* Planning Services Planning Control and Conservation * Conservation Area Appraisal Conservation Area Appraisal Osney Town Osney Town Planning Services Planning Control and Conservation t: 01865 252104 e: [email protected] November 2008 fig. 1 Aerial view of Contents Introduction OsneyTown OsneyTown (also known as Osney Island) is a Conservation Area Introduction 1 riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, located off Botley Road.The conservation area is 2 Reason for appraisal partially sited on an island at a point where the River Summary of significance 3 Thames splits into several channels. Location 4 The residential aspects of the conservation area known as OsneyTown were laid out in 1851 by GP Historic development 5 Hester,Town Clerk, who had acquired the land from Christ Church College and laid out the streets much as Mapped description 8 they appear today.Most of Osney’s 300 households live in 19th century terraced cottages, built on Character appraisal 10 Hester’s original grid plan, contributing to the special character of the conservation area. fig. 1 Townscape features 18 Conclusion 22 OsneyTown Conservation Area map Abbey Road Appendices 23 Botley Road Mil All Maps in this publication: lS th St reet © Crown Copyright Nor treet * Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey map with the permission ad of The Controller of Her Ro y Majesty’s Stationery Office kse E a (HMSO). B st ri West dge Stree S tre © Crown Copyright. Ferry Hin et S tr Unauthorised reproduction eet t infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Crown Copyright. Oxford City Council LA 100019348. t South Stree Osney Town Osne y Mead 1 Conservation Area Appraisal: Osney Town Osney Abbey,once one of Oxford’s most important The document should be read in conjunction with the fig. 4 Tow path, religious institutions, was located on the opposite Historic Environment policies and Core Policies as set barges and lock (eastern) bank of theThames from the island, in the out within the adopted Oxford Local Plan 2001 – 2016. 1 area now known as New Osney.The only visible fig. remains of the abbey complex is one small building, The Appraisal seeks to define and record the special 5 Staggered frontages on East thought to be a surviving bay of one of the ancillary architectural and historic interest within the Street domestic agricultural buildings. conservation area. It also seeks to identify any opportunity for enhancement. Additional information regarding conservation areas and their Reasons for appraisal management can be found in English Heritage’s Local planning authorities are under a statutory duty publications ‘Guidance on Conservation Area to designate “areas of special architectural or Appraisals’and ‘Guidance on the Management of historic interest, the character or appearance of Conservation Areas’(August 2005). Government which it is desirable to preserve or enhance” as guidance on conservation areas and listed buildings conservation areas (s.69 Planning (Listed Buildings is set out within PPG15 – Planning Policy Guidance: and Conservation Areas) Act 1990). S.71 of the Act Planning and the Historic Environment. further requires local authorities to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and The Appraisal cannot make mention of every building, enhancement of all designated conservation areas. feature or space within the conservation area. The Appraisal has therefore been produced in Omission of any feature does not imply that it is not of fig. 4 fig. 5 compliance with this requirement. any interest. S.72 of the Act specifies that in determining any Local community involvement appraisal was issued for comment in August 2006. the city that has strong suburban qualities. application for development within the An exhibition was held at the Osney Day September conservation area, due regard shall be had to the In recognition of English Heritage's guidance 2 the 2006. Comments on the draft were received 5. Important relationship with the River Thames, desirability of preserving and enhancing the local community and stakeholders have November 2006/January 2007. The amended draft in terms of setting and character. character and appearance of the conservation participated in the production of the appraisal. An was reissued for comment on 5 July 2007 with all area. The adopted Appraisal will therefore be a initial meeting was held with the local residents representations to be received by 1 September 2007 6. High townscape quality resulting from the material consideration when determining any association, Osney Island Residents Association, which following a request from the residents, was retained street and block pattern and application for planning permission, listed building and a local City councillor in 2005. The draft duly extended to 29 February 2008. architectural integrity with limited 20th consent and conservation area consent within and century interventions. adjacent to the conservation area. Key issues raised from consultation can be found on Oxford City Council’s website. 3 7. Regularity of fenestration, doorway details, fig. 2 The view roof forms and chimneys and materials into Osney across Summary of significance contribute to the integrity of the development the RiverThames by establishing a regular rhythm and giving 1. Unique 19th century development of tightly unity and continuity to the streets. packed terrace housing, constructed as a fig. 3 The church result of the opening of the railway stations of St. Frideswide and the influx of related workers to the area. Vulnerability 8. The distinctiveness, regularity and integrity of 2. Important archaeology relating to the former the streetscape of Osney are highly sensitive to Augustinian Osney Abbey, the remains of the change. Small-scale changes can impact greatly church are buried under Osney Cemetery. on both the character of the individual buildings and the street as a whole. The Article 4 Direction 3. Limited bridge access to a settlement seeks to limit changes that would result in 1 www.oxford.gov.uk/ surrounded by water lends a sense of harmful alterations to what is predominantly an planning/localplan.cfm Policies HE.1-11 and CP.8 containment and isolation, adding to the intact streetscape. individual identity of the conservation area. 9. Poor or inadequate maintenance of the original 2 Guidance on 4. Distinctive townscape and landscape character built fabric eg. timber sash windows, panelled Conservation Areas - 3 www.Oxford.gov.uk/ English Heritage August due to its island location close to the historic city doors, roofs etc and subsequent replacement planning/conservation- 2005 fig. 2 fig. 3 centre, accessed from a main arterial road into with unsympathetic styles and materials. Osney-town.cfm 2 3 Conservation Area Appraisal: Osney Town fig. 10. New development that conflicts with the historic 16. Rationalisation of street furniture and signage. erosion of the character through unsympathetic 7 Osney street and block patterns, neither responding to Road name plates should be of a style more and inappropriate works to the houses including Abbey as it appeared in 1640 the rhythm, consistency and continuity of appropriate to the age and character of the loss of timber framed sash windows being replaced architectural elements nor reflects the scale of locality ie. black metal plates. with uPVC styles, loss of the original doors, existing buildings. introduction of dormers, rendering and painting of 17. Additional landscaping/planting to soften certain facades etc. Although conservation area 11. Ageing and/or loss of trees along theThames. features of the built environment. designation gave some protection to the area, further controls were deemed appropriate. A 12. Poor quality street furniture and materials in the guidance note has been published by Oxford City streets, loss of traditional materials and details Location Council explaining the implications of an Article 4 eg. the loss of stone kerbing and loss of traditional OsneyTown Conservation Area is located direction on householders and will be reissued by cobbled gulleys running alongside the roads. approximately 1 mile to the west of Oxford city centre, the Council. to the south of the western arterial road of Botley Road. Access to the island is via a road bridge leading Enhancement opportunities into Bridge Street together with a number of Archaeological interest 13. Encourage regeneration of the fabric of the footbridges at various points around Osney Cemetery, associated architecture and the buildings eg. windows, sills, roofing slates etc in the island. lock are of archaeological importance. Carved stone, appropriate styles and materials. Where tiles, glazing, lead etc have all been discovered in facades have been rendered or painted, these The island is situated between the main navigation the cemetery and on the mill site, some of which are should be kept in good order for both aesthetic stream of theThames to the east and Osney Stream to now on display in the Ashmolean Museum. fig. 7 and structural reasons. The Article 4 Direction the west. Osney Cemetery,Gibbs Crescent and the guidance is to be revised and reissued to assist lock can be accessed via Mill Street and Osney Lane to Historical development fig. 8 The residents with appropriate repairs and the east of theThames. remains of Osney treatments. In the early 15th century,a jury found that Osney was Abbey today Botley Road provides access to the city from the west outside the liberty of Oxford and was only