Urban Design & Conservation

URBAN DESIGN & CONSERVATION CONSULTATION COMMENTS

Application Ref: 12/0441/FUL

Site/Location: Netherhall Farm, Worts Causeway

Description: Conversion of farm buildings to 4no. dwellings

Received Date: 23.04.12 Case Officer: Catherine Linford

Response Date: 25.06.12 Responding Officer: Susan Smith

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSION:

This application is supported with conditions

COMMENTS: This application relates to Buildings of Local Interest (BLIs) in the Green Belt of the city. The concern is the impact of the proposal on the setting of the city and the character and appearance of the BLIs.

Existing: The existing buildings are part of a farm complex and form a cohesive group. The farmhouse is a substantial building with the barns and stables in the adjacent farmyard. The Heritage Building Assessment shows the development of the site and therefore its historic interest.

The farmhouse itself is not part of the proposed scheme of works but will be subject to repairs which do not require prior authorisation from the Local Planning Authority.

The comments below refer to the works to the building and not to the principle of development within the Green Belt. It is presumed that the proposed tree works will be referred to a Tree Officer for confirmation that they are appropriate.

There has been a number of pre-application discussions and meetings on this project prior to the application being made.

Proposals: The principle of developing the farm buildings for residential use is accepted provided that the character of the buildings and their setting is retained.

General Comments

1 The Structural Assessment which accompanied this application is generally positive about the possibility of converting these buildings. There are some areas where repairs are necessary, for example some timbers which have been exposed for long periods of time, but generally the buildings are considered suitable for residential use. Taking this into consideration, should any more substantial structural problems be found, it would be expected than any lack of foundations would be overcome by the use of underpinning rather than the demolition and rebuilding of any part of the buildings. Rebuilding of any substantial part of the buildings would inevitably mean the loss of part of its character which it is important to retain.

The success of this development will be the retention of the agricultural character of the buildings, rather than to make them domestic in nature. It will therefore be important that traditional materials and methods of repair are used throughout the buildings. The use of lime mortars, reclaimed bricks, slates and tiles for repairs and timber windows and doors should be mandatory. Permitted Development Rights should also be removed so that the windows and doors cannot be replaced without Planning Permission so that inappropriate features or materials are not introduced which will lose the harmony of the proposed development.

In addition, the windows and doors should be set back into the walls so that the buildings have a character which is more solid than void, which is the nature of farm buildings where light was not needed for the interior. By recessing the windows back into the reveal, they appear darker and produce more shadows. The details of the windows, their sills and how they will be recessed should be submitted for written approval prior to commencement of these works.

Where new windows are to be inserted, or unblocked, appropriate brick lintels must be provided. Details of these brick arches must be submitted for written approval prior to commencement of these works. In addition, there should be no flues of other ventilation pipes extracting through the roof. Any ventilation which is needed must be via a balanced flue. In this way the ridge line is retained and the character of these BLIs is not compromised. Details of the venting of the kitchens and bathrooms must be submitted for written approval prior to commencement of these works.

The details of the ribbon and escape skylights must be submitted for written approval prior to commencement of these works.

Main Barn – Barn no. 1 The proposal is to use part of the existing Cart Shed, where it meets the Main Barn as a sitting area, to add a first floor in the Main Barn, and to add a small single storey extension to the side. These alterations are supported.

The Heritage Building Assessment and historic maps show that there was a building attached to the Main Barn on its north gable end previously, and there is scarring on that elevation showing the former outline of that building. The use of part of the Cart Shed for the sitting area to supported as it will not

2 disturb the existing form of the buildings and how they are attached/butt up to each other.

The reopening of the blocked windows and doors is supported. The style of the exterior joinery and the use of ‘shutters’ is acceptable provided that they are timber and remain so. Where the existing vents are to be converted to windows, these need to retain their simplicity and design. The number of new openings should be kept to a minimum to ensure that the building does not acquire a domestic feel.

The Structural Appraisal that accompanied this application states that the additional floor inside the building can be built off of the new ground floor which will need to be laid for modern day thermal performance. Therefore there should be no structural issues with the erection of this additional floor.

Long Barn – Barn no. 2 The main alteration to the exterior of this building is the replacement of the single skin brick with louvred windows. This is a detail which can be found elsewhere in the complex and provided that it is well detailed, it is supported on this building. The balance of the window and door openings against the solid of the walls is appropriate. The repair/reinstatement of the timber cladding is supported, as is the reopening of the bulls-eye window above the door of the Cow Shed.

Cart Shed – Barn no. 3 The detailing of this proposed conversion is similar to that of the approved conversion opposite, on the adjacent site. The long run of glazed doors will retain the open feeling of the existing cart shed. The proposed emergency skylights are unfortunate in that the are low down on the roof slope and therefore spoil the rhythm of the building. However, they are on the enclosed side of the building and will not be clearly visible from many viewpoints.

Stables – Barn no. 4 This is the most sensitive of the buildings in terms of the amount of character which could be lost by inappropriate works. The pantiles, hit and miss boarding, the use of clunch on the interior and the division of the stalls are some of the features which should be retained.

The rebuilding of the north west elevation is supported as there is a large sycamore tree growing through part of the building. The pantiles should be saved for reuse with any shortfall being made up of reclaims to match. The division of the converted interior keeps the rhythm of the stalls. There are a large number of doors for a relatively small building, however these appear to be existing openings and are therefore supported. Details will be required regarding the wall surfaces of the interior, especially how the clunch will be treated. The hit and miss ventilation has been incorporated as a design feature which is welcomed.

Outbuilding/Garage and Bin Enclosure

3 The outbuilding/garage to Barn no. 1 is supported. It is simple in design and appropriate for this location.

The bin enclosure by Wort’s Causeway is also appropriate for the need and location. The plans show a gate by the bin enclosure to allow access to the site. Does this already exist? If not it should be carefully considered as there should be clear views into the site for it to retain its ‘open’ feel. If a gate is to be erected, it should be simple in design and materials.

Layout It is important that when the site is approached, that it retains its agricultural feel. Therefore the open areas of paddock must be retained as such with no division to fence them off for personal use. In addition the style of boundary division between the properties should remain as that proposed and agreed for the adjacent cart shed conversion, that is post and wire with natural hedging. The owners should not be able to erect any other type of boundary without the permission of the Local Planning Authority.

The Site Plan shows the access through the site of the neighbouring properties to take their bins down to the roadside for collection. This area is also where the parking is for the barns. Is there any opportunity to remove the proposed boundary in this area so that the cars can access the road which goes around the site rather than having to go through it every time? This would retain a much more open feel to the whole site and would keep the connection between all the buildings, including those that have already been converted into residential use.

Where existing brick and clunch walls have fallen into disrepair, these should be made good on a like-for-like basis. Clunch is a local material that should be retained wherever possible.

Conclusion: The proposed works for the conversion of these buildings into residential use are appropriate to the character and interest of these BLIs. Therefore they adhere to policy 4/12 and are supported subject to the suggested conditions below.

SUGGESTED CONDITIONS: 1. No brickwork is to be erected until the choice of brick, bond, mortar mix design and pointing technique have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority by means of sample panels prepared on site. The approved panels are to be retained on site for the duration of the works for comparative purposes, and development must take place only in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To avoid harm to the special interest of the Building of Local Interest. (Cambridge Local Plan 2006, policy 4/12)

4 2. No new, replacement or altered joinery shall be installed, nor existing historic joinery removed, until drawings at a scale of 1:20 of all such joinery (doors and surrounds, windows and frames, sills, skirtings, dado rails, staircases and balustrades, etc.) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

3. All new joinery is to be of timber and not metal or plastic.

4. All new joinery [window frames, etc.] shall be recessed at least 50 / 75mm back from the face of the wall / façade. The means of finishing of the ‘reveal’ shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority prior to installation of new joinery. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

5. Prior to any painting/varnishing/staining or other external treatment to new or retained joinery, the colour of the external treatment to new or retained joinery shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority by means of the British Standard Number [obtainable from B S Framework for Colour Co-ordination for building purposes, BS 5252: 1976]. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

6. Full details of all lintels and sills to new/altered openings [for doors or windows, etc.] to be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA.

7. Full details of proprietary rooflights to be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA [types of an inappropriate design / material and / or which stand proud of the plane of the roof (“velux”) are unlikely to be approved; “conservation” types may be appropriate].

5 7. The rainwater goods are to be of cast iron or cast aluminium and fixed to the fascia board on appropriate brackets and painted in a colour to be agreed with the LPA.

8. No boiler flues, soil pipes, waste pipes or air extract trunking, etc. shall be installed until the means of providing egress for all such items from the new or altered bathrooms, kitchens and plant rooms has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Flues, pipes and trunking, etc. shall be installed thereafter only in accordance with the approved details.

9. Prior to the installation of any timber boarding, full details including samples of the type, surface [sawn, planed, etc.] and surface finish [paint or stain] or self-colour shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority by means of the British Standard Number [obtainable from B S Framework for Colour Co-ordination for building purposes, BS 5252: 1976]. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

10. Full details of the schedule of repairs and structural engineering works to the buildings to be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA.

11. Full details of the bat lofts to be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA.

12. Where any works are undertaken which involve the removal of the historic fabric of the buildings, these materials are to be salvaged for re-use within the site unless otherwise agreed in writing with the LPA.

13. A hard landscaping scheme, including full details of surface and boundary treatments, is to be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA. Landscape works shall thereafter be constructed only in accordance with the approved details.

6 Reason: To avoid harm to the special interest of the Building of Local Interest. (Cambridge Local Plan 2006, policy 4/12)

14. All domestic/residential Permitted Development Rights (P.D) to be removed in perpetuity.

Reason : To maintain the historic character of the existing buildings and their relationships to one another and to exclude 'suburbanisation' of the site.

SUGGESTED INFORMATIVES:

AMENDMENTS:

Received: Case Officer:

Response Date: Respondent:

Comments:

DISCHARGE OF CONDITIONS:

Received: Case Officer:

Response Date: Respondent:

Comments: