Midsomer Norton and Welton Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan
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Bath and North East Somerset Council Development Management Midsomer Norton and Welton Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan April 2018 Contents 1 Introduction 3 7 Issues 26 Midsomer Norton and Welton Summary of issues Conservation Area Enhancement opportunities Context Development opportunities Summary of key characteristics and recommendations 8 Management proposals 28 Summary of management proposal Issues and recommendations recommendations Protecting the conservation area Conservation area designation landscape setting Community involvement Traffic, pedestrian movement and parking Control of new development 2 Landscape setting 5 Buildings River valley landform Possible enhancement opportunities Topography and geology Relationship of the conservation area with 9 Monitoring and review 31 its surroundings Appendices 32 3 Archaeology and historic development 7 1 National and local planning policy 2 Further Reading 4 Spatial analysis 9 3 Glossary Layout and street pattern 4 Contact details Open spaces, trees and landscape Focal points, focal buildings, All maps are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey views and vistas mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Boundaries Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright Public realm and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence number 100023334 5 The buildings of the conservation area 14 Listed buildings Positive buildings/undesignated heritage assets Building types Building styles, materials and colours 6 Character areas 18 1 High St, Church Square and The Island 2 Millards Hill and West Road 3 Station Road 4 Radstock Road 5 Stone’s Cross/upper High Street 6 Town park, riverside open space and Norton Radstock Greenway 7 Rackvernal Road and Excelsior Terrace 8 Middle High Street and South Road 9 Dymboro and The Vicarage 10 Church Lane and Redfield Road 11 Silver Street 1 Introduction Midsomer Norton and Welton This document updates the 2004 period. It became an important Conservation Area appraisal and seeks to: coal-mining settlement in the C18 and C19, which is reflected in a The area was identified as being of • Define the special interest of the historic townscape in a river valley special architectural and historic Midsomer Norton and Welton landscape setting. interest and first designated as a conservation area and identify the conservation area in April 2004. It issues which threaten the special The historic area developed along was redesignated in April 2018 and qualities of the conservation area the valley of the River Somer, a covers 68.93 hectares as shown on (in the form of the character tributary of the Wellow Brook which the Character Appraisal Map. The appraisal) it joins at Welton Hollow after conservation area contains thirty running the length of the town seven entries on the National • Provide guidelines to prevent centre. It is enclosed by higher Heritage List for England. harm and achieve enhancement ground creating characteristic views (in the form of the management from the town to open fields and Under the Town and Country proposals) wooded skylines beyond. Planning legislation the Council has a duty to preserve and enhance the The previous conservation area Welton is in the valley of the Wellow character and appearance of a boundary was drawn around three Brook and developed primarily as a conservation area in exercising its areas, physically separated from coal mining community from the planning powers, and to periodically each other. They are now combined C18. A number of batches, re-appraise its boundaries. This within one boundary. evidence of the coal mining provides a consistent and sound heritage, now form important basis on which planning and other Following review, parts of the landscape features on the edges of applications are determined in the previous conservation area were Welton and Midsomer Norton. area. removed, including the late C20 Welton abuts open countryside to developments at Somervale School the north and east with C19 and As part of this process local and Priory Close. Other parts have C20 development to the south and planning authorities are encouraged now been added, including the west. Midsomer Norton has playing to carry out character appraisals of Town Park and the significant C19 fields and the cricket ground on its its conservation areas. An appraisal terraced miner’s housing in the south west boundary, with the identifies features which contribute Radstock Road area. proposed town park abutting it to toward the special interest and the south east. Modern C20 character of the area and those that It was prepared with an awareness development encloses the detract from it. This enables local of emerging projects in the remaining boundaries. residents to participate in identifying conservation area which include features which are of particular those of the Town Park, the Town Historically the economy of the area value to them and to the special Hall and the wider Midsomer Norton was based on agriculture and character of their area, and provides Town Centre Regeneration Projects. mining, and many of the buildings a base upon which to develop The emerging Neighbourhood Plan within the area were once farm management proposals for has also been recognised. buildings or those associated with preservation and enhancement. the collieries. Other industry was Context established in the C19/C20, A conservation area character including brewing and brick and tile appraisal for the Midsomer Norton Miidsomer Norton and Welton are manufacture. and Welton Conservation Area was located in the southern part of Bath adopted in 2004 as Supplementary and North East Somerset Council, Modern Midsomer Norton and Planning Guidance (SPG). south of Bath and in close proximity Welton owe much of their growth to to neighbouring Radstock and the river location, railways and coal The conservation area is currently Westfield. Their historic cores are mining. Today many residents work included on Historic England’s ‘At bounded to the south and west by in Bath, Bristol and Keynsham with Risk’ register, where its condition is mainly C20 housing development an increasing number working from assessed as ‘very bad’, its with open countryside to the north home. vulnerability as ‘medium’ and the and east. trend as ‘improving.’ This trend will require future review and Midsomer Norton is an ancient assessment. market town dating to the medieval 3 Summary of key characteristics and recommendations This character appraisal concludes that the key positive characteristics of the Midsomer Norton and Welton Conservation Area are: • historic settlements with high proportion of historic buildings and archaeological potential • ancient fair town of medieval origins • coal mining legacy dating from the early c17. • distinct topography based on the two river valleys which contribute towards the important views from within and to the area • historic street pattern with a variety of historic listed buildings and other non-designated heritage assets • range of historic buildings of varying status including the distinct rows of C19 terraced miner’s houses • consistent use of local white lias limestone with oolitic limestone dressings and clay pantiles and natural slate for roofs. Occasional use of red sandstone and brick dressings • stone boundary walls of various heights, typically of white lias limestone but also red sandstone • River Somer – which is well ‘treed’ on entering and leaving Summary of management Conservation area designation the town centre and channelled proposal recommendations along High Street. Wellow Brook Conservation areas are designated – a former source of power for In summary the management under the provisions of Section 69 mills proposals make the following of the Planning (Listed Buildings • important trees and groups of recommendations: and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, trees which make a significant which places a statutory duty on contribution to elements of the • ensure that new development local planning authorities to street scene and setting preserves or enhances the determine which parts of their area • grassed and wooded batches existing character and are areas of special architectural or and other significant green public appearance of the conservation historic interest. A conservation area open space area; is defined as: ‘…an area of special • protect the setting of the architectural or historic interest, the conservation area; character or appearance of which it • protect key views; is desirable to preserve or enhance’. • protect historic buildings; • address traffic and pedestrian The quality and interest of the area movement issues; as a whole, rather than individual • explore improvement buildings, is the main consideration opportunities. when designating such areas. 4 Designation also provides the basis Conservation area designation Community involvement for applying national and local introduces controls over: policies designed to preserve or Public support and involvement is enhance all aspects of character or • the way owners can alter or essential to the successful appearance that define the special develop their properties. These management of conservation areas. interest of a conservation area. include the requirement in This document was initially drafted legislation and national planning following meetings with Section 71 of the Act requires the policies to preserve and/or representatives from Midsomer local planning authority to