Tooley Street Conservation area appraisal Regeneration department July 2003 www.southwark.gov.uk 2 Tooley Street Conservation Area Regeneration Department 1 Introduction 7 1.1 Purpose 7 1.2 Arrangement of the document 7 1.3 Tooley Street North and South Conservation Areas 7 1.4 Planning History 8 2 Historical Background 11 3 The Character and Appearance of the Area 16 3.1 Broad Context 11 3.2 Sub area 1 – Hay’s Wharf 21 3.3 Sub area 2 – Tooley Street West 24 3.4 Sub area 3 – St John’s Churchyard 26 3.5 Sub area 4 – Tooley Street East 27 4 Audit 28 4.1 Listed buildings 28 4.2 Archaeology 34 4.3 Environmental improvements 34 4.4 Improvements to buildings 35 4.5 Potential development sites 35 5 Guidelines 37 5.1 Introduction 37 5.2 Development form and urban morphology 38 5.3 Public Realm 40 5.4 Improvements and repairs 41 3 4 Tooley Street Conservation Area Regeneration Department Sub area 1: Hay’s Wharf Sub area 2: West Tooley Street Sub area 3: St John’s Churchyard Sub area 4: East Tooley Street Figure 1 Tooley Street North and South Conservation Areas and sub-areas: 1:5,000 5 6 Tooley Street Conservation Area Introduction 1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose 1.1.1. The purpose of this statement is to provide an account of the Tooley Street Conservation Areas and a clear indication of the Borough Council’s approach to their preservation and enhancement. It is intended to assist and guide all those involved in development and change in the areas, and will be used by the council in assessing the design of development proposals. 1.1.2. The statutory definition of a Conservation Area is an “area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.” Conservation Areas are normally centred on listed buildings and pleasant groups of other buildings, open space, or an historic street pattern. A town space or features of archaeological interest may also contribute to the special character of an area. It is, however, the character of areas, rather than individual buildings, that such a designation seeks to preserve or enhance. The most recent legislation dealing with Conservation Areas is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act, 1990 (Sections 69 to 78). 1.1.3. Planning legislation requires that special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. In doing this the emphasis will be on control rather than prevention, to allow the area to remain alive and prosperous but at the same time to ensure that any new development accords with its special architectural and visual qualities. 1.1.4. This statement has been prepared following guidance given by English Heritage in their note “Conservation Area Appraisals”. 1.2 Arrangement of this document 1.1.2. This appraisal covers both the Tooley Street North and the Tooley Street South Conservation Areas. The boundaries are indicated on Figure 1. Following the Introduction, Section 2 provides a brief history of the areas and their development. Section 3 starts with a broad appraisal of their character and appearance, with reference to the range of materials, details and building types to be found in the areas. Section 3 then goes on to describe each sub-area with specific reference to architectural and historic qualities, views and townscape, the character and relationship of public and green spaces, and any elements that detract from the Conservation Areas. Section 4 provides an audit of the features of special interest of the areas, including listed 7 buildings, particular groups of unlisted buildings, Unitary Development Plan Policies and trees, planting and other streetscape elements. 1.4.2. The Unitary Development Plan for the Section 5 provides guidelines for future development London Borough of Southwark was adopted in and change in the Conservation Areas. 1995. There are three policies in the Plan that relate to the conservation, protection and enhancement of 1.3 Tooley Street North and South areas of character, buildings, ancient monuments, Conservation Areas historic areas, parks and gardens of environmental quality, architectural interest and historical Location importance. 1.3.1. Tooley Street (the A200) links the southern ends of London Bridge and Tower Bridge. London POLICY E.4.1: Conservation Areas Bridge Station is located at its west end, and the 1.4.3. ‘Where appropriate, the Council will railway viaduct running out eastwards from it designate new Conservation Areas and extend forms a significant barrier and defines the southern existing Conservation Areas. The Council will edge of the Conservation Areas. The River Thames seek to preserve and enhance the character and provides an even clearer edge to the north. appearance of Conservation Areas. The Council will prepare guidelines to identify their special qualities. Topography Identification of the special architectural and historic 1.3.2. Topographically, the dominant feature of qualities of an area will be based on detailed analysis the area is obviously the River Thames. Historically of the area. This will include the architectural and the area was low lying and prone to flood, and historic quality, character and coherence of the the ancient route followed by Borough High Street buildings and the contribution which they make to to London Bridge was a raised causeway through the special interest of the area.’ otherwise marshy land. Centuries of development have built upon the natural levels, but the risk at POLICY E.4.2: Proposals Affecting Conservation high water has always remained and flood defences Areas are a feature of riverside development. 1.4.4. ‘Conservation Area Consent for demolition in Conservation Areas will not normally be granted Sub Areas within the Conservation Area except where certain conditions are met. These 1.3.3. For the purpose of description in this conditions are as follows: appraisal, the Conservation Areas area divided i) The design of any new development or into sub-areas as indicated in Figure 1. These are alteration demonstrates that a high priority described in more detail in 3.1.17 and following has been given to the objective of positively sections below. preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Area; 1.4 Planning History ii) There are acceptable and detailed plans for 1.4.1. The Tooley Street South Conservation Area the site of the building to be demolished or was originally designated in June 1988 under the partially demolished. Demolition is not to be Civic Amenities Act 1967. Tooley Street North undertaken before a contract for the carrying Conservation Area was designated in February 1991. out of the works of redevelopment has been This appraisal deals with both designations in one made, and planning permission has been report. granted for the development.’ 8 Tooley Street Conservation Area Introduction POLICY E.4.3: Conditions for Planning Policy 4.3.1: Supplementary Planning Guidance Permission in Conservation Areas Clean and Green 1.4.5. ‘Planning permission for proposals affecting 1.4.7. In exercising its powers under the Planning Conservation Areas will not normally be granted Acts 9 and Part 1 of the Historic Buildings and except where certain conditions are met. These Ancient Monuments Act 1953, the council must conditions are as follows: pay special attention to the desirability of preserving i) The design of any new development or or enhancing the character of appearance of its alteration demonstrates that a high priority conservation areas. In Southwark this requirement has been given to the objective of positively is satisfied in a number of ways including the preserving or enhancing the character or formation of conservation policy (UDP), production appearance of the Conservation Area; of supplementary planning guidance and character ii) Proposals should pay special regard to historic assessments, and in assessment of applications building lines, scale, height, and massing, for planning permission and Conservation Area traditional patterns of frontages, vertical or Consent. horizontal emphasis, plot widths and detailed design e.g. the scale and spacing of window Policy 4.3.2: Supplementary Planning Guidance opening, and the nature and quality of Clean and Green materials; 1.4.8. The Council is required from time to time to iii) Schemes should be drawn up in detail (outline formulate and publish proposals for the preservation applications will normally not be accepted); and enhancement of its conservation areas, and iv) Drawings of the proposals should show the to undertake local public consultation on such proposed development in its setting and proposals indicate any trees to be retained, lost or replaced, Policy 6.2: Information Requirements v) A proposal for a site adjacent to or outside 1.4.9. Outline proposals are not acceptable for any a Conservation Area will be unacceptable if applications affecting listed buildings or conservation it would have a significant adverse impact areas. Design statements will be required with all on the character and appearance of the applications affecting listed buildings or conservation Conservation Area; areas. The statement should describe how the vi) The proposed use will not adversely affect the proposal will preserve or enhance the conservation character or appearance of the Conservation area or listed building. More information on Design Area.’ Statements is available in Council’s design and 1.4.6. The Unitary Development Plan is currently sustainability SPG’s. Consent will nto be granted for under review. A First Draft of the new plan has been any demolition or alterations with detail proposals placed on deposit. It is expected that the new plan for: will be adopted late in 2004.