Hull Development Framework
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HDF Hull Development Framework Hull Character Study (Phase 1) Draft March 2010 HULL CHARACTER STUDY 1. Introduction • Urban Characterisation • Characterisation in Hull • Methodology • Consultation 2. Landscape Setting of Hull • Geology, Soil and Topography • Rivers and Drainage • Land use • Vistas • Connections 3. Historic Evolution of Hull • Medieval and Pre-1800 • 19th and Early 20th Centuries (1800 – 1919) • Inter War Years (1919 – 1945) • Post War Years (1945 – 1980) • Post 1980s 4. Overall Character of Hull 5. Townscape Types and Character Areas 6. Townscape Types Assessment Sources Appendix 1: Participation and Informal Consultation Appendix 2: Informal Consultation – Comments Received 1. INTRODUCTION Urban Characterisation Historic landscape characterisation is an established technique, promoted by English Heritage, to assist with managing change to the environment. It is particularly useful in spatial planning and land management. The first projects were undertaken in largely rural areas but it is now being extended into urban areas. Characterisation produces a generalised understanding of how landscapes and places have evolved over time and how their historic character can be appreciated. It is concerned with the context and character of places rather than with individual sites and buildings. Characterisation therefore differs from conservation area appraisal, but is complementary to it. Every landscape and place has a historic character, largely determined by inherited features such as fields, hedges, streets, buildings and place names. Understanding this character is a starting point for deciding a place’s future, the first step in determining how places can be improved for the future. All regeneration and development is set within an inherited landscape and the most successful designs are those that recognise and capitalise on this. Characterisation takes place early in the planning and design process and provides a framework for early decisions. It opens up heritage and its management to varied and multiple viewpoints, personal as well as specialist, and is open to absorbing and responding to community views. It enables a place’s historical identity to contribute to everyone’s quality of life. Characterisation in Hull Like most towns and cities, Hull does not have a uniform character but is made up of distinct areas of different ages and building types. The purpose of the Hull Character Study is to identify, describe and analyse the combination of elements that help to form the character of different areas within the city. It aims to identify what is distinctive about local character areas and what makes them different from neighbouring areas, and to highlight the strengths and weaknesses that regeneration and development can build upon or redress. Although ‘character’ is primarily defined in terms of the built environment, it is important to recognise that it is largely the interplay of physical, economic and social factors that has given rise to the form of the built environment. Physical factors are explored in Chapter 2, and economic and social factors in Chapter 3. All factors are considered together in Chapter 4. The study will form part of the LDF evidence base and inform policies and SPDs in the LDF. The Character Study will be comprised of three sections, as follows: • firstly, a context section describing the landscape setting of Hull and the historic evolution of the city; this is followed by an analysis of the overall character of the city in terms of its built form; • secondly, a generic townscape assessment that identifies broad townscape types based on land use and age of development; and • thirdly, character area assessments that examine localities in more detail and at a citywide level, the identification of key views. The study is being carried out in two phases, with the first two sections – a largely desk-based exercise – presented here in draft form, and the third section – which involves extensive fieldwork – to follow later in the year. Methodology The methodology adopted is based upon that promoted by English Heritage and adapted for use in urban areas such as Oxford, Brighton & Hove and Plymouth. The first part of the context section is concerned with the landscape setting of Hull and includes features such as: geology, soil, topography – flat; rivers – Humber and Hull, and drains – Barmston and Holderness; land use – buildings, grassland, woods, fields; vistas – across the Humber and to the Wolds; and connections – the main approaches by road, railway and river. The second part of the context section is concerned with the historic evolution of Hull and covers the main phases of urban development and their characteristics, i.e: Medieval and Pre-1800; 1800-1919 (19th and early 20th century); 1919-1945 (interwar); 1945-1980 (postwar); and Post-1980. The generic townscape assessment identifies broad townscape types based on land use and the age of development. The characteristics of each type are described and local character areas within each type are identified. The locations of the townscape types are shown on a map. 19 townscape types have been identified and 58 character areas, The final part of the study, which has yet to be carried out, will be a detailed assessment of the local character areas and citywide, the identification of important views. Consultation This first phase of the study has been subject to participation and informal consultation. This took place during 2009 and included: • workshop sessions with CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment); • discussion at the HDF (Hull Development Framework) Forum; • events with Arc (Architecture Centre for Hull and the Humber Region); and • informal consultation with relevant organisations Changes were made to the process and document as a result of participation and informal consultation, while other comments will be taken into account for the second phase of the study. Details of participation and informal consultation are contained in Appendix 1 and comments received during informal consultation are in Appendix 2. 2. Landscape setting of Hull Geology, soil and topography Kingston upon Hull lies near England’s east coast on relatively flat lowland, where the River Hull meets the northern bank of the Humber Estuary, approximately 20 miles from the North Sea. It is built on alluvial and glacial deposits which overlie chalk rocks, this chalk bedrock is overlain by tills composed of loam, clays, sands and gravels. It is generally very flat, only 2 to 4 metres above sea level with some areas of the city lying on reclaimed land at or below sea level. The predominant soil type is seasonally wet deep clay, which typically has a low permeability, which means that rainfall runs off the surface rather than infiltrates into the soil. Rivers and drainage Lying at the juncture of the Humber Estuary and the River Hull both rivers have had, and continue to have, a unique influence on the city. The River Hull (left) has its source in the Yorkshire Wolds and joins the Humber Estuary in the centre of Hull. The current course of the river was originally just a tributary of the main river which came out further to the west along what is now Commercial Road. It was not until the floods of 1250 that the course of the river changed to where it is today. It receives salt water from the Humber Estuary and so is therefore brackish (a mixture of sea water and fresh water) throughout its length, yet it is still very important for wildlife. Numerous bird species are known to breed along the river including the reed and sedge warbler. The Humber Estuary (right) makes up over 4% of the total area of Hull and has the largest catchment of any estuary in the British Isles and drains one-fifth of the land area of England. The Humber starts at the juncture of the River Ouse and the River Trent where it is approximately 1 mile wide. It increases its width until at its mouth, 37 miles to the east, it is about 8 miles wide between North Lincolnshire and Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. The waters of this tidal estuary are heavily laden with sediment which mainly comes from the eroding boulder clay of the Holderness coast and gives it its distinctive brown appearance. The water (despite its appearance) and associated habitats, including saltmarsh and reedbeds are particularly important. The estuary itself is home to many species including grey seals and lamprey and provides important nurseries for North Sea fish populations such as codling. Over one third of the estuary is exposed as mud or sandflats at low tide. These intertidal flats are of national and international importance for wildlife and support many species such as wading birds from both Britain and Europe, including Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover. Open drains have long been a feature of Hull, as the city was built upon marshland and relies on its many drains to keep the land dry. The major surviving open land drains are Beverley and Barmston Drain (constructed in 1809) in the west of the city and Holderness Drain in the east. The Beverley and Barmston Drain outfalls to the River Hull approximately 1.5km upstream of the Humber while Holderness Drain (above) discharges into the Humber. Both the major and minor land drains provide important natural habitats for birds (Kingfishers are regularly seen) and support an interesting variety of wild plants including arrowhead, meadowsweet and skullcap. These bankside areas also provide a home for animals including harvest mice and water shrews. Land use Hull is the largest settlement in East Yorkshire, it is not part of a greater conurbation, is largely self- contained and independent from the agricultural East Riding. The land use of the city is mainly urban and developed, nearly 80% of Hull can be classed as ‘built environment’ (man-made structures) (right). Underused industrial land, demolition sites and land awaiting development is a common form of open land in the city.