Heritage Statement Barton Bridges Green Links Project
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Heritage Statement Barton Bridges Green Links Project April 2021 Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. The Heritage Assets 4 3. The Application Site and the Surrounding Area 6 4. Assessment of Significance 25 5. Impact Assessment 44 6. Summary and Conclusions 60 Appendix 1: Heritage Legislation, Planning Policy and Guidance 63 Appendix 2: Barton-upon-Irwell Conservation Area Boundary 75 Appendix 3: Entry for Bridgewater Canal’s Barton Aqueduct Scheduled Monument 77 Appendix 4: Site Photographs (Nov 20) 81 Appendix 5: Historic Maps 95 Appendix 6: Historic Photographs 103 Appendix 7: 1990 Plan of Upper Pocket Park 130 Our reference PEEH3010 April 2021 1. Introduction 1.1 This Heritage Statement (the ‘Statement’) has been prepared by Turley Heritage in support of a full planning application and associated application for listed building consent for reinstatement of an elevated towpath and construction of new supporting ramps (the ‘Proposed Development’) at the Barton Aqueduct (the ‘Application Site’). 1.2 The description of development for both application(s) are as follows: “Cross Boundary Application between Salford City Council and Trafford Council to provide a foot / cycle link across Barton Swing Bridge Aqueduct. Salford City Council: provision of an access ramp with gate, reinstatement of elevated foot / cycle link attached to, and repairs / maintenance to, the Barton Swing Bridge Aqueduct, erection of new foot / cycle bridge over Barton Lane, the reinstatement of foot / cycle path across Upper Pocket Park, tree removal, and landscaping works (soft and hard). Surface and access improvements to existing and new sections of the towpath, reprofiling levels, other landscaping improvements, and associated pedestrian and cycling improvements / signing and lighting works. Together with enabling works. Trafford Council: provision of an access ramp with gate, reinstatement of elevated foot / cycle link attached to, and repairs / maintenance to, the Barton Swing Bridge Aqueduct. The demolition of no. 1a and 2a Chapel Place, and metal gazebo structure. Surface and access improvements to existing and new sections of the towpath, landscaping works (soft and hard), including tree removals, and other landscaping improvements, retention and formalisation of existing operational parking spaces, and associated pedestrian and cycling improvements / signing and lighting works. Together with enabling works.” “Listed building consent for the re-instatement of a canal towpath to the Barton Swing Aqueduct and associated fixings together with other supporting works.” 1.3 The Application Site includes the Grade II* Listed Barton Swing Aqueduct and Control Tower and is located within the Barton-upon-Irwell Conservation Area which is covered by two Local Planning Authorities; Salford City Council and Trafford Council. 1.4 The Application Site also includes the Bridgewater Canal’s Barton Aqueduct Embankment and Retaining Wall Scheduled Monument. An application for scheduled monument consent has been submitted separately to Historic England in relation to direct works to the monument, required as part of the Proposed Development. 1.5 The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 places a duty upon the Local Planning Authority in considering whether to grant full planning permission and/or listed building consent to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.1 The Act also requires, with respect to any buildings or land in a 1 S16 and S66(1) Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 1 conservation area, that special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area.2 1.6 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) provides the Government’s national planning policy on the conservation of the historic environment. In respect of information requirements for applications, Paragraph 189 of the NPPF states the following: “In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’ importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance.”3 1.7 The Statement is structured as follows: • Section 2 of the report identifies relevant designations within and proximate to the Application Site. • Section 3 provides an overview of the Application Site and its history and development. • Section 4 proportionately assesses the significance of designated heritage assets within and proximate to the Application Site. • Section 5 provides an assessment of the impact of the Proposed Development on the significance of the identified designated heritage assets, in light of the statutory duties of the 1990 Act, national policy set out in the NPPF, and local planning policy for the historic environment (set out in detail at Appendix 1). 1.8 The Statement has been prepared using published information and has been informed by proportionate archival research from Peel Archives, the Bridgewater Canal Company Archives, Chetham’s Library, Salford Archives, Trafford Archives, together with on-site visual survey undertaken in September 2019 and November 2020. A search of the Greater Manchester Historic Environment Record (HER) has been undertaken. 1.9 A number of sources have been consulted in preparing this Statement, including but not limited to: • Aldred, John (2011) The Duke of Bridgewater – His Canal. The Bridgewater Canal 250th Anniversary • Atkinson, Glen (2002) Barton’s Bridges • Ashmore, Owen (1969) Industrial Archaeology of Lancashire • Cossons, Neil (1993) The BP Book of Industrial Archaeology 2 S72(1) Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 3 MHCLG (2019) The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2 • De Mare, Eric (1965) The Canals of England • Dunlop, R (1929) ‘The Raising of Barton Swing-Aqueduct and the Renewal of Paths and Rollers’, The Institute of Civil Engineers, Selected Engineering Papers, No. 67 • Fletcher, John (1992) The History and Operation of Barton Swing Aqueduct • Historic England (2017) Canal and River Navigations National Overview: An appraisal of the heritage and archaeology England’s present and former inland navigable waterways • Jones, William (2006) Dictionary of Industrial Archaeology • Leader Williams, E (1907) History of the Manchester Ship Canal from its inception to completion Vols. 1 and 2 • Leech, Bosdin (1907) History of the Manchester Ship Canal • Nevell, Michael (1997) The Archaeology of Trafford • Owen, David (1977) Canals to Manchester • Owen, David (1983) The Manchester Ship Canal • Owens, Victoria (2015) James Brindley and the Duke of Bridgewater. Canal Visionaries • Pevsner, N et al (2004) The Buildings of England, Lancashire: Manchester and the South East • University of Salford Applied Archaeology (2011) Bridgewater 250: The Archaeology of the World’s First Industrial Canal • Yorke, Stan (2017) England’s Living History: English Canals Explained 1.10 The report has also been produced in accordance with guidance set out in Good Practice Advice Note 3: The Setting of Heritage Assets, produced by Historic England (Second Edition) (2017) and Good Practice Advice on ‘Managing Significance in Decision-Taking in the Historic Environment’4. 4 Historic England (2015) Advice Note 2: Managing Significance in Decision-Taking in the Historic Environment. 3 2. The Heritage Assets 2.1 The NPPF (2019) defines a heritage asset as: “A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest.”5 Designated Heritage Assets 2.2 Designated heritage assets are those which possess a level of heritage interest that justifies designation under relevant legislation and are then subject to particular procedures in planning decisions that involve them. Listed Buildings 2.3 The Application Site includes the Barton Bridge, Barton Aqueduct and Control Tower which were included on the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest at Grade II* on 30 June 1987 and updated on 17 May 1988. The accompanying combined list entry descriptions states the following: “Barton Bridge, Barton Aqueduct and Control Tower. That part in Urmston - G.V. II Swing road bridge, swing canal aqueduct and centrally placed control tower. c.1894. Sir Leader Williams engineer. Wrought iron; brick tower. Both the bridge and aqueduct revolve on a central axis to allow the passage of ships. The aqueduct takes the form of a boxed lattice girder with a cranked upper member and the channel, which remains full of water when turning, at the bottom. The road bridge has bow-string lattice girders to either side of the roadway. Fabricated by A. Handyside and Co. Ltd. Tall 2 x 2- bay, 4-storey central tower with pyramid roof and external staircase. The aqueduct was built to replace Brindley's famous aqueduct of c.1760 and is in itself a considerable feat of engineering.” 2.4 The Application Site is also proximate to other listed buildings including: Listed Building Grade Date of Designation Barton Lane Aqueduct Portal (Salford) ll 27 May 2020 Church of All Saints (Trafford) I 09 May 1978 All Saints Presbytery (Trafford) II 30 June 1987 Conservation Areas 2.5 The Application Site