Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals
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Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals 18 June 2008 The Conservation Studio, 1 Querns Lane, Cirencester, Glos GL7 1RL 01285 642428 1 The Conservation Studio 2007 Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals PART 1 CHARACTER APPRAISAL 1 Summary 1.1 Key characteristics 1.2 Key issues 2 Introduction 2.1 The Frome Conservation Area 2.2 The purpose of a conservation area character appraisal 2.3 The planning policy context 2.4 Other initiatives 3 Location and landscape setting 3.1 Location and activities 3.2 Topography and geology 3.3 Relationship of the conservation area to its surroundings 4 Historic development and archaeology 4.1 Historic development 4.2 Archaeological significance and potential 5 Spatial analysis 5.1 Plan form and layout 5.2 Landmarks, focal points and views 5.3 Open spaces, trees and landscape 5.4 Public realm 6 The buildings of the conservation area 6.1 Building types 6.2 Listed buildings 6.3 ‘Positive’ buildings 6.4 Building materials and local details 6.5 Shopfronts, advertisements and signs 6.6 General condition of the area and built fabric 7 Character areas Character Area 1: Town centre and an adjacent area to the north west including West End Character Area 2: Trinity, Sheppard’s Barton and Vallis Way including Horton Street and Button Street – primarily residential area of housing with 18th-century origins Character Area 3: Badcox, Christchurch Street West, Christchurch Street East, Portway and Wallbridge Mill – mixed development along an east-west route south of the original town centre Character Area 4: Vallis Road, Nunney Road and Broadway – residential areas west of the town centre Character Area 5: Willow Vale and the River Frome Valley Character Area 6: Frome Bridge, North Parade and the environs of North Hill House Character Area 7: Welshmill Road and Innox Hill Character Area 8: Fromefield Character Area 9: Weymouth Road, Somerset Road and Victoria Park Character Area 10: Keyford 2 The Conservation Studio 2007 Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals PART 2 MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS 8 Introduction 8.1 Structure and scope 8.2 Current policy and other guidance 8.3 Monitoring and review 9 Management Proposals 9.1 Preservation of historic buildings 9.2 Negative sites and buildings 9.3 Building maintenance and repair 9.4 Control of new development 9.5 Loss of architectural detail, minor alterations to historic buildings and loss of front gardens 9.6 Historic floorscape and historic items in the public realm 9.7 Tree management guidance 9.8 Shopfronts 9.9 Disturbance cause by heavy through traffic 9.10 River Frome 9.11 Conservation area boundary review 3 The Conservation Studio 2007 Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals PART 1 CHARACTER APPRAISAL 1 Summary 1.1 Key characteristics of the Frome Conservation Area Frome is a historic market town founded in the 7th century. The special interest that justifies designation of the Frome Conservation Area derives from a number of architectural, historical and environmental factors including: • Rural location on steep hillsides sloping down to a river crossing and the floodplain of the River Frome; • Eccentric settlement pattern comprising distinct areas of historic building connected by sinuous streets, roads, elevated walkways and alleys winding up and down the hillside, thereby providing ever-changing views of the area’s historic townscape; • The architectural and historic quality of the area’s historic buildings, a high percentage of which are listed and many others make a positive contribution to historic character and appearance; • Haphazard medieval layout of streets around St John’s Church and the Market Place notable for Cheap Street’s central water conduit and Gentle Street’s cobbled surface; • Trinity and Sheppards Barton, a planned area of late 17th-/early 18th-century terraced houses; • North Parade (1797) and Bath Street (1810), planned routes into the town lined with early 19th-century houses; • Weymouth Road and Somerset Road, two streets of late 19th-century middle- class houses overlooking Victorian public park (Victoria Park); • Keyford and Fromefield, two small historic village settlements to the north and south of the main town; • Mix of building types with many good examples of industrial (textiles), religious and residential buildings reflecting the economic and social development of the town; • Wide assortment of house types of different periods and social classes ranging from prestigious town centre 17th- and 18th-century clothiers’ houses to edge-of- settlement rows and courts of workers’ cottages; • The River Frome, most visible along Willow Vale (where it was channelled as part of a former millstream); • Prevalent use of locally quarried Forest Marble and Doulting stone and a predominance of terracotta/brown/red clay tiles – either Bridgwater pantiles or double/triple/ Roman tiles – which gives rise to a distinctive roofscape; 4 The Conservation Studio 2007 Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals • Long continuous high stone boundary walls, e.g. Goulds Ground; • Significant areas of historic floorscape and locally manufactured items of street furniture, especially lamp standards; • Trees and tree groups within the open spaces and specimen trees in private gardens; Oriel Lodge West End 1.2 Key issues of the Frome Conservation Area General • Some vacant commercial properties; • Tree management; • Inappropriate boundary treatment of some private gardens; • Control of on-street parking in residential areas; • ‘Negatives’ i.e. those sites or buildings which detract from the area’s special architectural and historic character and appearance; Buildings • Archaeological potential; • A number of buildings are in a poor state of repair, some are considered to be at risk of further deterioration; • Lack of routine maintenance and repair; • Loss of architectural details such as timber windows, doors and chimneys is eroding the historic character and appearance of the area (this might be controlled by means of an Article 4 Direction); • Insensitive alterations to historic buildings; • Garish shopfronts that are out of character with the host building; • 20th-century development that does not harmonise with the conservation area; • Satellite dishes spoiling the facades of historic buildings; Public realm • Anti-social behaviour – graffiti, rubbish litter; • Conservation of historic floorscape. 5 The Conservation Studio 2007 Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals 2 Introduction 2.1 The Frome Conservation Area Conservation areas are designated under the provisions of Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. A conservation area is defined as “an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. The Frome Conservation Area was first designated in 1973 and the boundaries were reviewed in 1976, 1986 and 2004. The Blue School Frome’s lively roofscape 2.2 The purpose of a conservation area character appraisal Section 71 of the above Act requires local planning authorities to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are conservation areas. Section 72 specifies that, in making a decision on an application for development in a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area. This document is written in the light of these statutory requirements. It is in conformity with English Heritage guidance as set out in “Guidance on conservation area appraisals” (August 2005) and “Guidance on the management of conservation areas” (August 2005). Additional government guidance regarding the management of historic buildings and conservation areas is set out within “Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the Historic Environment” (PPG15). This document therefore seeks to: • Define and record the special interest of the Frome Conservation Area and identify the issues which threaten the special qualities of the conservation area (in the form of the “Character Appraisal”); • Provide guidelines to prevent harm and achieve enhancement (in the form of the “Management Proposals”). 6 The Conservation Studio 2007 Mendip District Council Frome Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals The omission of a particular building, feature or space should not be taken to imply that it is of no interest. St John’s churchyard Cast iron street name sign 2.3 The planning policy context The Mendip District Local Plan which sets out the Council's policies and proposals for the development and the use of land in Mendip now and in the future was adopted in December 2002 and covers the period to 2011. In due course the Mendip Local Plan will be reviewed and rolled forward to cover the period to 2026 in what will now be called a Local Development Framework. This new planning system was established by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which abolishes Structure and Local Plans and replaces them with Local Development Documents. More information about this important change to the planning system can be found on the District Council’s website: www.mendip.gov.uk. The Local Development Framework will conform