Treharris Conservation Area Character Appraisal A N DAVIES Head of Town Planning June 2009 Treharris Conservation Area Character Appraisal June 2009 This document is the adopted Treharris Conservation Area Character Appraisal and is a publicly agreed statement on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area Following public consultation, this document was adopted by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee on the 24th June 2009. Treharris was declared as a Conservation Area under s.69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 on the 1st July 2009. All maps are © Crown Copyright. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Licence 100025302. 2009 Acknowledgement: This document was compiled for Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council by The Conservation Studio (1 Querns Lane, Cirencester, Glos GL7 1RL) in collaboration with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s Regeneration Department and Design, Heritage and Conservation Officer. Contents 0 Summary Report 2 0.1 Background 2 0.2 The Purpose of the Character Appraisal 2 0.3 Public Consultation 2 0.4 Summary of the Character Appraisal’s Findings 3 0.5 Next Steps 6 1 Introduction 7 1.1 The Treharris Conservation Area 7 1.2 Summary of key characteristics 9 1.3 The planning policy context 9 1.4 Community involvement 10 2 Location and Landscape Setting 12 2.1 Location and activities 12 2.3 Topography and geology 13 2.2 Relationship of the conservation area to its surroundings 13 2.4 Treharris’ industrial heritage and the landscape setting 14 2.5 Biodiversity 15 3 Historic Evolution 16 3.1 Historic Development 16 4 Spatial Analysis 21 4.1 Layout and street pattern 21 4.2 Open spaces and trees 21 4.3 Focal points, focal buildings, views and vistas 22 4.5 Boundaries 24 4.6 Public realm 25 5 Conservation Area Buildings 27 5.1 Building types 27 5.2 Listed buildings 27 5.3 Locally listed buildings 29 5.4 Positive buildings 31 5.5 Building styles, materials and colours 32 5.6 Shopfronts 33 6 Issues 36 6.1 Introduction 36 6.2 Issues 36 - Appendices 42 A Sources 42 B Public Consultation Report 44 C Useful Addresses 48 D Glossary of Architectural Terms 51 E Conservation Area Boundary Map 57 Treharris Conservation Area Appraisal 1 0 Summary Report 0.1 Background A draft of the character appraisal was made Section 69 of The Planning (Listed Buildings and available for inspection by the public during a Conservation Areas) Act imposes a statutory duty consultation period of twenty days from 4th to on local planning authorities to identify those 23rd March 2009. Consultation included a letter parts of their areas that are of special historic or sent to all properties within the proposed architectural interest, the character or appearance conservation area boundary informing them of the of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance and consultation process and inviting them to a launch to designate them as conservation areas. event, the launch event was held at the Treharris Furthermore it states that local planning Boys and Girls Club on 4th March from 3:30 to authorities shall, from time to time, review the 7:00 pm and was attended by local residents, past exercise of this function within their area and business owners representatives of the Merthyr identify whether any parts or any further parts of Tydfil Housing Association, The Treharris their areas should be designated as conservation Regeneration Committee, the Merthyr Tydfil areas. The Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Built County Borough Access Group and representatives Heritage Strategy and Action Plan provided a from the Communities First Taf Bargoed review of the management of built heritage in the Partnership. Following the launch, copies of the County Borough. It identified the designation of draft appraisal were available at the Treharris the Treharris Conservation Area as a key priority Public Library as part of an exhibition throughout to prevent ongoing erosion of the historic the consultation period. The draft appraisal was environment. The Built Heritage Strategy and also uploaded to the Council’s website. Feedback Action Plan was endorsed by full Council on 12th from the public was encouraged through a December 2008. questionnaire which was available at the launch event, at the exhibition in the Public Library and 0.2 The Purpose of the Character Appraisal from the Council’s website. Briefly, the public consultation questionnaire asks the following A character appraisal has been prepared to identify questions: the appropriate boundary of the Treharris Conservation Area and to define the key positive • The desirability of designating a Treharris characteristics that contribute to its special Conservation Area; historic or architectural interest. It also identifies • Views on the historic interest of the area; issues that detract from the character and • Views on the key positive features of the appearance of the area. In future these should be area; addressed through proposals for preservation and • Views on any negative features or issues enhancement of the conservation area as required that detracted from the area’s character and under Section 71 of the Act. appearance. The consultation was also advertised in the local 0.3 Public Consultation press. A report on the public consultation has 2 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council been prepared and forms an appendix to the steep sided Taff and Taf Bargoed valleys; character appraisal. • A planned A number of late 19th century amendments ‘model’ industrial were made to the settlement, character including civic, appraisal to take religious, into account commercial and comments residential received from the buildings; public during the consultation • High period, including quality townscape changes to the resulting from late proposed 19th century boundary and planning and the inclusion of a control of the number of issues Harris Navigation identified as Colliery on the detracting from town’s the character and development; appearance of the conservation • A cluster area. of historic Treharris Conservation Area aerial photograph buildings of 0.4 Summary of the Character Appraisal’s interest including the listed Treharris Library Findings and Independent Tabernacle Chapel, the locally listed Navigation Hotel, Masonic In summary the character appraisal identifies that Temple and Royal Hotel, St Matthias’ the following characteristics contribute to the Church, the former Bethel Baptist Chapel, special historic and architectural interest of the the former Police Station (now the Royal Mail conservation area: Receiving Office), Brynhyfryd Chapel and Treharris Community College; • The location in the heart of the South Wales coalfield; • The industrial heritage of coal mining with some buildings in the conservation area • The mountainside setting overlooking the which relate to this; Treharris Conservation Area Appraisal 3 • The loss of architectural details on • The nearly universal use of local rock-faced houses: Many of the unlisted historic ‘snecked’ sandstone masonry, with painted houses within the proposed conservation brick dressings in cheerful colours; area have been adversely affected by the use of modern materials and details. The • A busy local shopping centre. Council could consider the use of an Article 4 Direction, which would encourage the use The following are considered to be the Key Issues of traditional materials and details. in the proposed Treharris Conservation Area which will need to be addressed by the Council and its • The loss of historic shop fronts: Historic partners in the future. shopfronts have been removed and new walls and windows built which do not match • Vacant buildings: A number of properties the building. within the conservation area are noted as vacant or underused. • Concentration of fast-food takeaways on Fox Street: The concentration of this type • Local listing: A number of buildings of use was identified as reducing the vitality identified as of local historic could be of the shopping area during the day-time considered for addition to the local list. and encouraging large gatherings of teenagers in the evenings. View of the Three former viaducts, Treharris 4 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council proposed conservation area. • Littering: Littering on Fox Street, particularly with waste food wrappers was • On street parking: The appearance of the identified as a particular problem. proposed conservation area could be improved by following the example of the • Vacant and derelict sites: A number of parking layout in Perrott Street, where vacant sites have been identified which parking bays and ‘build-outs’ have been could be enhanced: the plot to the south of used to define and break up areas of on the Treharris Library; the plot to the west of street parking. No. 32 John Street; and the plot at the north eastern end of Fell Street. • Disabled access: Improved facilities for disabled parking in the town centre and • Traffic and pedestrian movement in The dropped kerbs at Fox Street and the Bus Square: Heavy traffic load and narrow Station at Cardiff Road should be provided. pavements around The Square make this a potentially dangerous area for pedestrians. • Awareness: Lack of awareness or publicity of the area’s historic interest Thomas Street, Treharris The Police Station, Treharris • Former Public Hall site: This site could be enhanced in a variety of ways. • Encouragement of regeneration: Support, including financial and professional, is • Security shutters in Fox Street: These have needed to ensure that important historic a negative impact on the surrounding area. buildings are restored and made suitable for new uses that will ensure their preservation • Satellite dishes and wheelie bins: Visible and positive contribution to the town and satellite dishes and wheelie bins on front community. pavements or in gardens detract from historic character and appearance of the Treharris Conservation Area Appraisal 5 0.5 Next Steps demonstrating the Council’s planning for issues affecting the conservation area would form part of Following designation of the conservation area the such an application.