Horton and Wraysbury Character Assessment June 2015 Horton and Wraysbury Parish Councils Contents 1. Introduction 2. Landscape Setting 3. Townscape Character Appendix 1: RBWM Landscape Character Assessment, 2004 - Extracts Relevant to Horton and Wraysbury 1 INTRODUCTION About this document This document, prepared by Horton and Wraysbury Parish Councils, provides an overview of the character and key qualities that define the built up areas of the parishes of Horton and Wraysbury. It has been produced as one part of a larger project – the Horton and Wraysbury Neighbourhood Development Plan. Once adopted, the Neighbourhood Development Plan will be used by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead when considering planning applications which are submitted within the designated area. This Character Assessment supports the design and character policies progressed within the Neighbourhood Development Plan, and will help to ensure that development proposals are designed in a manner which is complimentary to and reinforces the distinct and special character of Horton and Wraysbury. 2 LANDSCAPE SETTING An aquatic landscape The Parishes of Horton and Wraysbury lie in a landscape which is largely shaped and characterised by water features. These water features take a variety of forms, and include: The River Thames; Wraysbury Reservoir and the Queen Mother Reservoir; and ‘Man-made’ lakes formed from disused gravel pits. The River Thames lies to west of Wraysbury, and in this area diverges into the New Cut, the Colne Brook and some unnamed tributaries. Lakes of varying sizes, originating from former gravel workings are a particular feature (during the 1930’s, due to the presence of huge quantities of gravel in this area, farming started to give way to the minerals extraction industry). These waterbodies, formed from the abandoned gravel pits by a process of naturalisation, are often well wooded (providing a wooded horizon throughout the area) and have a strong and attractive naturalistic character with positive views. Many have developed or are in the process of developing valuable wildlife communities and the former gravel works at Hythe End are now classified as an SSSI due to their important wildfowl populations. Many lakes are also used for recreation, including boating. Unique to the area is the presence of reservoirs to supply London's water needs, both in Berkshire and extending into the adjoining district of Spelthorne. The Queen Mother Reservoir and the neighbouring Wraysbury Reservoir have a strong influence on the character of the area due to their angular grazed grass banks and associated concrete structures, which provide a hard edge, truncating views and intruding upon this flat landscape. Planting (currently immature) has been undertaken at the base of some of these reservoirs to soften their appearance. The water of the reservoirs is generally not visible; although where boats are present their rigs may be seen protruding above the grassy banks. The remaining farmed landscape is predominantly arable, comprising immense open fields, denuded of field boundaries and trees. Figure 1: Aerial photo showing the network of lakes which characterise the wider landscape setting RBWM Landscape Character Assessment (2004) Prepared by LDA Design on behalf of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, this document characterises and evaluates the Royal Borough’s landscapes. It identifies Horton and Wraysbury as falling within the ‘Settled Developed Floodplain’ landscape typology, the defining characteristics of which are: Wide slow moving river with natural, diverse river edge and wooded island habitats Thames navigation channels, marinas, artificial cuts and canalised sections Broad flat open floodplain with a fragmented landscape pattern Expansive naturalised and restored man-made wetland landscapes of ecological importance Remnant hedgerows and hedgerow trees from former traditional landscape patterns, within new wetland landscapes Degraded 'edge of town' landscapes with eclectic mix of modern landuses such as industrial estates, sewage works and horse paddocks with neglected boundaries and flytipping Active gravel extraction works Shelterbelts and linear woodlands Varied and dispersed mix of small scale traditional and modern settlement Waterbased active and passive recreation facilities Network of minor roads and tracks Busy, large scale transportation corridors Frequent over head noise of aviation traffic Wetland habitats of international and national nature conservation importance Figure 2: 'Settled Developed Floodplain' landscape character - sub-areas map The Landscape Character Assessment also identifies 3 sub-areas of the ‘Settled Developed Floodplain’ landscape type, one of which, 14c, relates specifically Horton & Wraysbury. These sub- areas have the generic characteristics of the ‘Settled Developed Floodplain’ landscape type but also have important locally distinctive variations. For 14c ‘Horton and Wraysbury’, the key characteristics (in addition to those outlined in the overarching landscape type) are: Artificial slopes of water storage reservoirs Auxiliary buildings of reservoirs Fly tipping Fragmented network of Public Footpaths Appendix 1 of this document contains the full descriptions of both the overarching ‘Settled Developed Floodplain’ landscape type and the 14c ‘Horton and Wraysbury’ sub-area, as described in the Landscape Character Assessment, 3 TOWNSCAPE CHARACTER Character Areas The Parishes of Horton and Wraysbury can be broadly divided into seven distinct areas of different character. The locations and extents of these character areas are shown in Figure 3 below. Figure 3: Horton and Wraysbury Character Areas map The character of each of these areas is reviewed in the following sections. More Detailed Map The map below defines the areas more specifically and is followed by a table which relates the character area numbers above to the names on the detailed map below Character Area Detailed Map Names Number Name 1 Horton Horton West Horton Village Horton East 2 Coppermill Road Coppermill Road 3 Central Wraysbury Wraysbury Centre excluding North section River View 1 North Section Douglas Lane 4 Hythe End Hythe End 1 Hythe End 2 Hythe End 3 5 Welley Road Wraysbury Centre North Section 6 Ouseley Road Ouseley Road 7 Riverside River View 1 Excluding North Section River View 2 River View 3 River View 4 River View 5 Un-Numbered ? Staines Road ? Reservoirs, Gravel Pits, Farms, SSSIs etc. Character Area 1 – Horton Character Attractive village with historic buildings clustered around Overview small triangular green, and more modern houses on the roads to Wraysbury and Colnbrook as ribbon development. Green Features Centrally located village green, lots of open green space, limited number of street trees, semi-rural feel on entry to village. Building Layout, Two storey, brick in the main, different ages of properties, scale, much post war housing; various medium size residential appearance, developments of varying ages; terraced and semi-detached materials housing. Land Uses Residential in the main, around the green very limited commercial, one pub and shop. One development of flats. Some 200-300 acres of arable farmland located behind the church. Kingsmead Lakes provide access for fishing and sailing. Landmarks Village green. St Michael the Archangel church (listed) and associated church yard partially dating from the 12th century. Children’s park, large 3 storey block of flats opposite the green. Travellers’ cemetery located in area. Open Space Village green, church yard, play area/park. Layout Lack of off street parking to development parcel to the south of Stanwell road, larger properties on the main road benefit from small amount of parking provision, differing plot sizes, open frontage to flats, some larger buildings congregated around the green. Character Area 1 – Horton Gallery of key buildings and features Figure 4: St Michael the Archangel is a key local landmark Figure 5: The Five Bells public house sits at the eastern gateway into Horton INSERT IMAGE Figure 6: The triangular central green, with its single mature elm tree and war memorial, lies at the heart of the village INSERT IMAGE INSERT IMAGE INSERT IMAGE INSERT IMAGE Character Area 2 – Coppermill Road Character Long, linear route lined ribbon development, mostly in the Overview form of detached housing. Bounded to the west by Colne Brook and to the east by Wraysbury Reservoir. Green Features Small grass verges, non-established street trees, occasional hedges and drainage ditch. Building Layout, Uniform plot sizes, generous rear gardens, large off street scale, parking provision, predominantly detached houses, appearance, relatively wide plots, bungalows very common, generally materials with rooms in the roofspace, two storey dwellings of mixed design, mix of brick and render. Rear gardens larger on west side of street; smaller on east side near the reservoir. Land Uses Residential, with social housing near the reservoir. Landmarks High reservoir banking to the rear of houses to the east. Layout Low front boundary treatment, mainly low walls with railings with some wooden fences, pavement to one side of road, linear long straight road. Character Area 2 – Coppermill Road Gallery of key buildings and features Figure 7: Residential properties line Coppermill Road Figure 8: The bankong of Wraysbury Reservoir forms a backdrop to the properties on the eastern side of the road INSERT IMAGE INSERT IMAGE INSERT IMAGE INSERT IMAGE Character