- The Historic Environment Supplementary Planning Guidance (Consultation Draft - January 2019) www.npt.gov.uk/ldp Contents Note to Reader 1 1 Introduction 3 2 Historic Context 5 3 Policy Context 9 3.1 National Policy 9 3.2 Local Policy 12 The Conservation of the Historic Environment 4 The Conservation of the Historic Environment 15 4.1 Scheduled Monuments 15 4.2 Listed Buildings 15 4.3 Conservation Areas 16 4.4 Registered Historic Assets 21 4.4.1 The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens in Wales 21 4.4.2 The Register of Historic Landscapes in Wales 25 4.5 Buildings and Historic Assets of Local Importance 29 4.6 Neath Port Talbot Canal Network 33 Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) Appendices A Schedule of Buildings of Local Importance 39 B Canals BLI List 55 B.1 Swansea Canal 55 B.2 Tennant Canal 56 B.3 Neath Canal 56 C Procedure for Identifying BLIs 59 Contents Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) Note to Reader Note to Reader This note explains the purpose of the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) and how to comment on the document. This note will not form part of the final published SPG. The Purpose of the Document The Council, at its meeting on the 27th January 2016, adopted the Local Development Plan (LDP) which now provides the basis for decisions on land use planning in the County Borough up to 2026. Whilst the LDP contains sufficient information and policies to provide the basis for the determination of planning applications through the development management process, opportunities have been identified throughout the Plan for further detailed guidance to be provided on particular issues. Selective use of SPG is a means of setting out more detailed topic or site specific guidance on the way in which the policies of the LDP will be applied in particular circumstances or areas. While only policies in the LDP have special status in the determination of planning applications, SPG may be taken into account as a material consideration in the decision making process. SPG must be consistent with the parent LDP policy and should be subject to wider consultation with the public and stakeholders. The Historic Environment SPG The Historic Environment SPG supplements LDP Strategic Policy SP21 (The Historic Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) Environment), Policy BE2 (Buildings of Local Importance) and Policy BE3 (The Canal Network). The document outlines the planning policy protections that are in place to safeguard and conserve as far as possible the historic assets of the County Borough; provides advice about the requirements that will need to be met where development is proposed that could affect any type of historic asset; and outlines the approach that will be taken when such proposals are considered. Appendix A of the SPG presents a 'Schedule of Buildings of Local Importance' (BLIs) and Appendix B presents a 'Schedule of Designated Canal Structures'. Currently comprising an overall total of 260 locally designated buildings/structures, this inventory will subsequently be adopted by the Council as part of the adoption of this SPG. The Consultation / How to Make Comments 1 The consultation period will run for 6 weeks, starting midday on Wednesday 9th January and ending at midday on Wednesday 20th February 2019. Comments can be submitted: Note to Reader Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) Directly Online at: www.npt.gov.uk/ldp/consultation Alternatively: By E-mail to: [email protected] By Post to: Nicola Pearce Head of Planning and Public Protection, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, The Quays, Brunel Way, Baglan Energy Park, Neath, SA11 2GG. Comments via e-mail or post will need to be submitted using the 'SPG Representation Form'. Copies of the form are available on request or an editable version is available to download from the Council's website: www.npt.gov.uk/ldp The deadline for comments is midday on Wednesday 20th February. Comments received after the deadline will not be accepted. This SPG is also available in Welsh, either to download or by request. Should you need this document in another format, then please contact the LDP team at [email protected] or [01639] 686821. 2 1 . Introduction 1 Introduction 1.0.1 This Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) gives an overview of the historic environment of Neath Port Talbot and outlines the planning policy protections that are in place to safeguard and conserve as far as possible the historic assets of the County Borough. 1.0.2 Statutory protection has been afforded to the most significant buildings and structures for many years through the scheduling of important ancient monuments and the listing of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. In addition, specific areas or neighbourhoods are designated as Conservation Areas, and Registers of Historic Parks and Gardens and Historic Landscapes have been compiled. 1.0.3 The Neath Port Talbot Local Development Plan (LDP) adopted in January 2016 adds an additional local designation to these provisions by including a policy affording protection to 'Buildings of Local Importance' (Policy BE2). This allows buildings or structures that have architectural, historic or local community significance (but have not met the criteria for formal listing or scheduling) to be identified and included on a local list for protection under local planning policy. 1.0.4 This document gives advice about the requirements that will need to be met if developments are proposed which could affect any type of historic asset and outlines the approach that will be taken when such proposals are considered. Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) 3 1 . Introduction Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) 4 2 . Historic Context 2 Historic Context Origins and Growth of the Area Prehistoric 2.0.1 The Swansea, Neath and Afan valleys were carved out of the landscape largely as a result of glaciation during the last ice age: at its furthest extent the ice sheet spread as far as the Bristol Channel. Some evidence of human activity has been found in the region dating from soon after the retreat of the ice some 10,000 years ago, but the first known traces of human activity within the boundaries of Neath Port Talbot date from neolithic times. 2.0.2 A significant number of prehistoric sites exist within Neath Port Talbot including Neolithic chambered tombs, Bronze Age cairns, barrows and standing stones and Iron Age hill forts. Known monuments from these periods are often identified and protected as scheduled monuments, but many other sites are likely to exist but remain currently unknown. Within Neath Port Talbot, many of the known features from prehistoric times are to be found on higher ground: on hilltops and moorland and along ridgeways. However, this may be due to evidence of populations on lower lying and coastal areas being obscured by more recent development and sea level rise. Roman 2.0.3 When the Romans first arrived in south Wales (around 52-57 AD), the area is thought to have been a frontier area lying between the territories of the Silures and Demetae Iron Age tribes. This may be reflected in the pattern of development, with three large Roman marching encampments (temporary forts) being established in the area, followed Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) by major forts at Neath and Coelbren probably with significant associated civilian settlements. The main Roman road through south Wales (Via Julia Maritima) followed a route broadly similar to the present day A48, with the Roman road of Sarn Helen linking coastal areas with other Roman centres inland including at Brecon. Medieval 2.0.4 In the early medieval period, Roman and pre-Roman communication links would have remained important and it is likely that Margam Abbey, Neath Abbey and St. Baglans were all ecclesiastical centres prior to the foundation of the later monasteries/churches. The Norman influence reached Morgannwg (Glamorgan) in about 1093, which was followed by new land ownership patterns and the foundation of the boroughs of Neath, Aberafan and Kenfig. Within the County Borough, Neath is the most notable settlement having clear medieval or pre-medieval origins, with some significant extant remains (in particular the 5 castle and St. Thomas' Church) together with the central street plan, town bridge and overall character reflecting its history. There is little evidence remaining of the medieval origins of central Port Talbot (Aberafan) (the site of a castle and settlement at the crossing point of the river Afan). 2 . Historic Context Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Historic Environment (Consultation Draft - January 2019) 2.0.5 The monasteries were of significant importance at this time: Neath Abbey controlled and managed a large area of land to the west of the river Neath, with the resulting clearance of woodland and organisation of agriculture via a system of monastic granges. Margam Abbey was similar, but involved a greater investment in drainage and land improvement resulting in a clearly different landscape character and settlement pattern, visible to this day. 2.0.6 Overall, the medieval landscape pattern in the area was not characterised by nucleated villages with open field systems as in much of England and parts of Wales but was 'woodland pasture' comprising enclosed pasture/arable fields and woodlands with highly dispersed settlements. The upland areas show a relatively even distribution of house platforms and long houses complemented by open upland ridges used for common pasture. This contrasts with the nucleated boroughs of Neath and Aberafan which were created by the Norman lords.