Devonport Characterisation Study
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DEVONPORT CHARACTERISATION STUDY & MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS JULY 2006 CONTENTS Introduction 7 Methodology 9 Policy Context 9 The Regeneration Context 11 Urban Morphology 12 Chronological Overview of the Historical Development 12 of Devonport • Pre 1690 – Before Plymouth Dock (Devonport) 12 • 1691-c1750 – Founding of the Naval Dockyard and Morice 13 Yard • The mid 18th – mid 19th centuries: from Sail to Steam 17 • Devonport Dockyard - 1800 onwards 18 • Development of the civilian town 19 o Map Regression 19 o The Early Town 24 o The Dock Lines 25 o Mount Wise 26 o Towards the 20th century: Development of North 26 Yard and changes to military requirements o Post War Devonport 27 Characterisation 28 • Geology 29 • Topography 30 • Figure Ground 31 • Building Ages 32 • Building Heights 33 2 • Landuse / Activity 34 • General Townscape Analysis 35 • Statutory Protection 36 • Buildings of Townscape Merit 37 • Buildings at Risk 38 Archaeological Significance and Potential 39 • Introduction 39 • Sites and Areas of Significant Archaeological Potential 39 • Areas of Uncertain Archaeological Potential 42 • Areas of Limited Archaeological Potential 42 • Quarried Areas 43 Character Areas 44 • Waterfront (Richmond Walk to Mutton Cove) 45 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Mount Wise 50 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • South Yard 56 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development 3 o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Morice Yard 63 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Devonport Park 68 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Brickfields 76 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Granby Island to Cumberland Block 80 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces 4 o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Cornwall Street to Marlborough Street 86 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Ker Street, Pembroke Street, James Street and 92 Bennett Street o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Storage Enclave 99 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance • Pottery Quay 102 o Location and Topography o Historic Origins and Development o Activity: Prevailing or Former Uses o General Townscape Character and Movement o Architectural and Historic Qualities of Buildings o Local Details: Building Materials o Public Realm / Spaces o Negative / Neutral Factors o Summary of Significance 5 Opportunities and Recommendations 106 • Introduction 106 • Principles 107 • Enforcement Strategy and Article 4 (1) and (2) Directions 111 • Review of the Existing Conservation Area 112 • Recommendations for the Individual Character Areas 113 o Waterfront (Richmond Walk to Mutton Cove) o Mount Wise o South Yard o Morice Yard o Devonport Park o Brickfields o Granby Island to Cumberland Block o Cornwall Street to Marlborough Street o Ker Street, Pembroke Street, James Street and Bennett Street o Storage Enclave o Pottery Quay • Community Involvement and Consultation 123 • Resource Implications, Monitoring and Review 124 Appendix 125 • Listed buildings within the Waterfront Character Area 125 • Listed buildings within the Mount Wise Character Area 126 • Listed buildings within the South Yard Character Area 126 • Scheduled Ancient Monuments within the South Yard 130 Character Area • Listed buildings within the Morice Yard Character Area 131 • Listed buildings within the Devonport Park Character Area 133 • Listing description for Devonport Park 134 • Listed buildings within the Granby Island to Cumberland 138 Block Character Area • Listed buildings within the Cornwall Street to Marlborough 140 Street Character Area • Listed buildings within the Ker Street, Pembroke Street, 141 James Street and Bennett Street Character Area • Listed buildings within the Storage Enclave Character Area 148 • Listed buildings within the Pottery Quay Character Area 149 • Buildings at Risk in Devonport 150 • Buildings for Local and Statutory Listing and Scheduling • Bibliography 151 6 DEVONPORT CHARACTERISATION STUDY Introduction The purpose of this Study is twofold. Firstly it is to provide the evidence base for the process of developing the preferred option stage of the Devonport Area Action Plan (AAP), and in particular the proposals and policies contained therein. The boundary of the study will follow the AAP boundary (below). Secondly it is designed to provide a review, appraisal and management plan for the Devonport Conservation Area, which will meet the requirements of Best Value Performance Indicator 219. BVPI 219 measures Local Authorities’ performance in relation to the requirements of Sections 71 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Plan showing the location and size of the Devonport Action Plan Area. 7 The focus of the study is the historic town of Devonport, the settlement that developed around and for the naval dockyard from the late 17th century. Historically the town was sharply defined and constrained by the Dockyard to the west and by the ‘Dock Lines’ - the landward defences of the naval base and town - to the north and east. This is clearly seen on Maddocks’ map of 1848. Part of ‘A New Map of Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse, Stoke & Morice Town with the railways and recent improvements’ by W. H. Maddock, 1848 (Plymouth City Museum) 8 The study will apply characterisation techniques to the area in order to analyse and understand the process of evolution, which has produced the current urban form and movement patterns. These will provide the basis for the identification of areas of distinctive character, often derived from their past, but reflected also in their present form, appearance or use. Recommendations will be made for the overall good management of the Historic Environment within these areas, and for the Conservation Area, encompassing: o recommendations specific to each character area o recommendations for statutory and local listing, and scheduling o a review of the current Conservation Area boundary o resource implications, monitoring and review Methodology The study will build on the evidence base provided by the Plymouth Rapid Urban Character Study. Further primary and secondary sources will also be used, including a survey of the study area, desk-top research using published synthetic works, maps and images, and on-site analysis. Policy Context The Devonport Characterisation Study is set within the policy framework for the City as evidence base for the emerging Local Development Framework (LDF). The LDF seeks to provide the overall strategic framework to guide Plymouth’s long-term development up to 2016. In preparing the LDF there are a number of key documents, produced at a national, regional and local level that set the context and inform both the LDF and the Characterisation Study. At National Level, emphasis is placed on turning our towns and cities back into thriving centres of human activity. Explaining how Plymouth can achieve this ‘Urban Renaissance’ must be at the heart of the city’s new LDF. It is recognised that the historic environment plays an