Fish Island & Hackney Wick South
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FISHFISH ISLANDISLAND & HACKNEYHACKNEY WICKWICK SOUTHSOUTH CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL & DRAFT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES PREPARED BY ROBERT BEVAN FOR LONDON LEGACY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION JANUARY 2014 Page_2 CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.2 The purpose of conservation areas 1.3 The purpose of this report 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 A short history of Hackney Wick and Old Ford 2.2 Status of Fish Island & Hackney Wick South Conservation Area 2.3 Summary of significance and reasons for designation 2.4 The new boundaries 3.0 CHARACTER APPRAISAL AND INDIVIDUAL ASSETS 3. 1 The context and setting of the conservation area 3.2 The character of the Fish Island & Hackney Wick South Conservation Area 3.3 Form, scale and layout of the conservation area 3.4 Land use and activities 3.5 Individual heritage assets and their significance 3.6 Tree Preservation Orders 4.0 MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES 4.1 Introduction DRAFTDRAFT 4.2 Guidance for applications 4.3 Policies relevant to the conservation area 4.4 Issues and opportunities for enhancement 4.5 Design principles for the conservation area 4.6 Monitoring change and enforcement FURTHER READING AND CONTACTS Page_4 © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited 2013 all rights reserved. This map may not be reproduced without permission. 676909110 County: LONDON Scale: 1:10,560 Date: 1938 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND The Fish Island & Hackney Wick Tower Hamlets and in Hackney South Conservation Area is in to the north, is the subject of a the London Borough of Tower number of development proposals Hamlets. It was first designated including some of substantial as the Fish Island Conservation scale. Area with more narrow boundaries in October 2008. The Fish Island Conservation Area Character The LLDC commissioned the Appraisal and Management Hackney Wick and Fish Island Guidelines was adopted by Tower Design and Planning Study to help Hamlets in November 2009. Tower guide and control development Hamlets also proposed a White proposals and inform the Post Lane Conservation Area and preparation of its Local Plan. That prepared a draft conservation study (2013) made a number of area appraisal report (July 2012) recommendations in respect of but the designation was not heritage in Hackney Wick and implemented. Fish Island including the extension of the existing Fish Island conservation area and candidate The duties and powers of Tower buildings for local listing. Hamlets as the local planning authority in the Hackney Wick and Fish Island area transferred to This appraisal document should the London Legacy Development be read in conjunction with the Corporation on 1st October 2012 Hackney Wick Conservation under the Localism Act 2011 and Area Appraisal and Management the LLDC (Planning Functions) Guidelines, which has been Order 2012. prepared in parallel for the Hackney Wick Conservation Area to the north of the railway It is part of a transfer of functions line (in the London Borough of previously vested in the Olympic Hackney). These two conservation Delivery Authority, the London areas together cover much of the Thames Gateway Development remaining historic environment of Corporation and the surrounding the wider Hackney Wick area. boroughs. The area to the east of the conservation area underwent rapid change with the holding of the 2012 London Olympics. Hackney Wick and Fish Island is now the focus of regeneration as part of the Olympic Legacy. Now, Hackney Wick, both within Opposite: Map of Hackney Wick 1938 Page_5 1.2 THE PURPOSE OF CONSERVATION AREAS A conservation area is an and private spaces such as area of special architectural or gardens, parks and greens; street historic interest “the character trees and street furniture. As well or appearance of which it is as physical form, its character desirable to preserve or enhance” may also be generated, in part, (Planning (Listed Building by the uses or mix of uses that and Conservation Areas) Act happen there. Local views may 1990, s. 69). The purpose of a also be important. It is also conservation area designation recognised that some elements is to help preserve or enhance of a conservation area may not the special character of the contribute to, or could even designated area. detract from, its special interest. These represent opportunities to enhance. A conservation area designation helps a planning authority control and direct development to this In reaching its decisions regarding end. Extra controls operate over proposed developments within a matters such as roof extensions conservation area, the planning or advertisements and there authority is required to pay special is a presumption against the attention to the desirability of demolition of structures or the preserving or enhancing the loss of trees that contribute to the character and appearance of a area’s character or appearance. conservation area. It will also seek Conservation areas are heritage to protect the setting of individual assets in their own right and may elements of the conservation area contain further heritage assets as well as the setting of the area within them in the form of statutory as a whole. or locally listed buildings - or there may be none. An area’s significance as a heritage asset may be of local, regional or, at times, be of national importance. It is the area as a whole that is of special interest as well as its individual features. Elements that make up character and appearance include: the historic layout and materials of roads; paths and boundaries; characteristic buildings; public Page_6 1.3 THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT This report provides a detailed extend the conservation area. development pressure. This offers analysis of the conservation area’s This is, principally, to take in the many welcome opportunities to architectural and historic character historic industrial buildings around enhance the conservation area in order to define its special White Post Lane and to include and its setting but also poses interest and to assist stakeholders the waterfront environment; part of threats to its special interest if its in understanding this significance, the historic infrastructure and the characteristic elements and uses the desirability of preserving area’s raison d’etre. The extension were to be lost. its special interest, as well as is discussed in more detail below. identifying opportunities for its enhancement. This introduction is followed The report also incorporates by an outline of Hackney Wick assessments regarding locally and Fish Island’s context and This report follows best practice listed buildings in the area as historical development. The area’s guidance including English well as identifying buildings of present state and its key heritage Heritage’s Understanding Place: townscape merit. The latter may assets are then set out and their Historic Area Assessments: not be of sufficient architectural significance described. The issues Principles and Practice (2010) interest to merit individual local affecting the area are summarised and Understanding Place: listing but nonetheless contribute and draft management guidelines Conservation Area Designation, positively to the townscape and to Appraisal and Management the character and appearance of (March 2011). It also has regard the conservation area. to the National Planning Policy It also proposes management Framework (March 2012) that guidelines to assist in preservation sets out policy on conserving and enhancement of the and enhancing the historic conservation area. environment. At the time of writing, the As part of this process, the area is the subject of intense opportunity is being taken to Above: View South from Hackney Wick Station Page_7 Page_8 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 A SHORT HISTORY OF HACKNEY WICK & OLD FORD The Hackney Wick and Fish It was the redevelopment of this In the mid 19th century it was Island area has a pattern of snuff mill into a silk works that intended to build a new gas human settlement that extends marked the fi rst stirrings of the works on 30 acres of railway and back to prehistoric times and area as an industrial district. This marshland to the east and south includes substantial activity intensifi ed following the digging of the railway embankments. during the Roman period. It has of the Hackney Cut in 1770 However, a decision to build been conjectured that much of (this now forms part of the Lee the gas works elsewhere led to the activity related to the crossing Navigation); more so following the development instead of a point of the River Lea at Old Ford the creation of the Hertford factory town made up of a loose (near today’s Old Ford Lock) that Union Canal in 1830. These grid of terraced houses and marked a strategic point on the waterways together with the neighbouring factories. Building route between Essex and the navigable River Lea were crucial began c.1878. Fish Island earned London area. Old Ford is fi rst to the area’s future development its name from the series of recorded as Eldeford or Oldeford although the area remained streets that take their names from in the 13th century. No standing predominantly agricultural until freshwater fi sh. monuments remain although there the late 1840s. The coming of the may be signifi cant archaeological railways then hastened the area’s At the same time, the waterways deposits to be discovered. transformation. were upgraded. This led to the development of noxious Until the 19th century, Hackney The North London Railway ran industries including oil and coal Wick, just to the north of Old Ford, on a north-west, south-east tar distilleries – especially in the was a hamlet in the marshland embankment through the area, White Post Lane area just south (Wick derives from a word for beginning services in 1847 with of the railway line in present day farm) reached from Wick Lane. a passenger station at Old Ford Tower Hamlets.