Southend-On-Sea Borough Council Item
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Agenda Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Item Report of Director of Technical & Environmental Services to The Conservation Working Party on 12th November 2002 Report prepared by : Martin Scott Prittlewell Character Appraisal Part I Public Agenda Item 1. Purpose of Report 1.1 To report the draft Prittlewell Character Appraisal. 2. Recommendation 2.1 Recommend to Cabinet the draft Prittlewell Character Appraisal and the proposed exclusion of 1-8 Howards Chase from the conservation area, as the basis for public consultation. 3. Background 3.1 The Report ‘Criteria for Conservation Area Character Appraisals’ submitted to this meeting of the Working Party sets out the background to this Character Appraisal. 3.2 The existing Conservation Area was designated in 1995 and subsequently extended twice. It now covers the surviving parts of the former village of Prittlewell prior to being absorbed by the expanding town of Southend at the turn of the 20th century. It is centred on St. Mary’s Church and extends along East and West Streets and part of the west side of Victoria Avenue and includes Howards Chase to the rear of West Street. 3.3 When designating the conservation area, it was recognised that the area needed enhancement and regeneration. The Prittlewell Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme was consequently introduced which provides grants for repair and improvement to specified commercial buildings. The scheme is funded by the Council and English Heritage to the value of £120,000 over three years and expires in 2003. 3.4 The conservation area is within the SSHAPE project area which encompasses a range of regeneration initiatives between Prittlewell and the seafront. It includes the new Golden Jubilee Trail which starts at Prittlewell. 3.5 The need to develop further regeneration proposals for the conservation area, particularly to the rear of 255-291 Victoria Avenue, is recognised in both projects. In addition, industrial uses in Roots Hall Avenue (adjacent to the conservation area) and on backland to the rear of West Street are subject to proposals P3j and P3k, for residential redevelopment, in the Southend-on-Sea Borough Local Plan. It is included in the urban capacity study currently being undertaken by consultants and will be subject of a further report on possible development and improvement when that study has been completed. 3.6 The appraisal area relates to the existing conservation area and to areas immediately adjacent within the vicinity of the former village (parts of East Street and Station Approach, the north part of $1qcgnsja.doc Page 1 of 17 Report No: DTES02/ North Road, Roots Hall Avenue and Wallis Avenue). The conservation area boundary and appraisal area are shown on Appendix 1. 4. Discussion 4.1 The text of the draft Character Appraisal is in Appendix 2. Attention is drawn to Section 9, which summarises the area’s special interest. Attention is also drawn to the need for research and interpretation of Prittlewell’s history. 4.2 It is clear that much of the existing conservation area has special architectural or historic interest, and meets the criteria for conservation area designation as defined in Table 1 of the report ‘Criteria for Conservation Area Character Appraisals’. However, the terrace of cottages, 1-8 Howards Chase, was altered shortly after inclusion in the conservation area, notably with pink pebble dash and upvc windows, and no longer contributes to the area’s character. Howards Chase is isolated from the rest of the conservation area and its de-designation is recommended. 4.3 North Road, Roots Hall Avenue and Wallis Avenue are associated more with Southend’s growth than the former village, and building alterations have eroded their architectural character. Whilst Prittlewell Station is on the Local List and continues to have historic and architectural interest, it is considered too isolated from the conservation area to be included. No extension of the existing conservation area is therefore recommended. 4.4 The proposed conservation area boundary is shown in Appendix 1. 5. Article 4 Direction 5.1 In relation to the Appraisal’s proposal for an Article 4 Direction, such a Direction would remove the automatic right to carry out specified classes of permitted development without planning permission. It would enable permitted development to be controlled in such a way that it does not harm the area’s character. 5.2 Advice in PPG 15 is that the Secretary of State considers Article 4 Directions may ‘have a role to play if they would help protect the features that are the key elements of particular conservation areas …..’ And where his approval is necessary for a Direction, he will generally be in favour of them where they are ‘backed by a clear assessment of an area’s special architectural or historic interest, where the importance to that special interest of the features in question is established, where the local authority can demonstrate local support for the direction, and where the direction involves the minimum withdrawal of permitted development rights …. necessary to achieve its objective.’ (para 4.23) 5.3 No specific proposals are made at this stage. Consultation on the need for a Direction would be undertaken as part of the consultation on the Appraisal. Following the consultation, a further report will be submitted with detailed recommendations. 6. Background Papers 6.1 Report to the Borough Local Plan Review Working Party, ‘Criteria for Conservation Area Character Appraisals’. 7. Appendices 7.1 The following appendices are attached to this report. 7.1.1 Appendix 1: Plan of existing and proposed conservation area 7.1.2 Appendix 2: text of draft Prittlewell Character Appraisal $1qcgnsja.doc Page 2 of 17 Report No: DTES02/ Appendix 2 DRAFT PRITTLEWELL CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL 1. INTRODUCTION Conservation Areas are ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ (Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act, 1990. Policies and guidance for Conservation Areas are given by the Government in Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 (Planning & the Historic Environment) 1994, by English Heritage, notably in Conservation Area Practice, 1995 and by Southend on Sea Borough Council in the Essex & Southend on Sea Replacement Structure Plan, 2001, the Southend on Sea Borough Local Plan, 1994, and the Conservation Guide, 2001. A Replacement Borough Local Plan with revised policies is in preparation. Councils are advised to review their Conservation Areas from time to time and to ensure that they have up to date character appraisals which set out their special interest and provide the basis for development control and enhancement proposals. All the Borough’s thirteen Conservation Areas, including Prittlewell, are being reviewed in order to produce up to date character appraisals. Other areas which might be suitable for designation are also being assessed. In each case the character appraisal will: identify the area’s special interest review existing conservation area boundaries assess the need for enhancement proposals review the need for Article 4 Direction controls assist preparation of the Replacement Borough Local Plan provide a basis for implementing policies and making informed development control decisions guide any future highway proposals in the area 2. LOCATION AND CONTEXT The former village of Prittlewell is centred on the parish church of St. Mary and the medieval road alignments of East Street / West Street and North Street to the north (now part of Victoria Avenue). It is towards the top of the south slope of a shallow valley formed by Prittle Brook. On the north slope (outside the conservation area) is Prittlewell Priory, a former Cluniac Priory and now in use as a public park. Until the second half of the 19th century, the village of Prittlewell had been the principle settlement and parish in the area now covered by the Borough of Southend-on- Sea. Towards the end of that century, the small town of Southend one mile to the south along the shore of the Thames Estuary began to expand rapidly as a seaside resort and residential centre. North Street (Victoria Avenue) was extended southwards to connect with Southend’s new High Street and by the early 20th century the expanding town had absorbed the former village. Victoria Avenue now forms one of the main routes into Southend’s town centre and seafront. Road widening over the years and associated demolitions and other works have eroded the former village’s character. But it still retains aspects of its past architecture and having been the principal settlement in the area it has considerable historic interest. The area now comprises a mix small scale uses reflecting its village origins – residential, commercial, retail and industrial - none of which are predominant. They help consolidate the area’s character as a large village with a traditional mixture of uses. Some of the premises have poor access or backland situations and there is a relatively high level of vacancy and associated disrepair. The Prittlewell Conservation Area was designated in 1995 and subsequently extended to cover the surviving buildings from the former village which front the historic street pattern. It includes buildings which illustrate the village’s development history through to the early 20th century when it $1qcgnsja.doc Page 3 of 17 Report No: DTES02/ became part of a larger urban area. It does not include Prittlewell Priory because later development with no special interest now separates it from the surviving area of the village. It is recognised that the conservation area forms part of a wider area in need of regeneration. The Prittlewell Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme started in 2000 and provides grants to wards the repair and reinstatement of specified historic commercial buildings in the area. The scheme is funded jointly by the Borough Council and English Heritage.