Please reply to: Susan Bartlett 26 Oaker Avenue Manchester M20 2XH
Email: [email protected]
7 September 2020
RE: Consultation on the Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan. We are responding on behalf of Cheshire Gardens Trust (CGT), which exists to promote awareness, understanding and conservation of historic parks and gardens, which in planning terms are ‘heritage assets’.
Cheshire Gardens Trust works with The Gardens Trust as the National Statutory Consultee. For further information see The Planning System in England and the Protection of Parks and Gardens available at http://thegardenstrust.org/wp- content/uploads/2019/09/PLANNING-DOC-Final-interactive-4_7_19-2.pdf
We have considered the Plan and our comments are as follows:
Registered parks and gardens Historic England maintains the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest; these are historic designed landscapes in England and Wales of national importance. We understand there is one Registered Park and Garden in the area of the NDP namely Gawsworth (Old) Hall Grade II*, and a historic monument, Gawsworth Hall Gardens. These designations cover the same site though the boundaries vary slightly. The registered park and garden covers a more extensive area including the avenue along Church Road west of the Old Hall and the Watch Tower (Pigeon House) to the north east.
We are pleased the NDP Environmental Policy E4 Heritage Assets and Conservation Areas recognises the importance of these historic assets but request that Appendix B, Designated Historic Assets be amended to indicate that Gawsworth Old Hall garden is also a historic monument and that a photograph of the garden is included.
Unregistered parks and gardens CGT volunteers have researched many sites in Cheshire East. The Historic Environment Record holds our research and recording reports and our draft lists are available on Cheshire Gardens Trust website www.cheshire-gardens-trust.org.uk/ The Conservation Officers in Cheshire East are also aware of this work.
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From our research to date we are not aware of any unregistered historic designed landscapes in this area but this does not mean that there are none. It is possible that the gardens of Gawsworth New Hall and the Rectory have potential to be included in this category.
The NDP Environmental Policy E5 Locally Valued Heritage Assets could consider and include such historic designed landscapes, as noted in paragraph 6.21.
Landscape character As well as their intrinsic importance as a heritage asset, historic designed landscapes make a significant contribution to local character. The National Planning Policy Framework states that this is a key component that Neighbourhood Plans should conserve and enhance.
The NDP paragraphs under ‘Landscape’ referring to the Landscape Character Assessment (2.15-2.18) need to be updated - it should be the Cheshire East Landscape Character Assessment (LUC 2018), not the earlier Cheshire LCA 2008. The character area is Gawsworth 11b, which is part of the Higher Wooded Farmland landscape character type 11 – the same area but with a change of terminology and some updating.
Big old trees are a feature of the area, though there are only TPOs on the lime avenue between the Harrington Arms and the church, and covering a few other trees. Not all the big old trees lie within the Gawsworth Conservation Area. The policy E1 Trees and Hedgerows covers the topic well, but we consider that there might be more to learn about the old trees, particularly those that lie within the wider area of the medieval deer park.
We welcome any contributions to our research and would be pleased to hear from local people if there are sites of historic designed landscape interest within the Gawsworth area that we are not aware of.
If you have any further queries, please contact the writer at the above address.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Bartlett Planning Responses Coordinator Cheshire Gardens Trust
The Cheshire Gardens Trust is a UK registered charity, number 1119592 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, number 05673816. www.cheshire-gardens-trust.org.uk Registered Office: 26 Sandford Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 2PS
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