Central Barrow Conservation Area Appraisal
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Central Barrow Conservation Area Appraisal June 2005 Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council CONTENTS APPENDICES Summary of the special interest of the conservation area Appendix 1: Conservation policies from the Unitary Development Plan 1.0 Background 1.1 Current status of Central Barrow conservation area Appendix 2: Contact details 1.2 Statutory Background 1.3 Planning Policy Framework 1.4 The purpose of the Conservation Area Appraisal 2.0 Location and Setting 2.1 Location and Population 2.2 Landscape Setting 3.0 Historic Development 3.1 Origins and Historic Development of Settlement 3.2 Archaeological Significance 4.0 Character and Appearance 4.1 Identification of Character Areas 4.2 Duke Street 4.3 Abbey Road 4.4 Hindpool Road 4.5 Terraced Streets south west of Duke Street 5.0 Management and Enhancement 5.1 Identification of Issues -Positive issues and assets -Negative Issues and Problems 5.2 Management Recommendations -Boundary changes -Article 4 Direction -Enhancement Opportunities -Need for Technical Guidance -Community Involvement 1 Summary of the special interest of the Conservation Area The Central Barrow Conservation Area incorporates a layout of streets, which characterises the ‘boom-town’ spirit of the middle of the 19th century. The strong physical and visual connections between Duke Street and the industrial areas adjacent, highlight the almost’ stage-set’ nature of the buildings fronting these broad avenues, and capture an important element of the historic development of Barrow, as something of a fragile, commercially- driven opportunity, rather than the more sustainable and robust growth pattern of a more conventional settlement. Several negative factors are identified: throughout the area as a whole there is a general poor standard of maintenance as well as some vacant buildings, particularly upper floors, which has led to loss of architectural and heritage View north west along Duke Street, across Ramsden Square from 1940 details; there are several gap sites within the area, and Ramsden Square in particular, suffers from a lack of ‘completeness’ in respect of buildings around its perimeter; the residential parts of the area have suffered from incremental changes to windows, doors and the size and proportion of openings; the retail vitality within Duke Street is fragile and there are several vacant shops; other retail units incorporate crude shop fronts and signage, detrimental to the overall heritage quality of the area; Abbey Road incorporates several large buildings, some of which are not in active use, with a consequent impact on the vitality of the streetscape as well as the potential loss of the original details and architectural features of the buildings themselves. Management and enhancement proposals are described including: potential changes to the boundary; the opportunities for enhancement, with controls using technical guidance and a potential Article 4 Direction; and the involvement of the community. The aim of this Conservation Area Appraisal is to assist the Council to protect and enhance the heritage while enabling the public to recognise the benefits and their own responsibilities. 2 1. Background 1.1 Current status of Central Barrow Conservation Area The Central Barrow Conservation Area was designated by Barrow-in- Furness Borough Council in 1981 and covers an area of 17.1 hectares. Figure 1 identifies the current boundary and highlights the listed buildings within the area. 1.2 Statutory background Conservation Areas were introduced by the Civic Amenities Act 1967 and are defined as “areas of special architectural or historic interest the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. Conservation Area designation is more dependent on the overall quality and interest of an area, rather than individual buildings, although it is common for such areas to contain a number of Listed Buildings. Designation as a conservation area has a number of implications. Most importantly, the Local Authority is required to give special attention to preserving and enhancing the conservation area in exercising its planning functions. Also, planning consent must be gained for certain types of development which are elsewhere classified as permitted development, such as various types of cladding, dormer windows, satellite dishes and radio masts/antennae. Consent is further required for the demolition of buildings within conservation areas. Designation also brings controls over works to trees. The protection of an area does not end with conservation area designation. PPG15 “Planning and the Historic Environment” urges Local Authorities to prepare detailed assessments of the special interest, character and Figure 1: Conservation Area Boundary and Location of Listed Buildings appearance of their conservation areas. A character appraisal defines and analyses the special qualities and the architectural and historic interest that warranted the conservation area designation. PPG15 states that “the more clearly the special architectural or historic interest that justifies designation is defined and recorded, the sounder will be the basis for local plan policies and development control decisions, as well as for the formulation of proposals for the preservation and enhancement of the character or appearance of an area”. Character appraisals should therefore provide a framework against 3 which development proposals can be assessed for their appropriateness in the historic environment. Local Authorities are under a duty from time to time to “formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are conservation areas” (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas (LBCA)) Act 1990, s.71). 1.3 Planning policy framework POLICY D15 of the Barrow-in-Furness Local Plan 2005-2006 states that ‘Development within or affecting the setting of Conservation Areas will only be permitted where it preserves or enhances the character or appearance of the Area’. Other, more specific Policies relevant to the preservation or enhancement of he character or appearance of the Central Barrow Conservation Area include: Schneider Square and the Town Hall, circa 1910. Policy D17- reuse of empty Listed, (or prominent), buildings in conservation areas; Policy D18- Alteration and additions to Listed buildings or those properties affected by an Article Four Direction; Policy D19- Development around the Town Hall area; Policy D20- Specific sites in the Cnetral Barrow Conservation Area suitable for infill development; Policy D30- Protection of tress within conservation areas; and Policy D41- Shopfront design and advertisement displays. All of the above Policies are set out in full in Appendix A. 1.4 The Purpose of the Conservation Area appraisal This Appraisal has been prepared in response to the guidance outlined above and, as such, discharges the Borough Council’s obligations and duties under the Planning (LBCA) Act 1990, as well as complying with English Heritage’s recommendations. The study may subsequently form a Supplementary Planning Document to the Adopted Barrow-in-Furness Local Plan and will be a material consideration when considering applications for development within the conservation area. 4 2. Location and setting 2.1 Location and population Barrow-in Furness is situated at the southernmost tip of the Furness Peninsular, in South West Cumbria, linked to Kendal, and the M6 motorway, via the A590. The Central Barrow Conservation Area incorporates the civic core of the town, including the Town Hall and Public Library, as well as a group of residential streets, which accommodate approximately 250 houses. The population of Barrow at the time of the 2001 census was 71,979 in comparison to an overall population for the County of Cumbria of 487,607. The 1991 census figure for Barrow was 73,125. 2.2 Landscape setting The gridded layout of streets allows for long views, such as here along St Vincent Street, seen from Duke Street. These are accentuated by the scale and visual dominance of the industrial buildings around the dock to the south west of the conservation area. Although the area of Cumbria as a whole incorporates the dramatic scenery of the Cumbrian Mountains and the Lake District National Park, the setting and context of Barrow-in-Furness is, by comparison, relatively flat. Although views towards the hills to the north are possible from the town centre, they are not dominant or significant on the setting or character of the area. What is of more significance is the adjacency of the industrial quarter to the southwest of the town centre. The ground level falls to the southwest, such that Hindpool Road is several metres below the level of Duke Street, allowing views towards the industrial buildings and dockside development to the west and south of the conservation area, including: along Abbey Road; glimpse views from Duke Street; and radial views between buildings around Schneider Square. The axial nature of the street layout forms axial views both within, and on the approach to, the conservation area. The principal approach to the town, the A590, links to the town centre to approach along Duke Street, arriving at Ramsden Square. A secondary axial approach is from the northeast, which comes into the town centre along Abbey Road. Approaches to the town From the edge of Schnieder Square the ground level falls towards the south and west allowing centre from within the Barrow area itself include the approach over the xxx long views towards the industrial buildings and structures beyond.