The Cedars Proposed Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Strategy
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PPLLAANNNNIINNGG GGUUIIDDAANNCCEE The Cedars Proposed Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Strategy Philip J. Barrett Director of Development and Regeneration Sunderland City Council PO Box 102 Civic Centre SR2 7DN Tel: (0191)553 1515 Fax:(0191) 553 7893 e-mail: [email protected] February 2008 Contents Contents i Background ii Introduction 1 Part 1: Character Appraisal Historical Development 6 Fundamental Character 9 Views and Vistas 13 Character Zones: Victorian Cedars 15 The Terraces 17 Backland Area 19 Current Issues & Possible Solutions 21 Part 2: Management Strategy Introduction 28 Management Objectives and Proposals: 1. Designation of Conservation Area 29 2. Green Spaces and Landscape/Streetscape Features 31 3. Public Realm 34 4. Residential Character 35 5. Article 4(2) Directions 36 Summary of Proposals 42 Appendix 43 References 44 i Background Conservation Areas Management of Conservation Areas Conservation Areas were introduced by the Civic Amenities Act 1967 and are defined Local Authorities are under a duty from time to time to "formulate and publish as "areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are which it is desirable to preserve or enhance". Local authorities are obliged to conservation areas" (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas (LBCA)) Act determine which parts of their district are of special interest and declare them 1990, s. 71). English Heritage guidance on the management of conservation areas Conservation Areas. Designation is dependent on the overall quality and interest of advises that such proposals should take the form of a mid-to-long term strategy, an area, rather than individual buildings, although it is common for such areas to setting objectives for addressing the issues and recommendations for actions arising contain a number of Listed Buildings. There are currently 13 conservation areas in from character appraisals, and identifying any further and more detailed work needed the City of Sunderland, ranging from City Centre areas to pre-conquest villages to the for their implementation. Victorian suburb of Ashbrooke and the coastal resort of Roker. Each conservation area has its own unique character and appearance. Designation as a conservation The Cedars Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management area has a number of implications. In all cases "special" consideration must be given Strategy to the impact that development would have on the character and appearance of the This Character Appraisal and Management Strategy has been prepared in response to area. Importantly, it requires planning consent to be gained for the demolition of the guidance outlined above and, as such, discharges the Council's obligations and buildings within conservation areas and for certain types of development which are duties under the Planning (LBCA) Act 1990, as well as complying with English elsewhere classified as 'permitted development'. These generally cover various types Heritage's recommendations. Following a formal consultation process the City of cladding, the insertion of dormer windows into roof slopes, the erection of satellite Council will adopt the finalised document as formal planning guidance to the adopt- dishes and radio masts/antennae. Designation also brings extra controls over works ed City of Sunderland UDP and future LDF and will be a material consideration when to trees and requires all applications for planning consent to be advertised to the considering applications for development within the conservation area. public widely via the local press and site notices. Appraisal of Character The protection of an area does not end with Conservation Area designation. The Governments Planning Policy Guidance note (PPG) 15 "Planning and the Historic Environment" urges Local Authorities to prepare detailed assessments of the special interest, character and appearance of their conservation areas. Local Authorities' performance in producing such character appraisals is currently monitored by 'Best Value Performance Indicator' (BV219). A character appraisal defines and analyses the special qualities and architectural and historic interest which warranted the conservation area designation. PPG 15 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 which development proposals can be assessed for their appropriateness in the historic environment. ii Introduction Sunderland City Council proposes that The Cedars and residential area to the south Location east be designated a Conservation Area in recognition of its special architectural and The Cedars is a mile to the south of Sunderland City Centre, flanked to the north by historic interest. In 1999 the North East Civic Trust produced a comprehensive study Backhouse Park and Ashbrooke Conservation Area, and to the east by Hendon, and of the area for the council. At this time it was proposed that the Conservation Area the railway line. To the south lies South Moor school, formerly South Moor house and would cover a larger area, including Belford House and grounds. Sadly, Belford House gardens. was lost to fire in 2006 which led to a re-consideration of the area and buildings to be included within the proposed Conservation Area. Location Plan Comprising predominantly mid-late Victorian/ Edwardian terraced houses and villas, the area is a leafy suburb featuring a range of villas and terraced houses that exhibit a high quality craftsmanship in timber and terracotta. Its planned nature continues to have a discernable influence on the area, despite modern infill development that deviates from the original layout. This document combines an appraisal of the Conservation Area's character and appearance with management proposals for preserving and enhancing its special qualities. Part One, the Character Appraisal, identifies and assesses those characteristics and features that give the area its special architectural and historic interest and considers the current issues which threaten its architectural integrity and historic significance. Part Two of the document comprises a Management Strategy and contains a series of management objectives and proposals to address the issues raised in the Character Appraisal. This includes consideration of the resources need- ed, further work required and envisaged timescales to implement the management proposals. © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence No. 100018385. Date 2008. 1 Boundaries The boundary of the proposed Conservation Area is an irregular, dog-leg shape that Unitary Development Plan (UDP) Conservation Policies incorporates those parts of the area that contribute most significantly to its special Policy B4 of the City of Sunderland UDP, adopted by the council in 1998, architectural and historic interest. Bounded to the north-west edge by Backhouse states that: "All development within and adjacent to Conservation Areas will Park and to the east by Rowlandson Terrace (two key access routes in/through the be required to preserve or enhance their character or appearance". Under proposed Conservation Area and strongly defined boundaries), the southern limits this policy the council is obliged to prepare supplementary guidance in the are less clearly identified. Modern developments to the rear of The Cedars have been included due to their historic curtilage connections with the Conservation Area, form of character assessments for each of its conservation areas. These will despite a general lack of architectural merit and thus a lack of necessity for the identify features and characteristics that contribute to the areas' special added protection that Conservation Area status may convey. Despite its historic interest, identify opportunities for enhancement and, where appropriate, association within the area, the former Belford House site has been excluded as a establish design criteria for new development and restoration projects. The consequence of its demolition due to an arson attack. The boundary includes those Cedars Conservation Area Character Study is one of a series of such components of the area that contribute to its special historic and architectural interest assessments that will cover all the city's conservation areas. and that are particularly worthy of protection and enhancement. A detailed appraisal and justification for the boundary is given on page 29. Conservation areas often include a number of listed buildings; unusually for Sunderland, the proposed Cedars Conservation Area does not currently Aerial Photograph include any. In order to protect unlisted buildings from inappropriate alterations, the council can seek under policy B6 to make Article 4 Directions where considered appropriate, requiring planning permission to be gained for development which is normally 'permitted' in the case of dwellinghouses. The policy also encourages the retention of open spaces, historic street patterns and plot boundaries and for the council to exercise control over landscape features such as mature trees. Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) are a good example of this; they ensure that the consent