Birstall and Thurcaston Conservation Area Character Appraisals

CABINET - 15TH MARCH 2012

Report of the Head of Planning and Regeneration Lead Member: Councillor Matthew Blain

Part A

ITEM 13 BIRSTALL AND THURCASTON CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISALS

Purpose of the Report

To seek approval for the adoption of the Conservation Area Character Appraisals and Management Plans for Birstall and Thurcaston.

Recommendations

1. That the Character Appraisals and Management Plans for Birstall and Thurcaston Conservation Areas, attached as appendices 1 and 3 to this report, be adopted.

2. That delegated authority is given to the Head of Planning and Regeneration, in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning, to make minor amendments to Birstall and Thurcaston Conservation Area Appraisals prior to publication.

Reasons

1. To provide adopted guidance that identifies the special character and creates a sound basis for the management of Birstall and Thurcaston Conservation Areas.

2. To allow the Head of Planning and Regeneration to make minor amendments to documents before they are finalised for publication.

Policy Context

The Cabinet’s Vision for Charnwood to 2033 identifies the aspiration that new development should be “...built to reflect their surroundings, protect our heritage and take advantage of our natural beauty.”

The Council’s Draft Corporate Plan 20012-2016 intends to “Promote physical and economic growth across the whole Borough.” while “….protecting the unique identity of our towns and villages and vital green spaces.”

The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (as amended) places a duty on Local Authorities to formulate proposals to preserve and enhance conservation areas and to consult the local community.

Policy HE2.1 of Planning Policy Statement 5 (PPS 5) on “Planning for the Historic Environment”, published by the Department of Communities and Local Government, states that local planning authorities should ensure that they have evidence about the historic environment and heritage assets in their area and that this is publicly documented.

Local Plan Policy EV/1- Design, seeks to ensure a high standard design of all new development and that the design should be compatible with the locality and utilises materials appropriate to the locality.

Financial Implications

Management Plan action points can be accommodated within existing budgets.

Risk Management

Risk Identified Likelihood Impact Risk Management Actions Planned

Failure to adopt Appraisals Unlikely Moderate Adopt appraisals incorporating will lead to failure on local revisions indicator in Service Delivery Plan, resulting in lack of additional protection for the historic environment of the Borough.

Failure to adopt Unlikely Moderate Adopt Management Plans Management Plans will lead incorporating revisions to failure on local indicator in Service Delivery Plan, resulting in lack of additional protection for the historic environment of the Borough.

Key Decision: No

Background Papers: Vision for the Borough to 2033 Charnwood Borough Council Draft Corporate Plan 2012-2016. Planning Policy Statement 5 “Planning for the Historic Environment” published by Department of Communities and Local Government

Officer to Contact: Mark Fennell 01509 634748 [email protected]

2 Part B

Background

1 Birstall Conservation Area was designated in April 1984. Thurcaston Conservation Area was designated in March 1988.

2 A Conservation Area Character Appraisal is intended to be an objective statement and factual description of the conservation area. It justifies the historical and architectural reasons for designating the Area and describes the particular qualities of buildings, spaces and landscape that together create a distinctive street scene or other part of the public realm. It describes the strengths and weaknesses of the Area and identifies opportunities for enhancement. The appraisal should establish a sound basis for the guidance of planning and development control decisions, which can ultimately be defended at appeal.

3 The studies carried out for the Appraisals have been used to set out a Management Plan for each Conservation Area. The Character Appraisal and Management Plan form a single document for each Area.

Consultation

4 Consultation on the two draft Appraisals and Management Plans has taken place through public meetings in Birstall on 11th January 2012 and in Thurcaston on 18th January 2012. The draft documents have been made available on the Council’s website and in print by request.

5 A summary has been compiled of the comments made at the two public meetings and letters and emails received. The summary includes the action taken as a result. The two draft documents have been amended to take account of these comments. The amendments are visible as tracked changes.

6 The final Conservation Area Character Appraisals for Birstall and Thurcaston and the comments received during the consultation period are contained in Appendices 1-4. The appraisals will afford better protection of the character and identity of each Conservation Area, and contribute to maintaining the distinctive landscape and townscape of the Borough. Cabinet are asked to consider their adoption so they can be used guidance for the management of Birstall and Thurcaston Conservation Areas.

Appendices:

Appendix 1: Birstall Conservation Character Appraisal & Management Plan Appendix 2: Birstall Conservation Area: Responses to Draft Appraisal. Appendix 3: Thurcaston Conservation Area Character Appraisal & Management Plan. Appendix 4: Thurcaston Conservation Area: Responses to Draft Appraisal.

3 APPENDIX 1

Birstall Conservation Area Character Appraisal

INTRODUCTION 2 Planning policy context

ASSESSMENT OF SPECIAL INTEREST 4 LOCATION AND SETTING

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 5 Origins and development, Archaeological interest, Population

SPATIAL ANALYSIS 7 Plan form, Inter-relationship of spaces, Villagescape, Key views and vistas, Landmarks

CHARACTER ANALYSIS 9 Building types, layouts and uses, Key listed buildings and structures Key unlisted buildings, Coherent groups, Building materials and architectural details Parks, gardens and trees, Biodiversity

DEFINITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST 13 Strengths and Weaknesses

MANAGEMENT PLAN 15 General principles, Enforcement Strategy, Article 4 Direction, General condition Possible buildings for spot-listing, Possible boundary changes of the Conservation Area Enhancement opportunities, Economic development and regeneration strategy for the Area Strategy for the management and protection of important trees, greenery and green spaces Monitoring change, Consideration of resources, Summary of issues and proposed actions Developing management proposals, Community involvement, Advice and guidance

BIBLIOGRAPHY 19 LISTED BUILDINGS IN BIRSTALL 19

4 BIRSTALL CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL

Introduction Birstall Conservation Area was designated in April 1984. It covers an area of 8.3 Hectares.

The purpose of this appraisal is to examine the historic development of the Conservation Area and to describe its present appearance in order to assess its special architectural and historic interest.

The document sets out the planning policy context and how this appraisal relates to national, regional and local planning policies.

The main part of the report focuses on the assessment of the special interest of the Conservation Area: • Location and setting describes how the Area relates to the historic village and surrounding area; • Historic development and archaeology sets out how architecture and archaeology are related to the social and economic growth of the village; • Spatial analysis describes the historic plan form of the village and how this has changed, the interrelationship of streets and spaces, and identifies key views and landmarks; • Character analysis identifies the uses, types and layouts of buildings, key listed and unlisted buildings, coherent groups of buildings, distinctive building materials and architectural details, significant green spaces and trees and biodiversity.

These elements are brought together in a summary of the special interest of the Conservation Area.

The document is intended as a guide to people considering development which may affect the Conservation Area. It will be used by Development Control in their assessment of proposals. It may, of course, be used by residents of the Conservation Area.

Planning Policy Context The Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 defines a conservation area as ‘an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. Local planning authorities have a duty to review the overall extent of designation in their areas regularly and if appropriate, to designate additional areas. The Act sets out the general duties of local planning authorities relating to designated conservation areas:

• From time to time, to draw up and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas in their districts and to consult the local community about these proposals;

5 • In exercising their planning powers, to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of conservation areas.

‘Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment’ (PPS 5), published by the Department of Communities and Local Government, states the Government’s objectives for heritage assets and puts forward policies to balance the need to ensure the viability or usability of an asset against doing no harm to its architectural, historic, cultural or artistic values. The PPS advises that “local planning authorities should ensure that they have evidence about the historic environment and heritage assets in their area and that this is publicly documented” (Policy HE2.1). Conservation areas are ‘designated heritage assets’.

A conservation area contains a number and variety of elements which combine together to create the significance of the heritage asset overall. This appraisal describes those elements but it does not attempt to be exhaustive and the policies in PPS 5 lay the duty on all concerned, including residents and prospective developers, to understand the significance of any element.

The Regional Strategy for the East Midlands, published in March 2009, advises local authorities that the historic environment should be understood, conserved and enhanced, in recognition of its own intrinsic value (Policy 27: Regional Priorities for the Historic Environment). The RS is due to be withdrawn but remains in place until provision of the ‘Localism Act’ are brought into effect by Order of the Secretay of State.

Charnwood Borough Council Local Plan Saved Policy EV/1- Design, seeks to ensure a high standard of design for all new development and that the design should be compatible with the locality and utilise materials appropriate to the locality.

Other relevant guidance adopted by CBC • Backland & Tandem Development Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) • House Extensions SPG • Shopfronts & Signs SPD

6 ASSESSMENT OF SPECIAL INTEREST

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown copyright. Licence No 100023558

Current map of Birstall showing the Conservation Area and the Listed Buildings

Location and Setting Birstall is a village in the Soar Valley about 5 Km from Leicester City Centre. The village was vastly expanded in the 20th Century so that it now forms part of the urban fringe of Leicester although it is still very much a recognisable settlement in its own right, separated from the city by the Soar Valley.

The Conservation Area is more or less the “old village”, encompassing what remains of the original settlement as it was rebuilt from the middle of the 18th Century. Unfortunately, a substantial part of the historic fabric was lost before the Conservation Area was designated in 1984. Thus Birstall Hall is now a housing estate and The Lawn has been demolished for Birstall Social Club.

The Conservation Area is centred around the church of St James the Great on a pronounced mound which rises fairly steeply from the west bank of the river Soar. To the east is Watermead Park, an area of recreational land, lakes and marsh which was once an area of extensive gravel pits, with Thurmaston on the far side. To the west is an area of extensive housing estates on the hills. Immediately to the north of the Conservation Area is the present commercial area of the village with further housing estates rising up the hill beyond. To the south is a continuation of suburban housing which gradually drops and tapers to the flat valley bottom of the Soar. 7

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT Origins and Development The “Old Village” of Birstall probably has its origins in Saxon times. The name was first recorded as BurhSteall, meaning “old disused fort” which suggests that the Saxons may have settled an area previously occupied or used by the Romans. Its position on the banks of the river Soar is typical of Anglo Saxon settlements in the East Midlands. The village was built with access to a good water supply from the springs on the slopes above the river; below were the pastures and meadows in the floodplain for the cattle and above stretching out to the west were fields for the crops, wheat, barley, oats, peas and beans. For centuries the villagers farmed a system of open fields divided into strips. The principal fields were called Stoneyfield, Middle Field and Stocking Field.

The mother village of Birstall was Belgrave: the church of St James the Great in Birstall being a chapel with a sister chapel in Thurmaston. At the Conquest the manor of Bursteall, or Burstelle, was taken from Alwin Phochestan and given to Hugh de Grentesmaisnil who gave or sold a portion of it to Widard. The Domesday survey in 1086 has two separate entries for the estates giving their worth as 5oz of gold and 3oz of gold.

For six centuries Birstall remained a poor place where the lords of the manor often chose to live elsewhere and with few families of even modest wealth. In 1751 the lord of the manor, Lady Mary Gifford who was living in Paris sold the entire Birstall estate of 1,000 acres, including the village, to John Bass a wealthy Leicester business man for £21,000. John Bass built himself Birstall Hall by the Leicester to Derby turnpike road and obtained the Act of Parliament in 1759 which enclosed the great open fields and thus modernised the estate's agriculture, to the detriment of the poorer people who were dispossessed.

By the end of the eighteenth century Birstall was becoming a fashionable place for Leicester businessmen to live. The Lawn was built as a country house in the centre of the village and three large farmhouses, The Netherhall, Cliffe House and The Cottage, were modernised and became gentlemen’s residences. In 1841 Goscote Hall was built. But whilst Birstall was becoming a middle class suburb of Leicester with the principal land owners displaying a comfortable benevolence, change continued to be modest for the working man. When the National School was opened in 1860, Mr Walker of The Holt hoped that with education Birstall would no longer be known, at least for the working man, as "that benighted place".

At the end of the 19th Century a short walk to Belgrave allowed you to catch a tram to work in one of the town's many factories. And in 1899 Birstall and Belgrave Station was opened on the Great Central Railway, giving further impetus to new house building west of Loughborough Road on Birstall Hill. At the same time in the old village Elizabeth Whiles built several cottages on Front Street; her initials “EW” can still be seen on the facades.

By the 1920s three of the country estates had sold out to speculative builders and the fourth, the Goscote Estate, was sold in 1933. Birstall was quickly becoming the dormitory suburb of Leicester which it is today. The farmland 8 was covered with estates of semi-detached houses, leaving the old village as a small gem beside the river. Even so, within the Conservation Area, since the end of World War II, there has been a huge amount of infilling, houses along Birstall Road, shops and flats along Front Street, houses in the rear land between Birstall Road and Front Street and houses on the site of Birstall Mill. And away from the Conservation Area the suburban expansion of the village continues with the development of Hallam Fields further up the hill.

Archaeological Interest There is evidence of human settlement in the area long before the Saxons. People have lived in the area since at least the Iron Age and the area was settled by the Romans though not necessarily on the site of the Mediaeval village.

Roman coins have been found in a garden in Birstall Road and the upper stone of a beehive quern was found in the same garden. The quern may be from the late Iron Age. During the construction in the 1960s of a house in Roman Road, some distance from the Conservation Area, a Roman column drum and capital were found. The size of the column was larger than that of a typical villa portico and it was thought to be more typical of a temple or public building. Substantial remains of two “Belgic” pots of the late Iron Age have been found in Watermead Park.

Inside the church of St James the Great is a carving similar to Viking carvings and known in the village as 'The Birstall Beast'. There are also the remains of a Saxon window in the church.

The Domesday survey recorded two mills in Birstall. It is likely that one stood on the site of the post Mediaeval watermill on the west bank of the river, close to the present Mill Road. This mill was used for grinding corn but at the end of its life in the 20th Century it was used for making leatherboard.

There is a strong possibility of finding more archaeological evidence below ground anywhere within the Conservation Area.

Population The current population of Birstall is much larger now compared to its historic population. In the parish there are now about 11500 people, although, there are only 150 addresses in the Conservation Area. Historically, Birstall was never very large: in 1564 there were 26 families; in 1851 the population was 491 and in 1901 there were 611 people but by this time the village was expanding quickly.

A description of occupations in 1901 showed that the old staple forms of wage earning, farm labouring, framework knitting and domestic service were no longer the only option for the working man and woman: 27 males were agricultural labourers, just over 4%, whereas fifty years earlier 12% were labourers; only 1 framework knitter remained, whilst fifty years earlier there were 67. The new century saw a growing variety and independence in employment. 45 people were employed in shoe manufacturing, there were 11 teachers, 12 market gardeners, 6 of them owning their own business, 6 managers, 4 commercial travellers, and 4 engineers or machine minders. 9

SPATIAL ANALYSIS Plan Form Historic Birstall consisted of a ring of streets around the church with three lanes leading down to the river. In relation to the river the two main streets were called Front Street and Back Street, the former is still so called but Back Street has become Birstall Road. Going out, the village was connected to Wanlip, Thurcaston, Belgrave and the turnpike, now the A6. This pattern still exists today but may be less obvious because of the traffic on Birstall Road. Part of the character of the Conservation Area is the tranquillity of the streets away from Birstall Road.

Townscape The old village maintains some of its rustic character. There is a great variety of buildings, tall and low, with hedges, banks, walls and trees. Throughout the Area there is a considerable feeling of enclosure. The original houses or more particularly their outhouses were built up to the edge of the street. Even where houses are set back from the road there are generally walls and hedges and often the houses are set on quite high banks. The streets still have some of the mediaeval character, narrowing and curving, which gives a feeling of seclusion and intrigue.

The old village does not appear from the Ordnance Survey maps of the late 19th Century to have had a strong urban character. There was a terrace of housing along the east side of Front Street but elsewhere the buildings were fairly scattered with substantial areas of open space and orchards between them. In the 20th Century all these spaces have been built on, creating a suburban feel throughout the village.

Birstall Road has a great variety of buildings along it. Many of the houses are relatively new, being set back from the road. Some of the older outhouses remain at the edge of the road. Many gardens have either high brick walls or stone or slate walls topped with a hedge. For a substantial length of the road there is a high, rather straggly hedge of holly, overgrown with ivy. Throughout, there is a general feeling of enclosure, which is strengthened by the rising and curving nature of the road.

Front Street is a quiet street bounded for much of its length on the east side by late Victorian terraced cottages, many built by Elizabeth Whiles. They stand at the edge of the road, enclosing the space. Opposite them there is a greater variety of buildings, the older ones at the edge of the road, some newer ones set back, higher up. The churchyard is bounded by a stone wall with a dense line of yew trees. Overall, the feeling is one of enclosure. There is an unattractive gap at the car park of the Royal British Legion.

Where Front Street leaves Wanlip Lane there are some terraces of shops which look out beyond the boundary of the Conservation Area upon the car park and high close boarded fence of the Earl of Stamford Pub. There is a pleasant view where Whiles Lane dips down to the canal and the broad valley of the river. However, the whole stretch from the roundabout at the end of Sibson Road to the junction of Whiles Lane is very poorly defined, albeit that the Libra Parade of shops and some of the roadway are outside the boundary 10 of the Conservation Area. The expanse of tarmac, pavement, and private car parks create a poor setting at the entrance to the Conservation Area. There has been a marked improvement in 2011 through the repaving and installation of new street furniture around the shops beside the roundabout.

Church Hill is a quiet narrow lane. As with Front Street, the older houses are built to the edge of the road and the newer houses are set back. Much of the lane is bounded by earth banks with hedges above.

Of the lanes which lead to the river, Whiles Lane itself is not included in the Conservation Area.

White Horse Lane is a narrow street. The south side is tightly bounded by a terrace of outbuildings, now converted to residential use, which broadens out at the White Horse Inn. The north side is bounded by a hedge and higher up on the bank is the relatively new block of Riverside Court. The lane continues to the towpath which gives access to the network of footpaths in Watermead Park.

Mill Close is a new cul-de-sac of detached dwellings. The junction with Front Street is rather broad, which spoils the feeling of enclosure though the houses at this end have been very well constructed and positioned at the edge of the road to give the appearance of being original houses in the village. Lower down the slope they are suburban houses with front gardens, a form that has less distinctiveness. There is a backdrop of trees behind the houses.

Netherhall Lane is an attractive narrow street which leads down the hill to a stile from where there is a footpath across the meadows to Birstall Road, possibly an historic track. The east side of the lane is bounded tightly by a substantial tall outbuilding, beyond which is Claremont House. The west side of the lane is bounded by quite a tall steep bank above which there is a variety of houses, some relatively old, others much newer.

Interrelationship of Spaces The principal open space within the Conservation Area is the churchyard of St James the Great. It sits above the ring of streets with a fairly dense line of yew trees separating it from Front Street. Otherwise the open spaces are outside the boundary of the Conservation Area.

There is what feels like a rather intimate relationship between the Old Village and Watermead Park. The river and the broad valley in which it flows are largely hidden from view in the streets of the Conservation Area. Both Whiles Lane and White Horse Lane give access to the towpath along the canal and there is a footbridge over the canal into the main part of the park.

Key Views and Vistas Views into and out of the Area are quite limited. The enclosure of the streets by buildings and trees means that interest derives from the changing nature of the view as one progresses. There are views of Watermead Park from the churchyard but few glimpses out from the village. Looking in from the towpath and the Park the village on the hill is only glimpsed through the trees.

11 The approach from Sibson Road and from Wanlip Lane is marred by the poor quality of the façade of the shops and the expanse of road and pavement. The new roundabout has started to improve this. Looking out to the north also has limited value.

The approach from Red Hill along Birstall Lane is more interesting. The Area is marked at the brow of the hill by the narrowing of the road at the junction with Church Lane where the thatched cottage reduces the width of the road. This narrowing has been strengthened by an intervention to restrict traffic to a single lane. Just before the brow the low stone built stable block at the edge of the road is another marker of the Conservation Area.

Looking towards Leicester along Birstall Road there is a narrow view of the city spread out on the plain.

The finest view is from the end of Netherhall Lane where one can look out over the peaceful valley of the river Soar, with the tall buildings of the city rising beyond the trees.

Landmarks The old village, and hence the Conservation Area is rather tucked away from the general concourse. Even the church tower is largely hidden from view. The old National School erected in 1860 creates a focus at the junction of School Lane with Birstall Road. The School is built of random granite with an imposing Gothic porch of ashlar containing two doorways. The roof of plain clay tile is long and sweeps down to the ground floor which has stone faced quatrefoil windows. Within the slope of the roof are two plain dormers and on top is a cupola of delicate design.

Claremont House, No 20 Netherhall Lane is a fine example of a Victorian villa in red brick with a hipped slate roof and white painted sash windows. It looks out over the meadows of the valley but tucked away it could easily be missed. It is in good condition, more or less intact, with some good details at the window heads, wide overhanging eaves, terracotta finials on the ridges of the outbuildings, chimney stacks and pale buff chimney pots.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS Building Types, Layouts and Uses There is quite a surprising variety of buildings in the Conservation Area. Mostly they are now domestic and residential but within this category there are tall 3 storey Georgian houses, Victorian houses, terraced cottages, a few remaining timber framed and thatched cottages, outhouses and workshops now converted as dwellings. Of the non-domestic buildings, besides the church with its large 1960s extension, and the school, there are two pubs, the Reading Room, now Gunn’s Gym, and some commercial buildings.

Uniquely in Birstall within the settlements of Charnwood there are Birstall DIY and Blue Moon Beauty Salon on Birstall Road, Birstall Cabs on Front Street and No 2 Whiles Lane which make a distinctive contribution to the character and appearance. They are built of random field stone or granite with brick quoins, but it is their form which makes them special. They were probably 12 outbuildings and are built at right angles to the street, a simple rectangular plan with a single ridge with the gable end at the back of the pavement. Beyond the Conservation Area No 17 Sibson Road has a similar form.

As a result of the great expansion of Birstall there is a very large proportion1 of buildings in the Conservation Area dating from the 20th Century whose plans and layouts diverge from the traditional pattern, although, that traditional pattern is still evident. Aside from the gentlemen’s residences the local buildings were of a simple rectangular form, of one and a half or two storeys with a single ridge parallel to the street. At the rear there may be an extension at right angles but this would generally not be visible from the public realm. Some of the terraces built by Elizabeth Whiles on Front Street have an unusual layout with a small front extension which adds variety to the street.

Key Listed Buildings and Structures The principal building at the centre of the Conservation Area is the church of St James the Great, a fine Grade II parish church. The original mediaeval building was extensively restored in 1860 by Gilbert Scott. The church is built of ironstone and granite with a Swithland slate roof and a squat tower with an embattled parapet. In the 1960s a large modern extension was built to the north. The building of the extension entailed a substantial removal of the north wall of the original church. The extension is built of concrete panel with strong vertical fenestration and a shallow copper roof. Inside is a wide, light and airy space for the church services leaving the original nave for social and communal purposes. The entrance to the churchyard has a delicate wrought iron overthrow with a lantern.

Two other listed buildings make a substantial contribution to the Conservation Area. The National School is an interesting building in Gothic style of local stone and ashlar. It is well placed at the junction of School Lane and Birstall Road creating a rather low aspect with its long sloping roof of Swithland Slate. There are new extensions at either end of the building which match reasonably well with the original though the exposed brick face at the rear to the north does not do justice either to the Listed Building or to the Conservation Area.

At the corner of Birstall Road and Church Hill is one of the few remaining older cottages. Forge Cottage is timber framed with white painted brick infill panels and a thatched roof.

There are two other timber framed cottages, both listed, but they make little contribution to the Conservation Area because they are largely screened from view by tall hedges.

Key Unlisted Buildings Some of the outbuildings along Birstall Road create an interesting reminder of the former old village. Among them are Birstall DIY. The building is of random pieces of Swithland slate with red brick quoins and a Swithland slate roof. The shop front could be easily restored to a traditional style which would enhance its attractiveness. On the other side of the DIY yard is the Blue Moon Beauty

1 Half the addresses in the present Conservation Area do not appear on the 19th Century maps. 13 Salon, a similar building but of brick with a Welsh slate roof. There is a similar building, unfortunately very poorly maintained, also of random Swithland slate with red brick quoins at 72 Front Street occupied by Birstall Cabs. This building lies outside the Conservation Area.

Also along Birstall Road are the old Reading Room, now Gunns Gym, a low building of red brick with tiles laid on edge to form the surrounds of the door and windows. Further up the hill at the edge of the road is the stable block to No 5 Church Hill. The Blacksmith’s Forge is also a Key Building.

The imposing double pile three storey Georgian building of No 5 Church Hill has suffered inappropriate changes. It has many fine original sash windows but too many have been replaced with wholly inappropriate uPVC which has none of the delicacy or charm of traditional timber and does great damage to the integrity of the building and also to the Conservation Area.

In the quiet part of the Conservation Area are the two pubs, The Old Plough and The White Horse. Both are well maintained and proud of their position in the village.

Coherent groups The terrace of Elizabeth Whiles cottages along Front Street together with the Old Plough Inn and the Elizabeth Whiles building, now called St James Court, on the other side of the street give a good sense of 19th Century Old Birstall. The sense continues to the south with the more varied cottages and terraces from No 1 to No 29 Front Street. This group is broken by the car park of the British Legion club but is enhanced by the new cottages at the entrance to Mill Close.

Building Materials and Architectural Details Walls There is a variety of building materials in the Conservation Area. The original buildings in the old village would have been timber framed and of these only a few remain. Of the rebuilding of the village in the 19th Century the normal building material was red brick, laid to Flemish bond, with outbuildings of Swithland slate or stone from Charnwood Forest. There are also earlier brick buildings in the village and often these have plinths of slate or forest stone. The residential expansion of the early 20th Century introduced Tudorbethan style which is very common in the village as a whole and has a few examples in the Conservation Area. These are generally individual detached houses, with brick at ground floor and black painted timbering and white painted render infill panels at first floor. Many other buildings of brick in the Conservation Area have been painted white or rendered and painted.

Roofs The original roofing material was probably thatch. Swithland slate is also used but by the late 19th Century the dominant material was Welsh slate with some plain clay tile. Amongst these many of the 20th Century houses have roofs of concrete tile.

Some of the houses of the new estate of Mill Close have roofs of dark plain clay tile with patterned bands of shaped tile. 14

Doors and Windows The finer houses in the Area have timber sash windows. Mostly the traditional windows are timber casements. However, a large proportion of windows in all kinds of building have been replaced with uPVC, which is most unfortunate since much of the character of the houses, and consequently the Area, has been lost. By contrast most doors remain as timber.

Details There is a George V wallmounted letterbox tucked beside No 10 Netherhall Lane.

A feature at The Gate House on Mill Close where emblems of a Green Man with piercing eyes have been placed on each of the window heads.

Parks, Gardens and Trees The Conservation Area is well endowed with trees. Indeed much of its character derives from them. Mostly they are in private gardens both at the front and at the rear. A number of trees were subject to Tree Preservation Orders before the designation of the Conservation Area, as have some since the designation. For most of its length Birstall Road is shaded with trees and hedging which contribute to its sense of seclusion. Along Church Lane there are many shrubs on the banks. Two areas of woodland surrounding the Grade II listed Cottage on School Lane were also given protection before the designation. There is an important Beech tree at the junction of Birstall Road with School Lane. The Lime trees and the Yew trees in the churchyard make a particular contribution to the character of the Area.

The only public green space in the Conservation Area is the churchyard. It is a peaceful space, secluded and sheltered by trees, which adds to the sense of calm which is the hallmark of the Conservation Area away from the busy Birstall Road.

Many of the Elizabeth Whiles cottages on Front Street are graced with hanging flower baskets, which add to the street scene.

Beyond the Area itself there are several important green spaces. The Country Park is the best known, offering many opportunities for recreation and leisure. At the end of Nether Hall Lane is a delightful open meadow leading to the edge of the river. It is traversed by a footpath. Along School Lane is Birstall Recreation Ground, with a bowling green, football and cricket. It links to the public garden at the roundabout at the end of Sibson Road. White Horse Lane gives access to the towpath along the canal which in turn gives access to Watermead and to the north becomes a very pleasant canalside walk.

Biodiversity The River Soar, which strongly defines the eastern boundary of the Conservation Area, has been notified as a Local Wildlife Site, a non-statutory designation given to the most valuable ecological sites in Leicestershire. Beyond the ribbon of the river, Watermead Country Park, which was created as a result of past sand and gravel extraction, now forms an extensive

15 network of wetland habitats, including lakes, wet woodlands, wet meadows, hedgerows and reedbeds.

Unsurprisingly, some of the species principally associated with the river flood plain, have found their way into the Conservation Area. The grass snake Natrix natrix, has been found in compost heaps in gardens off Birstall Road. This is one of only six native reptiles in Britain and it is entirely harmless. Unlike other snakes which give birth to live young, the grass snake lays eggs in piles of vegetation, such as compost heaps, where the incubation process benefits from the heat of decomposition.

Besides the range of small garden birds, species such as the sand martin Riparia riparia have been recorded flying around the Conservation Area. Sand martins are known to use river corridors as travelling highways and feed above water bodies and reed beds which are rich in insects. A special nesting bank has enabled them to breed successfully at Watermead Country Park. Several roosts of common pipistrelle bats Pipistrellus pipistrellus have been recorded within the Area. These bats are likely to use the Area’s high-quality network of mature trees and hedgerows as insect-rich foraging grounds. A grounded noctule bat Nyctalus noctula was also found in Front Street: this species is associated with mature trees rather than buildings and although it is not known where the roost is located, the river habitat and Country Park would represent optimum foraging grounds in close proximity to the Conservation Area.

DEFINITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST The main contributions to the special character of Birstall Conservation Area are: • The relationship between the old village and Watermead Park • The form and plot position of the remaining buildings, Birstall DIY, Blue Moon Beauty Salon on Birstall Road, Birstall Cabs on Front Street and No 2 Whiles Lane, which are unique to Birstall.

16 • The secluded and tranquil nature of the streets away from the traffic and commerce • The wealth of many trees • The conservation of Old Birstall within the suburban housing estates.

Weaknesses Within the Area the large car park of the British Legion has left an awkward gap in the otherwise enclosed character of Front Street. For the full depth of the tarmac there is a range of unattractive single storey outbuildings which make the gap more noticeable. The oversized image of a poppy, the British Legion logo, on the plain gable end of the house announces the presence of the Club but it emphasises and does not mitigate the gap.

Just beyond the Area, where Front Street leaves Wanlip Road, the large area of tarmac pavement, the broad street junctions, the close boarded fence of the Earl of Stamford Pub, and the poor quality of the Libra Parade of shops all combine to make an unsympathetic setting to the Conservation Area. The pub itself and the newer St Theresa’s Catholic Church behind it are both interesting and attractive buildings as is the last remaining stone built cottage of No 2 While’s Lane. All three would be worth incorporating into the Conservation Area but to do so would require a substantial investment from both private and public sources to improve the car parking and public realm between and around them.

Some of the fine sash windows of Cliffe House have been replaced with uPVC to the detriment of this fine Georgian double pile building and the Area.

The street lighting and road signage including yellow lines is the standard applied to the whole county. It is not necessarily appropriate to the Conservation Area.

In the evenings Front Street suffers from a large volume of car parking from customers at the two pubs and the British Legion Club. This disturbs the otherwise peaceful character of the Area. However, any control that could be imposed on the parking would require an increase in signage and yellow lines which would be to the detriment of the village character of this part of the Conservation Area and in conflict with the comment immediately above.

17 MANAGEMENT PLAN General Principles The appraisal above should be used to inform and guide development decisions.

Any proposed changes should be carried out in a sensitive manner, taking into account the established character. New development must respond to its immediate environment i.e. its context, in terms of scale, form, materials and detailing. Otherwise, alterations will have a detrimental effect on the historic and locally distinctive form of the Area.

Within the Area the Council will insist on good quality schemes which respond positively to their historic setting, this extends to small buildings such as garages and even boundary walls and fences. Minor alterations need to be carefully considered as incremental change can have a significant detrimental effect on the character of an area over a period of time.

Central government guidance contained in Planning Policy Statement 5, the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, Leading in Design and other SPD will be used to assess the quality of proposal for new development.

The character of the Conservation Area identified in the appraisal document is such that the following general principles should be noted when considering any development in all parts of the Conservation Area:

The Conservation Area retains some of the distinct “grain” or pattern of built form and spaces which are part of its historic development. This gives the Area its individuality, characterised by the pattern of historic buildings, ancient footpaths and highways and clearly defined boundaries. The “grain” is an important part of the character of the Conservation Area and needs to be protected. • The emphasis for new proposals will be on high quality of design. There may be opportunity for innovative modern design. However a dramatic contemporary statement is unlikely to be appropriate. • Scale is the combination of a building’s height and bulk when related to its surroundings. Proposed new development must take into account the scale of the existing buildings, and must not dominate or overwhelm them. • Alterations and extensions must respect the form of the original building and its locality. The use of high quality materials and detailing, whether modern or traditional is essential. Roof lines, roof shape, eaves details, verge details and the creation of new chimneys are important considerations. • Windows and doors of a traditional design respect the historic nature of the buildings to which they belong and make a very important contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area. The use of upvc and standardised high speed joinery techniques nearly always leads to unsuitably detailed windows which will be generally unacceptable in the conservation area. In most cases the Building Regulation requirements can be met without the need to use clumsy and awkwardly detailed windows. • The appraisal has identified the types of materials that characterise the Conservation Area and where possible they should be used to help alterations respect the established character. 18 • Applicants for planning permission must provide a meaningful “Design and Access Statement”, to explain the design decisions that have been made and to show how proposed alterations relate to their context. A detailed analysis of the locality should demonstrate that there is a full appreciation of the local streetscape and how it has developed, including prevailing building forms, materials and plot ratios. • Safeguarding of protected species must be taken on board when considering planning proposals such as conversion, tree felling, housing development and other changes which may affect their roosting places, commuting routes and feeding areas.

Enforcement strategy Effective enforcement is vital to make sure there is public confidence in the planning system to protect the special character of the Area. Unauthorised development can often be damaging to that character.

Taking proactive action can improve the appearance and character of the Area, making it more attractive and in some instances increasing the potential for investment. Effective monitoring of building work to make sure it is carried out in accordance with the approved details and with planning conditions ensures new development makes the positive contribution envisaged when permission was granted.

In order to protect the character of the Conservation Area the Borough Council will seek to: • use enforcement powers in cases where unauthorised development unacceptably affects the character of the Conservation Area; • take proactive action to improve or enhance the appearance of the Area; • monitor development under way to make sure it fully complies with the terms of any planning permission or listed building consent.

Carrying out unauthorised work to a listed building or to protected trees and hedgerows and the unauthorised demolition of a building within a conservation area is an offence. In such cases, the Council will consider prosecution of anyone responsible and enforcement of any necessary remedial action.

The powers set out in Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 will be used where sites are identified as detracting from the character of the conservation area by being eyesores or untidy.

Article 4 Direction The quality of a conservation area is often threatened by the cumulative impact of numerous small changes to many buildings. Terraces that once displayed integrity of design through the use of matching features such as doors, window, chimneys and porches, have been unbalanced by various alterations and additions. On the whole such changes do not require planning permission.

In order to preserve and enhance the character of conservation areas, many planning authorities use Article 4 Directions to restrict permitted development 19 rights on groups of buildings or areas. Restrictions normally relate to particular elements such as replacement windows and doors, or roofing.

In carrying out the survey it was noticed that some of the fine sash windows of Cliffe House have already been replaced with uPVC to the detriment of both this fine Georgian double pile building and the Conservation Area. It is proposed therefore to consider an Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights in order to preserve the remaining windows and encourage the restoration of the missing sash windows..

General condition The Conservation Area is in a fair condition. The large proportion of 20th Century infill has diminished the historic character and damaged the open space of the private gardens especially between Birstall Road and Front Street.

Possible buildings for spot listing In carrying out the appraisal buildings within the Conservation Area are identified for “spot listing”, i.e. considered for inclusion on the list of statutory listed buildings.

In 1978 an attempt was made to protect Nos 5 and 7 Front Street but statutory listing was refused. An attempt was also made to protect No 2 Whiles Lane, outside the Conservation Area, but this too was refused. No 72 Front Street, Birstall Cabs, needs to be included in the Conservation Area. The forge at the top of Birstall Road was built when the original village forge was demolished to make way for the School. It is suggested that this forge be put forward for “Statutory Listing”.

Possible Boundary Changes of the Conservation Area In carrying out the appraisal the qualities of the late 19th century and early 20th century estates beyond the present Conservation Area to the south and west of the old village were noted. In particular, the fine detached houses on Tempest Road and Park Road, a substantial stretch of Loughborough Road, and other streets deserve a fuller appraisal and may benefit by designation as a conservation area, either enlarging the present Area or creating a new one.

As noted above, No 72 Front Street, one of the traditonal stone buildings which is currently in a very poor state of repair, should be brought into the Area.

Enhancement opportunities The principal opportunity for enhancement would be a comprehensive scheme to improve the the stretch of Front Street within the Area and its junction with Whiles Lane. If this were done in conjunction with private investment to improve the car parks and fencing to the Earl of Stamford pub and St Theresa’s church it may be possible to incorporate these two interesting buildings along with No 2 Whiles Lane into the Conservation Area.

20 The shop fronts of No 72 Front Street, and the DIY store and the Beauty Salon on Birstall Road would benefit by general refurbishment and restoration to traditional style.

Economic development and regeneration strategy for the Area A limited fund is available from Leicestershire County Council to repair Listed Buildings.

Strategy for the management and protection of important trees, greenery and green spaces The Borough Council supports the priorities set out in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Biodiversity Action Plan for the conservation of a variety of wildlife and their habitats within Charnwood. The Council will collaborate with its partners when the plan is reviewed and modified to ensure that the necessary actions are being taken by the appropriate agencies.

General management guidelines • Retention and protection of mature trees. • Replacement planting to provide the next generation of trees. • Additional planting at key strategic points to reinforce habitat connectivity within the biodiversity network.

Monitoring change A photographic record of the conservation area has been made and will be used to help identify the need to review how changes within the conservation area are managed. A greater degree of protection will be accomplished if the local community help monitor any changes.

Consideration of resources This management plan sets out the commitment of the Borough Council to protecting the character and appearance of Charnwood’s conservation areas and how it will use its resources to achieve these aims. Pursuing all actions may be seen as desirable but continued monitoring and review will help focus the use of available resources in the most effective way.

Summary of issues and proposed actions Conservation Proposed Action Lead Partner Other Partners Area Issue Protection of No Investigate Charnwood 72 Front Street extension to the Borough Council Conservation Area boundary Poor character of Consider Leics County Charnwood junction of Front enhancement Council Borough Council Street and Whiles scheme and Birstall Lane Parish Council Shop fronts of the Consider Birstall Parish Charnwood DIY store and enhancement Council Borough Council Beauty Salon on scheme 21 Birstall Road Preservation of Consider Article 4 Charnwood sash windows at Direction on this Borough Council Cliffe House building Inappropriate Consider more Leics County Birstall Parish street lighting and appropriate street Council Council and road signage lighting and Charnwood discuss reduction Borough Council of signage

Developing management proposals Various forces, historical, cultural and commercial, have shaped the development of the conservation area, creating a sense of place and individual identity. The character and appearance of the conservation area is vitally important, both in attracting investment in the area itself, and in the encouragement of initiatives to the benefit of the wider community.

Community involvement This document has been prepared with the assistance of the local community and a 4 consultation period was provided for comments to be made on the draft Appraisal. A public meeting was held in Birstall so that local residents and businesses could contribute their ideas about the Area. All comments and responses were considered and appropriate amendments made to the document before being submitted to Cabinet.

Advice and Guidance The Borough Council Planning and Regeneration Team can advise on the need for Planning Permission or Listed Building Consent and can provide guidance on matters such as appropriate methods of maintenance/repairs, changes to shopfronts, alterations and extensions and suitable materials.

Contacts: Conservation and Design Team Tel. 01509 634748 [email protected]

Development Management Tel. 01509 634691 [email protected]

Planning Enforcement Tel. 01509 634722

Bibliography John Nichols, “History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire”, Vol 3, 1800 Michael Smith, “Eight Ounces of Gold”, Birstall and District Local History Society, 1998

22 Acknowledgements The Council is grateful to the assistance of Michael Smith, local historian in Birstall, whose work covers the whole span of development in the village and is very pleasant to read.

Statutory Listed Buildings in Birstall All listed Grade II: Church of St James the Great The Cottage, School Lane School, School Lane The Cottage, 10 Front Street 1 Church Hill

23 APPENDIX 2

Birstall Conservation Area Responses to Draft Appraisal Public Meeting held on Wednesday 11 January 2012 at the Parish Hall 53 People attended

Person Issue Our response 1 At the Public Meeting The area of Tudorbethan houses, Tempest Agreed. This will need to be an entirely new Road and Park Road, and parts of Conservation Area since it is too remote from Loughborough Road should be designated as the Old Village. a Conservation Area. There is some urgency as there is potential for significant changes occurring in the very near future. 2 Ditto There should be an Article 4 Direction on Cliffe Document amended to say that this will be House to prevent any further damage to the considered, although the proportion of windows replacement uPVC windows already installed may be too great. 3 Ditto + letter An area at the top of White Horse Lane is of Investigate tidiness of the site. poor quality 4 Ditto There should be signs announcing that you are This could be done for all Conservation Areas. It in or approaching the Conservation Area. would be a fairly significant cost. 5 Ditto Quality of the Street Lighting is not fitting in the Agreed. The lighting is the standard provided by Conservation Area. Leicestershire County Council. The cost of any changes is likely to have to be paid for by the Parish Council. 6 Ditto The poor state of maintenance of the Taxi The state of the build will be investigated and Office is of great concern. necessary actions persued.

24 7 Ditto Improve the junction of Front Street and Agreed. Whiles Lane 8 Ditto We should write to owners to encourage them Noted. It is hoped that the publication of the to take better care of their properties in the Appraisal and the holding of the public meeting Conservation Area. will go some way towards this objective. 9 Ditto Include the trees along the north side of White Council officers do not consider these trees Horse Lane. worthy of inclusion. 10 Ditto Praise for the flower baskets on Front Street Noted, document amended. 11 Ditto The forge building at the top of Birstall Road Noted, document amended. should be listed 12 Val and Ken Younger Poor state of street cleansing on Front Street Passed to Street Cleansing and White Horse Lane Poor state of maintenance of the hedge on Passed to Parks Department White Horse Lane Poor quality of the car parking and rear Noted. buildings of the British Legion on Front Street. Noise and car parking nuisance from people Noted, document amended using the two pubs and the British Legion 13 David and Sarah High quality signage to announce the See above Cather Conservation Area. Parish Council should be encouraged to See above replace the basic lamp-posts with more aesthetically pleasing posts to add value to the character of the Area. Planning officers should liaise with the The Forum of Conservation Officers for Highways department to either remove or Leicestershire and Rutland is in contact with the replace with more aesthetically pleasing road County Highway Authority and will raise the signage and consider removing yellow lines issues of concern. Is the plethora of signs really necessary?

25 We agree that constructing a granite and red brick wall to close the gap at the car park The enhancement scheme will be a matter for would be a major enhancement to Front consideration. Street. Perhaps a wrought iron entrance arch could be sensitively be included in the design which mirrors the arch into St James’ church? Improve the appearance of Libra Parade. Improve the appearance of Birstall Cabs’ office Unfortunately, Libra Parade is not in our control and Birstall DIY premises See above Restoration of the traditional sash windows in Cliffe House. See above. Document amended. The “waste” land/unapproved parking area at the top of White Horse Lane should be See above. Document amended. appraised for improvement opportunities.

14 Mary Houghton Problems with parking during the evenings on This issue must be dealt with by Leics CC Front Street Highways Dept though the effect on the Area is recorded in the document. There is a conflict between the desire to keep the area clear of roadsigns and yellow lines and the desire to control parking. 15 Rose and Nick Down State of the War Memorial The Parish Council are aware and appropriate action is being taken. 16 Ivan and Susan King Concern about overdevelopment and loss of Noted. trees 17 Helena Edwards The building occupied by Aroma Spice, almost This building is probably too far removed and diagonally opposite the old Birstall cabs separate from the Conservation Area, and building, is looked at. The roof lines, materials surrounded by buildings of little quality. and offset/sideways angle of the building are

26 similar to buildings on Birstall Road that are deemed to be of interest. When the current shop frontages are replaced over time, it would be good to see restoration to a more original form. It would be compatible with extending the conservation area boundary to include the old Birstall cabs site as it is an important "bone" in the skeleton of that most visible part of the conservation area. Are old walls or remnants thereof protectable? The one behind hideous Libra Parade is echoed by a section facing Sibson Road on the Triangle (it ends where the footpath into the park, past the old parish council office now Wanlip Pre-School runs). It would be good if they could be saved from future removal. The square of houses and rear gardens that is Agreed, See above Station Road, and Tempest Road, which contains Burley Almshouses (a splendid stone built Gimson building) be considered for a second Conservation area before the current garden grab blights it. The closest end of Park Road to that area also has some splendid houses. The Clock House, 121 Roman Road, be This building will be reviewed. considered for local listing.

18 Catherine Laughton There are views of Watermead Park from the Document amended. churchyard.

Consider visual improvements to Birstall DIY Encourage owners to carry out these works. premises and 72 Front Street.

Loss of original windows at Cliff House. Consider article 4 Direction.

Blacksmith’s Forge on Birstall Road is a Key Document amended. Building.

The footpath at the end of Netherhall Lane is Added to document. likely to be an historic track.

Article 4 Direction should cover more Consider Article 4 Direction. properties.

3 & 7 Front St, the Reading Room and Review these buildings for submission for Blacksmith’s Forge should be considered for Listing. Listing.

Suggested boundary amendment. Consider during review of boundary.

Support for enhancement to sites within the Noted. conservation area. 19 Clerk to Birstall Parish Consider including 3a Wanlip Lane for Consider during review of boundary. Council. inclusion within the Area.

Consider a new conservation area for Station This will be considered along with other requests Road, Tempest Road, Park Road, Cliffe Road for new designations. and Henson Close.

APPENDIX 3

Thurcaston Conservation Area Character Appraisal

INTRODUCTION 2 Planning policy context

ASSESSMENT OF SPECIAL INTEREST 5 LOCATION AND SETTING

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 5 Origins and development, Archaeological interest, Population

SPATIAL ANALYSIS 8 Plan form, Inter-relationship of spaces, Villagescape, Key views and vistas, Landmarks

DEFINITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST 13 Strengths and Weaknesses

MANAGEMENT PLAN 14 General principles, Enforcement Strategy, Article 4 Direction, General Condition. Possible buildings for spot-listing, Possible boundary changes of the Conservation Area Enhancement opportunities, Economic development and regeneration strategy for the Area Strategy for the management and protection of important trees, greenery and green spaces Monitoring change, Consideration of resources, Summary of issues and proposed actions Developing management proposals, Community involvement, Advice and guidance

BIBLIOGRAPHY 18 LISTED BUILDINGS IN THURCASTON 18

THURCASTON CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL

Current map of Thurcaston showing the Conservation Area and the Listed Buildings

Introduction In March 1986, the Planning Department of Charnwood Borough Council carried out an environmental appraisal of Thurcaston Village. In the context of identifying land for more housing, the designation of a Conservation Area was proposed. The suggested boundary would include the full extent of the Mediaeval settlement and some of the rural fringe.

The environmental appraisal said, “the open washland and agricultural land provides the setting for built development and allows unhindered views of the church. The definition of entrances to the historic core are particularly important, as buildings, landscape and topography combine to provide a distinct change from farming to settlement without being either rural or suburban in character. Similarly, the settings of various important buildings, especially the Church and Bishop Latimer’s House are particularly sensitive.

“Within the old part of the village the principal elements which provide the unique character are the presence of landscape within the built form, spaciousness, trees, traditional materials and walling, and the linear nature of the main street. The overall impression is that the buildings are set into the landscape, rather than dominating it, an impression which is further complemented by the mature landscape backdrop. The intimate rapport between this part of the village and its setting is the key to its rural quality.”

The Conservation Area was advocated so that “the listed buildings, their environments and the surrounding areas that give the village its flavour of history … be retained for future generations to enjoy.”

Thurcaston Conservation Area was designated in March 1988. It covers an area of 17.6 Hectares.

The purpose of this present document is a character appraisal which will examine the historic development of the village and describe the appearance of the Conservation Area in order to assess its special architectural and historic interest.

The document sets out the planning policy context and how this appraisal relates to national, regional and local planning policies.

These elements are brought together in a summary of the special interest of the Conservation Area. The document is intended as a guide to people considering development which may affect the Conservation Area. It will be used by Development Control in their assessment of proposals. It may, of course, be used by Thurcaston & Cropston Parish Council and residents of the village and the Conservation Area.

• From time to time, to draw up and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas in their districts and to consult the local community about these proposals; • In exercising their planning powers, to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of conservation areas.

Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment (PPS 5), published by the Department of Communities and Local Government, states the Government’s objectives for heritage assets and puts forward policies to balance the need to ensure the viability or usability of an asset against doing no harm to its architectural, historic, cultural or artistic values. The PPS advises that “local planning authorities should ensure that they have evidence about the historic environment and heritage assets in their area and that this is publicly documented” (Policy HE2.1). Conservation areas are ‘designated heritage assets’.

The Regional Strategy for the East Midlands, published in March 2009, advises local authorities that the historic environment should be understood, conserved and enhanced, in recognition of its own intrinsic value (Policy 27: Regional Priorities for the Historic Environment). The RS is due to be withdrawn but remains in place until the enactment of the ‘Localism Act’ are brought into effect by Order of the Secretary of state

The Council’s adopted Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) ‘Leading in Design’ reinforces the need to understand the setting and context when proposing development in a sensitive location such as a conservation area. It encourages developers to use local guidance such as Conservation Area Character Appraisals when considering their designs. 2 Other relevant guidance adopted by the Council • Backland & Tandem Development Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) • House Extensions SPG • Shopfronts & Signs SPD

ASSESSMENT OF SPECIAL INTEREST Location and Setting Thurcaston sits in the valley of Rothley Brook about 8 Km north east of Leicester. The village is sited on the slopes above the brook, a position typical of settlements in the East Midlands. The valley has a rural character, though traversed by the massive pylons of the high voltage transmission lines from Ratcliffe Power Station. There are some fields of wheat and rapeseed on the slopes but most of the valley, being in the flood plain, is left to meadow and scrub. On the other side of the valley is Cropston, with the hills of Bradgate Park and Charnwood Forest in the distance.

To the south and east of the village is a rolling landscape of arable fields, pasture and woodland. The village is close to the suburban edges of Leicester City, Beaumont Leys and Birstall, though the village is separated from the conurbation by the A46 bypass. The proximity to the city means that Thurcaston is largely a dormitory village, with a lot of commuter traffic using its roads.

The Conservation Area encompasses the Mediaeval settlement, the extent of the village as it was until its great expansion in the 20th Century. The Area includes a significant area of unbuilt landscape, the lower slopes and meadows of the valley and the garden and grounds of Thurcaston Grange.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT Origins and Development It is known that there has been human activity in the area from the Bronze Age and also in Neolithic times. However, the village probably has its origins in the period after the Romans left Britain, when Anglo-Saxons began to settle. The village is typical of settlements in the East Midlands occupying the slopes of a valley, where there was good access to spring water, with meadows for pasture in the valley below and drier fields above for arable land and crops. The name is first recorded as Turchitelstone, or Thurkitelstone, which suggests a Viking occupation of an existing Saxon village. Thorketil is a Danish name, the suffix “tone” is a Saxon word.

The settlement was recorded in the Domesday survey as having 9 ploughlands worth 30 shillings. Later at the time of the general survey in the 12th century it was worth £4. In 1280 Thurcaston was included with Wanlip,

Bradgate, Newtown Linford and Cropston as one vill, which was a taxable land unit.

All Saints Church probably had its beginnings as a wooden structure in Saxon times. The present stone church was first built in the 12th Century; the Norman doorway is still there. In the 13th Century the tower, nave and chancel were added. A screen in the north aisle is one of the earliest in England and the beamed nave roof is unusual for the county. In the 15th Century the height of the nave was increased and large windows in Perpendicular style were incorporated. The present timber roof was added; the unusual timber framed gable at the end is still visible. Corbels on wall- posts include a king, cow, woman and other human and bestial characters. In the 17th Century the church and living came into the patronage of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. An engraving of the church in John Nichol’s history of 1801 looks almost identical to the current building.

The village suffered greatly from the Black Death of 1348-9. Archeological evidence suggests that a major part of the village was abandoned along Brooky Lane, the path from Anstey Lane across Sandham Bridge to Cropston. Subsequent development then took place at the present crossroads with Leicester Road and only later moved back along Anstey Lane.

Arguably, the most famous son of Thurcaston was Hugh Latimer, born some time in the late 15th Century into a farming family. He was ordained a priest and became known for his vigorous assertion of the Catholic church. With the Reformation he became an equally zealous protestant, preaching for the translation of the Bible into English. When Queen Mary reimposed Roman Catholicism, Bishop Latimer was charged with heresy and burnt at the stake in 1555. He is remembered in the village through what is called “Latimer’s House”, No 37 Anstey Lane. John Nichols records an inscription on a beam in the house: “Thys hows was boylded anno d’ni 1568 and in ye 1 yer of ye raign of owr soveraign ladye Quene Elizabeth by me Nycholas Gravno”. However, this inscription refers to the Manor House where Nycholas Gravno was Lord of the Manor. It is a much finer house and John Nichols may have assumed that such a famous person as Hugh Latimer would have lived there. The Manor House was completely rebuilt in 1875 and the beam with its inscription was lost.

The earliest parish registers in Thurcaston began in 1561, recording baptisms, marriages and deaths. Within the registers it is said that 12 boys were taught to read. Then in 1715 the rector, Richard Hill, established a free school and built a School House and School Room. The building still stands as No 60 Anstey Lane and Richard Hill is remembered by the present Richard Hill Primary School at the other end of the lane. The register also records a terrible fire in 1748 which destroyed much property in the village.

For centuries, Thurcaston had an agricultural economy based on an open field system in which the farmers, in theory, shared the better and the poorer land. Fields began to be inclosed in 1600 and in 1799 an Inclosure Act was passed. 700 acres of uninclosed land along with 350 acres of land already inclosed was parcelled up amongst a limited number of landowners, no doubt dispossessing several of the poorer villagers. The Act also specified that the boundaries of Thurcaston and Cropston should be ascertained, that no part of Charnwood Forest or Rothley Plain be affected by the inclosures and that the

brook, which had been built up with weirs and sluices to provide a good flow for the watermill, should be reduced to its “antient height”. The corn mill is last shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1903 near the bridge of Mill Road.

During the 19th Century the village seems to have been relatively stable, a self sufficient farming community. The census from 1851 shows that all the trades required in a rural village were being met: butchers, a blacksmith, a miller, a carpenter, laundrywomen, dressmakers, bakers, brewers, shoemakers and innkeepers. In common with most villages in North Leicestershire some people engaged in framework knitting though there appears to be little evidence of that trade today. Some of the women and girls were laceworkers. However, with the growth of factories in Leicester and along the valley of the Soar the trade came to an end.

While Thurcaston did not share in the economic fortunes brought by the railways, the situation changed dramatically in the 20th Century, presumably inspired by the motor car. There was some building at the beginning of the century but after World War I there began a huge expansion of the village with ribbon development along Leicester Road and Rectory Road, as well as substantial infilling on Anstey Lane. Development was even stronger after World War II and continued later in the 20th Century with small estates based on culs-de-sac, first All Saints Road, and later Wallis Close and Vinehouse Close.

Archaeological Interest During fieldwork in the 1980s and 1990s to the south of the village there were a number of finds: worked flints of the Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age; various Late Iron Age and Roman finds including around 100 sherds of pottery, tile, kiln fragments, brooches and coins; and several Mediaeval finds - a possible brooch, 2 openwork fragments and a spindle whorl. North east of Thurcaston Grange a fragment of a bronze blade was recovered. It is most likely that it belonged to a sword or dagger of Bronze Age date. An Edward I silver penny was found to the rear of the vicarage in 1993.

In the fields around the village one can see the remains of ridge and furrow, evidence of Mediaeval farming practice. A substantial area of ridge and furrow is on either side of the brook: the washlands were not necessarily reserved for pasture but were also ploughed and used for crops, either because of need or because the terracing was good enough to avoid the worst of the flooding.

There is evidence of former houses or cottages in the rough ground along Brooky Lane, the path leading to Sandham Bridge. It is presumed that these houses were abandoned after the tragedy of the Black Death in 1348-9.

The churchyard contains many fascinating Swithland Slate headstones dating from the early 18th Century and some from the mid 17th Century. It is said that these are the earliest examples of Swithland Slate being used for headstones. The early ones are a simple rectangle with clear simple engraving; the later stones are more elaborate in both shape and style.

It is likely that there is further evidence of human settlement and historic activity anywhere within the Conservation Area, especially below ground, in the fabric of the old farmhouses, and in the fields around the village.

Population Thurcaston for most of its history was a small village. Figures for population are difficult to ascertain because what is and has been counted is so variable. At the time of Domesday there were 22 villeins, 4 bordars and 4 servi. At the Poll Tax of 1377 there were 92 taxpayers. In 1563 there were 25 households or families which had increased to 40 in 1757. A similar number of households, 36, were assessed for Hearth Tax in 1670. The families must have been quite large because in 1603 there were 216 communicants registered at the church, though a similar count in 1676 recorded only 91 communicants, a possible indication of the ravages of plague. After 1800 the figures from the national census every decade are more reliable. Between 1801 and 1901 the population was fairly stable at between 215 and 281. Then it began to grow in the first decades of the 20th Century and in 1951 there were 1126 people in the parish. Current figures have become less meaningful because the population is counted for the whole parish including Cropston. Within the village as a whole there are now about 410 addresses of which 115 are in the Conservation Area.

SPATIAL ANALYSIS Plan Form The original settlement of Thurcaston is essentially a linear village along Mill Road and Anstey Lane, rising from Rothley Brook at the east, following the sloping side along the valley of the brook until it rises and goes over the hill to Anstey in the west. There was a Mediaeval crossroads at Brooky Lane that descends now as a footpath from Anstey Lane, close to the church, across Sandham Bridge and the meadows to Cropston. Another footpath starts now as a sunken green path from the south corner of the churchyard going across Coffin Bridge to Cropston.

While the linear form of Anstey Lane and Mill Road is the backbone of the character of the Conservation Area, the long ribbon of Leicester Road from the brook to the bridge over the A46 is more important for the village as a whole. Leicester Road and the linking Rectory Road have been in existence for a long time but they have only been built on in the last 50 years or so. Rectory Road was probably the path to Rothley; a footpath still goes across the fields to Town Green there.

A substantial part of later development has been in culs-de-sac, being Wallis Close within the Conservation Area, Vinehouse Close and All Saints Road outside it.

Villagescape The original farmhouses and their barns and outbuildings were set rather haphazardly along the linear street. To a large degree this pattern remains so that the principal character of Anstey Lane for most of its length is its spaciousness, composed of broad verges, with the houses generally set well back from the road. As noted in the appraisal of 1986 the buildings are set into the landscape, rather than dominating it, an impression which is further complemented by the open views across the brook to Cropston on the

opposite slope of the valley with the hills of Bradgate Park and Charnwood Forest as a backdrop.

At the crossroads there is a short terrace of buildings at the pavement edge. Nos 2-10 Anstey Lane was originally a barn which was converted into dwellings in the 1930’s, The feeling is still of loose enclosure which is strengthened by the green space of Wallis Close. The spaciousness was maintained during the 20th Century expansion when suburban style development took place. Individual houses were built along the east side of the lane, set back from the road and higher up the slope. However, the suburban character has almost overpowered the original village.

From the junction with Rectory Lane to the churchyard a canopy of trees encloses the space more tightly and the view over the valley is obscured but as the lane rises up the hill the enclosure loosens once more and the view becomes a panorama.

Mill Road is more enclosed, partly by the topography, partly by the setting of the buildings. The road dips steeply and the bank on the east side rises substantially above. More of the buildings are set at or close to the pavement edge. The view over the valley is constrained.

Rectory Lane rises steeply to the top of the valley side with mostly suburban development on either side. At the top, just below the ridge, leading to the gate of Thurcaston Grange, there is a lane of older cottages including the thatched November Cottage.

Interrelationship of Spaces As noted in the appraisal of 1986, there is an intimate rapport between the broad valley of Rothley Brook, the setting of Mill Road and Anstey Lane on the slopes of the valley, and the loose enclosure and spacious siting of most of the buildings within the landscape which is key to the rural quality of the Conservation Area.

Within this rural character, nevertheless, is the seemingly vast space of the crossroads at Leicester Road which is poorly defined. Despite the attractive siting of the Wheatsheaf Inn on one corner and the encouraging planters of flowers maintained by the parish, the other three corners have substantial areas of pavement and verge and two corners have the houses and bungalows set well away from the public realm. Together, instead of a rural village scene, there is an almost hostile environment, through which traffic would prefer to speed were it not for the speed humps.

At the southern end of Anstey Lane the churchyard, more or less secluded by trees, is a more private space. The privacy is matched by the secluded nature of the Old School House opposite, the trees sheltering No 52 Anstey Lane and the general covering of trees.

Key Views and Vistas Along the whole length of Anstey Lane there are views and glimpses between the houses into the valley, across to Cropston and to the hills of Bradgate Park and Charnwood Forest beyond.

There is a distinctive approach into the village from Anstey. As you travel down the hill you enter through a canopy of lime trees with the churchyard on the left, the stone church visible through the trees, and the lane winding gently in front.

Entering the village from the North across the brook at Mill Farm with Lanesborough Wood on the right there is a delightful transition into the village. There is a harmonious blend between the woodland and open meadows bounding the brook and the rural built form which was noted in the 1986 appraisal.

Going down Brooky Lane there is an expanding view of the valley as one goes down the hill and in the opposite direction, coming from Sandham Bridge, the village is seen on the rising slopes within its surrounding trees.

Landmarks The principal landmark for the village and the Conservation Area is the Wheatsheaf Inn, its name prominently painted in large white letters on the roof.

The tower of the church, of which the 1986 appraisal wanted to protect the unhindered views, today merely peeps above the trees of the churchyard. Many other important buildings are also shielded by trees such as No 52 Anstey Lane, the Rectory and Thurcaston Grange.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS Building Types, Layouts and Uses The original buildings of the Conservation Area were the farmhouses with their associated barns, outbuildings and cottages. Some of these are ancient, such as Latimers House. They are vernacular in style and grouped in quite complex layouts although individual buildings are generally based on a simple rectangular plan with a single ridge. The principal building is generally of 2 storeys and the subsidiary buildings generally single storey. The Wheatsheaf Inn probably belongs to this genre. It was built in the early 1600's, formerly an old coaching inn and the home of a bee keeper.

Later buildings are more polite in style such as the 3 storey 52 Anstey Lane, and the 2 storey Vine House at 24 Mill Road, both of which are of simple rectangular plan with a single ridged roof with additional buildings to the side and rear. There are some other simple 18th and early 19th Century cottages in vernacular style which present to the street a simple rectangular plan and single ridge. Examples are the Methodist Chapel and its attached cottage on Mill Road and the terrace of Nos 2-10 Anstey Lane.

The Victorians introduced a more complex style of building with gables and dormers. No 64 Anstey Lane at the entrance to the Conservation Area is a fine example, white painted, with a Welsh slate roof and decorative carved barge boards to the gables. The fashion can also be seen in the dormer windows of Bybrook Farmhouse at 25 Anstey Lane. The Old School House at 60 Anstey Lane is also Victorian in style though built to a simple rectangular

plan with a single ridged roof. Together with the School Room the complex is set away from the lane and at an angle which enhances the sense of intrigue within this part of the Conservation Area under the canopy of trees.

The village has lost most of its facilities. There is the church and a Methodist chapel, which is noted for being the smallest in the county, seating only 30 people. There is the Richard Hill Primary School and the Memorial Hall, which commemorates people lost in World War I, and is used for the Parish Office and provides a venue for the community. The Wheatsheaf Inn stands at the crossroads and there is an electrical store opposite but otherwise there is no commerce. All the farms have become purely residential and domestic.

Key Listed Buildings and Structures The Church, Thurcaston Grange and Latimers House are the most important historic buildings in the Area. Combined they represent the continuation of the settlement through several centuries.

Key Unlisted Buildings The Wheatsheaf Inn, is one of the original buildings in the village but it is unlisted because although on the exterior it is clearly historic, apparently too many changes have happened to the interior.

The Memorial Hall is a well built and well used community facility. The later extension at the front is rather utilitarian but the whole makes a valuable contribution to the village scene and it deserves to be included in the Conservation Area.

Coherent groups The complex of Bybrook Farm, with its barns, stables and outbuildings, similarly the complex of Mill House Farm and to a lesser extent the complex of Vine House demonstrate the original agricultural character of the village.

The cul-de-sac off Rectory Lane makes a pleasant terrace of housing culminating in the attractive thatched November Cottage.

Building Materials and Architectural Details Just as the style of building and the setting of buildings in the villagescape has been dominated by the later suburban character of the 20th Century, so has the use of modern non-local materials weakened the original vernacular and agricultural character and appearance.

Walls The local building material is or was a soft red brick, together with small amounts of slate and Forest stone. The stone, being hard to dress, is seen primarily in boundary walls and retaining walls and in the plinths of the houses. Often, within the boundary and retaining walls there are some extraordinarily large pieces of stone weighing over a ton and more. Occasionally the stone may be used for a building such as the cottage of Mill

House Farm but more often it is used only for outbuildings, such as at Latimer’s House and at Bybrook Cottage. In all such buildings it is generally combined with red brick for any door and window surrounds and quoins. The red brick is used as infill panels in the timber framing of the principal building of Latimers House. Occasionally the brick is laid to Flemish bond though without the obvious pattern of contrasting header and stretcher, a good example being No 52 Anstey Lane.

Several buildings are rendered and painted or the brick is painted, usually white. Important examples are Thurcaston Grange and the Wheatsheaf Inn. The terrace of Nos 2 - 10 Anstey is rendered and painted, though the style of buttered render is not traditional.

Many of the 20th Century houses also use red brick though it rarely has the softness of the original material. However, these later houses use so many different materials, often several in one wall, there is not a dominant style and since the proportion of 20th Century buildings outweighs the older it tends to diminish the character of the original vernacular. There are examples of yellowish and buff brick which feel out of place, tile hanging, vertical timber weatherboarding, and Forest stone cladding.

Roofs If the walls show a degree of variety, remarkably the roofs are mostly of Swithland Slate. There are some houses with Welsh slate and some with plain clay tiles. Amongst the slate and tile roofs the thatched roofs of Latimers House and November Cottage on the side cul-de-sac off Rectory Lane stand out as examples of the earliest buildings. The delightful uneven roof of plain clay tiles of the Wheatsheaf Inn also stands out. The later 20th Century houses have lost the traditional vernacular, using more often concrete tiles, sometimes profiled, sometimes large and flat.

The roofscape of the Victorian No 64 Anstey Lane is especially interesting for the carved eaves and barge boards to the gables.

Occasionally chimneys form an important feature of the villagescape. Older examples are those at Vine House and Mill House Farm, newer examples are at No 10 Anstey Lane and No 38.

Doors and Windows There is no dominant pattern of windows. Only Vine House and its cottage have fine timber sash windows. Elsewhere there are casement windows, the more original being flush casements, often now renewed with storm casements. November Cottage and its companion No 88 Rectory Lane have Yorkshire sliding sash windows. Of note are the older houses which have metal casements, good examples being Latimers House and Mill House Farm and Cottage. Of especial note are the unusual leaded lights of No 52 Anstey Lane with their elongated diamond pattern.

A few houses have dormer windows, notably the Wheatsheaf Inn which also has a distinctive eyebrow window in the roof. Bybrook Farmhouse, less authentically, also has dormers along the roof.

Elsewhere, regrettably, many of the 20th Century houses have been fitted with uPVC windows which have neither the charm nor veracity of the original timber windows which they replace.

Doors in the Conservation Area are generally simple without adornment, doorcases, porches or canopies. The exceptions thus tend to stand out. Examples are the low timber porch of Latimers House, the new thatched porch of November Cottage, and the elaborate and rather severe stone porch of No 42 Anstey Lane.

Details There is a wall-mounted letterbox from the reign of George VI in the wall at No.38 Anstey Lane. The verge at Latimers House is edged with a strip of granite setts.

Parks, Gardens and Trees The principal open space of the village is the broad valley of Rothley Brook which forms a background to the whole length of the village much of it being accessible from the footpaths. Within the village is the peaceful secluded space of the churchyard and the almost private garden at the centre of Wallis Close. For much of Anstey Lane there is a grass verge on the north side instead of a pavement.

Surprisingly, there are few trees within a substantial part of the village. The exception is the stretch of Anstey Lane from Rectory Lane to the churchyard. At No 52 there is a border of yew trees with a fine cedar in the garden and the churchyard is bordered by several mature lime trees.

Opposite Mill House Farm there is a well tended grass bank with dense shrubs which continue the side garden of Vine House Cottage.

The private grounds of Thurcaston Grange are a mixture of formal gardens with informal parkland containing many trees, both mature and newly planted. Many of them have been protected with Tree Preservation Orders.

The Parish Council have taken care to decorate the crossroads with sturdy planters.

Where Brooky Lane goes down into the valley there is a dry stone wall, the boundary of No 47 Anstey Lane. This wall has suffered from intrusion by tree roots. The ancient lane would benefit by a simple rebuilding of this wall.

Biodiversity The Conservation Area nestles within the landcape character area of High Leicestershire which is typified by rolling countryside: the rural environment never seems very far away and the western side of the Area indeed comprises agricultural fields which extend down to Rothley Brook, lending a pastoral quality.

Open fields within the Area (and in its proximity) have largely been agriculturally improved through agricultural intensification: the pastures have lost their flowering plant diversity and become rather species-poor, whilst other fields are managed for arable crops. Many hedgerows in the surrounding countryside have become fragmented or are severely trimmed, reducing the resilience of the local biodiversity network.

This is in contrast to parts of the Conservation Area, where strong hedgerows, lines of mature trees, ponds and private gardens provide a range of valuable habitats for a variety of species, including small garden birds, which ensures that some degree of habitat connectivity has remained.

Rothley Brook, which defines part of the Conservation Area’s eastern boundary, has been notified as a Local Wildlife Site, a county-wide designation conferred to the best non-statutory ecological sites. Along the meandering watercourse, clumps of marginal aquatic vegetation and exposed roots of bankside trees, such as alder Alnus glutinosa, crack willow Salix fragilis and ash Fraxinus excelsior, provide a range of microhabitats. The brook forms an important habitat and functions as the main wildlife corridor across the landscape.

Field evidence of otters Lutra lutra, a species of principal importance listed in Section 41 of the Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act 2006, has been recorded in several instances along the section of brook within the Area. Spraints have been found at Sandham Bridge: otter often leave them on exposed rocks to mark their territories. This charismatic species, which had largely disappeared from most watercourses, appears to have made a successful comeback following a marked improvement in water quality.

Several bat roosts have been recorded within the Conservation Area. This includes a maternity roost of soprano pipistrelle bats Pipistrellus pygmaeus, which is known to occur at a property on Mill Road. It is one of the smallest bat species found in Britain. In early summer, females give birth to their single offspring in communal roosts. Colonies are at extreme risk at this stage as the young bats are unable to fly and feed by themselves for several weeks after birth.

A brown long-eared bats Plecotus auritus roost has also been recorded on Anstey Lane. This species relies on large lofts and good tree cover in proximity to their roosts. Due to their severe decline and high vulnerability, all bat species are now legally protected.

DEFINITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST The main contributions to the special character of Thurcaston Conservation Area are: • The remaining vernacular style farmsteads, now converted to dwellings • The historic associations with Bishop Hugh Latimer • The views across Rothley Brook to Cropston and the hills of Charnwood Forest beyond • The sense of enclosure provided by the canopy of trees in the churchyard. • The distinctive grounds of Thurcaston Grange, though hidden from public view

Weaknesses The expanse of the crossroads at Leicester Road is out of character with the rural quality of the Area.

Local people are concerned about the speed of traffic, the blocking of Anstey Lane at school closing time, and parking along Anstey Lane when there are funerals at the church.

MANAGEMENT PLAN General Principles The appraisal above should be used to inform and guide development decisions.

Within the Area the Council will insist on good quality schemes which respond positively to their historic setting. This extends to small buildings such as garages and even boundary walls and fences. Minor alterations need to be carefully considered as incremental change can have a significant detrimental effect on the character of an area over a period of time.

Central government guidance contained in Planning Policy Statement 5, the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, Leading in Design and other Supplementary Planning Documents will be used to assess the quality of proposal for new development.

The character of the Conservation Area identified in the appraisal above is such that the following general principles should be noted when considering any development in all parts of the Area: o The Conservation Area has a distinct “grain” or pattern of built form and spaces which are part of its historic development. This gives the Area its individuality, characterised by the pattern of historic buildings, ancient footpaths and highways and clearly defined boundaries. This “grain” is an important part of the character of the Conservation Area and will be protected. o The emphasis for new proposals will be on high quality of design. There may be opportunity for innovative modern design. However, a dramatic contemporary statement is unlikely to be appropriate. o Scale is the combination of a building’s height and bulk when related to its surroundings. Proposed new development must take into account the scale of the existing buildings, and must not dominate or overwhelm them. o Alterations and extensions must respect the form of the original building and its locality. The use of high quality materials and detailing, whether modern or traditional is essential. Roof lines, roof shape, eaves details, verge details and the creation of new chimneys are important considerations. o Windows and doors of a traditional design respect the historic nature of the buildings to which they belong and make a very important contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. The use of uPVC and standardised high speed joinery techniques nearly always leads to unsuitably detailed windows which will be generally unacceptable in the Conservation Area. In most cases the building regulation requirements can be met without the need to use clumsy and awkwardly detailed windows. o The appraisal has identified the types of materials that characterise the Conservation Area and where possible they should be used to help alterations respect the established character. In particular it is important not to introduce any further variation in materials.

44 o Applicants for planning permission must provide a meaningful “Design and Access Statement”, to explain the design decisions that have been made and to show how proposed alterations relate to their context. A detailed analysis of the locality should demonstrate that there is a full appreciation of the local streetscape and how it has developed, including prevailing building forms, materials and plot ratios. o Safeguarding of protected species must be taken on board when considering planning proposals such as conversion, tree felling, housing development and other changes which may affect wildlife and their roosting places, commuting routes and feeding areas.

The powers set out in Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 will be used where sites are identified as detracting from the character of the Conservation Area by being eyesores or untidy.

In order to preserve and enhance the character of conservation areas, many planning authorities use Article 4 Directions to restrict permitted development rights on groups of buildings or areas. Restrictions normally relate to particular elements such as replacement windows and doors, or roofing.

It is not proposed to introduce any Article 4 Direction for Thurcaston Conservation Area.

General condition The Conservation Area is in a reasonable condition. The only issue identified as a weakness in the appraisal is the volume of traffic and, as a consequence, the traffic calming measures which are unsympathetic to the historic settlement.

Possible buildings for spot listing The Wheatsheaf Inn is one of the ancient buildings of the village, originally thatched. Certainly from the exterior it would deserve further investigation, though the interior is said to be too far changed from the original.

Possible Boundary Changes of the Conservation Area During the consultation period for the original designation of the Area it was suggested that the Memorial Hall be included but was not considered to be architecturally significant enough. It is suggested again that the Memorial Hall be part of the Conservation Area. For both its history and as a good quality village hall it would make a valuable contribution to the character and appearance of the Area.

The present boundary goes up to the eastern bank of the brook. Consideration should be given to the merits of including the brook to its western bank and thus incorporating Sandham Bridge.

Enhancement opportunities The crossroads of Anstey Lane with Leicester Road should be redesigned. It is too wide for the village and especially for the Conservation Area and the present traffic management scheme of road humps does not enhance the appearance of the Conservation Area. Consideration should be given to create a more sympathetic scheme.

Future maintenance and repairs to Sandham and its associated bridge along the footpath to Cropston needs to be considered.

Economic development and regeneration strategy for the Area A limited fund is available from Leicestershire County Council to repair Listed Buildings.

Strategy for the management and protection of important trees, greenery and green spaces

The Borough Council supports the priorities set out in the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Biodiversity Action Plan for the conservation of a variety of wildlife and their habitats within Charnwood. The Council will collaborate with its partners when the plan is reviewed and modified to ensure that the necessary actions are being taken by the appropriate agencies.

General management guidelines: • Retention and protection of mature trees. • Replacement planting to provide the next generation of trees. • Additional planting at key strategic points to reinforce habitat connectivity within the biodiversity network.

Monitoring change A photographic record of the Conservation Area has been made and will be used to help identify the need to review how changes within the Conservation Area are managed. A greater degree of protection will be accomplished if the local community help monitor any changes.

Summary of issues and proposed actions

Conservation Area Proposed Action Lead Partner Other Issue Partners

Inclusion of Extend the Charnwood Memorial Hall boundary of Borough the Area Council

Traffic calming Consideration Leicestershi Charnwood measures of a more re County Borough sympathetic Council Council & scheme Highways Cropston & Thurcaston Parish Council

The crossroads of Consider a Leicestershi Leicester Road - scheme to re County Anstey Lane - Mill redesign the Council Road crossroads. Highways

Dry stone wall at Simple A local Brooky Lane rebuilding community group

Community involvement This document has been prepared with the assistance of the local community and a 4 consultation period was provided for comments to be made on the draft Appraisal. A public meeting was held in Thurcaston so that local residents and businesses could contribute their ideas about the Area. All comments and responses were considered and appropriate amendments made to the document before being submitted to Cabinet.

Contacts: Conservation and Landscape Team Tel. 01509 634748 [email protected]

Development Management Tel. 01509 634691 [email protected]

Planning Enforcement Tel. 01509 634722

Bibliography John Nichols, “History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire”, Vol 3, 1800 Victoria History of the County of Leicestershire, Volumes II & III, 1969 Thurcaston Village Appraisal, Charnwood Planning, March 1986

Internet www.leicestershirevillages.com/thurcaston/localhistory.html (accessed June 2011) www.heritagegateway.org.uk (Leicestershire and Rutland HER) (accessed June 2011) www.wheatsheaf-thurcaston.co.uk (accessed June 2011)

Acknowledgments The council is grateful for the valuable assistance of Brenda Hooper, local historian.

Statutory Listed Buildings in Thurcaston Grade II* Church of All Saints Grade II Gates, piers & wall, Church of All Saints Grade II* Bishop Latimers House, 37 Anstey Lane Grade II The School House, 60 Anstey Lane Grade II Bybrook Farmhouse, 25 Anstey Lane Grade II 88 and 92 Rectory Lane Grade II Thurcaston Grange & Stable Block, Rectory Lane Grade II Mill House Farmhouse, Mill Road Grade II Bybrook Farm Cottage, 23 Anstey Lane Grade II Barn at Bybrook Farm, 25A Anstey Lane Grade II Vine Farmhouse & outbuildings, Mill Road Grade II 52 Anstey Lane Grade II 29-31 Anstey Lane Grade II Sandham Bridge Grade II Bridge near Sandham Bridge

APPENDIX 4

Thurcaston Conservation Area Responses to Draft Appraisal Public Meeting held on Wednesday 18 January 2012 at the Memorial Hall 39 People attended

Person Issue Our response 1 At public meeting Major concern about traffic calming and This is an issue primarily for Leics County Council parking Highway Authority. There needs to be a measure of agreement within the village since some of the issues raised at the meeting are in opposition with each other - eg keeping the road free of traffic versus traffic moving too fast. 2 ditto Are there any changes planned to boundary Yes some minor ones. This will be subject to a of the Area separate consultation regarding designation of new parts of the conservation area. 3 ditto Height of trees around the churchyard. Certainly the unhindered views of the church tower Danger of trees falling in strong winds. are now obscured. The safety of the trees will be investigated by our Tree Officer 4 ditto Approach to the Area from the North Document amended 5 ditto The brook is becoming very silted up This is a matter for the Environment Agency 6 ditto Include Sandham Bridge in the Area Include in review of the boundary. 7 ditto Encroachment of the Green belt from This is an issue that will need to be considered as development up Greenclose Lane, Birstall part of the Local Development Framework 7 Brenda Hooper Corrections to historical facts Document amended 8 Paul Foley Approach to the Area at Mill Farm Document amended The Wheatsheaf should be Listed Investigate and submit a request to English Heritage if appropriate.

9 Richard and Betty Approach to the Area from the North Document amended Weston Include the whole of the brook Include in review of the boundary. 10 Paul Lewin Include reference to the ancient boundary Document amended. wall along Brooky Lane.

Include reference to the condition of the two Document amended. bridges over the brook.

Pile of mill waste next to the path along Parish Council to be contacted. Brooky Lane needs to be removed.

Can something be done regarding the Comments passed to Leicestershire County Council unsightly “kissing gate” at the entrance to Rights of Way Team. Brooky Lane?