SOUTH JESMOND CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER STATEMENT South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 Terms of reference: conservation areas evaluation 2 1.2 South Jesmond - purpose of designation, principles of character and boundaries, the sub-division of the conservation area 3 2. CONTEXT OF SOUTH JESMOND 7 2.1 Historical development 7 2.2 Recent changes -present situation 8 2.3 Landscape context 9 3. SETTLEMENT ASSESSMENT 10 Landscape and built character assessment 3.1 Sub-area 1: Victorian villas and terraces north of Jesmond Road 10 Osborne Avenue, Osborne Road, Clayton Road, Fernwood Road, Akenside Terrace, Granville Road and Jesmond Road (north side) 3.2 Sub-area 2: Victorian terraces between Jesmond Road and Sandyford Road, Bus Station and Portland Park 27 Jesmond Road (south side), Osborne Road, Portland Terrace, Hutton Terrace, Benton Terrace, Sandyford Road (north side). 3.3 Sub-area 3: Victorian crescent at Chester Crescent (west side) 33 3.4 Sub-area 4: The Punch Bowl Public House and the Minories 35 3.5 Sub-area 5: Open Spaces 37 Newcastle General Cemetery, All Saints Cemetery, and the County Cricket Ground. Acknowledgements 44 South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement 1 1. INTRODUCTION Value of the Appraisal The value of the appraisal is two-fold. First, its publication will improve the understanding of the value of the built 1.1 Terms of Reference heritage. It will provide property owners This character appraisal has been within the conservation area, and potential prepared in response to Government developers with clearer guidance on advice. planning matters and the types of Conservation Areas development, which are likely to be Conservation Areas were introduced by encouraged. Secondly, it will enable the Civic Amenities Act 1967, and defined Newcastle City Council to improve its as being “areas of special architectural or strategies, policies and attitude towards historic interest the character or the conservation and development appearance of which it is desirable to opportunities and priorities within the preserve or enhance”. They depend on conservation area. The appraisal will form much more than the quality of individual a sound basis for establishing effective buildings, and take into account features conservation area policies; support the such as building layout, open spaces, effective determination of planning and boundaries, thoroughfares, the mix of listed building applications, and form uses, use of materials and street furniture. relevant evidence in planning appeals with It is common for a conservation area to specific emphasis on those relating to the include a number of buildings which are demolition of unlisted buildings. designated as ‘Listed Buildings’ because Evaluation Criteria of their individual architectural or historic Buildings and Development Sites value. • existence of/proximity to listed Conservation Area Appraisals buildings, scheduled ancient The approach to conservation area monuments, protected trees, designation has altered dramatically in features of interest recent years and it is now recognised that • grouping cohesiveness, linkage/ development plan policies, development relationships to other buildings control decisions, proposals for • period, style, materials, colour, detail, preservation or enhancement and the proportion, status ‘management’ of conservation areas can be best achieved when there is a clear • uniqueness, distinctiveness, and sound understanding of the special consistency, inventiveness interest of the conservation area. PPG 15 • local, regional or national importance -“Planning and the Historic Environment” • completeness, condition, urges Local Authorities to prepare construction detailed assessments of their • cultural, historical or ‘folk/popular’ conservation areas and states that “the associations more clearly the special architectural or historic interest that justifies designation is • archaeological and industrial defined and recorded, the sounder will be archaeological value the basis for local plan policies and • orientation, access, form, height, plot development control decisions, as well as shape for the preservation and enhancement of • relationship to topography and urban the character or appearance of an area”. grain 2 South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement • density/proximity to other buildings one mile north east of Newcastle City • historical or planning precedents Centre, between the residential areas of Brandling Village and Sandyford. It • opportunity for creative essentially comprises late Victorian contemporary solutions residential development within a mature • threat from unsympathetic landscape setting. The large gardens, development surrounding properties in the north of the Streetscape conservation area and the substantial • historic pattern open spaces, including two cemeteries and a cricket ground make the • effect of proportion, alignment and landscaped environment of particular topography on enclosure significance. Within the area there are • street furniture, signs and features Grade II* and 11 Grade II listed buildings. • landscaping and surfacing Additionally, Newcastle General Cemetery is included in the English Heritage • shopfronts and commercial Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, treatment receiving Grade II status. • period, style, materials, colour, detail, proportion, status The reasons for designation were first to reinforce existing local plan policies and • relationship to urban grain protect the concept of the local scene • relationship and hierarchy with especially the demolition of unlisted connecting spaces buildings. Secondly to exercise additional • cohesiveness and relationship with control over new development and the use buildings of urban space to achieve a higher standard of design in alterations and new • local, regional or national importance buildings. • completeness, condition, Principles of Character construction This conservation area essentially • cultural, historical or ‘folk/popular’ comprises four elements. Large detached associations or semi-detached Victorian villas set in • archaeological and industrial large gardens, C20th replacement archaeological value development on villa plots, Victorian • uniqueness, distinctiveness, terraces and open space. consistency, inventiveness The Victorian villas and C20th infill • visual and physical activity development on villa plots are located to the north west of the conservation area. • traffic and access This area contains a mixture of uses, both • effects of differing lighting conditions residential and commercial, contributing to its distinctive character. Osborne Avenue, to the north, contains large, double fronted 1.2 South Jesmond terraced and large semi-detached housing, set back from the road, with Purpose of designation, principles of substantial front gardens. Clayton, character, boundaries and sub-division of Fernwood and Granville Roads contain the conservation area. larger residential villas set in mature Purpose of Designation landscaped gardens; a considerable The South Jesmond Conservation Area, number have been converted into designated in 1987, lies approximately commercial or multiple occupancy South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement 3 residential use. The area is characterised the change in building styles is clear. The by wide roads backed by mature trees north-western section of Osborne Avenue and large properties of varying consists of large, double fronted terraced architectural styles from mid Victorian to properties with substantial front gardens. late C20th all in mature landscaped However, the properties on the north- gardens. eastern section are not included as they The Victorian residential terraces are are markedly smaller with smaller front located within the sub-areas 3.1 to 3.3. gardens. Accordingly, the boundary Their special character is derived from the follows the line of the County Cricket formality and uniformity of the materials Ground. The properties on Holly Avenue, and detailing and the variation in design of like those on the north-eastern section of each individual terrace. These terraces Osborne Avenue, are smaller hence the now fall into two distinct groups: those justification for their exclusion. retained in residential use and those The western boundary follows the centre of predominantly in commercial use. Osborne Road, from Osborne Avenue to Osborne Avenue (north side), Akenside Sandyford Road to the south. Unlike the Terrace (east side), Granville Road and adjacent Brandling Village conservation Chester Crescent have remained in area boundary it excludes the Metro line residential use which is evident by the embankment, therefore leaving this narrow retention of the landscape setting and strip of land between the two conservation respect for the original building character. areas. The high random rubble stone wall The terraces predominantly now in and mature trees of this embankment commercial use include Osborne Road positively contribute to the character of this either side of Jesmond Road, Portland conservation area. The majority of Terrace, Hutton Terrace (south side) and properties within the conservation area Benton Terrace. These latter properties north of Jesmond Road have only a side have witnessed the most damage to their elevation onto Osborne Road, the original character, mostly as a result of the exception being the small parade of shops change of use and additionally due to the at the junction of