Waterbeach Heritage and Character Assessment July 2018 . Waterbeach Heritgae Character Assessment Quality information Prepared by Checked by Approved by Tom Beck Jon Rooney Gemma Woodfall Senior Landscape Architect, Technical Director, AECOM Principal Landscape Architect, AECOM AECOM Name Joseph Critchley, Built Heritage Consultant, AECOM Revision History Revision Revision date Details Name Position Prepared for: Locality AECOM Waterbeach Heritgae Character Assessment Prepared for: Locality and the Waterbeach Neighbourhood Group Prepared by: AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited Unit 1 Wellbrook Court Girton Cambridge CB3 0NA United Kingdom T: +44 1223 488 000 aecom.com © 2018 AECOM Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited (“AECOM”) for use of Locality (the “Client”) in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM. Copyright © This Report is the copyright of AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. Any unauthorised reproduction or usage by any person other than the addressee is strictly prohibited Prepared for: Locality AECOM Waterbeach Heritgae Character Assessment Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 7 2. Approach .................................................................................................................................................. 7 3. Context ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Location ...................................................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Planning Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 8 3.2.1 National Planning Policy ............................................................................................................. 8 3.2.2 Local Planning Policy ................................................................................................................. 9 3.2.3 Historical Development ............................................................................................................. 11 3.3 Timeline .................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.1 Medieval ................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.2 Post-medieval ........................................................................................................................... 12 th 3.3.3 19 century ............................................................................................................................... 12 th 3.3.4 20 century ............................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.5 Present ..................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.6 Scheduled Monuments ............................................................................................................. 13 3.3.7 Listed Buildings ........................................................................................................................ 13 3.3.8 Conservation Areas .................................................................................................................. 14 3.3.9 Landscape Designations .......................................................................................................... 14 3.3.10 Existing Landscape Character Assessment ............................................................................. 14 4. Character Assessment ............................................................................................................................ 15 4.1 Key Characteristics ................................................................................................................... 15 4.2 Natural Factors ......................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.1 Geology and Soils .................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.2 Topography and Hydrology ....................................................................................................... 18 4.3 Cultural Factors ........................................................................................................................ 19 4.3.1 Land Use and land-cover ......................................................................................................... 19 4.3.2 Movement and Connectivity ..................................................................................................... 22 4.3.3 Settlement and built form .......................................................................................................... 23 4.3.4 Heritage Assets – ..................................................................................................................... 27 4.3.5 Green space and public realm .................................................................................................. 29 4.3.6 Views ........................................................................................................................................ 31 4.3.7 Cultural Associations ................................................................................................................ 32 5. Managing Change .................................................................................................................................. 32 5.1 Positive aspects of character .................................................................................................... 32 5.2 Issues to be addressed ............................................................................................................ 33 5.3 Sensitivity to change ................................................................................................................. 34 5.4 Character Management Principles ........................................................................................... 35 6. Next steps and sources of further information ........................................................................................ 37 Appendix A - Historic maps ................................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix B - Schedule of heritage assets ............................................................................................................ 43 Figures Figure 1 Location and context ................................................................................................................................ 8 Figure 2 Street Plan ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Figure 3 Topography and hydrology ..................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 4 Landscape designations ........................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 5 Movement and connectivity .................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 6 Land use, built form, heritage assets ..................................................................................................... 29 Prepared for: Locality AECOM Waterbeach Heritgae Character Assessment Prepared for: Locality AECOM Waterbeach Heritage and Character Assessment 1. Introduction This report presents a summary of the history and character of Waterbeach, a large village which lies within the district of South Cambridgeshire. It has been prepared by consultants at AECOM on behalf of Locality, working closely with the Waterbeach Neighbourhood Group and is based on a detailed appraisal of the area carried out through desk study and fieldwork. This report assesses both the heritage and landscape character of Waterbeach. Landscape character assessment is a process used to describe and articulate what is special and distinctive about a particular place by identifying recognisable patterns of elements or characteristics that make one landscape different from another. Landscape is defined by the European Landscape Convention as “….. an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.” This definition is broad and encompasses natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas. The information generated through the process of characterisation can be used as evidence to support the planning and design process. This approach is supported by the National Planning