Draft Community Design Statement
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Appendix A Stow-on-the-Wold & The Swells Neighbourhood Development Plan Community Design Statement Produced by Stow & District Civic Society in conjunction with the Stow Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Version 3.0 (August 2020) Stow-on-the-Wold & The Swells Community Design Statement Page no. 1 Contents 1. BACKGROUND 2. THE AIMS OF THE DESIGN STATEMENT 3. THE PLANNING CONTEXT 4. A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOW-ON-THE-WOLD AND SWELLS PARISH AND SURROUNDINGS 5. OVERVIEW OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 6. ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES 7. OVERVIEW OF THE SURROUNDING AREA 8. CHALLENGES FACING STOW-ON-THE-WOLD 9. COMMUNITY LIKES AND DISLIKES 10. GUIDELINES FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN STOW-ON-THE-WOLD AND SWELLS PARISH Appendix 1. Enlarged map of Stow-on-the-Wold and surrounding area Appendix 2. Conservation Area Map Appendix 3. Heritage Listings for Stow-on-the-Wold Appendix 4. Non-designated heritage assets (NDHAs) Appendix 5. List of additional local heritage assets Appendix 6. Heritage Listings for The Swells Photos reproduced by kind permission of Claire Carroll and Dave Wiblin with the photos of old Stow being reproduced with permission from the Stow & District Civic Society Archives Version 3.0 (August 2020) Stow-on-the-Wold & The Swells Community Design Statement Page no. 2 1. BACKGROUND The Stow and District Civic Society was asked to lead in the production of a ‘Community Design Statement’ for the Neighbourhood Plan, taking account of the views expressed by the community in March 2020. This document is the product of that consultation and forms part of the Neighbourhood Plan for Stow-on-the-Wold and the Swells. Sections 4-10 relate to Stow-on-the-Wold and cover relevant issues for the Swells parish which includes Lower Swell, Upper Swell and Nether Swell. The Community Design Statement is an addition to Cotswold District Council’s (CDC) Design Code with design issues which relate particularly to the two parishes. The Neighbourhood Plan concludes that it is essential for the long term social, environmental and economic sustainability of Stow-on-the-Wold that development takes place to meet the needs identified by the community and supported by empirical evidence. At the same time we seek to ensure that the unique character of Stow-on-the-Wold and the Swells together with the surrounding AONB are protected and enhanced so the requirements of any new developments must be compatible with this. The Neighbourhood Plan and Community Design Statement therefore seek to support the management of change in the Town and surrounding area, not to prevent it. 2. THE AIMS OF THE COMMUNITY DESIGN STATEMENT Community Design Statements were established by the Countryside Commission in 1996. Their major objectives are to: • Provide a forum for the community to say what it is that they value about their village (or town) and how they would like to see it develop in the future. • Describe the distinctive character of the Town and Parish through its buildings and its landscape setting. • Demonstrate how this character can be protected and enhanced. • Provide guidelines for householders, architects and developers when new developments are proposed so that they respect the character of the Town and Parish and make positive contributions to the local environment. • Influence the development of future policies to be adopted by the planning authority. In essence this Community Design Statement describes the unique visual characteristics of Stow-on-the-Wold and the Swells. It is intended to inform and influence planners, property developers and those refurbishing current buildings. The Community Design Statement provides supplementary specific guidance to the Cotswold District Council Design Code that, as part of the Neighbourhood Plan, must be taken into consideration when planning applications are being considered. In producing this document full consideration has been given to CDC’s wish to align itself with the ‘Building with Nature’ initiative and their encouragement of developers to incorporate high quality green infrastructure into any new developments. Version 3.0 (August 2020) Stow-on-the-Wold & The Swells Community Design Statement Page no. 3 3. THE PLANNING CONTEXT The local planning authority policies regarding development for Stow-on-the-Wold and the Swells are set out in the statutory Development Plan provided under the Cotswold District Local Plan 2011 – 2031 (adopted 3 August 2018) and its associated documents. This can be found at: Link TBA The Design Code for the area is an appendix to the Local Plan. The Code covers a broad range of issues and provides detail on design considerations for specific types of development. It does not repeat the useful guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Planning Practice Guidance (PPG). It focuses on: • Informing the Design – Resources and information • Landscape, settlements and streets • Scale and proportion • Design Approach / Architectural Style – The Cotswold Vernacular • Design Approach / Architectural Style - Contemporary • Materials and craftsmanship • Sustainable Design • Inclusive Design • Effective green infrastructure and high-quality landscape • Key design considerations for specific development proposals o Extensions to existing buildings o Garages and other out-buildings o New-build houses in the Cotswold vernacular style o Large commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings o Barn conversions o Shop fronts o Signage The Cotswold Design Code amplifies and illustrates the principles set out in the Cotswold District Local Plan. The Design Code, constituting Supplementary Planning Guidance to Policy 42, can be found at: Link TBA In addition, Cotswold District Council also produces supplementary technical guides which are important in heritage preservation. These include guides on stone slate roofing, porches, traditional chimneys and dormer windows, all of which are relevant to Stow-on-the-Wold and the Swells. Version 3.0 (August 2020) Stow-on-the-Wold & The Swells Community Design Statement Page no. 4 4. A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOW-ON-THE-WOLD AND ITS SURROUNDINGS Stow-on-the-Wold is unique in the Cotswolds. Its name derives from the Saxon ‘Stow’ meaning meeting place and ‘Wold’ meaning a rolling hill. There have been archaeological finds of habitation in the area dating back to the Bronze Age and an Iron Age settlement called Maethelgeris Byrigg covered a significant area of the northern section of today’s town. Today Stow-on-the-Wold sits at the crossing of 3 major trunk roads, the A429 (Fosseway), A424 and A436 plus 2 secondary roads, the B4068 and the B4077, making it a very busy traffic hot spot. This is no different from its history and explains how Stow-on- the-Wold has developed where it is, being at the junction of the Jurassic Way, the Salt Way and the Roman Fosse Way. These original ancient tracks followed the high ground and enabled the carrying of goods for long distances so that eventually Stow became a convenient trading centre. In Saxon times the area was under the control of the Abbott of Evesham who saw these crossing routes as an ideal meeting point and trading evolved. In 1107, Henry I granted the right to hold a weekly market. This was held on Thursdays in the area between the three main Ways and this area now forms the Market Square which remains an important meeting place and trading area to this day. A market is still held on two Thursdays each month. There are several tures or alleyways such as Fleece Alley leading towards the Market Square which, it is believed, were used to control the passage of the sheep into the marketplace from the pastureland behind the town. Contracts were agreed at the market cross in the Square whose purpose was to remind merchants to trade honestly. The cross remains a key focus of the Square and its activities. During the Middle Ages Stow thrived through the wool trade with the addition of 2 annual five-day fairs granted in 1476 and, together with the weekly market, saw the sale of large numbers of sheep and fleeces together with foreign and British goods. Wealthy wool merchants would come to Stow-on-the Wold to purchase fleeces directly from source and as such spent a lot of time in the area setting up homesteads and putting considerable money back into the community. Examples of this include the building of the School House in Church Street, the 6 Alms Houses in Church Walk and, it is believed, paying for the construction of the church tower. Christian worship has taken place in Stow for over 1,000 years with the iconic St. Edward’s Church being built in 1107 AD on the site of an earlier Saxon church. In the Domesday Survey of 1086 part of the local manor owned by the Abbey of Evesham and close to St. Edward’s Church was at the time called Edwardstow. Version 3.0 (August 2020) Stow-on-the-Wold & The Swells Community Design Statement Page no. 5 Royalist and Parliamentarian armies passed through Stow-on-the-Wold several times during the first Civil War (1642-46) and a stand-off action was fought to the east of Stow in the summer of 1643 as the Earl of Essex's army marched to relieve Gloucester. King Charles I also stayed in the King’s Arms in May 1645 on his way to the Battle of Naseby but the town is perhaps best known as being the final location of the last battle of the first Civil War. Sir Jacob Astley, leading a Royalist force to relieve Charles I’s garrison at Oxford, was intercepted near Stow and driven into the Square where many were killed or imprisoned. Sir Jacob was forced to sit on a drum near the cross and surrender to the Parliamentarians. Today Stow-on-the-Wold is a thriving hilltop market town.