006) Conservation Areas Review July 2006 3 CONTENTS SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is a Conservation Area? 1.2 The Importance of Conservation Areas 1.3 The Implications of Conservation Area Designation 1.4 Conservation Areas and Planning Policy 1.5 The Designation Process 1.6 Defining Special Interest: Conservation Area Appraisals 1.7 Managing Change: Conservation Area Management Strategies 1.8 Best Value Performance Indicator 219 1.9 The Need for a Conservation Areas Review 1.10 Scope and Aims of this Document 2 HACKNEY’S PHYSICAL CHARACTER 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Development and Physical Character of the Borough of Hackney 3 EXISTING CONSERVATION AREAS 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Existing Conservation Areas 4 PROPOSED CONSERVATION AREAS 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Proposed Conservation Areas 5 CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISALS 5.1 Existing Conservation Area Appraisals 5.2 Conservation Area Appraisals Best Practice 6 CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES 6.1 Existing Conservation Area Management Guidelines 6.2 Conservation Area Management Guidelines Best Practice Conservation Areas Review July 2006 4 7 DELIVERING A CONSERVATION AREA STRATEGY 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Best Value Performance Indicator 219 7.3 Programme and Resources 7.4 Criteria and Priorities for Designation and Review 7.5 Existing Conservation Areas: Priorities for Review (Schedule One) 7.6 Proposed Conservation Areas: Priorities for Designation (Schedule Two) 7.7 Community Engagement and Information Strategy APPENDICES APPENDIX A Details of Existing Conservation Areas in Hackney APPENDIX B Details of Proposed Conservation Areas in Hackney APPENDIX C References and Further Reading Conservation Areas Review July 2006 5 SUMMARY “Hackney’s historic identity is a social, economic and cultural asset.” Mayor Jules Pipe The State of Hackney’s Historic Environment (2005) A Conservation Area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, as defined in the Planning (Listed Building & Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Conservation areas are about the ‘historic place’ as a whole. They are areas of townscape quality which contribute the Borough’s identity, and can be catalysts for economic and social regeneration. The Council is committed to preserving the heritage of the Borough, and The State of Hackney’s Historic Environment Report contains a commitment to review conservation areas and their management strategies. This report sets out the work programme of the Conservation and Design Team with regards to the review of existing conservation areas, the designation of new conservation areas, and the implementation of conservation area strategies all in support of a Historic Environment SPD to form part of the evolving Local Development Framework. Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) 219 monitors the number of conservation areas, the number of conservation areas with up to date appraisals and the number with up to date management guidelines. The review sets out a programme to review all existing conservation areas over the next 5 years, to achieve a high BVPI 219 score, based on clear criteria. The review sets out a list of priorities for new designations to protect important historic areas in Hackney, such as Victorian and Edwardian residential areas, and sets out a work programme of designations for the new two years. The report considers current best practice with regards to the preparation of conservation area appraisals and management guidelines. It considers strategies for more effective implementation of management guidelines to enhance the Borough’s conservation areas, such as: o The use of Article 4 directions o Increased community involvement o An overarching information strategy o Better inter-departmental targeting of resources The report considers how management guidelines can be integrated into the new planning policy structure. Conservation Areas Review July 2006 6 INTRODUCTION The State of Hackney’s Historic Environment Report showed the quality and value of Hackney’s built heritage, which includes listed buildings, conservation areas, parks, gardens and open spaces and those buildings and areas of purely local interest that form a cherished part of the local scene. Conservation areas are an important part of the borough’s heritage, representing a cross section of the best surviving examples of different aspects of development from housing, industrial areas, open spaces and town centres. Conservation areas are about the ‘historic place’ as a whole. They give local identity, involve communities in their management, enable a broad view of what diversity of ’heritage’ can mean to a diverse society, and can be catalysts for economic and social regeneration. 1.1 What is a Conservation Area? A Conservation Area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Local Planning Authorities have a duty under the Planning (Listed Building & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to consider designating areas of special architectural or historic interest, as well as to regularly review existing conservation areas and formulate proposals for their preservation and enhancement. Conservation areas are very much part of the familiar and cherished local scene. It is the area as a whole rather than the specific buildings that is of special interest. However, the special character of these areas does not come from the buildings alone: the historic layout of roads, paths and boundaries and landscape features such as gardens, parks and greens, trees and street furniture, are some of the features which also contribute. Designation does not prevent development from taking place but is a tool to manage those changes and seeks to protect areas that are of particular architectural and historic value. In exercising their planning powers, Local Planning Authorities must pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of conservation areas. The first conservation areas were created in 1967, and there are now over 9,000 conservation areas in England. There are, at present, 25 conservation areas in Hackney spanning a wide variety of areas. They cover approximately 18% of the Borough’s area. This compares with the London Borough of Camden with 41 Conservation Areas Review July 2006 7 conservation areas (more than 50% area of the Borough), the London Borough of Haringey with 28 (29%), the London Borough of Islington with 38 conservation areas (circa 35%), the London Borough of Ealing with 29 and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with 51. 1.2 The Importance of Conservation Areas Historic areas are now extensively recognised for the contribution they make to our cultural inheritance, economic well-being and quality of life. They contribute to the quality of urban spaces and add unique character to the places where we live. They add to our cultural identity and to local distinctiveness. Protecting areas of special interest is in line with the Council’s aspirations for a high quality urban environment for both current and future residents. Public support for the conservation and enhancement of areas of architectural interest is well established. By suggesting continuity and stability, such areas provide points of reference in a rapidly changing world: they represent the familiar and cherished local scene. They contribute towards a sense of place and are a source of local pride. The value of the historic environment, and the Council’s support for it, is profiled in the Council’s recent publication, The State of Hackney’s Historic Environment (2005). Hackney Council has a vital role as a local planning authority, which controls work to historic areas and buildings to protect these assets for the benefit of all residents, of both the present and future. Historic buildings and areas can play a central role in the delivery of a range of public policy objectives including education, economic development, sustainable growth, urban regeneration, cultural development, and supporting local communities. The historic environment can underpin successful projects aimed at improving quality of life, transforming failing areas, empowering local community groups and creating a better and more sustainable