LITTLE HEATH CONSERVATION AREA ENHANCEMENT SCHEME
ADOPTED 9.12.1998
INTRODUCTION
1. PROPOSALS FOR HEATHGATE 2. TRAFFIC 3. SURFACE MATERIALS 4. FENCES, POSTS, WALLS, RAILINGS & BORDERS 5. SIGNS 6. LAMPPOSTS 7. HARD STANDINGS FOR CARS AND FRONT GARDENS 8. SHOPFRONTS 9. FORECOURTS 10. PUBLIC CONVENIENCES 11. PLANTING & LANDSCAPING 12. POND
ENHANCEMENT PROPOSALS FOR LITTLE HEATH CONSERVATION AREA
Introduction
Little Heath Conservation Area was designated in October 1991 in recognition of the group value of the buildings and their layout in relation to the 14th Century village green which stood in this position. The pattern of roads and the open green that we see today follow the original settlement pattern evidenced in maps from that period.
Conservation Areas are selected for a number of reasons and in the case of Little Heath its designation recognised the combination of the open space of the central green and the collection of houses that nestle around forming a hamlet – the whole relating to the original road pattern. The Conservation Area extends a short distance along Barley Lane beyond the Green and this is included in this enhancement scheme.
The village green lost its pond in 1909 which is regrettable given the importance of such a feature to village life. The pond would not be a feature of decorative function only but would have performed several functions common to village life. One of which might have been to wet the wheels of carriages heated by the journey on their way into London. Or it might have stocked fish for the villagers or been a drinking pond for cattle.
The first impressions of features which contribute to the character of this Conservation Area appear to be incidental.
What remains in Little Heath is a pattern of dwellings of consistent scale and although they derive from a broad range of architectural styles they form an electric group that fits together with an overall settled feel. There are some modern houses on Chadwell Heath Lane which are not in the Conservation Area but face onto it – these too are appropriate in scale and blend well with the rest. This successful grouping could be attributed to coincidence but in fact is largely due to the attributed to coincidence but in fact is largely due to the overlaying of new buildings upon an existing pattern which retain appropriate density and size.
It is this combination that makes a Conservation Area special. First of all the buildings are in context – there is no single building which goes against the layout pattern, and secondly the style of the buildings surrounding the Green conforms to a common domestic theme typified by the size, scale, details and materials of the facades – resulting in regularity without duplication.
An analysis of the spaces created around the Green reveals that this mixture of old and new works successfully because of the positioning of the houses back from the road at an identical distance and the areas between houses are closely similar in size.
Therefore it is almost irrelevant to the group what style of building sits within the module as the module itself is a strong framework holding the group together.
There are several other factors assisting this: the fact that alterations which have taken place already do not detract from the whole – any exceptions to this are discussed later. Also the apparent absence of desire to make any significant changes to houses, although minor alterations can have a detrimental effect and this is also discussed later. There does appear to be a collective respect by property owners and managers for their surroundings in general.
With this positive approach the Conservation Area is safeguarded to some extent.
However there are threats to this composure and the purpose of the enhancement scheme for Little Heath Conservation Area is to enhance the features which contribute to the character of the area and to offer constructive criticism which it is hoped will improve features that go against it.
No specific resources are set aside for Conservation Area enhancement schemes. However, the scheme when adopted is a guide which can be used to improve the area when changes are made by private owners or by the Council, For example in the renewal of street furniture or paving.
Some funding may become available from time to time in partnership arrangements.
1. PROPOSALS FOR HEATHGATE OLD PEOPLES HOME
The inclusion of this redundant building in 1991 was tactical so that the future of the site would be protected from inappropriate development when the site became the subject of a planning application.
The building was demolished in 1997.
This is the most significant potential development site in this Conservation Area for a number of years. Here is the opportunity to create a building which would have contributed to the Conservation Area in a positive way.
A planning permission was granted in April 1998 to replace the old peoples home by a new home for the elderly. The scheme approved was of necessity designed before this enhancement scheme was prepared, so it is a recognition of its fundamental appropriateness that it anticipates these proposals in many ways. Further refinement in progressing the scheme are always possible.
Consultation for new significant buildings in a Conservation Area would benefit from a strategy such as the one described below.
The first and most important point is that that the new building should make a positive difference to the area. The idea of a building being “right” for an area is not abstract but can relate to a number of definite standards against which the building could be judged.
Context
Any new building and in particular a building of size or, a large number of small buildings should contribute to the group value of the Conservation Area and never dominate it.
A building facing the Green in a manner that maintains the rhythm of street module would be appropriate.
A glance at a site map of the Conservation Area reveals lines coming away from the Green representing the boundary fences of each property. Rather like fringes edging a triangular shaped green rug. This pattern should be easily incorporated into a new building by the use of modelling of the façade in an indentical module.
Once the pattern is established as a fringe along the top edge of “the green rug” then the building can be planned at a domestic scale that repeats the number of modules necessary to achieve the accommodation requirements.
Style
The style here is simple, domestic and generally two storey. The ages of the buildings range from two hundred years to brand new and yet they mix together reasonably well. Although some of the houses have been individualised nothing appears to “jar” the eye.
The architectural style of a new proposal should make as many references as possible to the neighbourhood. This does not mean that any particular architectural style would be correct for the site but it ought to be appropriate.
Materials
The form of domestic architecture found around the Green is very traditional and simple; and has grown from the ease of construction that the choice of materials allow (and the trials and error of materials over history which give the houses the form that they have).
The rectilinear houses with pitch roofs correlate to the building blocks of the individual bricks, stones, slates and timbers used to build them. With these materials is a typology of architectural style. Although the periods when the buildings were constructed are different they are very similar in form.
The use of materials for a new building should ideally take the typology and use that as a starting point for the external appearance of the building.
Use
Because of the fenestration, positions of doors and short lengths of bays of walls of the existing houses the viewer has an expectation of the function and size of the room behind it.
For buildings or rooms which are not domestic but which are going to be integrated into a Conservation Area that is made up of houses, the ideal solution to prevent the rooms or buildings from dominating the Conservation Area is to place them behind the principal elevation.
It seems clear that the pattern on plan and the scale and appearance of houses around the rest of the Green should influence the appearance of any new building. Therefore large rooms in the proposed old peoples’ home – such as halls, meeting rooms and kitchens – which would have an effect on the external appearance of the building because of their bulk would require consideration. The suggestion here is that the larger rooms are placed at the rear of the development and the small bedsit rooms are placed on the front facing the green – the principal elevation.
Therefore although a building might consist of rooms that are larger – for example the kitchens and day rooms of an old peoples home, or require functions that do not usually form part of a house such as car parks and services areas these are better placed behind the “street façade” and more domestic heights appear on the front facing the Green.
Character
Thus the standard set by the houses forming the “hamlet around a village green” described earlier has strong features that could be considered as a characteristic that ought to be repeated in the proposal. The buildings are small semi-or detached houses with pitch roofs.
There are particular types of boundary walls or fences that appear to be repeated throughout the area. Similarly the buildings are almost exclusively domestic and traditional construction using simple materials and building techniques. The presence of grass and trees are also a very important ingredient.
It is the combination of the above that gives Little Heath Conservation Area the character that it has and therefore is the blue-print for new buildings within it.
The life of the proposed building is not known but is likely to be standing for thirty years before a replacement is due again; however the above design considerations are valid generally, and could contribute to any adjustments to the execution of the building should the opportunity occur.
Landscaping proposals are very important to this scheme and must relate to the Green and the tree lined verges elsewhere in the Conservation Area.
2. TRAFFIC
The Green is a triangle of open grassland that is the vestige of the village green which dates from at least the 14th century. It could be a focus for the group of houses which surround it, however the least attractive aspect of the space is the presence of heavy traffic flows especially on Barley Lane and this denies the enjoyment of the space.
What fails most in the Conservation Area is the psychological separation of the houses from the Green by the volume of traffic passing through the area. There has always been a road or track passing through the area. There has always been a road or track on the three sides of the triangle as evidenced in old maps but the present situation prevents easy access for people on to the Green and this has resulted in it being a dead space.
It would appear that the pressures of traffic bearing down on the area is getting worse all the time. Therefore it seems important to take the bold step to reverse and if possible minimise the traffic problem. This becomes two simple choices:
- take the cars away or reduce their numbers dramatically and the Green will be regenerated or - Allow cars to continue to dominate and dictate changes to it and the Green is nothing more than a roundabout, which potentially strips the area of its designation.
Due to the pressure of providing measures to prevent cars entering the space the openness of the Green is challenged. In other Conservation Areas other more subtle methods have been incorporated.
Old photographs of the Green of 1900 show the road and the grass blending into each other in a much less formal way. Although the pressures of modern traffic did not exist at that time, the idea behind the enhancement scheme is to pull the advancement of negative influences away from the Conservation Area in order to preserve its character.
In order to address the issue of traffic, there are short, medium and long term suggestions which are:-
Short - the Highways Sub-Committee proposals. Medium - refinements to the short term measures. Long - consideration of alternative routes for traffic thus removing the pressure of traffic completely in the Conservation Area.
Short Term
The Council has extensively considered the issue of traffic circulation around the Green and its junction with Barley Lane. The scheme shown on Appendix 2 was agreed in September 1997 with the provision of a traffic island on the junction of Barley Lane and Little Heath to be investigated further. It was also agreed to urge the Department of Transport once again to pursue an improvement of the Eastern Avenue/Barley Lane junction including surface pedestrian crossing facilities.
Medium Term
As an enhancement proposal the first item examines a modification of the bollards, looks at other materials that could be used as an alternative and discuses the advantages that would come about by narrowing the highway on two of the three sides of the triangle.
The bollards encircling the Green stand as sentinels against vehicles mounting the grass. Because of the sheer number of posts needed they have the unfortunate effect of creating a rigid visual as well as a physical barrier around the Green especially when viewed in sharp perspective.
The simplest suggestion is a modification of the existing timber bollards. The choice of materials supports sustainability and in many ways is appropriate to the rural area. However their function is singularly to prevent cars driving onto the Green and therefore it is suggested that they need not be as tall as their current height. In fact they could easily be half or even less in height as long as cars and caravans cannot enter The Green.
Visually this would reduce the impact of the bollards on the open aspect of the Green.
Another option is to replace the bollards, especially in the Barley Lane side of the triangle, by a double kerb. This is a relatively simple and unobstrusive device which uses two kerb stones one on top of the other to prevent wheels being able to mount the kerb.
One of the unfortunate consequences in normal circumstances of a suggestion of this nature crossing a road with a double kerb is that it is not easy for pedestrians or disabled people. For this situation a combination of high and low kerbs could be suggested so that an openness is maintained inviting people “over the road” to step onto the Green perhaps in the form of designated crossing points (also known as tables).
However accidents which have occurred in that particular section of Barley Lane would suggest that proposals of this nature would not work successfully in this situation. In fact pedestrians are encouraged to cross at the signalled crossing at the junction of Eastern Avenue for safety reasons.
On the remaining two sides of the triangle traffic is a less serious threat to the Green and perhaps a less “engineered” border between road and green could be established. For example some planting that spreads across the grass as a sort of low lying barrier is less formal than a post. Due regard would be given to the height of the planting and their proximity to the roadside so that motorists would be able to see children.
Another suggestion which occurs in rural areas performing exactly the same function but without rigid formality are large stones, these are randomly placed and often painted white. This method has the advantage of preventing the sentinel effect but might be considered to be too rural for this location.
In summary in order to prevent cars going onto the grass a combination of these installations could be placed in a manner that maintains the open feel by having alternate low posts, planting, stones and gaps thus keeping some visual continuation and keeping the overall impression rural yet still managing to hold off the cars without the current “spiky” border and to make the whole area significantly less formal.
Consideration could also be given also to restoring the Green to a more peaceful and traffic reduced area.
Making the two quieter sides of the triangle of roads one way would be a possible solution although traffic flows would need to be tested thoroughly.
In addition these two roads could be reduced to single lane, thus it becomes a traffic island – in name only – and the traffic that wishes to enter Chadwell Heath Lane has to enter via the northern side of the triangle of roads. Traffic that wishes to enter Barley Lane with a view to joining Eastern Avenue will do so from the so from the southern side.
The landscaping complementing this proposal is then of a softer and more rural nature – the Green is then allowed to spread into the reclaimed space once occupied by two- way traffic.
This option has been considered by the Acting Chief Highways Officer and the reduction in width of the carriageway is not considered practicable however there is an argument that the selection of subtle traffic calming measures would assist by reducing the speed of vehicles.
The two arms of the proposed one way system could also be designed so as to encourage very low speeds to re-emphasise that it is a Conservation Area.
The bus stop in Chadwell Heath Lane will be a pull-in or lay-by off the single lane.
However the choice of alternatives would be given due consideration in relation to safety and visibility for pedestrians.
Long Term
The long term more radical solution addresses the detrimental effect that cars have on the enjoyment and appreciation of the Conservation Area as a whole and argues that the use of installations described above does not resolve the problem but merely tames or moves it. In addition it is anticipated that the control of traffic will never be a static problem and is more likely to be an ever increasing one.
This discusses the removal of through traffic from the road in the Conservation Area altogether.
Although this is radical and may be difficult to achieve and expensive to execute it has been put forward as an option for consideration. With projected traffic usage likely to bring even more pressure into the Conservation Area the foresight that this option reveals might be worth noting.
To provide alternatives for traffic which avoids the Conservation Area completely leaving only local traffic would resolve many issues.
The way to achieve this would have many implications upon the area itself and upon the traffic system as a whole in the wider picture taking account of Eastern Avenue and traffic flows north and south of Little Heath and any changes in the nearby Hospital complex of Goodmayes and King George and the proposals for new houses on the Chadwell Heath Hospital site currently under consideration at the time of this report.
However this would have a number of potential benefits. First of all it might be worthwhile considering a more direct route to Eastern Avenue. Secondly, it would be possible to achieve the Council’s long standing aim of improving the effectiveness of the junction with Eastern Avenue without adverse effect on frontages. Thirdly, it could address problems of pedestrian access by reducing or eliminating pedestrian/vehicle conflict for those passing to the bus stops on Eastern Avenue. Fourthly, it might assist buses to circulate without getting involved in the queue for Eastern Avenue, and fifthly, it would remove the worst traffic from the Conservation Area.
Once the pressure of cars is removed from Little Heath a greater enjoyment of the open space is possible.
3. SURFACE MATERIALS
A significant improvement to the Conservation Area as a whole could be made by the alteration of the surfaces of the highway, pavements, drives and forecourts.
A road surface can inform the road user that they are in a special area. If the option to dramatically reduce the volume of traffic is unworkable then a re-examination of the present road surfaces will greatly improve the appearance of the Conservation Area.
There are two types of materials with two distinct characteristics proposed. Either a more urban approach to the appearance of the Conservation Area which basically face-lifts the surfaces and gives them a smarter appearance or the second approach move towards a country lane quality.
The first treatment could be granite sets – the most appropriate type could be the textured granite which is both durable and has a very high skidding resistance. The distinction between that and the usual tarmac surface sets apart the Conservation Area by acting as a marker telling the road user that the area is different and special.
The suggestions for the roadway previously described where the width of the road is reduced would mean that a more expensive surface material would be more viable in cost terms since in theory the road surface area will be reduced by fifty percent.
Where traffic volumes and speeds are high, granite sets can present a problem due to wear and loss of skid resistance. For example, at junctions braking exacerbates the problem.
The choice of type of granite setts would be made in relation to the traffic volume and would be appropriate to that. In addition, the granite sets would be confined to local areas or strips in combination with other materials.
A change in material is a marker for the road user entering the area that they are in a different place. Widely spaced granite sets will have a different effect on the wheels of a vehicle and this in itself could influence a speed reduction. It would be important to consider areas where wheelchair users or people with pushchairs were able to cross the road with ease – a smoother section of granite would be more appropriate in that instance and could be designed into a face-lift scheme.
The largest expanse of black tarmac appears on the newly formed Strouds Close, this give the impression of a bland environment and also no distinction exists between the road surface and the pavement.
The pavement itself in all parts of the Conservation Area could be given a face-lift also. One of the most attractive methods would be the use of flagstones. These could be reclaimed ones or if this was not possible the use of textured concrete to look like weathered traditional paving is a valid alternative.
However to enhance and protect the character of the Conservation Area a more radical approach has been suggested above. This single factor releases many opportunities to regenerate the Green.
Gravelled drives and informal paths would be an attractive antidote to tarmac which is the ubiquitous surface material. There are products available that are a practical method of gaining a gravelled drive with aggregates embedded in a binder. They give the appearance of a gravel drive without the problem of loose chippings. The road making process is the same as Tarmac essentially but the finished top layer has fine gravel rolled in.
This type of surface material would be appropriate if the traffic was considerably reduced. Otherwise the surface is not practical for high and sustained traffic volumes. It can have the effect of traffic calming in its own right. This would be the second option.
The two basic general ideas behind these suggestions is to try to depart from the usual highway surface treatments and to form a small drive around the village green. In general if car usage is reduced the area once more becomes a focus for the residents who live around it.
In tandem with the country lane appearance of the roads it is proposed that the paths are altered to become informal gravel paths in a similar fashion. As part of the appearance of the paths it is anticipated that grass verges are encouraged to line the pathways.
The selection of surface materials appropriate to a Conservation Area is likely to be more costly than the standard approach. Against this approach a change from the usual flexible surfacing to setts and flagged paving or gravelled aggregate would require careful consideration as many of these suggestions would require the reconstruction of the road, rather than re-surfacing. These proposals would also be more expensive to purchase and would be more expensive to maintain.
4. FENCES, POSTS, WALLS, RAILINGS AND BORDERS
The selection of appropriate boundaries for properties in a Conservation Area is of great importance. Consideration must be given to materials, height, colour and position in the landscape. An overall analysis of fences, posts and other devices in Little Heath reveals a pattern which can be taken as the characteristic of the area.
There are low walls mostly in brick to an average height of 450mm, a few picket fences painted white, some fine metal railings painted white and vertical soft wood boarding approximately 700mm high in a creosote or varnish finish and on the front of some properties no physical barrier at all right up the walls other than a grass verge or hardstanding.
The cumulative effect of this is an open environment where any boundaries have a low profile as a general precedent.
The overall character of the Green is unrestricted in aspect because the fences and walls of the houses are consistently low. Small walls and fences give enough visual and physical separation to distinguish private from public space.
This pattern has broken down in a few areas, the first and most dominant place is along sections of the new housing development on Barley Lane. Here part of the boundary walls are high railings and tall brick piers. This type of treatment does not appear anywhere else in the area within the semi-rural ambiance of Little Heath.
Since it is the railings which act as the physical boundary to the property a suggestion to allow the boundary to be more in keeping with the others in the area is to remove or to reduce the height of the brick piers and to have a simple line of railings. Or perhaps a dwarf wall supporting railings as found on Little Heath.
Further along this boundary line the walls are executed in sections of solid brick. This might be due to the desire to create privacy in the garden behind, however this could have been done in a much less hostile manner. The best option to create a private area is by the use of hedgerows, which act as a screen behind a low wall as described above.
In addition timber screen fencing should not exceed 750mm. In the few areas where privacy is required a privet hedge might replace the hard and hostile frontier of a high brick wall or tall screen fence; there is even an option to put a hedge or climbing plants behind a low traditional timber fence. Once hedges are established the fencing could be removed.
Where privacy is to be maintained consideration should be given by the owner to the visual impact that a very tall straight wall has upon the area as a whole where there are no other walls of this type. The best approach would seem to be to plant a small border in front which can soften the overall impact.
There are also a few situations dotted around the Conservation Area where there are gaps in the low fences which could be reinstated. This is purely a maintenance issue. Owners are encouraged to upkeep their fences as they can effect the overall appearance of the Conservation Area. Smart fences give the space a positive ambiance.
5. SIGNS
The visual impact of essential signs for traffic presents a challenge in a Conservation Area. The overall desire is to position the signs carefully to have minimum impact on the character of the space, and to rationalise the signs where they are essential so that the posts and markers take up little space. One of the best ways to make signage efficient is to use the same supports for several signs. For example the supports for roadsigns need not be posts performing only one single function but could be part of a decluttering exercise using lamp posts also.
The same principle could apply equally well to bus stops and shelters. The current arrangement on Chadwell Heath Lane illustrates the point. This bus stop has a post for the bus stop ign, a shelter for protection from the rain and a litter bin nearby. With forethought and a decluttering exercise the composition of parts which make up the items of a bus stop could be gathered up into one piece of street furniture. The suggestion about combining the stop flat and shelter has been put to L.T. Adshel but at present that company wishes the separate facilities.
Road name signs have also been placed in the streetscape carelessly. For example the new road name sign “Strouds Close” stands on two short posts. This sign could just have easily been attached to the railings (with the resident’s approval) immediately behind thus removing an obstruction on the pavement.
There may be an opportunity to include a signs which inform the visitor that they have entered a Conservation Area. These could be placed on the three main approach roads to the area and designed for Redbridge as part of a series for all of the Conservation Areas. Any additional signs other than statutory ones would have to be carefully considered so as not to add to the amount of signs overall and to contribute to the street clutter.
6. LAMPPOSTS
Ideally within the boundary of a Conservation Area more distinct street lamps could be installed – for example the heritage style which replicates the street lanterns of Victorian England. However these can look rather theatrical and somewhat false in some instances as would probably be the case in Little Heath, but there are attractive ranges of street lamps which are distillations of the original cast iron decorative lamps that retain just enough of the historic features to indicate one has entered a different space.
The overall goal in the use of street furniture in a Conservation Area is consistency, efficiency and suitability. Sometimes this can be as simple as painting the lamps, bins and bollards the same colour to create a matching suite. Or at the other end of the scale the street furniture is selected from a range offered by a manufacturer.
7. HARD STANDINGS FOR CARS AND FRONT GARDENS
The use of the front garden for the parking of cars is very common place in all areas. There is no easy solution to reduce the impact that these have on the Conservation Area. Generally people will reserve the right to place their cars where they wish.
However continuing the design ethos described for the highway and pavement areas there is an opportunity to soften this impact by i) reducing the width of the hardstanding to the minimum that is required for a car to stand and reinstatement of a front garden as much as practically possible ii) the use of surface materials that are more interesting in texture, and which have a more attractive colour than tarmac and iii) the reinstatement of low gates to the property.
i) Many of the hard standings are indistinguishable from the road and are often much larger than they need to be for a car to park. The front gardens have lost their appeal in many circumstances because they have been covered completely with tarmac. It would be a very attractive face-lift to the area if some planting beds and areas of green could be reinstated alongside the hard standings in the front gardens.
ii) As examples of materials appropriate to the gardens small bays of traditional brick paviours, the use of flagstones or granite sets or perhaps even a simple narrow line of stepping stones corresponding to the width of the wheels would add interest to the surface and be part of a landscaped garden with paths and plants incorporated into the whole.
iii) The domain between public and private space is ill defined because many of the low gates leading from the drives to each house have been lost. These are not visually obstructive, however they do give a sense of enclosure to the garden. The gates should never be wider than a little more than half a car width and ideally be made from materials such as timber or wrought iron and be no higher than the low walls or fences adjacent to them.
8. SHOPFRONTS
The few shops within the Conservation Area are not purpose built but rather extensions of houses with shopfronts applied to them. The most successful improvement which could be made to the shopfronts is to follow the precedents set by traditional shopfront design and use the elements which are common to this.
For period properties the shopfront ought to be designed appropriate to the age of the building and follow the elements of traditional shopfront design.
The shops on Barley Lane are lacking in the character appropriate to a conservation area. Off-the-peg shopfronts executed in aluminium can be unattractive. There are many reasons why new shopfronts of this type do not work. Their appearance could be remedied by following a few simple principals in shopfront design.
The use of floor to ceiling windows contradicts the traditional arrangements of window display because the window is required to be both display and shop-floor. They easily become cluttered with posters, stickers and boxes because the two functions are difficult to coexist. The traditional solution would have a window area used exclusively for display and a stallriser.
A stallriser is a low wall fronting a shop below window level. It was the place for the stall boards displaying goods historically rather like the market stalls of today. The element works in a modern context because it forms the base of the shopfront window, a solid barrier against ram raiding, and places goods in the window at a comfortable level for display. It also makes a transition zone between the inside and the outside of a shop.
The inclusion of stallrisers at the base of the shopfront gives it strength and the use of a door lobby set back from the front line of the window will immediately change the appearance of the shop in a positive way and increase display space for goods.
Fascia signs are often far too deep and dominate the shopfront – a rule of thumb should be the depth of the fascia should be one tenth the overall height of a shopfront.
The use of traditional building materials is also more appropriate for a Conservation Area. Simple timber supports and panels with some modelling achieved by moulded timber will greatly improve the appearance of the shopfront.
Traditional colours for the signage and the ground colours for the structure of the shopfront also assist enhancement. A well painted fascia sign and stallriser can make a very attractive shopfront in the appropriate setting.
9. FORECOURTS
Freestanding signs often clutter the pavement and shop forecourt. The usual allowance for forecourt signs is that the total area of the sign must not exceed 4.5 square metres. This can be made up of a series of small freestanding signs but the front and back face of any sign have to be taken into consideration.
Greater control can be exercised over some signs by proposing an “Area of Special Advertisement Control”. Although this would not limit the total area of forecourt sign which would be available, it would restrict the height of character or symbols thereon.
However, at the time when the current Area of Special Advertisement Control was proposed, objections were made to the inclusion of those Conservation Areas which included town centres and commercial premises in Redbridge; there were subsequently excluded from the Area eventually approved (area approved is Green Belt only).
A more practical solution may therefore be to persuade shopkeepers that the impact of too many signs has a detrimental effect on the Conservation Area by talking to them about the enhancement scheme.
Surface treatments for the forecourts are often neglected areas too, but the use of flagstones are a simple way to face-lift the area, rather than the more usual approach of using tarmac.
There is also an opportunity for planters to put life into the forecourt and to extend the green character of the Conservation Area. As described in the section for front gardens the area can be lifted by a simple exercise in smartening up surface materials and decluttering (for example the neat placing of bins, boards and other items). Flower boxes over the fascia signs are also a pleasant addition to the buildings.
10. PUBLIC CONVENIENCES AT EDGE OF CONSERVATION AREA
The public conveniences on Barley Lane have an unwelcoming and unkempt appearance. At present the building is closed and there are plans to dispose of the building. Of course at present the building itself does not enhance the Conservation Area.
If the building is to remain and be reinstated as public conveniences in the future then the following suggestion could be considered.
The easiest solution to improve the appearance of the building and which has been used to great effect in other parts of the country in “one-off” situations is called “bungalow eating”. The idea is to reface the existing building and to provide sufficient architectural details to create a building of a much more rural and attractive appearance.
This could be applied equally well to the electricity sub station next door.
The old photographs of the Green give a good reference point for the new exterior treatment of the building. In these photos there were horizontal timber facings to farm buildings known as weatherboarding.
Many buildings have weatherboard facades in the Essex area – therefore taking the existing face of the building and creating a pseudo timber barn or farm outbuilding around it will deny the humble function within be an appropriate design reference to disguise it.
If however the building is to be demolished then the criteria for the choice of a new replacement should be the same as the observations made for Heathgate. A suitable use of the building must be found also. It could be a small commercial premises such as an office or shop but the use would need to be carefully considered in relation to traffic in the area.
11. PLANTING AND LANDSCAPE
There are several places where the landscape of the area would benefit from more planting and trees, these have been identified in groups of similar shared features.
The Green
There is a sweep of new trees which follow the three sides of the triangle of the Green and this is greatly applauded. A further enhancement proposal to hold back the traffic is to create gentle earth mounds with planting as a soft border to Barley Lane. This would create a slight enclosure and a sense of protection against the busy road.
A careful selection of dense shrubbery within these mound forms will also frame the Green. The mounds will not be continuous or closely spaced but rather form a gentle break between the road and the grass affording some visual links with the road but allowing safety for people crossing it.
Bland Frontages
Wherever possible it would greatly improve the area if the front gardens could be wholly or partly reinstated to add to the green appearance of the Conservation Area and the pattern of gardens seen in plan form. This includes the frontage of the public house and the area in front of the proposed old peoples’ home.
The most regrettable lack of vegetation occurs in front of the Haw Bush Public House and the strip of grass in front of the houses on Chadwell Heath Lane (numbers 320 to 370). These open strips have the effect of making the space bare compared to the leafy lined verges along the other sides. They prevent the area having a containment and backdrop behind the open grass of The Green and denies the inclusion of those building behind them being part of the overall tree lined appearance of the rest.
A simple line of trees framing the boundary of the Green on the strips of land on the side opposite the Green would resolve this.
Further, the hard landscape in front of the Haw Bush public house is bland and unwelcoming. Possible due to the influence of traffic flows in front of it which would make the front area less attractive to people wishing to sit outside the forecourt has become a car park.
This has made a “catch 22” situation – if the traffic was reduced the forecourt might become a more pleasant space and the idea of a seating area in front of the house would become feasible. This situation can be easily traced back to the damaging effect traffic can have on the life of an area. At present there is no desire to spend time in the vulnerable landscape created by a busy road junction.
A simple front grassed area to the public house is a welcoming feature and creates a continuation of the Green into the surrounding strips of land in front of properties. An increase in vegetation generally will extend the fringes of the Green and reduces the boundaries of hard landscaping on one side of the road and soft landscaping of the Green on the other.
The best examples of this are to be seen in front of the houses on Little Heath. This should be used as a precedent for the other three sides of the triangle. Where these cannot be achieved on the street itself the front gardens could be the suitable location.
Heathgate site
There are some protected trees behind the boundary of the proposed Heathgate site – to enhance the scheme further it might be an opportunity to create an open strip of grass land behind them in front of the building which continues the theme of the landscaping described above. In detail this would take the form of a large grass verge open in nature with trees planted along the edge. This would have the very possible effect of extending the Green into the edges on the other side of the road thus continuing the openness to spaces beyond the defind triangle of the Green itself.
New Gardens
The new housing estate which replaces the buildings yard and former works have no new trees along the boundary with the road. This is regrettable and breaks the rhythm of the verges and trees which surround other parts of the Conservation Area. This could be easily remedied by encouraging the new house owners to plant trees in their front gardens.
Filling in gaps in street trees
Opposite the new estate is a row of workers cottages on the bend of Barley Lane. A new line of street trees would considerably improve the hard appearance of the road at this point and would complement the architecture well.
Where there is insufficient space for street trees then an overall street narrowing with consequent pavement widening could be considered. Improvements such as the provision of trees therefore is never seen as exclusive but are considered on their merits in relation to the existing condition and part of the whole picture for general enhancement. It is hoped that when proposals require other adjustments to the street this will not prevent their provision.
Similarly it is proposed that new trees are planted along the frontages of Chadwell Heath Lane. The idea behind these proposals is to achieve a level of tree lined roads as attractive as those on Little Heath with prudent planting.
It is anticipated that any tree planting proposed should be with indigenous species.
Many of the suggestions to improve the forecourt and front gardens are high maintenance elements and this may count against them, however there does seem to be evidence that a face-lift to an area can act as a catalyst generating a collective desire to keep the neighbourhood attractive.
12. POND
The most attractive addition to the Green itself would be the reinstatement of the village pond. This would return the central focus that the village pond once had in the open grassland and would be a pleasant place to sit for residents and visitors to the area.
Similar ponds exist in other Conservation Areas in the Borough the most rotable one in terms desired appearance is the pond at Woodford Bridge. The landscaping could include appropriate planting for a village pond such as willows and bulrushes.
Since the pond was in existence almost a century ago the environmental conditions have changed considerably, most especially due to traffic and use of the green by students crossing to Redbridge College. However, it is still considered that the reinstatement of the pond would be a pleasant enhancement and focus to the area, especially with appropriate design and planting.