FARMSTEADS IN CHASE DISTRICT FARMSTEADS GUIDANCE

PLANNING ISSUES Use the FARMSTEAD ASSESSMENT Use the FARMSTEAD ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FRAMEWORK to demonstrate how four stages to identify and consider the need and potential SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS development proposals comply with for change at the earliest stage of considering change for a IN THE STAFFORDSHIRE national and local planning policy. The farmstead or farm building. FARMSTEADS GUIDANCE National Planning Policy Framework stresses the importance of: SITE SUMMARY • Retaining and enhancing local This comprises a brief description of the whole site and its landscape context, and character and distinctiveness. identification of other key issues such as site access, services and designations. It STAFFORDSHIRE FARMSTEADS 1 provides the essential first step and can be easily completed by the applicant or CHARACTER STATEMENT provides • Conserving heritage assets in developer without specialist knowledge. a manner appropriate to their fully-illustrated guidance on the character and significance of Staffordshire’s significance and putting them to ASSESS HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE traditional farmsteads and buildings in viable uses consistent with their Assess heritage significance of the building and site, from its contribution to conservation. 2 local character to the significance of individual buildings. their landscape and settlement context, and the areas into which it subdivides. Local plan policy generally supports the re-use of significant historic buildings, NEED AND POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE and includes specific requirements and Use the understanding gained from Stages 1 and 2 to consider constraints AREA SUMMARIES for the areas into planning considerations, particularly and opportunities for sympathetic change and development, and the type of which the county subdivides, based 3 sustainable change most most to be acceptable in the planning process. in relation to residential additions on analysis of its farmsteads in their landscape context. and alterations, neighbourhood issues SITING AND DESIGN ISSUES and taking account of biodiversity. It Design issues for the site and its buildings, and the siting of new buildings. is important to identify any heritage 4 assets and other designations where specific policies might apply, including This guidance follows the development of an evidence base for the historic character and survival of the For English Heritage research and county’s farmsteads, which has been entered on the county’s Historic Environment Record at listed buildings, conservation areas, guidance see its HELM web pages at http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Historic-Environment-Record .It includes the mapping of historic character, Green Belt or the http://www.helm.org.uk/farmbuildings survival and use of farmsteads across the county as part of the West Farmsteads and Landscapes Project AONB. (see http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/wmidlandsfarmsteads).

For planning policies in Cannock Chase Borough Council see http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/info/200074/planning/542/planning_policy TRADITIONAL FARMSTEADS IN

LEGEND

HISTORIC FARMSTEAD CHARACTER The heritage potential of traditional farmsteads, based on the • 1% of the county’s farmsteads lie within the District. Such low survival of their historic form from Ordnance Survey maps percentages are historic; farmsteads have always been absent of c. 1900, has been entered onto the Staffordshire Historic from Cannock Chase which covers large proportions of the Environment Record (HER). north western quarter of the District. Elsewhere farmsteads • 24% of recorded farmsteads (county average 59%) have high have been lost as a result of industrial and urban expansion in heritage potential as traditional farmsteads, because they have the 20th century. retained more than 50% of their historic form. • Small and medium scale farmsteads dominate the District • 9% (county average 9.5%) have some heritage potential (59%) and have been associated with those landscapes because they have retained less than 50% of their historic which were enclosed out of Cannock Chase at an early date form. notably around and to the south in and The remainder may have retained a house (which may be a around . Historically they were associated with listed building) or have lost all of their buildings. These may still a subsistence economy whereby those working in industry retain archaeological deposits which can be revealed through (particularly coal mining) would supplement their incomes development. with part-time farming • The landscape to the east of Cannock and west of PRESENT AND FUTURE ISSUES represented a mix of courtyard, dispersed and linear Research led by English Heritage (see text box on first page) farmstead types, although large numbers have been lost from has shown that historic farm buildings have been more prone the landscape around Cannock. to both neglect and development than any other historic Crown copyright and/or database right 2015. All rights reserved. building type. They are also associated with high levels of home- Licence No. 100019422. SIGNIFICANCE based business use. Farmsteads which have retained traditional buildings and/ Any traditional farmsteads are rare, as there has been a or their historic form make a positive contribution to local substantial loss of traditional farmsteads to urban and industrial character and distinctiveness, whether they are designated as expansion within the district. heritage assets or not. The greater the survival of the historic form and detail of the whole farmstead and any buildings, the greater will be its significance.