Froghall Wharf | Foxt Road | Froghall | Staffordshire Conservation Design & Access Statement ______
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
_______________________________________________________ Froghall Wharf | Foxt Road | Froghall | Staffordshire Conservation Design & Access Statement _______________________________________________________ Proposed alterations & covered seating area to existing Café; floating pontoon seating area and conversion of first floor to create self-catering holiday accommodation ______________________________________________________ Fig.10 An abandoned Froghall Wharf looking west c.1950. The whitewashed cottages and adjoining stables and link to the Corn Store are clearly visible (Porter p.64) Fig.11 1967 OS map showing Froghall and the extent of the Bolton Copper Works. The Corn Store, stables & cottages and lime kilns remain but the railway/tramway have long gone Page 9 of 17 NAS_Admin:PROJECTS:2016:1618 Froghall Wharf:(D)consents:(Db)planning-LBC:1618 DRAFT CDAS comp.doc _______________________________________________________ Froghall Wharf | Foxt Road | Froghall | Staffordshire Conservation Design & Access Statement _______________________________________________________ Proposed alterations & covered seating area to existing Café; floating pontoon seating area and conversion of first floor to create self-catering holiday accommodation ______________________________________________________ Fig.12 1989 OS map showing Froghall Wharf, lime kilns and the Corn Store at the time of Listing, and by now operating as a Café and craft centre. The adjoining stables & cottages have been demolished and a car park created The Caldon Canal Society was formed by the Stoke Boat Club in April 1963 and subsequently British Waterways Board, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council commenced its restoration in 1972, re-opening it to navigation in September 1974. The former Corn Store was also later refurbished in 1979 and brought into use as the Wharf Restaurant and at the same time Staffordshire County Council and British Waterways Board created the picnic area and provided toilets for visitors. The Froghall Wharf Passenger Service was also introduced by Jacki and Bill Young to run private charter trips in the butty Birdswood which continued into the mid-1980’s at least3. 3 Planning permission for a 12 month mooring of Birdswood was granted in 1978 (approval no. SMD/1978/1136 and renewed in 1979 (SMD/1979/1379) and again in 1983 (SMD/1983/0437) Page 10 of 17 NAS_Admin:PROJECTS:2016:1618 Froghall Wharf:(D)consents:(Db)planning-LBC:1618 DRAFT CDAS comp.doc _______________________________________________________ Froghall Wharf | Foxt Road | Froghall | Staffordshire Conservation Design & Access Statement _______________________________________________________ Proposed alterations & covered seating area to existing Café; floating pontoon seating area and conversion of first floor to create self-catering holiday accommodation ______________________________________________________ The surviving wharf building, the former Corn Store warehouse, was Listed Grade II in December 1989, presumably shortly after the demolition of the adjoining stables and cottages, which for its ‘group value’ as part of the industrial heritage of Froghall Wharf and the dominant lime kilns. Froghall Wharf marks the far eastern boundary of the Caldon Conservation Area, which itself was designated in June 1996. The building continued to be used as a craft centre and tea shop on the ground floor, with living accommodation on the first floor, through until approx. 2010. Historic Significance: The Froghall Wharf warehouse forms an integral part of the historic Froghall Wharf canal basin and together with the canal and lime kilns serves as a significant and poignant reminder of the areas rich industrial heritage, and in stark contrast to the tranquillity of the country park, Consall Forge and Churnet Valley of today. The former Corn Store is an architecturally important historic industrial building, as reflected by its Grade II Listing, and together with the lime kilns beyond, all that survives of this once bustling canal basin. The Corn Store was built in 1785 shortly after the Caldon Canal was extended to create a new wharf closer to the end of the tramways which brought limestone down from the quarries at Caldon Low. It was part of three interconnected and related buildings – a pair of workers cottages, stables and corn store – serving the welfare of the canal horses and wharf Shires - set amongst the stacks of limestone, railway/tramway interchange, stone grinding shed and tar macadam plant. The designation of Froghall Wharf warehouse as a Grade II Listed building reflects its ‘significance’4 in conservation terms. The presence of Froghall Wharf warehouse contributes to the historic character of Froghall Wharf and the canal basin where it has heritage value and ‘significance’ through historic association, aesthetic value and social/cultural value5 and its strong contribution to the historic setting of the canal and limekilns in particular. Summary: The internal alteration works and proposed external covered seating area and floating pontoon canal basin seating area, and the change-of-use of the first floor residential accommodation into family holiday accommodation as set out in this planning and Listed Building Consent application includes; conservation fabric repairs to the existing historic warehouse building and the refurbishment of the existing ground floor Café, the associated construction of a floating pontoon seating area and attached walkway, and the construction of a pitched-roofed covered external seating area on the south east side referencing the roof line and form of the former link building to the adjoining stables and cottages that were demolished in the mid-late 1970’s; and the conversion - and planning ‘change-of-use’ - of the existing first floor residential accommodation to become a self- catering holiday flat. 4 NPPF, p.56 5 English Heritage Conservation Principles, 2008, p.27 Page 11 of 17 NAS_Admin:PROJECTS:2016:1618 Froghall Wharf:(D)consents:(Db)planning-LBC:1618 DRAFT CDAS comp.doc _______________________________________________________ Froghall Wharf | Foxt Road | Froghall | Staffordshire Conservation Design & Access Statement _______________________________________________________ Proposed alterations & covered seating area to existing Café; floating pontoon seating area and conversion of first floor to create self-catering holiday accommodation ______________________________________________________ Froghall Wharf warehouse is a heritage asset6 of national and local historic and architectural significance7. The proposed conservation repairs, alteration, extension and refurbishment of the building will make a positive contribution to the value of the historic industrial heritage of the wharf and its interpretation; to the enjoyment of the country park and the sustainability of the Caldon Canal Conservation Area; whilst the conversion to holiday accommodation will provide a sustainable use and income stream to help maintain and preserve the character of the warehouse building and its setting. Fig.13 Froghall Wharf – the former Corn Store and canal basin prior to its refurbishment and the restoration of the Caldon Canal in the 1970’s (Porter p.46) 6 NPPF, p.52 7 NPPF, p.56 Page 12 of 17 NAS_Admin:PROJECTS:2016:1618 Froghall Wharf:(D)consents:(Db)planning-LBC:1618 DRAFT CDAS comp.doc _______________________________________________________ Froghall Wharf | Foxt Road | Froghall | Staffordshire Conservation Design & Access Statement _______________________________________________________ Proposed alterations & covered seating area to existing Café; floating pontoon seating area and conversion of first floor to create self-catering holiday accommodation ______________________________________________________ 2.0 CONSERVATION PHILOSOPHY _______________________________________________________ Historic England (formerly English Heritage) define conservation as ‘the process of managing change to a significant place in its setting, in ways that will best sustain its heritage values, while recognising opportunities to reveal or reinforce these values for present and future generations’8 'Conservation' in essence involves handing on to future generations what we value today. The process of conservation of a building must not stand in the way of change, but help to manage it in a positive and proactive way. The value, or 'significance' that we place on historic buildings distinguishes how important they are, and how they should be treated now and by future generations.9 Philosophy: The general conservation aim of the proposed works to the former Corn Store at Froghall Wharf is to preserve and enhance the historic fabric as much as possible, whilst facilitating and providing for its modern use as a canalside Café and new use of the first floor as holiday accommodation, as a means to create a sustainable future for the building that can also be enjoyed by members of the public. Contributing to this aim the conservation principles to be adopted are; • to secure the preservation of architectural and historic building fabric; • to maintain the historic and architectural integrity of the site and buildings; • to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the historic fabric and its setting; • to employ appropriate conservation techniques in the reinstatement (where appropriate), repair and maintenance of historic fabric and theory; • to restore only the elements that can be evidenced by historic design and that can be authentically reproduced