Heritage Statement ______

Land near Lant Street, London Borough of Southwark

November 2020 | Project Ref 4755A

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Project Number: 4755

Authored by: Adrian Parry & Chris Griffiths

Date: November 2020

Document version M:\HC\Projects\Projects 4501-5000\Projects 4701-4800/4755 - Land Near Lant Street, Southwark\4755A\Reports\2020.11.17 - Land near Lant Street Southwark Heritage Assessment.docx

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Contents

1. Introduction ...... 5 2. Relevant Heritage Policy & Guidance ...... 10 3. The Significance of the Heritage Assets ...... 17 4. Effects on Heritage Significance ...... 29 5. Conclusion ...... 33

Figures

Fig. 1 Site location plan

Fig. 2 The Liberty of Mint Conservation Area

Fig. 3 Heritage Assets in the vicinity of the application site

Fig. 4 View along Lant Street from the west towards Sanctuary St

Fig. 5 View looking west along Lant St from the Gladstone Arms

Fig. 6 1914 OS map extract

Fig. 7 Aerial view of the application site

Fig. 8 View of Weller Street from Trundle Street

Fig. 9 View of Weller Street and Lant Street

Fig. 10 View looking north towards Sanctuary Street

Fig. 11 View of the Douglas Buildings from the rear

Fig. 12 Sectional elevation of the Proposed Development

Fig. 13 View looking south from the conservation area

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Fig. 14 1906 photograph of the chapel

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1. Introduction

1.1 This heritage statement has been prepared for Damgate Freeholds Limited by Heritage Collective. It relates to the proposed addition of an extra storey on two modern residential blocks (Blocks A and B) centred upon Lant Street in the London Borough of Southwark (Figure 1 – hereafter referred to as the ‘Site’). The easternmost block is situated on the corner of Lant Street and Sanctuary Street, the central block occupies a recessed position on Lant Street and the westernmost block fronts onto Weller Street. The buildings, which are set within courtyard spaces are accessed from Gaitskell Way on Weller Street and Isaac Way on Sanctuary Street. The development will provide a total of 9 additional residential units comprising 4 no. 2 bedroom, 4 no. 3 bedroom and 1 no. 4 bedroom flats.

Block C Block B

Block A

Figure 1: Map extract showing the application Site boundary in red, and the three individual residential blocks shaded pink.

1.2 The three residential blocks in question have no intrinsic heritage interest but are located at the centre of the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area, a heritage asset

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designated by Southwark Borough Council in December 2015 (Figure 2). A formal appraisal and management plan for the conservation area was adopted by the council in November 2018.

Figure 2: The Liberty of Mint Conservation Area boundary outlined in red, with the application site outlined in blue at its centre

1.3 Figure 3 below shows other designated and non-designated heritage assets located within, and in close proximity to, the conservation area. These include statutorily listed buildings and buildings of historic merit identified by Southwark Borough Council. The map extract also highlights important views and landmarks recognised by the council.

Figure 3: London Borough of Southwark plan of heritage assets in and around the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area, with the application site outlined in red

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1.4 A site visit undertaken for the purposes of this assessment on 11th January 2019 determined that the application proposals would not alter the setting and significance of the statutorily listed buildings located in and around the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area. These buildings are not only located at some distance from the application site but are separated from it by tall, closely-packed buildings which block views in either direction. These statutorily listed buildings have therefore been scoped out of this assessment.

1.5 This assessment therefore addresses any potential impacts of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area and the setting and significance of buildings of historic merit adjacent to the Site, with a particular focus on the Charles Dickens School opposite and the Douglas Buildings on the Peabody Estate. The report also considers any implications of the application proposals on the key vistas along Lant Street identified in the conservation area appraisal.

1.6 Since the adoption of the appraisal and management plan document at the end of 2018, with its stipulation of a maximum height of 4/5 storeys, Southwark Borough Council have advised that development should be restricted to an additional single additional storey across all three blocks. Block C (to the west) is not proposed to be extended, and the proposed development is now limited to single storey additions above Blocks A and Block in line with SBC’s pre-application advice.1

1.7 Observations and photographs taken during the site visit are incorporated into this report.

1.8 This Heritage Statement should be read in conjunction with the full drawn submission prepared by GML Architects and the accompanying Design and Access Statement.

1 SBC – Heritage & Design Officer made comments via e-mail in October 2020 as follows, “I am satisfied that with these changes (the omission of the flat on Block C and the set-backs on Blocks A and B as shown in Option B), we could make a positive recommendation in this case.”

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2. Relevant Heritage Policy & Guidance

Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990

2.1 The decision maker is required by section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the character or appearance of a conservation area (in this case Radlett North Conservation Area There is a strong presumption against the grant of permission for development that would harm the character or appearance of the conservation area, though the presumption will plainly be lessened if the harm is less than substantial within the meaning in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as is explained further below.

2.2 Harm is defined by Historic England as change which erodes the significance of a heritage asset2.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

2.3 The significance of a heritage asset is defined in the NPPF as being made up of four main constituents, architectural interest, historical interest, archaeological interest and artistic interest.

2.4 The assessments of heritage significance and impact are normally made with primary reference to the four main elements of significance identified in the NPPF. The setting of the heritage asset can also contribute to its significance. Setting is defined in the NPPF as follows:

“The surroundings in which a heritage asset is experienced. Its extent is not fixed and may change as the asset and its surroundings evolve. Elements of a setting may make a positive or negative contribution to the significance of an asset, may affect the ability to appreciate that significance or may be neutral”.

2 Paragraph 84 of Conservation Principles 2008.

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2.5 The advice of Historic England on the setting of heritage assets (Historic Environment Good Practice Advice Planning Note 3 [GPA3], revised in December 2017) has been taken into account in this assessment, although GPA3 does not prescribe a single methodological approach for assessments relating to the setting of heritage assets.

2.6 The NPPF requires the impact on the significance of the heritage asset to be considered in terms of either “substantial harm” or “less than substantial harm” as described within paragraphs 193 to 196 of that document. National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) makes it clear that substantial harm is a high test, and recent case law describes substantial harm in terms of an effect that would vitiate or drain away much of the significance of a heritage asset.

2.7 Paragraph 193 of the NPPF states that great weight should be given to the conservation of a designated heritage asset when considering applications that affect its significance.

2.8 National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) issued by the Government, which contextualises the NPPF, has recently been updated (July 2019) and consulted for the purposes of this Assessment.

2.9 Paragraph 018 of the NPPG (ref: 18a-018-20190723) confirms that within each category of harm, the extent of harm may vary and should be clearly articulated. In order to assist with this articulation of the exact level of harm, specifically with reference to the ‘less than substantial’ bracket, the following table has been developed by Heritage Collective and has been applied, when relevant, to the assessment presented herein:

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Scale of Harm

Total Loss Total removal of the significance of the designated heritage asset.

Serious harm that would drain away or vitiate the significance of the Substantial Harm designated heritage asset

High level harm that could be serious, but not so serious as to vitiate or drain away the significance of the designated heritage asset.

Medium level harm, not necessarily serious to the significance of the Less than designated heritage asset, but enough to be described as significant, Substantial Harm noticeable, or material.

Low level harm that does not seriously affect the significance of the designated heritage asset.

2.10 Paragraph 197 of the NPPF states that the effect of a planning application on the significance of a non-designated heritage asset (in this case buildings of historic merit) should be taken into account in determining a planning application. In weighing applications that affect directly or indirectly non-designated heritage assets, a balanced judgement will be required having regard to the scale of any harm or loss and the significance of the heritage asset.

London Plan

2.11 Chapter 7 of the London Plan (adopted in 2016 and amended in 2017) deals with London’s “living spaces and places”. The following policies within the plan are relevant to this application:

2.12 Policy 7.4 – “Local Character”: Buildings, streets and open spaces should provide a high-quality design response that (i) has regard to pattern and grain of existing spaces, (ii) contributes to positive relationships bin 2016 & between urban and natural landscapes, (iii) is human in scale, (iv) allows positively contributing buildings to influence the future character, and (v) is informed by the surrounding historic environment.

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2.13 Policy 7.6 “Architecture” states that ‘Architecture should make a positive contribution to a coherent public realm, streetscape and wider cityscape. It should incorporate the highest quality materials and design appropriate to its context’.

2.14 Policy 7.8 deals with “Heritage Assets and Archaeology”’ and comprises three parts, Part 3 deals with planning decisions, and states that:

“Development should identify, value, conserve, restore, re-use and incorporate heritage assets, where appropriate.

Development affecting heritage assets and their settings should conserve their significance, by being sympathetic to their form, scale, materials and architectural detail.

New development should make provision for the protection of archaeological resources, landscapes and significant memorials. The physical assets should, where possible, be made available to the public on-site. Where the archaeological asset or memorial cannot be preserved or managed on-site, provision must be made for the investigation, understanding, recording, dissemination and archiving of that asset”.

2.15 The Draft London Plan (due to be published in 2020) contain Policy HC1 “Heritage conservation and growth” which requires that:

C. Development proposals affecting heritage assets, and their settings, should conserve their significance, by being sympathetic to the assets’ significance and appreciation within their surroundings. The cumulative impacts of incremental change from development on heritage assets and their settings, should also be actively managed. Development proposals should seek to avoid harm and identify enhancement opportunities by integrating heritage considerations early on in the design process.

Local Plan Policy

2.16 At a local authority level, saved policy 3.16 from the 2007 Southwark Local Plan covers conservation areas:

Policy 3.16 - Conservation Areas

Within Conservation Areas, development should preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area. New Development, including Alterations and Extensions will be granted for new development, including

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the extension or alteration of existing buildings provided that the proposals:

i. Respect the context of the Conservation Area, having regard to the content of Conservation Area Appraisals and other adopted Supplementary Planning Guidance / Documents; and

ii. Use high quality materials that complement and enhance the Conservation Area; and

iii. Do not involve the loss of existing traditional features of interest which make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the Conservation Area;

iv. Do not introduce design details or features that are out of character with the area, such as the use of windows and doors made of aluminium, uPVC or other non-traditional materials;

2.17 Strategic Policy 12 of the Southwark Core Strategy 2011 deals with design and conservation, with clauses 1, 3 & 6 being of most relevance in this particular instance:

Core Policy 12

Development will achieve the highest possible standards of design for buildings and public spaces to help create attractive and distinctive places which are safe, easy to get around and a pleasure to be in.

We will do this by

1. Expecting development to conserve or enhance the significance of Southwark’s heritage assets, their settings and wider historic environment, including conservation areas, archaeological priority zones and sites, listed and locally listed buildings, registered parks and gardens, world heritage sites and scheduled monuments.

2. Carefully managing the design of development in the Thames Policy Area so that it is sensitive to the many special qualities of the River.

3. Making sure that the height and design of development conserves and enhances strategic views and is appropriate to its context, the historic environment and important local views.

4. Requiring tall buildings to have an exemplary standard of design and make a positive contribution to regenerating areas and creating unique places. Locations where tall buildings could go are in London Bridge, the northern end of Blackfriars Road, Elephant and Castle and action area cores. These are shown on the Key diagram.

5. Continuing to use the Southwark Design Review Panel to assess the design quality of development proposals.

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6. Requiring Design and Access Statements with applications and encouraging Building for Life Assessments and heritage impact assessments.

2.18 This assessment is confined to the significance of the heritage assets and the impact of change on that significance. It does not address the planning balance in which public benefit is weighed against the degree of harm, if any.

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3. The Significance of the Heritage Assets

The Liberty of Mint Conservation Area - general assessment

Historical Development

3.1 The conservation area contains much of the site of the former Brandon House/Suffolk Place, the former palace of the Dukes of Suffolk.

3.2 The Liberty of the Mint (also referred to just as the Mint) was an old and anomalous jurisdiction, similar to the Inner Temple and Middle Temple, in which a landholder claimed rights and exemptions from the Crown. In this particular case the claim seems to have been initiated in connection with two medieval manors held in Southwark by Bermondsey Abbey and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas Cromwell attempted to suppress Liberties during the reign of King Henry VIII, partly by way of the Jurisdiction in Liberties Act 1535, but this particular Liberty was later recognised and formalised in a charter dating to 1550 issued by Mary I.

3.3 The reference to the Mint arises from the Southwark Mint, which operated from 1545 until about 1547 in the former house of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, within the Liberty. It was part of Henry VIII’s requirement for coinage and mirrored similar Mints in York and Canterbury. The so-called Liberty of the Mint passed into the ownership of the Archbishops of York who redeveloped the area in the later 16th century, and its exemption from authority gave rise to a high population of debtors, resulting in economic decline. The Liberty was finally suppressed by The Mint in Southwark Act of 1722. This was supposed to result in the clearance of its residents but by the mid-19th century much of the Liberty of Mint was covered by slums in the 19th century.

3.4 The conservation area appraisal (para. 2.10) observes that the Mint had more than just historical associations in the 18th and 19th centuries:

“The Mint is referred to in literature including Willem Defoe’s Moll Flanders. The clearance of the area, and the 1722 Act, is also mentioned in John Gay’s Beggars’ Opera. The infamous Jack Sheppard and Jonathan

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Wild, early 18th century criminals, used the Mint as a base to keep horses on Redcross Street. Charles Dickens lived in Lant Street as a child during the 1820s”

3.5 By 1898, however, the slums in the Mint had been cleared, mainly through the construction of the Marshalsea Road which brought a new street plan to the area. The appraisal also states (para. 2.11) that the following have characterised the more recent history of the conservation area:

“Large philanthropic social housing blocks, including Douglas and Ilfracombe Buildings, Monarch Flats and Lant Street School (now Charles Dickens Primary School) provided better quality living conditions and facilities for the developing area. The development of the Lant Street estate in the 1950s continued the post-war regeneration of old housing stock, characteristic of many other areas in the borough”.

Character & Significance

3.6 The conservation area appraisal (para. 3.8) accurately describes the broad overall character of the conservation area as follows:

“…a tightly knit urban realm, with high quality examples of historic and modern social housing, former warehouses, 19th century townhouses, some with commercial premises at ground floor, public houses and a large Victorian board school. The area was developed on the street layout surviving from the clearance of the 1888 slum dwellings. Together, the collection of buildings, streets and spaces form a small, yet distinct community character, contrasting with the extensively developed thoroughfares of Borough High Street and the former trading and commercial areas to the north of the conservation around Borough Market and the Thames”

3.7 The appraisal (para. 3.10) defines the special interest and significance of the Liberty of Mint conservation area in the following manner:

“...a varied section of Southwark townscape broadly dating from the later 19th century. This consists of a mix of industrial, residential, educational, transport and historic, mixed-use buildings fronting onto Borough High Street. The area has a particular significance due to the rebuilding of much of the area with the construction of Marshalsea Road dating from 1888. The southern parts of the conservation area retain much of the Victorian character of closely packed former industrial and residential buildings defining a tight, well-defined townscape”

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3.8 In terms of morphology and land use, the appraisal (para. 3.11) observes that:

“The conservation area is characterised by former industrial and warehouse buildings in close proximity to flat blocks and other buildings characteristic, including substantial residential mansion blocks of a late- Victorian, urban London. The primary streets of Borough High Street, Marshalsea Road and Great Suffolk Street bound the conservation area, with a smaller network of secondary and side streets in the interior. Generally, taller buildings are found on the primary streets, with less dense development in the interior. Open space, both public and private is found surrounding building plots rather than a general characteristic”

3.9 When it comes to development guidelines, the appraisal and management document (para. 5.12, 5.17 & 5.18) makes the following statements pertinent to the application proposals:

“Scale and height varies over the conservation area, with some former warehouses displaying large foot prints, but only one or two commercial storeys above ground: while there are also examples of small footprints, with four or five storeys above ground and in residential use. Proposed development should follow cues taken from the adjacent buildings, however most development should not exceed the general maximum storey height of 4 to 5 residential storeys. There will be some locations where the scale and height of a proposal would adversely affect the character of the conservation area by altering its significance, as well as adversely affecting the setting of surrounded listed buildings and heritage assets. Where buildings of 4 to 5 storey are acceptable, the bulk of such building should be focussed on the primary streets, rather than the secondary street frontages.

Choice and use of materials can have a significant effect on the character and appearance of the conservation area. Care should be taken to ensure that original materials are retained whenever possible, and if replacements are necessary because of decay or damage, materials are chosen to match the originals as closely as possible in both appearance and performance. The predominant facing material in the conservation area is London yellow and red stock brick… The use of natural, traditional materials will be encouraged. Artificial modern materials such as concrete tiles, artificial slates, UPVC windows etc. generally appear out of place, and may have differing behavioural characteristics to natural materials”.

Lant Street & Weller Street

3.10 The conservation area appraisal (para. 3.22) makes the following observations about the immediate hinterland of the application site:

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“Lant Street runs east/west through the centre of the conservation area. Its width suggests a once grand street, with the school and buildings at the corner of Borough High Street forming part of the wider historic network. The demolition of the Georgian terraces fronting the in the post WWII era give clues to the former hierarchical placement of the street; however today this has been somewhat lost. The central part of Lant Street from Bittern Street to Sanctuary Street is disconnected, partially by the use of the former route as a playground for the school, but also the 20th century re-development of Lantern House, Trundle House, Isaac Way and the Rise building. These have done little to assist in reinstating continuity within the townscape. Individually each building adds its own architectural stamp, from traditional post war housing (Trundle House) to modern loft living (The Lantern). The six storey block of flats at 2 Weller Street in black brick and render sits unfortunately alone in its slenderness and dominant use of render. The inner courtyards of Isaac Way are only glimpsed over the school gates. However in general, the area is not suitable for taller buildings”.

3.11 The site visit carried out for the purposes of this assessment confirmed that there is a distinct change in the character of Lant Street either side of Sanctuary Street. The view looking west from Borough High Street towards Sanctuary Street in Figure 4 shows a relatively well-preserved historical streetscape (on the north side of the street at least) populated by a mixture of warehouses and residential dwellings. The Gladstone Arms is the only traditional building remaining on the south side of the street.

Figure 4: View along Lant Street from the east, looking from the Borough High Street end towards the junction with Sanctuary Street. Note the well-preserved 19th century streetscene to the right and the Gladstone Arms in the distance on the left. The easternmost building of the three residential blocks on the application site is ringed in red.

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3.12 Figure 4 shows, in the distance, the uniformly tall modern buildings (including the eastern residential block on the application site) which dominate the western half of Lant Street. Figure 5 contains a close-up view, looking west from the Gladstone Arms towards Weller Street. The division of Lant Street into two sections caused by the insertion of the modern school playground feels even more pronounced on the ground than is described in the assessment. This physical dislocation of Lant Street, coupled with the increased incidence of modern buildings (see 3.10 above) and the complete change in historical function east of Sanctuary Street, means that despite the presence of the Charles Dickens School, the heritage interest of this east-west thoroughfare in architectural and visual terms diminishes considerably towards the Weller Street end. The conservation appraisal highlights important views along Lant Street in both directions but the heritage isolation of the Charles Dickens School in a sea of bland and unsympathetic modern buildings, not to mention the presence of the playground, compromises these views.

Figure 5: View looking west along Lant Street from The Gladstone Arms towards the Weller Street junction. The Charles Dickens School in the centre, its fenced off playground centre right across the street and the easternmost of the three residential blocks on the application site in the foreground far right.

3.13 The marked changes in the character and appearance of Lant Street in the last century or so can also be seen cartographically in Figure 6 below, especially when

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compared with the current aerial view shown in Figure 7. The Ordnance Survey map extract from 1914 in Figure 6 depicts the now demolished terraces referred to in the appraisal description in 3.12 above. One of those terraces formed part of the application site, although it was mostly occupied by a cart and wheel works. The Charles Dickens School is simply marked school and the Peabody Estate buildings remain unchanged. Harrow Street and Aster Place together form what is now named Sanctuary Street.

Figure 6: The Site boundary annotated onto a 1914 OS map extract

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Figure 7: Modern aerial view of the Site (ringed) and its surrounds

3.14 Figures 8 & 9 below shows the westernmost residential block on the application site firmly embedded within the mixed streetscene of Weller Street. This aspect of the Site is not proposed to be altered, and the view in Figure 8 would not change.

Figure 8: View showing the Weller Street frontage of the westernmost residential block on the application site (ringed). The photograph is taken looking east along Trundle Street

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Figure 9: Panoramic view from the southwest showing Lant Street to the right and Weller Street to the left. All three residential blocks on the application site (ringed) are visible from this viewpoint, as is the other side of the playground blocking off Lant Street. Only the blocks visible to the right (Block A and Block B) are to be extended upwards by a single storey.

3.15 The views in Figure 8 & 9 show the westernmost block on the Site as a transitional building, architecturally speaking, separating the historical architecture on its north side from the tall modern residential block at the junction of Lant Street and Weller Street seen in the foreground. The latter is the black brick rendered building which the conservation area appraisal singles out in para. 3.12 above as standing “unfortunately alone in its slenderness and dominant use of render”.

Sanctuary Street

3.16 The conservation area appraisal has very little to say about Sanctuary Street, an indication perhaps that it is not considered to be one of the more historically significant streets in the Liberty of Mint. Like Lant Street and Weller Street, it forms part of the group of secondary and side streets within the interior of the conservation area. It contains a variety of 19th century buildings of historic merit, including the eastern wing of the Douglas Buildings on the Peabody Estate. The Lant Street end of Sanctuary Street is dominated architecturally by the easternmost

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building on the application site (Figure 10) and another, taller, modern building opposite, The Rise Building.

Figure 10: View looking north along Sanctuary Street from the junction with Lant Street. Block A is to the left of centre. Buildings of Merit

The Charles Dickens School, Lant Street

3.17 The Charles Dickens School stands opposite the application site, on the other side of Lant Street. The school was named in honour of Charles Dickens, who was once a resident of Lant Street. The conservation area appraisal describes why it is considered to be a building of historic merit:

“…the development of Charles Dickens Primary School in 1877 (formerly Lant Street school) was a significant change to the area, providing a purpose building educational building in the heart of the community. The principal elevations would have faced Lant Street and is of three tall storeys, with pitched roof and prominent gables. Bands of red London stock brick delineate the storey heights and contrast with the brown London stock, with later historic extensions in a lighter local brick. The modern extension links to the original rear of the building in similar, yet

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contrasting brick. The original building is clearly identifiable as a Victorian Board school and has utilised the former route of Lant Street as a playground. While some of the historic street network has been lost to playground, views east/west have been left open and overall the architectural design of the historic school building, 2017 extension and continued use as community educational building contributes positively to the significance of the conservation area”.

3.18 The school does make a positive contribution to the conservation area but the modern buildings around it, including those on the application site, cannot be considered to make a positive contribution to its setting, or the conservation area. The impact of the playground has also already been discussed above, and I disagree with the appraisal about views of the school from the east and west being left open. The view of the school from the west in particular is now very heavily filtered by the school gate across Lant Street at the junction with Weller and Toulmin Street.

The Douglas Buildings on the Peabody Estate, Marshalsea Street/Mint Street

3.19 The Improved Industrial Dwellings Company (IIDC) built the Douglas Building Flats in 1886 as part of the later 19th century slum clearance scheme in the Liberty of Mint. The company was founded in 1863 by Sydney Waterlow, a stationer and printer. Like George Peabody he moved into banking and became interested in philanthropy. Waterlow was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1872, and also became a Member of Parliament. The Douglas Buildings form a long imposing five- storey building range fronting onto Marshalsea Road and Mint Street, with side wings on Sanctuary Street and Weller street. Because of the historical connection with the late 19th change slum clearance in the Liberty of Mint and their strong architectural presence on Marshalsea Road and Mint Street, the Douglas Buildings make a positive contribution to the conservation area.

3.20 The three buildings on the application site are located to the rear of the Douglas Buildings (Figure 11) but are not visible from Marshalsea Road or Mint Street. They only come into view when passing through the main covered entrance into the open

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courtyard at the rear. They form a neutral element, at best, within the setting of the Douglas Buildings, occupying the site of a former cart and wheel works (Figure 6 and para.3.14 above) which probably had a similar impact on their setting. The architecture of the Douglas Buildings is really best experienced and appreciated from the thoroughfares they front onto rather than the internal courtyard.

Figure 11: The Douglas Buildings, Peabody Estate from the Site (roof of Block A)

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4.0

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4. Effects on Heritage Significance

The Application Proposals

4.1 It is proposed to add an additional storey onto Blocks A and B of residential blocks within the Site. The extent of upward extension is indicated in the Sectional elevation in Figure 12 below.

Figure 12: North facing section through the Site indicating the location of the proposed roof extensions.

Effects on the character and appearance of the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area

4.2 The application proposals will effect a minor change in the appearance of the conservation area but will preserve, and indeed enhance, its overall character, special interest and significance. The reasons for this are as follows:

• There is no proposed expansion of the footprints of the three buildings

• The additional extra storey on Block A and Block B will exceed the 4 to 5 storeys height favoured in the conservation area appraisal and management document

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but in a way that would be incremental and discreet rather than overly prominent;

• The extra storey on Blocks A and B would alter important views up and down Lant Street identified in the conservation area appraisal, albeit slightly. Given that the Site is located in the section of the street which has undergone the most change in recent times, the impact on these key vistas would be minor.

• The easternmost block already occupies a prominent street corner position within the conservation area – the addition of an extra storey will not therefore greatly change views looking north and west into the conservation area, and views looking south and southwest from the conservation area are already dominated by two taller buildings located just beyond its boundary: the Rise Building and the residential tower block behind the Gladstone Arms (Figure 13 below).

Figure 13: View looking south from the roof of the easternmost block on the application site. Sanctuary Street passes below to the left, the Gladstone Arms is centre left (ringed) and the two taller buildings beyond the boundary of the conservation area are arrowed

• The centre block within the Site (Block B) occupies a set-back position from Lant Street and, in terms of height, is set at a slightly lower level than Block A to the east – the addition of an extra storey here would therefore make only a very marginal difference to the impression this building makes on its surroundings.

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• The westernmost block (Block C) within the Site is lower in height than the buildings on either side of it in the Weller Street frontage and is not proposed to be altered. The existing streetscape will therefore not change.

Effects on Buildings of Historic Merit

The Charles Dickens School

3.21 The residential block in the centre of the Site (Block B) is located directly opposite the school but is set back some distance from the historic building line of Lant Street. Moreover, given that the setting of the school has already been much altered by the insertion of the playground in front of it and recent taller development around it, the addition of just a single storey on the centre block will result in only a minor, and certainly not a harmful, change to its already considerably diminished setting.

The Douglas Buildings, Peabody Estate

4.3 As stated above, all three of the residential blocks on the application site are located just to the rear of the Douglas Buildings. An incremental increase in the height on the centre and eastern blocks within the Site would alter the setting of the Douglas Buildings but not in a way that is particularly noticeable or material. Furthermore, this element of their setting makes little, if any, contribution to the significance of the non-designated heritage asset. The additional storeys would not be visible from the majority of the area to the front of the Douglas Buildings, with the exception of a narrow glimpse of the extension above Block A viewed from the Sanctuary Street junction. However, there would be no perceptible change in the way their main façades are experienced and/or appreciated from Marshalsea Road and Mint Street.

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5.0

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5. Conclusion

5.1 The application proposals are for the addition of an extra storey on Blocks A and B of modern residential development located on the north side of Lant Street in Southwark. The buildings in themselves have no intrinsic heritage merit but are situated in the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area (a designated heritage asset) and stand in close proximity to several buildings of historic merit (non-designated heritage assets) identified by Southwark Borough Council, the two most important being the Charles Dickens School and the Douglas Buildings on the Peabody Estate.

5.2 For the reasons highlighted in section 4, it is the conclusion of this assessment that although the application proposals would result in a minor change to the appearance of the conservation area, the proposed increase in building height is discreet, giving rise to an incremental change that would not destabilise the visual relationship with surrounding heritage assets and the character of the Liberty of Mint Conservation Area. There would no change to the overall character, special interest and significance of the conservation area as outlined in section 3 and, if anything, its appearance would be enhanced by the resulting improvements to the appearance of the two host buildings.

5.3 The application proposals would alter the settings of buildings of historic merit along, Lant St, Weller Street, Marshalsea Road, Mint Street and Sanctuary Street but not to a degree which would erode their significance as non-designated heritage assets.

5.4 It is the conclusion of this assessment that, in respect of the application proposals, paragraphs 195 and 196 of the NPPF are not engaged and for the purposes of the decision maker’s duty, in respect of section 72(1) of the 1990 Act, there will be preservation of the overall character and appearance of the conservation area, with no harm to its significance. In respect of paragraph 197 of the NPPF, the application proposals are not considered to cause any harm or loss of significance to any non- designated heritage assets. Accordingly, paragraph 197 is not engaged.

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5.5 The proposed development complies with all local and regional policies relating to the historic environment referred to in Section 2. The Council is invited to treat the proposals favourably in compliance with paragraph 200 of the NPPF.

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