Little Heath Conservation Area Enhancement Scheme
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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.