Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal – Consultation Draft January 2011 Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal & Management Plan Consultation Draft January 2011 Epping Forest District Council – Directorate of Planning and Economic Development 1 Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal – Consultation Draft January 2011 Contents 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………4 Definition and purpose of character appraisals………………………………...…………..4 Scope and nature of character appraisals…………………………………………………..4 Extent of the conservation area……………………………..………………..……………...4 Methodology……………………….…………………………………………..…..…………..4 2. Planning Policy Context……………………………………………….………………..…..5 Local Plan policies……………………………………………………………………………..5 3. Summary of Special Interest……………………………………………………………….6 Definition of special architectural and historic interest………………………….…………6 Definition of the character of Copped Hall Conservation Area……………….…………..6 4. Location and Population………………………………….............................………... ….7 5. Topography and Setting…………………………………………………………………….8 6. Historical Development and Archaeology……………………………………………...10 Origins and development…………………………………………………………..………..10 Archaeology…………………………………………………………………………………..14 7. Character Analysis………………………………………………………………………….18 General character and layout…………………………………………………………........18 Key views……………………………………………………………..…………….…………20 Character Areas…………………………………………………………...…………………21 Buildings of architectural and historic interest…………………….………………………28 Traditional building materials……………………………………………………..…………30 Landscape character.....................................................……………….………………...31 Activity .......................………………………………………………….…………..………..33 8. Opportunities, threats and capacity for change……………………………….……..34 Opportunities................................................................................................................34 General threats to the character of the area………………………………………………35 Capacity for change………………………………………………………………………….35 9. Conservation area Boundary…………………….…………………………………........36 Areas that could be included in the conservation area…………..……………..………..36 10. Community Involvement…………………………….………………………………........37 Involving local people………………………………………………….…………..………...37 Timetable……………………………………………………………………….…..…………37 11. General Guidance…………………………………………………..………………………38 Epping Forest District Council – Directorate of Planning and Economic Development 2 Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal – Consultation Draft January 2011 Views and setting...........…………………………………………………..……….…… 38 Architectural details/features…………………………………………..………….…… 38 Traditional building materials……………………………….……………………..…… 38 Trees, hedges and open spaces……………….…….………………………….…… 38 New development…………………………………………..………………..……..…… 38 Renewable energy…………………………………………………………………..…… 38 12. Management Plan…………………………………………………………...…………..39 13. Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………...40 14. Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………….41 Appendix 1. Descriptions of the listed buildings in the conservation area ……...42 Appendix 2. Relevant National Legislation and Local Plan Policies ………………45 Appendix 3. Building Analysis ……………………………………………………………47 Appendix 4. Glossary of Terms………………………………………….. ………………50 Appendix 5. Maps …………………………………………………………………………...52 Epping Forest District Council – Directorate of Planning and Economic Development 3 Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal – Consultation Draft January 2011 1. Introduction 1.1 Definition and purpose of It is, however, not intended to be Conservation Areas comprehensive in its content and failure to mention any particular building, feature or space A conservation area is an ‘area of special does not imply that these are of no interest. architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ (Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Purpose of a character appraisal Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990). A conservation area may be the historic centre of a town or village, an older unspoilt residential · To define the special interest area, or an important country house in large of the conservation area. landscaped grounds. · To identify measures that The designation of a conservation area need to be taken to preserve introduces special controls, including the the character of the requirement of consent from the Council to conservation area and put demolish any building or part of a building or to forward proposals for its carry out works on unprotected trees. These enhancement. restrictions aim to ensure that the special architectural or historic interest of the area is retained for future generations and that the · To review the conservation character and special interest of the area is area boundaries. preserved for the benefit of local residents, businesses, visitors and future generations. 1.2 Purpose, scope and nature of character appraisals 1.3 Extent of the Copped Hall Following conservation area designation, local authorities also have a statutory duty to Conservation Area formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of their The Copped Hall Conservation Area conservation areas, and to consult the local encompasses an extensive tract of historic community about these proposals. A landscape on the northern fringes of Epping conservation area character appraisal is Forest, 2 miles west of the market town of intended to fulfill this obligation. Its main aims Epping. It was originally designated in 1984 and are to define the character and special adjoins Bell Common conservation area to the architectural and historic interest of the east, and Upshire conservation area to the conservation area, review the current west. The precise boundary of the Copped Hall conservation area boundaries, identify Conservation Area is illustrated by the map on measures that need to be taken to preserve the page 8 of this appraisal. character of the conservation area and put forward proposals for its enhancement. The 1.4 Methodology character appraisal is also intended to increase public awareness of the aims of conservation This document was compiled between June area designation and encourage community 2009 and April 2010. In putting together the involvement in the protection of the character of appraisal, the conservation area was surveyed the area. and photographed, a range of historic maps were consulted and documentary research was It is hoped that this document will provide a carried out. A draft version of the appraisal will be put out to public consultation between 31st management framework to control and guide th change in the Copped Hall Conservation Area January 2011 and 28 March 2011 to allow the and that it will form a basis for other planning views of local residents and other local decisions that affect the area. stakeholders to be considered. Epping Forest District Council – Directorate of Planning and Economic Development 4 Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal – Consultation Draft January 2011 2. Planning Policy Context 2.1 Local Plan Policies of local architectural or historic importance and matters relating to them. (See Appendix 2). Conservation areas were first introduced by the Civic Amenities Act of 1967. National guidelines The Council has already begun work on the new concerning Government policies for the system of local policy plans that will replace the identification and protection of historic buildings, existing Local Plan – this will be known as the conservation areas, and other elements of the Local Development Framework. At this stage, historic environment are set out in Planning the Council cannot say for certain how Policy Statement Number 5 – “Planning for the conservation area character appraisals will fit Historic Environment” (March 2010). into the new system, but it is expected that they will become advisory policy documents that will The Council’s current policies relating to support the main Development Plan. (Further conservation areas are set out in the Epping information on the Local Development Forest District Local Plan. This plan was Framework can be found on the Planning originally adopted in 1998 and has recently been Services section of the Council’s website). partially reviewed. Alterations were adopted in July 2006, with the addition of policy HC13a It should also be noted that the section of the which concerns the creation of a list of buildings conservation area to the south of the M25 is covered by the Epping Forest Act 1878. Copped Hall Conservation Area – Location Plan Epping Forest District Council – Directorate of Planning and Economic Development 5 Copped Hall Conservation Area Character Appraisal – Consultation Draft January 2011 3. Summary of Special Interest 3.1 Definition of special architectural and historic interest The special architectural and historic interest of the Copped Hall Conservation Area derives from 3.2 Definition of the character of the the origins of the area as a medieval hunting Copped Hall Conservation Area park and rural estate dating from the 12th century or earlier, its associations with the former Abbey The character and appearance of the Copped (Waltham Abbey) and, following Dissolution, Hall Conservation Area derives from the successive Tudor monarchs, the nobility and interaction of a number of different factors gentry. It also encapsulates the design and th including: its elevated, countryside location