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Planning Statement

Certificate of Lawfullness Application for continued use of a Basement Flat at 44 Gibson Square, London N1 0RA

Compiled by: Craig More | Architect Shop at 522 Hornsey Road London N19 3QN

Contents

1. Introduction 1 2. The Site and Surrounding Area 1 2.1. Location and Access 1 2.2. Land Use and Site 1 3. Historic Context 1 3.1. Georgian Developers 1 3.2. Architect 2 3.3. Gibson Square 2 3.4. Listing 3 3.5. Barnsbury Conservation Area 4 4. Site Condition 5 5. Continued Use Principles and Supporting Evidence 6 3.1. Georgian Developers 1. Introduction Thomas Milner Gibson and Arethusa Susannah Milner Gibson

This Statement has been prepared as a Certificate of Lawfullness Application supporting document to the London Borough of Islington.

2. The Site and Surrounding Area

2.1. Location and Access The application site is situated within the London Borough of Islington. The site is in the basement level of a late Georgian – early Victorian terrace house built in 1835-1837. The house, to the northeast of the square, has

three storeys with a basement and mansard roof. Thomas Milner Gibson

The site has a very good public transportation accessibility. It is equidistant In 1837 Gibson was elected to parliament as Conservative member between Highbury and Islington, Angel and Essex Road stations. for Ipswich, but resigned two years later, having adopted Liberal views, and The amenities and bus routes of Upper Street and Liverpool Road are a became an ardent supporter of the free-trade movement. As one of short walk away. Cobden's chief allies, he was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Manchester in 1841, and from 1846 to 1848 he was Vice- The site is within the Barnsbury Conservation Area CA10. President of the Board of Trade in Lord John Russell's ministry. Though defeated in Manchester in 1857, he found another seat for Ashton-under- Lyne, and sat in the cabinet under Lord Palmerston and then Russell from 2.2. Land Use and Site 1859 to 1866 as President of the Board of Trade. In 1846 he was sworn of The site currently contains a one-bedroom flat with a small kitchen and the Privy Council. direct access to a storage vault below the pavement. Sunlight and Milner Gibson was the leading spirit in the movement for the repeal of taxes ventilation are gained through windows onto front and rear lightwells. on knowledge, and his successful efforts on behalf of journalism and advertising were recognised by a public testimonial in 1862. He retired from political life in 1868, but he and his wife, whose salon was a great Liberal centre, were for many years very influential in society. Milner 3. Historic Context Gibson was a sportsman and a typical man of the world, who enjoyed life and behaved liberally to those connected with him.

1 [Wikipedia] Gibson Square, the first of two squares built as part of the Milner Gibson Estate, was laid out from 1832 to 1839. The garden was originally open to residents only, but in the 1930s it had become rundown and was 3.2. Architect surrendered to Islington Council for upkeep. During World War 2 the Francis Edwards garden was dug up for air raid shelters and later replanted. In 1963, a Francis Edwards (born 1784; died 1857 at London) was a British architect of proposed ventilation shaft for the new the Georgian and early Victorian periods, who worked extensively in the Victoria Line, in the form of a 50-foot London area. concrete structure, was staunchly opposed by residents. This resulted in Sir John Soane's foremost pupil, Edwards joined Soane's office at Lincoln's the simulated classical temple with Inn Fields as an improver in 1806 and was admitted to the Royal Academy domed roof which stands in the garden Schools two years later. today, designed to be in harmony with His work, mostly neo-classical in style, is best known now for town its surroundings. The work was carried planning and landscaping but Edwards also oversaw construction of his out in the early 1970s, when London celebrated and much copied design of St John's Church at Hoxton and Transport also restored the garden and the Lion Brewery at Lambeth (demolished in 1949). replaced its railings. [London Garden Trust] He was architect to the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company as well as to the Goding brewing family becoming an Associate of the Institute of British Architects in London before establishing his own practice, Francis Edwards Milner Square (to the north) and Gibson Square were part of the estate laid & Co. out from 1823 for Thomas Milner Gibson, who leased the land from the Lord In later years he lived at Bloomsbury Square in the parish of St Giles, of Barnsbury Manor, William Tufnell. Gibson was heir to a fortune made London from plantations in Trinidad, and later became President of the Board of Trade. [Wikipedia] Just south of Cubitt's land, between Barnsbury and Theberton streets, building on Thomas Milner Gibson's estate also started in the 1820s.Leases 3.3. Gibson Square were granted for houses in Moon Street in 1824, near the Pied Bull and in Studd Street at the east end of Theberton Street, and for the White Horse and houses at the west end in 1825.

Leases for houses on the south side of Theberton Street followed, 1827-33, and on the north side, 1835-7.

2 The south side of Gibson Square, a continuation of the south side of Theberton Street, was let in 1829, the west side in 1833-4, the north in 1834- 5, and the east in 1835-6.

The 22 houses in Trinidad Place fronting Liverpool Road were completed from 1830 to 1835.

The proprietary school and the chapel and school on the south side of Barnsbury Street, east and west of the street into Milner Square, were completed in 1831 and 1835 respectively.

Milner Square was started in 1827 but houses on the east side were not leased until 1840 and although building on the west side had been agreed with William Spencer Dove, work had not started in 1846, when Gibson's estate was enfranchised, and was completed only in the 1850s.

Leases were granted to jobbing builders or their nominees and the most important leaseholders in 1846, and therefore builders of the estate, were Louis England with 60 houses, William Spencer Dove with 44 houses, some workshops, and building land in Milner Square, Thomas Gardiner with 18, 3.4. Listing and Charles Weston Anderson with 15 and the Pied Bull inn. Their holdings NUMBERS 44-70 (CONSECUTIVE) AND ATTACHED RAILINGS were scattered and only Dove held leases of an entire run of houses, in Milner Square. List Entry Summary

The construction of a terrace by several builders with a handful of plots This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation each, the method used for most building in the 19th century, is often Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. evident in the facades, despite a uniform elevation and plan. Listing NGR: TQ3151083851 [British History Online: www.british-history.ac.uk] TQ3183NE GIBSON SQUARE 635-1/59/414 (East side) 29/09/72 Nos.44-70 (Consecutive) and attached railings

GV II

Terraced houses. c.1828-30. Yellow brick set in Flemish bond, stucco, roofs of Welsh and artificial slate, so far as visible. Three and four storeys over basement, two windows each, except to nos 50 and 69 which have one

3 window each. Nos 49-70 form a symmetrical group in relation to Gibson area. Houses are united by a render strip at ground and basement levels, a Square, nos 58-61 being a centrepiece, breaking forward, nos 49-51 and simple window pa ern repeated throughout and a homogenous parapet 68-70 endpieces also breaking forward; the endpieces have three pairs of line. Elaborate cast iron balcony railings feature to first floor windows and giant pilasters with entablature, and a pediment to the middle house. uniform railings protect front light wells. No. 36 and the adjacent No. 37 Basement and ground floor stuccoed, the ground floor decorated with occupy the centre of the original terrace and both properties step forward banded rustication; steps up to round-arched entrance with pilaster jambs slightly, complemented by an extended parapet height. which are panelled except to nos 46 (reeded), 50 and 51 (plain) and 65, 66 and 70 which have pilasters partly sunk in the jamb, cornice, fanlight, with decorative glazing to nos 42-7, 49-51, 53-58, 62-63, 65 and 69; some panelled doors. Ground-floor window round-arched with radiating glazing bars to all, except that on nos 47-49, 51, 56, 59-60, 67-68 they are either missing or replaced. First-floor windows flat-arched with stucco architrave and cornice except on nos 58-61 which have round-arched windows with gauged brick heads and radiating glazing bars to nos 58-60; iron balconies to all except no 68. Second-floor windows are flat-arched with stucco architraves. Cornice and attic storey to nos 44-5 and 58-61, the rest having a stucco band to the parapet, entablature and pediments to nos 49-51 and 68-70. Stacks on party walls. Cast-iron railings to area with ball-and-disc and spear and tassel finials.

[Historic England]

3.5. Barnsbury Conservation Area Barnsbury Conservation Area, within which the application site is located, is the largest in Islington and contains many examples of elegant late Georgian and early Victorian residential terraces. To the east, Barnsbury is bounded by the Upper Street North conservation area. The predominant character of the conservation area is residential with many of its squares noteworthy for their consistency and completeness. Rear elevations generally have less formality than the more ordered front elevations, expressing a more private and less public functional arrangement.

The terrace of which No. 36 Gibson Square is part displays an architectural consistency and quality that characterises this part of the conservation

4 Ceilings are bowing and showing signs of structural weakening. There are no cornices.

The original front facing window has been replaced with a metal frame and single glazing. The aperture appears to be the original in scale.

The rear facing window has been replaced with a replica sliding timber sash window with single glazing. The aperture appears to be original by virtue of the existence of the external stone cill and flat brick arch.

The kitchen entrance door and timber-framed cover is not original and of sub-standard design and detail.

Black painted, street edge railings with arrow and ern capitols remain

although deteriorating. The original gate hinges and latch are rusted beyond repair. The iron staircase has long-since been removed. 4. Site Condition

The basement flat consists of two large rooms with original fire places.

Original doors lead between the kitchen and internal stairwell although the kitchen door has lost its original architraves. The door to the former coal store appears to be original as well.

The central spine wall is of timber frame construction with possible lath and plaster covering in place although badly damaged by water ingress.

The peripheral brick walls appear sound, but the rendering is again severely damaged by rising damp.

There are a number of original skirting boards in place although they are also badly damaged.

A solution to water ingress is urgently needed to make the flat habitable.

Floors appear to be constructed from concrete and covered in vinyl or carpet.

5 5. Continued Use Principles and Supporting Evidence

The following information outlines our grounds for Islington Councils award of a Certificate of Lawfullness for the continued use of the basement flat considering that the use as a single dwelling house began more than four years before the date of this application.

The current owners, Mr and Mrs Spackman, bought the property in 1973. They have confirmed in attached writing that the basement “has been used as a separate home for the last 50 years” and that they “immediately let the basement and have done so continuously”.

In addition, the current tenant, who has occupied this flat since 2005 (in excess of 13 years), has also confirmed in writing that this is the case.

Included in this application is evidence from the Electoral Role showing that the current tenant, Mr Gary Hayter, has been recorded as a resident since 2014 (in excess of 4 years)

The letters have been certified and signed by:

S.E. Berwick

Sarah Berwick

Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales

(Roll No: 131634)

1 Milner Place

London N1 1TN

This application is a precursor to a Full Planning and Listed Building Consent Application to refurbish this basement flat.

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