Leamington Hastings Conservation Area Appraisal
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RUGBY BOROUGH COUNCIL LEAMINGTON HASTINGS CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL CONTENTS Page 1 Introduction 3 2 Location and context 4 3 General character and form 5 4 Landscape setting 6 5 Historic development 7 6 Archaeology 8 7 Architecture and Building Materials 9 8 Detailed Architectural Assessment: 10 Area 1: Land to the south east of the conservation area 11 to include Lessingham House and the open space; Area 2: The historic core comprising Almshouses, the 12 Church, Manor House and former gardens; Area 3: North and South of Main Street 15 9 Local details and features 18 10 Contribution of unlisted buildings 18 11 Character of open and green spaces 19 12 Existence of any neutral areas 20 13 Street furniture 21 14 Conclusions 21 15 Preservation and enhancement 22 16 Appendices 24 2 1 INTRODUCTION Leamington Hastings is located some 7 miles south-west of Rugby to the west of the A426 between Rugby and Southam. It is a small and compact settlement and the Conservation Area includes areas of undeveloped land both within and surrounding the village. Leamington Hastings is set within agricultural land and comprises three character areas; an area to the south-east of the village and including development along Main Street, the area comprising the almshouses, church, Manor House and former grounds of the Manor, and land to the north and east of the village. Conservation Areas were introduced by the Civic Amenities Act in 1967 and a Conservation Area is defined by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as an ‘area of special architectural or historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. Section 69 of the Act places a duty on the Local Authority to review its Conservation Areas and Section 71 requires the Authority to formulate and publish proposals for their preservation and enhancement. Leamington Hastings is one of 19 Conservation Areas in the Borough. Local Authorities have a duty to identify, designate, preserve and enhance Conservation Areas within their administrative areas. The aim in a Conservation Area is to preserve or enhance not merely individual buildings but all those elements, which may include minor buildings, trees, open spaces, walls, paving, and materials etc., which together make up a familiar and attractive local scene. The relationship between buildings and spaces within Conservation Areas creates a unique environment, which provides a sense of identity and amenity for residents and an irreplaceable part of our local, regional and national heritage. The positive identification of areas under the designation of a Conservation Area helps focus attention on its qualities and encourages a sensitive approach to any proposed development. The Local Planning Authority will exercise particular care to ensure that change, where it occurs, will preserve or enhance the character of an area. The designation as a Conservation Area ensures that consideration is given to design quality and context and that new development respects it surroundings. Planning legislation removes certain development rights in Conservation Areas. In addition to current general Planning Controls Planning Permission would be also be required for the following development: • The cladding of any part of the exterior of a dwelling with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles; • An extension extending beyond a wall forming a side elevation of the original dwelling ; • An extension having more than one storey and extending beyond the rear wall of the original dwelling; • Any enlargement of a dwelling consisting of an addition or alteration to the roof; • The provision of a building, enclosure, swimming or other pool or container where it would be situated on land between a wall forming a side elevation and the boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling or to the front of the principle elevation; - the bit in green is covered by the main Planning Controls. • The installation, alteration or replacement of a chimney, flue or soil and vent pipe which fronts a highway and forms either the principal elevation or a side elevation of a dwelling; • The installation, alteration or replacement of a microwave antenna on a dwelling, or within its curtilage, on a chimney, wall or roof slope facing onto and visible from a highway. 3 Conservation Area Consent is required to demolish a building which has a volume in excess of 115 cubic metres. Conservation Area designation also protects trees within the boundary by requiring owners to give the Local Planning Authority six weeks notice of their intention to carry out any tree work on trees that have a trunk in excess of 75mm in diameter measured 1.5 metres from the ground. This document is an appraisal of Leamington Hastings Conservation Area. It is based on guidelines issued by English Heritage, the Government’s advisor on the historic built environment, and has been prepared by Rugby Borough Council. The principal objectives of the appraisal are to: • define and record the special interest of Leamington Hastings Conservation Area to ensure there is full understanding of what is worthy of preservation; • increase public awareness of the aims and objectives of Conservation Area designation and stimulate their involvement in the protection of its character and to inform decisions made by Rugby Borough Council, the Parish Council and local residents; • reassess current boundaries to make certain that they accurately reflect what is now perceived to be of special interest and that they are readable on the ground; • assess the action that may be necessary to safeguard this special interest and put forward proposals for their enhancement. It is however not intended to be wholly comprehensive in its content and failure to mention any particular building, feature or space should not be assumed to imply that they are of no interest. This assessment should be read in conjunction with the Rugby Borough Local Plan 2006 and national policy guidance, particularly Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment. These documents provide more detailed information on local and national policy relating to Conservation Areas. MAP 1 CONSERVATION AREA DESIGNATION 4 2 LOCATION AND CONTEXT Leamington Hastings is located close to the River Leam set in gently undulating countryside characterised by mature trees and hedges. Only glimpses of the village are obtained when approaching from Birdingbury in the west and Hill from the east. The village now comprises a mixture of development including buildings such as the almshouses which were gifted to the residents of the parish, imposing architecture in the form of the church and Manor House, and small scale buildings of vernacular scale such as Iffley Lodge, all set within a landscape dominated environment. The architecture responds to the village’s historical associations with the local agricultural economy. The land and buildings within the Conservation Area are generally of good quality and well maintained. There is however potential of development pressure including the infilling of open spaces with new dwellings, the provision of outbuildings such as garages as well as alterations to fenestration, landscaping, boundary treatment and chimneys. 3 GENERAL CHARACTER AND FORM Leamington Hastings is a small and compact settlement comprising a rural appearance with relatively low density development. The village is set in an agricultural landscape. The built development follows the main roads and includes sizeable gardens between buildings. Landscaping is a dominant element within the Conservation Area. The rural setting is reflected in the village with mature trees, shrubs, hedges and green spaces. The result is a dominant green character with many buildings being partially hidden from view by landscaping. This landscaping provides the setting of the village and frames its character and appearance which is enhanced by significant spaces which exist between buildings. Photograph 2 Landscaped setting to buildings 5 The principle road in the village is Main Street which runs along the northern part of the village on the eastern side. Birdingbury Road runs into Main Street on the approach from the west and at the village green, the road forks to the south towards the church before turning east and eventually leading to Hill. There are three defining forms of architecture within the Conservation Area. The settlements historic legacy is evident from the group of buildings comprising the church (the earliest parts of which date from the 13th century), the almshouses and Manor House. These buildings are key elements in the Conservation Area demonstrating a legacy of history, wealth and the importance of the village in the past. All are visually dominant. The second key element is the timber framed buildings now with brick infill together with other traditional red brick buildings. These link the settlement to its agricultural past and their number and quality form a strong identity in the north-eastern part of the Conservation Area. The buildings are individually less dominant than the church and manor but collectively form a special group of buildings through the consistency of materials and architectural form. The third defining character consists of modern infill development. Unlike the other forms of architecture these buildings are characterised by a low key appearance, being of a modest size, set well into sites and without shared architectural motifs. These buildings do not compete with the other groups or challenge their distinctiveness. 4 LANDSCAPE SETTING The village remains strongly linked to the countryside setting. From outside the village the relatively substantial landscaping prevents clear views of the buildings within and only the tree density indicates the presence of a village. This provides a gradual transition from countryside to settlement. The impact of the surrounding countryside is reinforced along Main Street where buildings to the north, east and part of the south back onto the countryside. The density of trees within the village results in a sense of enclosure and prevents the village from opening up to wide views.