Contents
List of Figures...... 3
List of Maps...... 3
1. Introduction ...... 4 1.1 Background ...... 4 1.2 Planning Policy Framework ...... 4 1.3 Development Within a Conservation Area ...... 4 1.4 Preparation and Survey Limitations ...... 4 1.5 Community Involvement ...... 5
2. Summary of Special Interest ...... 7 2.1 Special Historic Interest ...... 7 2.2 Special Architectural Interest ...... 7
3. Site, Situation and Zoning ...... 8 3.1 Location and Setting ...... 8 3.2 Economic and Social Profile ...... 8 3.3 Study Zones...... 8
4. Historic Morphology and Archaeology...... 10 4.1 Historic Morphology ...... 10 4.2 Archaeology...... 13
5. Spatial Analysis and Built Form...... 14 5.1 Urban Structure ...... 14 5.2 Open Space...... 14 5.3 Views ...... 14 5.4 Plan-Form, Height and Massing ...... 14 5.5 Building Density...... 15 5.6 Edges and Enclosure...... 15
6. Architecture ...... 16 6.1 Architectural Style...... 16 6.2 Listed Buildings and Important Unlisted Buildings ...... 17 6.3 Facades...... 17 6.4 Roofs ...... 17 6.5 Windows ...... 17 6.6 Other Features of Interest...... 17
7. Street Scene ...... 19 7.1 Walls, Railings and Gates...... 19 7.2 Trees, Hedges and Green Space ...... 19 7.3 Public Realm...... 19
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 2 of 32 April 2007 8. Damage & Deterioration...... 23 8.1 Principal Negative Features...... 23 8.2 Principal Neutral Features ...... 23 8.3 General Condition...... 24 8.4 Threats and Pressures ...... 24
9. Recommendations ...... 25 9.1 Boundary Changes ...... 25 9.2 Management & Enhancement ...... 25
Appendix ...... 26 Appendix A – Further Information and Advice ...... 26 Appendix B – Conservation Areas: General Guidance...... 27 Appendix C – Scheduled Ancient Monuments...... 29 Appendix D – Listed Buildings ...... 30 Appendix E – Important Unlisted Buildings...... 31
List of Figures
FIG. 1: Foundations of the castle keep. FIG. 2: The Area in 1840 (Wood). FIG. 3: The markets at Castle Green from 1886 OS Map. FIG. 4: View along Bath Place. FIG. 5: Gothic along Corporation Street. FIG. 6: Sixteenth century doorways. FIG. 7: Bath Place shopping parade FIG. 8: Street Details. FIG. 9: Traditional signage. FIG. 10: Inappropriate maintenance.
List of Maps
Map 1: Boundaries Map 2: Zones Map 3: Townscape Appraisal
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 3 of 32 April 2007 1. Introduction
1.1 Background This Appraisal has been prepared for Castle Green/Bath Place Conservation Area which is a merger of two formerly separate conservation areas designated by Taunton Deane Borough Council in 1975.
Conservation Areas are defined as:
“areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”.
They are designated to cover the streets and places in our towns and villages that are considered ‘special’ and to thereby warrant greater protection. While bringing some added controls the object of designation is not to prohibit change but rather to manage its quality. The purpose of this appraisal is to provide an in depth analysis of character in order to assist the planning process.
1.2 Planning Policy Framework Conservation Areas are designated by local authorities in fulfilment of section 69 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Planning Policy Guidance 15 Planning and the Historic Environment provides the statutory guidance for their administration, while specific Local Authority policies also apply (see Taunton Deane Local Development Framework). Further guidance regarding the legal implications of designation can be found in Appendix B.
1.3 Development Within a Conservation Area If you are considering undertaking works to a property, or developing land that lies within a conservation area you are advised to contact a Conservation Officer and the responsible Development Control Officer at Taunton Deane Borough Council for assistance. This appraisal will assist in the formulation of appropriate design strategies for new development, which should be fully articulated within a Design and Access Statement accompanying any planning application. CABE has produced useful guidance (see Appendix A). Please note that it is an offence to carry out unauthorised works.
1.4 Preparation and Survey Limitations This Appraisal was researched and written by Benjamin Webb, Conservation Officer at Taunton Deane Borough Council, during September 2006. It was revised following internal and external consultation during March 2007, and formally adopted on 11th April 2007.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 4 of 32 April 2007 When reading or using an Appraisal it is important to note the document can never be fully comprehensive. For instance, some aspects of the survey information are limited to those areas which can be reasonably recorded from the public highway and other accessible land.
Failure to mention a particular element or detail must not be taken to imply that it is of no importance to an appreciation of the character or appearance of the Area and thus of no relevance in the consideration of planning applications.
1.5 Community Involvement Displays with leaflets were organised at Taunton Library and at the Deane House and a consultation day held at the latter in order to enable local residents and other interested parties to make representations and to ask questions. All consultation materials were available online. The consultation was advertised through local media and Council channels. Views were invited from local amenity groups. Consultation responses have been taken into account in preparation of the final version of this document.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 5 of 32 April 2007
2. Summary of Special Interest
2.1 Special Historic Interest The Conservation Area is located within the region of identified Saxon and medieval settlement. It represents a limited pocket of urban townscape in which post-war destruction of the complex palimpsest of historic development has been largely avoided. This incorporates the extended site of Taunton Castle, significant fragments of which survive above ground, and Bath Place, the only substantially intact, if not entirely ‘typical’ slice of backland development remaining in the town. The range and scale of uses which continue to operate here poignantly evoke the traditional character of urban areas.
FIG. 1: Foundations of the castle keep. Located in the grounds of the Castle Hotel and forming part of the Scheduled Ancient Monument (see Appendix).
2.2 Special Architectural Interest The survival of a double terrace of purpose built mid-nineteenth century shops in Bath Place is particularly remarkable. This otherwise contains a range of once common backland buildings including the cramped cottages routinely cleared during the past. Corporation Street is of interest for the various former civic buildings it contains laid out or remodelled en route to the Shire Hall, while the Castle and adjacent buildings around the Green are of much interest for their Georgian remodelling as medieval background. A good collection of late nineteenth century/Edwardian public houses survive, most still in use.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 7 of 32 April 2007 3. Site, Situation and Zoning
3.1 Location and Setting The Conservation Area is located on gently sloping land on the eastern side of Taunton town centre. The Area is bound by commercial development to the east and offices to the west. Undeveloped open spaces resulting from post-war clearances occur both to the north and south of the Conservation Area.
3.2 Economic and Social Profile The Area is now dominated by commercial uses which have largely superseded the residential and various municipal uses for which many buildings were constructed. Public Houses, cafes, takeaways and entertainment venues have a particularly high presence, though Bath Place is otherwise notable for its specialist retail.
3.3 Study Zones While the Conservation Area is united by a closely connected developmental history, for ease of analysis and clarity it will be split between two overlapping character ‘zones’. These are shown on Map 2 and comprise:
Zone 1: Castle Green – Corporation Street.
Zone 2: Bath Place – Corporation Street.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 8 of 32 April 2007
4. Historic Morphology and Archaeology
4.1 Historic Morphology
Medieval Development: Prior to the Norman conquest the castle site is thought to have been occupied by a Minster church and its burial ground. The Saxon settlement in which it stood is thought to have included Fore Street and North Street and it is likely that another road, effectively a precursor of modern Bath Place, ran west off the market place. Post-conquest the construction and subsequent enlargement of the castle displaced the Minster (reinvented as an Augustinian Priory and placed outside the walls) and established a new western access to the town through the castle itself. Occupying a site encompassing the area bound by modern Corporation Street, Tower Way and the mill leat foundations of the castle’s keep, the inner ward, its (excavated) moat and the east gate have survived. The outer bailey covered the remaining area, its boundary running along the back of the Winchester Arms and cutting through the Odeon. Until clearance for construction of the bus station, Castle Lodge formed part of an arc of development further recalling this line.
Decline of the Saxon road’s importance may have arisen through both the routing of traffic through castle’s east and west gates, and along the broad High, and Upper High Streets following their twelfth-thirteenth century construction. That the route become known as a ‘court’ (recorded as Hunt’s Court until the mid- nineteenth century) suggests that it was subsumed within the reorganisation of landholding which occurred on building the High Street, whose pattern it may nonetheless have influenced. This occasioned the laying out of narrow linear units of landholding (burgage plots) of which, judging by nineteenth century boundaries, as many as seven may have filled the space between Corporation Street and the Crescent Car Park. The thoroughfare survived however and was gated at the point it crossed the town’s western perimeter defence (the Sherford Leat which ran north from the vivarium to feed the castle’s moat) possibly at the point Bath Place is over-sailed by Oakgate House. That section laying west of this originally fell ‘outside the walls’ and is thus represents a later extension of development.
Post Medieval-Early Modern Development: Development along ‘Bath Place’ appears to have followed that of other backland areas within Taunton. The long narrow burgage plots all Taunton’s medieval streets were in course of time densely developed for varied uses along their lengths, retaining a side passage for access. Courts as these developments were known were once common and filled the area now taken by the Crescent Car Park. The ‘pend’ - passage beneath the frontage property - and ‘yett’ – doorway closing the pend – were usual features and are both visible within the sixteenth century building fronting Bath Place (see FIG. 6). Courts became considered slums and underwent large scale clearance post-war. Bath Place survived due to its earlier improvement and use as a thoroughfare and in spite of being scheduled for road building in the Plan for Taunton of 1948.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 10 of 32 April 2007 The castle saw some expansion including the late fifteenth century construction of a Grammar School. This survives, extended and remodelled, as the Municipal Buildings. Most of the remainder of the site saw decline and clearance following the Civil War and remained relatively free from development.
18th Century Development: Purchase of the castle site by Taunton patron Benjamin Hammett saw surviving buildings consolidated, remodelled and landscaped to a form close to that seen today. Identical pointed ‘gothic’ sash windows on several of the buildings provide a mark of his work. What is now known as the Castle Hotel was constructed alongside remains of the East Gate, its original two storeys subsequently extended with most of its windows replaced by square gothic casements.
FIG. 2: The Area in 1840 (Wood). Prior to improvement works Bath Place is still ‘Hunt’s Court’. Further courts are evident to the south. Corporation Street has yet to be built.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 11 of 32 April 2007
19th Century Development: The elevation of Hunt’s ‘Court’ to Bath ‘Place’ was a product of two factors. Firstly the coalescence of burgages, allowing deeper development clearly evidenced in the gardens of Nos. 26 and 27, and followed in subsequent building on neighbouring sites. Secondly of patronage; two strips merged on the south side during the 1840s allowing construction of a school and fine terrace of shops. These joined the Quaker Meeting House (‘outside the walls’) to give a measure of respectability not usually associated with backland areas.
By the nineteenth century at least the open site of the Inner Bailey known as Castle Green was being utilised as a livestock market. The area currently grassed was used for sale of sheep, and that used as a car park for the sale of cattle. Stables and stable yards flanked the latter, the form and elements of which are now preserved in a building on the east side of the market place (the yard of the latter now covered by a ‘link’ to the adjacent pub), and by Tower Way on the west. A covered meat market occupied the large site now occupied by the buildings housing ‘Virgin’ and Wilkie May and Tuckwood Estate Agents. The concentration of mainly purpose-built public houses and hotels around Castle Green probably reflects historic service of the markets which would have generated a significant trade.
FIG. 3: The markets at Castle Green from 1886 OS Map.
Construction of Corporation Street in 1894 made use of a dog-legged strip of mainly garden land running back off the Market Place, roughly parallel to Bath Place and tracing the line of the castle’s outer moat. As such the new road effectively merged into the existing townscape, though exposed backland
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 12 of 32 April 2007 development above Bath Place in the process. Much of this was devoted to or supported brewing. Various improvements with a civic emphasis followed; the Grammar School remodelled as the Municipal Offices, the Mechanics Institute (now the Moat House) built alongside, and a Carnegie Library and Art School constructed opposite. The library was cut laterally across a number of burgage plots providing the current link to Bath Place. New buildings were constructed to define the corners of streets at either end, the former Four All’s Inn (more recently the George) replacing an earlier public house of the same name on this site.
20th Century Development: A larger scale of development commenced during the 1930s with construction of the Odeon and Tower Way, the latter again following the lines of a pre-existing plot of land (see FIG. 3). The site to the west of this also saw major redevelopment, while emphasis shifted post war down to the present to massive clearance and chunking of new development usually without constraint from and thus with disregard to pre-existing boundaries.
4.2 Archaeology Given the survival of large portions of the historic townscape both above and below ground archaeological record has a more continuous nature here than elsewhere. Excavations within the vicinity have shown good preservation of deposits assisted in some areas by water logging. Excavation may help clarify the form and evolution of the castle, its impact upon and relationship with routes west and the development of pre and post-medieval settlement in Taunton. Any construction work involving excavation, in particular of historic sealed paved surfaces or floors is likely to have an impact upon the archaeological record and will require professional investigation. To this end the whole of the historic castle site is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument (see Appendix) and the Conservation Area as a whole an Area of High Archaeological Potential (see relevant local policies).
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 13 of 32 April 2007 5. Spatial Analysis and Built Form
5.1 Urban Structure As development of the Conservation Area has by and large been characterised by the accommodation of changes within an evolving framework of plots and boundaries, an irregular network of linked routes and spaces has emerged. Three successive east-west routes divide the Area into segments with limited lateral connection. A gradation in route size and status is evident, directly reflecting the historic origin of each and having strong bearing upon current use; pedestrian flows funnelled along Bath Place and through Castle Green, traffic along Corporation Street. The tight width of Bath Place combined with garden spaces and ‘hidden’ public spaces provides an intimate feel and interest to the route which contrasts with the broad funnelled character of Corporation Street. Tower Street opens into loosely defined space from which minor routes in turn provide access to poorly enclosed private, semi-public and public spaces.
5.2 Open Space The open aspect of Zone 1 makes a strong impression. To some extent this recalls the area occupied by the castle’s outer bailey, though its present form owes more to its past use as a market place following clearance of buildings from the site. It currently plays an important, if underexploited role in the townscape.
5.3 Views Views in both directions along the upper section of Bath Place are particularly good. Entering Corporation Street from the Market Place the dog leg in the road provides an attractive composition which unfolds to some extent though is slightly disappointed on entering the straight. Here the Odeon is an undoubted landmark though one unbalanced by the attachment of Michael Paul House and of dubious quality viewed from Castle Green.
5.4 Plan-Form, Height and Massing The scale and grain of development shows some contrast between Zones 1 and 2. Within Zone 1 many tall and or bulky buildings, with frequently irregular or sprawling plan-form provide a fairly coarse grained character apparently lacking harmony. The latter sense is enforced by the space between buildings and competing orientations, best illustrated in the over-sized Odeon building which turns its back on Castle Green. It is unfortunate that recent development has sought to follow this. Development in Zone 1 is more continuous, with most buildings a low two or two and a half stories in height. A more fine grained character is provided by the presence of densely packed units most of relatively
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 14 of 32 April 2007 small or moderate size and restricted plan-form. Terraces play an important role in providing some balance.
5.5 Building Density While in Zone 1 many buildings make efficient use of the plots in which they stand, often having limited provision of attached private land, a general impression of spaciousness is provided by broad streets and ample open space between buildings. This contrasts with Zone 2 where more efficient use of limited space in general sees a high proportion of conjoined buildings directly fronting narrow pavements and yards with little open space besides.
FIG. 4: Bath Place shopping parade.
5.6 Edges and Enclosure Public and private space is strongly demarcated in Zone 2 where enclosure is provided either by buildings themselves or by brick walls and railings. In Zone 1 private and public space has merged in many places (with negative consequences where involving the dustbin filled service areas of commercial properties) while boundaries between spaces of different functional allocation are often poorly defined by very low walls or changes in street surface.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 15 of 32 April 2007 6. Architecture
6.1 Architectural Style Zone 1 holds a disjointed mixture of styles, some of these imposed upon earlier buildings through ‘restoration’ or remodelling, many of them pastiches. These in particular pick up on a gothic theme best illustrated by the old library. Art Deco is dominant at the heart of the Area, garages formerly on the site of Michael Paul house once continuing the theme along Corporation Street. The Burton buildings below Castle Bow represent a second important, if somewhat peripheral, Art Deco contribution. Neo-classicism makes a strong but limited appearance in the former Art School with more classically inspired and informed designs having strong presence in Zone 2. Here simple, elegantly proportioned Georgian style of architecture dominates.
FIG. 5: Gothic along Corporation Street. The colours and textures of the contrasting stones used provide richness to the street scene.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 16 of 32 April 2007
6.2 Listed Buildings and Important Unlisted Buildings Schedules of listed buildings and important unlisted buildings are set out in Appendices D and E, and are also identified on Map 3.
6.3 Facades Stone (local blue lias, ham stone sandstone and breccia) is predominant across Zone 1, occurring as randomly coursed rubble, squared coursed rubble and sandstone ashlar. Stucco (originally lined) is employed along the south side of Bath Place, but otherwise a dull coloured red and brown brick is prominent.
It is important to note that an Article 4 Direction prohibiting the painting of previously unpainted facades under normal ‘permitted’ development was made in March 1977 applicable to the Conservation Areas as then constituted.
6.4 Roofs Many of the buildings within the Area have parapets on the front elevations which largely conceal roof slopes from view. In general most roofs are pitched and slated though some tile does occur, the best example of which is found on the old Library. The flat roofs of the Odeon provide an obvious exception.
6.5 Windows Multi-paned windows are a frequent feature reflecting their late eighteenth-mid nineteenth century design. Sash and case types are in the majority with an ‘early’ flush-fit exposed case design surviving on the side elevation of 14 Bath Place. Metal framed windows are however also an important element in the gothic and art deco buildings within the Area.
6.6 Other Features of Interest The shopping terraces of Bath Place are built into a gentle east-west downward slope which requires a slight steeping of facades. The illusion of regularity is however maintained by a variation in the length of blanked panels above the first floor windows. Depending upon viewpoint this can work to mimic perspective. Distortion of the glazing bars on a number of surviving historic shop windows along Bath Place provides a great point of interest. On the stiles of several of the shop fronts pulley wheels are visible which may suggest the original presence of unusually broad sash windows. A carved wooden door case removed from a timber framed building demolished around the turn of the nineteenth-twentieth century is incorporated into the 1920s Wyndham Lecture Hall. A single timber framed bay of the St. James Street Almshouses demolished during the late nineteenth century, has been erected in the courtyard of the castle. An old licensing sign is painted onto the wall of the Castle Hotel under the gatehouse.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 17 of 32 April 2007 FIG 6: Sixteenth century doorways. Left: the yett and pend (doorway and passage) entering Bath Place. Right: a salvaged doorway installed in Wyvern Hall.
FIG. 7: Bath Place Shopfront. Left: bowing glazing bars. Right: pulley wheels and beading suggest either sash windows or a system of shutters were once installed.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 18 of 32 April 2007
7. Street Scene
7.1 Walls, Railings and Gates Garden walls are a feature across the Area though the tiny rubble stone walls of Zone 1 are more ornamental than functional. Walls of front gardens within Zone 2 are mostly brick and where low enough to take them carry modern replacement railings. Several properties have old wrought iron gates. The tall walls of Unison House (formerly a private residence with large garden and greenhouses) provide a strong edge along the western stretch of Bath Place.
7.2 Trees, Hedges and Green Space Trees and green spaces contribute to the sense of spaciousness and setting of listed buildings in Zone 1, and in Zone 2 play an important role in breaking up the otherwise dense development. Private gardens have a large part in the latter, while two publicly used spaces - Castle Green and ground between the old Art School and Library – promote a sense of engagement and place. Land alongside the mill leat plays a role in the setting of the Area though does not otherwise form an integral part of it. The concealed garden of the Castle Hotel is formed around the remnants of the castle’s keep providing a topographically interesting space, while the wisteria grown up the face of the building is a remarkable specimen in terms of both size and floral display.
7.3 Public Realm
a) Groundscape A limited quantity of attractive traditional stone paving exists around Castle Bow and to the front of the Municipal Buildings. This ends abruptly however approaching the Green where cobbled open space directly merges into a standard road. While being visually untidy and unattractive this is also dangerous as pedestrians tend to fan directly into Tower Street. The car park itself is defined by a clutter of garish planters and other paraphernalia whose ‘municipal’ appearance jars with the historic setting. The groundscape of Bath Place lacks distinction merging with that of the High Street rather than being tailored to context. The High Street ‘improvement’ scheme, which included installation of wall to wall brick pavoirs, bunkers and over sized trees would now be considered insensitive. Along Castle Bow a couple of pavement lights survive in worn condition. These are interesting features increasing removed or filled in.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 19 of 32 April 2007 FIG. 8: Street Details. Pavement lights in Castle Bow.
b) Lighting Lamp posts were once positioned along Bath Place, and what appears to be the cast iron stem of one post survives in the garden of No. 18. Current street lighting contributes little, and along Bath Place has a detrimental impact given its provision by flood lights mounted on building facades. The few ‘heritage’ style lanterns which occur in Zone 1 do little to promote local distinctiveness.
c) Signage and Advertising Some ‘historic’ signage survives including enamel street name plates in Bath Place and Castle Bow. A old painted licensing sign is retained on the side wall of the Castle Hotel. Shop signage varies with hanging signs a feature along Bath Place where some attractive wrought iron brackets complement the other ironwork used in railings and gates. Banner, poster and board advertisements particularly favoured by pubs in the Area cause some detriment to the buildings at which they are installed and the street scene in general.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 20 of 32 April 2007 FIG. 9: Traditional signage in Bath Place. Provides a distinctive look.
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Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 22 of 32 April 2007 8. Damage & Deterioration
8.1 Principal Negative Features Aspects which have a negative impact upon the character and appearance of the Area comprise:
a) Design of Modern Buildings: The Odeon is a superb example of Art Deco though sits uncomfortably within its context, presenting a blank wall to Castle Green. This trend has been followed in some more recent development though the impact of resulting buildings is rarely compensated by architectural quality. Michael Paul House has an entirely detrimental impact upon the setting of the Conservation Area given its size, bland appearance and inactive frontage, as does the bus station which lacks strong boundaries and has been insensitively cut into the historic townscape. Castle Moat Chambers appears intrusive in terms of style, though brings a functional variety which suits the context.
b) Uses: Mixed uses within the Area contribute greatly to its character however variety appears to be declining. This may be viewed in residential conversions at the far end of Bath Place (in some cases admittedly a return to original uses) and the increasing concentration of restaurant, café and bar uses elsewhere. Where catering extract vents have been positioned to emit onto public spaces (as at the Moat House) the effect is very unpleasant due to fouling of the air and the oily discharge produced.
c) Public Realm: The groundscape of both Bath Place and Castle Green fails to live up to its context. Castle Green is cluttered by dwarf walls, planters, signs, cameras and other paraphernalia which undermine the quality of the space. Linkages across the area are poor given traffic volumes on Corporation Street. Environmental quality declines with progress along the street from east to west.
8.2 Principal Neutral Features The principal feature that could be said to have neither positive nor negative impact upon the character and appearance of the Area would be car parking. While Castle Green Car Park could be put to better use as a multi-functional public space, car parking here does not in itself represent an entirely negative factor as it fills the redundant market place. Parking should be differentiated from the
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 23 of 32 April 2007 apparatus, infrastructure and landscaping associated with the car park itself which has the definite negative impact outlined in 8.1(c) above.
8.3 General Condition Various forms of mostly minor structural deterioration are evident along Bath Place, these including corroded gutters, cracked and poorly patched facades and mortar decay in chimney stacks. Evidence of botched maintenance is frequently found. Movement appears to have occurred at No.13. Foundations of the castle keep show significant plant growth, while the low brick walls edging the mill race are in a decayed state. Buildings otherwise appear externally to be in a well maintained condition.
FIG. 10: Inappropriate maintenance. On this building in Bath Place soft brick has been thickly ‘pointed’ with hard cement accelerating the process of deterioration.
8.4 Threats and Pressures Pressures affecting the character and appearance of the Conservation Area mainly revolve around the current and potential redevelopment of its setting.
a) Corporation Street: The approved redevelopment of the former Fours Alls public house and construction of flats adjacent will have an obvious impact upon the Conservation Area. While renovation of the public house is to be welcomed the scale and massing of the flats will further coarsen the grain of the Area while having an overbearing presence along the lower reaches of Bath Place.
b) The Crescent Car Park: Taunton’s ‘Vision’ earmarks this backland area for total redevelopment. This has the potential to significantly improve the amenity of the area however sensitive handling is essential. Proposals which fail to reference the historic morphology of the backland burgage courts cleared from the site post-war (and thus relate to Bath Place) could be harmful.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 24 of 32 April 2007
9. Recommendations
9.1 Boundary Changes Included following review:
Mecca Bingo (old cinema): A listed building which has an undeniable if in some respects awkward relationship with the rest of the Conservation Area.
Oakgate House, Castle Moat Chambers and adjacent property with frontage on Corporation Street: both of these buildings have frontage on Bath Place and so contribute to its character; their isolated exclusion makes little sense. While Castle Moat Chambers is not of high quality Oakgate House appears contemporary with adjacent historic development.
26b and 29 Fore Street: Included to give spatial integrity to the Conservation Area as both form obvious parts of the Area.
9.2 Management & Enhancement Through positive proactive management and focused and appropriate enhancement works, the character and appearance of the Conservation Area may be both preserved and enhanced for the future. Analysis contained within this appraisal should assist in both the formulation and evaluation of development proposals thus helping to ensure that objectives are partially achieved through everyday planning. More broadly the following potentials may be identified and suggestions made. Implementation will depend entirely upon opportunity, priorities and funding, and may involve or be achieved by either the public or private sectors.
The uniformity of lined out stucco facades in Bath Place has been lost through painting in different colours, application of textured render, repairs of varied quality and crude re-lining. While the different colours used on shopfronts add visual interest and character a restoration of uniformity to the broader scheme in which they occur would be beneficial.
The remodelling of Castle Green is proposed within Taunton Vision. Any future treatment should aim to be as uncluttered as possible. Consideration could be given to resurfacing the car park and street from Castle Way eastwards as a single shared space. The potential for multiple use of space here could be explored as a means of returning life to the site.
Consideration should be given to an improved lighting scheme along Bath Place and around Castle Green. Lamp designs should be locally relevant though bespoke designs could add value if used as part of a general scheme of public art based enhancements.
Repair and maintenance of wall surfaces along covered sections of Bath Place should be encouraged. Significant deterioration is currently evident.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 25 of 32 April 2007 Appendix Appendix A – Further Information and Advice Legislation, Guidance and Policy: Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. (see www.opsi.gov.uk). Taunton Deane Borough Council Local Plan 2004.
Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment. 1994. (see www.communities.gov.uk). DETR Circular 01/2001. 2001. (see www.communities.gov.uk). Guidance on the Management of Conservation Areas. English Heritage 2005. (See www.english-heritage.org.uk) Guidance on Conservation Area Appraisals. English Heritage 2005. Design Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development. (see www.communities.gov.uk). Design and Access Statements: How to write, read and use them. CABE 2006. (see www.cabe.org.uk). By Design. Urban Design in the Planning System. Towards Better Practice. CABE/DETR 2000. (see www.cabe.org.uk). Historical Development and Archaeology: Bush, 1977: Book of Taunton. Gathercole, C. 1996: Somerset Extensive Urban Survey: Taunton. Unpublished Somerset County Council Report. Goldsworthy, 1883: Recollections of Old Taunton. Historic Environment Record. Maps: Local Studies Library and Somerset County Records Office, Taunton. Sharp, 1948: A Plan For Taunton. Architecture: Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Somerset Historic Environment Record Listed buildings in the local area. Pevsner, N. 2002: The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset. Further Enquires Enquiries regarding this Appraisal and for advice should be addressed to: Conservation Officer Taunton Deane Borough Council Belvedere Road Taunton Tel: 01823 356356
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 26 of 32 April 2007 Appendix B – Conservation Areas: General Guidance
What is a Conservation Area? A Conservation Area is defined as: 'an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance'. - Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Taunton Deane has 41 Conservation Areas which have been designated to cover the most historically and architecturally important and interesting parts of the Borough's towns and villages.
Various factors contribute to the special character of a Conservation Area. These include: the quality of buildings, the historic layout of roads, paths and boundaries, boundary treatments and patterns of enclosure, characteristic building and paving materials, uses and associations, the quality of the public realm and contribution made by trees and green spaces. A strong 'sense of place' is often associated with Conservation Areas. It is the function of Conservation Area Appraisals to assess and evaluate 'character' as a means of assisting the planning process.
Owning and Developing Land and Property within a Conservation Area PPG15, Planning and the Historic Environment, provides a principal point of general guidance on the conservation areas. In order to assist in the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas various additional planning controls exist within them:
The substantial demolition of unlisted buildings and structures requires Conservation Area Consent. Proposals will not normally be looked upon favourably where affected buildings or structures are deemed to make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area. An approved scheme for redevelopment will normally be required before consent to demolish will be granted. Exceptions to the rule include: Small buildings of less than 115 cubic metres. Walls, fences and railings less than one metre high abutting to highway (including footpaths and bridleways) or less than two metres elsewhere. Agricultural and forestry buildings erected since 1914. Certain buildings used for industry. Where demolition is being considered early consultation with local Planning and Conservation Officers should be sought. It is a criminal offence to carry out unauthorised works.
Within a Conservation Area permitted development rights are subject to some restriction. Planning Permission will be required for: Insertion of a dormer window or other alteration to the roof. Positioning of a satellite dish or antennae in certain locations. Application of external stone, artificial stone, plastic or timber cladding. Erection of an extension exceeding 50 cubic metres volume or 10% of the existing volume (whichever is greater).
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 27 of 32 April 2007
Erection of a building exceeding 10 cubic metres volume within the curtilage of a property.
Further restrictions may be applied by the Local Authority or Secretary of State through use of ‘Article 4’ designations where a good case can be made (e.g. covering aspects such as change of windows).
High standards of design are expected for new development within Conservation Areas. Sensitive proposals which pay special regard to prevailing patterns of height, massing, articulation, use of materials and enclosure will be encouraged and have been given renewed emphasis in new statutory guidance notes PPS1 and PPS3. Early consultation should be sought with local Development Control and Conservation Officers.
Various types of advertisement including those which are illuminated will require Advertisement Consent. Advertisements must be sympathetic to the character and appearance of the area.
All trees and shrubs with trunks 75mm or more in diameter at 1.2 metres above ground level are protected from felling, lopping and pruning. Six weeks' written notice must be provided to the Borough Council's Tree Officer in each instance during which time a Tree Preservation Order may be served.
Implications for the Local Authority The 1990 Act makes it a duty for Local Authorities to: In exercising their planning powers, pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of a conservation area. Formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of the Conservation Area. Review designations from time to time. The Government’s Best Value initiative (Indicators BV219a-c) also requires the production of Appraisals and Management Strategies, and places an onus upon Local Authorities to consult the public during their production.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 28 of 32 April 2007 Appendix C – Scheduled Ancient Monuments
A Scheduled Ancient Monument is defined in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the National Heritage Act 1983 as a protected archaeological site or historic building of national importance. The scheduling of a monument means that permission is required for works affecting that monument. The Secretary of State, in consultation with EH, assesses each case individually to ensure that damage to protected sites is kept to a minimum.
There is one Scheduled Monument within the Area:
SM22851: Shell keep castle, part of the associated outer bailey, ninth century cemetery and a Civil War siegework at Taunton Castle.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 29 of 32 April 2007
Appendix D – Listed Buildings
A ‘listed building’ is a building of special national architectural or historic interest in the national context.
Below is a table of the principal listed Buildings within the existing and proposed Conservation Area. For further information on these buildings see the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest and Historic Environment Record.
Please note: The table does not include ancillary structures or those within the curtilage of named buildings. These are also covered by the listing.
English Heritage Somerset HER Address Grade Reference No. Reference No. Former School of Science and II 269622 45901 Art, Bath Place 1-11 (consec) Bath Place II 269623 45902 14 Bath Place II 269624 45903 Brick wall running east from rear of No 14 and Dragon II 269625 45904 Bookshop, Corporation Street 22-25 (consec) Bath Place II 269626 45905 26 Bath Place II 269627 45906 27 Bath Place II 269628 45907 Castle Hotel II 269651 45930 Castle Bow I 269652 45931 The Castle (inhabited parts I 269653 45932 only) Timber frame and two bays of II 269654 44604 almshouses Castle Lodge II 269655 45934 Winchester Arms Hotel II 269656 45935 Public Library II 269667 45946 Stone cider mill II 269668 45947 Somerset Collage of Art II 269669 45958 Municipal Buildings II* 269671 45950 Terrace with piers, lamps and parapets in front of Municipal II 269672 45951 Buildings Bingo club II 442854 44629 18 Fore Street I 269733 46009 19 & 20 Fore Street including II 269734 46010 33 Bath Place 21 Fore Street II 269735 46011 Bank and 25A Fore Street II 269736 46012 Ina Cottage II 269807 46083
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 30 of 32 April 2007 Appendix E – Important Unlisted Buildings
Buildings or structures which, whilst perhaps not of special interest in the national context, are nevertheless of local interest by nature of their date, design, materials, historical association, etc. This is not a statutory designation and confers no protection, but does highlight the importance of a building for general planning purposes. It is quite possible that some of these buildings may be of listable quality though they have previously been overlooked.
Below is a table of notable unlisted buildings within the existing and proposed Conservation Area (it does not include all those which may be considered to make a ‘positive’ contribution to character and appearance).
Address Notes 1 North Street A Burton’s building. Classic of art deco commercial design. Building to rear of 20 High Small warehouse with remnants of painted sign. Street (in Bath Place) 17-19 Bath Place An terrace of nineteenth century cottages. Their small size typical of those found in backland areas. Former Four Alls/George Defines the approach to Bath Place from the west. public house Moat House (former An element of the ‘Edwardian’ Civic centre developed Mechanics Institute) around Corporation Street. Friend’s Meeting House An historic building originally ‘outside the walls’. Somewhat damaged by insensitive modifications.
Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 31 of 32 April 2007 Taunton Deane Borough Council Page 32 of 32 April 2007