Farringdon Row MSCP Heritage Impact Assessment

Sunderland City Council January 2021

© 2021 Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd, trading as Lichfields. All Rights Reserved. Registered in , no. 2778116. 14 Regent’s Wharf, All Saints Street, London N1 9RL Formatted for double sided printing. Plans based upon Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright reserved. Licence number AL50684A 61597/01/HE/Jfr 19153163v1

Farringdon Row MSCP : Heritage Impact Assessment

Contents

1.0 Introduction 1 The Main Site 2 Methodology 2

2.0 Site and Surroundings 3

3.0 Historical Development 5 ’s West End 5 Medieval 5 18th Century 5 19th Century 6 20th Century 6

4.0 Legislative and policy context 9 Statutory legislation 9 Other Material Considerations 10 Key Considerations 10

5.0 Overview of Proposals 11 MSCP 11 Landscaping and Drainage 11

6.0 Assessment of impact on the significance of Heritage Assets 13 The Ship Isis 13 The Conservation Area & Sunderland 15 and Railway Bridge 17

7.0 Conclusion 19

Farringdon Row MSCP : Heritage Impact Assessment

1.0 Introduction

1.1 This Heritage Impact Assessment has been prepared by Lichfields to inform proposals for the construction of a multi-storey carpark (‘MSCP’) on land to the east of Farringdon Row and north of the A1231 Sunderland.

1.2 The application site, which is 2.36 hectares (ha) in total, comprises two connecting parcels of land as shown on Figure 1.1: 1 The main site for the proposed MSCP is 0.81ha in size and is bounded by Farringdon Row to the west, the A1231 to the south and the escapement / Galley’s Gill to the east. 2 The application site also includes part of Galley’s Gill / Riverside Park which travels in a north direction up to the . This area, which is 1.55ha in size, will include the sustainable drainage / water features which will provide the permanent drainage system for the site.

1.3 This Heritage Impact Assessment focuses primarily on the site of the proposed MSCP, given that the proposed drainage and landscaping schemes across the remainder of the site are considered to enhance the appearance of Riverside Park and will not have any adverse impact on above ground heritage assets.

1.4 The impact of the development on below ground heritage is considered separately in the Archaeological Desk Based Assessment prepared by Archaeological Services Durham University.

Figure 1.1 Application Boundary – Outlined in Red

Source: Ryder Architecture

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The Main Site

1.5 The site of the proposed MSCP comprises 0.81ha of land, which was cleared of buildings between 2002 and 2008 following the demolition of a factory unit and the former Black Swan pub. Historically, the area around Farringdon Row was characterised by industrial and commercial uses, with a depot, railway sidings, a forge, scrap yard and rail workings all having been present. For much of the 19th century and early 20th century the site was occupied by terraced housing, public houses and a primitive Methodist church.

1.6 The application site is located to the north of Silksworth Row, approximately 35m north-west of the Grade II listed ‘Ship Isis’ pub. It is also approximately 150m north-west of the Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area and the Grade II* listed Church of St Michael (). Wearmouth Bridge and the Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge (both Grade II listed) are located approximately 650m to the east of the site.

1.7 This report explains the history and evolution of the west-end of Sunderland and the application site and assesses the significance of the above ground heritage assets which could be affected by the proposals and the potential impact of the proposals on their significance. Methodology

1.8 This report identifies the above-ground heritage assets that may be affected by the proposed development. In accordance with paragraph 189 of the National Planning Policy Framework (‘NPPF’), it establishes the significance of the assets, including an understanding of their setting and how this contributes to significance.

1.9 The NPPF defines significance as the ‘value’ of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its ‘heritage interest’. The interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. This broadly aligns with the heritage values outlined in Historic England’s Conservation Principles (2008), which are evidential, aesthetic, historical and communal value.

1.10 The NPPF confirms that significance derives not only from a heritage asset’s physical presence but also from its setting. The setting of a heritage asset is the surroundings in which it 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 contribution or negative contribution to the significance of an asset, may affect the ability to appreciate that significance, or may be neutral.

1.11 The approach to considering the effect of changes to setting upon significance has been carried out in accordance with Historic England’s ‘The Setting of Heritage Assets: Historic Environment’ Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 3 (Second Edition) (2017) and ‘Managing Significance in Decision-Taking in the Historic Environment’ Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 2 (2015). GPA3 discourages detailed analysis of very large numbers of heritage assets and supports an approach that considers the effects on the assets that are most sensitive to change (para. 23).

1.12 The assessment of significance and the potential effects of the proposed development have been undertaken after conducting a site visit. The visual role of the application site in the setting of the surrounding heritage assets has been investigated. The National Heritage List for England, Riverside Sunderland Supplementary Planning Document, Riverside Sunderland Heritage Impact Assessment, relevant mapping, photographs, plans and documents in the Historic Environmental Record have been used to identify heritage assets as part of this assessment. Below ground heritage has been considered as part of the Archaeological Desk Based Assessment prepared by Archaeological Services Durham University.

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2.0 Site and Surroundings

2.1 The site of the proposed MSCP is located on the south side of the River Wear, between the Queen Alexandra and Wearmouth bridges, to the north-west of Sunderland City Centre. The site is in an elevated position relative to Riverside Park and Galley’s Gill, which it overlooks to the east. The land on the site is held behind a substantial retaining wall along its eastern boundary. The site lies at approximately 34m AOD, to the east of Farringdon Row, on the north eastern side of the junction with Silksworth Row. The site slopes downwards slightly from west to east and is currently vacant, bounded by a metal palisade security fence. No traces of previous development are visible on site.

2.2 The northern boundary of the MSCP site is formed by vacant scrubland, with copses of trees and the River Wear beyond. The north-eastern boundary is formed by a stone retaining wall and cliff edge that drops down towards the Riverside Park, while the south-eastern boundary is formed by a steep embankment, which runs down towards Galley’s Gill Road. Galley’s Gill lies to the east and was the site of a former cemetery which was in use for much for the 19th century. The Archaeology Assessment has considered the below ground heritage assets in the area and has concluded that human remains, burial vaults and the remains of a mortuary chapel from the cemetery are likely to be present in Galley’s Gill. The vaults extend under the bank against the boundary wall of the area. The burials are to the immediate west of the vaults and are covered by up to 2m of modern material.

2.3 Beyond Galley’s Gill is the former Vaux Brewery site, which is subject to a hybrid planning application for a mixed-use development.1 Wearmouth Bridge and the Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge (both Grade II listed) are located to the north-east of the Vaux site. The city centre and Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area are located to the south-east of the site, with the tower of Sunderland Minster (Grade II*) visible on the skyline. The southern boundary is formed by Silksworth Row (A1231) with the Grade-II listed Ship Isis pub on the opposite side of the road and Sunderland University’s City Campus beyond. Farringdon Row forms the western boundary of the site, beyond which lies the Trimdon Street Retail Park.

1 Local Authority Planning Reference: 15/02557/HY4

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Figure 2.1 Proposal Site, looking south-east towards Sunderland Minster (Photographed July 2020)

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3.0 Historical Development Sunderland’s West End Medieval

3.1 The village of Bishopwearmouth was one of the three settlements that eventually coalesced to form Sunderland. The Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area encompasses the area of the original village in what is now the west end of Sunderland City Centre, 150 metres to the south- east of the site. Bishopwearmouth had Anglo Saxon origins, the earliest reference thought to be around 930AD. It was established on lands belonging to the Bishops of Durham. During the middle ages the settlement grew into an important thriving farming community and religious centre. The village was quite small and was dominated by the Church of St Michael, although the parish it served was extensive covering an area of some 20 square miles and included the small fishing port of Sunderland. Physical links between Bishopwearmouth and the port were strengthened during the 15th and 16th centuries by the development of salt production, shipbuilding and coal-exporting industries along the banks of the river. 18th Century

3.2 During the 18th century Bishopwearmouth was a small self-contained village set within a patchwork of fields punctuated by hedgerows and trees, as shown on Burleigh and Thompson’s map of Bishopwearmouth from 1737. This map reveals that the site was undeveloped and in agricultural use in the early 18th century. Cottages with courtyards and narrow garden plots lined the village road, curving around the hilltop church on its way to the port. Around the village green were a multitude of small houses and terraces, interspersed with workshops, corn mills, slaughterhouses and tanneries supporting village life.

Figure 3.1 Burleigh and Thompson's Map of Bishopwearmouth (1737) - Site of proposed MSCP marked in red

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19th Century

3.3 Early 19th century maps reveal that the site of proposed MSCP was in residential use in the 1820s and became part of the expanding urban borough of Sunderland. Back-to-back housing began to develop around Bishopwearmouth and on the proposal site. These buildings housed the workers who were required to service the rapid industrial expansion of the town and its hinterland, which led to the area around Bishopwearmouth becoming dominated by tightly cramped swathes of terraced housing. In 1815 the Lambton Waggonway was built along the western boundary of the site running southwest to northeast. Its purpose was to carry coal to the staithes at Lambton Drops, on the south bank of the Wear, to the northeast of Farringdon Row.

3.4 The 6-inch OS Map of 1862 (surveyed in 1855) shows rows of terraced housing on the site, arranged along Hopper Street, Back Hopper Street, Ayres Quay Road and Farringdon Row. The Wear Glassworks operated to the west of the Lambton Waggonway and an iron works and coal depot occupied a large area to the northwest of the site. The cemetery, vaults, footpaths and the episcopal chapel at Galley’s Gill is also visible to the east.

Figure 3.2 OS Map Surveyed 1855, Published 1862 - Site of proposed MSCP marked in red

20th Century

3.5 In the early years of the 20th century major developments took place across Sunderland, with the construction of impressive new buildings, including the Empire Theatre. The area around the proposal site was characterised by heavy industry. In 1901 a coal fired power station was constructed to the north-west of the site boundary, alongside a newly constructed tram depot. The 25-inch OS Map published in 1919 (surveyed 1914) reveals the pattern of residential development on the site in greater detail. The residential buildings on the site were served by two public houses. The Black Swan, located on the southern edge of the site, facing onto Silksworth Row, and The Cottage Tavern located at the northern end of Hopper Street. The Ayre’s Quay Road Steam Mill (Corn Mill) also operated on the site at this time. The cemetery in Galley’s Gill was disused by 1914 and a coal depot had been built to the north of the mortuary chapel. A picture house/cinema was built adjacent to the southern boundary of the site. The surrounding area was defined by a mix of terraced housing, public houses and industrial uses. The Wear Glassworks had been demolished by this time to make way for additional terraced housing.

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Figure 3.3 Figure 3.2 OS Map Surveyed 1914, Published 1919 - Site of proposed MSCP marked in red

3.6 From the late 1930s the area began to experience the widespread demolition of 19th-century workers’ housing, which also took place on the proposed MSCP site as revealed on the 25-inch OS Map of 1946 (surveyed 1941-42). The only building to survive the clearance of the site was the Black Swan Public House. The widespread clearance of housing and commercial premises is also shown to have taken place on Johnson Street and Hope Street, to the south of Silksworth Row. A cooling tower for Sunderland Power Station was constructed to the west of the site boundary. The former cinema building to the south of the site was also demolished around this time. Galley’s Gill remained unchanged.

Figure 3.4 Figure 3.2 OS Map Surveyed 1941-42, Published 1946 - Site of proposed MSCP marked in red

3.7 The OS Map published in 1967 (surveyed 1953-63) shows that the site was occupied by a sheet metal factory and engineering works constructed adjacent to Farrington Row. A range of smaller buildings were constructed to the east along Ayre’s Quay Road. A coal depot to the west of the

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site boundary was demolished c.1972 and the rail tracks of the former Lambton Railway were lifted shortly afterwards. In 1979, Sunderland Power Station was demolished.

Figure 3.5 Figure 3.2 OS Map Surveyed 1953-63, Published 1967 - Site of proposed MSCP marked in red

3.8 By 1987 the buildings in the northern half of the proposed MSCP site had been demolished, except for a small structure to the far north. The buildings in the southern half of the site were unchanged. The bus depot and the surrounding area to the west was redeveloped into Trimdon Street Retail Park. The factory building in the southern half of the site was demolished c.2002, while the former Black Swan pub was demolished in 2007/2008.

Figure 3.6 Google Earth 2020

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4.0 Legislative and policy context Statutory legislation

4.1 The Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the 1990 Act’) provides protection for buildings and areas of special architectural or historic interest. When considering whether to grant planning permission for a development which affects a listed building or its setting, S.66(1) requires the local planning authority 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. S.72(1) requires that with respect to any buildings or other land in a conservation area, that special attention be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area.

4.2 The statutory Development Plan for the site comprises Sunderland’s Core Strategy and Development Plan (‘CSDP’) (2020).

Core Strategy and Development Plan 2015-2033 (2020)

4.3 The relevant policies in the CSDP include the following:

Policy BH7 (Historic Environment)

4.4 Policy BH7 states that the Council will ensure that the historic environment is valued, recognised, conserved and enhanced, sensitively managed and enjoyed for its contribution to character, local distinctiveness and sustainable communities by: 1 Giving great weight to the conservation of heritage assets (designated and non-designated) based on their significance in accordance with national policy; 2 Supporting new development which makes a positive contribution to the character and townscape quality of the historic environment; 3 Supporting and developing innovative initiatives that identify, maintain, conserve and sustain or return to beneficial usage designated or non-designated heritage assets; 4 Capitalising in an appropriate and sensitive manner on the regeneration and tourism potential of heritage assets; and 5 Taking a positive and proactive approach to securing the conservation and re-use of heritage assets at risk.

Policy BH8 (Heritage Assets)

4.5 Development affecting heritage assets (both designated and non-designated) or their setting should recognise and respond to their significance and demonstrate how they conserve and enhance the significance and character of the asset(s), including any contribution made by its setting where appropriate.

4.6 To preserve or enhance the significance of conservation areas, including their diverse and distinctive character, appearance and their setting, development within and adjacent to conservation areas should be of high quality, to respect and enhance the established historic townscape and built form, street plan and settings of conservation areas and important views and vistas into, within and out of the areas.

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Other Material Considerations

4.7 The Riverside Sunderland Supplementary Planning Document (Riverside SPD) provides the planning policy framework for the consideration of development proposals within Riverside Sunderland. With regards to the historic environment and cultural heritage, development should: 1 Conserve and enhance the historic environment of Riverside Sunderland, its historic buildings, structures, areas, spaces and archaeology; 2 Respect and enhance the settings of heritage assets, including the Bishopwearmouth and Sunniside Conservation Areas and views to and from key listed buildings such as the Wearmouth Bridges; 3 Make a positive contribution to local historic character and distinctiveness, incorporating heritage assets and respecting and taking inspiration from high quality historic developments in the layout and design of new streets and buildings; 4 Identify, protect where possible, record and interpret the industrial archaeology of the area; 5 Utilise the regeneration potential of heritage assets, repurposing at risk or vacant historic buildings for restoration and sensitive adaptive re-use; 6 Capitalise on and support the wider economic, environmental, cultural and social benefits flowing from the regeneration activities of the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage, Heritage Act Zone and other heritage-led regeneration projects; and 7 Be undertaken in accordance with Riverside Sunderland Heritage Impact Assessment. Key Considerations

4.8 Having regard to the above, the key considerations are whether the proposal preserves the significance of nearby heritage assets in whose setting the site lies and does not harm the character and appearance of the nearby conservation area (Policies BH7 and BH8, and NPPF paragraphs 127, 185 and 192).

4.9 It is noted that the appropriateness of the design, or otherwise, will have a bearing on the nature (positive, neutral, negative) and scale (minor, moderate, major) of any effects. Furthermore, it is the degree of harm to the asset’s significance rather than the scale of development that is to be assessed.2 The effects will also, therefore, depend upon the contribution that setting makes to their significance.

2 Planning Practice Guidance Paragraph: 019 Ref ID: 18a-019-20190723 Revision 23/07/19

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5.0 Overview of Proposals MSCP

5.1 The proposed development will deliver a MSCP containing in the region of 650 spaces in a northeast/southwest orientation running parallel to Farringdon Row. The car park will provide spaces across 12 split levels equating to a six-storey building. The building is 109m in length by 33.5m wide and is sited centrally on the site set back from the boundary on all sides.

5.2 The split-level design of the car park responds to the level changes present on the existing site. This enables the design to make the most of the difference in height on the site, from the highest point at circa +39.5m to the lowest at +35.5m to accommodate the maximum number of car parking spaces before adding upper floors to the building.

5.3 The car park is 21.5m in height from level 00 to the top of the core parapet. From the roundabout at the southern end of Farringdon Row, the MSCP’s maximum height is +57m. This is equivalent to approximately five floors of office accommodation. The appearance of the building then steps down on the eastern side to a max height of +55m.

5.4 The northern and southern sides of the building are stepped which further breaks up the mass of the building and the proposed use of external cladding will allow a level of transparency and light to reduce the visual impact of the building.

5.5 The proposed landscaping will incorporate grassland and trees around the entrance to the MSCP and along the eastern boundary of the site. This will provide a biodiverse backdrop to the Escarpment Walk and will complement the existing designated ‘priority grassland’ to the edge of Galley’s Gill Park.

5.6 A comprehensive description of the proposals can be found in the Design and Access Statement which accompanies this planning application. Landscaping and Drainage

5.7 The remaining area within the site boundary, including Galley’s Gill and the Riverside Park, will benefit from extensive landscaping and tree planting, which will incorporate SuDs features and new pedestrian connections to the surrounding area.

5.8 Figure 5.1 overleaf shows the proposed site layout and landscaping scheme.

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Figure 5.1 Proposed Layout and Landscaping Scheme

Source: One Environments

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6.0 Assessment of impact on the significance of Heritage Assets

6.1 This assessment, in accordance with Historic England Guidance, summarises the significance of the heritage assets, (including the contribution that setting makes to that significance) before identifying the impact that the proposals will have on that significance.

6.2 This study has considered the National Heritage List of England, the Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area Character Appraisal and relevant mapping. Fieldwork was carried out to confirm the role of the site in the setting of other heritage assets. The Ship Isis

Figure 6.1 The Ship Isis

Significance

6.3 The Ship Isis is a Grade-II listed public house, built in 1885. It is two-storeys, with six-bays, constructed from ashlar and built in an Italianate style. It features Tuscan shafts and long moulded brackets in the third bay and arcaded first-floor mullion and transom windows. The building is of architectural and aesthetic value because of its highly detailed façade, which defines its significance. The building has some historic value as one of Sunderland’s oldest surviving pub buildings, but as an example of a late 19th century public house, it is not historically significant.

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Setting

6.4 The original setting of the pub has been completely lost because of 20th century redevelopment, de-industrialisation, slum-clearance and highway improvements and expansion. Most of the 19th-century buildings on Silksworth Row were demolished post-World War II and its location facing onto four lanes of traffic leaves the pub looking relatively isolated in the context of surrounding modern development. The quality of the setting and the surrounding built environment is very poor, and it is difficult to envisage how the setting of the pub originally looked given these extensive changes. Overall, the setting makes no contribution to the pub’s architectural and aesthetic value.

The site’s contribution to setting and significance

6.5 The proposal site lies to the northwest of the pub and is visible on the opposite side of the A1231. It currently makes no contribution to its significance. The wasteland areas and palisade fencing are a negative feature in its setting.

Impact on significance

6.6 The proposed construction of the MSCP will change the setting of the Ship Isis and this will be visible from the listed building. However, the proposed development will take place in the context of a substantially altered setting that no longer bears any resemblance to the historic setting of the pub and makes no contribution to the pub’s significance. Due to the poor quality of its setting and the substantial change it has experienced, the Ship Isis is less sensitive to further changes within its setting. The proposed MSCP will develop a vacant site and introduce landscaping and tree planting. This will take place in the context of other modern 20th-century developments that now define the setting of the pub. Overall, the MSCP will have a neutral impact on the setting, and no impact on the significance of the Ship Isis.

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The Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area & Sunderland Minster

Figure 6.2 Sunderland Minster - Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area

Significance

Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area

6.7 Bishopwearmouth was initially made a Conservation Area in 1969. It marks the location of the former medieval village and recognises its architectural and historic interest. The conservation area was further extended in 1989 to take in surrounding 19th and early 20th century development. It comprises fine Victorian and Edwardian buildings set within a surviving medieval street plan and the remnants of the former village green, now Town Park. It obtains much of its character from its many landmark buildings with their distinctive architectural features.

6.8 The area is characterised by distinctive Victorian and Edwardian landmark buildings with towers, domes and cupolas rising above refined terraced streets. These are set around an elevated Town Park upon which the historic church stands. The quality of the architecture of most of the Victorian and Edwardian buildings is exceptional and of a civic scale.

6.9 The area has evidential value and reveals the medieval street pattern of the original village. The high stone retaining walls help to describe the topography of the area and shows why the site was first settled by the Anglo-Saxons. It also has historic value and provides an insight into Sunderland’s pre-19th century past as one of a large number of villages in County Durham. The aesthetic value of the area can be found in the variation and detail of the roofscape. The predominance of two-three storey terraced streets provides much of the area with a relatively

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consistent built form which, when contrasted with the distinctive individual qualities of the major landmark buildings, gives the area significant townscape value.

6.10 The area contains some of the finest architectural examples of historic buildings in Sunderland and exhibits a range of styles and influences which give the area a significant architectural appearance and character.

Church of St Michael (Sunderland Minster)

6.11 The Church of St Michael is Grade II* listed and is a key local landmark. It features a largely reconstructed medieval chancel, a tower constructed c.1807 and transepts constructed in 1849- 50 to designs by the renowned architect, John Dobson. The building is constructed from coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings, ashlar aisles and porches, and a Welsh slate roof with stone gable copings. The building is of architectural and historic significance due to its age and historic associations with prominent local figures such as Dobson. It is also a prominent local landmark in views towards the city centre when approaching from the west along Silksworth Row. Although the church was founded in the middle of the 10th-century and parts of the church are medieval, much of the church was rebuilt and extended in the 19th and early 20th century as a result of colliery subsidence. Overall, the church is of high significance.

Setting

6.12 Post-World War II developments close to the conservation area and the Church of St Michael have adversely affected the quality of their setting and impacted upon its historic character and appearance. Modern road layouts and large, modern buildings have disrupted the historic pattern of development. The demolition of buildings has opened out views to large, poorly detailed buildings like the Bridges Shopping Centre and the rear of the police station, which provide a concrete backdrop to the sandstone Edwardian buildings in the conservation area and the historic church.

6.13 The large buildings that have been constructed in the setting of the church have diminished its visibility and historic landmark role in some views from the A183, but in many views the church tower still serves a significant landmark role that informs its heritage significance.

6.14 Overall, the extent of changes within the setting and the extensive loss of historic development beyond the conservation area result in the setting making no contribution to the significance of the conservation area or the church.

The site’s contribution to setting and significance

6.15 The vacant wasteland site of the proposed MSCP is located on an area of high ground and is visible from the church and High Street West, with the warehouse unit occupied by Currys PC World visible in the distance. The proposal site is a negative feature in the setting of the conservation area and the Church of St Michael and makes no contribution to the heritage significance of the assets. The church tower can be seen in views from Farringdon Row, although these are partially obscured by the palisade fencing and vegetation surrounding the site. The site is separated from the heritage assets by the road network.

Impact on significance

6.16 The site is located over 100 metres to the north-west of the conservation area’s western boundary and is separated by extensive modern infrastructure and development. The MSCP will be visible in the distance from High Street West and Sunderland Minister, but views from this location are already characterised by large scale modern developments, including large warehouse units to the north-west. Many of the existing modern developments are negative

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features setting of the conservation area and make no contribution its significance. The proposed MSCP will be seen in this context, surrounded by existing modern developments, but the proposed landscaping and tree planting will soften the appearance of the development and improve the condition of the vacant site.

6.17 The proposed development will block glimpsed views of Sunderland Minster across the site from Farringdon Row, but these are not historically significant views, which have been produced recently as a result of site clearance. Sunderland Minister will continue to be a prominent building on the main approaches to the city centre and its significance as a local landmark will be unaffected. Overall, the proposed development will have a neutral impact on the setting of the conservation area and the church and will have no impact on their significance. Wearmouth Bridge and Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge

Figure 6.3 Wearmouth Bridge and Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge

Significance

Wearmouth Bridge

6.18 Wearmouth Bridge is a Grade II listed road bridge built in 1929. It was designed by GL Groves of Mott, Hay and Anderson. Its significance is derived from its design and its location on the site of an earlier bridge built in 1793, widened by Robert Stephenson in 1856. The bridge has a steel superstructure, parabolic 3-pinned arch, of 2 ribs with a span of 375 feet. The building is of high significance and has interest of national significance as a symbol of the .

Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge

6.19 The Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge is Grade II listed, built in 1879. Its significance derives from its age and association with an important NER railway engineer, Thomas Harrison, and its design, comprising a girder deck and bow-string arch with girder ties braced by pierced plates

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graduating from circles to tall ovals. The bridge linked Newcastle with Sunderland by rail for the first time and is described as ‘the largest hog-back iron girder bridge in the world’. The building is considered to be of high significance and also has national significance as a symbol of the city of Sunderland.

Setting

6.20 The setting of the bridges is within the context of the dramatic riverside valley. Their size and location mean that views, both glimpsed and sustained, are possible from a wide area, contributing to their significance. There are large modern developments on either side of the river, which partially frame the view of the bridges along the river when viewed from the east. There are also large areas of vacant wasteland visible to the west of the bridges left behind by the clearance of the Vaux Brewery and industrial buildings at Sheepfolds, which detract from the appearance of the setting and make no contribution to the significance of the bridges.

The Site’s Contribution to Setting and Significance

6.21 The site of the proposed MSCP can only be glimpsed briefly from both bridges, although the views from the Wearmouth Bridge are obscured by the neighbouring railway bridge. The site is largely screened from view by vegetation and the recently constructed ‘Beam’ building on the Vaux site. Where the site can be glimpsed, it is seen in the context of a significantly altered setting to the west, marked by the ongoing redevelopment of the vacant Vaux site, large buildings opposite the A183 and distant views of retail warehouses containing Halfords, B&M and B&Q. These modern developments characterise the setting of the bridges to the west.

Impact on Significance

6.22 The proposed development will be largely screened from view by the developments taking place on the Vaux. Where the proposed MSCP could be glimpsed from the bridge, it will be seen in the context of other large, modern developments that characterise the distant setting of the bridges. Overall, the proposed development will have a neutral impact on the setting of the bridges and no impact on their heritage significance.

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7.0 Conclusion

7.1 This Heritage Impact Assessment has been prepared to inform proposals for the construction of a multi-storey carpark on land to the east of Farringdon Row, Sunderland. It has assessed the impact of the proposed development on above-ground heritage assets including the Grade-II listed Ship Isis pub, the Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area, Sunderland Minster, the Wearmouth Bridge and the Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge. This report has also assessed the contribution that setting makes to their significance. It is concluded that the scheme would meet the heritage policy and legislative requirements outlined in Sections 1 and 4.

7.2 While the proposed landscaping and drainage proposals across the wider site are not considered to have any impact on the setting or significance of any of the nearby listed buildings, the impact on below ground heritage in the Galley’s Gill area has been considered in the Archaeology assessment.

7.3 The site of the proposed MSCP was first occupied by terraced houses, public houses and a Primitive Methodist Church from the early-19th century until the buildings were demolished in the 1940s. It was originally developed to accommodate the influx of workers that came to Sunderland during the Industrial Revolution. All traces of this initial phase of development have been lost and the site is now vacant.

7.4 The Ship Isis pub is near the proposal site. The building is of aesthetic and architectural value externally. As an example of a late 19th century public house, it is not historically significant. The setting of the pub has been radically altered by 20th-century redevelopment and the extensive demolition of 19th-century buildings on Silksworth Row. Its setting is now defined by the road network and large, modern 20th-century buildings.

7.5 The Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area is historically significant and is associated with the medieval origins of Sunderland. The quality of the buildings within the conservation area give it an architectural and aesthetic significance, defined by its distinctive Victorian and Edwardian landmark buildings. Sunderland Minster is a key local landmark and the building is of architectural and historic significance due to its age, prominence and historic associations with the architect, John Dobson. The setting of the area surrounding these assets is defined by large scale 20th century buildings and infrastructure which do not make a positive contribution to their setting and obscure views.

7.6 Wearmouth Bridge is significant for its design and its location on the site of an earlier bridge. The Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge is significant for its age, historic associations and its design. Both bridges are of national significance as symbols of the city of Sunderland. There are modern developments on either side of the river, which partially frame the view of the bridges from the east. To the west, there are large areas of vacant wasteland and modern developments, which make no contribution to the setting. The ongoing development of the Vaux Brewery site will almost completely screen the proposed MSCP in views from the bridges once the redevelopment of the site is complete.

7.7 Overall, the proposed development on the site will have a neutral impact on the setting of the heritage assets and will have no impact on their significance.

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