The Barbican Conservation Area (Conservation Area No
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Gloucester City Council The Barbican Conservation Area (Conservation Area No. 6) Appraisal & Management Proposals Contents Part 1 Character Appraisal 1 Summary 1.1 Key characteristics 1 1.2 Key Issues 1 2 Introduction 2.1 The Barbican Conservation Area 1 2.2 The purpose of a conservation area character 2 appraisal 2.3 The planning policy context 2 2.4 Other initiatives 2 3 Location and landscape setting 3.1 Location and activities 3 3.2 Topography and geology 3 3.3 Relationship of the conservation area to its 3 surroundings 4 Historic development and archaeology 4.1 Historic development 4, 5 4.2 Archaeology 5 5 Spatial analysis 5.1 Plan form and layout 6 5.2 Landmarks, focal points and views 6 5.3 Open spaces, trees and landscape 6 5.4 Public realm 6 6 The buildings of the conservation area 6.1 Building types 6 6.2 Listed buildings 6, 7 6.3 Key unlisted buildings 7 6.4 Building materials and local details 7 7 The character of the conservation area 7.1 Key characteristics 8 7.2 Key negative features 8 Part 2 Management Proposals 8 Introduction 8.1 Format of the Management Proposals 9 9 Issues and recommendations 9.1 Poor quality modern development 9 9.2 Negative buildings 9 9.3 Unsure future for Gloucester Prison 9 9.4 Poor relationship with the River Severn/ 10 Pedestrian links 9.6 Few green spaces and trees 10 10 Monitoring and review 10 Appendix 1 Sustainability Report 11-15 Appendix 2 The Historical Development of Gloucester 14-21 Appendix 3 Scheduled Monuments 22 Appendix 4 Listed Buildings 23 Appendix 5 Bibliography 24 Maps Conservation Area 6 Management Proposals Conservation Area 6 Townscape Appraisal Conservation Area 6 Scheduled Ancient Monuments Part 1 Character Appraisal 1.2 Key Issues 1 Summary N Poor quality modern development; N Several very large “negative” buildings; 1.1 Key characteristics N Large amounts of negative open spaces; N This Character Appraisal of the Barbican Conservation Unknown future for Gloucester Prison; N Area concludes that the following are the key positive Poor relationship with the River Severn; features of the conservation area: N Poor pedestrian linkages across the area; N Few green spaces or trees. N Sloping site between River Severn and city centre, with two groups of listed buildings (Bearland Lodge/Bearland House and Gloucester Prison) separated by 20th century office buildings or surface 2 Introduction car parking; 2.1 The Barbican Conservation Area N Open quayside, with some traditional paving, The Barbican Conservation Area lies between The providing views to Gloucester Docks and across the Docks and the City Centre Conservation Areas on the river to the water meadows opposite; eastern bank of the River Severn, which has changed N Steep drop in level from Ladybellegate Street, course many times over the centuries. The area lies looking towards the prison; outside the line of the walls which defined the former N Close proximity of Blackfriars, a Scheduled Roman settlement in the city, on an area of land which Monument of national importance; historically has always been subject to flooding. N Outstanding group of grade II* listed buildings Gloucester Prison, which lies on the site of the former (Bearland House and Bearland Lodge) facing Gloucester Castle, now dominates the area, which is Longsmith Street; also the location for 20th century office blocks housing N Gloucestershire County Council, the Police, and Gloucester Prison (grade II* and II) is surrounded by Magistrates Courts. Apart from the prison, which is high brick walls; listed grade II*, there are a number of other listed N Prison entrance gate in Barracks Square is the most buildings, such as Bearland House, dating from the visible listed building in the prison complex, 17th century onwards. important in views from Quay Street; N Prison Governor’s House in Commercial Road is listed grade II; N Old Customs House facing The Quay is listed grade II; N Long view from prison entrance gate up Barbican Way to Blackfriars; N Long view of Gloucester Cathedral from Commercial Road along Barbican Road; Bearland House. View of Gloucester Cathedral from Commercial Road along Barbican Road. N Views of the spire of St Nicholas’ Church in Westgate Street from County Hall car park. The Barbican page 1 2.2 The purpose of a conservation area character N Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the appraisal Historic Environment, HMSO N The boundaries of the proposed Barbican Conservation Planning Policy Guidance 16: Archaeology, HMSO Area were drawn up during a review of the whole of the N Gloucester City Council Urban Design Strategy for City’s conservation areas in June 2006. It is hoped Central Gloucester, 2001 that Gloucester City Council will designate the new N Gloucester Heritage URC: Area Regeneration conservation area in Spring 2007. Framework (2006) N Conservation areas are designated under the Shopfronts – Design Guidelines for Gloucester provisions of Section 69 of the Planning (Listed N Gloucester City Council – emerging Lighting Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. A Strategy conservation area is defined as “an area of special N A Tree Strategy for Gloucester (2001). architectural or historic interest the character or In particular this document will assist the Council with appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or implementing its Core Policy 8: Protection and enhance”. Enhancement of the Built and Natural Environment, Section 71 of the same Act requires local planning and Development Control Policy No. BNE5: authorities to formulate and publish proposals for the Conservation Areas. preservation and enhancement of these conservation areas. Section 72 also specifies that, in making a 2.4 Other initiatives decision on an application for development within a conservation area, special attention must be paid to the In 1999, the Government established eight Regional desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or Development Agencies to co-ordinate regional appearance of that area. economic development and regeneration, and in 2003 it established the South West Regional Development In response to these statutory requirements, this Agency (SWERDA). Working with the City and County document defines and records the special architectural Councils, SWERDA established the Gloucester and historic interest of the conservation area and Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (URC) and identifies opportunities for enhancement. It is in subsequently submitted a successful bid to the Office conformity with English Heritage guidance as set out in of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) for the Guidance on Conservation Area Appraisals (August designation of Gloucester city centre, along with two 2005) and Guidance on the Management of outlying areas, for URC status. The URC’s main task Conservation Areas (August 2005). Additional is the production and implementation of an Area government guidance regarding the management of Regeneration Framework, which sets out a strategy historic buildings and conservation areas is set out for the URC area. within Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the In 2003 the URC commissioned a scoping report from Historic Environment (PPG15). Government advice on Alan Baxter Associates, according to a brief agreed archaeology, which is relevant to the Barbican with English Heritage. This Rapid Characterisation Conservation Area, is set out in Planning Policy Study considered the historical development of the Guidance Note 16: Archaeology (PPG16). This area and provided a basis for future work. document therefore seeks to: The URC adopted its Area Regeneration Framework in N Define the special interest of the conservation area July 2006. Consultants Terence O’Rourke Associates and identify the issues which threaten the special produced site-specific proposals for seven key sites qualities of the conservation area (in the form of the which provide detailed urban design advice for sites “Character Appraisal”); that will be a priority for implementation by the URC. N Provide guidelines to prevent harm and achieve This Character Appraisal and Management Proposals enhancement (in the form of the “Management document forms part of these initiatives, although they Proposals”). have been funded by the City Council and drawn up by independent consultants. 2.3 The planning policy context This document therefore provides a firm basis on which applications for development within the Barbican Conservation Area can be assessed. It should be read in conjunction with the wider development plan policy framework produced by Gloucester City Council. N Gloucester Local Plan Second Stage Deposit August 2002 G Policies BE.22, BE.23, BE.24 and BE.25 (Listed Buildings) G Policies BE.29, BE.30 and BE.30a,(Conservation Areas) N Gloucester’s emerging Local Development Framework Development Plan Documents: G Core Strategy G Development Control Policies G Central Action Area Plan G Allocations and Designations The Barbican page 2 3 Location and Landscape Setting 3.3 Relationship of the conservation area to its surroundings 3.1 Location and activities The conservation area is bounded to the south by the Gloucester is the county town of Gloucestershire and is Docks Conservation Area and to the north and east by located on flattish land along the River Severn, some the City Centre Conservation Area. To the west the ten miles to the west of Cheltenham. Tewkesbury lies River Severn forms a natural boundary with meadows about 15 miles to the north, with the Malvern Hills and beyond. Worcester beyond. The border of Wales is not far beyond the Forest of Dean to the west. To the south Immediately to the north is Quay Street, running parallel to Westgate Street. Westgate Street forms an lies Stroud, lying on the Cotswold escarpment, which arm of the Roman cross street pattern and is an rises steeply from the plain to the south-east of the city. important shopping street in the city containing many This is crossed by the M5 Motorway, connecting the historic buildings.