Little Heath Conservation Area
Consultation Draft Character Appraisal and Management Plan
December 2017
PPlanning and Regeneration Service
Contents
Introduction 5
Summary of special interest 7 Location and setting 8 Location 8 Boundaries 8 Circulation and accessibility 10 Land use 10 Topography and landscape 11
Origin and development 12 Archaeology 15
Character assessment 16 Townscape Analysis 16 Layout and Plan Form 16 Architectural Character 19 Hierarchy of Streets 23 Boundary treatments 23 Ecology 25 Listed Buildings 25 Public Realm 26 Trees and Open Space 27 Views 27 Positive Contributors 28 Negative Contributors 29
Problems, issues and opportunites 31 Boundary Review 33 Enhancement Strategy 33 Development Management 33
Management Plan 33 Highways management 34 Management Proposals 35
3 4 Introduction
Little Heath Green, is a remnant The informal growth of Little Heath The village Green has survived historic village built around a rare is what makes it different to other as the major focal point, around triangular green, which dates back areas. There are small groups which the hamlet has evolved. to the 14th century. The roads of similar buildings built during It is by large the major feature today reflect the layout of the different periods, but overall it is a that gives the are its significance. original settlement pattern. The harmoneous collection of buildings Initially there were a few buildings hamlet was originally sited on the which forms a collective whole. around the Green, but over time, cusp of earlier forest and farming the edges of the Green have been land. Overall the conservation area is added to. This gradual layering of quite small featuring approximately development, has become part of The existing houses around the 77 residential dwellings. This is its character. Green are generally 2-storey combined with the later addition domestic buildings ranging from of a number of institutional In recognition of its significance, 175 years old to more recent developments including residential Little Heath Conservation Area was development. care homes to educational colleges designated 1991. adjacent to the conservation area boundary.
General view west across The Green from Little Heath
5 Little Heath Conservation Area
The Little Heath Conservation The objectives of the appraisal are This document therefore seeks to: Area Appraisal and Management to: Plan has been produced to meet • Define the special interest of the provisions of Section 71 of • Understand the significance of the conservation area and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Little Heath and its historical, identify the issues which Conservation Areas) Act, 1990 architectural and landscape threaten its special qualities; requires local planning authorities assets; identifying key risks/ the Appraisal. to have an up to date evidence options to protect and base to enable the preservation enhance these assets through • Provide guidelines to and enhancement of conservation positive management prevent harm and achieve areas. enhancement; the • Provide a long-term, evidence Management Plan guidance. Section 72 of the Act, also specifies based, approach to the future that in making a decision on an of Little Heath as a firm basis application for development in a against which planning conservation area, local planning applications can be assessed authorities should pay attention to the desirability of preserving • Support the long term or enhancing the character or sustainability of the significance appearance of that area. of the Little Heath as a heritage asset This document has been written with due regard to the guidance of English Heritage Advice Note1: Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management (2016).
6 Summary of special interest
Little Heath Conservation Area is The interest and significance of Community Consultation significant because, its layout still this grouping today, is largely due follows the original 14th century, to the overlaying of new buildings To address concerns and triangular rural village settlement upon the existing pattern, which take action to stop or control pattern. retain appropriate density and deterioration of significant scale to that of the green. conservation areas and listed Its designation recognises the buildings, the Council is taking combination of the signficant the initiative to encourage local quality of green open space community to assist in appraising enclosed by mixed use and identifying places of developments, the varied significance. architectural character of developments and collection of The Council will organise houses that nestle around the consultation and workshops, Green forming a hamlet. The and work with local community current arrangement of the area stakeholders, to enable reinforces the original road pattern management of this heritage asset of Little Heath. for future generations.
Workshops will be focussed to to allow anyone who would like to get involved in managing their local conservation area and learn how to access local character to help inform local planning policies.
The workshop will address some of the challenges the area will face through a range of management options, including gaining an understanding of how your appraisal can fit into wider planning frameworks.
7 Location and setting
Location Boundaries To the west of Barley Lane, the Conservation Area is abutted by Little Heath Conservation Area is The Little Heath Conservation the boundary of the Goodmayes/ located to the eastern boundary of Area is of a smaller scale to most King George Hospital campus. The Redbridge and is situated 1.7km to of the other Conservation Areas campus is set within a strong and Goodmayes Station. througout Redbridge. successful landscaped setting.
Signifcant development of The southern boundary of Little infrastructure has taken place to Heath is bound by the Newbridge the northern boundary of Little School and Redbridge College Heath, with the A12, Eastern campuses. These education Avenue providing an inpermeable faciliites feature a significant edge at this location. clustering of buildings adjacent to the Conservation Area boundary.
A mix of residential developments consisting of flatted development and housing forms the eastern boundary of the site.
General view west across The Grren to Barley Road from Little Heath
8 Little Heath Conservation Area - Boundary
9 Circulation and Land use accessibility Originally the area was a quiet, The triangular layout of the village small rural village, set near fields Green is basically as it was in the and remnant forest. mid-19th century. Barley Lane to the west, is the main transport The area currently features a mix route leading to Eastern Avenue, of uses including; residential, a major road linking the site to educational and community uses. London and Essex. The area also includes provision of a number of local retail stores. Chadwell Heath Lane on the northern side of the Green, provides local access to the east. To the south of the Green, Little Heath road is a small spur that completes the bottom chord of the Triangle. This is used by buses, which use this area as a terminus.
The most significant feature of the conservation area, the Green is highly accessible. Local buses serve both Redbridge College and local residents.
Redbridge College - Modern development
10 Topography and landscape
At the centre of the village is a flat grassed triangular green with a slight depression where the former pond was situated.
The surrounding area has a similar profile. This allows for clear views along the streets and across the Village Green. The majority of the buildings in the conservation are limited to two storeys.
High quality natural landscaping is a feature of the heath.
General view west across The Grren to Barley Road from Little Heath
11 Origin and development
Historic Records identify the village, originally as Little Ilford Heath in 1369. The first record of the settlement being named “Little Heath” dates to 1456. After this the village of Little Heath appears on a number of 18th century maps.
Little Heath is labelled on Warburton, Bland and Smyth’s map of 1724 although the extent of the village is not shown. At this time the two main roads leading to Little Heath from the south, are clearly shown. Chapman and Andre - 1777 Map of Essex
Two other early maps, which show Little Heath are Chapman and Andre’s 1777 map of Essex (illustrated right) and also on Cary’s 1784 map.
Little Heath comprised 2½ acres in 1847 registered as common land. The original rural scale and character of the Heath can still be observed today; with the current layout based on the old settlement pattern of the hamlet in the mid- 19th century. This is clearly evident Illustration of Little Heath - Approximately late 1880s in the extant cottage development behind the avenue of trees to the south- east of the Green. The photo (right) of the western side of the Green shows its rural village character.
12 There was little development around the heath in the early to mid-19th century, but the main roads around the Green were in place. The duck pond in the green was shown, but this has since disappeared and all that remains is a depression in the middle of the green. The late 19th century photo on page 12, shows the original Haw Bush building, marked “609”, in the 1864 map (on right). Also on Little Heath in 1864 this map, the early development of the Hainault House site, in the late 18th century (a Locally Listed building), can also be seen, marked “618”.
The 1896 Map, shows a row of terraces and single houses built in the latter part of the 19th century, marked “866”. There are two other groups shown in Barley Lane to the south. They are shown marked “869” and date to the mid-19th century.
Little Heath in 1896
13 Between 1919 and 1938, the western side of Barley Lane, opposite the Green was developed. The southern part of Barley Road, as you come from the south was a small industrial estate with workshops and sheds. This was later replaced by residential development.
Little Heath in 1919
After 1963 two houses were built in the middle of the street, on the southern side of Little Heath (Road).
Little Heath in 1963
Most recently, development of the Redbridge College and Newbridge School campuses have signnificantly changed the setting of the Conservation Area. Other significant changes have included modern housing developments to the south-western extent of the area.
Little Heath in 2000
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100 0 m 09/01/2017 Scale 1: 3,414 © Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey. LB Redbridge 100017755 Planning & Regeneration Archaeology The Archaeological Priority Area The APA has the potential to covers the historic core of the contain buried remains relating Today, it is hard to imagine that this village of Little Heath. The APA to one of the limited number of was once a rural medieval village. is classified as Tier 2 because clearly defined settlements within There are very few above ground common edge settlements the medieval and post medieval historical architectural remnants were rare in Redbridge prior to Waltham Forest. Any remains remaining. The oldest extant disafforestation in the mid 19th of buried medieval occupation building, in the area is Hainault century. provide an opportunity to gain House”, which dates from the insights into the lives of ordinary late18th century. The remainder people in the forest. of the built historical environment mainly dates from the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.
A recent archaeological survey by Oxford Archaeology (completed in June, 2016) identifies substantial sections of land that need careful consideration. Whilst the historic EASTERNCR AVENUE
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Townscape Analysis The layout of streets, composition Layout and Plan Form of the uses, architectural character, Little Heath designation recognises boundary treatments and open Little Heath Conservation Area, the combination of the open space form an attractive and is an eclectic mix of building and space of the central Green and coherent townscape. styles. They are set around an the collection of houses and other There is a clear hierarchy of streets original, triangular, village Green, buildings that enclose this hamlet. reflecting th historic pattern of established in the Middle Ages. This layout preserves the original development going back to the The overriding feature of this area road pattern. 14th century rural village. is the low scale and massing of the development around the village The area is generally flat, which The two storey scale development Green. The townscape therefore allows for views along the streets has replicated earlier has collective consistency and into the Village Green. The majority developments in the area. The coherence. of the buildings in the conservation current arrangement reflects area are limited to two storey in the evolution of architectural The Green has long been height. The plots in the east and approach. surrounded on three sides, as western side of the Green, are shown by the 1777 map. The tight grained urban development The oldest buildings around the present layout is basically as it but the amalgamated properties Green, were built in the late 18th was in the mid-19th century, with north and south have been more and 19th centuries on Little Heath Barley Lane the main transport formally landscaped with a mix of Road, overlooking the Green. route on the western edge. hard and soft features. Buildings are mostly domestic Chadwell Heath Lane is to the in character featuring traditional north and a small spur Little Heath construction methods using simple completes the bottom chord of the materials and building techniques. Triangle. Over the years buildings have come and gone this can be seen in the irregular grain and layout for the existing plots.
To the north and south the original plots have been amalgamated and currently with open spaces, soft and hard landscaping with trees .
On the north side of the Green, Chawell House, a residential care home was developed around 1999.
Little Heath - View of the green
16 Key Pre-1900
1900 - 1940
1940 - 1980
Post-1980
Locally Listed building
Little Heath - Periods of development
17 Immediately south of the The main and oldest character These properties are a collection Conservation Area boundary feature in Little Heath is the central of simple detached and semi- are the campuses of Redbridge Green, which dates back to the detached two storey brick houses College and Newbridge School. 14th century. It is a reminder of the with pitched roofs. They have a both of these development are days when this was a rural country variety of finishes from face brick to set within large curtilages and village. pebble dash facades. Individually have been subject to recent they are not very special, but as a redevelopment and extensions. The Green creates a unique sense whole, they add to the character of of place because it is the basis of the conservation area. What binds The remaining plots on Little Heath the shape and form that we see them together is their age, scale, (road), are small residential plots today. Enough extant buildings massing and materials. from the 19th century, with tight remain today to give an indication grained layout for a third of the of the character of the intimate The other special area is the street. Hamlet clustered around the western side of Barley Lane, with original village Green. historical buildings from the mid- Barley Lane was developed in the 19th century to the south and 1930s with large size residential To the south of the Green is a a range of buildings built in the plots. Properties have consistent collection of historical buildings, 1920s to the north, including the and regular spacing terminated at which include Hainault House, built Haw Bush Public house which the north by a former public house. in the 18th century. The rest of has recently been converted to Front gardens are now mainly hard this group dates from the late 19th apartments. paved parking areas facing a busy century. main road.
Hainault House Haw Bush Public House - Recently converted to residential flats
18 Architectural Character
Much of the conservation area character derives from the scale, proportion and massing of the buildings situated around the village green. The detached houses and duplexes terraces are modestly proportioned with two storeys and pitched roofs. The 19th century plots are narrow and built across most of the plot resulting in a tight knit streetscape.
Designs throughout the conservation area have a collective consistency, in which each individual house makes a General view west across The Grren to Barley Road from Little Heath contribution to the character of the area as a whole. Different designs complement each other and share similar proportions, materials and architectural style. It is an eclectic mix focused around the village green.
General view west across The Grren to Barley Road from Little Heath
19 This combination creates a Throughout the area, many The two storey Cottages to the distinctive sense of place. The properties have been either south of “The Green”, include architectural style of the older altered or repaired in a way that locally listed “Hainault House”. It houses is best summed up as a doesn’t reflect the original design dates from the late 18th century an simple late Victorian and inter-war or materials. Examples include is constructed in buff stock bricks. two storey housing. painting, pebble dashing or Adjacent and to the east, there cladding of facades, replacing are eight cottages built in the late The exterior finishing is varied, windows and removing, enclosing 1890s and early 1900s. They are brick, pebble dash rendered or replacing porches. While in generally built in stock brick. Some and also painted. There is minor some conservation areas this may of them have a rendered finish decorative clay brickwork and be a problem, what is significant but they are not in pristine original decorative tiling, string courses and here is the scale and massing of condition. Some of this group are window sills with corbels. From the buildings all being modest known as the “Hainault Cottages”. a general review of the building two storey buildings done with fabric, there are very few original traditional building material. All other buildings, within the windows or left. Windows types Conservation Area make varying also vary from double hung to contributions, in regard to the casement. overall significance and character of the conservation area. This relates to their age, scale, massing and materials.
High quality detailing Varying styles of architecture surrounding Little Heath
20 On the western part of Little It is a two storey white rendered Today, the overall visual character Heath, on Barley Lane, as you enter façade, with steep tiled roof and of the conservation precinct the conservation area from the hipped dormers. Recently is has is strongly influenced by the south, there are some pleasant been converted into six residential two storey domestic buildings mid-Victorian two storey slate flats. surrounding the large central grass roof cottages from the mid 19th common on the west and south. century. The first is now used as a Immediately south of Little Heath local shop. (Road) is a mature Students To the northern edge, there is College. Although the College the modern development of the In the 1920s and1930s the is not within the conservation Chadwell House residential care northern and western element area, its entrance is. The students home. This development, whilst of Barley lane was developed as frequently cross the green to catch of a significant scale does not two storey houses and a row of public transport and also use it as a dominate the Green because it terraces. place to meet. is set back from the street, with a two storey massing and well Probably the second most known The remainder of other buildings landscaped with grass and trees. feature of Little Heath and is the currently fronting the green were former “Hawbush Public House”. constructed post 1960. It was built in the late 1920s, in the middle of Barley Lane, facing the Green. It replaced the earlier Hawbush Court.
Contemporary development - Redbridge college campus
Hawbush Court - Housing conversion Chadwell House - Residential care home
21 The south-western end of Barley It is accepted, that while a number Lane, was formerly occupied by of the buildings are not in pristine small workshops. It is now new condition or in their original modern housing apartment state the houses that have been blocks. The scale of the buildings individualised, and modified over is considered appropriate relates to the years, generally the alterations the general scale of the rest of the are of a minor nature and are conservation area. considered not to have a major impact on the overall character of In synopsis, the ages of the the conservation area. buildings in the Little Heath conservation area, range from To conclude, the form of domestic mid to late 19th century, mid-20th architecture found around the century to brand new, yet they mix Green is very traditional and simple; together reasonably well. and has grown from the ease of construction that the choice of materials allow.
22 Hierarchy of Streets Boundary treatments One change that has impacted on the Front boundary treatment in Traffic is a major issue in this area Boundary treatments make recent years is the change from and Barley Lane acts as a server an important contribution to small garden to hard car parking to Eastern Avenue a major arterial character by creating space in spaces in front of the residential road serving other parts of the an otherwise tightly packed dwellings. borough. There has been a long streetscape, and providing a buffer history of proposals to try to of clearly delineated private space Generally, there are four types of resolve the balance of buses and between front doors and the boundary types in the overall Little cars. The main stream of traffic is public street. The consistency of Heath conservation area and they to and from Eastern Avenue. This boundary walls and the rhythm of relate to the type of property found needs long term resolution and piers and gateways contribute to in this small conservation area. consideration. the ordered, formal character of Historic Village Green, Residential, streetscapes and views. Institutional Residential complexes Old photographs of the Green and Institutional Teaching college. of 1900 show the road and the The overall character of the Green grass blending into each other in and its surroundings is unrestricted The village Green, has historic an informal way. Although the in aspect because the fences and photos from the 1950s that shown pressures of modern traffic did not walls of the houses are consistently its boundary marked by simple exist at that time, the idea behind low. Small walls and fences give square timber posts about 750mm the enhancement scheme is to pull enough visual and physical high. Today it is still the the same the negative influences away from separation to distinguish private and its character has been kept the Conservation Area in order to from public space. over the years. preserve its character.
Examples of boundary treatments to existing properties
23 The older houses in the The cumulative effect of this is On the opposite side of the Green conservation area, along the an open environment where any the boundary of the Adult teaching southern side of Little Heath (road), boundaries have a low profile as a college, has two clear landscaped have dwarf boundary walls that general precedent. blocks with a low 900mm steel delineate small front gardens of post and railing fence which allow uniform size. These houses form a The boundary pattern has broken viewing through to a low planted consistent pattern a pattern, which down in a few areas, along sections border. can be taken as the characteristic of the new housing development of the area. on Barley Lane. On the eastern side of the conservation area the boundary is In Barley Lane, there are a mix The Chadwell House, Residential a simple street foot path, with two of boundary treatments. There Care Home located to the north storey dwellings set about 6 metres are low walls mostly in brick to of the green, features a large from the roadway. an average height of 450mm, a central housing block set in a few picket fences painted white, large plot with car parking and some low hedges and occasional soft landscaping. The boundary is instances whether fences have marked by planting and areas with been removed in their entiriety; to no fencing. allow for parking.
Examples of boundary walls to existing properties Examples of hedgerow boundaries
24 Ecology Listed Buildings
The arrangement and landscaping There are no Statutorily Listed of Little Heath offers little in terms Buildings in the Conservation area. of notable ecological habitat. However, there is one Locally Listed However the existing trees and Building , sited just to the south of amenity cut grass provides some The Green. Hainault House, is a local benefit to bird and insect two storey Cottage with a pitch populations. slate roof. It dates from the late 18th century and is constructed in Considering the ecological buff stock bricks. significance of buildings within the designated area of the Conservation Area, consideration must be given to both bats and house sparrows that may be roosting in the fabric of older buildings. The house sparrow is an iconic bird of the borough but is in decline, their roosts and foraging areas are vital for their survival.
Although the local area is not conducive for foraging bats, these species may find features in some of the surrounding older buildings suitable for roosting, with good foraging habitat not far away along Seven Kings Water and Fairlop Waters/Country Park.
Existing bus terminus - provide access to Redbridge College campus
25 Public Realm The area has changed little in The central focus of the Little Heath recent years. In an article by Robert village in the past was the pond. It Since the 14th century the most Barltrop, he describes the character was located in the middle of the significant feature of Little heath of Little Heath in 1994: Green, which was open grassland. has been its village Green. It was It would have been a pleasant the focus around which everything “Despite the traffic round and place to sit for residents and visitors else was arranged. This central through it, from Eastern Avenue to the area. Similar ponds exist in green is unusual for a number of and Chadwell Heath Lane, Little other Conservation Areas in the reasons. It is a rare survival of a rural Heath remains an attractive Borough with a notable example village green within a suburban villagey appearance: Victorian being the pond at Woodford area. cottages round a broad green Bridge. Since the pond was in liberally sprinkled with trees. Much existence almost a century ago A description in the Redbridge of it used to be in the estate of Little the environmental conditions Library describes Little Heath in the Heath House; and as a moderate- have changed considerably, most early 20 the century: sized hamlet it had its own chapel especially due to traffic and use of St James’s saving the journey to the green by students crossing to “Close to the Hawbush, where the parish church at Aldborough Redbridge College from the bus cornfield and forest verge met. Hatch. Today it is a bus terminal, stop. Little Heath, with its triangle of and has a modern school, and is common land, was a fairly remote quite a bust spot, but still highly The green has survived and still spot until the arrival of the arterial pleasing to the eye. “ occupies the same extent of space road came in the 1920s.” as illustrated in photos taken in the 1950s.
Street furniture is generally standard, simple and modern and generally disappears into the background.
The green - The heart of the Conservation Area
26 Trees and Open Space Generally there are a number of Views street trees just to the south of Little Heath’s significance is based the Green. They act as a backdrop The Conservation Area has a upon its importance as a remnant to the central Green area, which limited extent and views around village Green, common plot of is clear open space with a few the green are consequently the land. This open space has its origins medium sized trees. Looking at a main focus of the area. dating back at least six hundred photograph taken in the1950s, this years. arrangement is similar to today’s Little Heath is unusual in that it is a configuration. very open space. All the buildings There are no substantial historical are focused and directed towards trees in the main part of the the central village Green. The three conservation area. The trees that roads around the Green enclose are there are not older than a and create a triangular hamlet. hundred years. There are two When you enter the conservation individual Tree Preservation Orders from the south the Green is (TPOs) in the landscaped setting of approached by a sweeping curve, the Redbridge College site. which opens up into a green open space.
High quality landscaping recently installed at the Redbridge College site
27 Positive Contributors An analysis of the spaces created Little Heath is located close around the Green reveals to a major Arterial road and is The character of Little Heath that this mixture of old and the terminus for local Buses conservation area is made up of new architectural styles work connecting to Trains to allow travel layers of historical development. successfully because of the for further locations. In addition there is the landscape positioning of developments contribution of the natural soft to be set-back from the road at landscaping of the former village an identical distance and gaps Green. between houses are closely similar in scale. The Green is a triangle of open grassland that is the vestige of an earlier village, dating from at least the 14th century.
The conservation area has retained a human scale of development over the years. Generally the two storey scale of development is common in the Conservation Area.
Although nearly half of the built environment is composed of relatively modern architectural and design approaches, the scale, materiality and detail of these developments has either a neutral The green - Positive feature at the heart of the Conservation Area or complementary appearance to the earlier historic character of streets surrounding the green.
Modern and traditional development - Surrounding the green
28 Negative Contributors More modern, larger scale In particular, the landscaping development including the strategy of this develompent There has always been a road or Strouds Close development, have provides limited soft landscaping track passing through the area. provided limited enhancements to to complement the established However, it is observed that access the character and appearance of pattern of verges and trees which to Eastern Avenue and through the Conservation Area. surround other parts of the traffic on Chadwell Heath Lane is Conservation Area. projected to grow in future which could have significant impacts upon the character/appearance of the Conservation Area.
What fails most in the Conservation Area is the psychological separation of the houses from the Green in Barley Lane, by the volume of traffic passing through the area. The presence of heavy traffic, impacts on the enjoyment of the space.
Changes to the historical buildings over time takes away their style and character. But in this conservation area the main significance is not Parking and traffic issues within Barley Lane the individual details but the general scale and materials.
Loss of front gardens for parking and increased run off water causing localised flooding is another major issue.
Paving over gardens is a common area within the Conservation Area
29 30 Problems, issues and opportunites
Generally the built environment • The two storey height Setting is an important is an eclectic mix of different of buildings generally in consideration in the ongoing periods and styles. It is not like the whole Little Heath management of heritage assets. other conservation areas where a conservation area, as well as The cohesive character of the significant proportion of the area the traditional materials used conservation area was and always is repetition of a certain style or for their construction and will the central informal character material. For this reason minor domestic size and scale of the central green. Buildings changes do not matter as much as should respect each other. they would in other conservation • Form and planning of the areas in Redbridge, where the earlier village which lies under The appraisal and management significance of the precinct is the surface. This includes the plan is an opportunity to review because of the buildings. street layout and formation the boundary of the conservation area and of the Article 4 There are a number of different • A mixed use character of uses Designation in order to reflect the uses and types of buildings in the framing the green current condition and ensure that conservation area and they appear the character of the whole area is to work quite well. • New development respecting protected by policy. the scale and materials of past What is significant in the Little developments. There is an opportunity, through Heath conservation area and gives the use updated guidance, and it its sense of place is: • Soft green landscaping through working closely with to compliment the Green residents, to encourage the repair • Its evolution and development character of the area and reinstatement of original from a rural country village into features which will greatly enhance a suburban place It is important that any future the character of buildings and development respects that the streetscapes. • Remnants of the early rural precinct was originally a rural character planning features village. Any future developments There are opportunities for such as the village Green should be carefully considered to improvements in public realm ensure the character of the area is for example replacement of poor • The rural quality of the kerb either preserved or enhanced.. quality paving and renovation of edging and traditional timber original street signs. There may be posts around the Green opportunities to improve access to Barley Lane and the quality of pedestrian and cycle routes and connections through the wider area.
31 32 Management Plan
Boundary Review Enhancement Strategy Development Management The designated boundary of There is an opportunity for the the Conservation Area has been Council to work with developers In future new developments, reviewed as part of the process of and third parties to bring forward demolitions and alterations within producing the Character Appraisal a series of enhancements to the the conservation area will be for this Conservation Area. Conservation Area and in particular managed through the planning The Green. Enhancements should process. Decisions about planning It is noted that a substantive largely be focussed around the permission should reflect the amount of development has taken landscaping improvements to need to preserve and enhance place both within and adjacent to reaffirm the significance and the special character of the the boundary of the Conservation character of The Green. Conservation Area, in line with Area since its designation. Notable relevant National, London-wide examples of such development As part of this strategy, there is and local planning policies. include development to the also an opportunity to improve Redbridge College site, the accessibility within the area, Review of Development Impact King George hospital Campus, particularly between public Chadwell House and the residential transport and education uses Within the context of the Little development of Strouds Close. which are accessed to the southern Heath Conservation Area, there are extent of the Conservation Area. a number of planning applications The cumulative scale and impact for major development schemes, of these developments have not pending consideration of overly detracted from the character envisioned to come forward; of Conservation Area. Furthermore subject to the adoption of the the significance of development Redbridge Local Plan (2016). adjacent to the Conservation Area is limited to warrant incorporation Therefore any future management as part of any revised boundary. plan for the Conservation Area, should include provision of a Following this review, the current review of development impact boundary of the Conservation Area to enable further discussion as designated in 1991 curtilage is as to whether any additional considered appropriate and does management actions are required. require any further amendments at this stage.
33 Article 4 Direction Enforcement Highways management
Given the modest scale of the Little The council, under its statutory Future works to highways and Heath Conservation Area and the power, can take enforcement footways within the conservation relatively small amount of change action towards unauthorised area should promote the brought forward by permitted works that detract from the maintenance of the key development rights within this significance of the conservation characteristics of the Conservation area; the making of an Article area. Unauthorised demolition Area and avoid unnecessary street 4 Direction is not considered or alterations to buildings within clutter, signage and road markings. necessary at this stage. However as a conservation area is a criminal part of the review identified above, offence and those responsible may The rural natural character of making of an Article 4 Direction face prosecution. the central Green needs to be may become relevant in future. carefully considered in any future Design Guidance development for highways and transport. It is not considered necessary to prepare a Design Guide for this Conservation Area, given the modest scale of development which has taken place within this area.
It is considered that the guidance of the Character Appraisal will be sufficient to inform future development proposals; partiucalrly those for major development schemes.
34 Management Proposals Enhancement Strategy – Monitoring and review of Year 1-3 development impact – Over the next five years, the Year 3-5 Council will undertake the Bring forward a landscape following management actions: strategy to improve and enhance The Council will undertake an the landscape character of The assessment of development within Green and realise opportunities the Conservation Area to establish to develop links to community/ whether additional guidance education uses. or restrictions to Permitted Development rights are required. It is important that the natural character of the Village Green is This will include survey work retained and enhanced through to monitor the design quality future development of sites which and impact of development in abut the historic core of the seeking to maintain and enhance Conservation Area. the Conservation Area; including review of any relevant appeal The Council will work with decisions. developers and third party interests to establish and deliver landscape Subject to the outcome of improvements to the site. These monitoring and review; produce enhancements could include Design Guidance and/or make sensitive provision of upgraded an Article 4 Direction for the access within the Conservation Conservation Area, (as appropriate). Area and introduction of additional soft landscaping to improve the landscape character and function of this area.
35 URBAN DESIGN TEAM DELIVERY UNIT PLANNING AND REGENERATION [email protected] www.redbridge.gov.uk/planning