Crondall Conservation Area Management Plans

Consultation

What is a Conservation Area ? Conservation areas were first designated under the Civic Amenities Act 1967 which introduced the concept of historic areas. This earlier legislation has now been subsumed within the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Within there are 33 conservation areas, some of them covering more than one part of a settlement. These include , , the Canal, , and a variety of smaller villages and hamlets.

Conservation Areas are defined as “Areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve and enhance”. A conservation area usually has a combination of the following: • Buildings of high architectural quality • An interesting and attractive layout • An interesting or important social history Conservation Area Designation Designation as a conservation area allows the District Council to formulate specific policies to preserve and enhance the special character of the conservation area

The Hart Local Plan, 2002, forms the basis for the development and use of land within the District, and includes specific policies for the protection of the historic environment. A new Hart Local Plan is being prepared which once adopted will update and replace these. These policies seek to protect conservation areas, historic buildings, historic gardens, ancient monuments and archaeological remains.

These are physical survivals of the past and need to be valued and cherished as part of our cultural heritage and national identity. They enhance the familiar and cherished local scene, and also sustain the sense of local distinctiveness which is an important aspect of the character and appearance of our towns, villages and countryside. The Effects of Designation

Designation automatically brings a number of controls: • Permission is usually required to demolish a building or structure in a conservation area; • There is a lower threshold of Permitted Development within conservation areas, affecting family dwellings; • Trees are protected • Once designation has taken place, the District Council has a legal duty to publish proposals to preserve and enhance the area. The Character Appraisal (1)

• The Character Appraisal concludes that the key positive characteristics of the Conservation Area are: • Well preserved historic rural village located between Odiham and in north ; • Attractive landscape setting of gently rolling chalk hills with long vistas out of the village in almost every direction; • Survival of the medieval street plan in the centre of the village with the narrow streets (principally The Borough and Church Street) lined with mainly listed buildings dating to the 16th century or later; • The many mature trees (mainly beech) and a number of important open green spaces within the Conservation Area, such as The Old Parsonage Meadow, all help to reinforce the rural qualities of the Conservation Area; ..cont/ The Character Appraisal (continued)

• The Character Appraisal concludes that the key positive characteristics of the Crondall Conservation Area are: • Pankridge Street and Street both retain a mixture of listed buildings with a certain amount of 20th century development, largely set back from the road and relatively unobtrusive; • All Saints’ Church, grade I, is the principal listed building, and sits in a large churchyard which is notable for its many trees; • The village also contains a number of prestigious village houses as well as more vernacular cottages; • The use of timber frame, red brick, and steeply pitched clay tiled roofs, usually with substantial red brick chimney stacks. Management Proposals – 2016 The Management Proposals make the following Recommendations (summary):  Preserve and enhance Crondall and its rural landscape setting.  Protect and enhance views within, into and out of the village  Care for the pond in Well Road and the watercourse  Preserve and enhance important trees in the Conservation Area – encourage the conservation of trees  Monitor and manage busy and fast moving traffic along Pankridge and Dippenhall Streets  Monitor car parking in the village  Ensure new development preserves and/or enhances the rural and historic character of the village.  Prepare a Neighbourhood Plan to review suitable sites across the whole Parish ..cont/ Management Proposals – 2016 (continued) The Management Proposals make the following Recommendations (summary):  Protect existing open spaces including private gardens from inappropriate new development  Follow design guidance to help maintain quality  Support Article 4 Direction and its appropriate implementation,  Protect unlisted ‘positive’ buildings from demolition or unsympathetic alterations  Review the Local and Statutory Lists and keep an updated record of Listed, Locally Listed and Positive Buildings  Promote undergrounding overhead wires where possible and encourage superfast broadband  Encourage and assist with improvements to: o Old Parsonage Meadow – hedge, tree & land management o The Brambles – Appropriate restoration o The Village Pond – Retaining wall repair

What Now? • The Draft Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals can be viewed in hard copy at: – Church Rooms, The Plume, Hampshire Arms, Village Shop – or online at http://www.hart.gov.uk/consultation – With questionnaire By 12th Sept 2016 • Please complete a questionnaire and return comments:- – by email to: • [email protected] – by post to: • Crondall Conservation Area, Corporate Services, Hart District Council, Harlington Way, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 4AE